This Week's Prayer Requests . . .

1. Pray for coaching experiences I will be experiencing throughout the month of August
2. I will be spending time with my newest D-Team (Leadership Discipleship group) at the Leadership Summit - August 9-11. Pray for a deep connection for this team of 6 other men
3. Pray for a sorting through of potential resources, experiences, and dialogues I could yet engage (or not) in these final days of the sabbatical journey

Back in the States

After a wonderful time in Split, Croatia with our friends, Kent & Cheri Pickslay, we flew to Vienna, Austria. Our adopted daughter Regina was also flying into Vienna so after settling into a hotel (an "Airport Hotel" which was 45 minutes away) we ventured into the city for the evening - it was amazing!

Wednesday morning we traveled to the airport to begin our trip home flying to Washington D.C. and then on to Indy where Julie, Jamie, and Evee were waiting for us!

Evee was so depressed without her Papa

Evee content in her Papa's arms

She's so happy now!

We will spend a couple of days here in Indy then head back to West Michigan to begin Block 3 which is focused on coaching and processing insights learned and needing to be integrated into life ahead. Should be a great part of this Journey. More details to come.

This Week's Prayer Requests . . .

Transition back to the Midwest . . .
1. Final days in Croatia with Kent & Cheri Pickslay
2. Times of debriefing Block Two
3. Travel on July 24-25
4. Time in Indy with Evee, Jamie, Clint and Julie
5. Preparation for Block Three

More Thoughts From the Middle . . .

Here are some BIG THOUGHTS at the midpoint . . .

• Gratefulness – I still can’t believe that my church loves me enough to grant me this time away and that we have an amazing team to make it all work!


• Grace – I’m overwhelmed at how giving God is . . . How forgiving . . .How loving . . . How caring . . . How amazing!


• He is my Shepherd. He chooses this. He cares for my needs. He makes me lie down. He leads me. He restores me. He guides me into paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.


• I have more clarity of call and calling.


• I love to grow – this has been a wonderful time to think and process and write and journey deeper with God and His mission assignments for my life.


• I’m so grateful for people – the church – who seek to be used by God to make a difference in hundreds of little and big ways.


• I’m so thankful for a group of men and women who team to lead this adventure we call SLW – people who partner with each other, with me, and most importantly with God.


• I love being married to Gwen who loves me in spite of my obvious warts (working through a couple of long-standing warts of mine while here in Croatia).


• My passions are growing and renewing for God and His passionate love for this world.


• I’m thankful for His faithfulness – and hundreds of other small thoughts . . .
  
  Hey – check out Gwen’s Blog to catch her personal reflections on my first Middle Thoughts Entry at http://www.gwenjackson.blogspot.com/ or touch on the link under my face to the right.

Here are a few new pictures

Dennis took a night off cooking

Gwen standing on the Terrace outside of our studio apartment

Our Friend, Ivan, at the ice cream shop!

So far, our favorite swimming spot

Born to be WILD!

Middle Thoughts . . .

So a couple of days ago I hit the mid-point of the 101 days of the Sabbatical Journey. . . Hard to believe in some ways and yet somehow very appropriate.


Typical days contain the same basic elements:

• I journal daily
• I average 6-8 hours of sleep (2-3 more than my usual pattern)
• I walk 2-4 miles
• I read books (1-2 per week)
• I pray - mostly for family, the team, the church (Day 1 and especially Youth camp and VBS over the past couple of weeks) and individuals as God brings them to mind (those who have suffered losses - Helen, Kass, Dale's family)
• I eat yogurt with peaches every a.m.
• I cook a meal usually every day (we usually catch one out every other day)
• We eat ice cream at the same place every night with Ivan who welcomes us with laughter (I usually get a dip of blueberry, strawberry, and lemon)!
• I listen to worship songs that you all are singing back home . . . this has been more filling to my soul than I could have imagined (thanks Pastor Jon for My Savior Loves, My Savior lives, My Savior's always there for me. My God He was, My God He is, My God is always going to be).
• Gwen & I share deeply . . . about what we are reading, about family and friends, about deeper works we both sense God is doing in our hearts. We celebrate intimacy. We talk through growth points in our marriage. We laugh and usually watch portions of a movie (Lord of the Rings, Sleepless in Seattle, Count of Monte Christo).
• We pray and take communion together.
• I reflect on Psalm 23 and seek Him . . .

Island Life

On Saturday, the 7th of July we headed out to the island of Hvar to the city of Stari Grad. The island is just off the mainland of Croatia and is rated in the top 10 islands in the world.

