Day 14 – August 7
Yesterday burst with a variety of activities. We started the day with an amazing Czech breakfast that featured a selection of meats and cheeses as well as fresh vegetables from our hosts garden. Next we met at a coffee shop in town for a tour of both the Polish and Czech parts of the city. The rest of the day was filled with youth group activities that included bubble soccer (football), fellowship, food, and more fellowship. We used this time to continue building friendships and further the spiritual discussions that we had begun with the Czech students.
Day 13 – August 6
Yesterday we said our farewells to both English camp and the young people that we had come to love over our short stay here. There were photos, hugs, exchanges of contacts, and some tears. As each person drove away, the camp lost some of its character and life until it was left much as it started: quiet and empty – a silent cluster of buildings. Much like a dream, memories of laughter and struggles played in my mind as I walked through the grounds a final time.
Day 12 – August 5
It is hard to believe that tonight is my last night in Malenovice. Today was the last full day of camp, featuring our last English classes, workshops, and evening session.
As I suspected, this camp experience has flown by and has been a whirlwind. I must say that while staffing any summer camp is difficult, staffing a summer camp with a language barrier is far more taxing. On the other hand, it is hard to think about this when you can see the joy of the students when they talk about camp highlights during our last roundtable discussion group.
Day 11 – August 4
A common device for sharing the Gospel is known as the bridge diagram. It is a simple picture that shows God and man separated by a giant, un-crossable chasm: the chasm of sin. No amount of human effort is able to get you across this gap. It cannot be jumped across. It cannot be scaled. We are hopelessly separated from God. However, when Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins, he created a bridge by which the chasm could be crossed.
Day 10 – August 3
As I think back over the days since my last blog post, two key skills pop into mind: flexibility and humility. As we came to Czechia, none of us know what to expect. There were many questions that we had that simply could not be answered until after we set foot in the Camp. Schedules and roles needed to be finalized, messages needed to be tuned, and most of all, we needed to reach out to students that we had never met. These were just the things that we knew about.
Day 9 – August 2
We are wrapping up day 3 of English camp right now, and one thing that struck me during the day’s activities was how similar the students are to me and my friends. When we first got to the Czech Republic, I thought that somehow the people here would be very different than the people back home. And they are, but not at all in the way that I originally thought…
Day 8 – August 1
The first full day of camp is almost over! I sit here writing this to you from my bunk during the evening festivities that commence after the evening program is finished. Today has flown by honestly, and I am afraid the next few days will fly by as well. I cannot emphasize enough that today was a rich day! We began with devotional time in the outdoor tent structure, led by Chris from the Life Point church. We then went to breakfast and began English classes.
Day 7 – July 31
The love of God is a strange and wonderful thing. It softens hearts, it heals wounds, it changes lives forever. I have been contemplating the depth of God’s love for all of us this morning as we prepare for our first full day of teaching. Around me, the camp is still. Rain falls gently, but steadily outside, and through the window in front of me, a slender tree drips and shimmers gently in the morning breeze. The manicured lawns have burst forth in renewed greenness, refreshed by the life-giving water.
Day 6 – July 30
Today I write to you from the porch of one of the cabins at the Christian Academy for Youth retreat center in Malenovice. The sun rose almost two hours ago but the camp is quiet except for the occasional twittering of birds and the distant sound of cars on the highway. It is a perfect time to reflect on where God has brought us and pray for the upcoming day.
Day 5 – July 29
Ahoy! Today was a huge day! After beginning the day with an FBC team check-in for breakfast. We resumed yesterday’s training, going over how to lead discussion groups, build into discipleship relationships well, and follow and enforce the rules at camp. Today has been such a powerful testimony of the movement of God among Czech youth…