A Work of His Hands

A bitter sweet moment

2008-05-26T15:12:00.005-06:00

I had a humbling moment at lunch today. Kevin was gone so it was just me and the kids. Kevin told them they could have some of my favorite drink, Schweppes Bitter Lemon, so they were having an unusual treat. (I don't care what the experts say, sugar makes my kids crazy so we don't usually give them pop.) In an unsuspecting moment my dear 6 year old looked at me straight faced and said, "Mom, did they have Bitter Lemon back in the 70's?" My jaw dropped and I stared at him wondering if he was really saying this to me. Yep, it was no joke he had picked up that I was his age in the 70's and was wondering if I got to have this wonderful beverage WAY back then! Homeschooling may not be my thing but this kid is getting a little too good at math.

10 Year Anniversary

2008-05-23T09:07:00.002-06:00

The summer team has arrived!!

2008-05-20T14:08:00.004-06:00

A week ago the summer project arrived in Rijeka! They've already been stepping out in faith, meeting students and building relationships. I've heard they've also been eating a fair amount of Gelato!

Vacation and a visit from Katie & Brenda

2008-05-17T10:04:00.006-06:00

OK...I know it looks like all we do is go to cool places and have fun because it's just easier to write about the fun things, but this time we really did go on vacation. We spent 3 days on the Istria Peninsula between Pula and Rovinj at the end of March. Afterwards we picked up Kevin's Mom and sister and went to Slovenia for 2 nights. It was so refreshing and fun to be with them and to relax after a crazy semester of ministry.

An Easter Visit From The Cooleys

2008-05-17T07:21:00.008-06:00

Also in March we had a very sweet visit from Ralph and Connie Cooley. Ralph was my CCC director at University of Idaho when I was a student. My first overseas ministry experience was a summer project that Ralph and Connie directed when I was a student. That summer project was foundational for cultivating God's heart for the world in my life. Over the years it has been such a privilege to have them as spiritual parents, mentors and dear friends.

They were in Germany meeting their daughter, Angela's fiance's parents. (That has to be terrible grammar, but you get the idea). Actually TODAY, May 17th, is the wedding so it would be easier to say they were meeting their daughters in laws. Though it was quite a drive they jumped in a rental car and made the trek to see us and visit our team. It was a wonderful time of encouragement and fellowship.

One morning we asked Ralph if he would take Caden out for a special time together. God has given Ralph a special gift of evangelism and in explaining the Spirit filled life or a life empowered and directed by God. It's become increasingly apparent this year that at 6 years old Caden knows all the right answers but we're not sure where his heart is. Just because his parents are in ministry and he knows all the stories doesn't guarantee he knows the Lord personally... so this was a great opportunity to reinforce the truth of God's love and forgiveness in his life. It was sweet to watch Caden when he came home with a prized drawing of the Spirit filled life on a piece of paper Ralph had torn out of his daytimer. Later when we asked Caden what the highlight of their visit was he thought for just a second and then replied that it was his time with Ralph at McDonalds. We are so grateful for the love and influence of Ralph on Connie on our whole family.

Connie and I whipped together a small feast to celebrate Easter.

A walk along the water near Lovran, just down the coast from Rijeka

At the Trsat Castle on a rainy day

MSU Spring Break trip and Porn Nation

2008-04-07T08:26:00.007-06:00

Here are some pictures from MARCH!!! I'm only 2 months late. I've decided it's unwise to make any promises to catch up on events here. Stint is proving to be an exciting, adventurous and exhausting ride through another culture. At times it feels like we've finally gotten the hang of living in Croatia and other times it seems we will never figure it out. In general though this has been a refining time of drawing close to the Lord and seeing our desperate need for His grace and strength. The sweet students and our team are making this one of the richest experiences of our lives. So with that short commentary I'll get on with the update. With 2 kids napping, one playing with legos and a hot latte at hand I may even get this posted. =)

These pictures are of the Montana State Spring break team that came in to help us with an outreach called Porn Nation. It was a huge success throughout Croatia with over 400 students attending just in Rijeka. Hrvoje downloaded some footage onto youtube that I will link here: (porn nation in Croatia).

Student Retreat on Solta

2008-03-24T07:42:00.008-06:00

It has been a LONG time since we've updated our blog! The last couple of months have been filled with retreats, visitors and exciting ministry opportunities! We've been energized by all the Lord is doing and exhausted by all the activity. Hopefully in the next few days we can catch up and share all the excitement and maybe some of the challenges too.

