(Written by: Doug Sandy)
“and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” Ephesians 6:19
Three oversized black duffle bags stare at me as I sit typing this blog. Each of them is almost filled with the supplies needed for our upcoming mission trip to the Czech Republic. Deflated footballs anticipate the life-giving breath of an air pump and the thrill of a perfect spiraling arc in the air of Czechia. English teaching packets yearn to be unveiled, and three five-pound bags of candy long to be cracked open like globetrotting pinatas as incentive to English language learners. I can almost hear the bags calling out “zip us up, we are ready to go now.” The fact of the matter is: their time will come very soon.
On Monday morning, the team will head to the airport, beginning a day-long trek to Prague. This is the culmination of months of planning and preparation. I am proud of the way the team has worked together and I have been blessed to see up close how God has been working on each of us as we readied ourselves for the trip. Below is a rough itinerary of our plans so that you can follow along with us in prayer:
- Monday 7/25 – Tuesday 7/26: Travel to Prague
- Wednesday 7/27: Training with Josiah Venture missions organization
- Thursday 7/28: Meet the Czech team and finalize camp details
- Friday 7/29: Travel to Malenovice camp facility
- Saturday 7/30: Prepare for camp. Students arrive
- Saturday 7/30 – Friday 8/5: English/Sports camp. Each day follows a similar schedule.
- Devotions
- Morning program
- English or American sports lessons
- Workshops related to team member interests (Spikeball, drawing, model airplane building, etc.)
- Evening program with presentation of the gospel
- Additional evening activities
- Saturday 8/6: Homestay with Czech families in Cesky Tesin.
- Sunday 8/7: Attend worship service at host church. Debrief in the afternoon. Return to Prague.
- Monday 8/8: Free day in Prague
- Tuesday 8/9: Return Home
The last word that I have from us before we leave for Czechia is a note on God’s word. Among all the other items in the bags, protected in a box all by themselves, something else patiently waits. Fifty New Testament Bibles sit. These will be signed and presented as gifts from us on the last day of camp. Please join us in prayer that God prepares the hearts of our students to receive His message, and that we would be clear in expressing His truth. We’re leaving soon. We can hardly wait too.