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The last two weeks have been extremely busy with traveling, swimming, great fellowship and sightseeing! Last week we had the incredible opportunity to tour the delightful country of Slovenia. It is a small country that borders Croatia. There are currently 3 members who live there. Sylvia, who is a single woman who lives in the capital city, guided us through Lbuijana, Slovenia’s capital. We were quickly awestruck by its narrow, granite stoned streets that were lined with colorful houses and cafes. It was like being on a movie set! The treat of the afternoon was a trip to a 16th century castle that sat on a very high hill overlooking the city. Nadia wanted to cartwheel the whole way up. She quickly figured out this was going to be quite difficult! When we arrived at the castle, we were able to go up one of the towers and tour its chapel room. The chapel was painted a melon color and had many crowns representing the various kings who had ruled the country. Moved by the incredible acoustics of the small chapel room, Nadia broke out into a full operatic aria that even Pavarotti would have been moved to tears! With all the special attractions, the most wonderful one was Sylvia herself. She travels 2-3 hours by train each weekend to worship and fellowship with the church. She really desires to be used by God to help others know him. Her upbeat and faithful attitude is contagious. Oh, brothers, did I mention she is single? We were very grateful to be able to spend time with her and be influenced by her faith.

As our time comes to a close we have been blessed with spending time with Shawn, Lena, Andrew and Diana! They are traveling the world this summer visiting churches and encouraging them. They are traveling with another family, the Efstathions, who are from Massachusetts. The great thing about the kingdom is that we can all find some type of connection to one another. Chris, is an elder in training in the Worcester Mass. church and he is from Palatka! Yes, Gator fans, he was converted in Gainesville, Florida! He sends his love to all of you and thanks you for your faithfulness. We traveled with him and his family, the other Wootens and the ministry couples from Zagreb to the coast of Croatia. Croatia boasts some of the world’s most picturesque beaches. We are now believers!

As we traveled the mountainside singing devotional songs and praying in the van, it was almost automatic that you praised God for his incredible nature and beauty. With a lush mixture of green plants and rocky parched spaces, it leaves you oohing and ahhing as you make your way to the beaches. When we arrived in Brela, the beach city we were traveling to, we stayed in a disciple’s home who was very generous to us. Croatia’s pebble beaches and blue green water of the Adriatic Sea are a memory we will treasure. It was fantastic to watch Nadia and Skylar play with their cousin in the water and float on inflatables. Each day, the 14 of us had breakfast and some kind of devotional together. Derek even managed to flip Shawn over in the water! Boys will be boys! We even had a starlight devotional in which we all went on the roof of the house and gazed at the stars on our backs, listened to a scripture, sang songs and prayed together. This was so moving and gave you a sense of God’s peacefulness. Our last day on the coast was spent in the ancient Roman city of Split. The emperor Diocletian ruled this area 1,800 years ago. Historically, Diocletian was known for his immense cruelty to the Christians who lived there. He was responsible for the killing of a countless number of disciples. It was amazing that despite the efforts that one man may make to stop the spread of the Gospel, today we are faithful and God’s intention to save many has and will continue to survive! Although Diocletian’s attempts to stop Christianity crumbled, a good portion of his palace still remains. It was fascinating to see the original columns, stone and walls still standing erect after almost 2,000 years. We were able to walk through the castle and climb a watchtower that overlooked the vast harbor of Split.