NEWSLETTER // February 2020
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WE'RE ON A MISSION

Embrace the RV/Skoolie lifestyle to share the hope and love of Jesus with others!

First off, let me define the word SKOOLIE in our context for you, because a quick internet search surprisingly revealed many definitions! A skoolie is a retired school bus that has been converted into an RV or mobile tiny house.
So how do we plan to share the love of Jesus to the RV/Skoolie community? Well, to be honest, we’re still in the planning stages to figure that out, but we know there is a huge need! According to the RV Industry Association annual report, one million people live in their RV’s full-time in the USA!


Just a few weeks ago in Arizona there was a rally called Skooliepalooza where over 160 converted school buses attended! The majority of people who live in these aren’t just the usual retirees you might think of when “RV community” pops into your head. Most of these buses have been converted by people in their 20’s and 30’s who are trying to escape the ‘rat race’ of everyday life.

It’s pretty obvious that a lot of people who embrace the RV lifestyle are searching for something. A lot of times it’s happiness, or less stress, or perhaps just to do things different. One thing we know is that everyone needs purpose and hope, and that’s what we want to share with them. The purpose and hope that we’ve found in a relationship with Jesus.
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The year is already flying by and it seems like it's just barely started!

January was a lot of fun for us. Lia and I found some really cheap plane tickets down to Florida, so we went down there for 10 days to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! It was by far the most relaxing vacation we’ve ever had. God used the time to remind us of how important it is to take a rest. In our fast paced world, it’s easy to get so busy you forget! A huge thanks to Lia’s parents for helping us out with our plane tickets, Tim & Tina for letting us crash at their place in Florida and to JD's parents for watching Gibson and Maverick so we could get away.
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January was also exciting because we finally bought some batteries for the bus!

Like any RV, the majority of things inside the bus need power of some kind to run (lights, water pump, fridge, etc.) The batteries that came with the bus when we purchased it were shot. We’ve been holding off on buying new ones, as we knew it was going to be a big expense and awhile before we really needed them. As we plan and prepare to hit the road later this year, we knew it was time to start looking for the deals. I found huge LifePo4 batteries from a solar farm in Arizona online at an incredible price! I couldn’t pass up the deal so we bought 4 of them. Let me tell you, these things are heavy. Like, 168lbs each! Once the solar panels get installed on the bus, this battery bank will do a magnificent job of keeping everything running when we are ‘boondocking’ (also called dry camping) and staying in places without regular RV hookups, like electricity, water & sewer.
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TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

We’re praying about a departure date right now. It looks like it will be sometime late summer or fall at this moment. We will be spending the next 6 months or so networking and building relationships with other families that are living full-time in their bus, camper, 5th wheel or RV. We want to be able to learn from them as well as have opportunities to meet more people through the relationships we can build before we hit the road. We also have a lot of things to do to the bus to get it ready. At the end of every newsletter we will post the current list of projects that still needs to be accomplished.

Thanks for partnering with us as we embrace this new journey! Please be praying for us this next month that we will have an official departure date to share with you in the next newsletter.

todo
+ Install under the cabinet coffee maker (A MUST!)
+ Install propane water heater
+ Install diesel furnace (so we have heat while we drive)
+ Install woodburning stove
+ Fix and install generator
+ Check/adjust front suspension
+ Install new dash gauges
+ Fix cracked bathtub
+ Install new rock guard on the back bumper
+ Convert bottom bay into a bedroom for boys
+ Install new seat belts
+ Design and install solar panel rack for roof, and install solar panels
+ Install new batteries for solar system
+ Install toy storage drawer under the couch
+ Replace throttle pedal with air throttle
+ Tighten shifter linkage
+ Change oil in engine and transmission, coolant flush
+ Install new temp senders
+ Rebuild air assist clutch, adjust clutch brake
+ Install computer desk in bedroom for Lia's Photo Retouching business
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+ Sanded and repainted exterior of bus (took an entire summer 3 years ago!)
+ Air suspension installed on the drive axel (a huge undertaking!!)
+ New tires installed
+ New rubber roof coat
+ Table booth installed
+ Carpeted the back bedroom
+ Fixed toilet
+ Replaced rotten wood and painted closets
+ 2 rooftop AC’s installed
+ Replaced drivers seat & co-pilot seat
+ 2 captains chairs and couch installed in livingroom
+ Removed carpet from ceiling and painted ceiling
+ Sewed and installed blackout curtains on 12 windows
support
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT US YOU CAN:
• Pray for us!
• Make a monthly donation at Patreon
• Subscribe & give us a thumbs up on our latest youtube video (new ones posting in the near future)
• Like & comment on our Instagram
• Simply tell your friends about us!
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