First... our student retreat in Solta (sounds kind of like Sholta) which is an Island across from Split. Students from Sarajevo, Zagreb, Split and Rijeka came together to learn more about growing closer to God.

On the ferry with Split in the background. The kids with Jon, Pete, Kevin and Josip.

Josip, Pete and Ivan enjoying the coffee, ambiance and fellowship

While the students and staff enjoyed the conference we enjoyed searching for the beach and things to entertain the kids.

A Dalmation feast prepared in our honor. It was amazing!

Behind Caden is the little fishing village we stayed in while on Solta.

A half hour before we left for the retreat the Lord provided a car for us! Honestly we had given up on finding a car. It was so complicated and tiring to try to find a way to make it work. Just as we had resigned ourselves to the bus and the mile walk to the grocery store a man from church offered to buy a car and rent it to us for the remainder of the time we are living in Croatia. We are so grateful! The Lord has provided and taught us many valuable lessons on depending on Him completely for the most basic needs.

I'm still trying to figure out how to do this but here are a few more pictures I think you can click this link: Solta'>Solta retreat

Rijeka's 1st International Church

2008-02-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had our first "International Church" service. Our stint team got together with another couple who are here in Rijeka with the Josiah Venture ministry for fellowship, worship and teaching from the Word. We also had a children's program. =)

Our guest speaker tonight was John Piper, worship provided by Youtube and the location was our living room. It was a great time and very refreshing since we haven't been to a church service in English since July.

These are our friends Sarah and Stevo Vuletic with their 3 kids Nina, Daci(Dot-see) and Marko. They have been such an encouragement to us during our time here! We share the same heart to see God's love and forgiveness spread through out Croatia and the world. I love their story! The brief version is that Sarah is American, Stevo is Croatian. They met in Germany going to Bible school, lived in America for several years until God called them back to Croatia to do ministry with the youth and college students in Rijeka.

Kids Around the World

2008-01-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest parts of the Eastern Europe Area conference was the kids conference that was going on simultaneously. Laurelglen Bible Church in Bakersfield, CA sent 16 people to plan, organize and run the childrens conference for all the kids ages 3-12. The theme of the conference was Kids Around The World in the 10/40 window. An area between 10-40 degrees latitude where the most unreached people groups live. God deeply ministered to our kids and us through this great team of servants from Laurelglen Bible Church! They were such a gift from the Lord! Our kids were loved and taught how they could make a difference around the world in the lives of children who don't have the opportunity to hear about God's love and forgiveness.

Isabella was too young for the kids conference but she charmed the Hungarian students who volunteered with the 2-3 year olds. Two of the girls above came to Christ through English workshops held in the summer in Hungary.

Tori and I with one of her teachers Amie Hardt. Amie and the other teachers taught all the kids to sign the songs they performed for the parents at the end of the conference.

Caden's Teacher Miss Florence wanted to know if she could take him home in her suitcase. Tempting... but we decided we couldn't due without his mischief and loves.

Caden with Mrs. Rille

Tori and Mia(Petra and Hrvoje's daughter) with Courtney

Here's a sample of the kid's program. Both Caden and Tori are in the front. Caden is on the left side kneeling in front and Tori is on the right side in the light top and pink pants.

Where in the world have the Kneeshaw's been???

2008-01-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Matt and Jody McComas(partnership coordinators), Pete, Allison, Kevin, Kristi, Kali, Jon, Hrvoje & Petra

We've been in Hungary for 2 weeks of conferences. The first conference was our Mid-year stint conference in Vajta, Hungary where we connected with all the other stint teams in Eastern Europe for a time of refreshment and encouragment. Next we headed to Tihany on Lake Balaton for the Eastern European Area conference that is held every 3 years. This year 1,000 staff came together from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and another country I don't think I'm supposed to mention.

Night of praise and prayer at the Area Conference

Translation booths at the Area conference

At our main sessions there were translators for those who didn't speak English. As we listened to the main speaker we could hear people around us with head phones on listening in their own language. During worship it felt like a little glimpse of heaven to hear other believers praising the Lord in many different languages.

In between the conferences we went to Budapest for lunch. It was raining so we didn't get to see much but the kids liked wrestling with the Lions on the Vaci (main walking street).

