Camp Season Begins

I am currently back in Hotel Malenovice for our first US Team Training. The purpose of this time is to review a few things for the American Youth Group and for Czech, American, and Intern teams to come together as one team. Our team from New Hope Church in Minnesota should be arriving in the next hour or so at the train station, and I have the privilege of picking them up because I know how to drive stick/manual (thanks Dad), which is every car in Europe just about.

Our intern team will be doing camp with New Hope in Sumperk. I am so excited to serve with this American team. They always bring over such quality students, and there are many returning that I have seen really catch the vision of English camps and serve well. If any of you read this...thank you!

Sumperk is one of the two groups I've worked with in the Fall, and I love the students of Sumperk. I have a passion to see them come to know Christ, and for some of these Christian students to step into leadership.

Keep us in prayer for the next 12 days. Camp is from July 4-11, training from now until then.

Long Day of Travel

This picture was taken while we were on our "short" trip from Malenovice to Sumperk. We were in Malenovice for a work project on a guest house for missionaries for a few days, and this is a trip I've taken often. Well normally this trip takes just over 3 hours, actually a nice trip by train through Czech. There was apparently flooding throughout the region we had to travel through to get back to Sumperk, so instead it took us 7 hours. In that 7 hours we encountered quite a few rediculous situations that had us laughing about in confusion:

My first "Cancelled" train
Train > Bus > Train > Train > Bus > Train
Sitting in a train for 1 hour at a station with no warning
(see above) Crowded more people on the train than could fit - I thought I had seen it all, but people didn't get on the train and the ticket lady yelled at people from outside the train
Sat in the front seat of a Bus as a buddy driver
Went the wrong way on the highway in a Bus
Rushed to catch a train that decided to wait an extra 1/2 hour anyway

Let me tell you the story of the bus ride. So we get on this overcrowded bus (something common in Czech when they're doing this) and I'm standing by the door. The bus driver decides he wants to leave space for him to see past me to the door, so he throws down a seat in the middle of the bus (I think it was a ghetto tourist bus). I'm sitting there, enjoying the ride and we get to a detour. The driver opens the door and yells at the police man, then makes a u-turn instead of following the detour. The door is still open (and my huge hiking backpack is sitting on the steps as we head back up the exit ramp. I have a front-row seat to the whole thing.

As we get to the highway, the bus driver actually tries to block others from going down that same ramp! He gets right in the middle of the exit ramp and keeps waving them to say "no, don't go that way". Then he waits to make a u-turn for about a minute, and we never know when he's actually going to go for it. He makes it and some people clap, probably because we're actually alive. We make it to the train station later than a lot of other busses because of our detour.

Now the door was open for that whole u-turn/wrong way on the highway thing. My back was litterally perched on the stairs, and I had to hold it with my leg. Afterwards, we all talked about how the bus driver was insane, and we totally don't get why he didn't just follow the cops' detour.

Just one crazy experience with Czech travel and an insane bus driver. A front-row seat in a dangerous situation.

A Month in Czech

This post is definitely a few weeks coming. So much has happened in the last month, that I don't even know how to describe it all.

Arriving in Czech
I arrived in Czech on May 27th, after travelling for 2 days. During that time I felt really prepared, and it was really nice to be able to spend the plane rides thinking and sleeping. I arrived for our Amazing Race (Vienna > Bratislava > Budapest > Czech) quite tired and not really ready to lead, but God brought our team together through the "fun" [read: really tiring with lots of walking] experience that it was.
Intern Training
I was surprised to find myself very fearful about the summer at intern training. It was actually spritual attack, and we prayed through the experience. I think my eyes are more open to see spiritual attack when it comes this summer, so the experience was good. I have been really learning about walking by faith, and I think this is the first time I'm really walking blind (or at least the first time I can see it).Weekend Visits
We've been visiting different groups this summer over the last few weekends. These are the groups we're doing camp with: Vikyrovice, Havlickuv Brod, and Sumperk. All three visits have been so different, but have been a good time to connect with these groups. I am excited to do camps with each of these groups for different reasons, and I think God will use each church/group for something special.
School Visits
We have also been visiting groups throughout the weekdays. Our first visit was after our Vikyrovice weekend visit, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, school visits remind me how much I love Czech students and how much I love doing this ministry in Czech. It's been great to go with the Youth Leaders into these schools, and I think even in doing that we're opening their eyes to the possibilities of outreach in Czech even more.

Work Project
Our team is currently in Malenovice with Jerry's team, working on a guest house where missionaries can come to get care and counseling. It still has a long way to go, but we've worked hard on it over the last 1 1/2 days. Some guys were tearing up the second floor in a house and we've been moving wood, cleaning out hay, and building a small roof. Lots of fun to be together, but tiring in the mud, fog, and rain


Next week we return to Malenovice, and our first camp begins on July 4th. Please be in prayer for our camp with Sumperk. We are so excited for this camp (we've been staying in Sumperk, too), and I believe that God is going to really work through our programs and teams at this camp.

