After 9 months of pregnant expectation, God birthed “the mustard seed” house into our lives on December 15, 2016.
But first, the Conception
We’d fail as HGTV house hunters because
- we’re picky,
- we don’t like open concept (GASP!!!), and
- have never selected a house from a pool of only three.
After looking at MANY homes online and in person,in March 2016, we found it…our dream home in our new hometown!
It was a true mid century modern beauty, in a coveted older neighborhood, with a built-in vacuum and ironing board, fireplaces in every room; built-in bookcases and even LOTS of built-in sewing spaces! We loved everything about it.
Apparently someone else felt the same way. It sold JUST MINUTES BEFORE we were going to make an offer! Downhearted, I trundled back to the Sonoran Desert to finish up life there while Steve kept looking for a place for our family to live in Rio Rancho.
In April 2016 he stumbled over a plot of land for sale. Not only was this dirt bespeckled with panoramic views, it was still in our favorite neighborhood -- only a few blocks from the Assistive Living home where his father lives. (Little did we know how fun this patch would be when hot air balloons fly right behind the lot!)
Since Steve’s parents were the main catalyst for our move to New Mexico, we couldn’t ignore this find. The owner, Palo Duro, agreed to hold the lot for a month until Haley, Holly and I could come back to see their model homes up in Santa Fe.
 |
So a year ago in May right there in the city of “holy faith” (the meaning of Santa Fe), we picked out a floor plan and materials for the semi-custom home.
We signed a contract to purchase the home. But our faith wasn't very holy or strong...most of us did not REALLY believe it would happen. To that end, we didn’t even specify an interest rate ceiling in the contract! (At least on that day.)
By the time the EVENT was over, we were exhausted. That faithlessness will live with us for a long time in crazy bathroom countertops that we thought surely would never get built!
And there was the mustard exterior color of the house. Our faith tanks must have pointed PAST empty for us to have picked an exterior color that we all despised -- UNTIL we opened the door, saw the lovely interior and looked out the windows. Right then God reminded us of the faith Steve had from the moment he saw the purple haze of the Sandia Mountains and the blood-orange sunset from this little plot of New Mexico.  |
| Copyright Holly M. Buscemi 2017 |
In the meantime, the girls and I still had to pack up and move from our house in Tucson – AND get it rented. Because the only way we could obtain a loan for the new house would be for the Tucson house to rent, we felt God’s hand upon it all when renters came forward within 3 days of what we called "The Anna Rose" house being put on the market! COBB Property Management rocks!
Labor Pains
Faith then pressed along when the mortgage company told us that no loan by any lender would be released until after Steve had passed 6 months probation in his new job. Faith assumed Palo Duro would be ok with waiting from May until August before knowing if the loan would fly! AND THEY WERE!
And not ANY loan, a rare 2nd FHA loan! When we looked at national builders like Pulte, we were told that it is impossible to hold two FHA mortgages. Thankfully, our local lender knew the rules inside out about how to make this happen due to a job transfer.*
Palo Duro started construction the day after the probation was supposed to be up in August. It wasn't known, though, that it would be a few more months before official notice of passing the probation period would happen because the job reviewers were so behind -- or of the layoffs that Steve’s employer might have to make due to unknown state budget cuts that were around the corner. We all soldiered on as if God would keep him in the job. And so far, He HAS!
Early in the construction process, Steve noticed that a gigantic hole had been dug on the land and informed all the parties involved. He was told to wait, that land gets moved around when homes are being built. So, in faith, we waited….albeit a little anxiously.
The house was taking shape beautifully and we imagined serving meals in the dining room, organizing the pantry, studying and writing books in the office, maybe having a Lantern Festival party for our friends.
But the hole didn’t go away and Steve eventually gave notice that we could not close on the house unless something was done about it.
Our Realtor showed us a few other places but none felt like they were where God wanted us. Then Palo Duro said they would move the dirt canyons to at least level out space for Steve to build a future workshop, and they sort of threw in a back patio with the home.
