He said I could have 4-8 weeks to find something. As June dwindled down, I still couldn't find anything. I sought after 4 realtors to help and was shocked, none of them had but 1 house each, some not having any to show. You can hire a realtor here to find a house to rent. They usually make a month's rent. It's a last resort because there were no houses showing "for rent" signs.
Right now, I am living in a house that has another house below. I moved into this house after I left the school. The landlord was older and grumpy, much like my dad. I liked him. We got along just great, even though other tenants didn't like him as much. My friend, at the time, helped negotiate and we got him to rent it to my for around $100. I was single and wouldn't use the other rooms. That price is ridiculously cheap!
BUT GOD, right?
He soon died. Then, my girls came to me. The landlord's family lived in the States and monthly, I just paid a lawyer. Luke took care of my house issues and I don't talk to anyone much. It's been a sweet blessing in many ways (in other ways a headache), but now it's time to go.
So it is time to move.
The girls and I would drive around and around. As June ended, I kept thinking I will just choose anything and get out of my house. Then, my landlord texted asking if I got a place. I told him no and he said I could take a little more time. He said workers were coming, but I shouldn't fret. They never came and I kept looking. I started to ask, God, "hey, um, what are You doing? Don't you have to provide housing for me? Doesn't Your Word say to not worry about my life and what I will eat and drink? (Matthew 6) So, why do I not have a home? Shouldn't we honor this guy's request to move out by the end of June?
I would pray those prayers out loud with the kids in the car and to myself. Just being a bit confused. I found a few places but the rent was high for the area or for the quality. Most places, it doesn't seem to matter if its a house or apartment here for the price are $260-$360 for places to live. As you can see, my house was nuts at that price and I gave up finding something in that very low range. The homes I was finding in the lower range didn't have the back up water tank on the roof. That's the water you use when the power goes off. If you don't have it, you don't have water. We are not above that, but I'm a for-lifer here. There's no reason at that price to not have a water tank, so those options were out for me.
I kept telling God, I want the GOD STORY. I want to glorify Your name and tell the STORY. If I just find an apartment and move, there's no story. Don't let me move on something, God, unless You do it! I'll move to whatever place You want, as long as You make it CLEAR that You chose it.
Waiting was so hard. I wanted to move. I packed early June! I thought, surely I'll out in June.
The other day the kids and I drive around this neighborhood I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED until recently. We had been there 4 times already, driving around! It's a very nice and quiet neighborhood. Big houses. Every time I drove in there, I thought, I gotta get my truck washed to drive around here!
A man was pruning his very nice yard. I pulled up and asked if he knew of any homes for rent. He said, "no, sorry, I can't help you." Meanwhile, his wife hears us from far off and comes walking, "YES!"
She tells me to go two doors down, they have a sister that has a home for rent. I pulled up and no one was coming out. The lady from before saw me and walked over, I'll go talk to them for you.
The lady comes out and says ok. I said, "uh, I'll follow you." She said, "no, we are walking. It's across the street."
WHAT? HERE? IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD?
I snapped this because as we walked, I thought, Lord, is this it? Is this really it? I wanted to remember walking down to my new house.
As we entered I was floored. I thought, "We can't afford this. Is this yard real?!" She asked how many people, I said just me and the girls. As we went up the stairs, she said it's 3 bedrooms. I thought this is it. As we went in, the girls were choosing bedrooms and placing furniture in their minds. We walked and talked and I prayed she would say 15000RD pesos, that's about 300. This house should be like 20-25000RD for the neighborhood and kind of houses. She said 15. Tears welled up in my eyes and I couldn't talk. I told her that was a bit high on my list for a house, but maybe she could ask her sister to do 14, 000RD. I told her I would pray as tears were trying to escape out and I'd be back with my brother to look at the electricity. My current house is weak and I can't use my new oven or vacuum. (Jeff, don't worry, soon I'll be able to use the oven part!!)
Luke's whole family piled in and came down yesterday and the power is a tad lower than Luke wanted it, but will be fine. We negotiated on $14,500RD. It has so many fruit trees!! Guanabana, mango, limes, bananas, coconut, and avocados. JACKPOT.
I was telling Luke that I always liked the iron door on my other houses, made me feel really secure. I wished I had one at the new house. Phyllis, NO ONE is breaking into this neighborhood. Ok, true. It also has video cameras downstairs and Luke said we can do a camera upstairs at my front door. He can get these at a fair price on amazon for like $30.
I had one thing on the table for the Lord. Give us a safe place to live with water and in a price range that we can sustain. I'm a very simple person, doesn't take much to please me with material things.
THIS IS ABUNDANTLY MORE THAN I ASKED.
I'm moving in a few minutes and STILL can't believe I get to live here. Oh, and the kids can walk to and from school! That was on my list of requirements, too.