2007-12-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas

From Croatia!

"This is how God showed His love among us:
He sent His one and only Son into the
world that we might live through Him."
~ I John 4:9

"... that we might live through Him."

Living in Croatia this year has been such an eye opening experience for us, especially as we consider what it really means to "live through Him." Many of the things in our lives, which really are blessings from the Lord, have been stripped away. As we consider some of these things, a car, our house, hobbies and activities that bring us refreshment, God in His grace has shown us how often we try to live through these things and not through Him. We know this is a fine line as all these things really are gifts from His hand, but even these gifts can take our eyes off the One who gives true life so that we might live through Him. May you too, discover the joy of truly living through Him this Christmas season and praise Him for all the amazing gifts He has provided for you, especially the gift of eternal life!

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas,

Kevin, Kristi, Caden, Victoria & Isabella

Santa's little Elves

2007-12-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

We found this through our friend Melissa's blog. We couldn't resist! Take a break from the Christmas rush and enjoy this. Just click on the link below:

Kneeshaw elfs

Can He Really Be 6 Already?

2007-12-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone always told us to enjoy these years with our kids because they really fly by ... well, they are right. How did this little guy we brought home from the hospital get to be six years old? What an adventure we have had with him especially when you throw two little sisters into the mix. One of the greatest adventures has been this year in Croatia. How many kids from Montana can say they spent their sixth birthday in Croatia? We all had a great time celebrating his birthday, today! It started with the kids waking up to a Christmas tree that Kristi and I put up while they were sleeping and ended with a big party with some of our friends and teammates. Dinousars seemed to rule the party as they came in the form of books, figurines, puzzles, and even made their way into the cake! That's right, Kristi whipped up a fire breathing dragon cake that brought ear to ear smiles to the kids faces. The fire part was my idea!Sweet cake and even sweeter friends!

Father/son birthday lunch with some of the birthday boy's favorite sea creaters ... squid!

How many six year olds do you know who crave squid?

Stopping long enough to pose for a photo in the midst of a wrapping paper frenzy!

Catching up....

2007-12-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Be sure and check out the last 3 posts. I'm having a catch up day on blogging. We also added the link to the right of the screen so you can be notified when we put up a new post.

Thanksgiving party!!

2007-12-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

( If you look close you can see the little fingerprints in a few of the pies...oopps!)

I almost forgot to post pictures of our Thanksgiving party which was the same week as the English workshop in Rijeka. Here are a few highlights. We made 15 pies and other goodies to share with our Croatian friends about the meaning of Thanksgiving. We showed a fun video about Thanksgiving too. It's worth checking out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jiLgk-B9v4

Allison with our sweet and courageous friend Marta

A quick visit from Matt and Krista Mikalatos

2007-12-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

We had a fun visit from Matt and Krista Mikalatos this past week. Matt is the Worldwide Student Network Regional director for the Greater Northwest which technically makes him our boss right now. Kevin and I also went through directors training with Matt and Krista 6 1/2 years ago which makes them are dear friends too. It was so encouraging to have them come to sheperd our team and see the ministry first hand. We appreciate there friendship and their leadership in our region. Besides all that they are just plain fun to hang out with!

Allison and I got to drive up to Zagreb to pick them up from the airport. We had some extra time so we went in to the center and just happened to catch the lighting of the Christmas tree! Well atleast Allison caught it....somehow though I was standing right by it I missed it until we had walked about a block away and Allison asked me if I would take her picture with the lights of the Christmas tree in the background. So Allison saw the lighting and I almost did but it was still amazing timing!

English Workshops

2007-12-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

The last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of ministry and visitors! During the Thanksgiving week while our team from University of Montana were visiting we started our English workshops in Rijeka. These work shops consist of 3 nights of presentations, discussion and relationship building. The topic of this English workshop was The Real You and included discussions on the masks we hide behind.

The following week the team travelled by an overnight ferry down the coast to Split to do the same outreach with the campus ministry there. I'll let Kevin tell a little bit more about the outreaches and students in another post but I thought it would be good to get some pictures up.

Kevin presenting at the English workshop in Split

Kevin(behind the guy in the white shirt) and Allison facilitating discussion

Kevin with Bojan, Zoran and Josip at the Rijeka English workshop. We love these guys!

