High Five Tour 2016: Pt. 1

Our Trip So Far...

What has felt like a distant future for so long is finally about to happen!  We've been on the road for about 2 weeks now, and today we'll be in Shelby, Montana for the next three weeks.  This will be a great time of rest before we make the trip to Milwaukee. While it has been a very busy season, we are hoping to be re-energized, so that we can hit the ground running after we land in the Czech Republic (or Czechia, as it might be called in the near future).

It is a different feeling having all of our possessions in the States fitting snuggly in a van, and the reality of what we're setting out toward is now beginning to hit us.  While the process has been very exciting, it has also been incredibly sobering to say goodbye to life long friends and family.  Our longterm desire is to make much of Jesus through the Gospel in Czech, and this process is a part of the cost to be a part of that. It has been sweet to grow closer as a couple and with the kids as we've been in this interim state. And we're at a place as a family where we are ready to invest our lives in our new city, whatever God may put in our way.

Last night of packing

Where did our stuff go?

The moving process was intense to say the least.  Walking the kids through the moving process is almost an annual tradition.  Thankfully this time we're only moving a portion of our things.  

Leaving Bridgeway Church was an exciting and difficult day, as we were surrounded by the love and support our our community that we've called home for 9 years.  They commissioned us on a day that was devoted exclusively to reminding the church of the great commission.  You can check out this spoken word preached on that day in the video above.

Addey's Kindergarten Class.

Addey has had an amazing year at Kindergarten.  She has really progressed in a lot of areas.  Her teachers loved her and she made some great friends along the way.  It is one of those schools you wish you could take with you wherever you go!

Addey and her teacher Mrs. Benoit.

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Bartol Family High Five Tour Begins Today!

 Okinawa Harbor people.  It can't get much better. 

Enjoying the Riverwalk Boat Tour.

I still have nightmares of these guys.  

Lackland AFB. Security Forces Training Squadron

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This was right next to the field where I graduated Basic Training.

It was a sweet time visiting our friends in San Antonio.  We got to visit the beauty of the River Walk, as well as Lackland Air Force Base, where I went through basic training and tech school in 2003.  It was a surreal experience, as I haven't been there in 13 years (and I'm pretty sure walking on the grass was a no-no, but my DD-214 says I can do what I want).  

While it was and is a fast paced visit, it has been a really good experience that we will not forget!
To be continued...

Book Review: "Philosophy in Seven Sentences" by Douglas Groothuis

Is it possible to give a complete introduction to Philosophy in seven sentences? No.
But thankfully that is not the idea of Douglas Groothuis' skillfully written book. While he takes you on a journey through the thought processes of various philosophers throughout the ages, what he accomplishes best is a whetting of the appetite for deeper thought and a projected discomfort for mental laziness (or acedia). From a single sentence and brief history of each of the philosophers featured, he weighs the themes of their philosophical approaches with how they affect us today. From Protagoras' idea of man being the measure of all things, bringing about a self destructive form of relativism, to Augustine's desire to find ultimate satisfaction and rest for the human soul, each of these thinkers have impacted the way people see the world today, and there is a gold mine to explore with each of them.

After you finish this book you will be spurred on to further study, and you will realize that philosophy is not merely a discipline in isolation, but rather is the pursuit of wisdom and the knowledge of where we came from, who we are, and where we are going. And this applies to every facet of life. Even if you do not agree with all of his conclusions, you will understand why "the unexamined life is not worth living." So, whether you are a seasoned philosopher or an average Joe just looking to understand the deeper things of life, you will find plenty to explore here.

Dr. Groothuis said it well,
"Philosophy is not a closed club or a secret society. Since we all can think about ultimate questions, let's do it."

Apologetics as Mission

It has been a while since we've worked on this blog......And that is mostly because we're working toward getting a new site that will integrate both the website AND the blog together.  But until then, Dan had the opportunity to write for a friend's blog site on the subject of understanding Apologetics as Mission: Click Here to Check it out!

