Pictures at last!

Well, I put my mom on the airplane very early yesterday morning , and by now she's back in Texas! I don't know how it is, but a week's vacation seems more tiring than a week of work! Still, we had a wonderful time, and I really enjoyed getting to see more of this country I live in, especially Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes!! Plus, Mom got to meet everyone I know here, visit club in Sinice (the kids loved getting to meet my mom!), and go to church in the Pastoral Center. This past Sunday there was a baptism service there, the first since I've lived here, and three of the youth girls that I know, including one from my English class, were baptized that day. And here are the long-promised pictures:

Dubrovnik and Kolocep:

Northern Croatia, Cakovec, and Plitvice:

Today it's back to Club in Orehovica with Karmen, and also Bob Hitching is driving down from Budapest so we can go to Sveti George and talk to them about the outhouses that FBC's youth group will build. Our arrangement is that the villagers will dig the holes and FBC will build the structure for everyone who has dug a hole. But what if no one digs! I think it's good for them to participate in the project, much better than just giving them a free handout, but I am just praying that at least some of them dig the holes! Be in prayer about that.

Before Karmen and I left for Hungary and Dubrovnik, we had our last Good News Club for the year in Kursanec, and today is our last in Orehovica. Sadly, I missed the last day in Sitnice because Karmen decided at the last minute to have it Monday--while I was away--instead of Thursday. There's a group of Canadians here, and a group of girls really wanted to go to club, so I guess it was a good decision. I'm sad to miss the last day there, but we'll have 5-day club there this summer.

So, after today, Karmen is taking a much-needed rest before we start preparing for 5-day clubs and the groups that will come this summer, and I....well, again, I have to say, what a tough life! I am spending a week at Cinta (pronounced Chinta), the Baptist Union of Croatia's beach camp on the island of Ugljan! There's a lot of cleaning and repair work that needs to be done there to prepare for the Croatian Baptist's retreats there this summer: unless I'm reading the schedule wrong (it's in Croatian) there are nine retreats/conferences being held there this summer, including young families, youth, and a pastor's conference. Mine will be a week of grunt work in the hot sun...but I am REALLY looking forward to working outdoors, being at the camp, having the sea nearby, and so on.