Outreach

Wrap Up To complete an activity I am writing this final post from a hotel room in Prague.  We are ready for an early departure to the airport tomorrow. I look forward to sharing with you about all the details of this trip upon our arrival back in the states.  Please pray for safe travels for us, and continued wisdom, health and strength for Aidan as he continues his extended internship. With every blessing in Christ -Doug

Pack Up To load suitcases or boxes in preparation for travel or moving This will be my last post from my ironing board desk in the 3 bedroom flat in the Svbice region of Český Těšín.  Our bags are packed and we are preparing to leave.  Today we finished the last follow-up activity, and had a wonderful lunch with the youth group leader and his family. All that remains for us here is a worship service with our Czech brothers and sisters tomorrow morning, followed by a train ride back to Prague. Someone asked me today “how do you feel about leaving tomorrow?”  I had to really think about it.  In previous years, there was

Open Up To begin communication on topics that were previously untouched or off-limits. Tonight I will share about something that happened on my way back from the Hradek church yesterday. After our meetings, David drove me back to the train station where I began waiting for the train.  Unfortunately due to some unforseen issue with the route, all trains that were expected through the station were cancelled for the next several hours.  As I came to the realization that I needed a new route home, I called David, who agreed to drive me down the line to the next open station.  In so doing, he also offered a ride to another passenger at the train

Tear Up To begin crying or get watery eyes Tonight we had our second follow-up bible study at church.  Again, there were 14 attendees, including many that were not at camp, and some that were relatively new to bible study.  The discussion was in-depth and encouraging.  But something that happened earlier today is what I want to focus on in tonight’s blog Around noon today I headed to a neighboring village to visit its church.  The plan was to meet some leaders of a bible school who work on training up the next generation of christian youth leaders.  My main goal was to better understand the context in which we are serving here in the

Tonight, we had another great evening of fellowship and mutual encouragement.   The Mandrysz family has been amazing encouragers, prayer partners, and friends since we first met them three years ago.  Almost everyone who has visited the Czech Republic from Family Bible Church has experienced a taste of their hospitality.  We are so thankful for them and love to spend time with them.  Yet tonight we also experienced something else.  Fatigue. Earlier today, as I woke from a nap, I had a hard time shaking the cobwebs from my brain.  Tonight I saw the same thing in the expressions of my daughter. We all experienced jet lag at the beginning of the trip.  We trust in

Lift Up: To raise to a higher position To exalt or honor; to raise in status or reverence To elevate someone’s mood or spirit; to inspire or encourage Tonight, we had the pleasure of spending time with a family from church — what began with a little uncertainty unfolded into something truly memorable. We were graciously invited into their beautiful garden outside the city, where we shared an informal dinner and conversation. The setting was relaxed and welcoming.  As always, Czech hospitality is amazing.  As we ate, we also talked.  There was very little “chit-chat” (not really part of the Czech culture).  Instead, we dove into conversations that were meaningful to each other, and helped

You might be wondering what the Sandy family is up to during our last week here?  We must be laying low and taking it easy, after all, there are only a couple of formal activities left. As it turns out, our calendar is pretty full at the moment.  For the next week, we have at least one engagement every day.  In each of these meetings, we are trying to gain spiritual insights, and encourage (or be mutually encouraged). Tonight we were blessed to share dinner with Marcel, Silvie and their family.  We have not had any real time with them since our trip began.  It was good to catch up with them over a meal,

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”  1 Corinthians 1:17 (New International Version) I enjoy public speaking – choosing words and phrases for maximum impact, adapting pace and rhythm to keep the audience engaged, and adjusting technique based on the reaction of the listeners.  Beyond speaking words, there is a completely different layer of communication involved – and it is where I find the most rewarding part of the interaction. Throw another language in the mix, and all this changes.  Here are a list of some of the primary challenges: Metaphor, idioms, alliteration and the like

follow-up (noun) Definition: A continuation or review of a previous action, task, or discussion, typically intended to reinforce or evaluate results, ensure progress, or address unresolved issues. One of the main things that the local church that we work with has struggled with over the last few years is providing follow-up activities to help new campers transition from camp to the youth group at church.  In the Czech Republic, summer is a really busy time for churches.  The local church we work with is no different.  The youth leaders are busy hosting camps for all different ages.  As a result, no normal youth group meetings are held during the summer months. Enter the Sandy family.