Land……. Probably the most important issue, and the one that causes me the most stress…… Believe it or not!
As I’ve said in my previous blogs….. Some directions we have gone down are seeming to have proved fruitless. But I think that’s God saying “this is not of me”, so I don’t get despondent, I just know I have to keep on looking, and keep on trying. It’s my main driving motivation at the moment. All the other issues and problems pale into insignificance.
I am pushing on different fronts and will continue to do so. However, in this blog I will concentrate on the direction that is seeming to bare most fruit. The land is in a place called Newton, which is just past Waterloo. It was found by a man called Pastor Tamba who works for a charity called living seeds. They train tailors and have a small factory making protective clothing and work wear for the mining industry among others. He has been looking for some land to site a new bigger factory for his charity and this is how he found our site. His new land is not too far from us, so we could end up partnering with them as they need a factory building, and we need jobs for new tenants…… Who knows, maybe this is gods plan?!
The land is fairly close to the sea (it all is as we are on a peninsula) and is sandy soil on top of bedrock, it has a river (muddy stream really) running along the bottom boarder, where currently local people grow crop of various sorts, which if we get the site, I believe we would be able to use alongside the current gardeners in exchange for them showing us how to produce a crop with our new house occupants. The site is quite flat but runs gently down hill towards the river. It has some timber upon it, but I’m unsure as to its value, or if it’s useable or not. Others have dug wells locally, so I’m sure water won’t be a problem. The chief of the local community seemed keen for our project to start here and so long as we work with the local community, we will have a mutually beneficial partnership in my opinion. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s vital…… If we alienate the community now, we will have trouble through the entire project. So using them to clear the land ready for the land survey is extremely important…… Even if it costs us a few quid (quite a few) but it is a twenty acre site!! Bigger in fact, but that’s what I’m negotiating for.
We have agreed a price per town lot, there’s 10 town lots per acre. And we are in process of authenticating the paperwork. Pastor Tamba has a man who works in the ministry who has validated the papers, but I have know way of knowing if this man is trustworthy or not. Pastor thinks he is, and I guess what it comes down to is,,,,,, is the Pastor our man of peace? He seems so, but the pressure of making all the right calls is weighing heavily upon me if the truth be known. I am trying to balance “doing due vigilance” whilst knowing that if “you snooze you loose”! Lawyers are expensive, and the one we have used previously has been as much use as a chocolate teapot in my opinion, so picking the right time to employ one is a dilemma. I’m trying to chase up leads on good ones, and am following advise as and when I get it. I have to negotiate with the surveyor soon as his fee is very expensive. I hope he will accept a lower price and also half now and half when the deal is sealed type of agreement. He also has to convince the Minister of Lands to sign, so has to……. Negotiate terms I guess you could say……. I hope that’s clear what I’m saying?!?!
I have taken lots of pictures, and again when I get to the hotel and dump them in the Dropbox folder, I hope Rachel obliges and puts them on for you all to see.
This land is ideal, I could really do with your prayers and Gods guidance through this as it worries my near to death that I’m going to get it wrong and loose a significant amount of money!!! I can’t tell you how much! That said, I know I have the support from everybody back home. I am sure Gods hand is moving in this, I just have to be sensitive to it.
Ok, one more, getting shorter……. It’s getting on, and I have loads to do today, but I have one more if you would like to read it.
Please Lord God, hear my prayer, guide me in what is of you, and let anything that is not of you fall by the wayside, in your name Lord, Amen
