Another house - will soon become our home

I think we've reached a record - we've packed up our house in about 48 hours with the high majority of the work being done by Stefan himself.  That guy is a very hard worker.  I, myself, had procrastinated to the very last possible minute and yesterday began dismantling and organizing our things to be moved.  MOVING?  Yes, here we go again.  It's what we do every year about this time.  In fact I figured out that for 7 years in a row we've moved houses right around June and July.  Sigh......our daughter Anna is turning 7 this summer so that means every single year of her life she has changed homes.
Now, some of these were simple house to house moves.  This one seems relatively easy as we pack up house - make 25 trips across town - settle into the new house.  Life itself......school, church , friends all stay the same.  One of the other 7 years we simply moved out of my sister's house ( who graciously let us live there  - in her attic - for an entire year) and into our very own rental home.  This was a monumental occasion as we finally unpacked boxes which had sat in storage for a very long time.

Of course there were the international moves. Be it Malawi ( 1st time 'round) to Canada or Canada to Germany or Germany to the USA.......plenty of those.  Maybe too much  - when I think about it.

The variety of homes we've lived in is really quite astonishing.  Let me share a few photos:

3rd floor up - windows to the left ( a one bedroom apartment in Germany )

A very modern home in Canada - using a Uhaul to move. Imagine.

Sharing a room at Auntie Debbie's house  ! ( thanks for making it fun Deb and affordable !)

 

So here we are again - moving homes.  I'll admit that I am losing energy for this moveous lifestyle.  I sometimes find myself deep in thought about what it would be like to live in the same place for 5, 10 even 15 years in a row.   I am amazed, year after year, that the Lord gives me contentment - even excitement to settle into a new "living quarters" once again and make it our family home. 

Our "new" rental house in Blantyre, Malawi

 

The View (zoomed in)

 

The  heaps of rubbish ( 5 truckloads) that were removed from the property ( including one large snake)

 

The family who moves with us and lives in a "Quarters" behind our home.  Maxwell is our gardener, Esther our househelp and William and Wilson who are like brothers to our own children.

 

Their home left of the brick wall ( this corridor between our home and theirs has rooms for our washer/dryer and storage)

 

What will happen next year about this time?  I won't say " Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary" - haha.  Hopefully, nothing much at all, to be honest. 

Finally, it is the most tremendous reminder of what IS to come - Eternity. In Heaven.  No tears or frustration.  No sore backs.  No material things.   Just a never ending contentment and joy - such that we have yet to even begin to comprehend.  Praise be to God for the greatest move we'll ever experience and is yet to come :)