Beginnings...

It has started...well actually 9 months ago it started, but the doctor said things are beginning in the process of delivering our little Abigail.
So any day now. We had a GREAT time visiting the hospital here in Kranj on Thursday. All the nurses and doctors are very professional and friendly and the facility is nice. We aren't sure if it is air conditioned but it is cool inside, something very important in this 99 degree weather we have been having.

Since camps ended, I have had some time to paint the baby room and put furniture together so that is all ready for our little one and Amy has her overnight bag packed so now we are just waiting. We can see Abigail's feet or elbows moving around and we wonder how much room she really has in there at this point. We've received so many wonderful gifts from so many, including Amy's parents church who sent gifts with the Cornerstone team. And then Bob & Anita Bailey also brought gifts from their Mainstream mini-church and a few others from Good Shepherd. We feel so prepared and ready...just waiting for the little girl to make her entrance!

The first camp ended well. What a great group of students! We love them to pieces and many of them really thought again about a relationship with Christ. On the night we presented the good news of Jesus' gift, we gave the students some time to think and then later to ask questions to someone if they wanted to. Right away one girl, a great friend, asked about how Christ could just give this to us and there must be something she could do to earn it. Many couldn't accept this gift that night because they believed they weren't good enough for it. Which is exactly right, none of us are good enough for it! I am so glad it is a free gift. Please keep praying for these students as they walk on this road toward a relationship with Christ, that as they discover pieces to the picture it would encourage them to move forward to uncover the whole picture of Christ's love.

We had 32 Jr. High students crowded in Trdna Skala for the 2nd English Day Camp. Using the church room upstairs, the hallway, the pottery workshop next door and outside we packed this little corner of Kranj with youth. The evening program was in Trdna Skala, 45 people all together jumping, singing, playing games, and thinking about the possibility of viewing life, the world around them, and God differently. It was HOT!!! It was also the beginnings of another group of youth. We will meet in September for a camp reunion and from there hopefully see the Lord form a group together where they can be exposed to God's truth and grace throughout the school year.

The most exciting thing of the summer for me was having 5 of our High School students serving alongside us at the day camp. They served with all their strength. One of them even told us "Now I know why you were so tired at our camp, this is hard work." A small boy from an underpriviledged neighborhood kept coming by to check out what was going on. Anja, who was helping at camp, had so much compassion and care for this 6 year old boy. She wants to do a camp for the younger kids in the fall in his neighborhood. Tilen, Aljaz and I all took steps closer to each other and God in working together to serve others. It is fun to see these young people mature right before our eyes. The beginings of a movement of God among the youth of Kranj and Slovenia.

As the Josiah Venture team we did 5 English camps here in Slovenia and this next week we do our last two camps for the summer. Today starts an adventure camp for the guys and a camp for the girls on the coast. These are designed to be a next step in relationships. Five young guys will be going with Micah and Mark on Sunday and then Thursday, Erin will be bringing a group of girls (who want a little more adventure than what the girls camp offers), up to where the guys will be doing camp to rock climb, some sports on the river and paint-balling.

Next time you hear from us we will be 3 most likely!

We can't wait...
Joel & Amy