Life on hold - musings of a temporary nomad...?

Since writing my last post a few days ago, I've slowly been getting used to the idea of looking for my new home in other towns, instead of here in Alhaurín de la Torre where I've lived for the past fourteen years. All my friends and neighbours tell me that it's just a bad time of year to be house hunting - that there are always more options after the summer. 

I'm still running into this new legal obstacle that they won't give you a rental contract (won't even let you view the property) if you can't prove that your "salary" is at least three times the amount of the rental. That's totally crazy, and impossible for me... so I'm more usually looking at places for sale than for rent and realising that this is likely going to be the sort of miracle I have to have faith for.... 

I'm only too aware, though, that property purchase, and especially overseas property purchase, isn't something that happens quickly. The process can drag on for months (or even years, as friends of mine here in town are discovering!) I'm having to contemplate the very real possibility of needing to find a temporary solution until the more permanent solution is sorted out. 

A friend with a dog has said I could stay in the tiny spare room in her flat until I find my permanent home. Another friend - with two doberman dogs - has offered that I could stay in a yurt (a Central Asian tent-like structure; see photo above) on her property for a few months... 

I'm grateful for people's offers of help, but the trouble with these temporary solutions is that they offer no security to my elderly cat. I kind of feel that my life is "on hold," as it's hard to contemplate making my planned ministry trip in May if it means that I'm leaving my cat in a tent with two dobermans roaming around outside. (One of them already killed a cat a few years ago.) And I'm not convinced by some other people's proposed solution that I just need to put Teddi to sleep. As I wrote already on 21st January, I don't believe that I should have to kill my cat in order to find a new home!

So, this rather perplexing process continues. It seems that the two most obvious steps on the horizon are:

a) finding a little place to purchase, rather then to rent

b) having to find a temporary solution until the permanent one falls into place.

Thank you for your prayers, and thanks also to those of you who have sent me Bible verses or impressions that came to you in prayer.