Short, Short, Short Update

Just letting you all know we’re going to be in London for the next week with Kate’s parents (hence the radio silence for the last week).

On a side note to an already short note, I thought I’d post the books I’ve been reading over the past couple months for anyone interested.  Its been a thought provoking couple of months, and while I don’t agree with everything in these books, they’ve at least helped me re-engage some great ideas for Cross Culture and our mission here. So, in the order I read them, here they are:

• Youth Ministry 3.0 by Mark Oerstreicher
• Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis
• Organic Leadership by Neil Cole
• Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal
• Organic Church by Neil Cole
• The Forgotten Ways Handbook by Alan Hirsch and Darryn Altclass
• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

Tomorrow I’ll be having dinner in a British pub!  Enjoy the posts I’ve written for this week, and we’ll be back from our internetless journey to the UK next Friday!

Being Church UPDATE #2

Andre (the neighbor of the nearly comatose man Pete we prayed for a week and a half ago) called last night with bad news: Pete has passed away.  We don’t know what happened or what God had in mind during the short apparent miraculous recovery time Pete experienced, but we’re trusting it was not without purpose and benefit.  One day perhaps we will meet Pete again.

Please continue to pray for Pet’s family (two adult kids and wife) as they deal with his passing and all the arrangements needing to be made as they mourn.  Also, pray that Andre and his wife Stella can be a comfort to them in whatever ways the need–food, counsel, comfort, whatever.  Thanks.

Morning Number Two in Holland

First off, I can’t believe that we’ve only been here for two mornings.  Already it seems like we’ve been here for much longer.  Secondly, I’m pretty pleased with how we’re making the time zone transition so far.  Let me bring you up to speed.

Though we we’re sad to say our goodbyes at the airport on Friday (thanks for the note Ethan, Krista and parentals!), we had an awesome flight over.  The whole ten hours I think Jude probably slept for at least six hours and hardly cried once! (just one single yelp while waiting to eat!)  Thanks for your prayers for us there, they made a huge difference!

The second story just above the guy next to the windows on the right is just below the apartment where we are staying on the second story.

Our first day here was a lot better than years past, but still a pretty miserable feeling day, with the time change and all.  Following an alright night of sleep, that started at eight and was interupted at 3:30 am when Jude decided it was morning, we had a great time at Cross Culture Calvary Chapel, our new church home, where we also spoke.  Yesterday, we mostly spent hanging with Tom and Zilka our hosts, just hanging and resting for the journey. 

You can be praying for us today as we begin the visa process (and discover what all we’ve forgotten to bring…).  Please be praying for us through this process as we go through what I’m anticipating will an agonizingly slow of transitioning into making Holland home–and this all with the three of us all having colds!  

Thanks for praying for us!  We lean on your prayers daily and look forward to the great things God has planned here in Holland!

One-Time Update!

Just a quick update tonight before we head to bed: as of last night our one-time costs have officially been covered!  That’s right, the $24,000 journey to having all of our start-up costs has concluded, and now we’re within sight of our departure!  

The most obvious question on everyone’s mind at this point (I would guess) is, So when are you going to leave?  The answer to that question is dependent on two things.  The first factor is determined by how long it takes our supporters to let Worldventure know they will be supporting us on-goingly.  Provided all the right paperwork gets in through the course of the next couple days, we could be buying tickets as early as the end of the week.  Should this happen, we are faced with the other factor: how long we’re going to need to be ready to go.  As of now, our most likely dates for departure are either November 7th or 14th.  

God has been amazingly faithful in bringing us to this point and we are sooo excited to be following him on in to the new things he has in store for us!