Although not 100% satisfied, we agreed to go forward ONLY because we believed it is where God wanted us in this season.
The house was taking shape beautifully and we imagined serving meals in the dining room, organizing the pantry, studying and writing books in the office, maybe having a Lantern Festival party for our friends.But the hole didn’t go away and Steve eventually gave notice that we could not close on the house unless something was done about it.
 |
| Hard to see depth, but this ditch is about as tall as a car! |
Dreams were dashed.
 |
| Glimpse of the uncovered patio |
Our Realtor showed us a few other places but none felt like they were where God wanted us. Then Palo Duro said they would move the dirt canyons to at least level out space for Steve to build a future workshop, and they sort of threw in a back patio with the home.
Although not 100% satisfied, we agreed to go forward ONLY because we believed it is where God wanted us in this season.
Contractions
- Then we were asked to do a final inspection on the house.
- Wait! There’d been no appraisal, no official loan approval and until that, there couldn’t even be a closing date. Right?
- We were asked to go ahead and do the walk-thru ANYWAY.
- We spent 3 hours of faith walking doing the house inspection.
- The appraisal returned with good equity as is and double that after neighborhood development.
The Messy Birth
When we opened the door at inspection,
we heard God whisper:
“MUSTARD SEED HOUSE”
We wondered: WHAT did HE want to do with the house, should He bless us with it?
Next day an e-mail pops up: Closing is scheduled for December 15.
Wait! The mortgage underwriter was STILL asking for this and that documentation. We weren’t even in final approval and the closing date was set!
Shades of the faith required for Honour's adoption rose up when we had to press forward in a similar situation. We didn’t get TRAVEL approval to GO to China for her until AFTER we were there! Approval to adopt her arrived about 10 minutes before we met her!
So a closing date was set for the house. Even though....
We didn’t find out the loan was officially approved until we were sitting at the closing table in Old Republic Title’s office down in Albuquerque! We signed the papers and zoomed off to Arizona to pick up our daughter from college for winter break.
Turned out THAT day the interest rate had SPIKED to an almost unaffordable place and it was the LAST day we could have had the much, much lower rate for our mortgage! Talk about skidding into home plate!
Turned out THAT day the interest rate had SPIKED to an almost unaffordable place and it was the LAST day we could have had the much, much lower rate for our mortgage! Talk about skidding into home plate!
Going Home
And then the dreams came VIVIDLY.
The mustard seed harvest:
SANCTUARY, HOSPITALITY & MISSIONS
The house is to be a sanctuary especially for Steve to rest from his work, and a place for family and friends. Haley set up her room as a "zenny" welcoming place for folks to use when she’s away at college.
 |
| The soaking tub is my fav place of sanctuary. |
 |
| The 1st time we've EVER had a real dining room! |
 |
| Secret Sister Gift Written by an author from a congregation we've been visiting. |
We got to have that Lantern Festival for Holly’s birthday!
 |
| Friends made homemade lanterns for our 1st gathering! |
 |
| Grandpa came to Holly's party! |
 |
| And so did Harmony! |
 |
| Honour came for Easter |
 |
| Easter Friends & Family Luncheon for 18! |
 |
| H&H signing their citizenship papers during the Easter event. |
It’s to be a place of missions, especially as a place of prayer and care for specific missionaries we know and love in the U.S. and around the world. God’s still revealing how that’s going to look. But I think we'll soon need a world map!
Most of that happens in the office.
God even revealed that this is where my first book is to be authored! Something I had never even pondered before we watched the movie HIDDEN FIGURES -- a legacy about Steve's mom, Peg, for her grandchildren. HER aeronautical engineering degree dates 1950, a decade earlier than the ladies mentioned HIDDEN FIGURES. She was a pioneer in that world, but I'm sure she'll agree that her most important work has been the ways she's shared God's love.
But back to the house: turns out we didn't need built-in shelves as we'd collected enough over the years. AS WELL AS ENOUGH BOOKS!
Most of that happens in the office.
