A New Journey in an Old Place

Wow a lot has transpired since the last we blogged!  We really hope all this seemingly random chaos has a divine author and is not just us just missing the mark.  Despite the challenges of it all we are excited with whats up ahead.
As we strive to take steps towards the first stages of Chrysalis we have been looking for a way to raise residual income.  This has taking some patience and long suffering but it looks like the wait is over.  Shane has been blessed with a new relationship and has been offered an opportunity to launch a publication in Gates Mills, Ohio.  This of course is back where we grew up and looks to be a great opportunity.  The publisher and organization N2(www.n2pub.com) is almost too good to be true.  It has been a great process and has provided us with needed encouragement.  The job will enable us the financial freedom to focus on Chrysalis and begin building it dept free.  This has always been our hope!

Wow we are so blessed!

As for what the next few months look like, the Dashers6! are once again in transition.  We will be moving from our wonderful home in Knoxville and have to say good bye to Uncous Chris, Aunt Mimi and Uncle Dave.  They have truly adopted us and our children and will be missed immensely!  We are moving back this coming week while Shane begins to ramp-up for the launch of the publication.  Add in a Master Degree Program and life is a bit full for him.  For now our only focus is to press on and trust that, in the end, we will find balance and peace.  We continue to hope you are drawn to our outreach and once again ask you to join us. Thanks to all who have already joined our team and we encourage all that are on the fence to take brave steps forward towards helping others holistically with your gifts and passion!
We are working on a web page for Chrysalis but for now to find out more please visit its blog at www.thechrysaliscommunity.blogspot.com

We welcome  new sister into the family!
Sarah and Jesse were married June 13th.

Summer in Knoxville

Cecily is a joy!

Analyse is turning into  little lady.

Well we have decided to call Knoxville home for the summer.  We still can't find a peace about this region long term but are taking life one day and one step at a time.  We have had a wonderful home to call ours for the last month and we can't thank Aunt Mimi enough for her grace and love.  She has been a wonderful blessing.  We look to start a new rhythm here soon but first we are off to Cleveland for Shane's youngest brothers wedding.  His wife Sarah is so awesome and we can't wait to connect with the two of them.  We have continued to take step to further Chrysalis Community and Shane has a new job with N2 Publishing to help build relationships and capitol for the massive hope.  We have officially launched the project and are building the investment platform while trying to meet potential partners.  We had the opportunity to head up to Rugby with Lolo and Nana.  Daddy Bob worked on a mural for the old General Store and Shane's help freshen up the cottage with a new coat of paint.  We had a blast as Jordan surprised us all with Adian and Isabelle.  Hit the river in the canoe 5 times!  We can't wait to see where we are come August!

Staci and I had our 10th and she turned 40!

Niah turned 7 in Rugby...what a week!

Lukah and our favorite R2 downtown Knoxville

THE NEXT STEP

With this past year of learning and preparation behind us we are now looking to move into the next phase. Finding a home for Chrysalis and our family.  This post will be a resume of sorts for our family as we look to move this coming May.

Hello Hopeful New Friends
We are the Dashers 6! Shane (38), Staci (40), Analyse (8), Adaniah (7), Lukah (4) and Cecily (19 months). We hope you read our other posts to find out more about us but here we are in a nutshell.

Staci Delivers a Baby
in the Philippines

Staci is a Certified Professional Midwife with Associates Degree in Science.  She Is a wonderful homeschooling mom with a passion to help women.  She will be looking to establish a home birth practice in the coming months.

Shane Helping Out in Haiti

Shane is a professional college soccer coach currently pursuing a Masters in Management.  He has a BA in Sports Outreach as well as two Associates Degrees. He is a Nationally Certified Structure and Forest Firefighter and grew up in the trades and is a skilled restoration artist. (dasherdecroativearts.com) .  While working for a local college he hopes to begin establishing the Non-Profit.

Littlest Cecily (almost 2)

Our children are wonderful, smart, kind and loving.  They have been a blessing to us and will be to you as well.  They have been adopted by all our former landlords and we hope this will be the same in our next home.

Niah (7), Analyse (8) and Lukah (4)

8425 Miles, 26 States, and Closer to a Dream

 In December 2012 the Dashers6! were faced with a choice.  Staci was so close to finishing her school, but 

the time Montreat took from me was not helping her complete this long 7 year journey.  Added to that we had a huge hope to start an outreach to women someday.  These facts created uneasy questions.  When was Staci going to be able to finish her schooling? Would we, should we try to start an outreach to women?  If so when would we have enough money?  Could we gather enough rescourses to ever start? Could it be done as we coached and delivered babies?  How would we make the time? These uknowns needed to be address.  So we made the choice to take a step of faith and try our hardest to find our way closer to the answers.  We decided to take a needed break from coaching and walk on a different path for a year.  It was an exciting adventure we felt worth the risks. 

Cecily calling the goats"Hi Gokes!"

We spent the first few month learning about urban farming and community living while calling a yurt our home.  This time was the greatest season of our lives and trasformed us forever.  Duing this time Staci was able to finish her class work and graduate from the College of Midwifery.  At the very end of our time there we were offered an oppertunity to move to Costa Rica.  This presented some challenges that eventually couldn't be overcome but it was nice knowing strangers wanted to share all they had to help women in need.  We spent the next 3 months in Ohio hoping to draw some family into our outrageous endevor.  Even though we were uable to sucker anyone in we were able to complete our non-profit paperwork...a huge step in the process. Thanks Dad for the hook up!! This was also a time Staci was able to study for and take her National Assocition of Registered Midwife Board Exam.  Unfortunatly she was not able to pass but will retake the test again this next month.  

Thanks Bobbi!!! 

We spent the remainder of the year traveling around the country visiting all we felt might be drawn to partnering with us.  We visited family, friends, others already connected with the vision and even strangers introduced to us by others.  We had the hope on our sleeve and it was the topic of almost every conversation.  We had some wonderful times on this journey and some interesting challenges.  One can only expect to be side tracked, marooned and out of luck a few times when traveling around the county with four kids in a Suburban! However, nothing seemed to break our hearts desire and our family grew closer during this year long mission.  

Kids continue to study all we saw on the trip!

As the year ended we very discourged.  Have you ever been woken up when transfxed in dream you didn't want to end.  Well that was us.  Floundering to try and fall back asleep and pick up where we were interupted.  However, in the end it was time to wake up and face reality.  Our year was up and our time to dream had come to an end. 

At first this was very tough.  But the more we reflected, all the ups and downs transformed us.  And more and more I feel at peace with where we are at.  To be honest I think it was an extreamly productive year.  Staci finished her school!, She took the NARM and will retake here again soon.  We learned how to farm! We finished all the paperwork for a non-profit.  Our little ones reconnected with all their family and friends.  We saw our country and have so many stories to tell.  We shared our hearts with so many and hopfully planted seeds of hope in many of them.  And most importantly we grew closer as a family and united in how to move forward.

That said we are now in Knoxville TN, staying with my Aunt Mimi.  We love it here!  Its home base while I apply to college that look like good fits for our family.  This was always the plan...take a year and return to coaching if we didn't hit gold.  And even if we did find a way to start our hope, soocer was going to find its way into it somehow.  We are excited at all the openings we have already applied to and look forward to seeing where we land.  No matter where we go next we believe it too will be a step towards our dream of helping women and living on a farm.         

Our Home Base in Knoxville!