Wow! You guys.... Thanks so much for the prayers! This week has been such a roller coaster, but the Lord has certainly proven Himself faithful!
This morning, I asked you to pray for us today as we headed out with our broker in search of an apartment. I also whined about a fantastic condo that we didn't get. Well, we never made that meeting with our broker, and we didn't see a single apartment today. Twenty-two minutes after I posted that first blog, our broker called....
Let me try to explain a little more about how the whole process works: As I mentioned in the last post, a condo is different than a typical apartment building in that each condo is owned by an individual who either lives in the condo himself or leases it to tenants. The condo building as a whole is managed by a condo board.
So in our particular situation, there are three parties involved:
-the owners (a married couple) and their agent (a real estate broker)
-the condo board (people who own condos in that building and live there) and their agent (a management company)
-us and our agent, Sarah
And the here's how the process typically goes:
-An owner decides to lease their condo
-The owner hires a broker to list and show the condo to prospective tenants
-The prospective tenants fill out an application and are approved by the owner
-The prospective tenants and owner jointly file a lease proposal to the management company for the condo board's approval
-The condo board approves the tenants
In God's sovereignty, someone made a mistake in the process and our paperwork ended up with the management company and condo board before the owners approved us. This turned out to be fantastic for us!
In spite of all the paperwork, reference letters, pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, and credit reports, the owners declined to approve our application. Thankfully, the condo board and management company had seen our paperwork. They got wind that the owners had denied us and called them to strongly suggest that wasn't a wise decision. We're told that a representative from the management company informed the owners that we would be residents in that building one way or another, and if that owner didn't want to lease to us they could find another owner who did!
Also, on the day we first saw the condo (a week ago today), we just so happened to see a woman about my age coming out of the building pushing a double stroller with twin boys. I stopped and chatted with her about the building, neighborhood, what she thought of it all. We didn't know it at the time, but she is on the condo board! So when she saw our application and heard we weren't approved, she went to bat for us, telling the owners that they really should reconsider us.
We've been waiting and praying all day. We just received official word from our broker that the owners have decided to approve us! We meet next week to sign the lease, and will hopefully be moved in sometime next week! Thank you all for the prayers, texts, and comments! We are so grateful for this good gift from our Father. Great is Thy Faithfulness, O Lord, to us!
Friday, July 20, 2012
"Traci and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week"
Oh, where to begin? Apologies are in order {again!} for my pathetic lack of commitment to keeping this blog updated. I do have aspirations of being a consistent blogger. I even have a list of blog post ideas (like a real physical list, not just in my head!). But it always seems that there is something on my to-do list more important and more pressing than blogging. Josh and I know we have friends and family *somewhere out there* who love us and pray for us and do actually want to hear how things are going in our lives and ministry. But the physical distance makes it easy to forget, and keeping you all updated seems less important than it should. We're sorry. Will you please forgive us?
Here's the children's book version of my week:
We found a condo that we love... but the owner said "no." That was mean.
And even though we have nowhere to go, we still have to move out of our current apartment SOON.
I'm 8 months pregnant. This is my second move during this pregnancy. When I spend all day packing, I start having contractions.
I had to go to the laundromat, because I had to pack my hospital bag, because it needs to be ready and accessible, because I may go into labor mid-move, because I have contractions just from packing.
It was storming when I went to the laundromat. Man-hole covers are slippery when wet. Skint knees hurt more as a grown-up than they do when you're a kid.
THE END
If you'd like the more sophisticated version:
A few of you are aware, and many probably aren't, that Josh and I are moving at the end of this month. The Lord has granted us an amazing partnership with an existing church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Hopefully, Josh or I will write more details soon explaining how strategic and exciting this arrangement is, but for now, know that we are extremely grateful to the Lord for his provision. Josh will preach the next two Sundays and begin teaching weekly classes in August.
The biggest hurdle to this partnership is that it is an hour's commute for us each way via public transportation. We considered moving into a neighborhood that would put us closer to the congregation we're serving. We sought wisdom regarding the timing of the move: Is it better to move 8 months pregnant or with a one-month old? We explored the possibility with our current landlord and bank accounts. And it seemed the Lord was opening the doors for this move to happen at the end of July.