God even revealed that this is where my first book is to be authored! Something I had never even pondered before we watched the movie HIDDEN FIGURES -- a legacy about Steve's mom, Peg, for her grandchildren. HER aeronautical engineering degree dates 1950, a decade earlier than the ladies mentioned HIDDEN FIGURES. She was a pioneer in that world, but I'm sure she'll agree that her most important work has been the ways she's shared God's love.
But back to the house: turns out we didn't need built-in shelves as we'd collected enough over the years. AS WELL AS ENOUGH BOOKS!
Cowboy chairs,
courtesy of Uncle Dave Riecke
Provision
&
Staying Humble
 |
| Cowboy chairs, courtesy of Uncle Dave Riecke |
&
Staying Humble
To use this home for these purposes, God provided FREE, good quality furniture for most of the places in the home where we had none!
We brought an old white beater fridge that we kept in our Tucson garage to use here as long as possible. It made the other stainless appliances in the Mustard Seed House look lopsided, but it worked -- UNTIL last month!
We wished we could have replaced it with a fancy stainless French door model but, alas, we needed to go with the far more affordable "basic black dress" fridge from an outlet store for now. We're thankful it works full throttle -- and blends in with the new appliances!
And while Palo Duro did SOME work on holes, big dips and erosion challenges remain in the yard. Except for putting gutters on our to-do list to counter erosion, we're still not sure what to do with the lot. As Haley reminded us –it’s time to believe that SOMEHOW this odd yard will eventually show itself to be a blessing in disguise.
Even though the yard, the cost of water, and the price of plain old rock here bewilder us, God's financial protection has showed up big time. The home is certified as one of the most energy efficient new builds in the USA today. And that is WITHOUT any kind of solar energy! That should give us a good state tax break for about 5 years but more importantly......
Our gas bill, even in winter, averaged about $16 though we cook daily on a gas stove, use gas heat, and have a tankless gas hot water heater.
The electric bill roams between $50 to, this month, with A/C on, $87. Coming from a smaller home in Tucson with utility bills between $200-$350/month, we are over the moon at this kind of provision!
But the most treasured provision has been all the people who swirled around us during this long move, including Tucson friends:
Family:
And New Mexico folks:
My college roomie from my time at ENMU, Jenna, HANDSTITCHED drying towels for us for each day of the week, and put daffodil bulbs in our hands the week we moved into the house.
Those daffodils were the first plants that Steve and I have ever kept alive in our 28 year old marriage!
AND, they were the ONLY colors on our whole street all winter! I called them “Double Trinities” because there were 6 plants that God grew in this tumbleweed territory.
Jenna most recently donated some lavender to the yard, which I fear we may have already killed -- in a place where lavender rules the land! Maybe BULBS are better for us -- so yesterday she gave us Gladiolus.
Such beauty reminds us of all the love so many people freely gave to help us establish residency in the Mustard Seed House during this season.
In addition to divine provision, God has surrounded us with His protection.
As I was getting in place to "spot" friends when they were taking the entertainment center off David's truck, I got in a hurry and fell backwards over the lip of the garage.
Jenna's face said it all -- it looked like I was going to hit my head HARD on the driveway. I could have even broken my back.
Somehow, the way I fell it was ONLY by God's grace that my head didn't touch the concrete AT ALL! Didn't get HURT at all!
We brought an old white beater fridge that we kept in our Tucson garage to use here as long as possible. It made the other stainless appliances in the Mustard Seed House look lopsided, but it worked -- UNTIL last month! 
We wished we could have replaced it with a fancy stainless French door model but, alas, we needed to go with the far more affordable "basic black dress" fridge from an outlet store for now. We're thankful it works full throttle -- and blends in with the new appliances!
 |
| And there's always that NM dust. Hard for this grass gal from West Virginia! |
Even though the yard, the cost of water, and the price of plain old rock here bewilder us, God's financial protection has showed up big time. The home is certified as one of the most energy efficient new builds in the USA today. And that is WITHOUT any kind of solar energy! That should give us a good state tax break for about 5 years but more importantly......