The Rijeka and Split teams
A shot on the ferry. They left Rijeka at 7pm and arrived in Split at 6:30am!

There's a picture of the ferry

Sweet friends!

2007-11-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been so refreshing! Here are a few pictures of our friends from the UM staff team who are with us this week.

Jessie, Jamie, Stephanie and Kristi at the Russian Ballet

The kids enjoyed watching jetlagged people be silly

Allison, Stephanie, Jessie, Jamie and Kali in the Korzo one chilly night

Jon, Justin, Kevin and Pete got out of town and climbed a nearby mountain.

Special Delivery!!

2007-11-15T04:56:00.001-07:00

Jessie & Justin, Jamie and Stephanie all dressed up for UM's staff hunt during the Fall retreat

In less than 24 hours 4 members from our University of Montana staff team are coming to visit us in Rijeka!!! We can hardly wait! Wednesday night they were at Fuel, UM's weekly meeting, and Thursday morning they will get on a plane to begin the trek to see us. They will bring with them Christmas present from both our families and various things we can't get here like chocolate chips, OTC medicines, marshmallows etc. But mostly they will bring encouragement, refreshment and news from the team and ministry at home. They will link the ministry here with our ministry at UM in a tangible way. They will also get worked like crazy as they are coming during the busiest week of the semester. For 3 nights next week we will do an English workshop called Story of the Soul and then celebrate Thanksgiving with a party for our Croatian friends. I'll be sure to post some real pictures once they get here. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to show them all dressed up. =)

Hopes and Expectations plummet into the Adriatic...

2007-10-24T13:35:00.000-06:00

It had to happen eventually. All the hopes and expectations that I brought along with me to Croatia couldn't stay airborne for long once they flew directly into reality. I've been wrestling with this since we arrived, telling myself to buck up, this is Eastern Europe not "Africa". It's not as hard to live here as some other places. I've been reminding myself that I've longed to be here on stint for years and now I've finally gotten this dream. Somehow in my dreams it was different though. Groceries weren't quite so heavy and I picked the language up quicker. I thought we'd have a car soon after we arrived so I could take the kids on adventures and days of "culture". They would always remember there time in Croatia as positive and would want to be missionaries one day because of it. (OK maybe that one was a little lofty, but it could happen.)

I told Kevin the other day that I'm really quite disappointed with myself. I wasn't going to miss things, only people. It didn't take long for me to realize that everything in me craves comfort and convenience. "If we only had a car... this would be easier." or "if I only had one hour in Walmart...I could find everything I need." These are common phrases that flit through my mind throughout the day. Comfort and Convenience. Is this an American issue or a human issue? Either way it's been a revealing battle for me. What I want is to gladly surrender my comfort and convenience for the greater eternal weight of glory. But first there must be a battle and a dying of my self and wants... even in Eastern Europe where there are so many wonderful things.

There has been freedom in accepting that it's OK to be wrestling through these things. I'm right where I want to be and it's hard but that's OK. There is a great quote from my favorite missionary, Isobel Kuhn, in her book "In the Arena".

"Philippians 3:10 ("That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." ) is experienced in reverse.

1. We are given a situation where in we chose to act as Christ would, that is, to be like Him in His death.

2. In that choice we shall meet with suffering - but unexpectedly discover deep, sweet fellowship with Him-the fellowship of His sufferings.

3. In that situation His Resurrection power will manifest itself.

4. The end of the whole matter will be that we have come to know Him, oh, so much better."

This encourages me, though suffering seems too strong a term presently. As I wrestle and the Lord reveals the junk in my heart it has also been a time of clinging to Him and remembering His promises. Truly a sweet time of fellowship. The bottom line is ...it's worth it. It's hard but encouraging to be in His grip as He squeezes me and reveals my greater need for His grace and strength.

OK here are a few pictures to lighten this post up a bit.

Our apartment

2007-10-19T15:27:00.000-06:00

I've had some requests for more pictures of our apartment so here they are. Taylor, who was on stint here the past 2 years, found this amazing place for us. It's on the 3rd floor (that's 5 flights or 60 steps) which is only bad when carrying groceries or more than one child. =) It has 3 bedrooms, one of which used to be part of the living room but the landlord added a wall and now we have a school room/office/guest bedroom.

The best part is that it is only minutes away from the rest of our team and about a 10 minute walk from the Korzo.

