Ode to a Great Home

John and Nell Evans are moving to Charleston, SC. Below is their story about the home they have lived in for 32 years.

A farewell ode to a great home…..

We linked arms with the Conns and the Krispins in the Fall of 1979 to buy homes in  Southwest Germantown. Marcia Hopler soon joined us. Our desire was to be a Christian presence in the City. We decided to join Tenth Presbyterian for worship.

 The Other Side magazine offices were nearby. Ron Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, lived in the next block. This made it so our son, upon entering the local kindergarten, was not the only white boy crossing the playground.

Living in a mixed neighborhood opened us up to the broader world. So when Rene Padilla, a Latin American Theologian, came to visit us and invited us to come to Argentina to organize a resource Center for Comunidad Kairos, we seriously considered it. We answered that Call and worked in Buenos Aires for 3 years (1983-1986). Lori and Rich Wolff, leaders of the youth group at Tenth, lived in our house for part of that time.

This has been a wonderful house for entertaining; first with our own family visits, renting rooms, housing foreigners and missionaries. We hosted an Open House for the Wilson Goode campaign in 1983, numerous meetings of pastoral groups, and Women’s functions through the years. Not to mention a couple of pig roasts; one for our 25^th anniversary in 1994 and this past New Years Eve with Internationals. MCO used our home while we lived in Mexico and worked with MTW on the Border Evangelism and Mercy Ministries Team (2000-2002).

We always joked that this was our “compromise” house. John wanted to live in North Philly near the Latino population. Nell wanted to live on a farm. So we bought a house in Gerrmantown with a little land around it! This has been a great house and home.

It is a big step for us to put the house on the market, but it is time. We trust the Lord has a buyer in mind. We would love to know that that buyer loves the Lord, These things are in His hands. At the beginning of July we will say good-bye to this old house. Hats off to you 408 West Clapier Street!*

*Prudential Fox & Roach, Realtors Loretta Witt  loretta@lorettawitt.com