Yesterday I crossed a bridge, it was one of the most beautiful bridges I have ever crossed.  I took my time to enjoy it, I was in no hurry. I even brought a book with me.   Now this morning I woke up on the other side of that bridge, in a tiny apartment in the Historic heart of Budapest, Hungary.  I'm boiling a pot of water and in a moment I'll make myself a cup of instant coffee, I'll add a little honey and a lot of milk and pretend like I'm at a cafe in Italy.

When I woke up this morning by back was aching.  I was squished into the corner of the tiny double bed I was now sharing with the four little children who had stolen my blankets, and my husband who can sleep through anything.  The other five kids are still asleep in the next room.  I haven't checked the news today, I haven't opened my email and I haven't logged onto Facebook.  I'm not ready to cross that "bridge" into the global world just yet.  This is a rare moment of peace as I simply open my Bible and reach out my heart and my hands to hold on to the One who brought me here, to the other side of my bridge.

I don't know what happened in Ukraine last night, but as I went to sleep last night thousands of Russians stayed awake playing war games on the border.  I don't know what happened in America last night, but I know that while I was sleeping over a million people were meeting my family for the first time... joining our adventure in Italy from the comfort of their couches and their channels turned to HGTV for another episode of House Hunters International.  Maybe they enjoyed a taste of our life in Italy, but do they know that our family of eleven just left the chaos of Ukraine to cross a border after midnight to flee to the safety of Hungary?  Maybe not, but the story was in Ohio and California Newspapers yesterday as our life turned into a bigger adventure that we ever dreamed, and It's not quite the dream we imagined when we first crossed the ocean to find it.

So now I will pour my coffee, and now I will open my Bible, and let my kids sleep a little longer.  When they wake up we will get on a bus, and cross another bridge.  We'll bring our backpacks, our camera, and lunch in a brown bag.  Isaac and Rachel will bring their ice skates.  Anna will hold Joseph's hand.  susie and Laura will laugh so loud we will have to remind them to be quiet.  Naomi will draw pictures of horses the whole way.  I'll find the seat closest to my husband, while Estera holds baby Ember in her lap.  This is our life, it's not what we expected, but we are loving every minute.  I can't wait for the rest of the family to wake up and cross another bridge with me, we can't wait to see what's on the other side.  I'll post pictures tomorrow!

My soul, wait silently for God alone, 
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
He is my defense, I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory,
The rock of my strength and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in Him at all times you people,
Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

Feb 19, 2014
Josh and I are in been in Budapest with Isaac, Anna and baby Ember this week to process our visas so can keep serving as missionaries in Ukraine. Our six other kids are in L'viv, Ukriane (with my mom and dad) waiting for us to get back. 




Feb 19, 1AM  
Pray for Ukraine. Things are getting really bad in some cities.

Feb 19, 11:30am
Yesterday the violence and chaos became very intense and is spreading to many cities. We have decided to have Josh go back for the rest of the kids so we can all stay together while processing the visa. He is on His say.  He jumped on the First train to Ukraine this morning.   We now see that we need to spend more time outside of Ukraine than we planned. I am thankful that God had provide for our family to be able to make this trip. We expect to be here for a couple weeks to wait for Ukraine to calm down because of the limitations of our visa during the civil chaos. Please pray for safety and blessing for Josh as he re-enters Ukraine, and for my kids as they travel to the boarder. It's hard to have our family in three different places right now. Feb 11:30am

Josh and I, and the kids are now missionaries living in Ukraine.  We are helping orphans and enjoying living in the center of a busy city, in a 4th floor apartment on a timeless cobblestone street.
We have started a ministry called "Backpacks for Orphans".  We are organizing the effort to help provide backpacks for orphans filled with gifts, necessities, educational toys, games and books for orphans living in orphanages in Ukraine and Romania.  

We have friends in Florida and Indiana collecting backpacks to deliver, or ship to us here.  Once the backpacks arrive we purchase supplies locally to fill the backpacks.  If people donate purses and lunch boxes we will place those in the backpacks along with some school supplies to deliver to the children.  We depend on donations to help us to fill the backpacks. If we don't have money to fill them, the kids will be happy to have the backpacks anyway.  We also enjoy putting on parties for orphans as Christian outreach events, with games, music, and food.  Here are some photos from a recent trip to deliver backpacks and teach music to orphans in L'Viv, Ukraine.  Learn more!

"Josh and Sarah Brown fell in love with Italy during their European honeymoon fifteen years ago. Now they've decided to leave behind their fast paced lifestyle in Indiana and return to the peaceful region of Veneto, Italy. Except this time, they're bringing along their nine children. Finding a home to accommodate eleven people in the small villages that dot the countryside is a huge challenge for real estate agent Sabine, and the family's tight budget might leave them bursting at the seams. See if the Browns can find their dream home on the biggest House Hunters International adventure yet." - HGTV

 In October of 2012, we sold the 15 passenger van, got visas, had a good bye party, rented out our house in Indiana, Packed up half a ton of luggage and boarded an Airplane.  We crossed the ocean while we were sleeping.  We arrived in Italy on November 1st.  Baby Ember was born 6 weeks later.  After living in the apartment in Montebelluna for a few months we were ready to go house hunting again.  

House Hunters International met us at the Train Station in Montebelluna, Italy.  They followed us around for FOUR days of  filming.  They filmed our family dragging "half a ton" of luggage out of the train station...

 It was a dream about a family sharing life, my family, watching the fireworks on Independence Day, having picnics, playing baseball, building snowmen.  It was a dream that included the love of my life with me on a porch swing growing old together.  In my view, life wasn’t about a career, it was about the making of a family.