Havlickuv Brod

Hello Again!

Another weekend has gone past and that means we travled again to another one of the cities which we will host camp with!  This weekend was Havlickuv Brod, a beautiful city!

Our trip started with an unexpected 2 hour wait in Kolin waiting for our train to come.  Apparently a piece of wall of a building being demolished fell on to the tracks.  EVeryone was safe and this gave us time to connect with Jonatan, the leader for Brod's camp.  Our train into Brod was packed but fun as we swapped stories and ideas with Jonatan and other people on the train.

Upon arrival we were met by some of the group and went to a lovely restaurant to get some food.  It was fun just relaxing and getting to know all of them.  Also i learned I cant say řisek (schnitzel) correctly so all had some fun hearing me trying to pronounce it.  Nothing bonds like an American trying to speak Czech.

After a night's rest at our friends Pavel's house, we arose to have a picnic in one of the parks in Brod.  The weather was beautiful and so were the conversations! 

I even got to eat a bacon muffin!

Heading to a park we played sports with a lot of the youth group.  I have never played so much ultimate frisbee (or tried atleast) in my life!

The youth group has been studying Jonah so we joined them in their latest look into the story.  It's funny hearing about Jonah because I feel God sent me Here like Jonah to Ninevah!  Luckily god and those around me gave me the strength and support to go, so I didn't end up in the belly of fish!  We also talked about what we want out of life and how that reflects what God wants.  It was truly amazing to hear all the stories how God has changed the ideas about life in the Czechs' lives!  It's more motivation to keep going on strong and looking forward to camp.

Josh and I also got to be in a Czech Pub as the Czech National team beat Poland and won their way into the quarterfinals of the EuroCup!  Needless to say we were the least rowdy of all the fans, but were getting there!  Who knew I could enjoy soccer so much.

Sunday morning, we went to church in Brod and heard a wonderful message tied into Father's day about trying to be close to our heavenly father and continue to do things that bring us close to him!   Again it was amazing to hear a message in native tongue, but also have a translator for us English speakers.

After lunch and ice cream we hung out in the town square (pictured up top) for awhile, even playing the Ninja game on a stage.  We also had the opportunity to take some tall and twisty stairs up to the bell tower of Brod and see the city from high above!

After the tower and hanging out in the square we finished up our visit playing some Dutch Blitz up at the church until we had to get on our train and head back to Podebrady

What I am coming to love about these visits and meeting the Czechs i have is there passion.  Most are new believers (compared to what I'm used to in the states) and even though they are high school or early college aged, they are striving to bring Christ to more of the Czech.  I want to feed off their passion and add a little of my own in camp!  I am blessed to be a small part in a truly HUGE and powerful movement that is happening in the Czech Republic, Europe, and the world!  AGain I thank god for my team and the support back home that is making this trip possible.  I love all of you!

Prayer requests: continual prayer for strength and focus as we prepare for camps, that we would come together more and more as a team, and personally I can focus all of my thoughts and prayers for this task that has been put before me.  YAY GOD!

Hradec Kralove!

Part of the Hradec

Its been awhile since the last post because I have been taking an fun and productive trip with the team to the Czech city of Hradec Kralove.  We are going to put on an English Camp with the youth group in Hradec in July!

Coming into the city around 9 pm we were met by a small group of young Hradec-ians who were part of the local youth group.  Josh and I had the pleasure of staying in the house of Philip and Tomasz's house where were fed some amazing Chicken!  Arising early in the morning the full team was assembled and we headed to schools to advertise our English Camp!  Our first class was in a beauticians schools and the others were in a grammar (high) school.  In the classes we introduced ourselves and the camp then played a couple games to get the students talking and thinking in English.  Afterward we had small group discussions where the students could ask our team whatever.  Almost every class asked me cowboy related questions after they learned I was from Texas.  If any Czech Students ask you I totally ride horse to class.

That night we had the priviledge of participating in the a "Greater Than" with the Hradec youth group!  Singing songs and talking with the group I could tell that they really have a heart from Christ.

I think it was encouraging to see the product of past English camps (and all other christian influences in the youth's life before that) before I start my first camp!  Josh gave a great message talking about truly following after christ, a personal relationship, which was translate by Philip so the Czech could understand!

Hradec youth Group

Later that night we watched the Czech vs. Russia Game of the Euro Cup in a tent with some fellow Czechs.  Unfortunately we lost but the Czech spirit lives on!

We awoke early the next morning to get onto a train to begin a hike in the mountains surrounding Hradec.    Hiking for about 5 hours we made it to the summit of a mountain and looked down below at some of the most beautiful land I have ever seen!  I didn't bring my camera because of rain, but you'll have to take my word for it.  We kept hiking through late morning and early afternoon going through Fanghorn Forest like Forests (Lord of the Rings!) and got to climb around on boulders and other adventurous things!  It poured the last half hour but we had plenty of time to dry off as we waited for our train home!

