Today was a quieter day — the kind of day that gives you space to breathe after the intensity of camp. We slept in, let our bodies catch up, and then spent the afternoon across the border in Poland playing spikeball, volleyball, and basketball. It felt good to move, to laugh, to be together without a schedule pressing in.

Later we walked to the youth building — Studentská, tucked beneath the church offices and parsonage — for dinner and our final evening program. In many ways it felt like an echo of camp: shared food, shared stories, shared joy. But tonight carried a different weight. Farewells always do.

There was a touch of sadness in the room because everyone knew what tomorrow means. For many students, this was the last time they would see the Americans before most of the team begins the trip home after church. You could see it in the long hugs and lingering conversations. These relationships form fast, but they run deep.

Farewells are never easy. They remind us that ministry is both beautiful and fragile — built on moments we cannot hold onto, only steward well while we have them. Tomorrow brings one more gathering, one more chance to be present, one more step in the journey God is writing here.

Thank you for walking with us.

Caio, Pastor Doug