Van life for the Higgins men.

Hi there, I'm James. I'm a 38-year-old recently-separated, soon-divorced father of two beautiful sons, Ruben and Luca. I'm a professional creative and always have been, mostly working as a freelance singer and music producer. The divorce has certainly rattled us, and changed life in dramatic and difficult ways. I have fallen on what I must honestly call the hardest times of my adulthood.

I'm historically not good at asking for help, but I feel a strong call to do so this time, for a specific and personal need that I am not currently equipped to provide for myself and my sons. My situation is this: my 14-year marriage ended last year and I have since been renting a cottage where my sons live with me 3 nights a week. From May I will have them 4 nights a week.

The divorce has been amicable, exemplary in its Christianity. There has been no quarrelling, no lawyers, no courts, and everything done in good faith with the boys’ wellbeing first. A year in this cottage has been healing, but I have been living beyond my means. $540/week rent has been driving me slowly into debt and is untenable. In May I have to move.

My current rental is the cheapest on the market for an independent house, so I am forced to share-house. God provided a great home for my mum last year, on which she has offered me a shed to rent so I can have an independent living space with the boys. It’s a tractor shed, but well-sealed. No amenities. Just concrete and tin, but only $100/week. A way out of this financial strife! So we want to buy an old caravan to fix up as our mobile home, and then use that as our bedroom and kitchen, and the shed as our library, gym, and living room. It will be an austere life, but good for our character and a real way to stop sinking and start saving. I grew up in a similar shed-cum-home situation and we made it great.

I have found a caravan that is local and seems perfect for us, and it’s going to cost AUD$4700 to buy and have trucked to us. Needs no major work to be liveable, just a couple of leaks to seal, and then major work is only to make it roadworthy, not necessary yet. I’m going to inspect it on Tuesday with the boys, and I would firstly like to ask the faithful community to please pray for our success in finding the right van for us. #prayerrequest

Secondly (and most humblingly), I want to ask if anyone here would be interested in helping to crowdfund this van, the costs of moving it, or the renovation and restoration work. This purchase will allow my 12 year old boy to have some privacy in the new arrangement, and will secure our sense of home for the foreseeable future, even if we have to move again. I have a savings plan to make it possible for me over the next 6 months to clear my debts and save for such a van, but if with help we can get the caravan soon, it will improve our quality of living a lot.

I've set the target at $6000 AUD as this will cover all fees and taxes in the giving, and cover the truck hire cost to have it towed to its new home, plus hopefully some change to get it immediately sealed and liveable. I have a specific caravan we are inspecting and putting our prayers into this Tuesday, but if it is not this one, it will be something similar that I purchase for around the same price (though most other available options needs a LOT more interior work).

If we receive more than our target, I pledge to the use additional funds in the following ways, to keep in the spirit of your intended generosity to improve our quality of living:

Finally, I would ask that you please share this campaign link with your own community, particularly with your church or prayer groups. Prayers are free to give and I have come to truly know the power of prayer and the cumulative power of corporate prayer, and I trust that God has good things in store for my boys and I on this path He has us on. Your prayers are the extra gust of wind in our sails, thank you. Please share and ask for more prayers in this difficult time for us. A $1 or $5 contribution goes much further when it is shared and multiplied. My sons and I appreciate all support in spreading the word to help us with this dream.

UPDATE:

Picture now IS of the actual caravan because I've put a deposit on it and am negotiating a payment plan with the owner. Everything is looking positive and I appreciate all the recent supporters.