Sunday morning I got to experience my first Czech church service!  There was something cool hearing both worship and the message in the native tongue, and fortunately we had some translators there to tell us what was going on.  God is moving throughout the world and it's nice to see a lot of that.

After church we had team planning with the youth group, looking over the ideas and plans for the English camp.  It was awesome to everyone coming to make camp the best it can be!  After the plans we enjoyed card games and hanging out with each other!

Early the next morning we did 6 more school visits, with more Texas questions!  Then we headed back to Podebrady which will be our home base this summer!

Overall Hradec was a great place to see because it showed me how God is working in this part of the world and gets my excitement up even more about camps and pouring into kids!

Prayers for energy and focus would be much appreciated by not just me but by my team.  I love ya''ll

Training Day (s)

Hey ya'll!
For the past couple of days I and the rest of the JV summer intern staff have been at intern training!  At Hotel Malenovice, we have had seminars and worship all day everyday!  I LOVE IT!

For our seminars we have been learning everything from small group organization to how to effective share the gospel.  Everything was very practical and made me think about what's been holding me back from spreading God's good news!  One of my favorite seminars was going through the Czech history and culture and how that affects the kids that we will be teaching English to!  On the English note, luckily we had a great speaker come teach us to teach English!  All in all everything we learned was to make us greater models and sharers of Jesus' Love!

We also had the pleasure of a father/son dual come talk to us and discuss the power of the Holy Spirit.  With messages in the morning and night, we were surrounded by scripture of god's power given to us through the spirit!

Probably one of my favorite things about training was just getting to sit down and talk to everyone.  There were interns going to Estonia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Latvia, and Croatia and all had their own stories.  By eating or just chatting together I got to hear so many stories of God leading these wonderful people to their prospective countries and hear the passion god is working in them.  I can see god physically moving so many young adults.  ITS AWESOME.

Today we headed out into our given mission fields.  After being commissioned, today we split paths and said our goodbyes to the other countries.  The Czech team (not having to cross border lines) had a BBQ and some extra culture training.

I sit now in the Hotel Central in Cesky Tesin awaiting a train ride tomorrow that will take us to our home base.  Its the beginning of this great summer!  I thank all of y'all for your support and prayers, I could not come close to doing it without y'all.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Welcome to the Hotel Malenovice

After a restful sleep in the glorious cabins of H₂O and a rousing breakfast we started off the next day in our race FOR GLORY!  We started out in fourth.  Here’s a list:

•  Identifying teas – (thank goodness we had an Irish on our team
•  A JV OLYMPICS!! (diving in a pool, shotput (YESSSS), rowing and a footrace)
• Walking the same path we walked the night before
• BUSES AND TRAINS

We then made our way across the border of Poland to the Czech Republic.  In Cesky Tesin, our first Czech stop, our challenge was to watch and perform a traditional Polish dance (totally was a natural, I mean come on).  After 2 tries we perfected our dance and made our way to a Czech Train Station and missed the earliest train by a minute so had to wait for an hour for the next one.  We got pretty close to the Polish team that was headed the same way.

After two trains and switching in Fridek Mistik, we ended up in Frylandt, Czech Republic.  Once completing a word search based on the JV core values, we were on our way to our final destination, HOTEL MALENOVICE!

Fitting our 5 members into a 4 person cab (our fearless leader Josh stowed in the trunk, which did not make the driver excited…. But he needed the money apparently), we had arrived.  Coming in to a cheering squad of leaders we were ecstatic to find out what place we had come in.  We held our breaths as they read out……. 11^th…… out of 15.  But little did we care because we had finished and finally we would be some place permanently, if only for a couple days.

Getting some food in us, we loaded up with all of our luggage and went to our rooms.  My room just happened to be down a giant hill.  Loaded down I made my way to this AMAZING CABIN.

I got settled in.  (My mother would be proud)

We had an amazing meal and then met for the first night event with all of the teams together.  During worship a thought really hit me.  I was standing in a room with people from all across the world, who speak so many different languages, but all singing about CHRIST! To top it all off, the founder of JV Dave Patty came and talked to us about the original vision and story behind this amazing Organization.  It’s awesome to think that it was one man’s thoughts about Europe has turned into such a large organization and so many hearts toward spreading Christ.  After that I was worn out and went to sleep.  Here’s an added pictures of the girls in our team! From left to right Jitka, Rachel, and Bethany.

I am enjoy being able to take in the Czech atmosphere and get to know not only the people who will be joining me in Czech but all over Europe and just to hear all the stories that had led everyone to the country that has been put on their heart.

