Countrymouse
Country exile in the city
For those who remember my thread a while back, it's with thanks to God and to all of you that I reported there how miraculously God opened the doors to a wonderful opportunity for my son for a (very possibly) life-long job that he can support himself on, working in the Braille Music Division of the Library of Congress. I had asked for your help / counsel / advice / prayers that God would open the way (if it was His will) for Timothy not only to get the job, but to move "the heart of the king" so that he would also receive the vaccine exemption--which he did, last Friday! Praise the Lord!
This week, however, what seemed at first another truly promising MIRACLE of God's provision has hit a snag, and I want to ask AGAIN for your prayers (and any other assistance you may think of).
We found -- only two blocks from where he'd be working, an absolutely PERFECT apartment for him to live in up there.
It has everything that we'd been looking for--like God just went down our wish-list and fulfilled EVERYTHING--
But it was 2 pm Thursday I wrote him we'd take it.
Waited a couple hours.
Wrote him again.
Waited a couple more hours.
Wrote him again.
Waited--left him a voice mail.
Got up this morning--tried again to reach him by phone--left another voicemail.
Had TIMOTHY write him that HE'D take it--to avoid any "technicalities" that TIMOTHY had applied so TIMOTHY had to say "I want it."
Nothing. Nada. TOTAL. SILENCE.
We had agreed to his rental cost, agreed to start the lease whenever he wants (now if he wants it, even though Timothy probably won't start till first of February or March).
We'd even agreed, because he was nervous about this being Timothy's first job, to co-sign the lease for him (though I doubt he'll need us to, since he'll be making $5000 gross a month and the rent is only $1550).
I had been asking him all week how we go about getting our co-signers information to him, because I saw no way to do that on the website--and that was when I first noticed he wasn't answering our calls and emails like he did when we first contacted him over last weekend.
Two things have my heart worried:
1. That he's concerned about getting his rent--but I've already said we would co-sign the lease and cover him if need be, and we just needed to be told how to go about doing that.
2. That he's worried about Timothy being blind--and that it may lead to liability for him if Timothy gets hurt, or danger to his family if Timothy does something (which he would attribute to his blindness--though any sighted person could have an equal chance of causing it) that might imperil his home / family, such as cause a fire cooking for instance. (far less likely, with an induction stove -- which was why I was so tickled when I saw it-- but he'd probably mostly use a microwave like he did in college, anyway--or maybe a crock pot).
I've done what I can to answer the first concern (financial, and us co-signing to guarantee that), but like I said got NO answer when I asked him HOW to get him that info. Today I decided, "OK, he won't tell me; maybe if I just go in to Zillow and file a NEW application, under mine and my husband's names, then we can send the info that way"--and it wasn't until I typed a "2" into the "number of household members" that a NEW BOX came up in zillow, explaining that if I had co-renters or co-signers, to put THEIR names on the ORIGINAL application and THEN Zillow would send us emails inviting us to apply as co-signers and send that in to the landlord.
Would have been NICE if Zillow had TOLD us that to BEGIN with, on the original application! Timothy didn't know to put in more than "1" for household members--because that's what it IS--just "1" person--and nothing on that page tells you how to put in Co-Signers UNTIL you put in a figure MORE than "1"! It's nuts!
And now--I CAN'T go in and make that correction without WITHDRAWING / CANCELLING Timothy's ORIGINAL application--the site does not allow you to edit or append to it--you have to dump it and start ALL OVER AGAIN.
And of course, I'm thinking--what a perfect "excuse" this would give him, if he's reluctant to rent to Timothy anyway, to give it to the 'next' person in line---he could say, "Well, you WITHDREW your application, so I went to the next person."
The SECOND concern that makes me think he might do this is not just the financial--but Timothy's DISABILITY.
I guess I should say "I was fool enough to be HONEST"--but I told the man (when he called us, and both Timothy and I spoke to him on the speakerphone) that Timothy is blind.
And the FIRST thing out of his mouth when I said that was, "Oh. I don't know if that will work. We have STAIRS going into that apartment."
