Packing up our House

Psalm 121:8: The Lord will watch over your coming and going. Lately I have been too weary to post anything, nor have I had much time.10 days ago we were surprised by an unexpected turn of event here in our home in Africa which has led us to decide to move out of our house immediately and return to the US. For seven days we have been working day and night to pack up everything we own, catalogue in detail the contents of each box, whether it goes back with us or in storage for another family to use, or throwing it in a pile to sell in a garage sale, or just merely throwing it away. My back is killing me. My legs are stiff and my whole body aches. My head is spinning and my ears are ringing. It is hard to sleep. Many times throughout the day I find that I cannot think straight. We never imagined anything like this would happen. But we are pressing on, a little bit more each day. Some friends have come to help, and our guards are helping load up the heavy furniture and move it to a storage room in a colleagues house. We have taken so far 16 truck loads to the storage rooms at our colleagues house. We are tearing up flowers out of the garden and potting them in all sorts of plastic containers, and moving them to another location so that our colleagues can some day enjoy them when they arrive. I have sorted through every piece of clothing, every toy, every bead, trinket, kitchen gadget, and piece of paper in our filing cabinet, throwing things away, burning, packing or giving things away. Fights have ensued a few times between neighbors or local children vying for their right to have even what we throw in our trash. It is insane! It has been hard. We have had some refreshing moments – a cold soda, a laugh here and there, a walk down memory lane, a friend dropping in to help – and the ever present knowledge that we will get through this, that God is with us. The Lord will watch over our coming and going. And even though this situation here seems hopeless, I am reminded that we are merely sojourners on this earth and that our real home is in heaven. We have that hope through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s answer to this pitiful place earth has become because of sin. I try to see the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that in a few more days we will be out of here and can rest and relax a little, and that in 15 days or so we will be back in the US. I hope to post pictures of this whole thing when it is all over. For now, I am focusing on the tasks of each day. Happy Easter to everyone. May the peace and hope that comes from the resurrection fill you in times of uncertainty and turmoil, and give you the strength to press on.