These are the categories of our lives…

New Year’s often comes the saying “out with the old, in with the new.” In years past, the New Year has prompted us to clean out the closets and throw or give away the old toys and clothes to make room for the many new items we received under the Christmas tree just a week prior. This year has been no exception - but this year it is also for a different purpose.

As our family prepares to return to Hungary, we are faced with the task of determining what items and possessions will make the trek across the world to our new home. The first time we went to Hungary, this task was a longer process for us as we moved in with family and travelled many months fundraising before we moved. This go around, we have been living in an OMS rental home for the last 18 months and a church parish for 6 months prior to that. 

Thanks to family and friends (and craigslist) we have pieced together a comfortable living space with furniture and all the necessities…plus a few wanted items to personalize our space.  But now, with the target of an April move, we are once again facing the five S’s of moving overseas:

Sorting, Storing, Selling, Saving, & Shipping

We sort through every possession and must decide –

Do we store it? - Do we keep this? Does this have use later (perhaps during a furlough)? Is this too expensive to replace should we find ourselves in the US again? Will it fit in our storage crate?

Do we sell it? – Does someone want this? Would someone buy this? Can we sell a few things to help our house fund for Hungary?

Do we save it? – Does this hold a memory? Do we want to save this? Do we need to keep this for our children? Will we wish we kept this someday?

Do we ship it? - Do we need this? Do we take this to Hungary? Does it take part of a valuable corner of luggage space? Can we buy this when we get there?

You might think this process would get easier over time – and in some ways it has. Our value system has shifted a bit and our once sentimental sides have become slightly less attached to every knick-knack once lying around the house. We have come to recognize that “things” really are just “things” and can fairly easily be replaced. It also becomes harder in some ways as we realize the family photo albums will go back into a box and the beloved children’s drawings that line the refrigerator door will not be carried on to our new home. It’s freeing and overwhelming and stressful and releasing all wrapped into a few monumental weeks of packing chaos. This time around our kids are older and understand more that they too must choose to leave behind some of their favorite things. That all of their toys won’t make the cut and the soccer trophies will go into a memory box for future enjoyment. It is a time of sacrifice that the missionary family must face with each and every move. And it reminds us, that this earth really isn’t our home. That the things we store up here are only temporary and will not last for eternity.