He has THREE stairs.
Whoop-de-doo.
And I explained that Timothy has been running up and down stairs all his life---our basement stairs as a child (on which he NEVER fell, by the way), the two and later five flights of stairs in his dorm buildings at Mercer that he ran (literally) up and down all the time just for exercise, the longest public transit escalator stairs in the world--at Peachtree Center in Atlanta--when he made his weekly trips on MARTA to go to his classes at Ga State (which sometimes were working, but many times were out of order), the flights of steep narrow stairs in the old Sinclair (like the oil company -- used to be their headquarters in Atlanta) building that is now the "music" building on the GSU campus. I explained that he got around the 150-acre Mercer campus in Macon totally by himself using his cane to go everywhere. I assured him "stairs" are NO problem.
He didn't seem convinced.
A little later in the conversation, when he mentioned that he has two sons, 7 and 9, I volunteered that he might like Timothy to teach them piano (since he gave piano lessons to two sighted girls of about the same age when he was doing his student teaching) and the reaction? The man suddenly laughed--not an "amused" laugh but the kind of laugh you do when you hear something patently ridiculous--and then he stopped himself just as suddenly. I didn't respond to that--but I was thinking, "What? You think because he's blind, he can't teach?"
And yes--oh yes--I know that is illegal--it's against the Americans with Disabilities Act to discriminate against someone because of their disability. But as he's never come right out and said that, all I have is a "feeling"---which I truly hope is wrong.
It was after that he asked if we'd co-sign the lease, and seemed reluctantly surprised (disappointed?) when I assured him that, though we didn't think it would be necessary, we'd be happy to.
Now -- here we are.
The PERFECT place---
and we've SAID we'll TAKE It
and we've AGREED to all his conditions--
and...............SILENCE.
I finally today emailed him the pages on Zillow proving that it was their system that caused the problem about our not sending in co-signing info yet--and how complicated it will be to correct this. (withdraw his application, submit a new application for him, wait for Zillow to send US email invites, then send in OUR applications so WE can be vetted, too). I asked him to be patient with us a little longer--I couldn't get those done before I got home from work tonight, and then we'd have to wait on Zillow to send us the email invitations to apply--but that we'd get those to him as soon as possible. I asked him to "hold" the apartment for Timothy, since we'd told him yesterday (when we knew it was still available) that we wanted it and on his terms, and even said we'd pay 'earnest money' to him to hold it if necessary.
He finally responded.
"Thank you for sending me these details."
That's it.
I've already looked for OTHER apartments close-in to where he'll be working.
They're either too big (2-3 bedroom) too high (1900 or more, for SMALLER rooms) or in a REALLY bad neighborhood (as I can tell because they're in run-down looking 5-story apartment buildings, or in houses with unkempt yards that have "Black Lives Matter" signs in them)--or too far away, meaning he'd have to get to / use the METRO every day. Which, while we don't mind that, would certainly cut into his income and make it a lot more complicated getting to work.
So. BOTTOM LINE:
PLEASE. PRAY.
Pray that--IF it is God's will for Timothy to have this apartment (as it sure seems to be, MADE-TO-ORDER with all the features we need it to have) that God would touch / soften the heart of THIS "king" ("the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; like the rivers of water, He turns it withersoever He will") and make him willing to WORK with us, WAIT on us, and finally LEASE this apartment to Timothy.
Please also pray a "hedge of thorns" around this place--that if this is the place GOD means Timothy to have, then that the Landlord will FIND NO ONE ELSE WHO WANTS IT--that God turns the hearts of all other "lookers" AWAY from this place, so that EACH ONE will say, "Thanks but no thanks"--leaving no one but Timothy.
We serve a mighty God.
And He hasn't brought Timothy this far, to let him down now.
This week, however, what seemed at first another truly promising MIRACLE of God's provision has hit a snag, and I want to ask AGAIN for your prayers (and any other assistance you may think of).
We found -- only two blocks from where he'd be working, an absolutely PERFECT apartment for him to live in up there.
