Croatian Chronicles 2/3/2012 Prelude: Barb and I started our adventure in foreign missions some eight plus years ago with the idea that we would be 'out there' ten years. Not a rule, not a divine directive, just what seemed a reasonable investment of life. Once the adventure began, so did the mind dump. Nearly everything we experienced, thought, prayed about became part of the public record, first under the title 'Journal of a Journey' while in the states, and then the 'Croatian Chronicles' while overseas. We wrote ad nauseum, sometimes every day, about what we were seeing, feeling hoping, living. As the years moved along, the new experiences and sights became more routine and commonplace in our lives and we wrote less and less. First weeks, then months, and finally years would slip by without any written communication from us unless there was some dire or joyful circumstance. Photos took over for the words for a couple of years, each providing it thousand words to the fray, then they too fell alongside the adventure roadway. Finally, in late 2011, we were brought up short by our sending church who kindly pointed out that an entire year had gone by without any communication from us! Those who didn't know us as the verbose over-communicators were wondering why we were so shy. Like in many areas of life, there must be a balance somewhere, this second month of the new year then, is the starting block for said balance, writing enough to communicate, not enough to swamp the inbox... When we should be shoveling snow in Nova Gradiska, we are sitting in spring like weather in Framingham, Mass at our daughters house. We would have already arrived in Croatia, having started on Thursday last if Charlie had not left his passport in Augusta, Mo, for the last two months. Several missing passport stories come to mind, but the short story is that we will leave a week later than we planned while the USPS does what they do so well. Our 'home assignment' has now lasted three months, much less time than we could have spend away, but longer that we ever have before. We were mentally, spiritually and joyfully prepared to be back amongst our friends and co-workers in Croatia but here we are, enjoying our time here as well. Perhaps this whole delay was to avoid someone having to drive across the country in Europe's major snow storm to retrieve us from the airport? Doesn't matter, with God in control, life is good even if our plans are modified by errant documents! As a refresher, we now live in Nova Gradiska, a town some hour drive to the west of Slavonski Brod. Together with some of our team mates and our Croatian buddies, we have seen a new church started and a core of wonderful people meeting together to worship, to help and support each other and to plan how to reach out to the community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in a house rented from team mates currently in the states and enjoy making the place our own, planting flowers, painting, creating workshops galore! In our absence a fellow from the church who has run into housing difficulties is keeping the place warm, friendly and lived in. We had a great ministry summer season in 2011, with new baseball camps, kids clubs, seminars, concerts, made all the more fun and fruitful by work teams from the US and Great Britain. The end of the year brought us a new team mate, who is now almost two months old and from whom we are expecting great things in ministry in the upcoming years, starting of course, with some serious cuteness! New ministries in the Roma community in Slavonski Brod are gathering interest in the gospel through kids and the love their parent have for them. Ever expanding, Okacani is another community that we have plans for in 2012, starting English classes as we seek the local leaders who may be interested in some good news! So, Croatian Chronicles should be coming in a balanced, reasonable manner if the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise! We continue to thrive on your prayers for us and the people of Croatia! Love and blessings! Charlie i Barb