January 24, 2009

September 13, 2008

Our team has some visitors here from Kentucky, and over the next week, bit by bit, our is being repopulated. A little over a week ago, the Chesnut family got in from their summer furlough in the US. This afternoon Randy and Naomi will return from a much-needed break before another semester of school starts up. Tonight Karl will get back from seeing his family off as they flew to the States from a neighboring country. Wednesday, Stacey will arrive back in Kosova after being in the States for her younger brother's wedding.

This week we'll be talking some together about what the next phase of our lives here will look like. It will be good to all reconnect after having spent the past several months without one team member or another. Please pray for our team as we meet this new transition with hopeful anticipation of the good work the Lord will continue doing in and through us in this place. 

Two of the sisters have had recent opportunities. One learned about a Bible school in nearby Albania. The other was contacted by Samaritan's Purse and offered a chance to serve as translator. She would accompany a family whose baby is in need of heart surgery over to the US. 

Dhurat 

 September 6, 2008

A few new things to share...

This evening I (Brian) was invited to eat the breaking-of-the-fast meal together with some new friends. They are a married couple with two kids, and they live very near to us. After a massive dinner (usually dinner would mean beef, chicken or fish, but tonight, we ate all three! Whew!), we sat and had tea with the TV playing in the background. A Discovery-channel type program came on, and, amazingly, it was about the origins the Christian faith. This recent friend is a journalist, and he has no qualms about controversial subjects, so he turned it up, and we all watched together this rather accurate portrayal and explanation of our faith as believers in Jesus. He asked several questions, I made several clarifications, and from time to time, he would say in English what they were saying on TV and ask how accurate it was.

At one point, they were investigating a small church in Israel where supposedly one can visit the burial place of Jesus, and even see his bones and the remains of his body. This gave me an opportunity to share about Christ's resurrection and what the Bible says about the EMPTY tomb, our source of hope! Praise God for the opportunity to testify to His Good News! Please pray that there would be more of these opportunities with people.

Another exciting thing happened last evening. Josh Halverson, the younger of our friends' two sons, was baptized! We gathered together at the lake not far from here and celebrated as this young boy gave his life to Jesus. It was great to share in that moment together with many of our friends. We also got an email this week from friends back in Memphis that two of their children were baptized this past Sunday, 8/31. It's exciting to imagine what things the Lord is preparing that young generation for, and how their lives will impact this world for His kingdom.

Thank you for celebrating with us & praying with us. One more piece of news: Today Stacey's younger brother is getting married in Texas, and she was able to return to the USA to be part of it. Lucky for me, she happens to be gone during the month when everyone is making massive dinners and they all want me to come dine with them! Please keep her and her travels in your prayers, and me as well as I miss my wife and friend. Thanks!

September 2, 2008

We put up new pictures in the photos section, and the first one is of the little boy Ermal recently reunited with his father Buq. They have been apart for 7 months as the little guy has had several surgeries to restore the use of his severely burned hands. Now this new brother Buq, who was just baptized 2 months ago, has his whole family here. His wife was in the States with their son, so they were glad to have 7 months of separation ended! 

Some other important news that we mentioned in our most recent newsletter is that our team leader, Karl, and his family will be transitioning back to the States in the next 5 weeks.  They have three children and a baby girl on the way, and while their children have done really well here and enjoyed living here, they believe, and we as a team affirm them, that what is best for their family at this juncture is to return to the States. Join with us in praying for them as they undergo a considerable change in their lives, as they've lived here for nearly 8 years and their oldest child is 9. They are dear to us and God has blessed this land through their lives and the efforts they have devoted themselves to here.

Please also pray for us as the four of us begin our own transition in ministering here. The Lord has seeen fit to call us to a higher level of responsibility in the work here, and His grace, power and passion for these people will continue to unravel the cords that have kept these people from the freedom Christ offers. Opportunities are not far off. The English course will begin again soon! On 9/10 we will hold interviews to accept a few new students and our semester will begin 9/15.

Maybe you are thinking, wow, that's plenty of big news, but wait, there is more! On 9/01, the month of Ramadan began here. Nearly everyone is fasting from sun-up until sundown in efforts to purge themselves of more sins and increase their odds of getting into heaven. Please pray for us to be attentive to each opportunity we have to share what Christ has done for us, and for them. We do not have "odds" of being in heaven with God, we have the full assurance of the promise of God! In Christ we are free of fear, because Jesus has the keys to Death and Hades! I just read Monday morning in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Pray that we could share this good news. Thank you for your encouragement and your prayers!

