This is our house. Wait. Let me be more specific. This is our house with no furniture in it.

This is pretty much what it looked like nine years ago when we moved in.

But with newer carpet.

Last weekend, we moved out of our house and into the house of some friends of ours who have kindly invited us to live with them until we leave. Nine years of tears cried, children raised, messes cleaned, and prayers answered were cleared out and locked away in our proverbial box of memories.

If you walked through our house now, you wouldn’t see any evidence of the hugs, the laughter, the life, but–trust me–they happened. We have been blessed beyond belief for almost a decade in this house. Leaving it, there are mixed emotions. Passing the messy and misshapen pile of rocks in the front yard which were once strategically placed to be my kids’ hide-out, for example. Or selling the only bed we’ve ever slept in…along with most of our other possessions. Letting our dog, Bodhi, go–though technically, she hasn’t gone far since my parents will be staying at our house and taking care of her. But our memories with her, in large part, are at an end.

These are sweet memories I won’t see reminders of anymore. And it’s sad.

But there is also joy. Joy in the prospect of telling someone the best news I have ever heard in my life–that Jesus Christ saves sinners! Joy in being able to do it with two other families from our church and dozens of people supporting us back home. Joy in watching God provide for needs every. step. of. the. way. There is joy.

Nearly two months have passed since I first wrote a post about the inevitable future life changes that would need to be made in order to go to Papua New Guinea. As I sit here writing this now, I am amazed to see so many of those changes already implemented and behind us. What once were prospective inevitabilities now stand as ongoing realities.

One day, hopefully soon, we’ll write a Goodbye Phoenix post…and then a Goodbye America post…and then there will be a brand new slew of Hello posts. And I can’t wait.