Serbia Update!

Oh man! My brain has been full-to-overflowing with summertime kiddos and prepping for this trip!

If you were following our 5in5, we did finish! We went to a family reunion in Iowa, so our Thursday and Friday night submissions were recorded in the dark. I’d love to re-record them and then post them here! (Though Day 4 would require a sister-in-law or two!)

But the family reunion was a ton of fun, and it was great to spend some concentrated time with the kiddos before our big trip.

Now, somehow, we are only 8 days away from our departure date! I can hardly believe it. We’ve been working hard as a band to get our music ready for the Open Days Festival. It’s a cover band, so we’re doing all kinds of songs from Journey, One Republic, Adele, Taylor Swift, Katie Perry, etc. We’re also adding in some upbeat worship tunes, including some written by Lifegate Worship! It’s been quite a departure from our routine as a worship team, but it’s been a lot of fun to stretch ourselves. Our goal in doing this festival is just to draw attention to who we are (as Lifegate Novi Sad), so that we can redirect their attention to the One who changes everything. Last year, the team saw some real, tangible results, and we are praying for even more opportunity this year!

If you live in Omaha (or feel like visiting lol) we are doing an open rehearsal at Lifegate Papillion on Saturday, June 25 at 11:00 AM.  No charge, family friendly, just stop by for some fun music!

We’ve also been working hard on the curriculum for the Music Camp we’ll be running from July 4-7. We’ve built this camp from scratch, and it’s been amazing to dream into how it will all come together. My friend, Kelly, gave me legs to run on, and I can’t thank her enough for her direction and advice.

Now that the curriculum is written, we are praying for kids!! We’re ready for around 50 students, and we have 33 pre-registered, so it’s looking good. Just pray that the right kids will come, and that nothing will stop them from hearing the truth that they are loved and have been created on purpose with great talents and abilities.

Beyond the Open Days festival and the Music Camp, our goal will just be to support the Lifegate Novi Sad team in any way we can. We may have the opportunity to do a Worship Collective with them, which would be amazing, and we also may travel Belgrade for a day or two. We’ll see. And then we return home on July 10!

As far as personal preparations, our kids all have places to go (Thank God!), so now it’s just the work of prepping 5 kids to be away from home for 10+ days. Vienna (the baby) is still quite attached, so prayers for a smooth transition are welcomed. My mommy heart… seriously…

We are about 60% funded, so prayers that the funds would continue to come in are welcomed as well. So many people have been so incredibly generous, and I am humbled and grateful to say the least! I am confident that God will provide, and I’m not the least bit worried about it. At the same time, I have a responsibility to ask for funding, which is way uncomfortable for me, and probably the hardest part about global journeying! So here I am asking. 😉  I posted information on how to contribute financially on this post, if you feel so inclined. Thanks so much. Truly.

So that’s the update for now! The countdown has begun! I hope to keep this blog updated as we go, it kind of depends on my internet connection over there. I’ll definitely post pictures to Facebook, so find me if you haven’t already! 🙂

Thanks for partnering with us – in prayer and financially. I am so grateful to each of you – even those just passing through and reading. It means a lot to know I am surrounded by such an incredible community. ❤