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Tucked under

So much to say...I've really struggled lately as to what I should write for blog posts. Now that we are almost done with our third year, I feel like I've written about every traditional school event and given some insight into our ministry here. So instead of laying out the details of our upcoming week (it's a busy one), I think I'm gonna just share some thoughts.

Recently, one of our friends blessed us by coming over and finishing the paint in our living room. He has experience as a professional painter...and he's super tall, so he made quick work of a job that we have put off for 6 months. Anyways, having this task completed made it possible to start using our enclosed balcony as a reading/hangout/movie watching nook. I've been spending a lot of my down time in this nook. I've got a comfy chair that rests against a radiator, a shelf to my right for placing beverages, and the glass patio door to my left overlooking our yard and the hof. Kailyn loves to stare out the window watching birds perch on the trees and the neighbor cats strutting. 

Today, after church and lunch with the family we returned home for a typical lazy Sunday afternoon. kailyn went down for a nap, Rebecca followed suit, Justin watched a movie, and I began to read and prepare for my upcoming lectures in AP Euro. I am preparing to lecture on the years leading up to World War I. This period has really interested me lately, and I have read numerous books from and about the time period. To be quite honest, I just didn't want to read any more. I wanted to watch a movie. So I did. I watched The Lost Battalion...a TV movie from 2001 dramatizing the experiences of an American battalion cut off from support, behind the German lines in the Argonne forest.

Meanwhile, we are experiencing a couple of days of some intense wind storms. As I was watching the movie, I would stare our the window for a couple of seconds watching the wind tear through the backyard. Now, the design of the building complex that we are in often creates a wind tunnel effect with light breezes. Today's 35 km gusts have been ripping through our yards. 

Looking into our backyard I get a nice view of our grill. When we bought the grill, I did the responsible thing of buying a nice cover. I also made a very normal and common mistake (for us at least) of buying the wrong size. Of course, given my limited German vocabulary, and my propensity to make mistakes when it comes to dealing with numbers (especially when trying to estimate in 
metric), this type of mistake is expected. This mistake lead to having a cover that was much too large for our grill. It has been a fortuitous mistake, however, as it allows me to tuck the sides under the wheels of the grill. Anyways, as I look into our backyard, I see the tucked in sides of this cover fighting valiantly against the wind. Even though it seems like the wind is taking over, causing the sides to billow out and the cover to raise up off the grill, the tucked in sides are holding the cover on; protecting the grill from the elements.

I cant help but to think about our year here in Vienna. ICSV has been buffeted by the winds of change. Staff and students at the school have been afflicted by illness, chronic pain, institutional change, and a myriad of challenges (both expected and unforeseen). As a family, we have also struggled through our own health issues, loss of Rebecca's dad, and the challenges of living in an unfamiliar and foreign land. I have very often felt like we are the cover on the BBQ. Quite frankly, the only thing that has kept us from being torn apart is being "tucked under". Having a strong support base, a loving church community, the encouragement found in God's word, and the power of the Holy Spirit has enabled us to stay tucked under and strong through the storms of this year.

Despite the challenges that this year has presented, we have seen God using these challenges and these hard times to continue to build us up as His children. We are regularly humbled at being called here to serve Him. We are so thankful for all of you who have continued to lift us up in prayer.

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