Thursday, January 2, 2014
Lindsey's 2013 Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Houston, Texas! It has been a cold winter here, so I hope you are cozy wherever this finds you.
2013, for us, will be remembered as the year that we sold our house and tent-camped for a little less than five months. Many of our friends and family have heard fragments of this story. If you would like to know exactly what is going on... Great! I have just the Christmas Newsletter for you! Here is the story of how our camping started and has been going!
In the early months of the year, Josh and I began praying consistently over our budget and about how to alleviate the feeling of just "barely getting by." We had made some good strides the year before by paying off our van, but with Josh's student loan and now a 30 year mortgage on our plate, we were beginning to feel financially bogged down. We loved our house, location and had even planted six small fruit trees in the backyard where Josh had also put together a big play-set for the kids. We had no immediate intention of leaving.
By around March or April of this year we found out taxes had gone up that would significantly affect our monthly payment. Going to our knees again in prayer, we continued to ask God what He would want us to do.
Josh and I began to explore the question of "what if we didn't have this 30 year loan? How long would it take to pay off our student loan debt? If we didn't have any debt at all, how much better could we contribute to the people and causes we feel strongly about?
As we sat together on a date praying in late April, we asked God to show us some way that we could pay off our debts and not live under the burden of another loan. We couldn't get an apartment as it would actually be more per month than the house. We couldn't rent a house because of the same reason. So, we thought about living in a trailer park. Not exactly a dazzling prospect, but surely cheaper right? As we had driven around a local trailer park earlier that we week, we realized the same problem was at hand: we didn't have enough to buy a trailer outright and paying the monthly costs wasn't a big enough savings to significantly allow us to pay off the student loan. So, here we were sitting together on our date thinking "surely there must be a way to live in America without debt?" And then we looked at each other and I don't remember who said it to who but one of us said "how about an RV?"
We drove to a local RV park, talked to people, went inside their campers, asked questions... Lots of questions. Called places, researched, and calculated gas costs. We weren't blown over by the RV park environment. We did, however love the environment of the state park.
Looking around and studying the park's rules and regulations, we asked ourselves, well... How much would it cost to camp here? If we camped here, how much money could we throw at the student loan? If we were able to put a lot toward the student loan, when would we be able to pay off that debt entirely? Would it be possible to camp year round in this climate? Where would we go during the hot days? How would we handle the cold nights?
We calculated fuel costs, test-camped for 10 days to accustom ourselves, decided upon homeschooling at a nearby library with private study rooms and asked the church if we could go there to do school work on the days that we drove in as a family. We talked about how Josh would have proper clothes to wear to work. We talked about how we would store food, switch campsites, keep kids clean, wash clothes, where we would keep important belongings, how much stuff would we have to get rid off, and how/when would we sell the house.
We prayed again and again. Getting up early in the morning, Josh and I would walk on the sidewalk in front of our house fervently seeking God's lead through every step of all of this because this was such a radical and drastic change. The more we prayed, the more God worked everything out.
The first day of our house being on the market, we had three showings and an offer. By that weekend we had 20 scheduled showings and 4 official offers. After a complete week we sold the house for a full cash offer. We were so thankful to close on the house while we were in Michigan in the middle of July. We had lived in the house about a week shy of 2 years.
Our camping adventure had begun! As we left Michigan, we came home to our first night of camping on July 21, 2013.
Many funny, hard, delightful and interesting experiences have transpired since we started camping. We have had rainstorms. We have had wind storms. We have experienced nights at 92 degrees and nights at 29 degrees. We have had raccoons jump on our tent, a gecko in the tent, a gofer underneath our tent and lots of mosquitos and ants that have made us discontent. It's been unforgettable and we've loved it!
We have been to about 6 different Texas State Parks and 1 National Park. We have torn down and pitched our tent an estimated 30 times. We have seen wild tarantulas, wild hogs, a roadrunner, alligators, snakes, foxes, deer, butterflies, bees, ducks, many species of birds, spiders, armadillos, dragon flies, turtles, squirrels, cottontails, lady bugs, owls, and caterpillars.
I know that this whole way of living sounds unfathomable to some, but we love the outdoors, we love not having much stuff and more than anything, we love God. Wherever He leads, that's where we will go.
So, where are we now? Well, currently we are on the road driving from the Lansing area to the Detroit area. We just got done visiting Josh's family and will be spending a few days with my family for Christmas.
We were rear-ended by a Ford Expedition in Houston one week before we were supposed to leave for Michigan. God worked it out for the good and with the money that was received from our totaled Chrysler Town & Country, we were then able to purchase a truck and pop-up camper!
