HEADIN' HOME

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HEADIN' HOME.


IT'S 5:53 A.M. (TALLINN TIME/10:53 P.M. YA'LLS TIME) AND I'M WAITING FOR THE COPENHAGEN OR KOPENHAAGEN FLIGHT.


THIS IS THE PLANE I'M TAKING. I THINK.


NOT MANY PEOPLE IN THE AIRPORT THIS TIME OF DAY. ONLY 2 FLIGHTS HEADED OUT RIGHT NOW. MINE AND A FINNAIR GOING SOMEWHERE. THEY JUST ANNOUNCED WHERE IT WAS HEADED, BUT IT WAS IN ESTONIAN. I DON'T SPEAK ESTONIAN. YET.

(I JUST TOOK A PICTURE OF MYSELF TO POST HERE, BUT IT WAS SO SCARY, I'M NOT POSTING IT. THOSE NEVER TURN OUT. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.)

I'LL POST THIS ONE INSTEAD. THE MAIN HALL OF TALLINN AIRPORT. THE ONLY HALL.
I'LL DO THIS AGAIN FROM COPENHAGEN. I HAVE TIME ON MY HANDS.

NOW IT'S 3 1/2 HOURS LATER (8:14 A.M IN COPENHAGEN/2:14 A.M. IN GAINESVILLE. YOU SHOULD BE SLEEPING NOW) AND I'M SITTING IN COPEHAGEN AIRPORT. WRITING IN PURPLE NOW TO LET YOU KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN LOCATION.




THIS IS BAGGAGE CLAIM IN CPH (THAT'S AIRLINE SHORTHAND FOR COPENHAGEN AIRPORT)

THEY HAVE THESE NEAT SCREENS HERE THAT LET YOU KNOW HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE YOUR BAGS ARRIVE. SEE IF YOU CAN FIND OUT ON THE SCREEN HOW LONG I HAVE TO WAIT.......VERY GOOD!


THIS IS A SHOT OF MY BRIEFCASE WAITING FOR IT'S BIG BROTHER DUFFLE-TYPE BAG.

THE FACE SHOT I TOOK EARLIER WAS TOO SCARY SO THIS IS MY FOOT IN COPENHAGEN AIRPORT.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF ANYWHERE I'VE EVER TRAVELED, ANYWHERE IN THE WHOLE WORLD, MY BAG WAS THE VERY FIRST ON THE CAROUSEL!!!!!!THIS PICTURE IS PROOF!!!! UNBELIEVABLE! WHAT JOY!!!

FIRST SIGHT AS YOU COME INTO CPH OUT OF BAGGAGE CLAIM.

SECOND SIGHT.

NOW, A LITTLE TOUR OF COPENHAGEN. THIS OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT.





NOW I WILL GO AND CHECK IN FOR THE DELTA FLIGHT TO ATLANTA. GO THROUGH THE LONG PROCESS OF SECURITY, AND THEN TO THE WAITING AREA INSIDE. I'LL WRITE YOU FROM THERE.









I'M HERE(INSIDE AT THE GATE). BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT BECAUSE OF THIS NEW WEIRD COLOR.IT'S 9:53 A.M.(3:53 A.M. YOUR TIME. YOU'RE STILL ASLEEP I HOPE)MY FLIGHT LEAVES AT 11:35 A.M. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE SO, LORD WILLING, I'LL BE IN ATLANTA AROUND 3:15 P.M. (THAT'S 3:15 YOUR TIME).PROBABLY WON'T POST TOMORROW, SO...SEE YOU SOON.







THE INFAMOUS "DELTA" CHECK IN LINE!

THE MOST FAMOUS SITE IN COPENHAGEN, THE LITTLE MERMAID. OF COURSE THIS IS JUST A COPY IN THE AIRPORT. BUT YOU KNEW THAT.

AND THE DELTA GATE. HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THE JOURNEY WITH ME TODAY.


PRAYER
WE WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PRAYER, NOT JUST HAVE TIMES OF PRAYER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

BACK IN ESTONIA

SAID GOODBYE TO LEONID, HIS FAMILY, AND ANGELA YESTERDAY AND HEADED BACK FOR ESTONIA. GOT HERE ABOUT 7:30 P.M. I WAS SO TIRED FOR SOME REASON AND WENT TO BED EARLY, WHICH I NEVER DO, AND GOT UP ABOUT 8 A.M. NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING TODAY, I HOPE. GET UP IN THE MORNING ABOUT 4:00 A.M. MY FLIGHT OUT WILL BE AT 6:40 A.M. ARRIVE IN COPENHAGEN AT 7:30, CATCH THE DELTA FLIGHT (IF THERE'S A SEAT) AT 11:30 A.M. TO ATLANTA. ARRIVE IN ATLANTA AT 3:15 P.M. I THINK ROBERT IS PICKING ME UP, THEN BACK TO GGGGGAAAAIIIINNNNEEEESSSSSVVVVVVIIIIIILLLLLLEEEEE.

