Asheville Bound
 

In a nice Air Bnb for a week while we work here and get a better feel for the ebb and flow of how things work here.


God is opening up some pretty amazing doors for us we really feel drawn to this area...its like coming home.


Keep us in prayer for safety because while the traffic is less congested than Charlotte there are other concerns up here in the mountains when it comes to traffic and the roads.


Of course there are pretty cool confirmations that have happened leading up to this...one of which Ill share...


So a couple days ago things were pretty slow...we decided to just call it quits for the day and take a emotional health day off...later that night Katherine was pretty discouraged about how slow it had gotten that day and I told her that the next day it would be as if she cast her nets on the other side and she WOULD get a long distance trip...this wasnt idle talk...sometimes one of us will be "up" and the other will be having a bit of a struggle...just with work conditions/people*we deal with some doozies*/family issues...it can run the gamut...but this happening was a God thing.


We have been here for about 10 months and Ive had 1 trip to Asheville...its not something that happens constantly....well yesterday it was slow for my wife but not for me...I finished my last call and all of a sudden Katherine gets a call...doesn't say long distance but the guy sends her a text asking if shes good to go from the airport in Charlotte to Asheville and that his last Uber cancelled canceled because she refused to go that far.


Confirmation folks.


In that one trip she made more than me and with a 20 dollar tip on top of that.


We have been praying for direction because rent and cost of living is so high in Charlotte...we just didnt feel like doors were open to just settle down in that area on a permanent basis.


Crime is getting worse...traffic is horrible and dangerous and we have had some serious close calls with wrecks that was nothing but the hand of the Lord that we were not hurt.


People are so much more laid back here in Asheville and for the first time in a very long time that we feel like we can breathe and feel this weight lift off.


Keep us in prayer. Gonna have some exciting things to report soon.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Happy that all is well

Re: Asheville Bound
 

So you are thinking about moving to Ashville? I am surprised that cost of living would be cheaper there than Charlotte as Ashville is a "happening" trendy place to live now.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Praying for you and your family Jedi!

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Yes. We are moving to the area.


As far as prices go...you just have to do some looking.


Got allllll kindsa good info just from driving the locals and being nice and funny and making a good impression.


Charlotte is just super packed. People drive like maniacs but here in Asheville Im the maniac and Im constantly reminding myself that here people are far more considerate with driving.


Yesterday we made pretty good in a short time. Saw some great scenery and made some good connections with the locals and was able to witness and pray for several while we were working.


We arent going to be living in the middle of Asheville but surrounding suburbs.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

:highfive

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Wishing you the best, friend!

Re: Asheville Bound
 

The last two days have been amazing. Area is ripe for harvest. People are so hungry here.


Katherine ministered to a girl going to work who was ill...Katherine prayed and she broke down in tears in her backseat so relieved that someone just cared.


She told her that she had been so down and depressed crying out to God asking was there a God and did He even care.



I prayed for of my passengers as well...lady from Detroit...had spent time in prison and had just moved out here to get away from that life and is recovering addict. She was complaining about recurring nerve pain...lol I was like,"Oh sis God can CERTAINLY take care of that!" and prayed...again God moved mightily while I was driving her to work.


I never turn down a call even though I may drive a long distance to pick up and it may be a short ride....this one was 30 minutes away and I took it knowing and expecting that I was being sent for a reason...and I was right.


Heavy backpacking and transient and recovering addict community here.


Alot of people just come here to start over and with the help of the Lord they are going to have a new beginning they never could imagine.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

When we visited the Biltmore we stayed at a Hampton Inn about 30 miles out in the hills in a small town because the points i had at the time would get us two nights there vs one night in Ashville. We loved the short time we were in Ashville but only got to see the Biltmore and the dining / shopping area across from the entrance to it. We drove around the country near our hotel and visited some antique shops, etc.

From all I have read it seems to be a very nice place to live.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Air BnB is definitely the way to go.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

When you have a two-for-one, a good points thing, at a decent hotel, that works well.

If you use AirBnB in a spot like Ashevilee, I recommend reading very carefully, and generally looking for a family in the burbs. Read between the lines.

Towards Black Mountain is one possibility. (Twelve Tribes, with the false names, is out in that direction.)

South Asheville is where the traffic is especially bad. Hendersonville is a wonderful walk and drive around visit, the natural food coop is good there too. Walking around Asheville is good too, with some funk.

And there is quite a nice hot springs an hour north,then west, which makes a health, and forest hiking if you like, day trip. Marion (en route to-from the hot springs) is my fav funky-dunk town, with a bit of free bluegrass one night a week packing out some cafe. The town is a lot like Rosedale here in upstate NY.

A few years back the Messianics had a Retro music festival.

btw, thanks for the Asheville travelogue, I lived there recently and can always share recommendations.

When there is a weekend funky downtown festival, there are some Christian street preachers who show up. Generally they are Baptist, with the AV (that part is excellent).

They used to have a special weekend where downtown was closed for three days, Bele Chere, but they ended it a few years back. However, there is lots of other downtown and park stuff.

Steven

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Yeah we know theres alllll kindsa craziness here...we used to be right in the thick of all of it...participation....so we are reaaaaally good at seeing what's what as far as the out of the box alternative lifestyles go and not being shocked.


God knew what He was doing sending us here.


Guy approached me at the pump asking for some spare change for gas...didnt give him change...gave him a 5.


Thing is that I need 5 new tires...4 for me 1 for her...really didnt have it at the moment but I did it anyway....by the time I finished pumping gas there I had an unexpected $300 heading my way...that was this morning before I even started work.



Katherine is driving back to Charlotte to pick up our daughter to bring her here.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Moving closer to here....

