Visit to the States

I (Bethany) just returned last week from a special 10-day trip to the U.S. to celebrate the wedding of my sister, Crista and her new husband John. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to be there for her special day. Maya came along, and it was quite the exhausting adventure for the two of us. We flew to Atlanta and spent two days at my brother's house. My parents picked us up and we drove 4 hours to their new house in South Carolina. 4 days later we got in the car again and drove to Virginia (6 hours). The day after we drove 9 hours up to Connecticut and were there for 4 days for the wedding. All of this travel was tiring and unfortunately, Maya got sick just after getting over jet lag. It was rough, but also full of many special times with family. I am thankful to be back home where Maya is recovered and sleeping well again, but I miss my family.

While I was gone, Nate held down the fort with Ellie. We had a babysitter come each day so Nate could work (he's been prepping a sunday school class for the fall and he was working on a sermon) and in the afternoons, Nate and Ellie went on many fun adventures together including rock climbing, camping, visiting a favorite museum, hiking and swimming. Their time was full like ours!

Here are some photo highlights from our time the last two weeks:

How can my niece be 15 already??

Beautiful ceremony by the water

Fun at the reception

The happy couple

Grammy and Maya

All the cousins who were there

Fun at home - ice cream!

Ellie in her sleeping bag on her first camping trip

Sunset on Neusiedlersee - Nate and three other dads took four toddler girls camping!

Climbing excursion

Signs of Spring

Part of the fun of having a new place to live in is that we get to try our hand at an herb and veggie garden again. The last time we were really able to attempt this was back in Illinois. We had mixed success last time around, but I (Nate) have been trying to learn all I can from the internet. We are only a week or so into it, and we already have sprouts. Today I got out my macro set up (taking close up pictures of things) to take some photos. Here are a few that I really liked!

baby sage leaf

Also sage. Once the first leaves sprout, these little ones form in between the stem.

Brand new mint leaves

This is zoomed in on the mint leaves. I really love the texture of the cells on the leaf.

The Significance of Our New Coat Rack

So today was a pretty big day - we got internet and a big chunk of our kitchen additions built! We have had a ton of help, but even with that, we have worked pretty hard the last week (yesterday marked a week since we have been back in Vienna). 

Just a minute ago, I looked over at our coat rack. Sure - it feels good to get something attached to the wall. Attaching something to the wall here can be a noisy process and a mess with a big drill. But this coat rack provides a more important sense of satisfaction.

It is funny, but having a place to put our coats makes this new apartment feel just a little bit more like home. It reminds us that this place will eventually feel like home - our home - and that we can stop flitting from place to place and really settle here. I know we won't be here forever, but it is a huge comfort to not just say, "when I am settled, I want that," but to actually be able to dream and make it a reality.

I think I am beginning to realize that we are finally done with this last stage. We are done with 3 months here or there. We are so thankful to be here and that God has sustained us through all of our wanderings. We are praying that we will faithfully serve him in the land he has led us into, building upon all that we've learned as we've experienced constant transition.

Another 3 Months

It seems like our lives have been stints of 3 months for quite awhile now.

We haven't been stationary for much more than 3 months in a long time. In the States before we left for Europe, we bounced around the country as we said goodbye to people and places and raised support. It was a lot of transition all the time. So...coming to Vienna was a nice change. Compared to our last year, arriving in Vienna felt like our first semi-permanent situation in awhile.

But now we have closed out those first 3 months, and we are on to our second to last section of the journey here in Lichfield, England. We're so new here, I had to look up the spelling of the town. We are excited to see what God does with our time here, but it still a bit difficult to adjust yet again to a new place. We can't wait to learn from our co-laborers here and to get involved in the ministry they are doing. We are so thankful that God has walked with us on the journey, and we know that He will continue to provide all that we need.

The transition here was hard. I think it was the combination of a quiet Christmas away from our families, lots of free time to think about that, the stress of our visa application process, and having to pack up and move again. All of that made for an emotional last week in Vienna. I think Bethany and I are both thankful that we made it through the last week, and we can begin the settling process in this new place.

The constant through all of this has been God's faithfulness. Even though transitions are tough, it's been evident that God's hand has been in each one. We've had places to stay, needed resources, and supportive team members and friends at each juncture. He has gone before and paved the way in really clear ways. We're so thankful.

And so, the adventure we call 'following God' continues!

What is the adventure that God has you on right now?

Surviving the "Visa Overnight of 2013"

Well, we survived! On Tuesday night into Wednesday, we camped outside the visa office and then submitted our applications to the Austrian government. We are relieved it is over!