July 18, 2008

Some of you know the two sisters who are believers here. Please pray for them today as their father just passed away.  They are very sad of course, but please pray that this would be an open door for them to share their hope with their family, especially their brothers who have been very against their choice of Faith.  We know HE works all things together for the good of those who love him.

July 1, 2008  "An even better Independence Day"

First of all thank you so much to those of you who have lifted up our friend we mentioned in the last post in prayer.  We are overjoyed to report that he decided last week to be baptized and commit his life to Christ! (We've posted a few pictures under the "Photos" Tab to the left). He has now moved back into the house with his family, but please continue to pray for him as most of his family is still very opposed to his decision. He has chosen for now to remain silent about his commitment to keep the peace with his family until his wife and son return when he plans on moving into a place "of their own" so that they will not be so "restricted".  Please continue to lift him and his wife and children up as he is just beginning this Walk.  Pray for boldness and courage as this will not be easy for him. Please ask also for wisdom and grace for us as his brothers and sisters to know how to encourage him.  Thank you so much for your prayers! 

I am reminded of Paul's words to the Philippians-

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart...you all are partakers of grace with me."

Thank you for being a part of this with us, for celebrating along with us as we give Glory to God, and for interceding on behalf of those who do not know yet that there is a Saviour who loves them and died for them and is coming back again!

May 20, 2008

We want to tell you about something both fantastic and difficult that just happened here on Sunday. Our team leader put it so well that we will share his words with you:

"We write with joy but also asking for you to pray.

During our time together in worship Sunday, one of our new friends joined us again. His name is Buqi (pronounced BU-chee) and he is the father of a boy from our area whom our team mates, the Chesnuts, helped to go to Shriner’s Hospital in Cincinnati for surgery on his hands that were burnt last year. This son is still there receiving treatment and Buqi’s wife is there with him.

Buqi has been learning about Jesus through our brother Beq on various occasions and from meeting with us on Sundays and over coffee over the last several weeks. He has been bringing his other two young children with him as well. This week he stated that he believes in Jesus and is a Christian. He lives with his extended family and they are becoming increasingly hostile to him. His father said, “How could you be going to Church when I go to the Mosque?” His father heard Buqi’s children singing, “Hallelujah, hallelujah!” that they learned on Sunday and saw the story books about Jesus that we gave them. This past Saturday, his father kicked him and his two children out of the house. He went to stay with an uncle and this uncle is open-minded about Buqi’s decision.

The reason we write you is three-fold:

1. We would like to ask you to pray for Beq as he talks with Buqi this week about following Christ fully. Now that he has confessed his faith in Christ and is even suffering for it, Beq will share clearly about the Bible’s further teaching on salvation and living an obedient life with Christ. Pray that Buqi will understand his need to be baptized.

2. Pray for us as a Christian community to know how to support him in this difficult time. We prayed specifically with him two times on Sunday, and will continue to do so. We are seeking the Lord as to how we can help him is his daily needs too. Please also ask the Lord on our behalf regarding this.

3. Pray for our love to be seen through this and for God to be glorified because of this situation."

You can imagine both our joy and our sadness over this. We appreciate your prayers, certainly for us and our team for wisdom, and also for endurance, courage and steadfastness for Buqi. It is no easy decision, but we know he has chosen the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price.

If you have any words of encouragement you would like to share with him, please email us and we will translate your words for him. Thank you for your prayers and for your words of hope. We look forward to sharing about further ways the Lord moves here in this place.

May 12, 2008 

A FAMILY LOSS 

This past week, the mother of our friend and landlord passed away. She lived just across the yard from us, together with our landlord's oldest brother, and we got to spend time with her on a handful of occassions. She always asked the family how we were doing, and often cried for us. She has 4 children and a sister who have lived in the USA for the past 18 years, and she told the family she understood very well how hard it can be to be far from family. She lived to be 85 years old, they think. She might have been 90. No one is totally sure because they didn't make a birth certificate for her until she was grown.

We learned some new things about traditions here. When someone dies, they bury them right away, that same day. Then they spend five days in mourning, and friends and family come all day every day to express condolences and sit with them. On the final day, a Muslim leader comes to the house and leads a prayer service that aims to help the person make it into heaven. They pray 72,000 prayers on the persons behalf. Seriously, no exaggeration. The more people they have praying, the faster it goes, because they pray the same prayer over and over, and each person's prayers count towards the 72,000. After this, the chances are increased that the person may be accepted into heaven. All week long, the family is encouraged by a phrase each person says, "Maybe she'll go to heaven....maybe she'll go to heaven...maybe heaven." 

