I was hoping to travel this year to teach in two PCYM (principles in child and youth ministry) training courses - one in Eastern Europe and the other in Western Europe. Sadly, my present circumstances (looking for a new home) have made it impossible for me to travel. However, that doesn't mean that my involvement in this important training ministry is cancelled....
Over the coming weeks (May and June) I will be teaching in a PCYM in Switzerland and another in Argentina, but I will be staying in Spain and doing the teaching over the internet by Zoom. One of the topics I'll be covering with the group in Switzerland is how to discern God's calling and direction for your own life and for the ministry you are involved in. (See title slide above.) Even as I prepare to share biblical principles and insights with the students, I'm very aware that wisdom for my next steps is also a very real need for myself at the moment.
There's still been no breakthrough when it comes to finding my new permanent home here in Spain, but a couple of temporary housing options have been offered to me. When I need to leave my present temporary accommodation in middle of May, I can move to a small one-roomed "apartment" at the home of an American missionary family here in town. That option can be my temporary home for around six weeks - until the end of June.
Somewhat to my surprise, I've also been offered a further short term option from July onwards. The American family introduced me to an English couple who run a Christian retreat centre out in the countryside of Malaga province and these people have said that I can rent a small cottage on their property if I'm still searching for my long term housing when the summer months come around.
Although I feel incredibly thankful for these short term offers (which mean that I don't need to feel the constant pressure of having nowhere to go), it's nonetheless a bit disconcerting to contemplate the possibility that I might still be needing temporary housing as the summer advances.
And so, this is where I need wisdom for my next steps. Until now, I've been looking both at houses/flats for rent and houses for sale. I began by looking for long term rental accommodation, like I've always had in the past... However, recognising that current rental costs are considerably above my monthly support level, I've also been wondering whether God's long term solution would be for me to buy instead of renting, and whether renting will be only a short term solution - possibly until I can sell our house in Scotland and have that money to invest in buying a small home here. At the beginning of every week, I scroll through dozens of property websites to find the new listings - both of places to rent and places for sale.
But now I already have short term rental possibilities for the next three or four months.... rental accommodation that is with fellow Christians and that is within the budget of my present monthly income. What should my weekly home-hunting look like now?Should I keep phoning about flats to rent - even though their cost is double or triple the price of the short term housing that has already been offered to me? Should I focus more on looking at little places for sale.... in case God opens a door for that in the future? Should I be beginning a process of fund raising - trusting God to raise up new supporters to increase my monthly income for longer term rental costs ahead?
Please would you join me in praying that I'll know the right way to invest my time and energy? I've emailed, phoned and driven hundreds of kilometres in going to visit so many different flats and houses over the past four months that I've lost count of them all. Now that some short term options are assured, what should be my priority when it comes to finding the long term home that God has for me here?
