Outreach

Today was a Czech holiday, and we were invited to join the Madrysz family for a day trip—one that turned out to be exactly what our tired bodies and foggy minds needed. We left the apartment around 9:00 a.m. and reached the mountain a little before 11:00. Our goal was the tallest peak in the Polish part of the Beskyd range. We took a gondola partway up, then hiked the remaining stretch. It was a well‑traveled path, but new to us—and made better by being with friends. Everything was lush from recent rains. Green plants crowding the trail, forest stretching out in every direction, water still pooled in places where the ground hadn’t fully absorbed

Today was a day of settling in. Yesterday had been a rush—conference sessions, the drive to the bank, a sprint through the store, and finally landing in the apartment. At times it felt like our whole world had been set to fast‑forward while we were doing our best to keep up. Today, however, moved at a different pace. Since Chris and I will be here for a little while—she for a few more days, me for about ten—it was time to make the place a bit more comfortable and livable. You might wonder what that means when we’re committed to not adding any real furniture until after renovations are complete. Well, for starters, we needed

Today has been another packed day—one of those days that begins one way and ends somewhere completely different. This morning, Chris and I left the now‑familiar accommodations of the penzion we’ve been staying in and drove up the hill for our final breakfast. We shared that meal with our friend—and FBC missionary—Tiffany Short, which felt like a fitting way to close out the week. After breakfast, we had our last Czech team meeting, then walked up to the big tent in Malenovice for the final worship time, commissioning, and sendoff. There’s something about those closing moments that lands with a mix of gratitude and anticipation. After lunch, the plan was simple enough: catch a ride

Have you ever had a day so full you can’t quite believe it all fit inside twenty‑four hours? That’s what the last stretch has felt like since my previous post—one moment tumbling into the next, each carrying its own weight. Last night followed the familiar rhythm: dinner, worship, and an evening program. Each night has had its own flavor, but this one highlighted the ministry targets for every country where Josiah Venture serves. The countries came up one by one, in the order JV first began its work there. It was with a real sense of pride that Chris and I stood with the Czech Republic team as the first country to the stage. A

Chris and I are midway through another full day of the conference. The morning began with our usual rhythm: joining our Czech team for breakfast and a focused meeting on team‑related topics. After that, we made our way up to the main gathering in the big tent for all‑country time. Today’s theme is one that always gets me fired up—disciple‑making through multiplication. If you’ve never heard the concept explained, let me try to put it simply. The heart of it comes from 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul tells Timothy to pass on what he has learned to faithful people who will then teach others. In that one verse you see four generations—Paul → Timothy →

This morning Chris and I woke up to our alarm—an unexpected blessing for two jet‑lagged travelers who weren’t entirely sure what continent their bodies thought they were on. Outside, the rain was still falling lightly, just enough to blur the edges of the morning and make everything feel a bit slower, a bit softer, as we got ready for the day ahead. We’re staying at a pension—a spare suite tucked inside a restaurant—down the hill from where our Czech team is meeting. It’s about a ten‑minute drive, and Josiah Venture arranged for us to borrow a car from another missionary. Thank you, Tomáš. From there, it’s only a short walk up to the main meeting

Chris and I have had a long day—travel, time zones, and the kind of jet lag that makes your thoughts feel half a step behind your feet. By the time we arrived at the kickoff for the Josiah Venture fall conference, we were running mostly on determination and whatever adrenaline was left from the journey. A steady rain had been falling since afternoon. Not dramatic, not stormy—just a quiet, persistent curtain of water that settled over the camp. You could hear it on the canvas of the big green tent as we walked in, a soft percussion that made the contrast inside even sharper. Because inside, the place was alive. Lights, movement, voices rising in

Just a quick update. Chris and I are sitting here in the middle of a fairly quiet airport, yellow signs overhead and people passing by. We are waiting for our flight from Amsterdam to Krakow Poland, where we will be picked up and driven to Malenovice, Czech Republic for the conference.  Besides being travel-weary,  all Is going well so far. Thanks for your prayers. Talk to you later.