Josh in Czech

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-02T01:23:00.001-10:00

As we start the new year, I wanted to refer you to a post by my friend (and supporter), Brad. He captures well the thoughts I have had going into last year and this year, reminding us that our God is "making all things new".

Pressing On (A New Kind of Resolution)

One of my resolutions is to up my posts and contact in order to better share how God is working in/through me and the ministries I'm involved in.

Inspiration for my future in Czech

2011-10-31T14:21:00.000-10:00

I've been reading through some older emails in an effort to get a nice clean slate on my inbox. I have to admit that there are many unread emails that I've taken a quick glance at and then marked unread again - never getting back to them! I've been changing that today and it's been so encouraging! I've read updates about what God's been doing in the lives of missionary friends in the Czech Republic, old emails of how God has provided as they've raised support (the position I'm in now) and have just been reminded of why I am pursuing God's call to Czech.

Earlier this year my friend/boss Nate Hughes posted a blog entitled "Losing my religion?" That title has stuck with me as I've considered the overwhelmingly atheistic population of Czech and students I know who have not yet given their lives to Christ. It does break my heart.

This paradox of hopelessness and yet seeing fruit from this ministry gives me great hope for the future. I see God working amidst the chaos.

Below is an email from Mark Krupa that again got me thinking on this subject. His thoughts as a long-term missionary who has been living in Czech for many years is really insightful. I hope it blesses you as you pray for Czech and wrestle to live out your faith genuinely in this world.

_____________________________
Mark Krupa:
Here's what's in the news:

"A study using census data from nine countries shows that religion there is
set for extinction, say researchers."

"The result, reported at the American Physical Society meeting in Dallas,
US, indicates that religion will all but die out altogether in those [Nine]
countries. The team took census data stretching back as far as a century
from countries in which the census queried religious affiliation: Australia,
Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New
Zealand and Switzerland."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12811197

So that's our situation here in the Czech Republic according to mathematical
models.

And if you spend time here you'll see we are not in good shape.

I am once again amazed at the spiritual condition of the Czech Republic.
Evidences like: extremely low numbers of believers, bickering churches,
missionaries who won't don't or can't stick it out and stay, exhausted
pastors, leaders caught in sin, political frustration, a very disheartening
Christian history, a lack of evangelism, a lack of response to evangelism, a
lack of converted believers growing into tall trees with deep roots,
virtually zero Christian teachers in the universities, virtually zero
believers in politics, very few model Christian homes, unhealthy Christian
communities, unhealthy families, foreigners who come to work in Prague but
can't get into the culture, language or disciple-making, missionary
revolving door syndrome, troubled teens, troubled families, troubled
schools, a rejection of God, no eternal life secured before death.

And much much more.

It can get you down, huh!

But it's not getting me down for long!

It's not keeping my team down. We are united and strong.

All these statistics draw us to live here and stay here and be active here!

That is why you are praying for our work here.

That is why your moral support has been so helpful!

This is why we are out training workers, discipling souls, sharing the Good
News with individuals through camps, youth groups, small groups, TV
programs, media, School & City Concerts and Seminars, café meetings,
distribution of Christian literature, etc. This is why we have the
Malenovice Center for Training and Evangelism where we build up and train up
hundreds of Christians. That is why we pray over and take care of effective
key leaders in this country. That is why our team is planting new churches
and groups like evangelistic home youth gatherings and evangelistic rock
choirs. That is why we are praying so hard for softer soil and fertile
ground for a coming spiritual renewal for the empty souls of these busy but
barren people.

God is at work! We are fighting the good fight! We have hope! One of the
most encouraging things I read as I'm finishing my final class for my
Masters Degree is that at year 100 there were still less than one-half of
one percent Christians in the Roman population. The Holy Spirit changed
that radically from years 100-400. In Czech we have the most atheistic
country on earth but not the least-Christian (that's the country of Turkey).
We have ½ of 1% believers. Pray with us that the Holy Spirit moves through
our willing hearts and changes the nation visibly!

Heading that direction

2011-10-23T15:44:00.000-10:00

I'm still headed in the right direction, toward full-time ministry in the Czech Republic. I am a little tired of the now-and-not-yet of going back and forth doing ministry and coming home, and am excited to be on my way. I'm about half-way there. I still have more support to raise by the end of the year if I'm to move to Czech at the beginning of next, but I'm looking for about 25 more people to step up and support me monthly. If 25 people can give consistently, I'll be able to join the ministry of spreading the Gospel in the most atheistic country in the world and to training young leaders to do the same. What an exciting ministry to be apart of!

Otherwise here's what I'm doing at home in Hawaii: Leading a Sunday morning group in evangelism and faith basics, substitute teaching when I can (I just got rehired!), spending time with family and friends, communicating with partners and potential supporters, building up a team of people who will pray for me weekly on a specific day, and trying to nourish my soul as I "wait."

I'd appreciate your prayers and support. Anyone you know who might want to partner with this ministry? Contact me.

Summer's Over and I'm Headed Home in a Few Days

2011-08-15T07:29:00.001-10:00

I've done a poor job of updating this blog, and I hoped for it to be a place to constantly check up on me and where I am now. You can always check my Twitter feed on the right (twitter.com/joshhawaii), or try my mobile photo blog at joshhawaii.posterous.com.

I STILL HOPE TO UPDATE HERE, ESPECIALLY AS I MOVE TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC FULL TIME. I'm not quite there yet.

I spent another great summer of ministry with many students who are really considering God for the first time, our considering following him with their whole life. Our English camps were successful this summer because many students took steps toward Christ, and at our past camp we welcomed a new brother in Christ, Petr.

I've spent the last week with my team in Prague, getting them ready to go home after such a great experience. They served well and sacrificed so much this summer, and went home on Friday tired! Pray for Annie, Brad, Brianne, and Sarah as they head back into their normal lives of school and work.

I'm also ending my summer sick with some viral infection, which is forcing me to slow down, rest, and take time with God to see what he's done in me this summer. I FLY BACK TO HAWAII ON FRIDAY TO CONTINUE RAISING SUPPORT TO MOVE TO CZECH IN THE NEAR FUTURE. The team is eager and ready to receive me.

Awana Camp Presentation Video

2011-06-26T03:48:00.005-10:00

I had the opportunity again to share my story with the AWANA Kids at camp via video. I hope some of them contact me to tell me how camp went, and I kept them in my prayers from the other side of the world. Below I have included the video for your enjoyment. I dislike videos of myself as most people do, so feel free to laugh when you see me talking to a camera propped up on a table and ottoman combo.

Amazing Race Photos

2011-06-25T13:24:00.005-10:00

Here are a few random phone pics from during the amazing race this year. Check out the full size on Facebook...

Amazing Race Destinations

2011-06-25T11:12:00.003-10:00

Our Amazing Race was from June 1-3, the first thing we did with the interns hours after they got off the plane. It was a great team-building exercise that brought our team together from total strangers to some sort of team. We went through Prague for 2 days and on the last day headed to the other side of the country. I'll put some pics up, but for now here's our route/destinations in Prague in Google map form (zoom out to see more of the country).

View Amazing Race 2011 in a larger map

A Trio of Visits

2011-06-21T14:58:00.003-10:00

I want to get a quick update about what we've been doing. Over the last two weeks we've been visiting the three Czech churches we're doing camp with this summer. We just got back today from a double-header visit with Hradec Kralove and Havlickuv Brod, having spent the previous weekend with Trebic.

Trebic was a blessing. As a new group they are very excited about sharing their faith with others and expanding their group. They've also grown a lot this year apparently and have several young believers attending. It was great to spend the weekend with them out at a cottage in Brodek. I also had the opportunity to preach in church on Sunday, encouraging the church to pray some specific things for our team from Colossians 1:9-12 and 4:1-4. Czech churches are good about praying (and I really appreciate how they have 'popcorn style' prayer in their services), and I wanted to piggyback on that for their congregation to be involved going in to camp.

Hradec Kralove is a church with a long-standing tradition of camp, and I've been blessed to be involved for the last two years. Two people on our intern team have done camp with Hradec for 5-6 years, with deep relationships that they were able to dive back into. It's my second year with them. Their leadership is very solid on the logistics and organization of camp, with some of the younger guys needing to branch out more from their comfort zone. They've been under new leadership this school year, and Vitek's been doing a great job. I loved seeing him share 2 Cor 5 with the team (our ministry of reconciliation, etc) before launching into camp details, and it's obvious that this is the place God has for him to serve. It was also cool to see one of the guys specifically making a new Czech guy feel welcome to the group during our time together on Sunday.

