FI MessiahLifeways UnscriptedMagazine Fall2024 - Flipbook - Page 19
LOVING LIVING
in a One-Bedroom Apartment
When Mike and Dolly Leonzo began conversations
in small spaces and closely consulted the space’s
with our Residential Living Welcome Center
blueprint when purchasing new furniture.
preparing for their upcoming Messiah Village move,
they agreed—there was no way they’d move into a
one-bedroom apartment. They were committed to
waiting for a two-bedroom space to become available
because they believed that one bedroom was just not
enough space for them to live comfortably.
However, their house sold quickly, and they moved
into their son’s house as a temporary landing spot
until their desired apartment became available at
Messiah Village.
“Several months later, we called the Welcome
Center to check on our reservation status, and they
told us it could be another six months or more until
a two-bedroom opened up, but a one-bedroom was
available now,” the Leonzos remember.
“I was worried when I saw how much furniture the
measurements said we could fit that the place would
be crowded,” Dolly said. “But that wasn’t the case at
all. We didn’t need to downsize our queen-sized bed.
We could have a couch, end tables, a side chair, and
a dining table in our main living space, and there was
still plenty of space to move around comfortably.”
Over time, they grew not to just tolerate living in their
one-bedroom apartment but to love it.
The large patio windows shine in a generous amount of
natural light, and the patio itself serves as an indoor/
outdoor extension of their living room. While they’ve
hosted gatherings in their modestly-sized apartment
without a hitch, they have also leveraged the entire
campus as their living space—dining with friends at our
Despite their persistent desires for a two-bedroom
on-campus restaurants, hosting card clubs in common
space, they decided to tour the available apartment
spaces, and lounging with computer work or a good
with an open mind, and unexpectedly left agreeing to
book in whatever comfy chair they can find.
move in for the interim. Wanting to make the lesser
square footage work until they could get their hands
on a two-bedroom, the Leonzos watched YouTube
videos that taught them the art of functional furniture
Several months after settling in, when a two-bedroom
became available, the Leonzos shocked themselves
by turning it down. “We have everything we need
right here,” they said.
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