There is a courtyard in the center of our building.

Bidet Or A Good Reading Chair?

2007-10-18T13:12:00.000-06:00

When we first moved into our apartment I have to admit that the presence of a bidet in our bathroom seemed to be the biggest waist of space, not to mention the great potential it held for a future water fight among the kids. To avoid the later, I quickly decided to ask our landlord to shut off the water to this familiar Eastern European bathroom apparatus. Since then I have joked about filling it with dirt and planting some flowers; that is until last night. I rounded the corner to the bathroom, and found myself filled with the kind of pride that only a father can have in his son when I saw that Caden had discovered an even better use for the bidet. Who would have ever thought that a bidet would make such a good reading chair? Oh, and for those of you who are wondering how Caden's homeschooling is going, well he's reading! =)

Pula

2007-10-17T14:12:00.000-06:00

We ventured over to Pula on the Istria Peninsula on Saturday. The worst part was the 2 1/2 hour bus ride that made everyone sick but Caden. The best part was seeing the coliseum and other Roman ruins that can be found in the city. It was really amazing! We found a train to take us back to Rijeka. =) We won't be getting back on that bus anytime soon!

Welcome Back Party!

2007-10-14T13:40:00.000-06:00

With classes staring up for students here in Rijeka last week, we decided to throw a party! We had 30 students show up and really enjoyed connecting with many of them. They all really seemed to enjoy seeing kids running around and taking part in the party. Up to this point, we have only had singles or young married couples without kids working here in Rijeka. We are so excited to have students back in town and looking forward to many more parties!

To the Beach!

2007-10-10T15:21:00.000-06:00

Can you find Caden in this picture

The students arrived back in Rijeka at the beginning of October! It has been great to start handing out student planners and to connect with students who have either been involved in the past or who met one of the summer project students a couple of months ago.

It's also been really tiring and busy so this weekend I decided it was time to venture out a little bit with the kids. I had been wanting to take them to Kostrena which is only a 15 minute car ride...but we don't have a car so we took a bus, which is always an adventure. It was worth it as you can see from the pictures below. This is the first time the kids had been to "the beach". Most of the seaside here is either a part of the port or so rocky that they have made cement platforms that jet out into the water. We found a little piece of rocky beach where the kids could play. It was probably the last really nice day until Spring. I feel a little bad sharing these pictures because I know many of you who are reading this are looking at snow covered peaks these days. It rains and blows, a cold wind off the sea called the Burra, but the highs here are still in the upper 60's.

Tortillas!

2007-10-02T15:29:00.000-06:00

First off let me say how much we appreciated all the recipes and helpful comments! We haven't had a chance to try them all but there are some good ones. I may never buy a pancake mix again after trying Melissa's recipe. =)

We tried to make tortillas a couple of days ago. I was a little skeptical but I have to say they were good. A little bit like a gordita but still amazing. And one of the best parts...it turns out Kevin has a knack for rolling out the perfect round tortilla! I was quite impressed!

We invited the other stinters over for our 1st mexican fiesta of the year.

We plan on having many more!

Does anyone have a good pancake recipe?

2007-09-25T14:35:00.000-06:00

One of the challenges and adventures of living in Croatia is the change in food. In general I love the food here. There are things that I can only get when I'm here in Eastern Europe ie. Ajvar(a red pepper spread that is amazing!), powdered sugar with vanilla flavor, Krem Schnita, Milka chocolate, Gouda cheese at an affordable price, fruit tea, fresh bread every morning....I could go on. But the challenge is that some of the convenience foods and staples I'm used to cooking with back in the states are not available here. Or if they are available they are expensive. For example, there is no maple syrup, pancake mixes, vanilla flavoring, baking powder, turkey and beef lunch meats etc. Things you can find but are very expensive are peanut butter, any Mexican food (I almost broke down and paid $6 for 4 tortillas the other day but I just couldn't do it. I grew up in Othello, WA...I will learn to make them!), & Chinese food items. We basically need to learn to cook more like Croatians which means everything from scratch and trips to the market daily. I like that lifestyle in theory but it is proving to be time consuming. Also I left my cookbooks at home. =) So...if anyone has recipes to share that would be great! Our kids love pancakes in the morning. I found a recipe online but I don't like it very much. I've been making syrup with maple flavoring I brought over. They seem to like it though it isn't Mrs. Butterworths.

