Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Over the years...

Having just purchased our tickets yesterday I have been in a reflective mood. I warn you that this season in our lives will probably produce many a reflective moment so if I find time to write it will probably carry this theme.
This spring marks our seventh year in Croatia, and my tenth in Europe. Looking back I can still see myself embarking on that new, exciting adventure of Bible College in Europe. Just barely eighteen, I wonder if my parents had known that Europe would steal my heart away for the next decade would still have allowed me to go? I remember my first trip to Cakovec, Croatia; driving down from Austria through Slovenia, seeing the beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes, picturesque little villages with geraniums adorning every house, and thinking that it was easy to see how these were the places that fairy tales were written. However lovely it was, it was the poverty of souls that made the lasting impact. From the gypsy villages in Serbia, to the splendor of palaces in Spain, my heart was forever altered by the knowledge that while I had a treasure of wealth in the salvation and knowledge of my Savior, there was a world dying apart from Him.
I did not set out with the noble ambitions of being a missionary. I still had my own vision of what I thought my life would be, but as my eyes were opened to a lost world so was my heart. There were many things that brought me to the place of surrendering to the Father's will, looking back I think it's funny that I thought I could plan better than Him.
I wouldn't trade these last ten years for anything. Not only did the Lord graciously bring me the perfect man to share my life with, and then bless me with four amazing little children, He also gave me the opportunity to learn His character. It is one thing to know of God, it is quite another to know Him. Through seasons of joy, through seasons of sorrow we have been shown more intimately His character.
As we step forward in faith to this new season the Lord is calling us to there are many things that are uncertain. however the grace and faithfulness of our heavenly Father remains the same. Where we will live, what we will do are questions that we would love to have answers to, but from past experience we can rest in the knowledge that sometimes we don't have to see the full picture. While there are pieces missing that might seem irresponsible to some, it is in the times where details are obscure that we tend to press into the comforting presence of Jesus, what a blessing to remember that our provision is dependent on Him.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

A very new season...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9


It's been seven years this week that we arrived in Split as a young couple, our marriage barely two months old. Confident of the calling that the Lord had placed in our hearts for the country of Croatia, specifically the city of Split, we were excited and full of that wonderful youthful zeal. Looking back, it such a blessing to have experienced the Lord's presence with us wherever we have gone. Over the years we have been so thankful that the Lord has been so faithful to reaffirm that calling that He made so evident in the beginning.

Now, this last season the Lord was really stirring our hearts to seek Him for His direction; His direction for the fellowship here, but also for us as a family. Our time in the States was able to be used to really search out His will for us and brought us to the place of being able to see that the Lord is bringing our time here in Split to a close.

We thank you all so much for your support over the years. It's bittersweet to think about leaving the church here and trusting the Lord for the next season He has for them. As for us, we are confident that the Lord has called us to close this season up and move to Las Vegas where the next step for us is. There are still a lot of questions and wonder, but we just desire to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and trust the Lord for his perfect will for this next season of our lives.

The church here will continue in Gods grace. Please pray for them and for us as we take this next step of faith.

We're not sure exactly when we will be moving to Las Vegas but we have already started the transition process to go back. It's also a blessing that the Lords timing allows us to be close to my family as my mom deals with the cancer she's been fighting for the last 4 years or so. Please keep her also in your prayers.

God bless you all and thank you again for your support and love in the Lords work here in Croatia!

~Tim, Grace, Thomas, Mila, Oliver, and Evan

Saturday, December 3, 2011

When things don't go the way you planned...

Well it's been an eventful couple of days since we began our journey. We just wanted to update all of you and ask that you pray for the remainder of our travels back to the States.
  
Thursday morning started out normal enough; we settled the kids in the car, packed up our bags, checked and double checked to see if we had everyone's passports and started off for Zagreb. We had a pretty good idea of how we wanted our trip to Hungary to go; we needed to stop in Zagreb at the American embassy to renew Thomas' passport, that was supposed to take about a week so we had planned to stay with some friends in town while we waited, after that we'd continue on to Hungary where we could visit some friends until  we would catch our flights out of Budapest on the 13th. 
 
So, a little past halfway on the way up a mountain, something blew in the engine of our van. Thankfully there was a space to pull off the highway that was right by one of those emergency phones. Tim called the service and they came about forty five minutes later, they agreed with Tim that we would need a tow truck. The service men called the tow truck, who arrived after another hour, bringing a rental car with it so we could continue to Zagreb while they towed our van back to Split. 
  
So, a short little trip that should have taken four hours at the most turned into an all day event! We arrived in Zagreb about  6:00 that night. We were able to use the rental car until Friday at noon and thankfully the airport where we needed to drop it off was close to the Embassy, because they are both out a bit out of town. So, we were able to get the paperwork done for Thomas' passport, we still need to wait about a week for them to process it. 
  
So, it was a little more difficult using the public transportation around the city with the kids instead of our van It was an interesting day yesterday getting back to where we are staying,  but the kids got to experience their first tram and bus! We are thinking we will take the train up to Hungary now, please keep that in your prayers!
  
