Winter English Camp has been much different than what we experienced in summer in so many ways. The days are shorter, and the weather is cold. The students and camp team needed to navigate through snowy roads to reach our cabin. And the setting is smaller – a single cabin that sleeps twenty-nine people total. This combination of differences creates a much different vibe than the bustling camp of the future.
The past day and a half have been one where Czechs and Americans have come together to cook and clean, sing, bake, decorate and have fun. It has also been a time for learning about English, learning about Jesus, growing spiritually. Because of the more intimate setting, we have been able to have more meaningful conversations with each other than this past summer.
Through these conversations I have been encouraged by how God has been working in the hearts of our friends since we last saw each other. One person in particular who had a very hard heart in August seems to be softening to the things of God. I am very thankful to be a small part of God’s plan for discipling these youth.
There were many times yesterday that I found myself sitting among the students and marveling about both the strangeness and the familiarity of it all. What was strange was that God has surrounded us with students and young adults from the Czech Republic where we should feel like outsiders, but we don’t. Sure, many of the conversations are in Czech, but the laughter friendship and love are genuine. Through it all we see the familiar hand of God as we share in sweet fellowship and are all jointly encouraged by His Spirit.