Sometimes in life, we need to “Take On The Impossible”, or at least that is how it feels, but remember in EVERY situation we have choices and we are CHOOSING to be #UNSTOPPABLE!
We’ve decided this year we are going to be totally transparent in our situation in an effort to help others. We are on a slippery slope that is not kind nor pleasant, but we have been working extremely hard to move things in a positive direction with no prevail.
In 2016, we traveled from Idaho to GA for my life-saving surgery, stayed in GA for 17 days, returned home to embark on a healing journey that I am still traveling today and went 6 1/2 months without an income during that time. Our medical bills were adding up and we were behind on EVERYTHING.
In 2017, we had the illusion that we were catching up. Going into winter we had 4 nice construction jobs lined up for December that would carry us into the new year, but in November of 2017 those jobs fell apart due to the homeowner's finances. SOOO we ended up going 4 months without work and an income despite our best effort while seeking, searching and being resourceful.
Fast forward to today, June 13, we went too long without an income and catching up is no longer an option without a miracle.
Over the weekend our family made a very radical decision to spend the next month and a half getting rid of all the unnecessary things on our homestead by selling things on an online yard sale and having a physical yard sale in July. The best time in my life was spent in the canvas wall tent while building this homestead. The simplicity is what I crave and that is what we are heading toward not that we don’t live simply, but we want to live simpler.
Additionally, we are pushing to finish the cosmetic work in the interior of our home, organize the outside and prepare our home for sale by the end of August, all while still doing our normal day to day of working construction jobs, writing and maintaining our online businesses and keeping the homestead running.
We can not make any concrete decisions on our future until this house sells so we are putting all our energy into making this happen and trusting that God will meet us halfway. I know that Trayer Wilderness, Trayer Wilderness Academy, and our family will remain in the wilderness of Idaho, we just don’t know where and how!
When you take extreme leaps of faith we enable God to open the doors – our parachute may not open right away, but I fully trust that it will open and God will guide and be with us on this whole journey. He has been with us all this time – “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT .
These were the two choices we had:
1. Sit, mope and watch the ship sink or file bankruptcy.
2. Take the leap of faith that we have and decide to put a positive and very aggressive plan in place.
What is the worst that will happen? Well, we will fail, but we will fail knowing that we did EVERYTHING in our power to change our circumstance and make a difference not only in our lives but the lives of others through our steadfast trust and faith in God.
He has a plan for us that is bigger and better than we could ever imagine or envision so regardless of the outcome I know we will be ok and well cared for and loved!
One important aspect for us during this journey is to be sure we are listening to that still, small voice so that we are not steering this ship in the wrong direction and that we are following his plan and not ours!
Something else I would like to point out is the importance of strong family bonds! We are one very STRONG family and we will conquer this new journey together. It is also important for you to truly realize what is most important in your life. Materials things will never hold value in our home compared to the relationships we have, our love for one another and our love for Christ. We are blessed beyond measure even in our circumstances and our LIFESTYLE has enabled us to be comfortable in a very uncomfortable place. We have not gone without food or shelter. We live a life of preparedness and are able to feed our family, give to those that are in need and still have some left over. This is all because we live daily preparing for tomorrow! You never know what will come your way and being prepared is SO extremely important!
So join us on this journey as we step into yet another adventure in the lives of the Trayer Family!
You can follow the step by step video journey (behind the scenes) here.
If you are walking a similar journey right now, remember to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus versus allowing depression to set in or seeking a quick fix or an end all avenue! This is not the end of the world, it may actually be the start of something very exciting and new! God is good!
If you missed me on Facebook Live sharing our story, you can watch below:
If you would rather listen to the podcast – you can do so here on our website or on iTunes or Stitcher.
Off-Grid Solar Homestead For Sale
Oh Tammy I am so sorry for this roadblock. However I fully agree with your confidence in the fact the Lord will provide an alternative when it is right, and a revision later may bring you back to your earlier plans. We must never let go of God’s hand in this life journey we are on. God bless and keep ME in touch
If I can be of help in any way, let me know. Until then I will pray daily for this difficult time. Rosie.
Rosie thank you so much for your kind words and prayers! We both know the extreme power in prayer and putting our trust and faith in him. He is a miracle worker and we can see his hand and feel his presence! God is so GOOD all the time! Feeling very blessed despite our circumstances! Love and prayers sweet friend! God Bless!
I love reading each new email you send… My Prayers are with You and Your Family.. Praying for your Encouragement, continued Healing, Comfort, Hope, Faith, Financial Healing and continued uplifting and God’s Grace for all your concerns and Joys… and for your Home.. and Lifestyle… He will Provide…
Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to reach out sweet friend! Your prayers mean SO very much to myself and my family! There is SO much power in prayer and we feel so very blessed despite our circumstances! It is an amazing thing to see God’s hand so physically at work! Love and prayers to you and yours! God bless!
Your not crazy. May God richly bless you for following Him. Will be praying for you. New follower. Saw your talk on Melissa’s Homestead summit.