Pics on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/AmazingInternTrainingRace

http://tinyurl.com/HavlickuvBrod

The Route to Czech is preparation

So...a little something got messed up when I tried to post an update and it actually uploaded 5 different posts of 140 characters...just a little problem. Here's my update from the airport:

I am officially on my way to Czech. I got on the plane 11 hours ago and am now in New York. I am actually flying to Vienna, where I will meet my interns and we will start the Amazing Race: a team-building experience that can be exhausting. Travel has been tiring, especially because the New York airport is confusing - I got on a train leaving the airport before I realized my error and I had to go outside w/o a jacket!

Despite these things, God has been preparing me for this summer in Czech and guiding my thoughts for how to lead this team. I've had time on planes to think and plan, and actually had to try my best to keep from sleeping on this last flight so I can sleep tonight.

God is faithful, and I am eager to see how He uses me to guide this team and what He teaches me in the process.

My next update will be from the Czech Republic! Keep praying.

This captures the spirit of what I struggle with in life/ministry: transition

One of the bands that I found out about in the last 2 years and have come to really enjoy is the band Future of Forestry (formerly known as Something Like Silas). They have a unique ambient sound that moves me to worship God, which is their goal as they make music.

I was reading their "behind the album" section about their most recent EP/Album, and I was struck by what the lead singer (Eric) said about their title track "Traveler's Song". It captures the essence of what I feel as I move in and out of different groups, as I transition in life constantly and look for security in my surroundings. In the end I find out that only GOD HIMSELF is constant. Knowing Him intimately and serving Him wholeheartedly are what matters. As I have felt overwhelmed by the space around me and the transitions He has led me through, I am learning to trust in Him and His perfect plan. The post is reprinted below from their website http://futureofforestry.com/ where you can also hear instrumentals of their songs.

****************

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

“…if you travel here, listen to your heart. And take with you what lasts forever.”

I keep waiting for things to settle down, for life to quit throwing curve balls, to offer me a season without change. And although this has been one of the most transitional stages of my life, I have discovered that life itself is a transition. The transition has no end. It is always changing. I am learning that one of the few things I really have is the ability to choose what matters.

I tend to write songs in which I coach myself through the process I’m going through. In this case, it is learning to slow down and “wait” through a season that has felt unexpected, confusing, and has left me wondering how it will turn out. My career as an artist has always felt uneasy-- never the posh life-style that many musicians have been labeled with. I struggle every day simply to remain me, to continue creatively thriving as me, to make a living being me. I’ve been worn out by the struggle, and this songs are telling me that there is plenty of time for me to slow down if I wait. Along the road, if am diligent to take the time, I will learn to lean into the things that are close to my heart.

This song is what gave birth to the entire 3 album Travel series. Travel is a subject that seems to open up all sorts of songs about the long journey. Although many of my songs have been about home, I have come to realize that this life here is, in essence, varying spaces that we travel through. Hence came the 3 EP’s releasing every 4 months this year featuring air travel, sea travel, and land travel.

Lyrics

Wait, stay here and have a drink of time

Wait, before you split yourself in two

There’s time for you

If you travel here, you will feel it all

The brightest and the darkest

If you travel here, listen to your heart

And take with you what last forever

Sleep, and dream the dream of when you fly

See through traveler’s eyes who want to give

To love and give

Phoenix - Wedding | Chicago - Visit | Hawaii - Youth Group | Czech

Hawaii Versus Phoenix

I'm out this week in Phoenix for a friend's wedding. It's cool to hang out with some friends that I've been able to serve with in Czech. The weather's actually nice here (warm and sunny), and nicer than Hawaii is right now (rainy). Monday I head to Chicago to visit some friends at Moody (and some that graduated with me) before they graduate or move. It's nice to have a week off, but I'll also be happy to return to my youth group for next weekend. They're a great group to serve with and God's doing some great things at my home church. We'll see where He continues to take things.

Still raising support for the summer, and was pleasantly surprised to see that my plane ticket won't be any more expensive than it was last year. I have a great set of interns (our team is 6 total), 4 Americans and 2 Czechs from Sumperk. Please pray that God would continue to prepare our hearts for a summer of service and that He would guide me to direct this team I get to lead.

It's Time to get ready to go back!

I have truly been slow in updating my blog. Here's a small overview of what I've been up to:
I've been working with the youth group (Youth In Motion) at my home church as a leader, as well as helping the youth director come up with some ideas on how to do things even better than they are already going.
I've also been teaching weekly at our Friday night AWANA Bible study, looking at the life of Jesus.
Finally, I've been taking care of everything I need to be a substitute teacher, both after spring break and into next school year (just got things in on Mondy 'cuz I had to take a class first).

There's some other good news, too. I am going back to the Czech Republic this summer as an intern leader again! I just found out a few weeks ago that I was accepted and can start raising support, so I'll be sending out some letters soon. I'm also excited because two of my Czech friends are applying to be on my intern team. This will present a unique set of challenges, but I think will be beneficial for all of us. (by the way, their English skills are impeccable)

Please pray for me as I prepare for Czech, will be speaking several times over the next 1 1/2 weeks, and continue to do as much as I can to serve my church and the people here until I leave.

The time has flown by since I've been home.
[I've also posted some pictures on my flickr site, so click on the slideshow to the left to see them.]