This weekend

On Saturday I'm being given a baby shower. I'm so excited and thankful for the ladies hosting it for me. They don't have baby showers in Europe (from I've been told) and so this is going to be a new thing for those invited. It'll be a chance for me to have some time to visit with friends and not have to wrestle Nathan too :) I just hope I can make it to the party before this baby comes! My next Dr. appointment is Monday, Oct. 2nd. Have a great rest of the week!

Krista

Monday

We woke up this morning to a dense fog outside. It eventually cleared off, but it left the grass pretty wet for most of the day. All in all things have been pretty quite around here today. Between stints of working in my office, I have helped Krista take care of some of the last minute cleaning she wanted to be done before the new baby comes. One thing is for sure, his arrival is closer today than it was yesterday. Other than that it is a waiting game. Judging by the way Krista has been feeling, it won't be too long, though. Either way we are ready.

Please pray for our ministry colleagues, the Browns. Curt left today to drive to Munich to pick up Melinda and Ben from the airport (Curt and Emily flew in two weeks ago). Their flight arrives around 8:00 in the morning, then they have to make the five hour drive back home to Graz.

As far as I know, our other team members, the Lantrips, are doing well. Sarah is hosting a baby shower for Krista on Saturday. She has invited several of Krista's friends to attend and I know that Krista is really looking forward to it.

Well that pretty much does it news wise for today. As I said before it has been a pretty quite and uneventful day. I hope yours is going well.

Danny

Family Outing

Yesterday we were invited to join some of our friends for the day. We followed them up to Schöckel, which is a mountain getaway where many people choose to spend their free time year round. In the wintertime, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and trekking are all popular. In spring, summer and fall people enjoy activities such as hiking, mountain biking, paragliding and of course just soaking up the sun. They also have a playground for the kids, a Rodelbahn (rollercoaster on the side of the mountain that is driven by gravity) and eating establishments that offer home-cooked Steirisch (our province) meals. We chose to ride the cable car to the top of the mountain and go for a short hike. We couldn't do anything too strenuous because of Krista being in a motherly way. We hiked over to the side of the mountain where people paraglide and hang-glide from. It was really interesting to watch them take off. At one point we counted more than ten paragliders in the sky at one time. There were probably more but our view was blocked by the tall evergreens that cover the mountain. After watching the gliders for an hour or so we hiked back and ate at one of the local restaurants. I had Schweinsbraten and Krista and Nate had Schnitzel. By the end of the day we were all tuckered out. Nate slept most of the way home. All in all it was a very nice day. Have a great weekend!


Danny

Soon!

Today we went to the Dr. and she said I'm on my way to having a baby soon. My due date is 3 1/2 weeks away and she said there's no way I'll go that long. So the real waiting game begins. We're excited and nervous all together. Keep us in your prayers as we get some last minute things around the house done and prepare to bring a baby brother home to Nathan! Oh, keep him in your prayers too. This is going to rock his world and I know he'll do great, but still... it's a change. I'm exhausted today so this is going to be it for now. Have a great day!

Krista

Hospital tour

Yesterday, we toured the hospital that I will deliver our baby boy. It was nice. The recovery room looked like a room in the U.S. and the labor/delivery room was somewhat normal till you see the corner of the room that had a ladder on the wall, a rope hanging from the ceiling, a bouncy ball in the corner, 2 huge mattresses stacked on each other. The midwife (our tour guide) said it's for helping with labor, etc. I said that I planned on having some pain killers and wasn't planning on moving around a lot! haha! My first thought was that they had a place for your other kids to play while you delivered...hahaha! Nathan would've had a great time there. There is no parking garage/lot, just on the street which seems to be always full and you have to pay! I think we'll have someone take our car and move it when Danny brings me in, there's no way we can leave it there since I'm expected to stay 5 days for a normal birth! How crazy is that?!?! In the U.S. if you had a normal birth: 3 days - no more and sometimes even before the actual 3 days is used up. I'd rather 'heal' at home anyway. Oh well, it may be nice to get some extra sleep/attention for a bit. My only complaint was the lack of thought in the parking and that's just because I'm trying to think of all Danny will have on his mind and the last thing I want him to worry about is 'Where do I park?' and having to wonder if we'll make it.. haha!

Krista

Saturday!

Well, I don't know about where you are at the moment, but it's a nice, cool, rainy, cloudy, sleepy day around here. I love this weather! It's a nice day to get comfy on the couch and watch a movie or read a good book. Nathan didn't feel like sleeping in this morning...why?!?!? He's growing up so fast... we talk about having a baby all the time and he seems to know some days what that means, then another day and he won't have a clue. Needless to say, life is about to get REALLY interesting!

