So Actually We're Moving Tomorrow

Well, we're leaving tomorrow.  That's right, we're packing the whole house up tonight and hitting the road tomorrow.  Its sort of a long story. Here's the summary from an email I sent to my parish's Holy Name Society:

To summarize a long story, the IRS revoked over 200,000 non-profit organizations of their non-profit status in 2011.  This was a wide group, but it consisted of Georgetown University, a large percentage of NFP groups and my employer.  The problem was in a systems glitch (so they say) that revoked the status of "inactive" groups.  Like Georgetown University, we were not inactive, but unlike them we don't have the time, money and lawyers to make things shake in the IRS buildings.  We're on the phone constantly with them and each time it is a different story and a more complicated mess.  They've already seen the clear evidence that we have done everything correctly and it was their mistake, but we have to await tedious bureaucratic procedures and even pay them to fix it!  Its almost cliche how incompetent and unhelpful they seem to be.  Did you know there are people that really think we need more of this?  

What this means is that for now over 15 months we've been in limbo and restrained in many ways of raising money.  Once its fixed it'll be like it never happened and retroactively all will be well, but that's not the case right now.  We have grants and fees around the country waiting for us, but we can't get it.  Its come to such a point that I don't know when my next paycheck will be available.  I know it'll work out, but its gonna be a rough road.

But God is faithful.  About a month and a half ago my wife and I felt a strong call to act sooner on a vision we've had for quite a while. We knew that we were eventually moving to a farm, but a while back the call felt stronger than ever.  For some reason, I just new it was time to go now, or at least in September.  So I arranged a place for us to live for free in exchange for work.  What that means is I have a place where we have very few expenses provided at just the moment when I wont have an income.  As a father of 3 you can imagine the relief.  I realize now why we felt such urgency to make these arrangements.  We planned on moving the 15th of September, but we just found out that this month's income will be on hold sooner than we thought, so we have to go now!  We wont have to pay next month's rent, but thats if we get out tomorrow.  We have no money, and no income, but we have a plan that was clearly worked out by a good and loving Father.

We'll be spending tonight and tomorrow packing up and loading a truck, which I just reserved.  We will be leaving Colorado tomorrow night.  That means 2 things.  First, we have very little time to say goodbye to all of the kind, generous and faithful friends we have made here.  Please know that we have accepted that this is the greatest city we could possibly live in, if we could live in a city, and its because of you (and the mountain view helps too).  Second, we need help.  Could you please come tomorrow to help load a truck?  Obviously, there's lots of last-minute packing involved in this too.  We live in a small apartment, so we can't have 12 people in each room packing tonight, but a few helpers tonight and tomorrow morning would be welcomed.  But more importantly, can you help load tomorrow?  I wont be able to pick a truck up until 10, but we'll be packing beforehand.  However, if you can come around 11, that's when the party will really be going. 

This email is sent to a list of members of the Holy Name Society of OLMC, and to Augustine Institute students.  Forgive me if you have no ida who the Craigs are and are miffed I have your email.  I'll give it back after this one. 

Please do let me know if you can come so I can have an idea.  And please do not worry.  Strangely, this all seems very right to my wife and me.  There's a great peace over it all, and we feel ready for this. 

Mary, queen of peace, pray for us.

In Christ,

--
Jason Craig