PROBABLY SEND YOU A QUICK NOTE FROM COPENHAGEN AIRPORT TOMORROW. CHECK IN.

PRAYER

WE WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PRAYER, NOT JUST HAVE TIMES OF PRAYER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

TRIP DOWN SOUTH

AS YOU READ THIS I WILL BE HEADED BACK TO ESTONIA. WILL BE THERE TOMORROW AND FLY OUT TO COPENHAGEN, THEN TO ATLANTA ON FRIDAY.

YESTERDAY, I FOUND OUT WHERE ALL THE SUNFLOWER SEEDS IN THE WORLD COME FROM.



I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY SUNFLOWERS AND NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THEM.
THERE ARE MILES AND MILES AND MILES OF SUNFLOWERS IN THIS PART OF RUSSIA.




WE TRAVELED ONLY ABOUT 200 KILOMETERS OR SO SOUTH OF MAYKOP BEFORE WE RAN INTO GAI STOPS THAT BECAME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. THEY SEARCHED EVERYTHING, EVERY TIME AND WHEN THEY REALIZED I WAS AMERICAN, THE FURTHER SOUTH WE WENT, THE MORE WE REALIZED IT WAS PROBABLY NOT A WISE MOMENT TO GO FURTHER. WE CAME HOME. IF YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THE NEWS, YOU KNOW THAT TENSION IS BUBBLING ON THE BORDER RIGHT NOW AND NO ONE WOULD BE SURPRISED IF WAR HAPPENED IN GEORGIA AGAIN. WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE STUPID. IN FACT, WE COULDN'T BE IF WE WANTED TO. SO, WE WILL SAVE THIS REGION IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS FOR A LATER DATE.



DID AN AMAZING THING YESTERDAY. LEONID STOPPED AT A ROADSIDE STAND FOR SOME KVAS (A RUSSIAN DRINK MADE FROM BREAD). USUALLY I HATE IT, BUT THIS WAS GOOD! IT WAS COLD AND I ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT. FIRST TIME EVER!




GOTTA GET MOVING. LEAVING FOR THE AIRPORT SOON AND IT'S 2 HOURS DRIVE.



PRAYER



WE WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PRAYER, NOT JUST HAVE TIMES OF PRAYER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

TUESDAY IN ADYGEA

AFTER MEETING WITH COSTYA AND HIS FAMILY WE WENT TO THE VILLAGE OF PONEZHUKAI TO VISIT WITH ALLA. REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT REACHING THE ADYGEANS, WE SAID THAT SUCCESS WOULD BE MEASURED IN SINGLE DIGITS NOT IN HUGE NUMBERS. FOR THAT REASON WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE COME TO CHRIST, IT IS A HUGE STEP FOR MINISTRY HERE. IS A DEAR LADY WHO LIVES IN THE AUL OF PONEZHUKAI WHO IS NOW A CHRIST FOLLOWER AND FRUIT OF THE MINISTRY OF LEONID AND ANGELA HERE. LEONID WAS ABLE TO LEAD HER TO SALVATION AND NOW ANGELA IS DISIPLING HER. SHE IS THE ONLY BELIEVER IN THIS AUL, THOUGH HER GRANDCHILDREN LOVE HER DEARLY, AND ARE LISTENING NOW AS WELL.

WE SAT IN HER LIVING ROOM AND SHE TOLD ME ABOUT HER PARENTS. WHAT SHE TOLD ME CONVICTED ME. SHE SAID THAT THE ONLY THING THEY KNEW WHEN SHE WAS GROWING UP WAS ISLAM. THEY NEVER, EVER HEARD ANYTHING ELSE. WAS NOT EVEN ANY ORTHODOX INFLUENCE, ONLY ISLAM. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS SURE THAT HER PARENTS HAD NEVER THE GOSPEL AND UNTIL LEONID BEGAN TO SHARE WITH HER CHRIST, SHE HAD NEVER KNOWN. KINDA BITTERSWEET. I'M SO GLAD SHE'S COME TO CHRIST, GLAD TO BE PARTNERING WITH LEONID IN THIS GOOD FIELD. BUT SO SAD THAT IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET THE KINGDOM WORD OUT THAT HER PARENTS DIDN'T HEAR. WE GOTTA BE ENCOURAGED TO DO BETTER.

SPENT THE EVENING WITH LEONID AND FAMILY. WENT TO TOWN AND WATCHED A NEW FOUNTAIN DANCE. IT'S THE BIG SHOW IN TOWN. ACTUALLY KINDA NEAT. THE NIGHT WAS COOL AND WE ENJOYED THE FELLOWSHIP.

AS YOU ARE READING THIS, WE ARE TRAVELLING FURTHER SOUTH FOR A SURVEY TRIP. THERE ARE TRAVEL WARNINGS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'LL GET INTO BUT IT'LL BE INTERESTING.