In the midst of the chaos, there are several things we are thankful for:

• Fellow missionary friends decided to check the office at 7am on Tuesday. There were already people in line! Because of their phone call, we were able to still get a good spot in line.
• The temperature hovered right around freezing. For January, this is pretty mild!
• We had the opportunity to get to know other missionaries during our stint outside.
• Friends of our who live close to the office (and were on vacation) gave us their keys. We had a warm place to go back to as Nate and I took turns out on the street.
•  [From Bethany Only] Nate was gracious and took the overnight shift from midnight - 6am. I was very thankful for his willingness to sacrifice!

It was very important that we were early in line. Believe it or not, the first person in line as a lawyer representing 28 people! With only 60 visas given out, he took almost half of them right away! So even though we were #5 & 6 on the list, we ended up right in the middle of the pack. We were so thankful we got there early!

Thank you for your prayers for us during this time. God was faithful in so many ways. We're glad the ordeal is over. Now it is time to wait and keep praying!

Here are a few photos from the adventure.

Nate looking chipper at the beginning!

A few hours later...a little less chipper.

Trying to stay warm!

Friends rejoicing - someone brought us hot McDonald's!

Our own little "tent city"

One we got inside, they lined us up according to the list.

We're done - we handed in our paperwork and got fingerprinted! Now time to sleep.

A "Classic" Cross-Cultural Experience

So far, we've been here for a week and a half. Time flies! We've been spending most of our time acclimating to life here, by exploring different parts of the city, purchasing household goods, figuring out where to buy toiletries and certain kinds of food... things like that. We have also had to accomplish a few more "official" tasks like getting cell phones, visiting government offices and opening an Austrian Bank account. We are slowly whittling away at the list!

One of the tasks, however, has taken us much longer than expected. We went out earlier this week to obtain international driver's licenses and, let's just say, things didn't go as planned. Here are a few "highlights" from our adventure:

• We found out that we could have done this at a AAA in the States (would have much been easier...but not as exciting!)
• We tried to find the Austrian auto club and got lost because Google didn't know where it was
• We found help at a Hilton Hotel and then walked half an hour in the rain to finally arrive at the auto club 
• After all this, we came home empty handed! 

We filled out paperwork and communicated in broken German to the receptionist (successfully!) and at the end of the appointment, we were handed documents and told to visit another office to the get licenses. This is very Austrian - lots of paperwork, offices and bureaucracy.

The whole time, we maintained a positive attitude, mostly because it was exactly what we had been told to expect. The task took MUCH longer than we expected, we got lost, we had trouble communicating and in the end, we did not even accomplish our goal. A classic cross-cultural experience!

As we continue to cross the bridge from one culture to another through experiences like this, we hope we can continue to laugh and enjoy the adventure. We hope to continue finding the positive in these situations, like the fact that we were able to communicate with the receptionist or that we are now one step closer to  our goal. There is always a silver lining and out of every experience, we learn something new.

Photo credit: MetalliX from morguefile.com

One year ago...

Our garage sale where we sold most of our stuff - June 2011

One year ago today....

...we left our apartment behind and began a nomadic lifestyle.

...we gave up "feeling normal" and having a place to call home.
  
...we put our belongings in storage and learned to live more simply.
     
...we began a grand adventure that I has been hard, but so rewarding! And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

The view from our car the first day on the road - July 1, 2011

It's interesting to reflect on the fact that it has been a year since our big transition. As with many things, it seems like it's flown by so quickly and like it's been so long...all at the same time. As time goes by and we are "nomadic" for longer, I can admit that it gets more difficult. At first, the newness and feeling of adventure was enough to keep us going. The excitement of taking the next step and getting closer to Austria made the transitions easier. But it is beginning to wear on us. We miss having a place to call home, a retreat and a safe haven. We miss having a kitchen to cook in and we miss having access to some of the hobbies and things we enjoy doing together. We miss not having to pack and unpack every few weeks. But most of all, we miss stability. And we look forward to the day we will have it again in Austria. Each day, that stability and home get closer!

Here There and Everywhere

Bethany and I are embarking on a new phase of our journey. We began by leaving the relative safety of an apartment and full time work, and now God has another step for us. We are going to be even more nomadic as we travel down the east coast and then back and forth.

I have been thinking about what this means to go on a journey and I thought that these images would communicate this idea very well.

BWCA Canoe Trip

Last Sunday Bethany and I set out on a great adventure.  We traveled to one of the great wilderness areas of the US for 4 days of canoeing, camping, and adventuring.  The weather was perfect and so were our times together.  It was wonderful to see God's creation.  Over and over that place confirmed Psalm 19:1-2


¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
   and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
   and night to night reveals knowledge.


