A Log Cabin Blessing

We leave for Slovenia on July 6th, and we are filled with excitement as we look forward to what God has there. We are also filled with sadness as we say goodbye to those we love in the states, it has been an incredible year and God allowed us to have many special moments in our time of preparation. The next few blogs will reflect on some of the amazing things God provided and allowed us to experience in this last year.

The cabin above was home since October. Our wonderful friends allowed us to crash there for an extended period of time and God provided so much through this. He provided respite, joy, office space, relaxation space, wonderful accommodations, and so much more. Beyond this we had a shop to store our goods, we had sixteen acres to roam, two ponds to fish, numerous forts to play in and wildlife to see, but most of all he allowed a deeper friendship to be formed with the wonderful family who owns it. They own it on paper, but they will make it very clear to you that God owns it and He gave it to them, and in turn they used it to bless us and maybe many more after us!

We love them dearly, and we are beyond grateful for their amazing sacrifice on our behalf. God has a unique way of providing and this was one of many provisions he allowed to be an affirmation of His call to Slovenia. This log cabin will always hold dear memories for our family and I bet in a crevice somewhere within it will forever hold some of the children's toys!

Reflecting Via a Burger Craving!

After picking up our visas at the Slovenian embassy I headed to a few D.C. museums and then searched for a spot in the city to have a good burger (a craving I get frequently!). I ended up at a sports bar directly next to a Starbucks (the other craving I get). My point is not to talk food, although the burger was good! Rather, the important piece of info was I was able to watch some of the Euro Cup 2012. I was interested in the game, but I suddenly realized the last time I watched the Euro Cup was in 2008, next to Mikaela’s bedside in the hospital as she fought pneumonia. Our family was in the process of praying through the possibility of life and ministry in Slovenia and Ashley was pregnant with the boys. God had much He wanted to teach us and I believe it was in preparation for the call to Slovenia. We thank Him for sustaining grace and I thank Him He helped me remember through my hamburger craving!

Commissioned

As I write I am sitting on an airplane headed back from our nation’s capital with our family’s residence permits (visas)! I am reflecting on the year our family has experienced and it is amazing for me to think we are coming up on one year since I resigned from the police force and upped the intensity on support development. Although we had hoped to be in Slovenia by now, we are 100% sure God’s timing is perfect and we have seen His sustaining and gracious hand on our family this last year.

We have experienced love and sacrifice in so many forms and from so many people. It has been overwhelming and at the same time reassuring of God’s call on our lives. God has deepened relationships, deepened our faith, deepened our understanding and prepared us in unimaginable ways for what He has for us in the years to come.

On May 27th we were commissioned by our home and sending church, Community Bible Church at Sunriver. It has been a wonderful privilege to call this home and we felt truly honored to be sent out from their midst.

Next week we will have the shipping container on its way and we hope to have the green light from Josiah Venture to purchase one-way tickets to Slovenia!