For those of you who aren’t on Facebook (and slightly expanded for those who are):

The journey begins … and with it, the adventure … and the battle. Yet it did not begin here, for it has gone on for a long time. It started the day we said “yes” to God.

But this is a whole new chapter … no, a whole new book. It does not stand alone, for it follows in a direct line from the previous one: a sequel to a sequel to a sequel, stretching back to that first moment when we were given the vision, trusted God Who gave it, and stepped out of the familiar door to follow Him.

This book is different – a whole new reality. It was prophesied in an earlier volume – decades ago – and the path stretches down through time, twisting here, turning there, at times doubling back upon itself.

Before the future can be faced, before the adventure commences, before the tale can be told, we must give thanks to God and commend to you our friends the many people who have allowed the Holy Spirit to use them in very special ways to make this journey possible:

• Our Cathedral Church of The King (CEC) family in Olathe, KS, who under Bp, Michael Davidson was instrumental in preparing us for this incredible journey
• Bob and Gene Hallinan along with Steve and Kathy Garrett, our friends In Kansas who supported our daughter Carys in so many ways while she stayed to finish out her senior year while we sold our home and moved to the east coast three and a half years ago
• Dcn. Dave and Carole Prosser of Church of the Holy Spirit (CEC), who hosted me for nine months when I first came to Virginia; they introduced me to Kairos prison ministry, and taught me the ropes of the DC metro rat-race
• Fr. Tim and Lori Illsley and all the members of Church of the Holy Spirit (CEC) in Stephens City, who welcomed our family to Virginia with open arms and hearts
• The Church of the Holy Spirit (Anglican) home group in Purcellville, with whom we learned to walk more closely with Jesus
• The women known as the Lovettsville Ladies Bible Study, faithfully facilitated by Chris Benitez and Jan Fearing, who greatly encouraged my wife Edye and provided constant prayer support for our entire family over these many months
• Syd Fearing, Will Callaham, Paul Tobias and sons Daniel, Brian and Alex of Church of the Holy Spirit (Anglican), who on the last night helped us move a baby grand piano and more from our house into storage
• Tom and Connie Potter of Leesburg Nazarene, who hosted our family for two weeks during the coldest, snowiest part of January immediately after our move out
• Fr. Martin and Gwyn Eppard of Church of the Good Shepherd (CEC) in Catonsville, who have provided practical advice and the wisdom born of experience
• Mark and Sally Carico of Church of Reconciliation (CEC), who hosted our family for two nights at very short notice
• Fr. Rob, Sarah, and all the young (and not so young anymore) Northwoods of Church of Reconciliation (CEC) in Bel Air, who along with their intercessors have provided wise counsel and strong prayers
• Fr. John and Cindy McNally of Church of St. Andrew (CEC) in Petersburg, who’ve been a haven along the way when we delivered household items (including that baby grand piano) to our daughter Carys in North Carolina
• Fr. Dean and Glorianne Schultz of Church of the Good Shepherd (CEC), who helped us move ourselves out of our home in the middle of more than one night, had us house-sit for ten days while they toured Israel, provided the use of their vehicle when ours went into the shop, and we won’t even begin to list all the ways Glorianne went above and beyond as our realtor!
• Bob Brown, who has opened his residence at Church of the Holy Apostles (CEC) parish house to what can only be described as an invasion by the Jackson family
• Pete and Mary Silva of Church of the Holy Apostles (CEC), who are providing Bryn with a weekday residence featuring a stimulating environment and a fellow airsofter in their son John
• David and Annette Nieman of Church of the Holy Apostles (CEC), who are providing me with a place to stay during the week so that I can take mass transit to work in DC without a 20-minute drive to get to it
• And last but certainly not least, Fr. Jim and Barbara Ball and all the people of Church of the Holy Apostles (CEC) in Westminster, who enrich our lives and continue to facilitate our final months of sojourn as we prepare to emigrate to the UK

Without all these beloved people and many others besides, we would never have been in a position to take the next step that God has placed before us.

I invite you to learn more about our great adventure, both its beginnings and the path it takes as it unfolds, by returning to this blog periodically in the days and weeks to come.

In the flesh:
“We are but warriors for the working-day;
Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch’d
With rainy marching in the painful field;
There’s not a piece of feather in our host—
Good argument, I hope, we will not fly—
And time hath worn us into slovenry:
But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim….”
– William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act IV, scene iii

In the spirit:
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:57-58