Thank you so much for taking the time to message sweet friend! Appreciate your kind words and your prayers! God is working so many miracles to counter the enemies attacks and although this is a tough place to be it is also amazing to see his hand at work! Love and prayers to you and yours! God bless!
Praying for you and your family during this changing time.
Thank you so much sweet friend!! The power of prayer is huge and an extreme blessing and we greatly appreciate you lifting us! Love and prayers to you and yours! God bless!
Thank you for being faithful to share your faith.
Thank you, sweet Mary, for encouraging me on my faith walk!! God is good and very present in our lives – hard to hide and we want to share it and be the disciples we are called to be!! God bless beautiful friend! <3
I recently did a quick read of your book How to Embrace an Off-Grid Lifestyle. I REALLY enjoyed your testimony as to how God lead you and your husband together and then heading out to start off your life together in remote Idaho in the beginning of that book. I found it very encouraging and a blessing to read. I mentioned it to my wife as being uplifting too.
I have over time developed a bent the direction you are living due to Y2K, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11 and our government credit downgrade in 8/11. My wife let’s me do a lot but she’s not into it and hasn’t followed me either so I only go so far.
In reading through your financial struggles due to your life saving surgery I was both amazed and angered that the insurance that said it would pay did not. What’s the point in having insurance if it can’t be used? Anyway as a quick aside I notice you are on many social media outlets. I like technology but I am not as current as you are. I was wondering though, have you posted a gofundme for some assistance? One person may not be able to do a lot BUT the Body of Christ coming together with many contributions could make a significant help and maybe even allow you to remain on your current location without having to sell. And I wouldn’t hesitate to put it up on your various outlets so if people are so moved that they could assist. i would certainly consider doing that (even though it would be new to me and taking a risk to trust a writer i have never met or had any dealings with previously). I just appreciate your humble fusion of faith and preparedness in a decent balance.
In Christ,
Jon Lampkin
Pittsburgh, PA
PS I have no social media for contact so email and the internet is as close as I get right now. That may change soon though as our son is 13 yr old and a typical teen (but we are refusing snap chat currently as there is too much to dislike in it and he’s too young).
Hello Jon,
I hope this finds you well. I have to apologize for my delayed response. It was such a blessing to receive your comment and I am thankful that you enjoyed my book. Keep focusing your efforts toward preparedness and as your wife sees the benefits she will surely start to slowly come around. When people’s creature comforts go away they really struggle, but if their creature comforts go away and return quickly as a result of your preparedness efforts their minds often start to see things differently and start to understand. 🙂
I really appreciate your kind words. My delay in getting back to you is because we have been crazed for the last month and a half doing about 6 months of cosmetic work on our home so that we can list it with a realtor for sale. Our experience with my illness was very humbling. We have always been on the giving end and not the receiving end and it was a very humbling experience. A friend created a fundraiser for us at the time of my need for surgery and God blessed through many of our brothers and sisters to be able to fly to Georgia, stay for nearly a month, have my surgery, start treatments and return home. It was a great great blessing to us and along this journey, God has been ever present and has provided EVERYTHING we needed. It has been truly amazing!
Currently, we do not have a fundraiser, but because of people like yourself inquiring how they can support us, we have recently created a page on our website titled Support Us.
I will list some of the ways here that you can support us or reach out to us:
Snail Mail:
Tammy & Glen Trayer
Trayer Wilderness, Inc.
PO Box 10
St. Maries, ID 83866
Join our community: http://trayerwilderness.com/community
Shop from our store of handcrafted wilderness wares items: http://trayerwilderness.com/shop (currently our store is closed for maintenance, but it will be back up soon)
Many of the items we use on our homestead and recommend are conveniently located here: http://amazon.com/shop/trayerwilderness
Use our link when you shop on Amazon: http://trayerwilderness.com/amazon
Donation: https://www.paypal.me/TrayerWilderness
We also have a family-friendly channel on YouTube: http://trayerwilderness.com/youtube
Note: I do a Facebook Live video every Wednesday and then upload that video to our YouTube channel as well – this year’s theme is New Beginnings.
You can find my Mountain Woman Radio on iTunes: http://trayerwilderness.com/itunes
You mentioned not being on social media and for that my hat is off to you. We would not be on social media if it wasn’t for Trayer Wilderness. 🙂
I am a bit of an oxymoron in the wilderness as a web designer and programmer, but if it wasn’t necessary all my electronics would be left behind. 🙂
You mentioned wanting to be able to share the above details in an effort to assist us which is very kind of you. You would be able to do so by sharing our website, videos, etc with others and you can also share http://trayerwilderness.com/support-us which provide the above and more as we include other things within that page.
We greatly appreciate you reaching out and all your kind words. People like yourself are the reason we do what we do! We love our life and enjoy sharing it and helping others!
God has blessed us greatly and we enjoy paying that forward.
May God bless you and yours and please feel free to keep in touch!
God bless
Tam