2:53 a.m. Today's project was to send the last eight pages of our Equifax report to Sue Honadle, the studentloan.gov agent who has been working with me closely on the last part of Steven's financial aid for Fresno Pacific University. This is a private Christian school where Steven has thrived. He started a Saturday night prayer group this fall, and the Lord has really been working in his life. His ministries outside of school--high school leader at The Peoples' Church and running a physical education program for mentally retarded adults at his gym--are being abundantly blessed. Steven is also active in the 7 Mountain prayer ministry in the Fresno area.
His roommate, Robert Malone, left Fresno to become an NFL punter (first drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars and released; now he is signed on the roster of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, PTL!). This left Steven trying to keep up the rent and utilities singlehandedly while his private training clientele shrank due to the bad economy. We have helped out when we could, but things are pretty lean here on Steve's and my fixed income. I can take comfort in James 2:5: "Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"
Steven and I have been doing our best to be "rich in faith," asking, seeking and knocking for tuition funds to come in since August, but the October 24th deadline for financial aid was looming. And neither of us have experienced any increase in income, although I believe Steven added a client. As I Timothy 6:8 says, "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." The situaton now reminds me of how, over the years, when the kids were small, there were times when I'd have to wait two weeks before going to the grocery store. I'd be cooking utterly from scratch, using odds and ends from the pantry. "Baby" Steven used to say, "I love it when we're poor! That's when you make the best dinners!" Hallelujah, this week my cooking should be outstanding!
Yesterday afternoon, we headed west to Jurupa to pay our health insurance, pick up sandwiches at the Vons deli in Mira Loma, then continue west to Disneyland for the evening. On the way I began to get a very bad stomach ache, with dreadful consequences that made us turn around and come home after making a few pit stops. What can you do? No way could we go on a long car trip, and we can go to Disneyland any day. We also had a delicious dinner in hand, so, we had a change of plans!
When I got home, I went carefully through the mail, and found the new Equifax report that I had been told last Saturday they wouldn't make available online. I had called Sue on Monday and told her the latest in a bad series of dilemmas, starting with the repossession of our RV that made us look dreadful, but was something I needed to do. (We are in the 2nd month of our arrangement to pay Arrowhead Credit Union $100/month on the balance left over from the auction sale price).
Now recovered from my ailment, I put the new report in my purse, we ate dinner, then picked up goods from our neighbor Cindy to donate to the Missionaries' Rummage sale this weekend to add to our own things. We dropped them off at the Rabito's house, and went to a FedEx office to fax in the credit file. I called this morning; Sue said she'd gotten it, and began to peruse the Arrowhead CU remarks. She practically yelled, "They've changed it to a 'charge-off" instead of a repo!! I don't even have to consider this any more!! Just fax me the first 5 pages, and I'll call you when I get the loan approved!" I called my husband Steve in for the good news, then thanked the Lord in the last paragraph of my journal. I would wait to notify Steven until it was finally approved.
Boy, did I get myself dressed and out the door! No breakfast, but I grabbed a string cheese and some cocoa almonds and a pumpkin muffin for my hairdresser, and was on the road, fax transmission accomplished at Mission Grove UPS, and in my seat at Upper Echelon for my 11:00 appointment.
The Lord's timing for this financial aid approval is exquisitely His work and His alone. God knew what the new Equifax report would say, and that it would make all the difference to our credit score. Only one item on the first report was bad--the turning in of the RV. And He in His mercy caused the credit union people to change their part of the report to our favor in the interim. He also gave us a technician (or agent, not sure what Sue's title is) who stuck with us, called me to keep up on the next steps and never gave up on me! I wrote "Thanks and God bless you, Sue," on the fax cover sheet. Perhaps she's a believer, or maybe an angel--I don't know, but God sure placed her in the problem solving department "for such a time as this!" (Esther 4:14) And I don't want to forget to thank God for Robert at Arrowhead CU who worked with me on the RV repayment plan and tried so hard to get our payment lowered even before that in response to our suddenly changed situation with Steve's disability.
If you have ever wondered if God is going to come through, or if there's anything He can do in the tight spot you're in, doubt no more. For one believing college student, God moved people in a credit union, a credit reporting agency, and the student loan government bureaucracy to keep him in a Christian university, in a city where he has been called to minister!
And today I have the privilege of heralding God's mighty deeds with the good news He sent us from afar!
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