We also ask that you pray for Oliver, this morning he woke up with a fever, threw up and has been pretty lethargic all day. Please pray that this sickness passes quickly and that it doesn't get passed around!
 
So, we know that while we may have planned our way, the Lord directs our steps. These circumstances may not have been according to our choosing but we know that the Lord has a purpose in all of it. We just ask that you keep our little traveling troupe in your prayers: 

- Thomas' passport to come back as quickly as possible.
- The huge expenses we've incurred by our breakdown, tow, and rental. Not to mention the cost to fix our car when we get back.
- Oliver to get better quickly!
- Our travels up to Hungary.
- Our flight back to the States.
 
Thank you and much love from the Warholics!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Latest News....

    "Let us run with endurance the race that has been set before us, looking unto Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith." Hebrews 11:1a

   As we finish up this last week before leaving Split to begin our trip back to visit the States  we  are hoping that we have finished this season with endurance.  It has been three years since our last visit to the States and we are so excited to see many of our family and friends! We have a bit more of an itinerary, at least a good idea of when we will be where. We'd love to see as many of you as possible so please let us know if you'd like to get together while we are in your area. 
 - We will be arriving in Las Vegas the 13th of December, where we will be spending Christmas and New Year's with Tim's family there. 
- The first week of January we will be driving to southern California to attend the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta and Meet the Missionary Day in Costa Mesa. 
- Around the 10th of January we will be traveling up to northern California to spend time with Grace's family, at this point Grace will be about two weeks away from her due date so we are staying up north until the new baby is born. 
- A few weeks after the baby is born we will return to Las Vegas and will be staying there until we fly out the first week of March (due to the fact that expectant babies are hardly predictable we will have to play the last leg of our trip by ear). 
 So again, we'd love to see as many of you as possible! 

 Despite the fact that we are very eagerly anticipating our visit, we still have a busy week here before we leave. 
 This Thursday a small weekend team from the Bible College in Hungary will be arriving. We are planning on having them do a good amount of street evangelism as well as encouraging the believers on Sunday. Please pray that heart  would be responsive to the Gospel, and that Ben and Emily would have opportunities to follow up with those shared with.
 This Saturday, Grace and Emily organized a Women's Christmas Celebration. The vision for this event was to invite the ladies of the church for a time of fellowship, as well as to give some of the ladies we haven't seen in a while an opportunity to reintegrate, and for exposure with some non believer friends that have been invited. Please pray that the time would be blessed!
 Tim has begun the renewal of his visa process once again, things seem to be going much faster this time and we are praying that we would hear back from the authorities this week before we leave. It would be an enormous relief to have that finished before we go, we are not sure how being gone during the process could effect our results, so please pray with us that we would obtain the visa before we leave Split on the first of December. 
  We will be leaving Split for Zagreb, the capital of Croatia earlier than we thought because we will need to spend about a week there waiting for Thomas' passport to be renewed. Children's passports only are good for five years so Thomas' expired this year (crazy that he is five already!). Because our flights are out of Budapest, Hungary and Zagreb is more than half way there, and because Tim, Grace and Thomas are all required to appear  in person to renew the passport we thought it would be expedient to just stop on our way out of the country.  


  As much as we are looking forward to visiting the States and know that the extra time we have there because of the birth of the baby is a blessing, we are also aware of how long three months away from here will be. It's always that way- a seemingly short time to be with family, but a long time to be away from the life that the Lord has called us to here. We are so thankful that the Lord has provided Ben and Emily to serve with us and to be here while we are away. Please keep them, as well as the fellowship here in your prayers! 

As always, we love and appreciate each on of you and the support you supply us and the ministry here. We pray that the Lord blesses each one of you!
In Him, the Warholics
  
  

 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A sure expectation


First of all, I'm sorry for being such a flaky blogger. I have things to write down sometimes but they always come to me at the most random times, like when I'm making dinner, or giving the kids a bath, or putting them to bed. So when I sit down to write what was on my mind I usually can't remember exactly what it was, I know, sounds like I have attention deficit disorder or something. Maybe I do. Anyway, I was able to capture my thoughts this time!