Havlickuv Brod also has a tradition of camp, and three years ago started back up after several years without camps. I've been able to walk with them through the last three years. While we didn't get as much time with them as I would have liked (they had a really busy set of weeks during our visiting timeframe), it was still a great time getting our new interns connected with the team. They're a blast and a very interesting set of people. Our biggest purpose was to promote camp in schools to fill 15 more spots at camp, and school visits went well. I had some good conversations with the youth group members, and even on the train ride back we had a good discussion. I'm learning to ask simple questions to start spiritual discussions.

We're spending the next week preparing English Lessons (Evening message prep for me) after a day of rest. Training starts in a week~and I'm helping lead it. Camp starts the following Saturday, 7/2.

p.s. my co leader Sarah is blogging too http://sarahhalm.blogspot.com/

In Czech for the Summer

2011-05-26T02:58:00.002-10:00

I'll be in the Czech Repoublic this summer from May 25th-August 19th for summer programs. We'll be doing three camps this summer. I will return in the Fall to Hawaii to continue raising support. I must then be fully funded before returning to Czech to serve with Josiah Venture full-time. Please keep me in prayer this summer and for more support raising.

My intern team:
Josh
Sarah
Annie
Brad
Brianne

Interns Arrive June 1st for training, etc. We'll be promoting camp and preparing until June 28th, when our first team arrives and camp starts!

Towns:
Hradec Kralove w/FL Church
Havlickuv Brod w/AK Church
Trebic (New) w/FL (Jerry's) Church

Photoblog week 1

2011-05-26T02:51:00.003-10:00

Here's a collage of my first week-ish of pictures
Check it out daily at joshhawaii.posterous.com

daily/photo/micro/blogging

2011-05-18T14:42:00.001-10:00

I've decided to start a daily photo blog with simple images from my day taking from my phone. This is a fun way to keep up with me throughout the summer. Check it out at joshhawaii.posterous.com . I WILL CONTINUE TO POST UPDATES ON THIS BLOG, SO STAY TUNED!

Support Team Development

2011-03-25T21:04:00.002-10:00

Download it here: JV Support Letter Josh
I'm getting ready to send out a set of letters. I'm at about 24% of $3600 in monthly commitments and still have about $23,500 to raise in one-time outgoing costs. I know there are people out there who are ready to support me, and you may be one of them. I'm also trying to get ahold of two churches currently and hopefully people can help me make connections to more churches this month. Would you please pray for a big push in support raising in the next month? If you know anyone else that might be able to support me financially or through prayer, please forward this on to them and introduce me to them.

-Update-
Monday I had an encouraging conversation with a friend from Josiah Venture. He called while I was at the beach with some friends, and just wanted to see how things were going. He encouraged me in my support raising, and reminded me that the team wants me in Czech in the beginning of May for our Spring Conference. I would really love to be there then, and I believe that God can make it happen. So I'm redoubling my support raising efforts and got a set of letters out this week. Would you please pray with me for God to raise up prayer supports and financial supporters to cover my monthly and one-time costs so I can be in Czech the first week in May? I'm really seeking the Lord on this, and am firm as ever in my calling to go to the Czech Republic to equip young leaders to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church.

To join my prayer team contact me here on Josiah Venture's website.
To support me financially, click to give on Josiah Venture's website.
Or just view my JV profile

Celebrating Birthdays

2011-02-28T11:45:00.001-10:00

My friends and I have celebrated a lot of birthdays in the last few weeks. The most special was my brother's 15th birthday near the beginning of this month. To celebrate, we took him out to IHOP for pancakes (his favorite), made him a doughnut-shaped cake, and got him a few belated presents (a book that was coming out a week later and concert tickets). A new tradition that we somehow started last year was for me to take my bro to a concert for his birthday, and this year it was his favorite band, OneRepublic. It was an awesome outdoor show at Aloha tower, and my second time seeing them. I previously went with my best friend Jerry while at Moody. Jacob been a blessing in my life. I'm really going to miss him when I'm in Czech, but it was great to share this moment with him.

Bible Studies While I'm in Hawaii

2011-02-21T13:32:00.003-10:00

I've been continuing my Bible Studies with the people/students in this picture. In our Monday night study we've been watching videos from the Passion Conference held earlier this year and gear towards college students and twenty-somethings. It's been great to discuss these videos while we figure out what book of the Bible to study next. On Wednesdays our guys Bible study is going through I Timothy, discussing Paul's charge to Timothy as a young leader. It's been great to discuss this book with these young guys, all who have leadership potential or are already leading. Please pray for growth in both these groups and that when I leave for the summer they can keep the study going as they did when I was gone last time.

Thanksgiving, Birthday, New Years' Celebration

2011-01-22T23:31:00.002-10:00

I had a wonderful holiday season celebrating with my family in Hawaii for possibly the last time in a while. For both Thanksgiving and Christmas I had friends over who made the season special. Some of you may wonder how it can "feel like Christmas" in Hawaii with the heat, and I have come to agree. The snow I experienced in Colorado helped it to "feel like Christmas," but beyond that I took extra care this season to not just let this time of celebrating Christ's birth pass me by. It was a great time to contemplate once again the wonder and awe of God becoming human, one of us, so that one day he could die and be the perfect sacrifice.

Check this out:
"Christ's humanity was not a mere fleshly shell that God rented and used for a temporary amount of time. God did not just come to live in flesh as a man, but the 'Word became flesh' (John 1:14). God incorporated human nature into His eternal being. In the incarnation humanity has been permanently incorporated into the Godhead. God is now a man in addition to being God. At the virgin conception God acquired an identity He would retain for the rest of eternity. His human existence is both authentic and permanent. Jesus' humanity is not something that can be discarded or dissolved back into the Godhead, but He will always and forever exist in heaven as a glorified man, albeit God at the same time."
-Jason Dulle taken from http://www.theopedia.com/Hypostatic_Union

New Year's celebration was also the last year that many fireworks were legal in Hawaii, and the whole place went crazy with the fire show. As I walked home from the party I took some time to thank God for all he's done in this last year in anticipation of the things to come. I am so excited for the future...with our God all things are possible and we cannot imagine what he has planned for us.
(I'm still looking for some pics that are floating around my hard drive somewhere, so I'm missing some people...sorry!)

Grand Canyon and Other Great Relationships

2010-12-15T15:56:00.000-10:00

Between programs in my missionary training trip we had a long weekend, which ended up being such an awesome time to deepen my relationships with other missionaries.

GRAND CANYON

A 3-day weekend is enough time to drive to the Grand Canyon and back, 12 hours each way, right? Alright, so there were three of us insane people that drove through the night to get from Palmer Lake, Colorado to the Grand Canyon for sunrise. Then we drove up to Zion National Park in Utah in the evening and through the night again to get to an area North of Denver to rendezvous with some other missionary friends for two nights. Yes, Ashley, Katherine and I were crazy, but I had never been to the Grand Canyon and now was my time to go. It was great to spend time with them connecting and sharing our stories/testimonies with one another. Katherine is headed to Fiji to work with women coming out of prostitution, and Ashley is headed to Czech/Eastern Europe to work with the Missionary Kids (aka TCKs) of Josiah Venture.

WINTER PARK, CO
The next two nights (well, the rest of the morning after we got there, then the next night) in Winter Park, CO with some other missionaries with us at training. One family knew some supporters who allowed them to use the cabin for rest and rejuvenation and allowed us to join. We enjoyed the winter scenery, hanging out in the park, sipping coffee, and lots of rest.
We also stopped for "Colorado Style" Pizza at BeauJo's in Idaho Springs. Great stuff with a great group of people.

I'm looking forward to time with these people in the future (Most of them are with Josiah Venture) and to hearing of the work God is doing through the others around the world.

Missionary Training Trip

2010-11-23T15:01:00.008-10:00

It's been awesome to spend the last (almost) two months with an awesome set of people. First on the trip was JV Orientation, which was awesome to increase my vision of what God is doing in E. Europe. Then I got to visit Autumn, Sarah, and Patrick from my intern team. After that was my best friend's wedding in FL, and it was great to spend time with them for the week. The last 5 weeks have a been a whirlwind of great relationships at MTI (Mission Training International) doing the SPLICE (Cultural Adaptation, Spirutal Prep, Interpersonal Relationships and more) for 3 weeks and PILAT (How to ~~learn~~ "acquire" a language) for the last two.

SPLICE was an especially helpful experience for me, and it's hard to boil down all that God did in me through this program. We learned about adjusting to culture while seeking to understand it as well as addressing interpersonal issues and spiritual growth. The people in these pictures are headed to the four corners of the world, and several are headed to E. Europe with JV. They really are a great group of people. Here's a few things I learned: My conflict style and how to handle conflict, how to observe a culture and withhold judgement, how to rest better, handling grief/loss, and how to properly say goodbyes.