Something I'm thankful for is my brothers and their wives. We email or talk on the phone quite a few times a week and I appreciate the effort on both sides. I'm close to my family and considering how God has moved our family around it's a blessing to know that no matter how far apart we are geographically, we find the time to connect. They make me laugh and I know they are there if I need to cry. We support each other, we pray for each other, we love each other. If you haven't done it in awhile, call or write your family and tell them you're thinking of them. Even if the connection isn't as strong or has been damaged a little.... family is important.

Krista

Worrying

Well, since I'm the one that's been writing lately (Danny's been busy with work and signing up for Univ.) you're hearing alot of what I think and feel. If you're a guy and are tired of that... so sorry, that's part of being me :)

So I am beginning to feel some anxiety toward having another baby. Just thinking of all the differences here and my only other experience (Nathan's birth) it's hard not to wonder how things will go. I worry about how Nathan will do, I worry about my responsibilities to my family, I worry about being away from my family, I worry about the stress that Danny goes thru, I worry about finances, I worry about ________, you could fill the blank in yourself because we all have something that plagues our mind... for some of us it's the everyday things, for others it's the future or a health issue, it's a family problem, it's a job problem. No matter what it is we ALL have something that we can't shake out of our minds at times. But I have to keep telling myself, in any situation that I may be in, that God is in control. He is my Peace. He is my Rock. My Fortress. My Anchor. My Help in time of need. He is my Provider. The list could go on and on and on... Christ is ALL I need. It's such a shame that sometimes my 'old self' takes over and I waste precious time worrying when I could be going thru the day with a peace of mind. I'm fully aware it's easier said than done, but daily time with God makes it easier to say and then believe.

I'm praying that I put God first... daily. It makes all the difference.

Krista

A-team

Well, in a few hours the Brown family will be arriving back in Austria! Yeah! They have been on a furlough and we're very excited to have the rest of the team back on this side of the world. Ok, maybe we're excited that Danny won't be mowing their yard anymore..haha! They have a beautiful yard, but my-o-my, it's a very steep hill. Please pray for them as they travel.

I am reading books by Francine Rivers and I am thoroughly enjoying them, I would say she's my favorite author. I have been reading her books for a few years now. I have read her 5 book series on women of the Bible and one from her men of the Bible series. She has a GREAT book called 'Redeeming Love' too. I have to tell you that is one of the best books I've ever read in my life. It is based on the book of Hosea. Wow! You've got to read it. I've read it 2-3 times in the last couple of years. I read it and then it made me want to dissect the book of Hosea in the Bible. I am currently in the series "Mark of the Lion".

Have a great day and spend some time with God!

Krista

David & Britney's wedding

I finally downloaded some of my pictures from our trip. Here are few pictures from David & Britney's wedding. David is Danny's brother. Danny performed the ceremony and did a great job! We had a good time getting to know our new sis-in-law too. Nathan really took a liking to his new Aunt. Pray for them as they start this new adventure together!! I'll post pictures of the 2nd wedding we were a part of when I get the disc.

Krista

Progressing

Things continue to progress for the ministry here. We had to have some repairs done on our car this week. We took it to a shop owned by a lady that we have become acquainted with here. When I picked up the car tonight she told me that she hoped that we would quickly get a church started so she could attend. She said she is tired of attending churches with no power. My prayer is that God would allow us to start a church that is overflowing with power from Him and that He would use it change many lives that His name may be exalted. Please pray towards that end. Have a great day!

Danny

Just 3

So a week ago we flew out of DFW and I think last night we all went to bed at a normal time and woke up at a normal time this morning. You've got to love jet lag! haha. Danny's still working on getting a few things around the house in order. Our hot water was back 2 days later after our arrival and our phone is somewhat in working order today.

I have 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 weeks left of my pregnancy...I'm getting a little nervous. When I had Nathan I was nervous too, but it was the 'unknown' that worried me. This time it's that I know what should happen and I'm a little worried about how my German will hold up in labor. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and that there are no problems with our baby boy.

Here's a picture of the 3 of us.... not for long though!

Krista

Home

We arrived back in Graz on Wednesday and we had an ok trip, just long and tiring. The weather however was awesome!!!! It was rainy and in the 50's! Woo-hoo! Right up my alley. Though it was a shock after leaving 100 + in Texas. Here's a brief update on us for now: We arrived at our house and had no hot water, internet or phone. So we just got the internet up and working today...we hope...so if it goes out again it'll be awhile till you hear from me. We had switched to a new company before leaving and are trying to figure out all the bugs. Our house also got hit with lightening while we were gone so we are trying to figure out what was affected by that. We got hot water today... boiling water and bathing is not fun. I went to the Dr. and all is well with me and baby. Nathan is glad to be home. I'll post pictures from the weddings another time. Just wanted to say 'hi' and that we are here.

Krista