Amazing Race part 2

After sharing a small bathroom for 15 people and having a pretty good breakfast we headed out to the start point for day two of the Amazing Race.  Here is another list of things we did.

• ·      Moving M&Ms viva sucking on them through a straw
• ·      Memorizing a speech by the Pope
• ·      Having a Native Krakow-ian(?) read us a Polish story book, IN POLISH
• ·      Going into the Wawel castle and then INTO THE DRAGON’S DEN
• ·      Putting on a puppet show about the Dragon’s story
• ·      Couting the number of Crowns, Swords, Keys, Eagle Heads, and Towers there were on the 52 Polish Town Crests. Hint: THERES A LOT

·       

We also got to have a nice break from the racing by going to Schlinder’s Factory, made famous by Schlinder’s List.  With all the chaos we were part of it was nice to see some of the more meaningful and having the time to enjoy it.

Then we took the bumpiest and gut wrenching bus ride I have ever taken when we made our way to Skoczow Poland where, after walking many miles along a ride we made it to H₂O, JV’s Polish training and conference center.  Upon arriving we were brought the dreaded and much talked about Food Challenge.  Legends of past years’ challenges are still talked about to this day.  Fortunately it seemed our challenge was not as disgusting.  We had to eat a whole link of blood sausage and a generous helping of saurkraut.  The sausage was actually pretty good but the saurkraut was not my cup of tea.  Luckily I finished both which should be amazing to my mother and anyone who knows my eating habits.

We were then finished with the race that day and had time to relax and mingle.  It was nice to be able to compress and talk to my own group but also to the other interns and hear their stories and their passion about their countries.  It’s amazing and perfect how god has brought every individual to where they are in JV and how they will be a blessing to their camps and to the world.  I am truly blessed to be a part.

THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN

Hello everyone!

Its only been a couple days but so much has happened.  I have not been able to post because I was flying to Poland and taking part of JV’s AMAZING Race.

But first my travels.  After a splendid send off by my parents and my last American Meal (Portillos!!!)  I got onto my Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt Germany.   It was a great flight (WITH MY OWN TV!!).  I tried to sleep but the baby sitting next to me decided that I shouldn’t so I watch two films (We Bought a Zoo, and the Muppet Movie) and a Adele concert.   Overall a good 7and half hour flight.

Once landing in Germany I made the long and seemingly endless journey from the C Terminal to the A.   Somehow I ended up outside the airport and after asking some security guards I found my way.  Also, I met a man wearing OU attire….. really in Frankfurt??  Upon getting to my terminal I met a small of fellow interns.  I knew they were interns because who else would a group of 20-somethings speaking English being doing in Frankfurt.  Introductions were made and we began to discuss our lives and the summer.  We were all ready to board our last flight from Frankfurt to Krakow, Poland.  The plane ride was short but it was fun hearing all the interns talking to the locals and other Europeans wondering who exactly where this young adults taking up half the plane.

After getting our luggage and passport checked, the interns were greeted by a super enthusiastic JV staff.  Again introductions were made and I finally got to meet my team in person.  First there was Bethany, a 18 year old girl from Iowa who is joined the intern program after 4 years of helping teach English for a couple of weeks during the summer.  Next was Jitka, our Czech local, who had helped with English camps within the Czech Republic.  Then Josh (Hawaii), one of the co-leaders, who is currently in his first run as a long term missionary in the Czech Republic.  Last is Rachel, an co-leader from Ireland, who has helped with many camps in Czech but this is her first summer internship with Josiah.  Altogether we make up the team Hawaiireland.

After waiting about 4 hours in the Krakow airport for all the interns to arrive, we started the AMAZING RACE!  With only a backpack (or a duffel bag as I so “geniously” (sarcasm) decided to use) we would be running around Poland and Czech Republic for 3 days eventually ending up at the Training Facility in Malenovice, Czech Republic.  We began by riding into the heart and center of the bustling Krakow.  Here’s a list of some of the road block activities we were faced with

•         Having a retro/borderline cross dressing model session on a “catwalk” in the middle of a busy square – of course I was a legend
•   Running around a mall trying to find 3 moving people
•      Running around a mall and most of Krakow with a watermelon in my bag
• Listening to Chopin for a hour trying to guess the music to sheet music
•  Playing bingo – using characteristics of strangers
• Creating a scale model of the solar system using food (including my favorite watermelon)
•   RUNNING AROUND!

After a day of adventures in the beautiful Krakow we used staying in pretty awesome hostel., my first.  Staying up for 30 hours straight and all of our challenges, I passed out in the hostel and destroyed any jet lag I had.  A good first day of racing.
I hope I will have pictures to show soon I was unavailable to take my camera because I didn't want to break it.