Something for which to be thankful

I received word this morning from the law firm that is handling the foreclosure of our home that the lender has agreed to delay the sale of the property until January 1, 2010! This is tremendous news and could not have come at a more opportune time. We still plan on being out of the home by the middle of December, if all goes well, but this gives us a cushion so to speak regarding our quickly we will have to be out.

We truly appreciate the prayers of the faithful and the work of Fr. Paul Massey. Fr. Massey was instrumental in bringing this about and without his involvement the home would have undoubtedly been for sale next week.

We are still actively searching for appropriate housing and covet your continued prayers and support. We have so many things to be thankful for already, but the news that the sale date has been postponed was certainly icing on the cake.

“Pops” with granddaughter

Here is a non-housing related update. Below are my parents with their granddaughter, Katherine.

Elaine, Katherine, and Bishop John. From Thanksgiving 2009.

We wish you all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

 

Update

We don’t have much to report at present. Our housing search has been unfruitful so far. We were going to make a move on a home to rent in Thomaston, but it had already been leased out. We are still searching and are running out of time.

Regarding the delay of the sale—we have been unsuccessful in our attempts so far. We do not feel that the lender will postpone the sale at this point in the process. However, we were told by the mortgage company and the law firm handling the foreclosure that we will have a few more weeks once the sale has been finalized before we will have to “leave” the property. I personally do not wish to wait that long before we move out, as I don’t want to be backed further into a corner. We continue to look for a suitable home in the mean time and pray that something opens up before long.

On a side note–Jared, Ruthanne, Katherine, as well as my mom’s mother (Nina) and my mom’s brother (Richard) are planning on coming down at various times over the Thanksgiving holiday. This will be our last Thanksgiving (and any other holiday as well) in our home of 16 years. We moved into the home over Thanksgiving week in 1993. Jared, Richard, and Nina were all there then. It will definitely be a bittersweet week for us.

I would like to thank each and every one who has so graciously given to my family over the past several weeks. We greatly appreciate your generosity and count you all as tremendous blessings in our lives. Please keep us in your prayers. I will keep you posted over the following days as to any developments. Thank you!

No news is good news…

I heard from Fr. Paul Massey today regarding the possible postponement of the sale date for our home. He said that the lender was contact by the attorneys, but as of now the lender has not made a decision. The attorney with whom he spoke said that she will contact the lender daily until a decision has been made. So, as Fr. Massey told me, “no news is good news” at this point. Fr. Massey was encouraged by the sympathy of the attorney. We ask that you continue to pray for a delay in the sale of the home.

We have still been unsuccessful in our search for a temporary or permanent house. We have looked at several homes in the area and they are either too small or too expensive. We have found two that could possibly work, but we are continuing the search for a week or so. If  we have not found anything by then, we will likely move into a small home that we looked at a few days ago, that is not too far from where we are currently located. I will keep this page updated as to any progress over the coming days. I again covet your prayers and support.

–JH

Clarification on giving

I wanted to reiterate the giving instructions for those wishing to assist my family financially:

INDIVIDUALS:
Checks from individuals should be made out to:
Diocese of the Mid-South (marked “Benevolence” in the memo) and mailed to:
4881 Highway 34 East
Sharpsburg, GA 30277.  Please be sure to include in the memo “Benevolence”. You may also wish to include a small note indicating that your check is for the Holloway Family Housing Fund. The check, however, should still be made out to Diocese of the Mid-South.

CHURCHES:
Checks from churches should be made out to “Holloway Housing Fund”, and mailed to:
First Bank of Pike
Attn. Jason Brisendine
PO Box 1028
Zebulon, GA 30295.

If there are any questions regarding where to send money, please contact Jacob Holloway at 706-741-0912 (cell) or through e-mail at jbh301@gmail.com.

Also, we know many of you are looking for a possible home for the family. If you have a suggestion or a home that you would like for us to see, please e-mail Jacob (jbh301@gmail.com) with the information. This will help us out tremendously!

Please continue to pray! Thanks!

House Search Update

I wanted to update everyone so that you knew we had not dropped off the face of the planet.

We have been looking at potential homes for a little over a week now. We have not found the ideal place as of yet. We are continuing to look and pray that the home God has for us will be released.

We should also hear back tomorrow (Friday) on whether or not we will be allowed to remain in our current house until January 1, 2010. Please keep praying.

We will be looking for financial partners to assist with the monthly rent or mortgage payments once we have some sort of housing solution arranged. Stay tuned for more information regarding this and our home search.

Possible delay of home sale

I learned yesterday that we might be able to postpone the sale date of our current house until January 1, 2010. Today, Fr. Paul Massey contacted the law firm that is in charge of the foreclosure and requested the sale date be delayed. The person with whom he spoke was very sympathetic and said that they will contact the lender, as the law firm is not in control of the sale date. Fr. Massey was assured that the law firm will contact the lender no later than next Wednesday (November 4th). Fr. Massey will then get back in touch with the law firm next Friday (November 6th) to see if a decision was made.

We ask that you pray that the sale date be postponed until January 1st. This will give us more time to find a better housing solution and will give us the opportunity to get through the holidays in one home.

