Sarajevo in June!

Our time in the United Arab Emirates has come to an end after nearly two years living in the capitol city of Abu Dhabi. While living in the Arab Gulf Region, we made many new friends and became involved with a wonderful church congregation. In April we said our "goodbyes," not only to our friends, but also to the 40 million date palm trees, the extreme temperatures, the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula as we packed and prepared for our next two year destination: the mountains of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, located in the Balkans of Eastern Europe. We've enjoyed a month in the U.S. visiting family, friends, and churches. Now we are finalizing the preparations for our move.

With its centuries of history, Sarajevo is still recovering from the events and effects of the Balkan War in the 1990's that drove many of its people to seek refuge in other nations. 

Factoids: 

• Sarajevo was first established in the 11th century. 
• The Austrian Arch Duke, Francis Ferdinand, and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, leading to the outbreak of World War 1. 
• Sarajevo was the host of the 1984 Winter Olympics. 
• Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 as a result of the fall of the Berlin wall. 
• The siege of Sarajevo was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, lasting from 1994 to 1996. 
• Neighboring countries to Bosnia are Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. 
• Bosnia was called Illyricum and Dalmatia in ancient times and was mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:19, and was visited by Titus, according to II Timothy 4:10. 

Farewell, "Off-Island" Church

One of our last farewells before deaprting from Abu Dhabi was a lovely time of fellowship with many of the church members who were part of the "off-island" congegation where Gary often ministered. We gathered together in a model city that is still under construction, called Masdar City. The concept is to build a city that relies entirely on solar energy and other renewable resources with a sustainable, no carbon, no waste ecology. 

During the farewell luncheon, the church leadership team made a special presentation and prayed for us. We appreciate this wonderful congregation and will miss them. 

Gospel "Car Ferry"- Logos Hope

Operation Mobilization owns and operates a ship called "Logos Hope" that sails around the world carrying the gospel message of hope. There is an on-board book fair of over 5,000 educational and Christian titles of carefully chosen books that are made available to the people who come aboard and visit while the ship is docked in port. 

This spring, the ship visited Abu Dhabi. We were privileged to be able to meet one of the staff members who gave us an extensive tour and invited Gary to minister in one of their daily staff devotions, held on board. The ship is operated by a crew of over 400 international volunteers. 

The ship, a former car ferry that sailed in Northern Europe, was purchased and restored by OM, who now uses it to bring the message of hope to millions around the world. During its short stay in the port of Abu Dhabi, thousands of visitors climbed up the gangway and shopped in the book fair before exiting through an area that has a pictorial presentation of the Bible. 

Prayer Request

Please pray for a smooth transition, for the safe arrival of our belongings, for new friends, and for open doors to minister. "And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..." Col 4:3 NIV