We’ve Moved!

I’m trying to find rhythms – for all of life, actually, but also for writing/sharing/posting.

Part of being a Global Worker is inviting you all into our lives and processes, so to that end, we have a Facebook page, an Instagram account, a Newsletter, and obviously, this blog. Which is a lot to maintain, and I understand why companies hire social media managers. We’ll probably eventually hire our 9yo daughter. lol

Anyway, I’m trying to find the balance between updating and inundating you all with an overwhelming amount of information. I also know that only half of what I post at any given time gets seen on any platform… all that to say that I’m working to find a balance, but I also don’t want to be annoying. Soooooo I’m updating my blog. Ta Da! 🙂

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After 6.5 years of lead-up, we’ve made our move! We packed everything we own into 12 suitcases, carryons (and a small storage unit in Omaha) and boarded our flights on June 13th. It was crazy trying to make sure things were evenly distributed and no one bag weighed over 50 lbs. Honestly, we probably brought more than we needed in some areas.

After 26 hours of traveling, we made it to Novi Sad! The kids did amazingly well. And, even though we missed a connection in Warsaw, Poland, God miraculously got us onto the next flight to Belgrade, and it only set us back a few hours instead of a few days.

In Novi Sad, we were greeted by dear friends and amazing hosts and sat down to a wonderful meal that was prepared and waiting for us. I’m always in awe of how much preparation goes into our arrival and time here. We want for nothing when we get here, truly. Our friends and Lifegate Serbia family are so amazing.

Now, we’re here! We’ve spent the last two weeks settling in, looking for an apartment, buying a car, checking out schooling options, helping lead worship, spending time with our friends, and generally trying to figure out how to do life in Novi Sad.

It’s been both busy and restful, somehow. Plenty to do, but not overwhelming or exhausting at all. God’s grace has been sufficient in every moment to overcome jet lag and make massive adjustments, and while it hasn’t all been easy by any stretch, we’ve felt peace in the midst. Hopefully that makes sense.

The timing of everything is working out, because we’ve gotten somewhat settled and adjusted – just in time for a Worship Conference and Rock and Roll Camp! We are expecting the team from Lifegate Omaha sometime today or tomorrow, and they’ll hit the ground running with a very full 8 days of making music and serving our community.

The Worship Conference will be for regional worship leaders and teams to come and learn how to take their musical excellence to the next level through a deep-dive into four specific worship songs. There is so much we take for granted in the United States in terms of resourcing – PCO, Multitracks, in-ear monitors with a real time Music Director, etc.

There is no specific “worship school” or paved lane of instruction in all of the Balkans, so Lifegate is breaking ground by offering conferences and workshops that bring fresh ideas and tools to local churches. The hope is to eventually offer a more standardized opportunity for worship leaders and their teams to be equipped and empowered to expand their worship ministry’s impact in their churches, in discipleship, and in outreach. It’s crazy amazing to be on the front end of what I’m sure will be a very fruitful move of God in the area of worship ministry in the Balkans.

The Rock and Roll camp is something Kurt and I have had the opportunity to be part of from the outset, as well! This “Summer School of Rock and Roll” offers kids an affordable, quality learning experience, where they get to experiment with various instruments, play games, learn about music and culture and life, and even form a band and give a concert at the end of the 4-day camp!

It’s an incredible opportunity for us, as Lifegate, to speak life into kids who might otherwise never come in contact with a life-giving church, to love them and encourage them and even set some of them on a path towards very productive music careers. Watching the delight on their faces and the pride in their parents’ eyes when they perform an amazing concert at the end of four days is priceless, and the fact that these kids come back year after year is a testament to what the team here has built and sustained. It’s truly a unique and amazing experience.

So, that pretty much will sum up our first month in Serbia! I’ll be posting pictures and updates from our conference and camp, as well as updates about our apartment and the girls’ schooling and all of that on social media, through our newsletter and here on the blog. Hopefully each of you will be able to find your favorite away to stay updated and the pace won’t be too overwhelming.

We love you all so much and wouldn’t want to do this without you! 🙂

Blessings and all the best from our family to you. ❤