PILAT (Language module) helped me to gain a renewed excitement to learn Czech and taught me new strategies in learning. We spent two weeks in this program with many of the same people as in SPLICE, and a few new couples and families. While I initially went in not expecting to learn much, those expectations were blown away after the second day. Though it was less relational than SPLICE, it was still a great time to continue those relationships and mix things up a bit. I've learned how to direct my own learning in Czech and to make some of my lessons fun. I've got a simplistic foundation in Czech that I now know how to build on. I'm pumped to go to the field!

Best Friend's Wedding

2010-10-18T10:42:00.002-10:00

I had the opportunity to couple my training trip with visiting my best friend in Florida and being in his wedding. It worked out perfectly as I had a week between Josiah Venture Orientation in IL and Missionary Training in Colorado.

Jerry and Melissa are great friends. They're a great couple and fun to be around, and both love Jesus immensely. They're both ministry-minded, and interested in missions. Jerry's been to Czech with me several times and the team would love to have him back. I hope that in the coming years Melissa can experience the ministry in Czech and that they can move over to work with JV!

I wish Jerry and Melissa all the best

Josiah Venture Orientation and Visit with Interns

2010-10-10T22:19:00.004-10:00

I spent the last week in Chicago, IL for Josiah Venture's missionary Orientation. My love increased for the vision of JV, Eastern Europe, Czech, and my future role there, and I got fired up for the future. There are some really great people (singles, couples, and families) "in the pipe" heading to Europe with JV over the next year. There's even a couple gathering a team to start our (JV's) first ministry involvement in Eastern Germany, which shares many of the same characteristics as the rest of Eastern Europe. Also, the very small team we have in Wheaton are a great group of people dedicated to making Christ's name known in Europe and at home, and they support us missionaries well.

I also had the opportunity to visit three people from my intern team this summer. Autumn was back in the states for some medical stuff and she lives near Chicago, so we went to her parents' house for a few days. Sarah came up from Grace College in Indiana for the weekend, and Patrick took some time out of his busy schedule to hang out with us for one night. It was a weird feeling connecting in our home country rather than serving as a team, but it was an awesome weekend. I'm looking forward to serving with them again in the future!

Update: Check out a few pictures on Flickr:

Back Home in Hawaii

2010-09-22T22:08:00.005-10:00

I've been back for a month, and have been spending a lot of time with the college students of our church. A lot of it's been fun, random things, but we're just getting started on two different Bible studies, and I'm hoping there are more. As you can tell, they're a fun crew.

Prague Debrief

2010-08-30T11:47:00.001-10:00

Here are a few shots from Prague our last week in Czech. What a beautiful city it is.

Wenceslas Square

Prague Castle

Gelato

Last Team Picture

On the Subway

National Theater and Castle

Charle's Bridge at Sunrise

A Lonely Departure at the Airport (4am)

Vikyrovice Camp

2010-07-31T03:02:00.000-10:00

We finished Vikyrovice camp almost a week ago, and it was a blast! Things weren't always easy, but God worked through the Peoria team, Czech team, and our Interns to do a great work in the hearts of Czech students.
I was especially pleased with the Peoria team in their flexibility throughout the week, and for many of these students stepping up and teaching during the week.
The Czech team was also quite solid this year. They were ready the night we shared the Gospel to talk with students and pray with them. They also really served well throughout the week.
One major hiccup that God really worked through was us forgetting to plan our Thursday night activity, which stemmed from a miscommunication between teams. Through this I personally grew closer to the Czech leader, my friend Tom, as he worked hard to make the event better and clearer to Czechs. I am so excited to work with him again.
Please keep these students in prayer as they spend time back home, that they would continue to spend time with the youth group throughout the year.

Our next camp starts now! Pray for the students of Havlickuv Brod as they arrive and hear the Word of God this week.

Location:Puste Zibridovice, Czech Republic

First Camp in Krkonoše - Hradec

2010-07-14T05:29:00.000-10:00

Our camp with Hradec Kralove and Missio Dei from AZ was a great opportunity. The team from AZ were all capable young adults, and the Czech team has been doing camp for the last 4 years. Though we experienced some difficulties in scheduling and weather, it was a great camp.

At our camp we saw most of the students move closer to Christ through our conversations, God's Word, discussion groups, and relationships. We also had a tactile, contemplative experience called the labyrinth, which students went through after hearing the Gospel. Students could take their time or rush through it, and most took their time as they thought about their relationships with others, their priorities, forgiveness, and their relationship with God. Please continue to pray for these students to take steps of faith this year, especially in their continued interaction with the youth group.

It was great to connect with students through games, meals, and other activities. I really enjoyed afternoon soccer with the guys, and I loved hearing about how God worked in some of their lives through the programming.

Keep them in prayer as they continue the relationships from camp. Also keep us in prayer as we just started training for camp #2. Thanks.

Registration

Sword fighting

Waiting for English testing

Princess-Knight-Horse

Princess-Knight-Horse

Connor

Downhill trikes - Matt

Downhill trikes - Klara

Hike day...rain wind cold

Discussion groups

Futbol (soccer)

Location:Dolní Alberice, Czech Republic

Vikryovice, Val Mez, and Work Project

2010-06-28T10:43:00.000-10:00

VAL MEZ. We had a pretty busy weekend last week, with lots of travel. First we went to Val Mez to promote camp. This is a group that we're not doing camp with, but they really needed more students to come to camp. They don't have an intern team, so we visited for a day to be the crazy Americans to promote camp. Please pray for their camp...they need many more people to sign up. I feel like we clicked with some of the students, and I was reminded again how much I LOVE getting to know Czech students.

VIKYROVICE. I got to again visit this group that is very close to my heart. In the picture above you can see the students of their youth group who are coming to camp, and many with whom we interacted with throughout the weekend. I have worked with all but two of these students previously, and it was great to see some of the younger students now being old enough to join the group and lead some parts of camp.
We played a Matrix game in Vysoke Myto, our summer home base, which was a great relationship-building experience. I also got to see some of the students that I did camp with two years ago in that town. Here's our group for the game minus me.

WORK PROJECT @SELAH. Our team went back to Frydlant for some physical labor. We worked on Selah, a missionary rest house that will be used for care, counseling, and rest. It's going to be done relatively soon, and it was great to see the progress they've made on it since our work project last year. I'm excited to know that this will be used to keep missionaries going in the ministry they do.

Location:Malenovice, Czech Republic

Return to Havličkuv Brod

2010-06-16T08:49:00.001-10:00

H.Brod visit - June 10-14
Activities: School visits, middle school youth group, Czech Fairytale forest experience, Youth group and speaking on Servanthood from John 13, Church service, Bone Church, and staying in Czech Homes.

The main group we spent the weekend with was Honza, Jonathan, and Eva. They, along with others form the main camp team. Here we are at our Czech Fairytale Forest experience, where we got to go through some of their traditional fairytales. I just have to say that Czech fairytales are a little bit scarier/darker than American ones.

I'm hanging out with some of the fairytale witches (and odd guys?). Two of them also happen to be coming to camp, but have since left their witchy ways behind :)

For youth group we played some volleyball in the park, went down a Czech makeshift zip line (seen here, it's tied to the car in the back of the picture), had a barbecue and I had the opportunity to share from God's word on servanthood.
At the barbecue I had a great time building a relationship with Prokob, one of the Christian guys in the youth group. I played guitar with him for around 1/2 an hour and learned how to play some Czech worship songs that I love. It was my first time playing for a while with someone else, and we got to talk for a while afterwards. I'd like to continue building this relationship at camp, an please pray that we can continue to communicate through the language barrier, which depends on his English and my Czech.

We also visited Kostnice, The Bone Church in Kutna Hora. It's a chapel that is decorated all over with human bones. Though morbid, the story makes sense: someone had moved the remains of an epidemic into this lower chapel, and later someone decided to actually do someone with the bones to serve as a reminder of our own mortality and the resurrection we will someday have with Christ. It's also kinda cool looking.

School visits also went well...praise the Lord. We went to three classes on Friday and three on Monday, and there are only 7 spaces left for new students. Please pray that those spots will be filled, and that God will be moving in their heart for their time at camp.

Our visit in Havličkuv Brod was sweet, and it was great to see growth in this group from last year to this year. They are really ready to serve the students that come to camp, and are even more of a blessing to serve with this year!

Location:Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic

Hradec Kralove for the first time

2010-06-16T01:12:00.000-10:00

Our weekend in Hradec Kralove - June 4-8
Activites: youth group meeting, relationship-building hike, church, lunch with church families, camp team meeting/brainstorming, and school visits

The town square of is town is beautiful. Hradec is the biggest city I've worked in, and there are so many people to reach out to. Our visits to schools were met with favorable responses to camp as we built relationships with Czech students, and our time with the camp team was great, too.

