My New House

I have finally moved into my "new" house next to Steve and Judi Cochran on Thursday, November 5th. I have been praying about it since early September when I found out my rent in ICIPE was increasing 50%. I had looked at several places, but quickly realized it was difficult to find a quality place in Mbita. Steve has been a huge blessing to me as he helped to bring plumbing to the house so that I have a water tank, toilet, shower and sink. He also helped me install a couple of 60 watt solar panels on the roof which are strong enough to charge my laptop, power my TV and give me electricity in every room. It is about the perfect size for a single guy like me. I have a nice size sitting room, 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a tiny kitchen area. I love the fact that I now have my own yard,. It is also considerably closer to school. I will miss my 30 mintue walk to and from school each day, trekking through the community and greeting people along the way, but it is also nice that I can make it to school in less than ten minutes. My walking commute has been cut by twenty minutes each way. What am I going to do with all my extra time now?

I have to admit I was a little hesitant at first about leaving my home for the past six years in ICIPE. We had many modern covenciences inside that compound including 24 hour electricity, hot water, plumbing, good security, internet access, television stations, refrigerator and a totally furnished apartment. But the rent had just gotten too high for this area. It didn't seem like a wise decision to continue paying that much money for a place to live. As the days go on, I feel more and more excited about my decision. I was in a bit of a comfort zone and so it feels good to change my daily routine and be stretched a little in some areas. It will be a savings for me and free up my budget a little more for other things, including being a blessing to others. It will also give me more community especially being close to Steve and Judi. We are sharing the same front gate and the same compound, though our houses are separate. Several of my close friends had moved out of ICIPE in the last 2 years so I was feeling a little isolated there.

I am still adjusting to the cold showers and not having a fridge to store leftovers or keep certain "luxury" items (like cheese). My internet modem through a cellphone company has bee really unreliable which is frustering. God remains faithful throughout everything. I am thankful for how he has answered my prayers and provided everything that I need.

Enjoy a couple of pictures of the outside of the house. And yes, that is a basketball hoop on the side of the house. Steve installed it for his daughters to use, but I think I will also be getting some use out of it, as well as some of the other kids. I will try to post some pictures of the inside of the house in the coming days.