Retreat in the Woods – the Ness’s new home

After making countless calls, and spending countless hours looking at houses, the Lord provided one in His perfect way.  Had I not spent all that time, this would not have jumped out at me as the right place, and even now I sometimes question the decision, but when I remind myself of the story, there is no doubt.

All the houses I looked at were either complete dumps and usually insecure (but with a decent yard), or nice maisonettes/town homes with just a strip of grass, or too expensive, or not available until months down the road.

Then one day I got a call from Erik’s Aunt (also in Kenya).  Months before they had posted a notice at a local grocery store stating they were an expat family looking for a four bedroom home.  They never got any calls on that notice and subsequently found a house through an agent.  Usually these notices are removed after a few weeks time, but the Lord’s hand kept this particular notice up, until one day, a lady was looking for such a family to take over the rent of her house.  This is unusual for a tenant to look for renters, but she was committed to finding the guards a family so they wouldn’t loose their jobs.

So Erik’s Aunt passed on my number and I went to look at the house.  The rent was so cheap (that is a relative term) compared to what I had been looking at, that I was sceptical.  But when I drove up with the kids, they were full of exclamations of how beautiful the yard was, and immediately jumped out and started running around, soaking in their new found freedom.  The house was an old, rambling home with it’s quirks, but certainly livable and quite secure.  It had bars on all windows and doors, extra bars for the bedroom area, a pre-wired security alarm system, and two guards that knew the area.

The tenant was telling me that the great thing about the guards was they were from up North so they didn’t mix a lot with local people (most break-ins are actually set up by people’s guards through bribes or threats).  Then she said they were Rendille, and I thought, “How ironic.” (it was not too surprising as lots of Rendille come to Nairobi to work as guards), then she said they were from Korr, and I got chill bumps.  Just then they walked around the corner and said, “It’s Erik’s car from Korr!”  So they knew who we were, (or at least our Landrover), and we had even given one a ride to Nairobi years ago.

So the house needs painting and has had to have some minor repairs done, but the part that was overwhelming to me was the yard.  It is five acres of a lot of over-grown bush and forest.  However, it has been and will be a good stress release for Erik and fun for the kids.  As he has been clearing the forest, Erik found napier grass and leucina (two fodder crops used in zero grazing) and there is a zero grazing stall allready set up.  So now he has plans to have dairy goats, poultry and maybe some small pigs.

Anyway, the point is, the Lord may have removed us from Korr, and put us in a city bustling with terrible traffic, billions of people, pollution and apartment complexes going up every where, but He also gave us a huge house (bigger than we ever hoped for) in the middle of some of Nairobi’s last indigenious forest.  A place where Erik can do his various projects and bird watch to his hearts content (when he’s not working that is), and the kids have five acres of land to run around and explore.  Plus we have the two best guards we could find because they feel a particular commitment to us from our connection to Korr. 

You are all welcome to come retreat with us any time you are in Kenya!!!

Pictures will have to come later