P.S. We figured out the secret to the outside market. I posted the picture below. Now when we go by ourselves the little ladies ask us where the babies are. They love the kids and are a little more patient with our lack of language skills.

Something encouraging

2007-09-25T13:52:00.000-06:00

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you

present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

"May it not be a comfort to those of us who feel we have not the mental

or spiritual power that others have, to notice that the living sacrifice mentioned in Rom. 12:1

is our "bodies"? Of course, that includes the mental power, but does it not also

include the loving, sympathizing glance, the kind, encouraging word, the ready errand for another, the work of our hands, opportunities for all of which come oftener in

the day than for the mental power we are often tempted to envy? May we be enabled to offer willingly that which we have." ~Anonomous

This verse and quote were in an amazing devotional I brought with me called "Daily Strength for Daily needs". (It was first published in 1884 but still hold gems of truth and wisdom that always encourage me. I got my hands on a 1928 copy! I love it!) Anyway, this quote was especially encouraging to me as I've never been an intellectual no matter how hard I've tried. This fact is true on a normal day back home but here in Rijeka where the culture is new and the language is gibberish to my ears and brain it is painfully true. I'm basically functioning at the grade level of a Croatian preschooler in language/communication skills. (who am I kidding? Preschoolers know more words than me.) It's humbling and frustrating. Several times I've wondered how the Lord can use me here when I cannot speak the language beyond pleasantries. Then the Lord reminds me that we've come offering our lives to Him as a living sacrifice, desiring to be used to share His love and forgiveness to those who would not hear it otherwise. All I have to offer is my willingness and a desire to serve Him in the furthering of His Kingdom. I feel like I'm holding my breathe in anticipation to see how He will work through our weakness and need to bring glory & fame to His name here in Rijeka.

Linking Arms

2007-09-19T04:31:00.000-06:00

Part of what God used to draw us to Croatia is the Croatian couple we are working with here in Rijeka. Our transition to this country has gone very smoothly, thanks in part to our new friends, Hrvoje (Herv-o-yah) and Petra. Life is so much easier here when you have locals who speak the language and know how to get around; although they too are new to Rijeka as they have just moved here from Zagreb.

Let me share one example of how incredibly helpful Hrvoje and Petra have been ...

Since our arrival we have been buying ground beef from our local butcher to use in some of our favorite dishes like lasagna and spaghetti. No problem right? Well at least until last night, when Petra informed us that what we thought was ground beef was actually all the left over parts from various animals that the butcher grinds up ... yum, yum! Living overseas is such an adventure! Who knows what I'll be having for lunch today. I don't think I'll even bother asking my new Croatian friends. Sometimes it is better to just not ask and enjoy!

In all seriousness, we are having so much fun being here and building a great friendship with Hrvoje and Petra. We could not imagine being here without them. Together we make a great team and we look forward to all God will do in and through our friendship!

More miraculous provision!

2007-09-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

With 2 day before our stint team was schedule to leave the U.S. two of them still needed to see God provide a total of $17,000. Many of you joined with us to ask God to move this mountain into the sea ... and He did just that! Our whole team is here and fully funded for the work God has called us to this year. One thing God has reminded us of through this whole process is that He is faithful to His call!

Waiting at the bus stop for the rest of our team to arrive from the states!
The whole gang! We had dinner at Hrvoje & Petra's home to celebrate the arrival of the rest of our team.

So grateful for a place to play!

2007-09-13T11:09:00.000-06:00

One of the most amazing provisions from the Lord for our family has been the discovery of a park less than a block away from our apartment. We had heard there weren't many parks in Rijeka where kids could play but miraculously we live basically right next to one.

Day of Culture

2007-09-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

One of the perks of homeschooling Caden and Tori for Kindergarten and Preschool has been getting to do a day of cultural study each week. We teach the kids some Croatian words and try to do something to learn about the culture we are now living in. On Saturday we went up to Trsat(Ter-SOT) where the castle is. One of the ways we prepared the kids to move to Croatia was by telling them how great is was going to be to live in a city with a castle on the hill. They loved it! (OK I know it doesn't look like they are loving it in this picture but the little Italian man who took the picture didn't speak any English and didn't tell them to smile. They really did have fun.)

