From the mountain to the valleys to the oceans…of southern Europe…

We’re feeling a bit dizzy from swishing through forests on ziplines, floating in rolling waves in the Adriatic Sea and sprinting to the finish line in a series of races. It seems that family time for us is rarely playing board games, much as we’ve enjoyed our Catan battles this year. More often it’s biking the long, winding trails that flow from Italy to Austria, hiking rolling mountain peaks while admiring jagged alps just across the valley or climbing and zipping for hours on a massive ropes course.

While we thoroughly enjoy all that, stand amazed at the beauty of God’s creation, and thank Him each evening for the bodies and the opportunity to enjoy all this, we also ask Him daily to guide us into where He’s have us serve, either here in Italy or elsewhere.

Sandi continues to greet folks at church as he operates the great sliding glass door to the sanctuary, and to serve coffee after the service, both of which require significant training, believe it or not. As a family each Monday we help serve our Ukrainian “guests” who remain at the church. Thank God for those who have been able to learn enough Italian to find jobs and housing of their own, and for the movement of their hearts toward Him while they were our guests. Pray that their journey toward Him would continue!

While we enjoy this service in the church, and all the ways we serve the swim team, and having front-row seats to God work among the displaced people, we do long to understand what God seems to be trying to teaching us. As we move into the final week of camp, the final weeks of summer and the beginning of the autumn season, would you join us in asking God to help us understand and learn, so that we might exit the cycle of moving, and enter into deeper relationship with Him and more consistent service in His Kingdom? And since we serve shoulder to shoulder in this, our Lord’s army, let us know how we can come alongside you in prayer as well.

Mt Elmo on the border between Austria and Italy.