Yes! That's right, we will now be in a pop-up camper! We are moving up!... Up off the ground that is :)
I am excited to see my folks, but I am also tickled by the idea that we will now have air-conditioning, heat, a small sink, stove and electricity to charge our phones. The entire experience has developed a huge appreciation for the little things in life. Probably one of my favorite parts of the last 5 months has been the stars though. When we are just falling asleep, they are there. When we have camped in west Texas, they are there. When we have camped in east Texas, they are there. When it is cold, hot, windy or quiet... The stars are there.
In the still evenings when I get anxious (as moms sometimes do), I come close to Josh and stare at the splatters of white paint across the black fleece sky. Josh usually senses my worried heart and says "you know, He knows all of their names." I take a deep breathe, look at our four sweet peas cozy in their sleeping bags and fall asleep feeling as though I've snuggled right into the wrinkles of my Heavenly Father's hand.
So, yes. We were living in a tent (soon to be pop-up). I don't know where this camping will ultimately lead, but I do know the One who is leading us.
In some unhurried moment of this new year, step outside and look at the stars. He is telling you He loves you. He knows all of the hard things that have happened in 2013 and all the hard things that will come in 2014. Just watch night's glittering light show and say to yourself:
"He knows them all by name."
Because just like the stars, no matter where you are, He is always there.
Love,
Lindsey on behalf of the Feldpausch Family
"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." Psalm 147:4
Greetings from Houston, Texas! It has been a cold winter here, so I hope you are cozy wherever this finds you.
2013, for us, will be remembered as the year that we sold our house and tent-camped for a little less than five months. Many of our friends and family have heard fragments of this story. If you would like to know exactly what is going on... Great! I have just the Christmas Newsletter for you! Here is the story of how our camping started and has been going!
In the early months of the year, Josh and I began praying consistently over our budget and about how to alleviate the feeling of just "barely getting by." We had made some good strides the year before by paying off our van, but with Josh's student loan and now a 30 year mortgage on our plate, we were beginning to feel financially bogged down. We loved our house, location and had even planted six small fruit trees in the backyard where Josh had also put together a big play-set for the kids. We had no immediate intention of leaving.
By around March or April of this year we found out taxes had gone up that would significantly affect our monthly payment. Going to our knees again in prayer, we continued to ask God what He would want us to do.
Josh and I began to explore the question of "what if we didn't have this 30 year loan? How long would it take to pay off our student loan debt? If we didn't have any debt at all, how much better could we contribute to the people and causes we feel strongly about?
As we sat together on a date praying in late April, we asked God to show us some way that we could pay off our debts and not live under the burden of another loan. We couldn't get an apartment as it would actually be more per month than the house. We couldn't rent a house because of the same reason. So, we thought about living in a trailer park. Not exactly a dazzling prospect, but surely cheaper right? As we had driven around a local trailer park earlier that we week, we realized the same problem was at hand: we didn't have enough to buy a trailer outright and paying the monthly costs wasn't a big enough savings to significantly allow us to pay off the student loan. So, here we were sitting together on our date thinking "surely there must be a way to live in America without debt?" And then we looked at each other and I don't remember who said it to who but one of us said "how about an RV?"
We drove to a local RV park, talked to people, went inside their campers, asked questions... Lots of questions. Called places, researched, and calculated gas costs. We weren't blown over by the RV park environment. We did, however love the environment of the state park.
Looking around and studying the park's rules and regulations, we asked ourselves, well... How much would it cost to camp here? If we camped here, how much money could we throw at the student loan? If we were able to put a lot toward the student loan, when would we be able to pay off that debt entirely? Would it be possible to camp year round in this climate? Where would we go during the hot days? How would we handle the cold nights?
We calculated fuel costs, test-camped for 10 days to accustom ourselves, decided upon homeschooling at a nearby library with private study rooms and asked the church if we could go there to do school work on the days that we drove in as a family. We talked about how Josh would have proper clothes to wear to work. We talked about how we would store food, switch campsites, keep kids clean, wash clothes, where we would keep important belongings, how much stuff would we have to get rid off, and how/when would we sell the house.
We prayed again and again. Getting up early in the morning, Josh and I would walk on the sidewalk in front of our house fervently seeking God's lead through every step of all of this because this was such a radical and drastic change. The more we prayed, the more God worked everything out.
The first day of our house being on the market, we had three showings and an offer. By that weekend we had 20 scheduled showings and 4 official offers. After a complete week we sold the house for a full cash offer. We were so thankful to close on the house while we were in Michigan in the middle of July. We had lived in the house about a week shy of 2 years.
Our camping adventure had begun! As we left Michigan, we came home to our first night of camping on July 21, 2013.
