About an hour ago, I was sitting under a tree, watching a group of teenagers passing around a ukulele, strumming and singing, and talking about the differences between Croatia and Macedonia, and Greece and Italy. Which country has better bread, what the coffee is like, which has the best coast. It was a totally normal conversation for them. These kids have grown up in these countries, with parents serving as missionaries. Their lives are so different from the average American teenager. But so normal to them. They are Third Culture Kids.

Samuel visited his first European castle yesterday. And I’m just beginning to feel the weight of the decision we’ve made to live here. It really affects his life too. In some ways, I feel like we’ve taken away some significant things. Number one on that list would be living near his grandparents.

But I know that we’re giving him incredibly significant things too. In just the past week, at least 4 of Samuel’s new Slovak high school friends came to know Jesus personally. In a country that used to be “unreachable,” behind the Iron Curtain. Now we get to live here freely and share Jesus openly. And Samuel will get to learn their heart language, and someday after he believes, he will get to share too.

This life is different. Every day people talk to my little Samko in baby talk that sounds really sweet, but I can’t understand a word of it. In some ways, this life will get easier. But I think it will get harder in some ways too.

I was reading in James earlier today- ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from… the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.’ I am thankful that He won’t change.

Oh, by the way, you might have noticed Samuel's first big boy wound. He fell off a riding toy and caught the sidewalk with his sweet little nose. I get sad every time I look at him, although he forgot about it days ago.