Long overdue update...
Hi! We have shared this long overdue update on our email list but haven't yet shared with our website friends. We've been very busy behind the scenes, here's what we are up to!
Again with the dreams…
Like everything in my life lately, it started with a dream. In this case, a dream about a barn. Actually many, many dreams about barns beginning in 2017 and I never knew what they meant until Covid hit.
When we were no longer able to host events in 2020, we still were able to help a few survivors, thankfully, but what became very evident, is that “graduating” from restoration programs does not guarantee success in life.
After seeing these girls make horrible, dangerous and ultimately tragic choices, I just new in my heart there had to be more we could do.
When the world seemed to be ending with one bad news report after another, I began to have total clarity on the barn dream. I knew if we could have a barn and use our love of hospitality in a more significant way, and this is key, use the barn to train these kids in skills to get work that they loved, we were on to something meaningful.
A lot of prayer went into this decision but ultimately it came down to this: I knew beLydia had to GO BIG OR GO HOME.
Dreams become reality…
My husband Scott (who had his own barn dreams!) and I spent months looking for properties and found the perfect 2.5 acres in the poorest area of Taylor, Texas (40 minutes outside of Austin).
Land set aside for a gas station or motel directly across the street from a cemetery. I call it the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree of lots but let me tell you, everyone that goes there feels the peace of God. You can even hear the angels singing in the background (just kidding, it's the train passing by).
Driving around the block and seeing the neighboring houses that are falling apart, lawns littered with broken and rusty belongings, I had immediate confirmation that we were in the right place.
We started negotiating in September 2020 and signed the contract two months later. It took an entire YEAR to finalize the deal but we finally, as of the end of September 2021, own the land.
Here is where it gets exciting…
Scott and I have created a social enterprise called Grace Barn of Texas, LLC.
This will be the headquarters for beLydia (free of charge), an event venue, art studio, commercial kitchen, and community center.
Our goal is to build and open Grace Barn in the spring of 2023. In the meantime, beLydia is working hard on the following:
beLydia will be creating 3 new programs for survivors, kids that have aged out of foster care, and individuals that lack opportunities:
1) Cooking/Baking Program
2) Process Art Teacher Training
3) Business/Life Skills
The goal of each program will be to learn skills that would enable them to get hired in the workforce, build self-esteem, find something they love to do, and see past their circumstances to create a better future for themselves.
The barn will have a commercial kitchen, business lounge, meeting room, art studio, large indoor and outdoor seating (with covered pavilion), and a (hopefully) bountiful garden.
The barn will be 100% funded by the Ingrahams.
The beLydia programs will be paid for by donations and we will be fundraising for them in the future but for now, I wanted to give you this long overdue update.
God is doing BIG things and we are so grateful for your support.
Thank you for hanging in there as we continue to be led by faith in these uncertain times. We have hope and are excited for the future!
P.S. We closed our beloved humble little office in Hyde Park last week to save money and will hold meetings and do event prep work at the Ingraham home until the barn is built.
Our new mailing address is:
beLydia
3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, suite E-240/#80
Austin, TX 78746