Our gas bill, even in winter, averaged about $16 though we cook daily on a gas stove, use gas heat, and have a tankless gas hot water heater.
The electric bill roams between $50 to, this month, with A/C on, $87. Coming from a smaller home in Tucson with utility bills between $200-$350/month, we are over the moon at this kind of provision!
- David Riecke,
- Jenny & John Manchester,
- Margaret Ball,
- The Sorenson Family
- The AMAZING and RARE Tucson Chinese Adoption Community & Chinese Cultural Center
- Kirkman's Sunday night group who encouraged, helped, and prayed us over to the City of Vision.
- Pantano Mission Group - I just get choked up at the love of these folks. Food. Prayers. Encouragement. Connections. Wisdom.
Family:
- Steve's sisters Lisa and Cyndi and their families all threw their hat in the ring in uncountable ways as well as folks from Lisa's church in Rio Rancho.
And New Mexico folks:
- Steve's high school friends from Portales, NM -- Mickey and Ted -- helped us drive vehicles from Tucson to Rio Rancho.
- Jenna Wiley, Lynda and Dean Wadsworth, who have practically adopted us as part of their family.
- Our own new friends from Riverside and Mountainside churches of Christ in ABQ also rolled up their sleeves for the move -- including Jenni, David, and a newly engaged couple (Evie & John) who would have probably had far more fun going out on a date!
- And last but not least, the 4H's (our daughters Haley, Holly, Honour and Harmony) each helped in their own unique way.
My college roomie from my time at ENMU, Jenna, HANDSTITCHED drying towels for us for each day of the week, and put daffodil bulbs in our hands the week we moved into the house.
Those daffodils were the first plants that Steve and I have ever kept alive in our 28 year old marriage!
AND, they were the ONLY colors on our whole street all winter! I called them “Double Trinities” because there were 6 plants that God grew in this tumbleweed territory.
Jenna most recently donated some lavender to the yard, which I fear we may have already killed -- in a place where lavender rules the land! Maybe BULBS are better for us -- so yesterday she gave us Gladiolus.
Such beauty reminds us of all the love so many people freely gave to help us establish residency in the Mustard Seed House during this season.
Protection
As I was getting in place to "spot" friends when they were taking the entertainment center off David's truck, I got in a hurry and fell backwards over the lip of the garage.
Jenna's face said it all -- it looked like I was going to hit my head HARD on the driveway. I could have even broken my back.
Somehow, the way I fell it was ONLY by God's grace that my head didn't touch the concrete AT ALL! Didn't get HURT at all!
 |
| The Queen of DIY preparing garage for organization wall. |
Toddling Along
It’s been more than a year since Steve first saw the land and six months since we took occupancy! The mustard seed house is truly a result of this man’s quiet, thoughtful faith.
And, ah, that sunrise over the mountains and that sunset on the horizon surrounds us with an endless view of God’s faithfulness -- whether we live in a 3rd floor Chinese flat, a tiny Tucson townhouse, or the lovely Mustard Seed House.
And, ah, that sunrise over the mountains and that sunset on the horizon surrounds us with an endless view of God’s faithfulness -- whether we live in a 3rd floor Chinese flat, a tiny Tucson townhouse, or the lovely Mustard Seed House.
 |
| Copyright 2017 Holly M. Buscemi "To everything there is a season." |
And so, as they say in the southwest,
"Mi casa es su casa."
(Our house is your house).
The dusty welcome mat is always out
for missionaries, friends and family!
Come visit anytime!
________________________________________________________________________________
*We know that we parted ways with Dave Ramsey's path by holding 2 mortgages. Although we've had the Tucson house awhile, we felt we'd lose money by selling it at this time. We also felt it better for Steve's income in NM to be used as an investment rather than withering away into the vapor of long term rent. We could have handled these situations in a variety of other ways, but this works best for us at this time. We have looked at alternative options if we are ever true empty nesters, fully retired, or move into a different season in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment