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“Microadventure Family” Goes from Million Dollar Debt to Minimalism

After recovering from a business disaster costing them a million dollars, the Stifters felt God leading them to live minimally and travel. Now they have no debt, travel the US, and give the money they make from their social media to people in need. Read Transcript


(percussive beating)

- How cool would that be

to just be able to RV the country?

And so that's what we did.

We went and we bought an RV,

and set off on this macroadventure,

where we'd go on a daily microadventures.

(soft music)

- Dave and I got marriedin 2010 and our dream was

to hit the groundrunning with our careers.

We had this idea that if we could work

for X amount of time andbuild up our savings account,

then by the time wewere ready to have kids

we would have sort of the flexibility

to be able to stay homemore often with our kids

and really focus on our family.

(soft dramatic music)

We owed an amount of money

that was basically around $1 million.

That was completely devastating to us

because we had never seenthat much money in our lives.

I went in for my first appointment,

and over the weekend I realized

that I had started miscarrying.

And so we went through the pain of that,

and that was really hard.

(soft piano music)

We were pregnant with number two,

we're still going through all

of these struggles financially.

I think the house had beenon the market for one week

and then Hurricane Matthew hit Florida

and destroyed our home.

We both looked at each other

and we thought, you know,I think we just need to go.

I think we just need to leave.

I think we need to leaveour house fully staged,

furnished, everything, and just leave.

Let's take the pressureoff this house selling.

We packed our bags, we got in the car,

went in Dave's truck, and we left.

- You know, I think as Christians

we always sing these songsabout all we need is you,

and it was one of those momentswhere it was almost like

all we have is you.

And so it became us, the hard way,

God allowing sufferingto help be the catalyst

of our heart clinging to him

and finding freedom and peace in him.

(soft piano music)

- While we're driving,

Dave gets a call from hisbuddy, who's our realtor,

and he says, "Hey, yougot a full asking price

"offer on your home."

Our house sold, which is so crazy.

- We just started tokinda reevaluate our life,

and 10 years from now, do we want it to be

exactly what it was becoming?

So we just decided to live simply

so that we could simplylive during this period.

(soft dramatic music)

- It didn't feel sad.

It felt more like a weightoff of our shoulders.

It felt like a relief.

Everything that we needto live and breathe

and survive is right herein this 28-foot trailer.

- We finally were able to pay it off.

It's just crazy to think wherewe were a couple years ago

and that big amount of money.

If you would've told me threeyears ago that we would be,

we would have that completely paid off,

I would've told you you were crazy.

- Yeah, that's right.

- You know?

And so we're just so gratefuland thank God for all of it.

(soft piano music)

- Whatever money we domake from social media,

we've kind of vowed to giveit back to our followers

or give it to local churchesthrough our travels.

Because we really realized through all

of this that number one,our money is not our own.

Like our money belongs to God,

and he can bless us with asignificant amount of money,

and just as quickly he can take it away.

- I think that as we'reon this sloppy road

of sanctification and theups and downs of becoming

slowly more and more like Christ.

I think even with possessions

and things and money in our culture,

I think a lot of timeswe're looking for Christ

to bless us, which he does.

But when it seems as though he's not,

that doesn't mean thathis love or affection

or desire for us has changed at all.

- God just wants our hearts,

that's all he wants.

Like I think that through any amount

of suffering we do or whateveradventures life takes us on,

or takes anyone on for that matter,

I think the reality isis that God just wants

to use these things inthis world to bring us good

and to bring him glory.

(soft music)

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