We go to Ashville all the time.

Took the new girlfriend there last week.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

We need to go eat! Lol love to meet yall! We are at a Air BnB in Maggie Valley atm. Katherine is with our daughter there right now...Im working all night...2 concerts and a game...ill be quite busy...gotta work through the night and then be at Firestone at 7am to get my tires.


Please keep us in prayer. God has been so good but we need a permanent place....its weighing on all of us...with all thats happened we still deal with crazy emotions of fear and uncertainty and just weariness...but we are making His business our business and in turn He is making our business His business...

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Yeah, Teresa is working the next few weekends...maybe we could do something later this month.

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Great!

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Jedi Knight, how about an update on the move to Ashville? How are things going?

Re: Asheville Bound
 

About a week and a half ago we were staying an hour outside of Asheville on the western side.


Inlaws were keeping Abigail and because of the remoteness of the Air BNB *it was waaaaaay up a mountain* we stayed in that weekend and tried to relax and plan.


We had left Katherines car in the back of a walmart parking lot in Asheville so we werent taking two vehicles. Mountain was steep and her engine is under powered. Also some of the Air bnbs dont have more than one available parking place.


During that weekend we could tell that Abigail had just lost heart. We'd communicate over video chat and it was like shed just gave up...just monotone answers while she was being kept by my mil.


We decided to go ahead and go back to Charlotte for now because the back and forth with the air bnb was getting to be too much.


We are going to have to save up about 2500 and then go.


So we head down the mountain with a new plan and strategy and head to pick up Katherines car and it had been towed. Didnt expect the expense so we had to leave it.


We get back home really with the wind knocked out of us but our daughter is beside ourself with excitement.


So when we arrive and need to double up in our remaining vehicle to make the money to get her vehicle out of lockup.


Well my MIL decides to start acting out during all this and it just kicks us in the teeth and during this I got craziness with my own side of the family that is breaking loose as well.


We re adjust with another plan just trying to roll with the punches and yesterday we get the vehicle back after racking up fees for a week.


When we get home and prepare to make up for lost time because with everything that happened for that week our income dropped to a quarter....well my MIL just up and leaves.


But my Jesus is the God who is there...He is the all sufficient all sustaining all providing one and He doesnt need anyone to deliver His blessings and provision. If God has ordained something to be given and supplied even if He has to deliver that blessing with His very own nail scarred hand it will be done because He is faithful!

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Amen :thumbsup

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Asheville is a nice place. Good luck there.

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Sounds like an uneventful time for you guys! When you said you were going to leave her car in lockup I cringed because i know the daily charges for cars twoed can be outrageous.

I hope all calms down and you guys some peace and quiet, rest and steady income.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

No...not peace and quiet. I have MY parents separated and now hers and her dad is basically a *whatever happens must be Gods will* kinda guy.


Both me and Katherine are dealing with some major anxiety that is bad enough to cause physical symptoms .


We started this path under the illusion that there would be stability...we have struggled and had issue after issue. Trying to get out...if we go back to Louisiana it'll be back in the craziness of my family.


We had to leave the car in Asheville because we simply were not prepared for that expense.


We have it now and have been working in shifts but with everything that is going on the instinct is to just cling together as a family...its like we dont know what will happen next.


Looking at TN...we dont know...we are just really tired. This whole MIL thing has put my wife in a bad emotional place. Brought up a lot of bad memories of some bad abuse...she feels like her mother just walked out on our family when we needed her the most...it feels intentional and I gotta say....someone intentionally screwing over my family that knows all the details of how we have struggled...Ive really had to deal with some anger.


We are just really really tired.


Asheville was amazing however. Great people. We ministered to some amazing folks who are genuine and sincere. We'd like to live there if at all possible.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Tennessee is great but because it is so great the most popular area, Nashville, has had real estate go crazy so rent is pretty high for homes and apartments. My daughter and son in law moved away 3 years ago and at that time were leasing a nice home for $1300 per month in our bedroom community about 30 minutes outside Nashville. They just moved back and when they checked that house is now renting for $1900 per month!

Of course if you found a job in a rural town rent would be a lot better but if you want to continue to pursue bering Uber or Lyft drivers I would think you would need to be in Memphis (heaven forbid - for the love of God please don't go there!), Nashville, Chattanooga, or Knoxville as they are the most populous areas.

I don't know what your skill set is and if you guys can stand on your feet all day but when they are hiring places like the Amazon distribution centers in TN pay $15 per hour. Another online retailer I know of here is a great place to work but only $13 per hour and only 32 hours per week.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Asheville is only maybe a little over an hour from Johnson city TN. A little down the road is Kingsport TN. Both fairly low cost of living. Not big enough places for Uber and left though IMO. There are factory jobs around that start out fairly well. There’s also a lot of call center jobs if you prefer something less physically demanding. The call centers range from about 10 to 15 dollars an hour starting and full time and the better ones offer good benefits. Some are collections for at&t. Some roadside assistance. Some that do all things credit card related. There’s some sales ones too. I don’t know as much about the factory jobs pay and benefits.

There are also a lot of apostolic churches in those towns if that’s something that matters to you.

Tennessee doesn’t have a state income tax either which is quite nice. High sales tax though.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

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Geez...not the best positive impression I see. Sorry that happened man. Its amazing the bad name some people can give an area just by being a jerk.

Re: Asheville Bound
 

Re: Asheville Bound
 

When I was in Louisiana I had a tatted Latin gentleman get in my Uber and mistook me for the same...had shaved head and ink and he was drunk...gets in and is like,"You're the only other Latino ive ran into here"


I was like,"Nah bro...Im a Scots/Irish gringo with a bit of Native American tossed in." Lol