We have spent a lot of time with the family this week, and the whole experience has underscored the frailty of their hope. They can only say "maybe." In Christ, there is no maybe; we have a promise, an assurance of our inheritance in Him that cannot spoil or fade. Please keep these people, who are so dear to us, so kind to us, in your prayers. That we who have hope will be able to articulate it, so that they too can have hope in Christ.

A BROTHER RETURNS

One of the believers, who is also the man who preaches each Sunday, has been studying for the past month in Austria. He devoured the lessons and really applied himself to learn as much as he could while there. It was a great opportunity for him. He got back at the beginning of May, and resumed preaching on the 11th. We are really glad to have him back, and this past week he started meeting with the new men who have been coming to church. They are going to begin studying the Bible together. This is an exciting time, and we ask for your prayers, both for him as he leads the study and for these guys, two of whom are brothers. Please pray that the Word of Truth would take root in their lives and grow. 

We miss you dear friends, and we take great encouragement from your messages and from your prayers. Please continue in them both. We hope that all of you who are mothers had a great Mother's Day.We look forward to the day when we can be among you and share our hearts and what God is doing in this place and in us. How exciting to know that we are all getting nearer and nearer to the day when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the whole earth. Thank you for your prayers. If you have any questions or would like to know more about anything we have shared, just say the word. Blessings!

April 25, 2008

Well, things here have certainly been warming up. Spring has arrived, and Brian has been busy teaching the high school students English at our course here. Stacey has been between language helpers, but has found another woman who she thinks will be a good fit with her for learning the language.

That whole story was yet another testimony of God orchestrating our encounters with people here. This woman and her friend had come by the center a couple of weeks ago to inquire about English classes. Sadly, they were informed that the free classes we offer are currently only for high school students because we don't have enough teachers for more age groups. They both said they were just interested in speaking and listening to people who spoke English. Brian told her that maybe I could get together with her and help her practice her English sometime.

A few weeks passed and because of some recent schedule changes, Stacey was looking for a new language helper, again. We asked our current teacher if he knew of anyone, but the prospects he'd suggested just didn't pan out. Finally we had a meeting with him at his school. He had asked 3 women to come and told us we could choose between the 3 if we wanted.  We waited and waited (something we find ourselves doing a lot here). We were starting to think no one was going to come and finally the door opened, and in walked this woman who had met Brian at the center 2 weeks earlier. Her face lit up and she was obviously excited to see us. She said she'd been trying to find us (and she'd nearly missed us again as we were growing tired of waiting.) After some talking we set up a time for her and Stacey to meet to practice Albanian.  She's excited and eager to spend time with us to practice her English, and she's turning out to be a good teacher for Stacey as well.

GOD IS GOOD!

Many days here it seems that little progress is being made, but when we stop and look back, it is obvious that God has moved and is moving in this place.

Yesterday, Brian and some other friends here had a chance to talk with a man whose wife and son are currently in the States because the little boy was severely burned in an accident.  Some of our teammates helped find a way for the mom and little boy to travel to the States to repair his tiny hands which were severely deformed and non-functional.

Since being there, the mother has been going to church with her host family and hearing the truth about Jesus. It seems God is speaking to her and softening her heart to the Gospel. She is able to talk with her husband here via the internet, and she has told him that this story of Jesus she's been hearing is a "beautiful story" and that he should hear it too. He knows about us here, so he sought out our teammates who are helping his family and has been asking questions and wants to know all we can tell him about this Jesus his wife is talking about.

Please pray that we would communicate the Love of Jesus in a strong way to this new friend as he is seeking the Truth. We know that God is the one bringing these people to Himself and we want only to portray Him as He truly is. Please pray that more would be hungry and want to know, and that we will be bold in telling them. Also please pray for the mother and son in the States as the little boy continues to have multiple surgeries to repair his tiny hands.

March 27, 2008

Wow, 2 whole months have passed since we wrote any news here. Sorry about that!

We've been realizing more and more now what a weighty spiritual battle is taking place in this land.  Satan has a mighty grip and engaging that battle daily becomes very tiring.  We felt like it was time for us to get away for a break and regroup and refresh spiritually.  So Monday we took a bus 2 hours from here and spent some time just reflecting, praying, and being renewed.  It was very good for both of us and we feel like God spoke to both of us about the battle that is raging here and what we can maybe do better to be on our guard against Satan and his schemes as well as how to encourage the other believers here. 