Our broker (also a friend from church) spent several days showing us apartments. We continued to pray for wisdom regarding the needs for our family, our ministry, and our finances. Then one day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and we walked into the *perfect* place. It had everything we wanted in an apartment... and so much more! An elevator building with smart-card laundry, big closets (comparatively!), hardwood floors, full-size stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops, marble bathroom, trash compactor right outside our door for all the dirty diapers, beautiful gated courtyard entrance, air-conditioning(!!!), close to two subway lines, close to the park and the library. We couldn't believe the price-- significantly less than what we currently pay. The catch is: it's a condo, not an apartment. That means each unit is owned by an individual, while the building as a whole is managed by a condo board. It also means that it is harder to be approved as a tenant. We spent days gathering and providing documentation that we are fine, upstanding citizens with spotless credit and more-than-sufficient income. We have recommendation letters from employers and landlords that could get us elected to public office. But in the end, the owners were just too skeptical of Josh's out-of-state income, and we were declined.
It was hard news to hear. We have 90% of our apartment in boxes. We have other tenants moving in to this apartment on August 1st. We {I} have a uterus that likes to contract when I push myself physically.
But it was also good news to hear. Josh reminded me that we can trust our Father's love and care for us. We know there will be times we tell our son "no" to something that he desperately wants. He may cry and be confused, maybe even angry with us. But we will persist in our decision because we have more knowledge and wisdom than he does, and because we love him enough to want to protect him from things he may be unable to see. So we rest in knowing that God is the Perfect Father who is infinitely wise, and He gives good gifts to His children. We rest in knowing that He is the Creator and Owner of every inch of the universe, including every inch on New York City. We know that He controls the heart of the king, and certainly the hearts of owners and landlords.
The Lord has continued to shape and sanctify me as I consider what my children's lives will be like. When we lived in Birmingham preparing to move to NYC, I would cry every time I drove past one of the places selling outdoor playhouses and swing sets. I knew my kids would likely never have one of those, because my kids wouldn't have a backyard. The Lord (and my husband) worked me through that, and I accepted that my kids would just have to be content with Central Park and The American Museum of Natural History. Ha!
Then we found out we were pregnant a week after moving here. I began referencing all the magazine pages of nursery inspiration that I had saved for a decade. (Remember the pre-Pinterest days?) But I quickly realized that I was in NYC now. My baby wouldn't have a nursery. He would have a corner in his dad's office. I guess kids can grow up to be healthy contributing members of society even without a perfectly themed nursery to begin their lives, right?
And now I'm just a few days away from being "full-term," and we're staring homelessness in the face. (Ok, that's a bit dramatic. That statement probably belongs in the children's book version of this story.) I have received an unusual number of requests for my mailing address lately. So if you're one of the people who has emailed asking for my address, I'm not ignoring you... I just don't know the answer!
Would you pray for us? We are heading back out with our broker today to start over at square one. Please pray that the Lord leads us to the apartment that HE has decided suits our needs. Please pray he leads us and our broker there quickly. Pray for favor with landlords, management companies, and all other parties involved. Pray for a smooth and quick move, and that labor doesn't begin until after the move is complete! Pray for Josh, as he needs time to prepare and rest before preaching. Most of all, pray that the Gospel is evident in the way we conduct ourselves and that we would recognize and declare the faithfulness of God in this story.
We are grateful for your consistent love and prayers, even thought we are terribly inconsistent in keeping you informed. We love you all!
Here's the children's book version of my week:
We found a condo that we love... but the owner said "no." That was mean.
And even though we have nowhere to go, we still have to move out of our current apartment SOON.
I'm 8 months pregnant. This is my second move during this pregnancy. When I spend all day packing, I start having contractions.
I had to go to the laundromat, because I had to pack my hospital bag, because it needs to be ready and accessible, because I may go into labor mid-move, because I have contractions just from packing.
It was storming when I went to the laundromat. Man-hole covers are slippery when wet. Skint knees hurt more as a grown-up than they do when you're a kid.
