Hope for the Future in Mountain View
All through my growing up years, I knew God had big plans for me. Even when I felt hopeless and all alone, I wasn't alone at all.
In April of 2006, my eight children - Brandon, Selina, Cheyenne, Ryan, Riley, Savannah Love, Cameron, Aranea - and I moved into a brand new home in Mountain View. We moved to the neighborhood with much opposition from friends and family who openly asked: "Are you crazy?" I knew exactly what I was doing. My family and I waited three years to get into the Cook Inlet Housing Homeownership Program. When we finally got accepted, I knew wherever the house was located God was preparing the best place for us. So here we are, in Mountain View. This is part of our hope and our future.
At the time of the home purchase in the late summer there was still much work to be done on the home. Cook Inlet Housing needed to paint the exterior of the house, install landscaping and pour cement to complete the sidewalk in the front of the house. With the help of good friends, we also made our first major improvement to the home: an arctic entry connecting the house and the detached garage to keep us protected from all the elements.
Little by little, all the tasks were finished before the school year began in the fall of 2006: some things later than others, like seeding the lawn in August. It was wishful thinking on my part that we would actually have a fully established lawn before freezing temperatures set-in. I spent quite a few hours outside - on the few sunny days remaining in August - "watering the mud". You can only imagine the looks I got. I would just smile to myself as I dragged my hose around the yard. By summer's end a few hopeful sprouts popped up along with hope for a plush summer grass in 2007.
Despite the slow-growing lawn, my children and I found plenty of places for family recreation in the neighborhood. Each of us has bikes and "walking feet," so we ventured out as a family to Lion's Park and the Mountain View Elementary School playground. My children are quick to make friends, and in doing so we sort of collected kids along the way.
One particular cool autumn afternoon, we baked goodies and made hot chocolate for a sidewalk bake sale. The bake sale funds, I believe, added up to a total of $1.00 and a pack of new friends: FULL of cookies, brownies and hot chocolate. We spent the rest of that weekend getting to know our new friends, learning they were just down the street from us. It's nice to know we can make friends wherever we are. My children are definitely blessed to have that ability to draw others in.
We have spent this past year getting to know our immediate neighborhood, and I am enjoying my continued involvement with Cook Inlet Housing Authority and its affiliated entities as a neighborhood representative. With a vested interest in my community, I am learning about the voice I have in making local decisions at Mountain View Community Council meetings, assisting in ad-hoc task groups to deter crime, learning more about the various housing options and business entities, and connecting with others to encourage them to do the same. Getting out and being part of it!
There are still individuals who ask, "What ARE you doing in Mountain View?." To them I simply reply, "I'm living there."
Angel Stewman
Mountain View Community Liaison
Mountain View ~~Angel~~