Even more so now, we ask for your prayers for our spiritual eyes to be opened to all that is happening here and for discernment and widsom for how God wants us to respond as well as how to pray.

Also we've accepted around 40 new English students that will begin classes Monday.  Please pray for our time with them and for open hearts. Brian will start teaching along with Karl and Randy. We know there is nothing we can do here aside from the power of the Holy Spirit, so we are asking and trusting that God will open doors for his Truth to dwell in this place and for freedom for those who are held captive.

Thanks for checking in on us. Blessings and Peace.

January 26, 2008
With a little help from TuPac

A few nights ago Brian went out to a cafe for coffee with a new friend. His name means “will,” as in the stick-to-it kind of “will.” They hadn't been there very long when a song came on that he really liked, by Tupac Shakur. If you don't recognize the name, he was a notorious rapper from the late nineties whose death was shrouded in mystery, kinda like Jimmy Hoffa.

Some of the lyrics to the song referenced the power of God's Word, that it is sharp like a sword. Then Tupac asks God for a sign for what he should do with his life and calls out Jesus' name. So Brian's friend is getting into the song, evidently one of his favorites as he knew all the words and really enjoys practicing his English. Then he says with a smile, “Brian, man, you've gotta tell me about this Jesus. I've heard about Him but I don't know very much.” Of course he was up for that! We talked a little that night, and he asked if one night next week the two of us could come over for dinner, talk about Jesus and watch a movie. It really blew us both away. He was the first person either of us have met here who has just straight out asked to hear about Jesus and know more about who He is. Who knows where our conversations will lead next? We are hopeful that with your prayers and ours, and with wisdom and discernment, we can take advantage of each opportunity to plant seeds of truth in this guy's mind and heart. He's only 18 and has some big dreams for his life. Please keep our friendship in your prayers.

We hope you guys are doing well, write us with anything we can be praying about for you!

January 24th
The power has been fluctuating a lot as the winter sets back in. We had a few days of nice weather for a bit, but now it's back to the freezing temperatures that remind us that spring is still a ways off. We enjoyed the reprieve, and even went two days without building a fire. We are just about out of wood so this week we will venture to the market to restock. The new power schedule is 5 hours off, 1 hour on, so we'll definitely be depending on our wood stove til the power schedule gets better.

We have received some great news recently from our friends Randy and Naomi, members of our team who are currently back in the USA. We've shared this with some of you, but want to make sure all of you know. (Plus, this way they might read what we're writing and feel famous.) They have been busy getting married and traveling to raise support so they can return here. Just recently the funds all came in! They wrote to tell us that they've bought their tickets and will be joining us in early March. We really look forward to them getting here, as do many of our mutual friends here.

The two of us have begun to brave the elements in the mornings to go out walking in a park nearby. A little over a year ago, a group of British folks came over and put in a lot of work to build a pretty impressive park, complete with walking trails, benches, monkey bars and swings. We live really close to it and enjoy going out for a walk in the mornings when it's quiet.

Also, we've begun learning Albanian together from a new teacher. We have class five days a week, three days together with this new teacher, and two days with our individual teachers, whose pictures you probably saw in our January newsletter. We've been enjoying our new class, although we are kickin it way back and have started the 2nd grade. Our teacher bought us a 2nd grader's primer and we are working our way through it unit by unit. It's really been good for us both, though of course we hide the book away on our walk to class so no one sees us carrying a 2nd grade textbook!

We hope you are all doing well, take care and drop us a note if there's anything you're curious about or anything we can pray for!

Jan 18 2008

Since we last wrote and even since we sent out our most recent newsletter, some new things have developed here that we would appreciate your prayers for.  A few days ago, Brian was able to get together for coffee with one of our friends. He is a believer from nearby area and expressed his desire to grow in his faith. Brian may be able to start discipling him soon, so please pray that his hunger to go deeper and to grow in the Lord would only increase, and that Brian would have wisdom to help him in his discipleship.

Also, just recently one of the daughters of the family above whom we live started asking for help with her English homework. Our friendship with the family just keeps growing, and we're thankful for every opportunity to show our love to them. Please pray that we would be both wise and patient as we seek out chances to share the news of the God we serve and what He has done for all of humanity. They seemed to be very happy and thankful for our help, and after she turned in her homework and got good grades on it, she told her friends that she had help from an American. We want to be good stewards of the goodwill people here have towards Americans, and by every means possible to reach out to our new friends.

