Expressing Faith

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6b

What a beautiful thought. Impossibly hard if we focus on ourselves. Amazingly liberating when we realize it's the life Jesus has invited us in to and equipped us for.

Faith being expressed through love has been on my mind for the last few days. It's what I pray for and am counting on for this coming week. My heart catches as I anticipate what feels like a free fall into grace, exciting and scary, but I have faith it's what God made me for.

My friend Nichole and I leave in three days for Serbia! How is it possible that the dream has become a reality?

On this coming Wednesday evening at 6pm Nichole and I will board a plane headed for Frankfurt, Germany. A couple of hours later we will fly to Belgrade, Serbia. From there we will bus to Novi Sad. If all goes well we will arrive in Novi Sad around dinnertime on Thursday!

Friday morning the real journey begins. We will meet with the staff of Dom Veternik, a mental institution housing both adults and children, and touring the facility. For the six days we're in Serbia we will be spending as much time as possible building friendships, learning about the institution, and interacting with the residents.

On Saturday we will also be connecting with Christians in Novi Sad that God has brought us in contact with, including joining them for church! I'm excited about making friends wherever we can.

As we prepare to go won't you join in praying with us? Here are some tangible things we could use prayer for:

• Our families as we're apart, for their peace and our safety. Calm as we fly for hours (I dislike flying!).
• Good relationships to be built with the staff of the institution and Christians in Novi Sad.
• Our heart's to be in tune with Jesus heart. For us to walk in confident humility, grace, joy, and compassion. For us to have tough stomachs and peace. 
• For Nichole and myself to experience a unity of spirit and purpose.
• For open hearts to hear God's direction during this visit, as well as to determine the next steps he would have us take.

We couldn't and wouldn't want to go alone. We take your encouragement and prayers with us, lifting us up and reminding us of the grace God has called us to! Thank you friends for helping us to express faith through love!