Many funny, hard, delightful and interesting experiences have transpired since we started camping. We have had rainstorms. We have had wind storms. We have experienced nights at 92 degrees and nights at 29 degrees. We have had raccoons jump on our tent, a gecko in the tent, a gofer underneath our tent and lots of mosquitos and ants that have made us discontent. It's been unforgettable and we've loved it!
We have been to about 6 different Texas State Parks and 1 National Park. We have torn down and pitched our tent an estimated 30 times. We have seen wild tarantulas, wild hogs, a roadrunner, alligators, snakes, foxes, deer, butterflies, bees, ducks, many species of birds, spiders, armadillos, dragon flies, turtles, squirrels, cottontails, lady bugs, owls, and caterpillars.
I know that this whole way of living sounds unfathomable to some, but we love the outdoors, we love not having much stuff and more than anything, we love God. Wherever He leads, that's where we will go.
So, where are we now? Well, currently we are on the road driving from the Lansing area to the Detroit area. We just got done visiting Josh's family and will be spending a few days with my family for Christmas.
We were rear-ended by a Ford Expedition in Houston one week before we were supposed to leave for Michigan. God worked it out for the good and with the money that was received from our totaled Chrysler Town & Country, we were then able to purchase a truck and pop-up camper!
Yes! That's right, we will now be in a pop-up camper! We are moving up!... Up off the ground that is :)
I am excited to see my folks, but I am also tickled by the idea that we will now have air-conditioning, heat, a small sink, stove and electricity to charge our phones. The entire experience has developed a huge appreciation for the little things in life. Probably one of my favorite parts of the last 5 months has been the stars though. When we are just falling asleep, they are there. When we have camped in west Texas, they are there. When we have camped in east Texas, they are there. When it is cold, hot, windy or quiet... The stars are there.
In the still evenings when I get anxious (as moms sometimes do), I come close to Josh and stare at the splatters of white paint across the black fleece sky. Josh usually senses my worried heart and says "you know, He knows all of their names." I take a deep breathe, look at our four sweet peas cozy in their sleeping bags and fall asleep feeling as though I've snuggled right into the wrinkles of my Heavenly Father's hand.
So, yes. We were living in a tent (soon to be pop-up). I don't know where this camping will ultimately lead, but I do know the One who is leading us.
In some unhurried moment of this new year, step outside and look at the stars. He is telling you He loves you. He knows all of the hard things that have happened in 2013 and all the hard things that will come in 2014. Just watch night's glittering light show and say to yourself:
"He knows them all by name."
Because just like the stars, no matter where you are, He is always there.
Love,
Lindsey on behalf of the Feldpausch Family
"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name." Psalm 147:4
Josh's 2013 Newsletter
Hey All
I thought it would be a great time to tell everyone what has been going on with your Texas Friends. I have spoken with some of you about it already but I realize that I have never really explained what is going on to everyone and things may be open to interpretation. Again, for some of you this may be old information and for some it may clarify a little bit of how things have been going. As of today, my family has been camping full time for 4 1/2 months! It has been the craziest thing ever but also the most fun thing ever! I am not going to take much time to explain the reasoning since we will be up in Michigan in a few weeks and can talk in person. The main reason that Lindsey and I are camping is that we felt God was calling us to this primitive (for lack of a better word) lifestyle. We built a house 3 years ago and loved it. But financially we had the house debt ($130K) and some school loan debt ($20K). We were able to buy food, clothing, pay for utilities, all the essencials but were unable to have anything left over for emergencies or for giving to others the way we really wanted to. We were not able to buy gifts for others much or allow our kids to be involved in any activities that cost money. We didn't see any relief in the next 10 years... So we came to God together and asked him what we should do. We both felt like we should sell the house. We said, okay... then what? After looking at all the options (downsize, trailer, apartment, etc.) God made it very clear that He wanted us to go camping at the state parks around Houston (and during breaks, explore the rest of Texas)! Side note, we had gone to the state parks a lot before but never really camping. It was not only what God asked us to do but God changed our hearts within a couple weeks. We could not sell our house soon enough and were very exciting to get camping.
As you know, we sold our house while we were in Michigan over the summer. We had camped a couple of weeks prior to selling our house to make sure we could do it. So, when we returned from Michigan, we went straight to full-time camping. Our goal is to continue following God and to pay off the school debt that I have. Then we will pray again and ask God what to do after that. We have about $16K left on the student loan and plan on having it paid off in 1.5 - 2 years. Some options after we are debt free are to continue camping but move from a tent to a camper and then continue saving up for a house. But we really don't know what God has planned or what he is preparing us for. There were so many unknowns with this: no onsite electricity or water, all sharing one 10x20ft space, still maintaining a professional appearance at my job, homeschooling, food storage, having to move every other week, no a/c or heater, etc. It was overwhelming to think about... but at the same time, Lindsey and I could not resist the Lord. It was a call. We felt like we could do what God asked of us or go the other way. We chose to follow God.