Then just today, Brian's language tutor asked for a Bible and they talked about the Word. Brian gave him a Bible in his language, and he said he looked forward to reading it and asked if it would be okay if he had any questions. Ha! If it would be OKAY!? You can imagine Brian's reaction, of course it's okay! Please keep both our language tutors in your prayers, and for Brian to have wisdom for whatever questions his teacher may have. 

Thank you for praying! We are excited to be learning a lesson about life here: if we will just keep being faithful to what the Lord puts in front of us, as we do those things He will bring us opportunities to share the good news. We just keep going and studying the language, and these opportunities are presenting themselves, without our prying and forcing them. We hope this lesson sticks...that if we obey Him and pay attention to what He is doing, there will be no shortage of opportunity. Sweet! 

Thanks for reading, know that we're always interested in telling you more about anything that you are curious about. You can even write us from write here on the website. We love and appreciate you and your help in what God is doing here through us. Thank you!

Jan 3 2008

Wow, a new year is here and we are excited to see what God decides to do in the coming months. We just returned (literally about 12 hrs ago) from a great trip to Colditz, Germany where we attended the "Mid-Winter Rally" for many workers in Europe. We rode with our teammates and their kids all the way there and back, a nearly 3000 mile round trip!!! Whew! THAT was a feat, let me tell you, but God is Good to us and we made it safely through all the borders and inclimate weather.  We saw lots of beautiful country on the way and met with many other workers who were able to share with us some of their struggles and victories as well.  It was so encouraging to talk with others who have been where we are in the beginning of starting life in a foreign country and have walked with the Lord through it all. We are so blessed to have been able to attend and feel as though it was a good break from the winter here for a bit. 

God is good, all the time, and with every day we are here He reminds us in some small way that it is true, and that His plans are trustworthy.  We will hopefully have a newsletter out very soon. If you did not recieve our last newsletter via email and would like to be on our list, please drop us a note in the 'Contact Us' Section at the top of this page.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!

Dec 9 2007

Today was a sad day as one of our Sister's here lost her brother. We are not sure exactly what caused his death, but he was sick and in the hospital for several weeks prior.  He died this morning and the funeral was 12 hrs later.  He was not a believer, so please pray with us for our Sister that she would be comforted during this time and that we would know how to best serve her as well.  Also please pray with us for our new language helpers that they would be able to know the Truth. 

If you did not receive the latest issue of our newsletter you can read it by clicking "Newsletter Archives" to the left.

Nov 26 2007
Hello friends, we hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with friends and family. Many of you wrote to say you were thinking of us, and we really appreciated that. Our Thanksgiving was extra special. The day before Thanksgiving, one of our teammates called to say that the shipment of books from the USA had reached the border here and would be en route to the new school recently opened. The team has started an internationally accredited school in the capital city to offer high quality education that is recognized all over Europe and in the States. Overall, the educational system here is still a mess; many of our friends often share that the teachers don't come to class 2 or 3 days a week. That makes it hard to learn period, but it's an even bigger let-down when you figure in the one hour+ trip one-way they have to take to get to school. All that to say, the new school that's been opened is fully staffed by American teachers, along with one Canadian and one native citizen who teaches the local language. They show up every day and teach their hearts out, and the kids are greatly benefiting.

Some of you may remember back in early October that we loaded some of our things onto a container that was being shipped here. It held something like 30,000 books that were donated for the new school, along with many of our belongings. So we were excited to hear it had arrived and went to the capital to meet it. We got to help unload the container and get some perspective on what 30,000 books look like! By the end of the day our apartment held many of the things that made the difference between it being a place to stay and a place to live. It feels more like home now. Oh, and the three-quarters of Brian's warm clothes were a glorious addition to his wardrobe. Stacey planned ahead and put our Christmas tree on the truck as well, and we recently put it up and decorated it with the collection of ornaments we brought. We even found Christmas lights at a store in the capital about a week ago.

On Thanksgiving Day, we got to gather with many fellow workers and feast away among friends. You wouldn't believe the amount and the kinds of food that were there: we even had ham! A delicacy here where pork is unavailable and considered unclean. We all had many reasons to be thankful, and it was good for us to meet several other couples and families who are also recent arrivals here in this country and are starting out like us.

Here in our town, we continue to reach out to the family downstairs and the many friends they have who frequent the coffee shop they own. One man, an actor, who has performed in England, Germany and here, has taken a liking to Brian. This guy is the brother of the wife of the family we live above. He isn't self-proclaimed famous, but some friends of ours saw him and said, “Oh wow, it's that famous actor!” He seems to have a strong leaning towards the things of God, and this has often come out in conversation. Brian looks forward to this friendship growing, and to opportunities to share the great news of the peace and friendship with God that are available through His Son.

