back from hiatus

So the craziest thing happened to me on April 3rd -- the day after my last blog entry: I got kidnapped by a rare Central Floridian Yeti while out on a walk in my neighborhood. Said Yeti held me captive in his swamp-like lair for for one month until I was able to escape by climbing onto the back of a passing alligator. My friends and family were all very surprised and relieved when I showed up at home yesterday, safe and sound, but a little wet and stinky.

So that's why I haven't been able to update my blog in so long. True story.

Before I transition into something serious, here are a few thoughts that I just have to get off my chest (things that were on my mind while out in the swamp):

1. I try to eat salad for lunch. It's good for me. But I really can't stand the crunchy "spine" pieces of lettuce. After several irritating experiences where my bag of salad was just filled with those things I discovered, to my horror, that there was a name for these: hearts of Romaine (and they actually sell whole bags of this stuff). The name makes it sound so nice, and yet.... When I want a salad, I want something leafy! If I want something crunchy, I'll have potato chips, Cap'n Crunch or even an apple. And, to add insult to injury, the "hearts of Romaine" also happen to be the first part of the salad to go brown. Yummy. If there's a salad totem pole, hearts of Romaine is at the bottom.

2. How 'bout them Red Sox!

OK, now onto something serious: Naomi and I leave for our survey trip to Europe on Monday. We're definitely stoked. For Naomi it'll be her first time in Europe since her summer trip in 2000 -- when we first met! We'll be in Austria Tuesday through Friday next week. Saturday we travel to northern England and we'll be there through Tuesday the 15th. We'll be doing some mobilization for PI-Europe at a Bible College north of London on the 16th and will hopefully get in some site-seeing in London before our return flight on Thursday the 17th.

The point behind this trip is to investigate two different options for future ministry. We are exploring one possibility that would allow us to settle in Vienna and we've been invited to join a team in northern England. We are praying for safety, good health and plenty of energy, but also that the Lord would clearly speak to us about where we should go.

We'll give a full report once we're back, provided I don't kidnapped by that Yeti again.