The Fox Adventure

Thursday night, on the coldest night of the winter so far we had a house fire.

Praise God that no one was hurt. Praise God for the timing of it all. SIX minutes after I returned home from work I called 911 and Elyas and I left the house. That morning it was a bitter 6 degrees, Andrew made a fire in our wood-burning stove like we had done so many times before. Due to faulty construction, there was a 2×10 beam and spray foam insulation that was too close to our triple walled pipe, ultimately that is where the fire started which spread through our entire attic. We keep replaying what the Fire Chief and Captain said as we walked through the home, “It was only a matter of time before it happened.”

We did lose a lot of “stuff” but that’s not what matters. Even in the midst of a terrible and long night, we have reason to be thankful. We are so humbled by all the prayer we have received so far and everyone who has reached out to us. Please forgive us if we haven’t gotten back to you.

We are thankful for the Reynolds. Steven left a cart full of groceries and was at our house within 3 minutes. He stepped in until Andrew got home from work. They have opened up their home until we find temporary housing.

We are thankful for the East Anchorage and Eagle River Fire Department, who showed up quickly and worked tirelessly to put out the fire. We are so thankful for each and everyone one of you.

We are thankful for all our neighbors, they literally kept me warm when I left my house with only a light coat.

We are thankful for the leadership at our jobs. They have been so accommodating and supportive. Andrew’s immediate boss and the Chief of his squadron came that night. They have told Andrew to take as much time as he needs.

We are thankful for our family back in Ohio. In the chaos, I texted my older sister, Steph at 10 PM East Coast Time, “my house is on fire, please pray”. They stayed up all night praying and have continued praying. 

We are thankful for our small group who has rallied around us. They have opened up their homes, provided meals, and prayed over us. They have taken our minds off our to-do lists with game nights and good conversations.

Lastly, I am thankful for Andrew, he has kept me laughing through this ordeal and has taken care of all the logistical details.

We are overwhelmed by the support we have received so far. We are grateful for each and every one of you who have asked what our needs are right now our only need is prayer, pray for this week as we figure out our next steps. Once we find housing for the next 6 months during the restoration process we will update if needs arise.

We continue to see God’s protection every day.

xx katie