We spent the weekend building relationships with the youth group in Hradec. Here you can see Patrick talking with Filip on our hike. We got to have some great conversations with Czechs all throughout the weekend.

Here's our hike group. These are the members of the camp team also. We visited abandoned bunkers that were to protect Czech against Germany before WWII. It was great to experience this part of Czech history with the group. These bunkers, which ran along the northern and western borders of then Czechoslovakia, could have propelled a German attack had Czech been supported by their allies. Instead, Britain and France handed a portion of Czech over to Hitler in an attempt to prevent WWII. Being deserted by their allies, they had no choice but to give in. Sadly, the Czech economy was at it's peak then (and on the cutting edge of technology), and hasn't gotten back to that point yet.

Please pray for Vita (veet-ya), one of the student leaders for this camp. He is part of a great team of people with a great youth leader, and I'd like to really help him grow in leadership through this camp. He's got a fun personality...you can see him climbing one of the bunkers here. Also pray for some of the other youth on the camp team, that they'd really live missionally at this camp and grow in their faith as well.

What a great weekend with a great new group to work with. It was truly a blessing and I'm looking forward to camp with them (July 3-10).

Location:Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Amazing Race and Intern Training

2010-06-07T00:25:00.001-10:00

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. We started with the Amazing Race from Vienna > Bratislava > Brno > Malenovice. It was a great 2 1/2 days of team building and my team came in 2nd place! Good job team. They really set the pace for a great summer.

At intern training we talked about many things that our interns needed to know going in to the summer as well as biblical principles that apply to all of ministry and life. We had the opportunity to help the Patty's with their yard work after Dave's open heart surgery, which included chopping tons of wood.

Intern training included reflection and discussion all throughout the week. We prayed together and I had some really awesome discussions with some of the other interns. It was a very encouraging time for everyone. I was particularly challenged to follow the Spirit's leading this summer and to seek to be a servant wherever I am.

Below is a picture of my intern team, taken on a Czech train during the amazing race. From the left: Connor, Autumn, Sarah, Lynn, Patrick, and me. They are an amazing group of people to work with this summer, and we've really bonded as a team. They're always ready to pray or discuss how God is moving in their hearts, so I'm excited to see where God takes us as we serve this summer.

Please keep us in prayer for our visits to the different towns we're doing camp with, including school visits, and for english lesson planning and evening talk prep throughout the month of June.
Pics from our visit to Hradec Kralove to follow (hopefully) soon.

Location:Velké náměstí,,Czech Republic

Vienna pre Amazing Race

2010-05-25T04:39:00.001-10:00

Here's my attempt at a video blog. Just a little bit about our time before the Amazing Race in Vienna and the interns' arrival tomorrow. Please keep us in prayer: Amazing Race, May 26-28

Location:Michaelerplatz,Vienna,Austria

Catching up with friends and ministry partners

2010-05-23T22:10:00.000-10:00

This weekend I got to visit Sumperk and Vikyrovice to spend time with two dear friends and ministry partners. On Thursday I spent time with Tomas, the leader of Vikyrovice youth group who I will be doing camp with again. I also stayed over with the rest of his family, the Kolmanovi. This is the family I lived with during my extended internship, and it was like coming home. I enjoyed talking to the parents, in broken Czech and through translation, and talking with David, who's English is great. It's like I never left, and I had a restful time there.

Friday night I went to Radek's house. He's the leader of the Sumperk youth group, and is a quality guy. I really wanted to visit him and the group because I'm not going to do camp with them this summer. They are more than capable of ministering to students through English camp without an intern team, and I'm excited for their continued partnership with New Hope from MN.

So I spent Friday night and Saturday night with Radek and it was great catching up and talking about ministry. I got to reconnect with some of the students for some volleyball (we got rained out), and was invited to share a short message from God's Word. It was awesome to see Irvin, Ondra, Martin, Babu, Pepa/Joe, Martin, Ondra, Sharka, Ifka, Jirka, and Niki again.

I'm in Vienna now for some relationship building before the interns finally arrive on Wednesday for the Amazing Race and their summer internship. Please keep me and the interns in prayer as their arrival approaches.

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Arrival in Czech

2010-05-17T01:50:00.000-10:00

I have arrived safely. I am writing this on my flight to the Czech Republic, currently flying from San Francisco to Frankfurt. By the time I post this I will already be in Malenovice, Josiah Venture's training facility in Czech. I just finished filling out my application to return to Czech for a 2-year term. That was a blessing in itself to be able to think through how God has gifted me, and how He has molded and shaped me through my experiences. I will keep you updated as I find out when my application goes through and what my next steps are.

It is such a blessing to be returning to Czech again this summer. I am excited for the work that God is going to do this summer through our intern team and the Czech and American teams we're working with for camp. There are still some details that I am working out with the American church groups coming over to do camps with three Czech churches. I'll be visiting these Czech churches starting in just under two weeks.

The next week will be spent meeting with the other Intern team leaders going over details of the summer as well as spending some time studying God's word together. I'll also be visiting some friends in Sumperk, a group that I have worked with very closely in my time in Czech, but who are very capable of successfully doing English camp without an intern team. They'll be doing camp with the American team that they've been working with.

Here's my schedule for the coming weeks:
May 17 Arrive in Prague
May 18-20 Meetings with intern team leaders
May 23-25 English camp team retreat in Vienna
May 26 Summer interns arrive!
May 26-28 Amazing Race with intern teams
May 29-June 3 Intern training

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Location:Frydlant, Czech Republic

Headed back to Czech for 2010

2010-04-06T23:41:00.003-10:00

Just a quick update. I've been working with my home church in Hawaii for the last several months as the College Director, creating a new college group. In February I took a few weeks to pray about returning to Czech for this summer and am pleased to say that I am officially going back to the Czech Republic as a team leader for Summer 2010. I'll be gone from around May 15th - August 12th...about 3 months. Please keep me in prayer as I raise support, get things ready for the summer, and set up things for the college group in Hawaii while I'm gone.

Thoughts on My Time in Czech, 2009

2009-09-24T21:27:00.008-10:00

My time in Czech this summer was such a stretching experience. I'll tell you more about it below, but just know that this blog post has been delayed because I had to jump into things (and ministry) right after coming back home.

I think of this summer as one of the hardest in my life, but I mean it in a good way. God used people, challenges, and problems to further shape me into the man of God He wants me to be. As I look back on the summer, I am so encouraged that He worked in me and though me in these areas:

*Conflict/Confrontation - I've always heard the biblical edifying view of confrontation, but I was always afraid to address it before. This summer I saw much more of a need to do so. By the end of the summer I was almost moved to tears by the direct impact confrontation made on someone's life. I definitely owe many thanks to my co-leader Erica for pushing me forward in this direction and helping me show love in it

(My Team in Prague at Cream & Dream)

*Leadership - This summer I got to really lead! Last summer things were in place for us, and at the same time both Erica and I felt lost and confused through most of the summer. God worked through me to really lead and encourage my team this summer, and I was blessed through it.

*Falling in Love with God's Word - What a privilege it was to share God's Word at 3 camps this summer. This summer we told unbelievers the story of God's redemptive history. Straight up Bible stories told as stories. I saw everyone involved get a clearer picture of God, and barriers to accepting Christ started to break down. Three students responded specifically to the Gospel call, with many others expressing deep interest in these things. God's Word is more powerful than our fancy crafted deliveries.

(Story of God Icons...can you guess what each story is about?)

*Resisting Spiritual Warfare/Attack - Satan tried to attack me in two main ways: 1. almost getting me to bail out right before even going to Czech, and 2. introducing fear and uncertainty in walking by faith at the beginng of the summer especially. Both times I wanted to be home, but God showed me the spiritual attach through friends and brought me through it.

**MY CALL** - While being in Czech this summer I was rejuvenated for the ministry that's going on there, not only through English camps in the summer, but through the depth of relationships throughout the year. All summer He was clarifying my call to come back to Czech sooner rather than later. So here's more details.

(Me in Old Town Square, Prague)

I'm currently in the beginning stages of working my way back to Czech. This will require a commitment to be there for two years, with the outlook of staying there until God calls me elsewhere. After my application is accepted, I can begin to raise support, attend missionary training and language acquisition school, and figuring out more details. I know it's a crazy time to be raising support to move overseas for ministry, but I am confident that God will provide in His timing. Praise the Lord that people so generously supported me this summer, in the midst of a financial crisis.

My goal would be to get back to Czech in less than 2 years, and if He provides the funds before this summer or next fall, I would not be opposed at all. Two things I know for certain: God is calling me back to Czech and He's not done working on me in the process of getting back there.

