Loving Her Life (Lease)
Jan 18, 2019
I have a dear friend named Eleanor. She spent her career teaching Grade 1 in a Christian school and raising her family by herself. When she retired, she was living in a basement suite rental. Although her suite was comfortable, Eleanor told me that she never felt financially at ease, knowing that her money was not building any equity and that her rent could increase at any time. Also, she felt insecure because someone could easily break in through the basement windows. She was lonely as well, longing for a more engaging social life. When the landlord put the house up for sale, Eleanor got serious about finding a place of her own. However, as you can imagine, the prices of Vancouver area homes were out of reach. Then she found a newly-built condo in Mission that offered a life-lease purchase. She was so impressed with the apartments that she eventually managed to invest in a lovely corner unit condo on the third floor. When I stayed at her place last spring, she was so overjoyed about her place that she couldn't stop talking about it! Her apartment was bright and open, with beautiful mountain views from the large windows. The kitchen was open to the living area. On the deck were flowers and a comfy chair. The master bedroom was spacious and the guest room was cute and cozy. She had all she needed, and extra space for me - her guest! She finally felt financially secure, knowing exactly what her payments would be each month. She told me that her dishwasher had broken down, and it was immediately replaced with no unexpected financial cost to her. And unlike her previous rental, almost all of her money would come back to her if she had to move out. She felt safe in her building, and no longer worried about break-ins. She had activities to take part in that brought her joy. She joined in on the Thursday night games in the gathering room and walked across the parking lot to a nearby church for the programs. But most importantly, she had a new-found community of friends who surrounded her with love. In the morning, four of her neighbour ladies came over for a Bible study at the kitchen table. Later, another neighbour stopped by to invite Eleanor for a walk in the park. Eleanor belonged to another group who organized shopping and lunch dates together, much to her joy. (Shopping is definitely a hobby for Eleanor!)
Charis Village is offering the same kind of living experience to this community. Well, maybe not the mountain views, but a view of Henner's Pond and the surrounding farmland is beautiful too! We are offering secure, beautiful, high-quality homes in a stimulating and vibrant community, complete with a financial package that pays back, all in a milieu of caring people who desire to be part of a connected and caring neighbourhood. I think Eleanor's infectious laughter in this photo tells it all!