Found: a house!

We found a very suitable house in Osijek for at least, -God willing- the coming four years and are very excited to move in, early June!
Moving mood to us means: Get organized, and not just a bit, but seriously organized. Emptying your fridge and freezer. Stop shopping a few weeks before the move and eat what is left over and be surprised how long you can survive without shopping. (except dairies) Enjoy the ice-cream what needs to be eaten and the sudden surprise of a little cake in the back of your freezer.
We are having five weeks of restless stays in five different places (current flat, retreat in Ohrahovica, back for three days, empty the appartement(…) after that on the road with a stop in Italy, driving on to Switzerland, where Jelle has a meeting about Audio Bible material, driving on to the Netherlands, where we will stay for three weeks in a house of a good friend who offered us her house while she is away and after that, going back, one night here, in the old flat and the next day into the new home. And a lot more going on behind the scenes, but it would go too far to explain all that;)
When we said yes to this house, (which is a story in itself) we found out that we only had five days left in our current flat. We are getting pretty good at packing, but this was yet another interesting challenge.
It does not only sound crazy. It is crazy. Laurens had a hard time following it all and asked: Is this were we are going to live? So one of the girls made him a clear calendar. I cannot tell how we are looking forward to finally settle after fifteen years of marriage and 7 places to live, in four countries and two continents.
The girls are steadily making plans how to make this house a home and we are very happy to tell that there is room for the sojourner who needs a bed for one or more days.
It is yet another lovely adventure, and I cannot yet imagine, how much energy must be left once we are settled in our new home!
Warm greetings from all of us from somewhere in Europe. And thank you once more for journeying with us, and for all the love and care we experience in these weeks.
I close with a prayer for our house and maybe, for yours as well:

A gateway to Thine eternal kingdom:

O God, make the door of this house wide enough

to receive all who need human love and fellowship,

and a heavenly Father’s care;

and narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and hate.

Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children or to straying feet,

But rugged enough to turn back the tempter’s power;

make it a gateway to Thine eternal Kingdom.

Thomas Ken

(prayer above the door of a English hospital in the 16th century)