We’ve now been living in the Czech Republic for six months. It has been quite a trip! Within two weeks, and with place of our own in Prague yet, we shuffled off to Bulgaria for 10 days of ministry. Then in January (by this time we did have an apartment) it was off to Kenya for three weeks of ministry.
We’ve also been to Slovakia and had our first house guests. We’ve done all the things needed after moving - setting up banks accounts, learning where (and how) to shop for groceries, furnishing the apartment (a whole story in itself!), and figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B. We also got our first resident visas, good until August, when we apply for a lengthier term (two years).
Now, it’s back to the USA. There are many things that need to be done there. We have physicians appointments, financial arrangements to be made, and the tax accountant to be seen. We need to make some sense of our property issues (anyone care to buy a nice lakefront home in Maine?).
We will travel to several states and speak in churches and at conferences. We will go to grandkids’ baseball games and a ballet recital as well as celebrating the birthdays of all three (although they won’t all occur while we are there).
Preparing for this trip is tough. We need to ready talks, bring gifts, and arrange for bills to be paid while we are away (there are no checking accounts here, which complicates things). We have to coordinate with people regarding materials for our booth in the vendor hall at the CHAP Homeschool Conference in Pennsylvania. By the way, stop by and visit if you’re in the area. It’s May 11 and 12 in Harrisburg.
On the return trip we will be bringing back to Prague the daughter of an old friend. She will be interning with us for the summer. What do we bring back to our new home in Prague?
It’s confusing at times. It’s also invigorating, infuriating, amusing, and faith-testing. Ah, but there’s the bottom line, you see. We can’t, at times, see how we will get done all the things that we think we need to do. But, our faith in God - that He won’t abandon us or forsake us - grows stronger with each test. We KNOW that God is on our side.
Please pray for us. Thank God for the continuing ministry He has given us.
And remember that we have spare bedrooms. Y’all come.