In terms of the housing search, my mom and I looked at a home today in Thomaston. It looks good, but we are continuing our search. We will keep everyone posted to any developments.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

–Jacob

Update from Jacob

I wanted to let everyone know what has been going on the past several days.

On Tuesday, October 27, a joint-signature checking account was opened at First Bank of Pike with Jacob Holloway and Jason Brisendine as the signatories. The purpose of this account is to store and disseminate all funds that have been and are being raised towards finding a solution to my parent’s housing dilemma. In that regard, it was agreed upon by myself and Mr. Brisendine, that all funds raised will go only towards future rent (or mortgage/housing payment) and costs directly associated with home-ownership (i.e. utilities, taxes, etc.). Funds raised will not be used for anything not directly associated with a future home. This is why a joint-signature account was established; to ensure that all funds will be used for their originally intended purpose. If you wish to give towards a different need, please contact Jacob (jbh301@gmail.com or 706-741-0912 [cell]).

Also, Elaine has been diligently searching for another home. She has contacted several realty agencies, as well as numerous individuals who are attempting to sell or rent their homes. There are a few possibilities at the moment, but nothing extraordinary that really seems what God has for us. We will intensify the search this weekend. Please pray that God will direct the entire search process and that the home He has for us will be released!

Thank you to everyone who has contacted us, who is praying, and who has given. We truly appreciate each and every one of you. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

–Jacob

Update and apology

I (Jacob) made a mistake in previous posts concerning giving to our family. I mistakenly stated that donations should be given to the local church. The posts should have read “Midsouth Diocese.” I have corrected all posts and everything should be up to date. I apologize for any confusion this has caused and for unintentionally misleading people.

Second, a joint-signature banking account has been opened at First Bank of Pike in Zebulon, Georgia, with Jacob Holloway and Jason Brisendine as the two signatories, for the purpose of housing the funds to provide us with housing. Jason is a long-time family friend who works at the bank as the chief loan officer. He has graciously volunteered to assist the family in this regard.

I will post more when it becomes available. Until then, please keep praying!

House Update

Bishop Holloway, Christmas 2008

As many of you know, our home was foreclosed on almost two weeks ago. After much prayer and counsel, it was decided that saving the home was not a viable long-term solution and that we should begin looking for alternative housing. The sale date for the property is presently set at December 1, 2009. We have about 4 weeks, give or take, to find another house and move. We have attempted to negotiate a later sell date with the lender and have thus far been unsuccessful.

We are thankful for your prayers and are now asking for your help. A special bank joint-signature bank account will be opened tomorrow at First Bank of Pike in Zebulon, Georgia. Jacob will be one of the signatories and Jason Brisendine will be the other. All funds raised will be directed towards a “new” residence for our family. Funds will not be used for food, entertainment, or any other non-housing related expense. We are primarily concerned with finding another place to live at the moment. If you need any further information, please contact Jacob (jbh301@gmail.com) directly. He is acting on behalf of the family in this situation and has all of the pertinent information. He asks that you only contact him. We thank you greatly for your willingness to give in any way possible. We understand that this is a difficult time for us all.

Below is information on the situation that was written by Elaine:

“In July 2006, Elaine was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and told there was “no hope”; she had two months to live. She would never get into Emory to get treatment that may help because the Holloway’s had no medical insurance. God opened the door for her to be treated at Emory Hospital and the Winship Clinic. She has now been declared cancer free, but remains under the care of doctors at Emory. Elaine also had to have cataract surgery and remains under the care of a retina specialist in Atlanta for bleeding in her eyes. On June 8, 2007, Bishop John Holloway suffered a massive stroke. He was taken to Emory where they had to remove part of his skull because of swelling of his brain. He has been sent home three times to die, but still gets stronger. He was under Hospice Care until they had to release him because of his improvement. In October 2007, he had to have his left leg amputated above the knee. He still has not had his skull replaced. He is at home, bound to his bed or wheelchair, but always in great humor. Then doctors discovered a quarter-sized hole in Jacob’s heart. In May 2008, he had open-heart surgery to successfully repair his heart. Being the primary caregiver of Bishop John, Elaine also homeschools Josiah and Hannah, who also help with their Dad on a daily basis.

The Holloway family is entirely dependent upon God to meet the overwhelming needs they face every day. Because Bishop John opted out of social security in 1975, they have no government support or income and no medical insurance or assistance. The Charismatic Episcopal Church, where Bishop John is a medically retired bishop, has done over and above what they should have been able to do for this family, but it has not been enough to save their home from foreclosure. Their residence in Thomaston has been home for Bishop John, Elaine, Jacob, Josiah and Hannah for the past 16 years. The Holloways are looking for a new home and are in need of financial support. The Holloway family asks that you help as you can. May God bless your generosity!

Checks from individuals may be made out to: Diocese of the Mid-South and
mailed to: 4881 Highway 34 East Sharpsburg, GA 30277. Please include in the memo “Benevolence”.

Checks from churches should be made out to “Holloway Housing Fund”,

and mailed to First Bank of Pike, Attn. Jason Brisendine, PO Box 1028, Zebulon, GA 30295.

Questions? Please call Jacob Holloway, 706-741-0912 (cell).”