He wondered what had brought John to Sapphire Bay and, more importantly, why he stayed. There were plenty of cities that could benefit from his enthusiasm and drive, plenty of people who needed someone to make a difference in their lives. But John continued to live here, to use his limited resources to create a town people were proud to call home.
“He’s wonderful with the students, isn’t he?”
Noah turned and looked at the woman standing beside him. It was Megan, Cassie’s friend. “They’re listening to everything he says.”
“Some of the teenagers don’t have father figures in their lives. If you want a role model, you couldn’t ask for better than John.” Megan frowned. “It’s good to see you, but why are you here? Cassie said you’d gone back to New York City.”
“I did, but I needed to see John about something.” He didn’t know how much Cassie had told Megan about him, but she couldn’t have told her everything. He was sure she would have been acting differently if she knew he’d tried to blackmail her best friend.
“Welcome back. How long are you staying?”
“Until tomorrow.”
The students burst into laughter, then started clapping as John held up a cake.
Megan looked at the teenagers and sighed. “They’re great kids. I wish we had more job opportunities for them once they finished the program. Most young people end up leaving Sapphire Bay to find work in other towns.”
“It’s probably the same in most small communities.”
“Perhaps, but it doesn’t need to be that way.” She looked at her watch. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m about to show everyone how to decorate a birthday cake. I’ll tell John you’re here.”
And before Noah could say thank you, she was halfway across the room, waving at the students who greeted her.
Five minutes later, Noah was shaking Pastor John’s hand. “I’m sorry if I interrupted your class.”
John’s smile was reassuring. “You’ve got perfect timing but, I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you.”
“It’s easier to talk in person about the tiny home village.”
“I’m happy you want to know more about it. Let’s grab some coffee before we go into my office. Did you get all the information I emailed through to you?”
“I did. Thanks for sending it so quickly.”
“It wasn’t a problem. Everything is in one folder, waiting to be sent to prospective funders.” Instead of waiting in line, John took Noah through a side door and into the kitchen. “Being able to make my own coffee is one of the perks of the job,” he whispered as Megan began her class. “It took me a week to master the commercial coffee maker, but it was worth the effort. What would you like?”
“Anything with cream and sugar would be great.”
John smiled. “I know just the thing.”
By the time they were sitting in John’s office, Noah was wondering what other skills the pastor of the Connect Church had mastered. It didn’t take long to realize that John knew his way around trust deeds, project plans, and construction schedules.
“Do you think the tiny home village is something your company’s trust would be interested in supporting?” John asked.
“It has a good chance of getting our financial backing. The whole concept is innovative and builds on the paying forward principle that the trust values. The feasibility report and the information from the planning department look positive. Is the land you want to purchase still available?”
“It is. If you want to look at it, it isn’t far from here.”
“That sounds like a great idea.”
After they finished their coffee they walked to where the first tiny home would be built.
Noah asked more questions about the project. John’s answers made Noah even more impressed with what the church wanted to achieve. Considering their limited budget, John was hoping to provide services and facilities that were better than larger towns could deliver.
When they stopped to look at the land, Noah’s eyebrows rose. John wasn’t exaggerating when he said it was close to the church. The first tiny home would be a five-minute walk from the main reception area.
As he opened a large sheet of paper, John pointed to a house partly hidden behind some trees. “We’ll use the existing homes as communal spaces until we can afford something else. They will provide kitchen and recreation areas for the tiny homes positioned around them. Some of the land will become communal gardens. The residents will grow their own fruit and vegetables. Anything left over will be used by The Welcome Center.”
Noah studied the architect’s drawings, then looked at the properties. He could see why Cassie was so excited. He also knew the cost of developing the land could be substantial. Without financial assistance from public or private organizations, the village would never be built.