Expectations are sneaky things, many times they build up in my mind or heart without my being aware that they are even there. I was thinking about expectations because I had expected that the summer season would have ended by now, and that fall (my favorite season) would be well under way now that it's the beginning of October. Having spent the afternoon at the beach today with Tim and the kids, all of us in our swim suits (it's the first time that I've worn my swim suit this far along in a pregnancy and that felt kind of funny!), I think its safe to say that summer has become that guest that though was welcomed at first, overstays their welcome and leaves you with no choice but to grudgingly accommodate them. So as I contemplate all of the lovely things I associate with fall and how it doesn't feel right to commence making spiced lattes or pumpkin bread (if I ever find any pumpkins) while it's still warm enough to have beach days I can't help but feel a little disappointed in the season's changing lack of prompt timing.
The weather however, is something of a bit lighter nature than some of the things I find myself disappointed in. Things more serious such as expectations in ministry, others and the most dangerous of all, expectations in myself, have all let me down at some point. As it says in Proverbs, "hope differed makes the heart sick," I've learned that there are many things that I need to guard my heart against and to examine the motives behind the hopes I may have. But as I said before, expectations are sneaky little things and it is so easy to get caught up in the possibilities of tomorrow.
I do have a sure hope though, an expectation that is safe to build my life on. As the old hymn goes, "on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.". Sometimes I need to be reminded to be content in the present circumstances, or to see the future through the lens of surrender. The only way that I am able to give up to Him those things that my heart might be prone to depend on is by reminding myself that the way Jesus does things is exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ever ask or imagine. It may take longer, and not turn out to be what I had thought, but Jesus always does things better, accomplishing along the way so many things that I would never have dreamed of.
.

My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us
Psalm 62:5-8

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Open hands, open hearts...

Once, a long time ago I had a conversation with a friend about keeping our hands open. It was at a time when close friends were beginning to go in different directions, courses were changing as life's dreams were beginning to be aspired to. Of course there was sadness in my heart as my friend kindly told me, "Grace, you have to keep your hands open; if you hold so tightly to the blessings the Lord has already given you may miss the blessings He wants to bring." whether it's friends, places, roles or ministries there is a time for every season. Some seasons we gladly say goodbye to, some we wish we could draw out indefinitely.

As I look back on the seasons that we've been in Split, I'm so blessed to see the Lord's hand in each of them. Always He has been faithful to lead and guide, so gracious in His provision. So, now we stand at a new crossroads; those of you who read our last newsletter know that the we really feel like the Lord is leading us to close the cafe. Of course there is some excitement at the thought of what could be coming next, but isn't it human nature to cling to what we know? When I think of the Global Cafe I think of all of the friends who have contributed to its being. Of all the hopes and vision that have been prayerfully considered, of sweet times of worship and fellowship, of many conversations with many students.

Sometimes, to be obedient is to look past what is logical. Recently I was reading the kids the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan river into the promised land. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant had to step into the water first, then the waves receded. I wonder if they thought Joshua was crazy, or if they remembered the Red Sea? I love in Psalm 34 when it says, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who puts his trust in Him." God's past faithfulness demands my present trust. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, every good and every perfect gift comes from my Father with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So instead of standing on the shoreline, thinking I prefer the security of solid ground beneath my feet, I know that when we step out into the water He has already gone before.
We still have to find a place to meet on Sundays, a daunting task when we consider that before meeting in the cafe we were denied many places when the owners found out that we wanted to have "non-Catholic" Bible meetings. I'm confident that as we open our hands, letting go of what we see as practical, the Lord will fill our hearts and hands with new blessings, showing Himself strong on our behalf yet again.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

July Update!



Hello everyone!

Here's an update for what's going on here in Croatia with our family and ministry. I guess we'll start out with the fun and exciting stuff, so here we go!

Family: We just recently found out that Grace is Pregnant with our 4th little bundle. She's about 9 weeks along and has been experiencing morning sickness and some tiredness, but thats to be expected and she is fine and the baby (from what the Doc said) is doing good. Thomas and Mila are enjoying summer and Oliver is running around screaming and pulling anything down that he can get his hands on. We're all doing well and are very blessed.



The Global Cafe: For those of you who understand what the Global cafe is you will be pleased to know that this past season it still functioned as a great place to meet and share with students that attend the near-by schools, and a place for the church to meet and have it's functions. However, it is with mixed feelings of sadness and excitement that we have to inform you that we believe the Cafe has run it's course as being part of our ministry. Over the time we've had it, it's been a great blessing and used to the full capacity of the vision the Lord had given us for it. Recently, we've received some fresh vision for the ministry and the Lord now has us going in a slightly different direction. The nostalgic part of us is sad to see this season pass, but we're so blessed to hear from the Lord and receive fresh vision from Him. We will try to focus a little more on the city center and we're looking for a place that we can just pay/use once or twice a week. Please pray for a place and this new season the Lord is bringing us into.

The fellowship is doing very well. Grace and I are so blessed by the people who are part of the body here and encouraged in the growth we see in each of their lives. We are currently studying though Genesis, and might I say, having a great time with the Lord as we continue each week.

Just a couple last things in closing, please keep the fellowship and the people here in this area in prayer. We so badly want to see the Lord touch many peoples lives! Ben and Emily Spector will be joining our team here in September and we're very excited to have them, especially since they will be taking over worship for Tim!! It's going to be 3 years since we've been to the States and we miss many of you dearly. We're planning on bringing the whole family over in December and letting some of you see kids you've never actually met in person! More details to come about that, but keep it in mind if you would like to get together when we are there.

God bless you all abundantly!! We love you and are so blessed that you are a part of this work our Lord has called us to.

~Tim, Grace and the kiddos