(Written by: Anna Sandy)
“Do all things without complaining or arguments; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” Philippians 2:14-15 (New American Standard Version)
When we visited the Czech Republic last winter, it was like a fairy tale! Fresh snow glistened everywhere, decorations where up, and carols where being sung. The magic of Christmas in this largely atheist country was still unmistakable. I had never been to the Czech Republic before. It all was new and exciting! But the most memorable thing of all wasn’t the snow (of which I absolutely loved), the decorations, or even the Christmas carols. It was the friends that I made in Christ when we were there.
I am an extrovert. Maybe I am an extra-extrovert; I thrive on being around lots of people, all the time. Making new friends came very easily for me. But leaving them all was very hard. And that is why I am exploding with excitement to go back! I look forward to seeing the people I miss so much. We’ve tried the best we can to stay in touch over a texting app. Our main goals: encouraging each other and sharing what we have been learning in the Bible. As good as this is, it’s not the same as being face-to-face. I can’t wait to pick up where we left off!
This summer I am going as part of the Josiah Venture team for my very first time. I will be helping teach English at the summer camp. As a result, there is lots of preparation to be done. For me this means learning how to teach the lessons provided by Josiah Venture, and making sure I am spiritually prepared. To be honest, the English teaching is way easier than the spiritual preparation.
Those of you who don’t know me well, might not realize that I really appreciate my sleep. If I don’t get it, I tend to get GRUMPY (it’s true). If the challenge of jet lag is not enough to push me into my danger zone, then the intense camp schedule will certainly do it. In anticipation of this challenge, I am working on letting God show me how to be joyful in all circumstances, and to rely on His strength when I am feeling run down.
I am thankful for the opportunity to return this summer and see my Czech friends. Together, I hope that we can grow our friendship, strengthen each other’s faith, and share Christ’s love with yet-to-be friends who have not heard the gospel. By God’s grace, I hope to do this with a joyful heart even if I’m ready to drop.
Prayer Requests:
- Outreach to new students for the camp.
- Passport processing (we are still missing one).
- Financial provision for both American teams
- Preparation for the trip goes smoothly.
- Health of the mission team.