Transitions

Well we had our financial review and are very grateful for your prayers for us. We have had to make a very tough decision as we reviewed the state of our finances and support. As we looked at our current situation, we realized that we can no longer afford to live here.

After exploring all our possible options, we have decided that we need to leave Europe and CAI and return to the U.S. for the time being. We recognize that this may seem sudden or shocking. For us personally it is heart-wrenching but we are also hopeful and even excited as we look to a new season trusting that God is with us. We do not see this as an end to life on mission, just a different shape and location that we had hoped.

We have decided to start somewhere new in the States. A city we feel will be a good cultural fit and where we have some contacts already: Seattle. There, we will continue to explore missional life with God. I am planning on finishing school, and both Trish and I are planning on working. We do hope to one day return to Europe, but for the moment we look to what God is doing as he takes us back to the States.

We are aiming to move by April and are already seeking employment. Just because we are planning on leaving, does not mean we don't still need your support. We are running about one paycheck behind on our support which means we have a deficit of about $5000 that will need to be paid off when we leave. In addition, CAI will pay us with a transitionary income (out of our support) covering expenses our first months back as we get set up.

Because of this, we would ask all our supporters to consider supporting us through at least September. This will provide for our deficit and will help cover some of our transition costs including plane tickets, shipping our stuff, and rent for our first month.

We are so grateful for all the support - prayer, emotional, and financial that have been generously given us by you. We have been incredibly blessed to have such an amazing support team. God has truly used this team to lift us up and empower us to live missionally in The Netherlands.

While things have not looked like we hoped, we have seen God time and again working through the circumstances and inviting others here in The Netherlands to know him. His work was begun long before we arrived and will continue long after we leave but for a brief period he has allowed us to be a part of it here. We are grateful.

Thank you for making it possible!

We will continue to send updates as we are preparing to leave, as we move, and as we journey on into yet another chapter. We look forward to continuing to share life with you in the future.

In the meantime we welcome your prayers for us as we say goodbyes, exit CAI and Crossroads International Church, search for work and an apartment, and once again prepare to re-enter the States.

Also, don't forget we keep adding pics of brayden. Just click the pictures link.

Grace,
Chris and Trish and Brayden

Brayden Levi

He's finally arrived!
Brayden Levi Webb weighing in at 8lbs 1oz. For everybody who's been wanting some details here they are:
Trish went into labor around 11pm on the 18th. Her contractions were very sporadic and seemed about like the ones of false labor she'd had the night before. They continued all night long but it wasn't until about 630 in the morning on the 19th that they suddenly jumped from about 12 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart. We called the midwife, she check on Trish who was dialated 3cm. The midwife said she would come back in 3 hours unless Trish's water broke.

Trish's water broke about 30 minutes after the midwife left. It was green which means the baby had pooped in the amniotic fluid and also meant that we would have to go to the hospital instead of having a home birth. The midwife and a nurse came back and checked Trish and the baby. Trish was now 7cm. They drove us to the hospital and within about a half hour of arriving Trish was fully dialated and ready to push.

At 11:07am Brayden was born.

Trish and Brayden were kept for observation and released the next morning. Some friends came and picked us up and took us back to our apartment.

In the Dutch system, a nurse comes in everyday for a week after the birth to check on the mother and child, answer questions, and help with household chores. So we've had someone here for 4 hours a day the past week which has been very helpful.

Jack has adjusted quickly to having a baby around, he's very protective and is watchful of anybody other than us holding Brayden especially when Brayden is crying. :)

More soon.

A New Year - the "domestic" side of life

At long last we return to the world of blogging!
We've updated our pictures with pictures of our furlough and our first months in The Hague, so feel free to visit them if you haven't.

We've been in the Hague for a couple months now and to be honest, it has been hard. We've had a harder time adjusting to life here than we have anywhere else we've lived before. Why? We're not completely sure yet. We have missed Amsterdam a lot. We miss our team, we miss the city, and we miss the people who were apart of our lives there.

We also miss being in the city center - right now we live "far" from the city and being "city people", it has been hard. We're also adjusting to being a part of an established church rather than a community catalyzing something new.

At the same time, there are things we like. We live in a part of the Hague called Mariahoeve (sounds something like mareeaaah - hoova). It's on the edge of the city and is known by those who don't live in it as "boring and full of old people". It's not exactly that, but it is an area with a lot of elderly people and not a lot to do. Don't get me wrong, we aren't in a retirement center or a village, but it is quieter than being in the middle of the city. There's a lot of green - trees, grass, and a very close by city "forest", which we have really enjoyed.

Our apartment building is divided into 3 sections each with separate entrances, with 14 apartments in each. We have met most of our neighbors and have been warmly greeted here. On Christmas we baked cookies and treats and left them by each apartment. It was a BIG hit and we got lots of surprised cards and little gifts in return which surprised us. It was a fun way for us to celebrate Christmas.

We have also been enjoying the adittion of a small dog to our lives. His name is Jack and through taking him out and walking him every day, we've met a LOT of people around here. People often stop to ask about him which has been fun and usually opens up short conversations. The Netherlands is ranked as one of the biggest dog-lover countries in the world, so everybody wants to talk about their dog and ours.

We've been frequenting a couple cafes in the area (the only cafes in the area :) and are hoping that we will meet people as we get known and accepted as a part of the cafe - which takes a lot of time around here! It's not quite like starbucks - it takes a while for people to accept you as a part of their cafe.

Trish transitioned quickly into the children's ministry at Crossroads and is doing a great job leading and facilitating. she came in right in the middle of a lot of change and has done beautifully! The team that she is a part of is great and we have both enjoyed getting to know them as the weeks go on. Trish has also been a part of a small group for the past couple months.

Chris spent a lot of time in the first month researching the city and what is happening here. He made some good connections and has a long list of ministries and organisations to get in touch with. He's pursuing one in particular that works with homeless youth as a place to volunteer with. He also started his school classes - 7 to be exact - and has had a lot to do as he started studying and had to figure out a study plan for each class. Chris went to a dutch christmas party and was invited to join their small group which was an answer to prayer and he is going to give it a try - hoping his dutch will be good enough!

Of course we've also been enjoying the last months of Trish's pregnancy and getting ready for the baby. We just had an appointment with our midwife and an ultrasound yesterday and everything looks great. The birth is expected to be a home birth and the window in which they will perform a home birth starts in 2 more days and doesn't end till febuary - so any time we could have a baby!

We hope you had a Christmas and New Years that you enjoyed!

Grace,
Chris + Trish