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Job offers and craigslist, gotta love 'em both...
What is it about troubled times that we find so interesting?
Everyone wants HOPE, everyone NEEDS hope, and God in His all knowing ways built us to need hope thus needing Him, as He is
'everything' we need. Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fullfilled is a tree of
life". Jim and I have always believed that there is a greater purpose for us, something that God is preparing us for,
a bigger picture than we can see. We have always lived by faith, always had hope in Him, and of course know that there
is nothing greater than love. Soooo...
In the days that followed 'the phone call' many opportunities and ideas began to flow...Home
Owners Association jobs were opened up and we had some choices to consider. Almost immediately a very good paying job in Palm
Springs became available and we could have stepped right into that one, however it was obvious to us both that we were not
destined to go to the hot desert called 'Desert Island, HOA'. Then came Anderson Island in the Puget Sound area of Washington. As
it was with all options, I quickly got on google.maps.com and surveyed the territory. Hummm, another island ehh? After
alot of research and discussion it was once again obvious to both of us that Anderson Island was going to have to be managed
by someone else. Alas, came another island...
It was a new day at the Tanus house and Jim was doing research on the computer, well
he was on craigslist.org looking at job opportunites. Because we had been talking about islands he randomly (?) clicked on
Hawaii craigslist and began to look and see what these islands had to offer. I was unaware what he was doing as I was
busy on my computer, until he called out "Hey sweetheart, come here for a minute", so I of course dropped everything
and ran to my loving dear husband (nobody cough right now, please) to see him. Up on the computer screen was a craigslist
ad for a bed and breakfast, they were looking for a live-in manager couple to do duties of the business.
That was the day
it all started...
For the applicants, the bed and breakfast owner wanted
resumes and photos, so we buffed up the resumes and took some photos, shown above. I thought my tropical outfit was a nice
touch, and so, off the packet went via email. There never was a response from our efforts, but boy oh boy did that
start it all. While we were (not) waiting for that BnB to respond, I started to do research on bed and breakfasts. The more
I got into it the more Jim and I talked about the industry and the duties of a BnB owner. It began to settle within us that
this could be a viable way to live and make money, nothing rich but a reasonable amount if done right and with Gods blessing.
As I continued to do research on BnB's we found out that the same Maui
BnB was for sale, so we called the listing realtor. He gave us the scoop, the good, the bad and other information
we needed to make a wise decision. The final answer was 'no thanks' but we did not stop there. Within
a few days I found a bed and breakfast I loved loved loved the look of on the Big Island of Hawaii. The owner even lived
in Auburn, CA just minutes away from us! Wow! I got really excited. I contacted her and we set up a meeting in a Roseville
restaurant. In the meantime I did more research on Hawaii, and liked what I saw. I saw a bigger island, open spaces,
small rural towns and lots and lots of interesting things to do. Oh, and alot of ocean too! The idea of living in Hawaii
started to really feel like it was going to happen and I started believing that with God moving to Hawaii was a possibility
that was closer than I could ever imagine.
All went well during our
meeting with the owner, and we left her feeling like something could work out, well, I did anyway...and my excitement
continued to grow. Jim on the other hand, or maybe I should say on the other side of the brain, thought that the property
was way too expensive for the amount of revenues we would have to collect just to make ends meet. I could see weddings, events,
retreats, blue sky and butterflies, and all Jim wanted to talk about was the budget. Oh - what a downer that was, (SOF: smile
on face). The Lord does things in mysterious ways so I decided to take the time to create a one page website that
I could show the owner my talents and ideas, and upon completion I sent that link to her with an email that noted our proposal.
Then I waited. To my great disappointment, the owner did not contact us in the time frame we had set up at the restaurant
in Roseville. I was unaware of what she was going thru and so I took her lack of communication as an indication that
she was not interested in our proposal we had offered her. As time continued to tick-tock, I decided to move on and look further,
one reason being that my ways are not Gods way.
During the month I waited
for her to contact us, I kept looking online and doing more B and B research. What I found was another B and B for sale in
Kona that drew our attention...
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| The bridge over the Koi ponds, near the Spa. |
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| The Cottage, built to feel like a treehouse. |
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