Stacey has learned how to make one of the popular foods here called fli (flee). We will show you some pictures. This afternoon she is learning how to make something call spinach pite (pee-tay) from the wife downstairs. We will call her Sally. Her husband we will call Reggie. They are a great couple and have a very sweet family. They own a small section of land, on which they have built 4 buildings, three houses and one building for the animals (cows and chickens). Each house is about a 20 second walk from the other. In the center is a beautiful yard (which is above and beyond “traditional,” it's amazing) complete with rows and rows of rosebushes and other flowers, apple trees and pear trees.

 

Reggie's brother and family live in one house 20 seconds away, and since his brother is the oldest, their mother lives with him. She is 82 and comes over to Reggie's to visit frequently. She always asks us how we are liking this place and if we miss our families. She has 4 other sons who live in the US and can relate to missing family. The oldest brother is nearly deaf, but is very spry and energetic. It was funny running into him on the street a couple days ago, because talking to him in the required shouting voice draws a little attention. He seemed oblivious. It went something like this: “HEY BRIAN AND STACEY HOW ARE YOU?” “Great, thank you, how are you?” “WHAT? WHAT WAS THAT?” “We're GREAT, how are you?” “WHAT???” “WE ARE GREAT! HOW ARE YOU?!?” And by then there was no need for anyone to eavesdrop; people could've heard for kilometers I'm sure. 

At the end of this month we will have been here in the country for 4 weeks. We are still praying that God would help us to find good choices for language helpers and soon. Would you join us in asking for this? We want to be able to plant new seeds in someone who hasn't already heard the good news, as this person will be one that we spend many, many hours with. Just spending time with people has been a means of learning how to speak and understand, but there is no substitute for the intensive study we hope to begin soon.

We love you all and are encouraged by your prayers and emails. Let us know how we can pray for you and what's happening in your lives. Bless you friends!

15 Nov 2007

It's Friday now, the evening has come and we've had a full day of electricity, a rarity! Today was election day here, which is very confusing, as one man on the street was telling us that he was pulling for one party because all the others are Mafia controlled. Then the man who owns the house where we live told us that there are 350 political parties. Maybe he miscounted, or maybe it's just that exciting and new a concept for them to be able to run for government. 

Our home is becoming a home, more complete with nearly all the necessities (we only lack plates and a microwave). Our days are very open-ended right now, so we try to fill them wisely. It's easy to meet people here; just today we asked the owner of a coffee shop about where he got the furniture made for his place, and before we knew it we were swept up in excited conversation. He recognized us as Americans and thought maybe we were working with other Americans he knows, which it turns out, we do. So we're immediately celebrities with him and are invited to come every day to his coffee shop. 

It has snowed several times here, and the truly cold weather is creeping up. Keep us in your prayers that we wouldn't let the cold keep us inside too often but would continue to venture out into people's lives. Where friendships are possible there are opportunities to both model and to speak about freedom and joy. Pray that we take cues from God and take advantage of the chances He opens. Would you also pray we'd be patient with ourselves and not put false pressure on ourselves to be accomplishing more than is possible?

We have had several chances to get together with the other believers here and encourage and enjoy them. The other night they came over for coffee and taught us how to make one of our favorite dishes here: pasul. It's basically really yummy beans with onions and a chunk of meat. We eat them often at a little eatery we call "Picadilly." You go in, point at whatever you'd like, they dish it up fresh, put it on a tray and deliver it to your table. It even comes with a salad and tea! Total cost for two: 4 euros (about $6). So we were excited to learn how to cook them here at home anytime. Stacey learned how to make another food here they call fli (flee). To understand that food, you will just have to come visit. We'll even take you out to Picadilly!

Thank you for your prayers, bless you all.

7 Nov 2007

We have officially survived our first week here. We are trying to get settled into our new apartment. It's been its own adventure so far finding furniture and heat and getting wood and things situated. We are still waiting for our kitchen to arrive. It is being built by some men here.  Funny thing, when people move, they take their kitchens! So we had to buy one.  For now, we are doing well and have adjusted to our new time zone. Since daylight savings time just happened there we are now 7 hrs ahead of Central Standard Time.

Our teammate Jill is due to arrive back sometime this week from America where she was receiving some needed medical attention. We're excited to see her and so is her family.

Tonight we ate with the family who owns the house we are staying in. They are all very kind and have been so helpful and patient with us getting settled.

