It is high time I update this journal.  I have been busy working in Athens, GA, for Garbutt Christman on the new Medical College at UGA.  The projects I supervised were completed on 7-31-12 and I am now on vacation.  Val has been busy with her work and planning our moves.  Very short-term, we are moving one block over to a different loft which is just being completed.  October 1 is the move date.

Long-term, we are moving forward with partnership development and our plan to serve in the mission field in 2013.  We are blessed to be at 40% of our goal, having just begun last December.

On August 24, we will meet with our Italian Team Leaders, Joe and Mary Sirico, in Atlanta. Discussions will focus on the mission work in Italy and how and where we can best serve.  We are looking forward to this; it will be Val’s first opportunity to meet with them.

In October, we head to Europe for three busy weeks.  First up will be a week at GEM’s Discipleship Multiplication Training Conference in Prague, Czech Republic.  This will involve training in the principles and practices that God has used to bring about multiple church planting movements in Asia and Africa.  Then we will spend a week with Joe and Mary in Rome.   This will be our vision trip—an opportunity to see firsthand what GEM is doing in Rome.  It will also give us the chance to look at housing possibilities and to secure a sponsor Church which is required for a mission visa to Italy.  We will then wrap up our stay with Val attending the Connecting Hearts Retreat in Greece.  Connecting Hearts is the group which supports and unites the women of Greater Europe Mission into Christian fellowship.

Thanks to each and every one of you for the love and support.  Being set aside to serve God’s Kingdom has been a blessing like no other.