Bethany Karish lined up a vacation apartment with her friend Natalaje. It is up on a hill overlooking the community.

Here are some pictures . . .

The City of Split and our Ferry

In a back courtyard in Stari Grad - Beautiful!

Overlooking the Town of Stari Grad from a cross on the hillside

The city and harbor of Hvar from an old fort - I loved this place!

The two of us are having some great times - I rented a scooter yesterday and we drove around more parts of the island including a tunnel nearly a mile long without any lights! Amazing views and wonderful times in the sun.

We have had some great couple discussions and I am taking time to reflect and journal about areas of life change needed. God has been meeting with us in all of this.

Thanks again for your partnership in prayer! We have one more week then a few days in Split, Croatia before heading back to see Evee!

Great People, Great Partnerships

Just a quick note to say again how thrilled we are to meet up with friends in these countries and sense the heart, commitment and impact they are making - from Slovakia to Bosnia to Croatia.

One of the cool "side benefits" has been the connection with individuals who have been impacted by our partnerships . . . to hear their stories and to sense how much they are being used to impact others . . . Reproduction taking place.

Makes our hearts fuller as we experience this time with our friends and partners!

Our Time In Bosnia

It's been an incredible time here in Bosnia! The best part is always about the friendships.

• It has been so good to see our "other daughter" Regina (see picture above). Regina was in our daughter's Jamie and Joni's weddings and was an intern at Spring Lake and lived with us. She really is amazing and has been a wonderful host to our time here.
• We have loved expanding our friendship and partnership with Frank & Sue. They are coming to Spring Lake for the next several months (pray for housing). We so enjoyed connecting and can't wait to deepen that in the months ahead.
• Trent & Nikki are new connects for us as they serve World Hope here in Bosnia. We have had some wonderful times laughing and sharing and gaining greater insights into the excellent work they are doing here. It's been so great!
• We met other new friends - Adam & Kristen & Matt & Anna and 5 very special children we have connected with deeply.
• We heard of the difference that Daine & Becky Shannahan made while they were here (we just missed them by a couple of days) working on a transforming a school classroom - bringing hope to this community. Thanks Daine & Becky for being such an encouragement to the team here!

Saturday we leave the time with friends to share more significantly as a couple during our stay on Hvar - an island off Croatia. The prayer requests below will be significant for us in the next 2 weeks.

We love and miss all of you who read this and are so grateful for your prayers.

This Week's Prayer Requests . . .

Our time in Croatia . . .

1. Growth as a couple
2. Direction for Gwen as she dreams, listens, and looks ahead for God's assignments as she has now completed the season of completing her degree
3. Times of study, meditation, prayer, and listening

This Week's Prayer Requests . . .

Our time in Bosnia . . .
1. Connection with Trent & Nikki Nettleton, Frank & Sue Majors, Regina Freeman and the team in Bosnia - this is a very busy time for them and we want to be sensitive to their needs
2. Couple connection time
3. Enhancement of our mission partnerships and research into potential team trips to this region

Europe with the Kilbry's

Well, after a few days with the Evee and her parents and auntie Julie in Indianapolis, we re-packed the bags for Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, home to Steve, Jo, Ben, Sam, and Emma Kilbry. We had a blast with them in in this central Slovakia city where they work with Youth With a Mission developing and encouraging ministries in prayer, family life, outreach, equipping, discipling and a host of other ways to build the Kingdom of God in Slovakia and beyond.

City Center - Banska Bystrica

Rainbow over the city

Cottage in the mountains in the small mining village of Spania Dolinka (15 minutes outside of Banska Bystrica where Steve & Jo lined us up to stay!)

Looking down the pathway from the waterfall outside of our cottage (on right of picture) into the village

The Roman Catholic Church in Spania Dolinka

Slovakia, a former Eastern Eurpose communistic country, is a largely Roman Catholic - with approximately 80% adherents but much fewer members with a living engaging faith. Steve & Jo have the privilege of working with large groups of inter-confessional Christians - baptists to pentecostals to Catholics to Brethren to Lutheran and everything in between - making a difference to see many Slovaks become followers of Christ.

We had a blast hanging out with the family talking, sharing, visiting castles, eating amazing ice cream (even Gwen was addicted to their ice cream - and she hardly eats the stuff normally)! It was great to enhance our friendship and our partnership with this family and their minstry.

Off to Bosnia

We are now on our way Monday to Bosnia to join our team there. We are overnighting in Budapest, Hungary which has to be one of the loveliest river fronts in the world - highly romantic - so this blog will have to be complete!