Please keep me in prayer as I serve in my church back home and further pursue ministry in Czech.

Prep Periods, Prayer Time

2009-07-28T07:23:00.000-10:00

As a leader at camp I am not in an English Class. It is during that time that I pray, work through some camp/team problems, and prepare to present the Story of God. This was my view one morning:

This week I really felt the joy of being able to share the Story of God with these students. The first full night we shared the story of Creation. The end of the story left Adam and Eve in the Garden living in a perfect relationship with God. We wanted students to feel the perfection, so that the Fall would feel like the blow it really was.
After telling the story, I took a walk to pray during discussion groups. The most UNBELIEVABLE sunset was spread across my view, and I felt the perfection that God created Adam & Eve in. I love how the mists are in the valleys, too. It was a great privilege and feeling.

Vikyrovice Camp

2009-07-27T12:15:00.000-10:00

Vikyrovice camp got off to an interesting start. I found myself very exhausted and overwhelmed throughout the week, but we also saw God really work at camp anyway.
At the last night we gave an invitation for students to accept Christ and 3 students responded. Others remained in the room to think about things and ask questions. We really felt the Spirit of God at the camp and especially that last night.
Here are some pictures:
A-B-C-Flak...a very painful game but a great crowd breaker for the first night

Group Photo

Campfire...always a great way to hang out and talk

Paintball for followup...the first game was boring but the second game I shot 5 people.

Goodbye at the train station

Šumperk Camp!!

2009-07-17T10:15:00.006-10:00

Here are some pictures from Šumperk Camp...It was a great time, and I want to thank all my friends who came. We shared from the Story of God, and it was a great way to present who God really is. Please continue to keep these students in prayer.

Our Intern Team

Zdenek, Kugi, and I
Some Friends from Camp at Followup in Šumperk
Pics of Everyone at Camp

Camp Season Begins

2009-06-30T11:14:00.002-10:00

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

2009-06-27T04:08:00.009-10:00

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

2009-06-24T07:01:00.007-10:00

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

2009-05-26T10:24:00.008-10:00

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

2009-05-20T22:55:00.008-10:00

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

2009-04-25T10:44:00.004-10:00

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!

2009-03-18T15:03:00.004-10:00

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.]

Aloha From Hawaii

2009-01-11T21:01:00.001-10:00

Aloha From Hawaii, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

Just checking in to say hey. This week has been a great time with my family, but I have also started looking for a job in Hawaii. I am currently trying to get a job with either HBA or the Hawaii Department of Education as a substitute teacher. There is a huge need here for that and it is flexible (so when I leave for the summer to serve in Czech again I don't have to quit). I'll be really working on those applications this week.

My plan is to serve with the youth group during my time here as well, and help the current leadership in any way I can. So far I have helped out with the winter conference and some other recent events. It seems like the Youth In Motion (Grace Fellowship's Youth Group) is doing pretty well, and I am excited to come alongside this team that is already training these youth in Christlikeness.

I also got the chance to speak in church today about my time in Czech. I went over time a little bit, but everyone seemed to appreciate hearing about what God is doing in Czech. I shared in both services, and will share again next Sunday about some of what I did in the Fall.

I would also like to welcome anyone from Grace Fellowship to my blog and hope that you are encouraged as you read about what God is doing in Czech and in my life.

Happy New Year from Hawaii

2009-01-02T00:57:00.002-10:00

The Finale - a Trio of Firecrackers, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

This was the scene at my house on New Year's Eve. We were popping firecrackers on the left and had just done a bunch of fountains in front. We had a modest gathering at our house compared to last year, but it was still good.

Earlier that day I had been at the Winter Youth Conference for our church and watched the sunrise with them. I also went to a party with some church friends nearby for about 3 hours, and it was a great time. It was good to reconnect with old friends at that party and make new ones at the Winter Conference.

2008 was a great year with it's share of difficulties and challenges. I look forward to what God has for me in 2009 and the ways He will continue to reveal Himself to me.

P.S. Check my flickr page for more pictures

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:00:00.001-10:00

An Instant, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T16:03:00.001-10:00

Merry Christmas 08, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I am home in Hawaii and happy to spend time with my Family and friends. Please continue to visit my blog to check on updates, even though I'm no longer in Czech. I'll also be chronicling my return to Czech.

"A Symphony of Blase"

2008-12-17T11:54:00.000-10:00

"A Symphony of Blase" by Anberlin is the song I always listen to when I leave people I love. I have listened to it for sad goodbyes from Moody, and sad goodbyes from Home. I feel like it goes with the feelings I am experiencing as I leave someplace, though the mix of feelings is always slightly different. As I leave the Czech Rebublic and my friends in Šumperk/Vikýřovice and all around the Czech Republic I am experiencing a lot of sadness in leaving. In the last 7 months, the Czech Republic has become my home. It even started when I first came to Czech in March '07 and fell in love with the people here. There is so much to do here and I really care about my friends here.

Please know that you will all be missed. I can't wait to come back!

(here's the song for your enjoyment)

On the way home

2008-12-17T11:50:00.000-10:00

Well, I leave the Czech Republic in not too long. It's been a great time and I'm sad to go, but looking forward to seeing my family and living back home for a few months. Anyway, there's some new flight technology on the internet you might want to see. You can track my horrific journey to a beautiful place by going here (live):
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW283

And here's a little video of what the tarmac will look like around the time I will really be hating travel and before I get on another 6-hour flight from LA to Honolulu. Las Angeles flight path/landing timelapse:

What I listened to on my 23rd

2008-12-05T22:44:00.000-10:00

I had some friends at Moody who talked about listening to Jimmy Eat World's "23" on their 23rd birthday and it got me thinking I should make a whole 23rd birthday playlist. I didn't spend a ton of time on it, so maybe there should be more/better songs on it, but I like what I came up with. Here's the playlist I listened to on my birthday, created a few days before:

Song - Artist
Map Of The Problematique - Muse
Prison Break Theme - FOX
23 - Jimmy Eat World
23 - Blonde Redhead
Are We All Forgotten - Paper Route
Wisemen - James Blunt
Beyond Measure - Jeremy Camp
Desire - Phil Wickham
Beautiful Day - U2
Youth - Matisyahu
Island in The Sun - Weezer
Shores Of Waiehu - Ekol U
Prodigal - OneRepublic

Extras:
9 Crimes Damien Rice
Far From Home The Classic Crime
East To West Casting Crowns
Easy Tonight Five For Fighting
Every Man Casting Crowns
Be My Escape (acoustic) Relient K
Falling By the Wayside People In Planes
Waiting For the Final Leaf to Fall Paper Route
Atmosphere Jeremy Horn
A Beautiful Lie 30 Seconds to Mars
Sweetness Jimmy Eat World
Fake Empire The National
Wholly Yours (B Collision) David Crowder Band
Let It Happen Jimmy Eat World
Realize Colbie Caillat
This Is Your Life The Killers
Let Go Frou Frou
Honey The Hush Sound
How To Save A Life The Fray
When Your Mind's Made Up From the movie "Once"
The Symphony of Blase Anberlin
Shake It Metro Station
So Here We Are Bloc Party
Disintegration Jimmy Eat World
Ah Ha Under The Influence Of Giants
Campus Vampire Weekend
What Life Would Be Like Big Daddy Weave
When the Saints Sara Groves

These are some of my favorite songs of the last few years (probably more from this year)

By the way, my birthday was great (probably even better since I don't have school) and I got to spend it with some new friends in Czech. I really enjoyed my time, and it was also Spiritually meaningful as we had 2/3 messages on idols that day.

Anyone Else made a birthday playlist like this? What would you change about mine?

Czech Turkeys Taste Good

2008-11-28T07:08:00.001-10:00

Czech Turkeys Taste Good, by JoshHawaii.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I had a great time. I am at the JV training center Malenovice in Czech with most of the American missionaries from all the Josiah Venture countries represented. It is a pretty laid-back conference, with lots of time to talk, rest, and hang out with friends, so I'm loving it (oh, and we had McDonalds on the way here Wed.). I think it's a good time to write a few things I am especially thankful for today:

~New JV Friends who have become my family
~My family back home who I got to talk to and who graciously supports me for a lot, especially here in Czech
~Friends back home who pray for and support me in my time here in Czech - they blow me away sometimes
~Great, Convicting teaching from the Word of God brought by D. Patty.
~That I am done with Moody and have by B.A.
~The blessings of ministry here in Czech as well as the tough times that have taught me so much.

Another great thing about this week is that I get to celebrate my 23rd birthday with everyone here. It's been great to be with friends all day, and to actually hear happy birthday a lot. I even got to see my family sing happy b-day to me on skype. It's so different from my first year at Moody without Facebook, as no one even knew it was my birthday. So I am really thankful for the past 23 years and all that God has brought me though in this time. There's been tough times and great times, but I have learned to depend more and more on God.

