Amy in Polska: Rom. 8:28 (ESV) -- "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

ATTENTION!!! MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT TO FOLLOW!!!

Well... July was a pretty eventful month. Besides hosting a total of 78 guests at our church between July 9th-August 4th, I celebrated a birthday (as did my mom, Sharon, Krzysiek, my adopted Polish grandmother here, and several other friends) and I also received a huge answer to prayer on my birthday (more to follow next time).

After hosting a short-term missions group of 60 people at our church, we were in desperate need of a break. So we took a trip (14 hours by bus!) to Prague. Although the ride was long, it was well worth it. I was vital that we travelled out of country -- even if just a three-day get-away because we needed to be far away from obligations and burdens that we carry here. We were in desperate need of time for recuperation -- as well as some personal time for us. We are so thankful to God for that trip.

While there... (drumroll, please...)

Krzysiek and I got engaged! :)

Look! I even got a purple ring!!! :) :)

Okay. So to be more accurate, this was the second time he asked (and the second time I said yes). To make a really long story short, he first proposed in late June but because I hadn't had a chance to talk with my family yet (except for Bonnie), I didn't want to make any public announcements and we kept it very quiet. After having a chance to talk with my parents, I felt we could properly go public on it.

So he proposed again (ha ha!) in Prague -- this time, publicly, on his knees, etc.

Please pray for us as God continues to prepare us for a lifetime commitment to journey together. International relationships (marriages) are a bit more complicated and require some extra attention toward legal matters in the area of visas. (This also affects when/where the wedding will be.) More info to follow as it becomes concrete.

Our journey as a couple has not been an easy one. The beginning of our relationship was particularly difficult and we made some bad decisions and choices. But we learned and we continue to learn. And we thank God that He is good and gracious and fights for us. He's always kept our hearts soft toward Him and when we start to go off-track, He's always quickened our spirits to get back on the right path. As as we took this step of faith, we definitely felt His guidance and presence with us.

So for those of you who have prayed for God's guidance in this area of my life -- many of you even for years and years-- THANK YOU. Trust that God has heard your prayers.

Enjoy the pictures of Prague. I loved it there. I hope you'll have a chance to see it for yourselves someday.

Peace and blessings and lots of love to you all.

Amy (& Krzysiek)