We have several days worth of stories of how God has supplied for our needs every step of the way. Yes, we have had 100+ degree days and we have had 28 degree nights. God has provided a breeze for the hot times and has provided sub-zero sleeping bags for the below freezing nights. Honesly, life is really crazy. I can't quite explain the feeling of not having a perminate place to live, not having a home. But also can't quite explain the feeling of having to chase away 3 shooter bucks from our camping site so I could set up our tent last night. Thanks be to God, last week was the only time anyone actually got sick. Lindsey got a cold and we all had raspy throats... the normal stuff that goes around.
I could go on for pages of how God has been guiding us through this. But I want to be clear. We could get an appartment or buy a house tomorrow if we wanted. We have several church families that have offered us their home, their RV, their backyard :) We are more than taken care of. We are very expectant of how God may use this time in the future. Currently, we are splitting our time between Brazos Bend State Park and Stephen F. Austin State Park. We know the staff at each park and they are aware of what we are doing and have treated us very well and have in some ways been our "family" that welcomes us home each day.
We have people applaud what we are doing and ask to join us; we have also had people threaten to report us to CPS. But God is so good. He is so good! He has given us much more than we need. We are in His hands.
As far as the address goes, we have a P.O. Box set up... but we are changing it next week to be "closer to home". I'll update you on that.
To answer some quick questions you may have:
How do you get electricity? We have a Car Battery Pack/Jumper that charges our electronics and give us electricity in our tent if we need it.
How do you get food? From the store :) We usually only buy food 1 day at a time. We go shopping every morning and buy food for the day so raccoons don't get it at night.
What happens when the weather gets bad? We have a tarp we put over the tent. We normally get a little water inside but 1 towel takes care of it. We keep a close eye on the weather. If weather gets super bad, we can get a cabin at the state parks or we can get a hotel for a couple nights. There is also a family at our church that gave us a house key if there is ever an emergency.
What happens when it gets really cold? Each of us have mummy bags that we use, the sleeping bags that you can only see the person's face. Actually, the kids usually overheat:)
What do the kids do for toys? They have a whole world of toys! Sticks, stones, sand, woods, little baby armadillos :) They also have scooters they ride around on. And they also have iPads.
How long does it take to set up and pack up camp? About 2 hours to set up camp. About 2 hours to pack up.
How do you communicate without cell reception at the camps? 2 way radios
What do you do when your son blows out his diaper in the middle of the night and the temperature is below freezing? I change his diaper and give him new pants to wear :)
How do you do schooling with the kids? Lindsey has put most of their curriculum on iPads so we don't have to carry around loads of book.
How do you stay professional at you job? I keep all my dress clothes in my office in a wardrobe. I get to school before the kis and then get changed.
How do you take showers? Each camp has showers with unlimitied hot water :)
What does a typical day look like? We leave together about about 5:00-5:30AM, we get groceries for the day, Lindsey drops me off at school, then goes to the library and schools our 4 kids. Then at about 5PM, she comes by school and picks me up. We go back to camp and get cleaned up, have dinner, and get ready for bed. Hopefully, but not lately, we try to get in bed before 9PM.
What do you eat? What we were eating before. Mostly fruits, veggies, beans, rice, nuts, salads, grains, pitas, mainly whole foods.
How do you go to church? In the truck.
Where do you wash and dry your clothes? Brazos Bend, where we spend most of our time, has two washers and dryers. There have also been many friends that have allowed us to use theirs when we are in town.
What parks have you been to because of your mobility? Stephen F. Austin SP (State Park), Brazos Bend SP, Garner SP, Lost Maples SP, Buescher SP, Bastrop SP, Palmetto SP, Seminole Canyon SP, and Big Bend National Park.
What are some of your favorite things to do while camping? Look up at the stars, go hiking, chase my kids around, read books... but we really aren't at the park too much other than in the evenings and some on the weekends... but we are gone all day most days.
Who do you get internet? At school, church, and at the park headquarters.
Would you give up camping if God called you to do so tomorrow? Yes. But we will keep doing it until that time.
Many people are called to do many things. Camping is not our only option for living. It is, however, the one we have decided upon based on our decision to follow God in every area of our lives. Whenever you make this decision, God will move you. Always spiritually.... and sometimes physically. But He always promises that following Him will lead to the most fulfilling and purposeful life possible. We have found this to be the case. Is is our joy to be camping. God has given us a special love for what He has called us to do.
On behalf of the Feldpausch Family,
Josh
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