House-hunting in Congo, Take 2

So the polls are in and…drumroll…we’ve decided to take the house! It’s not a done deal since we don’t have a contract yet, but we’re pursuing it. It will probably be another month or so before everything is fixed up and purchased and we’re ready to actually live there.

I admit that my dear blog readers’ comments did not influence me much. I mostly talked to colleagues here and in the end it was talking to God that won me over. I realized that so long as we don’t settle down into a place of our own we’re sort of floating in a no man’s land and we can’t really establish our ministry. The Lord gave me Psalm 107 which speaks of wandering people finding an inhabitable city to settle in. It also talks about making springs in the desert so I’m praying for more water to flow in our pipes! I also liked a question my mom posed me; something like, “Do you think you could make it feel like home?” My answer to that question was definitely yes. I really like the spacious front room and would be able to have many visitors over. The rooms are all big by Congolese standards and that counts a lot to me, especially to have a good-sized kitchen to work in.

I did really appreciate hearing from people though and would like to address the comments that were left.
Stephanie Mason said...
I love this post! I actually forwarded it to a few coworkers who also fount it very interesting. I do take so many things for granted- running water, fully stocked kitchen, even electricity! I am rooting for you to find a home you both love and look forward to more posts!
Thanks Steph! Yes, so many things taken for granted at home. We just readjust our standards here and it’s really not too hard to adapt! Espérance is easy to please compared to me since he’s used to the conditions here, but I would say he does like this house and we’re both convinced now that taking it is the right thing to do.

bo betsy said...
oh my, ca.
(the farmhouse is looking SO good!)
i think i liked the jello - weez entry better. :)
like mom, i have no doubt that things could be improved and made home-y... but, ew - i hope you don't have to be the one to tackle the bathroom! also - is it mold on the walls? seems like it would be too hot there to have mold problems...?
you amaze me. endlessly. i will pray for your decisions -- love the pros and con list - you are so good at living there!
love to you both!
Yeah, sister, it’s funny to look back at how we thought the farmhouse was inhabitable until you lived there for like 2 years :o) For sure not me cleaning the bathroom!! If they don’t do a good enough job before the house becomes our responsibility, I’ll hire a maid for like 10 bucks to come spend a day there before I move in. Um, yeah, I honestly didn’t even notice the walls because they all look like that here! It’s water damage mostly I think. Some mold maybe too. It’s humid here. Plus the quality of the walls and the paint isn’t great. It’s water-based paint which doesn’t really last.

Carrie said...
The front yard makes me sad. :( What if you decide to have a little garden (and finally grow your own basil)? where will the kiddos kick around a soccer ball? I know it's annoying, but you should also add into the thought about when people come and visit. Which I know you want. :) So, running water in the bathroom might be kinda nice.
I definitely want to grow some of our own veggies and herbs! We can do it Congolese style which means making wooden planters that are like low tables. Would be cool too because we could actually take our garden with us when we move! I’m not planning on living here forever. I could see having our first kid here and maybe moving when they’re still little (say in like 3 years). I do want visitors! But we’ll have a system in place for water. Visitors to Congo just need to be aware of the living conditions here!

Amy said...
It's actually not that bad of a house! :) I've seen worse here, as I'm sure you have. :) I'd love to see the "after" pictures, since we've now seen the "before" pictures. :)
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Amy! By Congolese standards this is a pretty nice house. Not lavish or anything, but definitely better than average.

maggie said...
in my opinion, running water is a must, especially in the kitchen. your home should be your refuge, not just another place for you to have a cross-cultural experience. if they can't figure out a way to make that work, then you should keep looking.
Mags, I was really surprised that after all the places in the world you have lived, you still need running water! Guess Congo is kind of bottom of the barrel. Besides the people who live where we’re living now and the people who live on the center where I work, I don’t know hardly anyone who has good water here in Brazza. Even if we were to find a place that has water now, in 3 months it could go away and not come back for a year. The only reliable water source is to have your own well and pump. One day we’ll build a house and dig a well but that costs like 10 or 20 thousand dollars! We could keep looking, but the odds are not in our favor. This house is already above par just by virtue of the fact that we don’t have to leave our own yard to search for water!

Daniel and Natalie said...
the hardest part of house hunting is that feeling of losing time on your decisions. It is one of the biggest things we have to look at and it has to be done in a very short amount of time. The questions are endless. I know this doesn't help but just wanted you to know i get what it feels like. good luck!
It’s good to realize that house-hunting is a hard decision no matter where you are in the world! Once again, I’m glad I have Jesus to help me make choices. It’s so much less stress to go by faith than to think that everything depends on me!