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.

A Little Bitters-Sweetness

T-minus 7 days until I hop on my trail to Dusseldorf Germany then Krakow, Poland.  I cannot express how excited I am that all of this is just around the corner!  It's finally time to GO instead of planning!  But this past week has been emotionally challenging.

I had the opportunity to work at the volunteer "Bro-Week" at T Bar M Camp Travis for about half a week.  T Bar M is a summer camp program in the great state of TEXAS and I have been blessed by both my parents and most importantly my God to be part of it.  For the past 12 years I had gone from a day camper after first grade to working there after my Freshmen year at UT.  I owe camp to many of the greatest weeks of my life.  But most importantly I owe the camp for a huge growth of my walk with Christ.  Summer after summer the great staff (and later on campers) taught me so much about Christ's love and how I fit into everything.  Needless to say, the realization that I would not be at camp this year hit my hard and I had to say goodbye to those working in Texas this summer.  But with this sadness came the thought about the extent of what I am doing this summer.  I had a whole group of people at T Bar M that love me and want me to do this Czech journey Christ.  Yes I shed tears because I wouldn't be with them, but I had a smile because I realized this is exactly where God wants me.  Vulnerable.  Camp is a comfort zone because I grew up with it, and this challenge presented itself.  How incredibly blessed am I that I had to choose between working at a Christian camp and going abroad for God's work.

I know I am where God has put me to be.  The way I came to this Czech Mission trip, or should I say how it came to me, had to be straight from God.  I hope God can move through me this summer.

Prayer Requests:  I continue to be at peace with lack of Camp; that I get everything I need for Czech; continue to rely on God for every decision and piece of strength

Finals Finals go away..come again NEVER

I come to my first post anxious.  I currently sit in my Jester dorm room on a Saturday wishing the two weeks would rush by!  Faced with finals and papers I can't help but keep come back to the journey I'll be having this summer!  It can't come fast enough!
These last few weeks have been information packed for this summer. First off I finally bought my pack for this summer which i will be living out of!

My mother still doesn't think its big enough, but i keep reminding her she's dealing with an Eagle Scout.

Second, the parents and I have looked at my donations and it seems that all the funds are in order.  I thank GOD and any of you who have donated, ya'll are are the ONLY reason I am going on this trip! I hope this blog will be a way for you to keep in touch with the work that you helped happen!

Third I was added to a Josiah Intern Facebook group, which lets me see and talk to all the other interns and the leadership!  There are just over 70 interns helping all over Eastern Europe!  How awesome is it that God put this mission field on so many hearts???  I can't tell you how blessed I am to be going!!!!

Fourth I have found out my the small group I will be working with this summer! Josh Nelson (Hawaii), Rachael Davison (N Ireland), Bethany Boeck (Iowa), Jitka Lisnikova (Czech Republic)! So if you are inclined could you start praying for all of us that we will be ready or this experience and work as a one unit for Christ!


Lastly, and for me the most exhilarating, is I got my plane ticket to get over there!

I find this awesome because it seems to me that this is the thing that brings 100% certainty that this is happening in real life!  I'm excited I get to fly into Poland (I've never been there!).  I know its repetitive but I am SO BLESSED to be able to spread the Gospel of Christ in a land so unique and intriguing to me!  I thank God and those that are supporting me everyday!


God Bless,
Nolan