Thank you to all of you who have helped us get here. At last we are here and ready to get busy learning language so we can talk to people!

Please pray for us to have strength and patience as we adjust to life here. We'd love to hear from you. Drop us a note in the "contact us" section of our site.

Blessings.

26 October 2007

Well, we're counting the days now. 4 more till we get on the plane and head over the ocean.  It's a bit overwhelming at times when we stop and think about moving all our stuff overseas. In other moments, God gives peace and a calm that outweighs all the rest. He's continued to show His faithfulness through every step along the way. 

8 October 2007

We've been on a whirlwind tour of Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio this month. I think we've seen most of our extended family and even got to spend a weekend with the youth from our church in Texas!  We attended Brian's sister's wedding in Ohio and Stacey's grandpa's 80th birthday in Texas. Somewhere in there we stopped in Cincinnati to unload some of our belongings on a truck that will take them across the ocean for us.  We're glad to be able to take some of our things with us so we are starting completely from scratch when we arrive on the 31st of this month! 

It's strange to thing that this time next month we will be writing this update from another continent.  We feel overwhelmed by the blessings God has thrown at us this past year and know that He continues to be faithful as we travel down this road.

1 October 2007

Well, we hope to have a newsletter this month, but between now and then I thought I'd let you know what we've been up to.

Our apartment is right now, in a state of chaos.  We have been trying to get everything organized and so far, it just feels like a big mess. Packing is one of those things that I'd like to have to do no more than once a decade. This will make our 4th move in the last year.  You would think we would be more efficient by now, but somehow we don't seem to be. 

We've been in Texas the last week with Stacey's family and are leaving again on the 3rd to head to Ohio for Brian's sister's wedding.

11 September 2007 

We just posted a new "tool" on the Archives page. Check it out!! 

7 September 2007

We just came back from Joplin, Mo where we had a chance to meet with two very wise friends of ours to help us "shift gears" as we prepare to leave NEXT MONTH!! Wow. We are so thankful for Dan and David (our friends) who helped us think through several important issues along with our teammates (Randy and Naomi) in order to be better prepared for the transitions that lie ahead of us. 

We both feel more confident and excited about the plans God has in store for us as we leave behind our life here in America.  It's amazing to think of all the ways He's continued to show His faithfulness towards us.  There is no doubt that all of this is the result of answered prayers. Life has felt pretty overwhelming a lot of days, but we know that all of these are working together for good. Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us these past weeks and months. 

Please continue to pray as we'll be traveling almost the entire month of September.

28 August 2007 15:38

Well this month has seemed to fly by.  Time is moving faster and faster as our departure date draws near.  God has been showing us more and more how very little all of this has to do with US, and how very much it has to do with HIM and His will for us, as well as the desire of His heart for the nations to praise Him.  We want to be people who are tuned into the Spirit as we continue down this road, and ask that you would pray for us as we finalize preparations to leave at the end of October.  Pray that we would keep our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfecter of our faith and the calling He has set before us.  It's our prayer for you as well that you would know and hold fast to the calling that has been set before you. To run the race as to win the prize for the high calling of Jesus Christ.

We'll be travelling much of September and would appreciate your prayers for that as well.

6 August 2007  20:44

We just walked in the door...we've been in Joplin, Mo for our teammates Randy and Naomi's wedding. They were both beautiful and very happy, and we had a great time visiting people and getting to reconnect with old friends we'd left behind.  For anyone who cares, there are some pictures of the weekend on the "photos" page. It feels like we must have talked to 1000 people while we were there for a few short days, but we were so thankful to get to see them all and talk for even just a short time.  Thanks to our friends who let us crash with them.  You all are awesome. And congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Jones!!

 28 July 2007

We just got back last night from an awesome week at CIY with the high school youth from our church here in Memphis.  It was an incredible week despite the sleep deprivation and disgusting cafeteria food. The theme talked about how we were never meant to be alone, and as we've chewed on that all week we felt like God ministered to us as much or even more than the kids.  Thank you to all of you who prayed for us this week. We know God is moving and showing us new things about Himself and His heart as we prepare for the transitions just ahead of us. Several of the kids on the trip made decisions to go into ministry and to rededicate their lives to a more passionate pursuit of our God. How encouraging to see young people really zero in on the truth of who God is, how He can heal their hearts, and to listen about where He wants their lives to be headed.

We are both encouraged and excited even more about the call God has given us, and look forward to sharing with others the JOY that He's put in our hearts for Him.

21 JULY 2007

We are leaving for a week of CIY with the youth group tomorrow. Please pray for safety and that God would really minister to all who are on the trip. 