Getting out of the apartment

2007-09-13T07:46:00.000-06:00

Our apartment is wonderful but with these 3 it is necessary to get out and explore a little. This is a Irish Bar/cafe Kevin found with the boys one night. And just so you won't be too concerned about us taking the kids to a bar...all the cafes here are also bars. This one was playing some fun American music so maybe it wasn't so Irish. =)

We ran into Hrvoje and Mia on the Korzo after the cafe. Hrvoje is our brave Croatian friend who is going to lead a team of Americans this year. He's already doing a great job! He and Kevin have become good friends already.

Here's a picture of Hrvoje and Petra with their kids that I took in December when I came to visit Rijeka. We are excited to serve the Lord with them!

After all that exploring the kids get to enjoy a bubble bath.

Meeting new friends

2007-09-12T05:17:00.000-06:00

Zoran, Graham, John, Kevin and kids

Last week John brought some of his friends over for dinner. Zoran is a former Croatian student who has been a great friend for our stint teams here in Rijeka. He's the guy everyone calls when they have a problem or crisis. Zoran is always quick to help and rescue when necessary. He also loves our kids and has offered to come be our nanny. I may just take him up on it! =) He is currently working as a computer programer in the city. We hope to get a lot more time with him this year.

Graham is a graduate of Georgia Tech and has been living in Sarajevo the last 2 years working with college students. Last year when John was having Visa problems he went to stay with Graham and the team there in Sarajevo for 3 months. Graham is going back to spend another year in Bosnia with a team of other graduates.

A quick break from settling in

2007-09-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

Opatija

About 30 minutes away by bus is this amazing town now being referred to as the Istria Riviera(comparable to the French Riviera). We had been hearing about it so we thought we would take a break and get out of the city for the day. Of course relaxing day trips are always more interesting and less relaxing when you have 3 small kids with jet lag . . . but it was still great to get away and see the seaside.

There was actually no beach. Just cement decks where people would lay out mostly clothed. We would show you more pictures but this is Europe and while most people do wear swimsuits occasionally.... Even Grandma's wear bikini's here!

The water was pretty rough for swimming but the kids thought it was great fun to watch the water crash against the deck.

That's Rijeka in the background

Real life shot

I just poured them water but they all want my Schweppes Bitter Lemon drink!

The posed picture. The food here is amazing!

Overall it was nice to take a break from the city. The bus ride out may have been the highlight for me. As soon as people saw us getting on the crowded bus with the kids they would clear out seats for us and insist we take there seats. They love the kids! And they were so kind even when they knew we couldn't speak to them. I don't think I realized how many fears I've had coming into this trip. Fears of the unknown, of offending people and making them angry etc. I feel like God is giving me a glimpse into His heart for the Croatian people. Our trip this weekend definitely made my heart even more endeared to the people of this country. (Opatija was beautiful but honestly, I was getting a head cold that day and just wanted to be in bed. Sad but true. But the trip was worth it just to experience the kindness and generosity of the people)

Our first days in Rijeka

2007-08-30T16:52:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of John Rozelle with the kids. John is a UM grad who has been on stint here in Rijeka for the past 2 years. He along with several other amazing Northwest graduates have done a great job pioneering the ministry here. He will stay in Rijeka until the end of October to help transition the ministry over to the incoming team. John has made our transition here so easy. He drives a 9 passenger van expertly(even in downtown Zagreb), hauls luggage up 5 flights of stairs with ease and doesn't even bat an eye when asked to help us find one of the few shopping centers. We are SO glad he's here! =)

Last night John brought over Davor (I'm not sure if that's spelled correctly but it sounds like that) for dinner. Davor is a 2nd year student who the team met at the beginning of last year when they were handing out freshman survivor kits. At the end of the evening he thanked us and said, "If you need anything while you are in Rijeka you can call me and I will help you." He is so kind! We are looking forward to getting more time with him. Though he has been involved with our group this past year he is still searching and questioning the claims of Christ.

Tonight we went for a walk down to the main square called the Korzo. In this picture we are standing next to our building. Our entrance is just behind us around the corner. We've been so grateful for our apartment. It's really way nicer than we expected and feels like a good size. By that of course I mean there is plenty of room for the kids to play without driving us crazy. . .most of the time. =)

Tori was too busy twirling to be in the above picture

Here's the work of our 5 1/2 year old roving photographer. Not too bad considering it really didn't seem like he was aiming at us at all. The Korzo is just behind us and through that arch. It's a great place to watch other Croatian families, get some gelato and just let the kids run around a little bit.

