Half the team is now somewhere over the Atlantic, heading back to the US. Aidan is in Prague. Annika is safely in Germany. And I’m sitting once again in my quiet little office in the House Under the Bell here in Český Těšín — the same place where so many of these reflections begin and end.

With camp behind us, this would normally be the moment for rest, quiet, and recovery. And we’ll get a little of that. But only a little. The pace of ministry doesn’t really slow; it simply shifts.

For the next week, we’ll be meeting with friends and partners here in Český Těšín for mutual encouragement and fellowship — the kind of conversations that strengthen existing relationships and remind us why we keep coming back. Tomorrow we will finally meet the family who owns the home we are staying in.  On Thursday, I’ll visit my friend Karl in the hospital. On Friday, Chris and I will travel to Ostrava to meet with the leader of a small network of house churches. Saturday we will meet with Misa, and Sunday the Boszczyk family.  Next week, we’ll be helping at a local Bible school and meeting with a handful of other families. Our schedule will be full, but so will our hearts.

And woven through the week is another significant milestone — we hope to sign the paperwork to purchase the apartment. A small place, but one that represents a long‑term commitment to the work God is doing here.

So yes, half the team is already homeward bound. But for those of us still here, another chapter is beginning — quieter than camp, but no less meaningful.

Please pray for health for the team (those that are traveling, as well as those that are still here), safe travels for the returning team, and fruitful ministry for the rest of us.

Thank you for walking with us through each turn of this journey.

Caio, Pastor Doug