moving details

Last August we arranged for our things to be stored in the capital city and then moved to our new city once we found an apartment. We would call our cool moving guy and let him know when we found a place here and he would load things up and drive it to us then. But, our mover had a different memory about our plan. Matt emailed him a few days after we landed to ask when he could come and he replied that our things would arrive in three more days. We'd been looking for a home for almost a week at that point, but we had NOT found a home yet!

But, just an hour or so before we found this out, our super friend and host, had just chatted with some of his neighbors (hoping to find a potential rental for us) and met a guy who owned an unfinished apartment in a building nearby.

So, this guy's place - like a cement cave on the first floor- turned out to be the perfect holding space for all of our things. What a provision of God!

We were so grateful that all of our things made it for the 3 day road trip in this truck.

(Too bad I didn't get there in time to snap a pic of all of our boxes piled all over the top of this little beauty!)

The night before our stuff arrived, we saw a nice 4 bedroom apartment that we thought might be the best option for us. So that day, after storing our goods, we took off in a taxi to drive far across town, with our rental agent and his buddy, to meet the landlord of that place and discuss the price and contract details. But her first few words took the wind out of our sails.

We had our negotiation tactics carefully planned out: we'd ask her to lower her price 300 quai per month (about 45 dollars). She told us she was so sorry she couldn't give it to us even for her own asking price! "My family has all told me I need to ask for much more rent than I said yesterday."

So we left with our hat in our hands... if that's the right figure of speech. We were not going to pay her MORE than she was asking for the day before!

I almost wanted to ask that landlady if she would at least cover our taxi fare- that would seem to be a decent thing for her to do!- but of course we didn't. As we left, we couldn't even find a taxi for the way home so we had to walk a way till we finally squished onto a bus.

The bus ride back with our rental agent and his co-worker was fun language practice, we saw more of our new city, and we discovered that agent is also a follower of Christ. And then it came up that we would definetely be interested in a 3 bedroom in the same complex as that 4 bedroom. He said he had one and we agreed we'd look the next day.

Matt and I both had a strong peace about things that night. I told him I just felt like Thursday- the next day- was going to be the day that God would make sense of things for us. Our dear friends that we were staying with prayed with us and for us that night. (Here they are- at the blanket fort they constructed for the kids in their living room.)

Thursday morning, my hopes were high to see this 3 bedroom. We knew we loved the location. But the time came and it only worked for me to go look at the apartment alone. Here's the view I had walking in....

I knew I really liked the place and was eager that we might hopefully get to live there. I talked Matt through the whole apartment as I walked around. We agreed that I would discuss things with my husband and then get back with this (super kind) landlady later that day. And as I was about to leave, the rental agent got a phone call and talked for a few minutes while I just poked around a bit more.

We got downstairs and our agent asked me which home I would like better- the 3 bedroom or the 4 bedroom? Honestly, I liked the 3 bedroom place better than the 4 bedroom for several reasons and it was cheaper too. He told me that he had just spoken with the 4 bedroom landlord and heard a new offer- we could live there for the deal we had presented her the day before!

I almost wanted to laugh and cry aloud at once. Had the Lord ever turned events in our favor!? Now we could make a lower offer for the 3 bedroom and the landlady there would know that if that didn't work, we could easily take the 4 bedroom. We asked her if she would provide a fridge, a washing machine, and put in a bathtub and we would pay her 100 quai (about $15) a month less than she asked for and she said YES!

Matt saw the home for the first time after we signed the contract- what a blessing that my man was so confident in my assessment of this home. We got to move in 5 days after that and we are so grateful for it every day we're here. Turns out, we didn't get a furnished place- as is common here- so we needed to buy some furniture and that need was met too when we found "furniture alley" and picked up some surprisingly sturdy fake wood pieces for a few rooms. We also got a couch with some gift money from friends (thanks KPCO!).

The Lord has provided so graciously for us. We are very cognizant of the fact that our Lord didn't have a place to lay his head. A nice home is not what we live for- in any way- and by no stretch of the imagination is it what we deserve. We desire so much that our home would never be the object of our faith or a consuming obsession- distraction from what is truly good and worthy. Our hope is in the Lord who will never rust, fade, or decay and who never even goes out of style. He has been so generous to put us in this place. May he be greatly glorified in our lives in this home! Thank you Lord!

(The front door is directly behind Matt's back. Those of you who know Asian kitchens will be able to tell that this kind is RARE. It's wide open to the living room and dining area. Most kitchens here are completely separated off because the cooking is usually so oily and smoky that it needs to be kept out of the rest of the house. I love being able to see and talk with my kids while I'm in the kitchen here!)