PRAYER. SOME GOOD THOUGHTS ON PRAYER FROM JOHN PIPER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

IN ADYGEA MONDAY

I WAS ENCOURAGED YESTERDAY BY BEING IN A GREAT SERVICE WITH GODS PEOPLE HERE IN ADYGEA. THE SPIRIT OF GOD, GOD HIMSELF, WAS PRESENT WITH US IN A MARVELOUS WAY! WE TRAVELED TO ONE OF THE "RUSSIAN" VILLAGES OUTSIDE OF MAYKOP (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH AN ADYGEAN "AUL"). THE NAME OF THE VILLAGE IS RYAZANSKAYA. WE MET WITH COSTYA, HIS WIFE LENA, AND THEIR 3 CHILDREN. COSTYA IS A YOUNG BELIEVER WHO IS WORKING WITH LEONID AND HAS BEGUN A NEW WORK IN THE FRONT ROOM OF HIS HOUSE. BESIDES THEIR FAMILY THEY AVERAGE 2 IN ATTENDANCE EVERY WEEK. THERE WAS A DAY A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN THOSE 2 BROUGHT SEVERAL CHILDREN. IT WAS A HUGE DAY FOR THEM!!! HOWEVER, TODAY, NOT EVEN THOSE 2 CAME. SO WE HAD A GREAT, GREAT DAY!!! JUST US! I LOVE THIS NEW FAMILY. COSTYA WAS WITHOUT WORK, SO HE STARTED HIS OWN CEMENT SERVICE BUSINESS AND LENA BEGAN A SEWING BUSINESS IN THE SAME FRONT ROOM WHERE THE CHURCH MEETS. THE LITTLE GUYS ARE SWEET AND RAN AROUND MOSTLY NAKED YESTERDAY. IT IS SOOOO HOT!!! THE JOY AND CONFIDENCE OF GOD IS EVIDENT IN THEIR LIVES AND ENCOURAGING TO BE AROUND. THEY NEED VERY LITTLE, IT SEEMS, TO MAKE THEM HAPPY.
THE VILLAGE IS ABOUT 5000 PEOPLE AND VERY POOR. IT IS A SUPER MINISTRY AREA FOR LEONID AND COSTYA. I'M REALLY, REALLY, PROUD TO BE PARTNERING WITH GUYS LIKE THESE.

BY THE WAY, I TRAVELED WITH ANGELA IN THE GWOF CAR. WANT YOU TO KNOW, SHE IS A TERRIBLE DRIVER.
LITTLE DECAL IN THE WINDOW SAYS IT ALL.../span>


WENT FROM RYAZANSKAYA TO THE ADYGEAN AUL OF PONEZHUKAI. HERE WE MET IN THE HOME OF AN ADYGEAN LADY NAMED ALLA. HER'S IS AN EXCITING STORY......I'LL SHARE WITH YOU TOMORROW!!!

/span>

WE WILL BE HERE IN MAYKOP TODAY AND HEAD DOWN TOWARD THE GEORGIAN BORDER TOMORROW. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE "RUMORS OF WARS" GOING ON DOWN THERE, SO WE'LL SEE HOW FAR WE CAN GO.

PRAYER. HOW'S THAT GOING FOR YOU? IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

WE WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PRAYER, NOT JUST HAVE TIMES OF PRAYER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

IN ADYGEA

ARRIVED LAST NIGHT ABOUT 6:30. AS SOON AS WE STEPPED OFF THE PLANE WE FELT THE HEAT. IT' HOT! MADE THE 2 HOUR TRIP TO MAYKOP IN LEONID'S RUSSIAN SAMARA. HE LOVES IT. GOT TO ANGELA'S AND ATE SOME BORSCH, TALKED A WHILE AND WENT TO BED. TODAY WE WILL GO OUT TO THE VILLAGES TO VISIT SOME.

I UNDERSTAND THE SUM OF 10 GARAGE SALE IS TODAY! PRAYING GOD'S BLESSINGS ON THAT. PROBABLY NEED SOME RAIN TO HELP YA'LL OUT.

TRUST YA'LL ARE PREPARING FOR A GREAT DAY TOMORROW. WORSHIP, PRAY, ENCOURAGE ON ANOTHER IN FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER.

ARE YOU GETTING PRAYER. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT.

...The best prayer is that which we enter into with little or no self-consciousness. Prayers from the heart, from the top of the head, unvarnished and primitive are best. However, there are times when these basic forms of prayer are beyond us. We simply don’t have the words, the energy, or the ability to form the words that need to be said. At times like this we need to re-enter prayers that were originally prayed by someone else. The perfect prayer life includes a healthy dose of our own extemporaneous expressions of prayer coupled with the words of others. These are prayers upon which we ride piggyback....C.S. LEWIS

WE WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PRAYER NOT JUST HAVE TIMES OF PRAYER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.