Pictured above saying goodbye and going through security at Kansas City International Airport (January 30, 2018)
Thank you for praying for us as we finished our six months of deputation in the States and returned to Budapest, Hungary. With gratitude and joy, we acknowledge that the Lord was very gracious in giving us strength to pack the house, get things moved to our US storage, get 17 suitcases and 5 carry-ons to Budapest, and gave us smooth flights, easy connections and even some sleep on our trip back to Hungary.
Now that we are here in Hungary, we've started packing for our move to Croatia. (For those who haven't heard, we are moving from Hungary to Croatia in order to be closer to the Roma with whom we work in Croatia and Serbia, which will greatly cut down on Todd's travel and will give Pam and the kids an opportunity to minister to the Roma locally.)
We will travel to Croatia tomorrow (Wednesday) through Saturday. Would you pray for us, please, that in His providence, the Lord will accomplish His purposes for this trip, and even "grant [us our] heart's desire and fulfill all [our] plans"? (which are):
1. To find a house in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, to rent. Pray it will be in a good location, at a reasonable price (what we have been quoted so far is too high so we need either more options or for them to lower their price), with enough rooms for our family, Todd's office and a room for meeting with our Roma colleagues for doing translation together, with honest and kind landlords.
2. To begin the process of getting visas to live in Croatia. Pray for favor as we go to the local police station with our documents. Pray the Lord will give us favor in their eyes and that we can easily, quickly and inexpensively get visas to live in Croatia.
3. Pray for no problems crossing the border in our car from Hungary into Croatia and back into Hungary as we have had problems with this in the past. Pray that our US and International driver's licenses will prove adequate.
4. For Pam and the kids to meet with friends in Croatia.
5. For Todd to meet with Djeno and Biljana, our Roma translators for the Chergash language: for good camaraderie, successful planning sessions with them, for their laptop and tablet to work well with the translation software and for wisdom and progress in checking the draft Bible translation work.
6. For Kirsten, Daniel and Ariela to enjoy the trip, find delight in the town and local ministry we will move to, make good friends, and experience God's grace in yet another international transition. (Transition seems to be the name of the game for missionaries. Elizabeth told me the other day that she had counted up that she has moved 24 times!)
Thank you. It is so uplifting to know that hundreds of people are praying for us!
Todd (& Pamala)
Pictured below almost 20 hours later, having arrived in Budapest, Hungary, by the good hand of our God! (January 31, 2018)
