I am Gabrielle James and I am married to Phillip, we have 4 children and 4 grandchildren. I recall that is was about 2015 when Philip said that we must make plan to leave the city. I remember thinking but we are not in a city, Luton is a town. It was not until March 2020 when we were compelled to stay at home due to the pandemic that I began to understand the call to leave the city. During the lockdown Philip and I read Country Living together chapter by chapter every Sabbath afternoon.
I recall reading “The angel of mercy hurried lot and his wife and daughters by taking hold of their hands. Had Lot hastened as the Lord desired him to, his wife would not have become a pillar of salt. Lot had too much of a lingering spirit. Let us not be like him. The same voice that warned Lot to leave Sodom bids us, come out from among them, and be ye separate”.
My response to this was “Lord I get it, I understand”. I wondered about the cost of our lingering spirit for our children and grandchildren. The Journey began, and Philip and I daily petitioned the throne of grace asking the Lord to hep us and show us what to do.
We spent the time during lock down to prepare our house for sale, we moved as God directed. When the lockdown conditions eased the house went on the market and was sold in June 2021. We learned many things on the journey and still there is much to learn.
I believe the most important thing that we have learnt is that of patience and that we are in God’s waiting room and everything is done within His timetable, because He ultimately knows what is best for us. We are truly learning to wait on God. There is limited help and support in the UK to move from the city to the countryside therefore, we endeavour to share what we have learnt and use this website to support others as we journey from the city to the country.
We pray that God will bless you and direct you as He has for us. At a time when it was difficult to find an appropriate country property because of the great demand. In 2020 over 74,000 people moved from the cities and towns to rural properties, there were large companies such as Black rock the largest asset management company in the world buying houses in the countryside which was driving up prices.
Also there were times you would see a house on the internet and by the time you call the estate agent they would inform you that the house has been sold and the buyer paid well over the asking price. There were times you would ask yourself “how do you compete with that” you don’t, it may get frustrating and difficult but you just have to hold on and let God work it out. It was the same in the rental market.
When a property came on the market before we could get up to Wales to view the property it was gone. We waited, we prayed, we drove up to Wales and back again, we trusted God to do something and we knew whatever God did it would be good and sure as night follows day, He found us a beautiful country property.
On the 21st of February we received the keys to our first country home. It is a rented farmhouse in the countryside. We praise God for His mercy towards us. Not only did He provide a property but He also provided a job. On the 14th March I will start my new job in Wales. Our journey continues as we follow where He leads.
Philip and Gabrielle James