I hope that the photo slideshow does just a bit of justice to the glory of God in creation we experienced.


How have you seen God's glory in creation recently?

It is Good to Have Goals

So disclaimer number 1 here is Bethany and I are NOT pregnant!



I stumbled upon an article recently from Backpacker magazine about carrying babies along on backpacking trips. It lead me to a few other articles.  Seems this is a whole new niche of backpacking and outdoor adventures.  These people strap 30 lbs of gear to their back and then a 20 lb baby to their front.  Now, they usually will cut their distance in half and aren't usually hiking over rough terrain...  I really like this concept. I aspire to this when we have a family.

I know that having kids is one of the hardest things that you could ever do, but I think there is something intrinsically healthy about doing something like this. I think when some people have kids, they feel as though their life has completely ended.  There is a turning inward that happens, much of which is natural and similar to what happens when two people get married.  But I also know that in times of massive transition, we need to fight for things that help to keep us sane, even if they can look harder and more daunting than the hill we are already climbing.

I think that is something we are learning right now.  Through seasons of difficulty, we need to push beyond the immediate comforts we hold to into greater communion with God and stronger community with others. Often those first things that we cling to are the least healthy.

Photo credit: jeltovski from morguefile.com

Holga Vol 3

I love my holga.  I have had it for a few years ago.  I love getting film back from processing.  I love the adventure of turning ordinary moments extraordinary.  Here are my 3 most favorite shots from my last roll.

from Holga vol 3

What gives you a sense of adventure and exploration?

I Can't Catch Myself

This last weekend I got back from a climbing trip up to Devil's Lake. It was pretty spectacular. If you don't believe me, there are pictures on facebook to prove how amazing it was. We got to hike and climb. The weather was perfect and the climbing was great.

There were several times when I was climbing that I was began thinking about the concept of trust. The first was when I finished my first climb, probably a 60 or 70 foot route. I got to the top, checked all the gear on the anchor and leaned back into the harness. Now if you have never experienced this sensation it is similar to sitting back into a chair. The harness grabs you around the waist and across your thighs and you sit or lean into it. As the rope tightened and the harness caught, the thought flashed through my mind, "I can't catch myself." If something were to go wrong, I wouldn't be able to catch myself. The rocks were too far away, and I was completely at the mercy of my equipment and the person holding the other end of the rope.

There was a second time I had this thought. I wanted a picture of me from the top of the rampart. So I clipped into the anchor point, leaned over the edge and had Bethany snap a few shots of me. It was completely safe (I was clipped to webbing that can hold thousands of pounds), but the thought crossed my mind, "There is no way I could catch myself if the anchor gave way." It is a sobering thought.

The challenge for me is that I don't live my faith this way. I think the call to Christ is a call to trust him in such a way that we have no second option, we have not way out. We trust Him and Him alone, and if he lets go we have nothing else. Everyone knows what it is to feel something give way under pressure. To grab a tree branch and feel it break as you pull on it or to feel your foot slide as you try to walk up a slippery incline. And yet God has promised that he will not let go of us.

But here comes the tricky part. There are times in our life where it will feel like the anchor breaks. There are times when it will feel like God is asleep at the wheel of eternity. But it is in those times, those times where it feels like we are free falling, those times when it feels like we are no longer connected to the anchor, that he catches us. It is a beautiful and painful mystery.

Thoughts on Climbing

Recently I went to North Conway, NH on an ice climbing trip with some of Bethany's family. It was basically amazing. Besides being bit by the climbing bug pretty bad, bad enough to start a membership at Vertical Endeavors , I saw lessons about life that were rolled into the climbing experience. I want to post a few thoughts about this trip.

Most things in life are deceptively safe. Walking down the street, driving down the road and plugging in a toaster: life is full of danger. Most of these dangers aren't something that we normally recognize.

Standing below the cliff on the second day, I couldn’t believe that we were going to climb to the top. Just the day before, I was so frustrated trying to learn how to use these new tools.  But I had things I could trust to keep me safe.

I trusted my gear. We used climbing ropes both to tie into each other and to tie ourselves to the rock. We trusted our ropes and harnesses to keep us safe. In a way it was comforting to have something to check and re-check.  We also used crampons and ice tools that made it possible climb vertical sheets of ice.

More importantly I trusted my partner. Dan was an experienced climber. He had been traveling to this area for the last 7 years climbing. I knew that when I fell, he would have the end of the rope. I can count on him. When I asked him if he thought I could make this climb, his affirmation gave me courage to face the climb.

When we say we trust God, I think often times we have a disconnect of what that actually means. When I am climbing, trusting my rope means betting my life that it will keep me safe. I want to trust God like that.