Dave left home on Sunday the 21st and since then has been in Poland, the Ukraine, Hungary (after an all night train from the Ukraine - that's a story!), Croatia and Slovenia.
In the Ukraine he visited our JV team there - the Hughes family, and Ben and Kristy Williams who had just arrived to join them. He had a great time with all of them, as well as experiencing some of life in the Ukraine...full of surprises and adventure!
After a cancelled flight and many attempts at figuring out how to get out of the Ukraine, he and Mike Sullivan, who was traveling with him, (a JV missionary) got on an all night train to Hungary where they were then met the next morning by Mel Ellenwood, another JV missionary, who picked them up in Dave's car (which had been at the airport in Poland the day before and was retrieved after a long drive in the snow by Dave's assistant, Lucie, since he didn't make it back to the airport to pick it up!) and they drove on to Croatia.
If you have no idea about distances, get out a map and take a look at all the kilometers logged in getting from one place to another! And I'm only telling you a thumbnail of that story!
Over the week-end in Croatia Dave spoke at a conference for 150 Croatian and Slovenian young people. Dave said he loved it, and that they were very responsive!
After that it was off to Slovenia where he led the JV Council meetings for three days - this is country leaders from the 10 countries where JV is working who gather to pray, think and talk about the JV vision for reaching young people in Central and Eastern Europe...I think there were around 20 there for those meetings.
Tomorrow Dave will get in the car and drive from Croatia through Austria and home to Czech where he'll have a few hours "off" before heading up to the hotel Friday night to teach through Saturday for 150 Czech young leaders on "Spiritual Warfare". The boys and I will be part of the worship band for that conference.
Sunday is our only day to be with just family - pray for sweet connection with each other that day! Dave leaves again Monday morning for the US where he has JV Board Meetings in Chicago, as well as a mission's conference at our home church in Wheaton through the week-end. The week after that is filled with various meetings with people. He'll get home on February 17.
This is a heavy season of travel for Dave. We've been praying for physical and spiritual strength for him, for leadership wisdom and skill, and for blessing on all his interactions and conversations along the way. He says God has been answering!
Please remember to pray for him, and for us, throughout the month of February as we spend a lot of time apart, but doing things that we love and know God has called us to!
Dave did an amazing job teaching at the Croatian conference. He spoke to the audience exactly where they were at. It was great having him here to share in the ministry!
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