Plans Change...

Not everything is under our control.

Iceland's volcano eruption spewing out smoke and steam, creating a cloud of ash that filled the sky and floated eastward toward Europe, also erupted all kinds of mayhem for many who had plans to travel during mid-April dates.

We were not exempt from the effects of the ash. With the uncertainty of departing flights, the Ecclesiology class in Brno, Czech and the arrival of our friends from Crossroads church who were joining us for that time, resulted in cancellations for all involved. Several were coming from the states with a stopover in London; national pastors were coming from London - it just made sense to postpone plans. We will definitely reschedule the class, possibly in the fall.

Dennis will be taking the train this week to connect with our Czech Mission Director for a few days in Brno, but other than that, we are home for a month. This will be the first time since our arrival in Europe that Dennis is actually in Budapest for more than two weeks.

And so... this past weekend we took time to enjoy the warmer temps that have been almost summer-like here in Budapest. Just in the past two weeks I have discovered several green areas in the 11th district where our home is located. A great walking/bicycle path that runs through a long, narrow park area parallel to the train tracks has become my new running course. Not quite as scenic as the pier walk in Grand Haven, but still grateful for this great spot where young mothers push strollers, bikers speed by on their way to work or play, and older ladies and gents carry their single bag of groceries home from a nearby shop. Yep, I'm taking up running again three times a week. Walking on the off days, though walking is a daily experience here in the city. Discipline will be key to my running with our various travels in the states this summer.

So, even though the volcano disrupted plans, we find ourselves thankful for a month of routine (hmm.. what's that?) before we return to the states for meetings, training, visiting grown children, parents, and the arrival of a new grand-baby in July.

Not everything is under our control, but as my friend scheduled to be in Czech with us this week quoted in a recent email: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Life doesn't always work out the way we think it will, but God is still in control.

Déjà vu in Russia...

Following a late night return from Russia, we woke up on Thursday morning, opened the curtains, pulled up the shades to see green everywhere. There are pansies on our front balcony and tulips and forget-me-nots in our backyard. Even the dandelions are a welcome sight. Spring has come to full bloom in Budapest.


Our week in Russia was timely. It was the first pastoral renewal vote for one of our national churches. Pastor Anton accepted a four-year call. We enjoyed a lovely dinner in their home with their three boys, where Inna prepared a delicious meal of Russian favorites. Our M's hospitality was over the top. We enjoyed many good and strategic conversations around their kitchen table. I also had the privilege of sitting in on a ministry in the Vladimir church similar to the freedom ministry I was involved in at Spring Lake Wesleyan.

This trip was déjà vu for Dennis and I. In February of 1997, during our trip around the world, our family of six flew to Moscow, Russia where we all piled into a van that took us the four-hour journey to Vladimir. Just a month before we had received the shocking news that our friend, Ron Dawson, missionary to Russia, had passed away. We arrived in Vladimir with a heaviness for the Russian team as they processed this unexpected news. Dennis and I, along with Joni and Julie, stayed in the Ministry Center in the second story apartment where Ron and Barb had lived. Josh and Jamie stayed with the young adult short-term Go-Netters on the field at the time, many of whom now serve as career missionaries in Europe.

Last week Dennis and I took that same van ride, though on new and improved roads, and stayed in the same apartment as we had then. I thought of Ron and Barb often during our stay… transitioning to missions later in life, giving up family, home, possessions, to go to Russia. I recalled the story told of an empty key ring - no car, no home, no business - and Ron's words "now there's nothing holding us back." Now that we are in that same place, I find myself wondering how that was for them and thinking I would have had a lot of questions back then if I would have known what life would hold for us thirteen years later.

Well, as I write this on Sunday evening from our flat, we have a window open (photo on left - view from our back windows), the birds are singing and the sun is giving us its last warm rays as it wakes up the other side of the world. We just finished a skype call with one of our West MI churches, Crossroads, for their first morning service where they are focusing on missions. We'll be doing a second call in just a few minutes for their second service. Dennis and I are grateful for so many of you who partner with us through prayer and giving. Thank you!

This next week we are planning to take the train to the Czech Republic for connection with our Czech M's, and joining this trip with a week-long Ecclesiology class that one of our American professors is coming to teach to our national pastors (some coming from Poland and England), but we keep watching CNN to see if any of this will come to pass with the Iceland volcanic ash disrupting European travel.

Thanks for being a part of our lives!
Happy Spring!

Continued Travels and a Day Off

Dennis and I returned home Tuesday evening from another week of travels. We had a great time connecting with our Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatian teams.

Every field visit has the same focus of team connection and training toward strategic initiatives that move evangelism and church planting forward. Pray for all the teams on the Europe fields - Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Russia, Germany, Bosnia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic - as they develop individual and team goals and implement these plans.

Before heading back to Budapest, we took advantage of the rental car flexibility to take a day to do one of our favorite pastimes. A three-hour drive from Split, Croatia lies Plitvice Lakes National Park that has more waterfalls than you could ever imagine. There was hardly a moment where we couldn't hear the sound of flowing water. Every turn on the trail was awe-inspiring, breath-taking beauty. It was almost surreal to have cascading waterfalls literally surrounding us at times.

It was a perfect day. Not too cold, not too hot, plenty of sunshine, and very few people.

We can't say enough about the trekking poles our kids got us for Christmas. This was our first time to use them and we loved them! They saved our breath going up and our knees going down. Thanks kids for the great gift!

And, I've said it before. I love my Keens! Water, snow, woodsy trail or rocky path, Keens work for me. With a hard winter's snow melting on the mountain tops, the water was nearly at it's highest level. We hope to go back some day to catch the trails we missed that were immersed in water. There were times when the water was bubbling over the wooden footbridge or gushing out between stair steps.

It definitely was the refreshing day we needed.

Take a look at the last two videos to get a taste of our day.

Spring flowers were poking out everywhere.

Off again next Wednesday to Russia!

Happy Easter everyone! He is Risen!