We added a new section with some questions and answers under "Where are they going?" Take a look!

ALSO...we just added our most recent newsletter if you'd like to check it out! Go to "Newsletter Archives"

16 July 2007

Well here's the latest with what's happening in our world. Brian had his knee surgery. All went well and we have tons of stories to tell about the week after while he was drugged up on pain medication.  Let's just say if you thought Brian was a little on the "crazy" side before...you would definitely think he was off his rocker if you'd seen him.  Some of our friends can testify to that. 

While Brian was out of commission, Stacey got to share with the kiddos at VBS for a week, and also got to be a Jr. High sponsor on a trip to Florida with 65 crazy kids. It was great fun and a much needed break for Stacey from filling the roles of nurse/chaufer/cook/breadwinner.

The day after Brian's surgery our teammates came to get one of our cars which we'd decided to let them use.  We had two, they had none. It made sense to give it to them. We're thinking, our other car runs perfectly, we rarely drive the second car. No biggie right? Well just about the time they left, our "perfect" car decided to go completely insane and the transmission went out. Not cool...because it was going to cost more to fix the car than the car was actually worth. But we were totally blessed by some people at church who were willing to loan us a car for the next couple of months till we leave. Thank you Shannon and Amanda!!

A week after Brian's surgery Stacey's parents came to visit which was a huge blessing, because she was about to lose her mind at that point. Thanks for the visit mom and dad.

Last week our friend Seth came to visit and was almost struck by lightning. Well, he was on the front porch and the lightning hit the building and sent sparks/ashes falling on Seth's head pretty much. It sounded like a bomb went off and we opened the door to find Seth standing there looking like a zombie.  We're really glad he didn't smited by the Almighty smiter. That would have really put a damper on things. But you have to wonder if God is trying to get your attention when something like that happens. Yipes!!

As for other news at the moment...I'm drawing a blank. It's 4am, which is a normal time for me to be up because I am still working nights, but is not however always conducive to clear thinking.   I am very excited for a day soon when I'll be able to stop working this job and move on to something I'm passionate about and that lets me be asleep at 4am. So for now, good night, or good morning, whichever you prefer.

As of 6/25, we had written that we hoped to be sponsors on some trips with the youth this summer.  Well, right now as I, Brian, write this, Stacey is on a bus to enjoy a trip with about 90 Jr. High kids! They are from a few different churches and will gather together at a little retreat center near the ocean in Florida and study the Word and come together for worship.  I'm excited for them and for their chance for interaction with the Lord and with people who have followed Him for a while and who they can look up to. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel and as they seek God and look into His Word.

Not all of you knew me when I was younger, but I was very rebellious towards the Lord and the things of God up until I was 17. The influence of good friends was enough to get me into a church building, and the character and kindness of good, mature Christians led me to understand the Gospel and fall in love with Jesus and become part of His Church.  We can't underestimate the impact made on kids when we take time to befriend them and communicate with them as people God is interested in knowing, accepting and using for His glory. It might be a long time before we ever know what all comes from this trip in Florida, but I have high hopes and confident expectations of the good things God is stirring in the hearts of those kids and the sponsors as well.  Will you pray with me for God's work this weekend in building for Himself a group of young people dedicated to being used for Him?

Thank you! Please also write to us things we can be in prayer about in your own lives.  We're for real. When you write, we really will pray, and gladly so.

The most recent event that we've been dealing with is all of Brian's doctor and hospital visits.  For those of you who haven't read our newsletter or we haven't talked to in a couple of months, Brian was injured at work (we both work nights at FedEx here in Memphis) at the beginning of May.  He's not been able to go back to work since then and has just today had surgery to repair a torn ACL from the accident.  We feel like God has really blessed us because everything has been taken care of financially through worker's comp. and Brian is now on his way to being good as new.  He won't be running any marathons soon, but we know that God has something in mind for us through all of this.  He's already taught us a lot about caring for one another and persevering through hard times. 

We're hoping to be able to be youth sponsors on a couple of the youth trips this summer, that's barring that Brian's leg doesn't rot off or something!  We've really enjoyed getting to spend time with the church here in Memphis and have truly been blessed by the people God has put in our lives here.

As for other news as of late...We've officially purchased our plane tickets and are planning on a departure date of October 30th.  If God allows it, we'll be making our new home in Kosova and begin learning the language and culture in just a few short months.  Please pray that Brian's leg heals quickly and we are still able to leave on time. 

posted 06/25/07