This one is actually pretty good. . .just a little bit tilted.

We are slowly getting settled in here. We've got about 1/2 our bags unpacked and have figured out where our little grocery store and pekarna(bakery) are. There is an outdoor market near our apartment that sells fruit, veggies and meat. It's still a little intimidating to me since no one speaks English but it's less scary then it was at first. The first time I went was with our Croatian friend Petra (she and her husband are leading the stint team) so she helped me alot! Tomorrow morning I'll brave it by myself. Here it's a step of faith just to buy food. =) I'll have to rely on pointing and the very few words I've picked up so far. It's an adventure!

Leaving on a jet plane

2007-08-29T17:26:00.000-06:00

What do 2 adults, 3 kids, 12 bags, 3 airplanes, 4 airports and 1 two hour van ride have in common? It's the Kneeshaw's headed for STINT in Rijeka, Croatia! All these things considered, God gave us an amazing trip to our new home. We are still amazed at how well the kids did on our three flights. Thank you to all who prayed for our travel! We are in the process of getting settled into our new apartment and fighting off 5 cases of jetlag. Pray that God will give us all rest over the next few days.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2007-08-29T16:23:00.000-06:00

The week before we were scheduled to leave for Croatia some dear friends set us up with a wonderful place to vacation and rest. We spent a wonderful week slowing down and enjoying some of my favorite things. We picked blackberries, walked on the rocky beaches of the San Juan Islands, lifted rocks and watched the crabs scuttle, rode the ferries, & visited Friday Harbor. We stayed at a place called Peace Haven though there were times when the kids were chasing each other and screaming that made me think the name didn't exactly fit. It was however a haven for us in midst of the chaos of preparing to go. Here are a few pictures of our time. Don't miss the video at the bottom!

Stint Briefing

2007-08-29T16:04:00.000-06:00

Croatia Stint team

(top) Pete Zagorda, Jon Oset, Kevin
(bottom)Kali Waterfall, Allison Stephens

Ivan Bucher is a University of Montana student who will lead the

stint team in Venezuala this next year

Sam Kamerzell is a Washington State University student who, like Kevin, grew up in Colfax, Washington. He is going to be on stint in a country in Asia.

Fun At Grandma & Pops

2007-08-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

The kids and I spent some time in Othello while Kevin was in Colorado for the stint briefing conference. They always find something to keep them entertained!

Tomorrow we head for Seattle to attend my cousins wedding. Kevin flies in to SeaTac on Sunday and then we'll get 5 days of vacation before we fly out of Seattle on Saturday!!!
We're just days away.

Now if I can only get all the stuff to fit into the bags!

One step closer

2007-08-13T12:15:00.000-06:00

After days of packing, cleaning, organizing and a thousand details we were finally ready to head out of Missoula. The van is riding kind of low and we look tired but we're out and on our way to Washington to visit family and supporters. I thought it would be kind of sad to leave but honestly by the time everything was taken care of I was ready to leave the responsibilities of owning a home behind for a while.

And here is the wonderful woman who helped us with the kids while we were packing up. Megan is one of our Crusade students who we have had the privilege of working with the past 3 years. She moved in with us this summer thinking we were graciously providing her with free housing. Ha, ha...she quickly became our nanny and playmate for the kids. She volunteered several times to take them to the splash park or watch them so we could escape for a date. They love her and so do we! There are some other fantastic CCC students who will be living in our house for the year. We are so grateful for their willingness to take care of our place so we are free to go to Croatia without worry. We say often that we have the best "job" in the whole world. We love working with students who are making life changing decisions to be fully surrendered to Christ and to be a part of building God's kingdom around the world.

How do you start a blog?

2007-07-23T22:14:00.000-06:00

So what does someone do when she's in the midst of packing up the house so her whole family can move to another country for the year? Try to figure out how to start a blog of course.

The picture above is a good representation of our life right now. We didn't realize our 5 year old had gotten a hold of our camera when he captured this moment. He did a good job. The kids are pretty much entertaining themselves while we try to take care of the hundreds of details we have to deal with before we leave in a couple of weeks. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by all I have to do but now I can check one thing off my list. Our blog has been created and now we can chronicle our many adventures for anyone who is interested.