What better thing to do on my birthday weekend than to spend time with friends, being thankful for all that God has done, and learning more about Him through His Word. I truly have a lot to be thankful for, and God's work isn't finished!

English Weekend

2008-11-23T12:26:00.001-10:00

VOLANT English Weekend Snow Fight, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

We had an English Weekend with some friends from Šumperk the last two days. It was a great time of fun. It snowed all weekend, so we got to play in it and stayed cozy inside in between. There were about 26 people there in total, and we shared God's truth clearly with them. Two things really stand out to me about this weekend that I really enjoyed:

1. Pavla, Vašek, and Babu all shared their testimonies, and it was SO encouraging. It was great to hear them share with their peers the joy they have in Christ.

2. Hanging out in the sauna with some friends before running outside to cool off in the snow. That's right, we did the sauna "finnish style" (not naked) and layed in the snow with only shorts on...twice.

There are some pictures on Facebook. You don't need to sign up or anything to see them. Just go here for pics.

The Seasons have really changed

2008-11-18T21:42:00.001-10:00

Changing Seasons - Winter, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

I woke up this morning to find this surprise!

3 Countries, 2 Capitals, 1 Day

2008-10-23T00:25:00.000-10:00

Although Jerry has me beat (4 countries in one day - he stayed right across the Polish border), I went to 3 countries on Monday. It was supposed to be only 2.

We were going to Bratislava so that they could put our VISAs on our passports (basically affixing a sticker on it). This was already going to be an all-day event (travelling there is like 6 hours). Here's the problem: the train to Bratislava we were on split at some random time (I guess they do that, and the ticket-checkers usually tell us if we're on the wrong half) and we ended up in Wein (Vienna). The way we found out we were lost was that the towns seemed to have German names. The only thing in Slovak (Bratislava's in Slovakia) was this little pamphlet we saw on the train Back to Bratislava (I have no idea what it means, but it looks like a sweating chicken nugget).

It was definitely irritating to be in the wrong place when we were on a tight schedule, and we were not happy about it. It ended up that the conductor on the train to Bratislava understood our plight and said we could make the rest of our trip to Bratislava without paying an extra 10 euro (~$15, the price from Vienna to Bratislava).

So for that trip we left at 5:26am and got back home at around 8:30pm, most of that time was on trains (just over 12 hours). Not the most fun day, though there were some good things like more time with the other 7-month interns (ESIs) and some good discussions.

So, 3 countries, 2 capitals, 1 day:
Czech Republic
Wein (Vienna), Austria
Bratislava, Slovakia

THAT's NOT ALL!
We had to go back yesterday (Wed) to Frydek-Mystek, which is a 3.5-hour journey for us from Šumperk. So we spent the first half of our day travelling there, just to show the forign police that we got our VISA. Now, I'm no expert, but I've heard people tell me important things over email, phone, skype, SMS, and maybe other forms of communication. I would think that the Czech Embassy we went to in Bratislava could have made a phone call to the foreign police in Frydek-Mystek and told them about our VISAs.

All in all it wasn't too difficult, just a little frustrating to have to travel so much for something so simple. That does mean that we can stay until December like originally planned. We're NOT getting kicked out of Czech (and most of Europe now that the borders are down) on November 2nd! Praise God for working the VISA situation out, when a small mistake had made the forign police mad at us earlier.

Even Now, a Generation Waits

2008-10-15T01:01:00.001-10:00

One Percent from Josiah Venture on Vimeo.

Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, they are white for harvest - John 4:35
The next generation waits...
...waits to hear the message of Salvation
...waits to see the Word become flesh and dwell among them
How long will they wait?
How will you respond?

JV is doing Vision Nights all around the country. It would be great to go to them, if even just to see what God is doing in other places. Check out 2x3campaign.com and go to one of the vision nights near you. I HIGHLY Recommend it.

A Generation Waits

2008-10-03T00:52:00.000-10:00

Josiah Venture is coming to the States to share the vision for what God is doing in Central and Eastern Europe. This video below expresses my heart for this region:

Next Generation from Josiah Venture on Vimeo.

It would be great if you were in the vicinity of one of these vision nights and could come. They'll be in 11 locations. Check here for more information about JV and to see if they're coming to your area: http://www.2x3campaign.com/

Facebook Usage by Age Group

2008-10-01T01:35:00.000-10:00

So I found out today that Facebook has some sort of demographics information based on what people are talking about in their posts. It's got only a few different topics, which really comes down to 3 categories: Politics, Sports, and Music. This is the basketball graph, but it looks like all the other graphs for the most part. These graphs really only show me facebook usage/communication throughout the week based on age. This is for all facebook users.

I find it interesting that the most active facebook communicators are the 18-24 range, and they talk least on Saturday (the low point on yellow, must be a weekend party thing). the 13-17 age group is least active on facebook on fridays (low point blue), possibly due to end-of-the-week assignments. Usage picks up throughout the weekend. For the most part people use facebook least on the weekends and more throughout the week.

I found this info on http://www.new.facebook.com/lexicon/new/?demographics&topic=basketball

I just think this graph is cool to look at Facebook usage, you might find it extremely boring.

Radiant Bride

2008-09-24T00:55:00.000-10:00

This year's JV Fall Leadership Conference is all about the Church. All this week we will be talking about the Radiant Bride that Christ has chosen to make His church into. What I have really loved so far was the Pre-Conference. All of the ESIs were in a seminar called Storytelling - The Gospel. Basically we went through the story of God in story format, which brought out some unique insights. The discussion leader/storyteller really made it clear to me that this is God's story, and that we focus way too much on ourselves in it. He also made it clear that sin is really a trust issue, and that Satan (as his main tactic) challenges our identity and twists what God says. I think I will look at the Bible and the Gospel differently in light of what I have heard, with a more complete view of God's plan. It's amazing that we didn't go over things like this at Moody the way we did in two short sessions.

I am very excited to see what other insights God has for me this week as we talk about the church.

Festival NaMax - To the Max

2008-09-18T02:37:00.000-10:00

All this week during NaMax I was reminded of John 10:10. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." This verse filled my thoughts as I spoke to students, sharing my life and the gospel. What we offer people with the Gospel is not only eternal life in the future, but a fulfilled life now (in Christ).

NaMax reminded me of why I do ministry. I really enjoyed the school visits (though many times I either dread or fear these visits), I got to connect with two students: Radek (pictured) and Jakub, and I met many other new friends in Třinec. It was a great week of ministry.

It was also great to spend more time with the ESIs, the group of Americans that are here for 7 months (including me). I really got to know Erin and Aubrey more, as we had not really had any time together (they weren't in Krakow). These two ladies are wonderful, and it was great serving alongside them this week and seeing their heart for Czech students.

Coming up:
Sept 19: Vysoke Myto English Camp Reunion Party
Sept 20-21: Weekend retreat with Vikýřovice BJB Church
Sept 21: Sport VOLANT
Sept 22-27: JV Fall Leadership Conference (Joining missionaries from all over Eastern Europe, including a lot of nationals involved in each country-specific organization...it will be SO sweet).

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I serve here in Czech. I am learning a lot.

On the Way to NaMax

2008-09-07T05:52:00.000-10:00

NaMax basically means "to the max" in Czech. It's a week long evangelistic festival where tons of Christians blitz one town and serve the community. All of us ESIs (Extended Interns) are going to help out with the festival by teaching English, Playing sports with these students, and hopefully spending time with them in the evenings at the tea houses (a great place to talk and have meaningful conversations). We'll be there from Today until next saturday (7th-13th). It's definitely going to be tiring, but I am looking forward to serving with these fine people and want to help in whatever way I can. I am also doing a "Seminar" on Hawaii. Did you know that although Hawaii is 1/3 the size of Czech that it has 1/10 the population (or the population of Prague alone)? I thought that was pretty crazy.

As to what I've been up to, this week we started some of our fall programming, which included our first English Club for beginners and intermediate students! It was a lot of fun and they were a great group. I'm sad to be missing the Advanced group this week because of NaMax, but I'll have time with them in the future.
Erica and I also met with Trevor and Cassie for dinner and fellowship. They are our supervisors, so we "have to" meet with them, but it is definitely a pleasure to do so. They are very encouraging, and it was a good time to talk out how things are going so far.

Here are some of my current prayer requests:
*That I continue to focus more and more on Christ as we enter Programs designed for ministry.
*For understanding and discipline in language learning.
*Strategic meeting with students.

