Then Tim received a text in the fall of 2013 from a former boss inviting him to consider joining the upstart electric car company Tesla: “Do you fancy living in California?”
The text was the first of a chain of events, signs and other reassurances that would guide Tim and Em to a prayerful decision to come to California and then through a challenging two-year odyssey that would bring them and dogs Henry and Lola to a new home in El Granada and Mariners Community Church. The path was often unclear, but they felt God’s loving guidance as each step was revealed.
On at least three occasions God offered reassurance through pictures and words offered by partners in prayer. The word “pioneer” emerged as a common theme offered by unrelated prayer partners. During one period of doubt, a conference leader prayed for Em, offering reassuring taps to her shoulder as she prayed. With each tap, Emma could feel a gentle “zap” of electricity. Tim, standing nearby, could hear the report. Her prayer “was so reassuring and knowledgeable,” Em recalls, “and it felt very much like the Holy Spirit was imparting to her the concerns that were on my heart, and it was wonderfully comforting.”
At times practical considerations seemed insurmountable. Yet Tesla was able to meet salary, relocation and other needs. When the deadline for finding more permanent housing on a tight budget arrived, the right house became available. And a lengthy visa-related delay in the move allowed them to be close at hand and offer support for a trio of friends and family moving through major life changes.
On their first visit to Mariners they heard a reassuring British voice in the congregation. Their new friend introduced them to a Life Group who prayed for them throughout their journey to America. “It felt like I had a family here,” said Tim of his visits across two years before the big move. “I felt quite established before we ever ended up moving.”
While God’s plan for their future in America remains incomplete, Emma says God is always near, encouraging her to step into His promises and live well in the moment. “It’s made me bolder … if it’s meant to be, it will be done when its meant to be done,” she said. You can find her these days working on behalf of the children and youth ministries at Mariners.
“We were in a very comfortable position in the UK,” Tim added. “It felt like God was pulling us out of that to encourage us to trust him more.”
And their spiritual journey is still being revealed, step by step.
