Goodbye's

Yes, I know it is normal to have to say "goodbye" in life. Especially MY life. Doesn't make me enjoy them more, just makes me realize the importance of saying them well.

Last Sunday was our last official Sunday in Vlasim at the church we helped plant and worked in for 5 and a half years. Seems short and long at the same time. There have been many really hard times as well as times when it has been really good. Like life.

There was a chance for us to speak (Tom and I). I prayed for a quite a bit about what God would have me say to the people that make up the church. I ended up being led to share Zephaniah 3:17
" The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Then, in addition to this picture of how God feels about us, His Church, I was lead to share that they need to be in the Word for themselves. They, as children of God, have the Holy Spirit to guide them and they don't need to follow one person or seek truth elsewhere. I pray that for the church as a whole.

There was food, which was good, I assume as the kids said so. Tom and I had meaningful conversations with people in the church and felt affirmed many times throughout those conversations.

So, even as we said, goodbye, we said hello. To what? Well, to more travel for Tom, a different ministry in the sense that we won't be church planting now. We are working with Roma at Klub Rachel, as well as encouraging work in Hungary, Slovakia and other parts of Czech among the Roma.

Tom is also the RG connector with Refugee Highway Partnership see:
http://www.refugeehighway.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=33

This involves connecting those with RG currently working with or interested in working with refugees anywhere along the lines of their journey be it at the beginning as they escape their country or at the end where they need help settling in to their new country.

We are in the process of visiting churches in Prague where we may attend. This promises to take a while as we intend to visit many times before deciding. Pray that we would hear God's voice as we visit.

We are looking forward to many visits this spring, which also means many goodbyes. Pray that we would do this well and enjoy the hello's also! By they way, you are welcome here too!