Krakow Vacation

2008-08-28T01:59:00.001-10:00

Peace, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

Our time in Krakow last week was a time of rest. There's not much to do in Krakow, and that's exactly what we wanted. The Square is a nice place to hang out it also. There were 6 of us there: Melissa, Erica, and Ray-Ray (Pictured), Jerry, Bonnie, and I. It was great to hang out with such wonderful people for a week without responsibilities.

The Busy Krakow Square, originally uploaded by JoshHawaii.

I read 2 books and really enjoyed both: Porn Nation by Michael Leahy (a look into one man's personal struggle and the development of the problem in American/Western society) and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (a work of fiction that is a commentary on Happiness vs Truth). I would recommend both, especially Brave New World as I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't have this much time to read since before I started High School.

This week I am preparing for the fall and getting things worked out before we go into a really busy schedule.

P.S. Czech out more photos by clicking on them on the left.

In Praha (Prague) for Summer Debriefing

2008-08-06T12:36:00.001-10:00

Mustek, Praha, by JoshHawaii. This picture is indicative of many of the Metro Stations in Prague, with its modern design.

This summer has been one wild ride, but we are finally winding down. Our team arrived in Praha (Prague, Cz) today to begin our debriefing for the next few days. We want this time to be relaxing and beneficial as we prepare these interns to return to America. Our two main purposes of debriefing is to prepare the inters for reverse culture shock and how to tell others about their experience. We are also excited to spend our last few days together as a team.

We just finished our last camp on Saturday, and have been doing followup with these students. I think that Šumperk is the group I know the best, mostly because this was my third time doing camp with them (the first was when I was in Czech March '07 for a short winter camp). I really appreciated a few things about this group. First and foremost, this team was really prepared for camp. They have done camps for years, but I saw new people stepping into positions of leadership and excelling at it. It was encouraging and made leading the camp easier. Second, Radek is a great leader all around. It was both a joy and a light burden to lead with Radek: he had everything ready. Third, students were asking some great questions and really seeking the truth. (Keep searching)

God's really been doing something in my heart this summer: giving me an even bigger burden for the lost of Czech, the Šumperk/Vikýřovice region, and the specific students that I know. I really want them to know the power of Christ and the life they are missing. I hope that one day soon several students that I am praying for come to know Him personally as their Lord and Savior. I also long for these up and coming leaders to gain confidence in the Spirit's work and the gifts He has equipped them with.

A few songs that God has been using this summer: "God of this City" by Bluetree (covered by Chris Tomlin), "Hosanna" by Hillsong, and "Inside Out" by Hillsong. Maybe I'll post more details about that later.

Headed to Šumperk

2008-07-24T12:13:00.000-10:00

[Welcome Grace Fellowship. I hope that as you read this blog I hope that you will pray for us in what we are doing here in the Czech Republic.]

Tomorrow we head to the Šumperk area to do our third camp. As I go into this camp I realize that I am running low on energy and the summer has worn me out. Today I was really refreshed by the Lord as He reminded me that all I need is Him. As I go into camp, He will fill me. As others have said, it's exciting when we have nothing and give the little that we have. We've heard it every time at US Team training (we're finishing our third), but this time it rings true for me. I hope that as I go into this camp, I depend more and more on the Holy Spirit. I really think this is going to be a great camp.

In Between Camps

2008-07-21T03:02:00.000-10:00

Well, this summer has been an amazing ride. We are now finished with our 2nd/3 camps and are resting in Sumperk for the weekend. We leave tomorrow for Malenovice and US Team training. Our team is definitely in camp season. Basically after the beginning of the summer when we're meeting the different groups, the last half of the summer is all camp stuff - and we're busy constantly. We've felt the pull and pressure of this time, but have endured it with the strength of the Lord. We are loving our time here and can't wait for this third camp. All the same, we are resting so that we will be ready once again to pour ourselves out for those who come to camp.

This last camp with Vikyrovice had some definite blessings that made it easier. It was nice to arrive earlier to camp and have time for setup and rest. We were also blessed to be working with two groups who knew what our camps were like and were ready to get into camp mode. Also, having about half the students returning was such a blessing.

But this camp brought its own set of challenges. Most of the Americans got sick throughout the week. Some Czechs had it too, but I felt like we were all drained at different times. I actually got sick for the last full day and am just barely getting over the cold. I also found myself distracted by some of the things that are going on with one of my good friends back home - and I found out about it from other people. I must give God all the Glory, though. He worked through these difficulties. I was even able to share some of these things in the evening program, contrasting earthly love (which can cause so much pain) and the Love of God as shown in the story of the prodigal son. Though it was a bit awkward for me to share something that hit so close to home, I believe that God used it to open up the students even more.

We found that at this camp students were really open to sharing their lives and the questions that they had about God. Though no one put their faith in Christ, there are many that are asking great questions and are so close. Please pray for these students who are seeking to know the truth. The last night Tomas, the Vikyrovice youth pastor, shared about the benefits of doubt, and challenged the students to keep searching. As I work with this group in the fall, I am looking forward to the challenge of knowing how to best followup this experience.

As I said before, we are entering our final camp time starting Tuesday, and we need prayer for energy (though God has already been abundantly providing it). I am looking forward to meeting this group again and hopefully being more involved in an English Class and Discussion Group. Here's our schedule for the next 2 weeks:

Tues (22) - travel to Malenovice for US Team training, meet US youth group
Wed, Thurs (23-24) US Training, continued relationship building, unifying teams
Fri (25) Travel to camp and prepare for camp, rest
Sat (26) Students arrive in the afternoon for camp, first evening program, etc.
Sat-Sat (7.26-8.2) Camp. Please pray for the evening programs every night, where we challenge the students to consider truths of the Gospel.

A Little Lesson in God's Work

2008-07-10T11:46:00.000-10:00

I've been thinking a lot this week about how "my work" and "God's Work" (and Sovereignty) come together. As I asked the Holy Spirit to speak through me at the evening talks, I saw God move mightily. What is my role? If it's God working through me do I have to do anything? These are questions that entered my mind this week.

One thing I've come to realize is that God's purposes will be accomplished. As many have tried and failed, I cannot thwart the purposes of God - I am no better than them. So God's Will/Purposes will be accomplished. With that understanding, I believe my role in that work is to do my best to pursue Him and do what I feel He is guiding me to do. I should prepare lessons to the best of my ability and study as best I can, but all the while knowing that He will work. He will take any offering I give and do His work. As I "work" to accomplish His will, the more I strive to please Him and do the best I can, the more I get to experience His power flowing through me. I'm not sure if all these thoughts are correct, but they're some ideas that have been floating around in my head.

Another Czech Update

2008-07-10T11:25:00.000-10:00

Here's a basic rundown of what we've been up to.

Last week was our first English Camp with a town called Vysoke Myto. A team from Bend, Oregon came to help out and it was the first time that these groups were coming together. As an intern team our role was to bring them together and my specific role was to be responsible for programming and all that stuff (making sure everything ran smoothly, etc.) At that camp we saw God working in the hearts of students. Though no one accepted Christ as their Savior (that we know of) everyone was asking good questions about God and what He's done, and all the small group discussions were headed in the right direction.

I can say that specifically for me God was teaching me so many things about leadership and how He works. In the past few weeks He has been teaching me dependence on His Spirit and showing me that the amount that I feel/sense this need now is just a small taste of how much I need Him every hour of the day. I needed to depend on Him at camp, and His Spirit worked through me as I shared the evening messages. I just learned so much that I will still have to unpack it, but it was good to have Trev and Cass (my mentors/"bosses") there to walk Erica and I through.

This week we have been at US Team training with a team from Peoria, IL (after a few days of rest). It's been great to catch up with them and get to know the newbies on the team. I also spent the first night hanging out with Jerry and some of the intern teams - sweet, sweet fellowship. Tomorrow we head to our camp (second for the intern team) and it will be so sweet. We will need increased pressure to depend on God, as it can be easy to think we know it all coming into it for a second time. There are also several returning students that we are excited to share our faith and our lives with as well.

This summer it has been my goal to empower Czechs to serve. The first camp was a place of training for me and I think our role was to start the training process for their team. Our last/third camp will have a heavy emphasis on this discipleship, as the team has been well prepared for this camp. The camp that we go into now will be a mix of the two, and I am excited to see how God will use these Czechs to reach out to other students.

I am excited to see what God will do in the rest of my time here.

Czech (Check) out my pics

2008-06-20T05:32:00.000-10:00

I have some Czech pics up on Chris's blog (most of the ones from this year), so check them out if you want to:
http://chrisinczech.blogspot.com/

Also, you can check out my general pics at flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/xstaticbrute/

First Update - Sent by email

2008-06-20T04:41:00.000-10:00

So below is the email I sent out to those who requested it. I've been in Czech for a month and have been co-leading an intern team with Erica.

