During last week’s school holidays, we went back to my wife’s hometown. Besides reconnecting with family members we don’t often see, our main reason for going back home was to celebrate the housewarming of my wife’s younger brother. At first, he hadn’t planned to build his own house in his hometown, but after we built ours, he was inspired to do the same. He already owns two other houses that he’s still paying off, but those homes are small and far from his hometown. So, after some thought, he decided to build his own house there. He funded it with a personal loan, which wasn’t difficult for him since both he and his wife are primary school teachers.
The house was completed in three months. Initially, he had trouble finding a builder, which took quite a while. Eventually, he found a contractor with a price he was satisfied with. All he needed to do was provide enough money and wait for the house to be done. Unlike when we built our house, where we hired individual builders and bought materials like wood, cement, and sand ourselves, his approach was simpler but cost about the same. Our approach, however, saved money since our house ended up being much larger for a similar cost.
Along with the housewarming, we also celebrated the one month blessing ceremony for my sister-in-law's baby. So, we had two special occasions that day. The local pastor was invited to pray for the family. After the ceremony, we enjoyed a meal we had prepared ourselves, which saved us from spending at a restaurant. We celebrated happily at the new home with family, friends, the pastor, and his guests.