It has everything that we'd been looking for--like God just went down our wish-list and fulfilled EVERYTHING--
- very close (walking distance) to his new job--literally just 2 blocks
- in a safe, up-kept, quiet neighborhood
- for a reasonable price (by DC standards)--even INCLUDED utilities and internet!
- has an induction stovetop--the kind with burners UNDER the glass--so I didn't have to worry about him using an open-flame gas stove (which oddly enough seems to be the majority in DC, but we've never had one in our home--just electric burners--so I'd be worried about his trying to cook on that)
- has WHIRLPOOL washer/dryer (same as we have at home) with manual KNOB controls--so he could use them by feel to wash / dry his clothes (he's been doing that on his own since he was 10 years old)
- is in a basement apt--in a family home--so he'd have his privacy, but still not be totally alone, just in case of a rare emergency where he might need someone else
- landlord is a college professor, and he and his wife have two elementary-age boys
- about the size of his college dorm-room he stayed in 4 years when at Mercer
- is CLOSE to the METRO public transit and bus routes
- is CLOSE to local grocery stores and restaurants
But it was 2 pm Thursday I wrote him we'd take it.
Waited a couple hours.
Wrote him again.
Waited a couple more hours.
Wrote him again.
Waited--left him a voice mail.
Got up this morning--tried again to reach him by phone--left another voicemail.
Had TIMOTHY write him that HE'D take it--to avoid any "technicalities" that TIMOTHY had applied so TIMOTHY had to say "I want it."
Nothing. Nada. TOTAL. SILENCE.
We had agreed to his rental cost, agreed to start the lease whenever he wants (now if he wants it, even though Timothy probably won't start till first of February or March).
We'd even agreed, because he was nervous about this being Timothy's first job, to co-sign the lease for him (though I doubt he'll need us to, since he'll be making $5000 gross a month and the rent is only $1550).
I had been asking him all week how we go about getting our co-signers information to him, because I saw no way to do that on the website--and that was when I first noticed he wasn't answering our calls and emails like he did when we first contacted him over last weekend.
Two things have my heart worried:
1. That he's concerned about getting his rent--but I've already said we would co-sign the lease and cover him if need be, and we just needed to be told how to go about doing that.
2. That he's worried about Timothy being blind--and that it may lead to liability for him if Timothy gets hurt, or danger to his family if Timothy does something (which he would attribute to his blindness--though any sighted person could have an equal chance of causing it) that might imperil his home / family, such as cause a fire cooking for instance. (far less likely, with an induction stove -- which was why I was so tickled when I saw it-- but he'd probably mostly use a microwave like he did in college, anyway--or maybe a crock pot).
I've done what I can to answer the first concern (financial, and us co-signing to guarantee that), but like I said got NO answer when I asked him HOW to get him that info. Today I decided, "OK, he won't tell me; maybe if I just go in to Zillow and file a NEW application, under mine and my husband's names, then we can send the info that way"--and it wasn't until I typed a "2" into the "number of household members" that a NEW BOX came up in zillow, explaining that if I had co-renters or co-signers, to put THEIR names on the ORIGINAL application and THEN Zillow would send us emails inviting us to apply as co-signers and send that in to the landlord.
Would have been NICE if Zillow had TOLD us that to BEGIN with, on the original application! Timothy didn't know to put in more than "1" for household members--because that's what it IS--just "1" person--and nothing on that page tells you how to put in Co-Signers UNTIL you put in a figure MORE than "1"! It's nuts!
And now--I CAN'T go in and make that correction without WITHDRAWING / CANCELLING Timothy's ORIGINAL application--the site does not allow you to edit or append to it--you have to dump it and start ALL OVER AGAIN.
And of course, I'm thinking--what a perfect "excuse" this would give him, if he's reluctant to rent to Timothy anyway, to give it to the 'next' person in line---he could say, "Well, you WITHDREW your application, so I went to the next person."
The SECOND concern that makes me think he might do this is not just the financial--but Timothy's DISABILITY.
I guess I should say "I was fool enough to be HONEST"--but I told the man (when he called us, and both Timothy and I spoke to him on the speakerphone) that Timothy is blind.
And the FIRST thing out of his mouth when I said that was, "Oh. I don't know if that will work. We have STAIRS going into that apartment."
He has THREE stairs.
Whoop-de-doo.
And I explained that Timothy has been running up and down stairs all his life---our basement stairs as a child (on which he NEVER fell, by the way), the two and later five flights of stairs in his dorm buildings at Mercer that he ran (literally) up and down all the time just for exercise, the longest public transit escalator stairs in the world--at Peachtree Center in Atlanta--when he made his weekly trips on MARTA to go to his classes at Ga State (which sometimes were working, but many times were out of order), the flights of steep narrow stairs in the old Sinclair (like the oil company -- used to be their headquarters in Atlanta) building that is now the "music" building on the GSU campus. I explained that he got around the 150-acre Mercer campus in Macon totally by himself using his cane to go everywhere. I assured him "stairs" are NO problem.
He didn't seem convinced.
A little later in the conversation, when he mentioned that he has two sons, 7 and 9, I volunteered that he might like Timothy to teach them piano (since he gave piano lessons to two sighted girls of about the same age when he was doing his student teaching) and the reaction? The man suddenly laughed--not an "amused" laugh but the kind of laugh you do when you hear something patently ridiculous--and then he stopped himself just as suddenly. I didn't respond to that--but I was thinking, "What? You think because he's blind, he can't teach?"
And yes--oh yes--I know that is illegal--it's against the Americans with Disabilities Act to discriminate against someone because of their disability. But as he's never come right out and said that, all I have is a "feeling"---which I truly hope is wrong.
It was after that he asked if we'd co-sign the lease, and seemed reluctantly surprised (disappointed?) when I assured him that, though we didn't think it would be necessary, we'd be happy to.
Now -- here we are.
The PERFECT place---
and we've SAID we'll TAKE It
and we've AGREED to all his conditions--
and...............SILENCE.
I finally today emailed him the pages on Zillow proving that it was their system that caused the problem about our not sending in co-signing info yet--and how complicated it will be to correct this. (withdraw his application, submit a new application for him, wait for Zillow to send US email invites, then send in OUR applications so WE can be vetted, too). I asked him to be patient with us a little longer--I couldn't get those done before I got home from work tonight, and then we'd have to wait on Zillow to send us the email invitations to apply--but that we'd get those to him as soon as possible. I asked him to "hold" the apartment for Timothy, since we'd told him yesterday (when we knew it was still available) that we wanted it and on his terms, and even said we'd pay 'earnest money' to him to hold it if necessary.
He finally responded.
"Thank you for sending me these details."
That's it.
I've already looked for OTHER apartments close-in to where he'll be working.
They're either too big (2-3 bedroom) too high (1900 or more, for SMALLER rooms) or in a REALLY bad neighborhood (as I can tell because they're in run-down looking 5-story apartment buildings, or in houses with unkempt yards that have "Black Lives Matter" signs in them)--or too far away, meaning he'd have to get to / use the METRO every day. Which, while we don't mind that, would certainly cut into his income and make it a lot more complicated getting to work.
So. BOTTOM LINE:
PLEASE. PRAY.
Pray that--IF it is God's will for Timothy to have this apartment (as it sure seems to be, MADE-TO-ORDER with all the features we need it to have) that God would touch / soften the heart of THIS "king" ("the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; like the rivers of water, He turns it withersoever He will") and make him willing to WORK with us, WAIT on us, and finally LEASE this apartment to Timothy.
Please also pray a "hedge of thorns" around this place--that if this is the place GOD means Timothy to have, then that the Landlord will FIND NO ONE ELSE WHO WANTS IT--that God turns the hearts of all other "lookers" AWAY from this place, so that EACH ONE will say, "Thanks but no thanks"--leaving no one but Timothy.
We serve a mighty God.
And He hasn't brought Timothy this far, to let him down now.
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