Here's a Basic Rundown in a few sentences: (Skip if you want to read in more detail)
We hung out as ESIs and not only rested but also prepared for the summer to come.
The Interns arrived and we did the amazing race, getting to know each other better.
Intern training was great and encouraging, though my role at camp will be a lot different.
We are now visiting different churches each weekend before we doing camps with them.
We were able to attend the largest gathering of Czech Christians at the Hillsong worship "concert" - 4,000 worshippers
Camps start in a week! and will happen every other week with training in between
Prayer requests are at the bottom.

Here's the real update with more details:
ESI, Leadership
I have now been in the Czech Republic for one month, and it has been one wild ride. My first week here was just with 6/8 of the Extended Summer Interns (ESI) and the English camp team (Nate, Lucka, David, and Jitka). It seems that we have a really great set of Leaders/Interns this time around. Last time they had an intern for 6-months there was only one, and that was a few years ago. It is exciting to be part of the expansion of Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic. For the rest of the summer I will not be hanging out with this team, but we will be spending some time together later, and I am excited for that as well. The first week we had meetings, rested, and prepared to each lead our separate teams. Erica and I are co-leading a team, and one of the biggest stressors those first couple of days was that we almost had one less intern due to finances. It was stressful to wonder what we would do without him, but we were glad that we were not the ones to make the final decision (he ended up coming).

Amazing Race
We travelled to Praha (Prague), where we had one last fun time together as ESI's before our interns arrived the next day. That began the 3rd annual Amazing Race, which was a time to get to know our team more and generate conflict so we would know how to resolve it. Our team is very chill, mainly due to the fact that we are of similar chill personalities (Golden Retrievers, Steady (DISC), whatever your personality test described it as). We did try hard in the beginning, but after sleeping in a field by a bus station and too many trains, we decided to take the rest of the race easy and ended up joining another group. We arrived in Malenovice, where we had intern training for the week.

Intern Training and my role
At intern training, we learned about teaching English, leading small groups, and Dave Patty walked us through the Upper Room Discourse (in John). One thing that really struck me, beyond all the important biblical lessons, was that I am sad not to be teaching an English class. My role as a leader means that I will be doing the evening talks, and that takes me out of the classroom to prepare, etc. They really did a good job at training of reminding us of the sweetness of building relationships through English Class, and it will be difficult to change roles.

Vysoke Myto Visit
Since training, we have taken some time to prepare English lessons as a team and spent a few more days with Nate and the English Camp team. We visited Vysoke Myto (the group we will have our first camp with) and got to know the leadership and the town. We started off with a dinner with them and a 2-hour prayer meeting for the summer, which concluded a 3-day prayer vigil for camps that the church was already having! One of the distinctives of this group is that they have many unbelievers attending their youth group regularly. We also visited schools and promoted camps with them.

Sumperk Retreat and Hillsong
Last weekend we had a retreat with the main group I worked with last summer, Sumperk. It was great to get away with them and encourage them. We will be doing our last camp with them. We also went with some of them to the Hillsong/Matt Redman Concert. It was great to see so many Czechs worshipping God, especially with more energy than they would probably ever experience together in a Christian context. There were about 4,000 people there, most of whom were Czech, and this was probably the largest gathering of Czech Christians ever.

Trev and Cass
Yesterday Erica and I got to meet with Trevor and Cassie (our leaders from last year and supervisors/"uplinks" this year) and discuss the summer and our goals for the rest of the summer. It was encouraging and needed, as we did not get to do this earlier in our time here (they were in the states). We now have an even clearer vision for why we are doing certain things and what our roles are in the team and at camp - an answer to the first prayer request in some ways.

Upcoming Vikyrovice Visit
This weekend we will visit Vikyrovice, our second camp from last year. We will be staying in their homes and spending time with their church. Please pray that we would bond with them and be able to encourage their team for camp. Also, we were going to visit schools here to promote camp and that fell through, so they may not have as many students at camp as they wanted. The pressure is on the students to invite their friends.

Here's a brief schedule:
June 20-22 Vikyrovice
24-27 US Training
28-July 5 Vysoke Myto Camp
July 8-11 US Training 2
12-19 Vikyrovice Camp
22-25 US Training 3
26-August 2 Sumperk Camp
August 7-10 Intern Debriefing in Praha (Prague), Interns depart

A few prayer requests:
-That Erica and I would continue to learn our roles as co-leaders, and that I would honor her in the way that I lead
-That our team would grow not only closer to one another but to the Lord, including wisdom in how best to do that.
-Wisdom for our interns as they prepare their English lessons in the few free days we have left.
-Wisdom for me as I prepare the evening talks which are the basis for the evangelistic discussions at camp.
-Continued relational energy as we meet many students and move from one group to another.
-That our camps would be a time to empower, push, and encourage key leaders.
-For the salvation of Czechs in Vysoke Myto, Vikyrovice, and Sumperk

Thank you for your continued prayer support. It is so needed as we go into this crazy summer and depend on God for everything. I believe God is going to do something amazing as we plead with Him to continue to change Czech. If you would like to contact me other than by email, my Skype name is JoshHawaii, but we don't consistently have internet access (doesn't hurt to try). Thanks Again,

-Josh "Hawaii" Nelson

Blogging for the first time

2008-05-11T17:47:00.000-10:00

Hey everyone, I decided to start a blog to keep you all updated on what's going on in my life, especially as I go to the Czech Republic for the next seven (7!) months. I won't update all the time, but at least a monthly update is probably expected. Please be in prayer for me as I go through this exciting and trying time of intensive ministry.

A few details about what I am doing. I have been to the Czech Republic twice before: last year Spring Break with Moody, and last summer for my official internship. Basically God has captured my heart with this little country of 10 million people, and I have felt Him calling me back there, likely full time. This summer and following months will be an evaluation time for the organization (Josiah Venture) and I to see what my future may be with them.

During the summer I am going to step into leadership as an intern leader, making sure that camps run smoothly and that our team is spiritually healthy. My co-leader, Erica, has been there for two summers, and will be backing me up as we go into this together. The summer will consist of three English Camps: two that I've worked with before and a whole new one. They are basically evangelistic in nature and are intended to facilitate interactions between Czech and American high schoolers and their peers. I really want to focus this summer on empowering Czechs to share their faith, passing the responsibility from us as leaders to them as students.

In the fall I will work with a Czech youth group and learn the language. I will also be able to start to understand what ministry in the Czech Republic full-time is like. This will definitely be a trying time (as the summer will be), but I know that with the Lord's help I will endure (and learn a LOT). I will also be attending some of Josiah Venture's fall conference and meeting stuff, whatever that may entail.

My time in the Czech Republic's gonna be one wild ride, so czech here for updates!

Josh in Czech

2012 Resolutions

Inspiration for my future in Czech

Heading that direction

Summer's Over and I'm Headed Home in a Few Days

Awana Camp Presentation Video

Amazing Race Photos

Amazing Race Destinations

A Trio of Visits

In Czech for the Summer

Photoblog week 1

daily/photo/micro/blogging

Support Team Development

Celebrating Birthdays

Bible Studies While I'm in Hawaii

Thanksgiving, Birthday, New Years' Celebration

Grand Canyon and Other Great Relationships

Missionary Training Trip

Best Friend's Wedding

Josiah Venture Orientation and Visit with Interns

Back Home in Hawaii

Prague Debrief

Vikyrovice Camp

First Camp in Krkonoše - Hradec

Vikryovice, Val Mez, and Work Project

Return to Havličkuv Brod

Hradec Kralove for the first time

Amazing Race and Intern Training

Vienna pre Amazing Race

Catching up with friends and ministry partners

Arrival in Czech

Headed back to Czech for 2010

Thoughts on My Time in Czech, 2009

Prep Periods, Prayer Time

Vikyrovice Camp

Šumperk Camp!!

Camp Season Begins

Long Day of Travel

A Month in Czech

The Route to Czech is preparation

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

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

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 givevar addthis_pub="joshhawa

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

It's Time to get ready to go back!

Aloha From Hawaii

Happy New Year from Hawaii

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

"A Symphony of Blase"

On the way home

What I listened to on my 23rd

Czech Turkeys Taste Good

English Weekend

The Seasons have really changed

3 Countries, 2 Capitals, 1 Day

Even Now, a Generation Waits

A Generation Waits

Facebook Usage by Age Group

Radiant Bride

Festival NaMax - To the Max

On the Way to NaMax

Krakow Vacation

In Praha (Prague) for Summer Debriefing

Headed to Šumperk

In Between Camps

A Little Lesson in God's Work

Another Czech Update

Czech (Check) out my pics

First Update - Sent by email

To love and give