One Week to Christmas, here's an early present

So, Christmas only comes once a year, as the father on "The Christmas Story" proclaims when defending the purchase of the Christmas tree. I'm pretty sure a blog was not meant to come just as infrequently, but here is a new post as an early Christmas present. We have been incredibly busy over the past 6 months, thus the lack of posts. We have seen incredible things happening in our lives and the lives of students around us as we returned to Austria. It is hard to believe we have already been here almost 6 months. I am amazed at how fast things have gone by. We just had our last student group meeting of the year last week. I pulled every chair in the house out and we were just barely found a seat for everyone. When we start up again in January we will be looking for some new seating possibilities. We have a great group of students from around the globe. At last week's meeting we had students from 10 nations represented, makes for some challenges but a ton of fun. We are looking back so thankful for all God has done in getting us to Austria, finding an apartment, helping us to raise an awesome little boy, ministry to students, a wonderful church where we feel at home, and so many great friends and family who support and connect with us so that it doesn't always feel that far from the US. There is snow on the roof outside, I have to finish shopping for Christmas presents for Michelle and this has already been a bit long, but just wanted to keep you updated about life here in Austria.

Leaving tomorrow

So Sorry if you have been reading this blog looking for a complete history of our ministry efforts. Hopefully, you also receive our newsletter and see our updates on Facebook. We are leaving June 29 for Austria. So excited to see how God has provided just at the right time, so that we can be a part of all God is doing in Austria. Can't wait to see what God has in store for us next.

June 3 update

What an exciting and busy time. We are just days away from returning to Austria. We had an incredible time of refreshing and encouragement this last week and now we are trying to enjoy the heat with a 9 month old addicted to baths.
We are looking to leave on June 22nd, so lots of stuff to finalize. We are working to wrap up stuff in the US, (do you have any idea how much stuff you have to do to leave the US for 4 years?), making plans to get together with family and friends and triple checking all that we need to send and take to Austria. We still need to finish raising our budget ($120 short) and get all the reports and finances sent to AGWM. Like I said, busy.

2 More Days

We are just two days away from our itineration deadline and excited to see all the miracles that God is doing in our lives as people tell us how they want to partner with us. We still need around $2000 in monthly commitments to meet our pledge budget, but believing God for great results.
If you want to be a part there is a link to online commitments on the right.

4 weeks of excitement left

We are just 4 weeks away from our itineration deadline. I am excited to be able to update the amount of pledges needed almost daily. I will be posting the current amount on the ride sidebar as it changes. We are coming up on a huge marker in our lives and I am trusting God to do great things. I am so grateful for the many individuals and churches who have made commitments in the past 3 months. It has been exciting to see new people becoming partners in ministry to the students of Austria.

what a week

We just experienced one of the highlight weeks in our year last week. Our home church has a vision and faith conference with powerful speakers, faith filled praise and prayer times and an intense sense of God's presence every night. Now is the beginning of a new week. My goal to live in Faith what God spoke to my heart at the Altar, and to live out the vision he has renewed and rekindled in our hearts. With only 50 days until our deadline for raising support it is going to be an incredible adventure.

A week of Meetings

Well, we are down to 9 weeks before our approval to itinerate ends. We are trusting God for an average of $50 in new pledges each day. Thankfully, our cash budget allows us to convert one time gifts now into pledges, just divide by 48! This week I have met with a couple of great churches regarding partnership. I am convinced once again of God's divine providence, his great mission and his church universal. We are looking forward to the empowering work of God as we partner together to reach the nation of Austria. Our mission is a generation transformed by the love of God to transform a nation, a continent, and reach around the world. It is so good to be driven by the passion of God, doing his will, in relationship with him and with one another. Tomorrow is the sectional ministers meeting in Shoreline and I look forward to fellowship with fellow workers, sharing a dream and vision for what God will do here and in Austria.

New Thoughts

I don't often write these sorts of these, but I have some thoughts I would like to share.
God has been dealing with me about relationship. That this whole missions process is not just about trusting him to help us get to Austria, but that He wants to have relationship with me in the process. I believe God can come through with the funds we need in just the right time. But he has been asking me to allow him to sit beside me in relationship as I call pastors, as I pray for students, as I prepare to share with churches and groups. It is challenging to wrap my mind around the idea that Jesus wants to sit and make phone calls with me. It is the last thing I can imagine God wanting to do. But it really isn't about the doing. It is about the relationship. We do all sorts of stuff with students in Austria, but the stuff is only secondary, it is about building relationship. Now I don't know if playing Cranium with God would be that fun (especially if he is on the other team and you like to win) but I think Jesus would enjoy being a part of the activity, in order to help our relationship with him.