A Little Jaunt in England

As many of you know, Erin and I will soon be heading to Texas. But before we could there...we were privileged to attend a conference in Sheffield, England with two of our close friends David and Ally Saxe.

In preparation for the work that we'll be doing in Houston, we wanted to experience the DNA of St. Thomas' (go to the website if you want to know more about St. Thom's) in Sheffield. What an awesome time. We stayed with members of the church in their homes for the entire week. It's always wonderful to sit over some tea (think black tea with milk) and chat about what God is doing in the lives of his people. Sean and Alison were incredibly wonderful to Erin and I. And we just want to say hello to Joshua, Issac and Lydia: the three children who allowed us to invade their home for a week.

The week was full of all sorts of adventures: including a walk through the peak district (which, if you have ever seen the newest version of Pride and Prejudice, is where Keira Knightly stood overlooking the valley), time at Chattsworth (which is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Yorkshire and was used in the film as Mr. Darcy's home), plenty of time at English pubs, and even an afternoon at Starbucks. The best part of the week was spending time at the two churches and learning from others who want to see God's kingdom come. Cheers to the incredible staff at St. Thomas'!!

Below you will find all sorts of pictures from our trip. You will note that there is one picture that appears to be nothing but fog...that's what it is. A great view of Sheffield...wouldn't you agree?!?!

A Friend Turned Pastor

It's been a journey...and one that I never want to forget. After four years, one looks back and wonders where the time has gone. No doubt...God has used the time to shape and to mold future pastors of His church. After four year, two of my dearest friends are being placed into the church as pastors...while I take the summer off to retreat and relax and to prepare for a move to Texas. I was privileged to see my dear friend Ryan ordained at his home church in Wisconsin. A Friend turned pastor...God's Peace RPM!

A Weekend Wedding Whirl

Erin and I spent most of our Memorial Day Weekend in the car...traveling to two weddings; both of whom are very dear friends!

The first wedding was in Kansas City (the home of Hallmark)and we were treated to old friends, many of whom we have not seen in quite a while. It was so good to see all of you this past weekend. It has made our hearts glad. Might I also say...the KC BBQ was absolutely wonderful (for those of you from Texas who are reading this post...it's just different than Texas BBQ). The highlight was watching one of our dear friends marry a Godly man and committ to one another their lives. Really, really great!!

The second wedding was for our dear friend Daniel. Erin and I met Daniel while we were still living and working in Slovakia. He was a fellow missionary. This wedding took us to Omaha (somewhere in middle America) and treated us to wonderful food and good company. The highlight was seeing someone so important to us marry a Godly woman and committ thier lives to one another. Really, really great!

Congratualtions to you, our friends!!! Below are a few pictures of the trip (there is one picture of Erin and Kari that appears multiple times...they were never really satisfied with any of them). Enjoy.

What a Graduate Does

Some of you have asked... "what does a sem graduate do with all his time?" It's a really good question. But, I'm not ready to tell you yet...I'm still soaking up the fact that I am in fact a graduate. Can you believe it (no comment from some of you)?

For those of you who haven't heard...

We are headed to Houston! We are retuning to Christ the King Lutheran Church, which is the same church as our vicarage assignment. While we are not looking to being far from family, we are excited to finally be in a place where we can settle down and make a home for longer than two years. Thank you all for your prayers through the last four years...they have been felt.

More to come...

A Great Responsibility

We were aksed by dear friends to be Godparents for their daughter. Our answer was a quick yes, but we know that the responsibility is great...to see her faith life mature and to remind her of God's work in baptism. A great responsibilty and a great joy. Here is a picture of us and Grace.

The Great Forrest Park Balloon Glow

Well, we know that many of you have been asking, "are they dead?" The answer, of course, is no...just busy.

In August, we left Houston and returned to St. Louis. Brian is in his final year at the Seminary. Can you imagine...Brian as Pastor?! Erin has returned to work for the National Youth Gathering and is looking forward to a return trip to Orlando (though...it's to work). Other than that, we are trying to spend as muh time as possible with family and friends. It's so good for our hearts! To our family and friends in Texas and K-Town...we miss you all terribly.

One of the things we missed while in Texas was the Energizer Bunny. I know that it sounds like a strange thing to miss...but it's true. Every year in St. Louis, the Great American Balloon Race draws hundreds of thousands of people to Forrest Park (about 1/4 of a mile from our home). The race itself is a race of speed and accuracy. Balloons and their pilots take off and race after the Energizer Bunny Balloon (which is by the way the tallest hot-air balloon in the world). The pilots of the Bunny that keeps on goin' land a place a large cirlce upon the ground. The pilots of the other balloons are to be the first to the cirlce and drop a colored flour pack within said circle. Again, speed and accuracy.

Well, the night before the big race is the Balloon Glow. All of the pilots set up their balloons in Forrest Park and at the sound of a fog horn, they all light up their flames and the glow from the balloons light up the darkness. It really is a lot of fun...plus it's free (since Brian is a grad student and soon to be Pastor, free is great!). Anyway, enjoy the picture.

Strangers in a Hostile Land

Before leaving St. Louis and arriving here in Houston...we knew we were headed for trouble. We love the game of baseball and our beloved team, the St. Louis Cardinals. But Houston boasts the Astro's, an unofficial yet official rivalry.

Well, we were priviledged enough to see two games this past weekend, (both of which went extra innings). Have you ever had that experience when walking into a situation when you suddenly realize that you don't belong. It's like that ever too common dream...you know, when you end up at school...you look down...and your naked. Yeah, it's like that. We felt out of place from the moment we arrived. We cheered...of course, only loud enough so as not to be pummeled after the game. We jumped for joy when Astro players were fanned by the ever impressive Chris Carpenter and rookie Anthony Reyes. All we can say is, "Albert in the top of the 10th baby!!!!" In the end, the Cardinals came out on top and we went home with a smile and a satisfaction that has yet to be quelled.

We took some pictures so you could experience it too! Enjoy

VBS

This past week was CTK's VBS. For those of you who are new to the conventional church VBS stands for Vactaion Bible School. It's an opportunity to reach out into the community to teach children about the God story.

Christ the King was priviledged to host 300 children between kindergarten and 5th grade. They would arrive on campus around 12.0opm and leave at 3.00pm. Between the hours of 12.00 and 3.00 children had time to learn different activities like drama, art, sign language, taekwondo, x-training, serving elderly men and women...or even hip hop; they were also taught of God's unfailing love for them. A great opportunity.

To be honest, VBS is contained chaos!! It 300 reasons why Brian doesn't do children's ministry. So, this post is to those who thrive on children and who are committed to teaching them.