The 600th anniversary of the execution of Jan Hus

On July 6th 1415, a man by the name of Jan Hus (or Jon Huss) was executed by the Roman catholic church for heresy.  Although he was a short and husky theologian, he is often portrayed as a tall and striking figure, due to the level of impact he has had on the Czech people and the world.  He not only set the stage for the great Reformation 100 years later, through Martin Luther, he also helped develop the Czech orthography (which is probably why it is so hard to speak!).  But what he stood for is one of the many reasons why we are living and breathing where we are today.  If you can imagine a world where the Bible was only written and preached in Latin, and the governing authority was equal to the religious authority, this is the world that Jan Hus made his mark on history.

The views we carry today did not spontaneously come into existence, and for modern philosophers and theologians, we stand on the shoulders of giants.  Jan Hus was no different.  Through the works of John Wycliff, Hus was prompted to preach in his own language, which was a big no-no under the Roman system at the time.  This gave the people an understanding of the faith they professed, and with Hus' stand against papal corruption the people began to realize that God has given them a priestly authority in their own right and that Scripture is the ultimate authority over the church.  While Martin Luther was known to mock Rome for their selling of indulgences, Jan Hus was equally against this idea, noting Wycliff,

"Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on his sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by his righteousness."

Of course preaching such things would cause a stir, but Hus wanted to defend his position, and was given an opportunity to freely present his case before the counsel of Constance.  Unfortunately, they did not live up to their word, but instead proceeded to interrogate and accuse him of heresy without question. In his last letter, 10 days before he was burned at the stake, he wrote,

"'If I had written anything wrong, I wish to be told of it.' Whereupon the presiding Cardinal said, 'As you want information, take this: you should retract and obey the decision of fifty doctors of the church.'"

In other words, "You do not deserve a reason why you are wrong, you simply must obey."

Things have not changed much today in this respect.  When opposing views are exchanged in the marketplace of ideas, those who disagree are often belittled as a caricature or a straw-man, and then the attack moves forward (see any news 'debate' on TV).  The idea itself is misrepresented and the new more easily demonized view is burned alive.  One of the many things that Reformation figures, like Hus, have taught us is that we are not to blindly walk according to the traditions, but to test our faith and see whether it corresponds to reality.  This takes boldness in the face of opposition, but it also takes a diplomatic stance if we truly want to do the sometimes difficult work of weighing the arguments equally.  Hus wrote,

Seek the truth, hear the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, speak the truth, hold the truth and defend the truth until death.

If truth is the foundation by which we can rightly live and operate as image bearers of God, then we should seek it at all costs, even to the death, knowing that Christ has made death obsolete for those who are His.  By standing for truth, you never know how you might impact the course of history.

An Intro to our Summer Czech Journey

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It's crazy to think that a month has gone by and it has been a very busy one for sure. Our trip schedule was so full and we experienced so many things that we needed to take some time to process it all before posting anything here – so thank you for being patient with us.

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First of all, thank you for your prayers during our travels. God was good to us as travel endeavors went very smoothly, the Holy Spirit moved at camp, many hearts opened up to the good news of Christ's atoning death and resurrection, and our kids were safe and constantly busy so they didn’t miss us too much. We are so grateful to our family for helping this long awaited trip happen.  The Spirit really spoke to our hearts and confirmed the desire for us to move in to that country to make much of Jesus. As we spent time with Czechs and other missionaries, we began to see first hand who they are as a people, God genuinely knitted our hearts with theirs and we are certain that this journey of moving long-term is in His will for us. We are thankful to be back home with our family and friends, but both of us left part of our hearts there and we eagerly look forward to when we can plant our roots deep in the country.

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Because there is so much to write, we will be breaking it up into sections, so that there is room to freely elaborate on each of these different stories.  Also, to respectively protect those whom we got to know, we will be changing some of their names.

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Thank you for your involvement on this journey, and a special thanks to those who have already partnered with us.  This could not have happened without you.

All glory be to Christ!