THE END
If you'd like the more sophisticated version:
A few of you are aware, and many probably aren't, that Josh and I are moving at the end of this month. The Lord has granted us an amazing partnership with an existing church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Hopefully, Josh or I will write more details soon explaining how strategic and exciting this arrangement is, but for now, know that we are extremely grateful to the Lord for his provision. Josh will preach the next two Sundays and begin teaching weekly classes in August.
The biggest hurdle to this partnership is that it is an hour's commute for us each way via public transportation. We considered moving into a neighborhood that would put us closer to the congregation we're serving. We sought wisdom regarding the timing of the move: Is it better to move 8 months pregnant or with a one-month old? We explored the possibility with our current landlord and bank accounts. And it seemed the Lord was opening the doors for this move to happen at the end of July.
Our broker (also a friend from church) spent several days showing us apartments. We continued to pray for wisdom regarding the needs for our family, our ministry, and our finances. Then one day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and we walked into the *perfect* place. It had everything we wanted in an apartment... and so much more! An elevator building with smart-card laundry, big closets (comparatively!), hardwood floors, full-size stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops, marble bathroom, trash compactor right outside our door for all the dirty diapers, beautiful gated courtyard entrance, air-conditioning(!!!), close to two subway lines, close to the park and the library. We couldn't believe the price-- significantly less than what we currently pay. The catch is: it's a condo, not an apartment. That means each unit is owned by an individual, while the building as a whole is managed by a condo board. It also means that it is harder to be approved as a tenant. We spent days gathering and providing documentation that we are fine, upstanding citizens with spotless credit and more-than-sufficient income. We have recommendation letters from employers and landlords that could get us elected to public office. But in the end, the owners were just too skeptical of Josh's out-of-state income, and we were declined.
It was hard news to hear. We have 90% of our apartment in boxes. We have other tenants moving in to this apartment on August 1st. We {I} have a uterus that likes to contract when I push myself physically.
But it was also good news to hear. Josh reminded me that we can trust our Father's love and care for us. We know there will be times we tell our son "no" to something that he desperately wants. He may cry and be confused, maybe even angry with us. But we will persist in our decision because we have more knowledge and wisdom than he does, and because we love him enough to want to protect him from things he may be unable to see. So we rest in knowing that God is the Perfect Father who is infinitely wise, and He gives good gifts to His children. We rest in knowing that He is the Creator and Owner of every inch of the universe, including every inch on New York City. We know that He controls the heart of the king, and certainly the hearts of owners and landlords.
The Lord has continued to shape and sanctify me as I consider what my children's lives will be like. When we lived in Birmingham preparing to move to NYC, I would cry every time I drove past one of the places selling outdoor playhouses and swing sets. I knew my kids would likely never have one of those, because my kids wouldn't have a backyard. The Lord (and my husband) worked me through that, and I accepted that my kids would just have to be content with Central Park and The American Museum of Natural History. Ha!
Then we found out we were pregnant a week after moving here. I began referencing all the magazine pages of nursery inspiration that I had saved for a decade. (Remember the pre-Pinterest days?) But I quickly realized that I was in NYC now. My baby wouldn't have a nursery. He would have a corner in his dad's office. I guess kids can grow up to be healthy contributing members of society even without a perfectly themed nursery to begin their lives, right?
And now I'm just a few days away from being "full-term," and we're staring homelessness in the face. (Ok, that's a bit dramatic. That statement probably belongs in the children's book version of this story.) I have received an unusual number of requests for my mailing address lately. So if you're one of the people who has emailed asking for my address, I'm not ignoring you... I just don't know the answer!
Would you pray for us? We are heading back out with our broker today to start over at square one. Please pray that the Lord leads us to the apartment that HE has decided suits our needs. Please pray he leads us and our broker there quickly. Pray for favor with landlords, management companies, and all other parties involved. Pray for a smooth and quick move, and that labor doesn't begin until after the move is complete! Pray for Josh, as he needs time to prepare and rest before preaching. Most of all, pray that the Gospel is evident in the way we conduct ourselves and that we would recognize and declare the faithfulness of God in this story.
We are grateful for your consistent love and prayers, even thought we are terribly inconsistent in keeping you informed. We love you all!
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