Summer Photos

Hello,

I finally uploaded 10 photos showing what our lives (or at least Oliver's) have been like during our stay at Bristol.

My parents live at Bristol Lake. It is a very quiet 30 acre lake. My appreciation of Indiana's beauty has increased during our stay in the cabin that sits only 10 yards from the shore. Living this close to nature, you begin to notice things that would be unimportant in the city, like which way the wind is blowing.

The sunsets have been wonderful and the storms incredible. We've seen lots of deer, even spotted wobbly baby deer, and now that it's later in the summer, we can eat out of the garden.

Bristol has been a great place to live. First off, there's cheep enthusiastic baby sitting available with grandma and grandpa. Next, is the water, which is always refreshing. Then, there is the peace.

But what I've enjoyed most about Bristol is the guests. It is a fantastic place to be hospitable. I only wish there was enough time to invite everyone out.

So check out the photos to see what summer has been like at Bristol.

~matthew

ETD

In case you haven't heard, we are officially moving to Hungary. We are inches away from being fully supported and will be moving on August 10th, that's two weeks. In other words, soon.

The basic plan is to stay with Melinda's parents in Budapest while we situate our apartment. We will be living initially in Erd, a western suburb of Budapest. That is where OM - Hungary is located. We will be living in a tri-plexed team house. But not for long. Early next year we will be moving to Tatabanya.

What an exciting, albeit nerve racking, time in our lives. We are anxious to be obedient to the Lord, but pulling up tent stakes again is no fun.

Please pray for us in the final days here. We have much to be anxious about - visas, passports, shipping and travel arrangements. And then there is the incredibly sad task of saying good-bye (for awhile!)

Tonight, some major thunder storms are passing through Indiana. It is always reassuring to me to hear the thunder. It reminds me of two things. The first is that God is powerful. The second is that cooler days are coming.

I'm looking forward to the cooler days. For a week now, we've felt like this snowman. He was formed from the frost in our freezer. We enjoyed his company, though he didn't stay around too long.

Don't ask me what this snowman and thunder storms have to do with moving to Hungary. I don't think they have anything to do with that, but if we figure something out, we'll tell you. I think, though, that after mentioning how sad we are to be leaving, I just needed to change the subject. So there you have it.

Be sure to check out the new photos!

~matthew

Five Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

1. Stock your carry-on with LOTS of diapers, wipes, changes of clothing (both for Baby and you - you don't want to fly around the world in a shirt that has hmmm... smelly stains on it!). These are items you don't want to run out of.

2. When buying the ticket, confirming the flight, checking in, ask for the bulkhead seats. Then ask again. However, what we learned is that seating is actually decided on the plane! We have been given awful seats despite our requests on the phone and on the ground at the airport, then thanks to some wonderful attendants, we were moved to cool seats or given an extra seat on the plane.

3. Take LOTS of interesting, small, non-messy and relatively quiet toys. Put them in zip-lock bags or wrap them up separately and present them one by one to your Munchkin. Legos, books, play dough, and Daddy's earplugs have proved very entertaining for O. Also, a combination of his old and loved toys and a bunch of new ones works the best. Just don't spend hundreds of dollars on this project - borrow from a friend! (Thanks, Debbie Lemmon! :)

4. Snacks, snacks, and more snacks! There are no "mealtimes" on the plane for our family. Just snack away! Our strategy is to give Oliver goldfish one by one - the more time it takes, the better! They do give you food on the plane, but little kids typically don't get a separate meal; and by the time take off, security presentations, etcetera are done, your toddler may lose patience, which is the last thing you want to happen!

5. Last but not least at all: PRAY! We are always anxious about flying with Oliver, but somehow the Lord provides for us, whether it is an extra seat, a wonderful stewardess, or a long nap for Baby O! :) This last trip I had prayed that there would be other kids on the plane so they would entertain each other, share toys, etc. Guess what? We were seated next to a Bosnian lady whose younger son was 4 days younger than Oliver! Talk about answered prayer!

We're Back

In case you've lost the thread, we're back in the States. We arrived June 7th after a long but uneventful day of travel. We are just about recovered from jet-lag and currently working on the summer Goulash. We are praying that the remainder of our support will be committed by the end of the summer. Stay posted for more information & pictures about how our trip went, what our future plans are, as well as tips for traveling with a toddler and becoming a naturalized US citizen.

Budapest

This is such a beautiful city. This photo, which I took last night is pretty stunning, but it doesn't even come close to the feeling of sitting there on the castle wall on a cool summer's evening. The traffic in Budapest is horrible and like most cities it has a way of beating you down. But then it rewards you will sights light this. Once we get settled in, you'll have to come for a visit! ~matthew

Well, I tripped on daddo's foot and fell headlong into the corner of the bed. I'm alright, but mamma looked a little pale. ~oliver

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Mother's Day walk in the park

Happy Mother's Day!

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Inherit the Earth

foI thought I'd look on-line today and see what's going on in the world. Front page of MSNBC.com, next to the story of Al-Libbi being arrested in Pakistan, is the article entitled, "Giant Rats May Inherit the Earth."

According to the article, some evolutionists are predicting that rats and dandelions will thrive in a trash-heap world extinct of humans. For those who don't necessarily like to read, an artist has depicted these bizarre creatures and their new habitats.

Now that's newsworthy!

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28 April 2005

Plan B

Hello and welcome.

I just wanted to let you know that we are going with plan B. (Plan A, if you didn't know was moving to Hungary in May.) We are looking to move to Hungary on August 10, 2005. We are pretty confident that the Lord will provide all we need and that all the timing issues regarding visas and nationality will be resolved by then.

We will be visiting Hungary between May 23 and June 10 - give or take a few days. This visit will afford us an opportunity to take stuff - almost eliminating our need for shipping. We will meet with all of our partners. We will also be able to visit Tatabanya, the city we have been praying for, and visit the small group of believers there who have been praying for a church to be planted.

Though we are disappointed in having to change our plans, we are confident that God is not changing his. God's peace already testifies in our hearts that this is good, and yet still there is eagerness and urgency. Soon!

Please continue to pray with us that God would match his provision up with our need.

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