Slovakia Update 5

Day 1 of camp finally has come! We began this morning worshiping together and spending time in devotions as we prepared our hearts for the teens to come. Kristina mentioned to me how she was blessed very much when we sang the worship song “Come Now Is The Time to Worship” in English and the Slovaks sang it in their language. Together making a beautiful melody for God!

We had some more training and exercises to prepare, but we were anxious for the students to finally come in the afternoon. If you have ever gone to a camp, or worked at a camp, you know how much preparation goes into it. It really gets overwhelming at times and we had a time to work through our anxieties and watch as God began to help us see everything falling into its place.

Three of our team members, Danny, Kayla, and Jeremy, went with Pastor Ben to pick up the students in Banska Bystrica and bring them to the Penzion. It was a joy for me to see how excited they were to go and get the students. They had the opportunity of meeting Ben’s wife and children, seeing the church in Banska and go to a Slovakian supermarket to pick up supplies. They also had an extra hour of time with the students and immediately began to build friendships with them.

Having the students here has really made the time fly already! We had dinner together, games and evening program. I was asked to be the MC for the evening program and go through all the rules and schedule with the camp, oh and I had to speak through an interpreter. If you have never spoken through an interpreter then you don’t know how difficult this is for me. I am used to speaking pretty fast and build as I go. But an interpreter requires you to pause frequently and allow them to catch up. This leads me to awkward moments when I lose my train of thought, but it is quiet humorous for those I am speaking too.

Last night the camp was introduced to Peter in the Bible and looked at Luke 5. We will be encountering his story and how meeting Jesus changed him. One point that Jany emphasized was that Peter was an average, normal fisherman when Jesus called him to do great things. Peter stepped out in faith, knowing he had to sacrifice all that he had to follow Jesus. This continually challenges me as I wonder what am I holding back from Jesus? Peter left his career, family and friends to follow Jesus.

Right now we are off to Sports in the village, a 30 minute walk from here. I will write more later about our first day of English classes!

Slovakia Trip Update 12 - heading home

In the final moments before we board the plane, I pause to reflect on a few thoughts leading up to our departure. Our last day in Slovakia was in Banska Bystrica, a beautiful Slovakian city. The historic city square is breathtaking and very welcoming. It is place that would be fun to grab a bite to eat and a coffee and just enjoy the atmosphere.

At 1pm the students from camp met us at the fountain and we spent some time with them before heading out at 7pm last night. All of our students at least stopped by to say goodbye, but I was very surprised at who came and stuck around with us. Not only did Eric and Lucas come and hangout all day (the first ones to the fountains) but they also walked us all the way to the train station and said a heart felt goodbye to us as we boarded the train.

I was thankful to have a conversation with Lucas as we walked and asked him about his faith and his view of God. Early in the week he expressed that he did not believe in God and has no faith. He said his view of faith has not changed, but his thoughts of God had. He made it sound like, intellectually speaking, his questions about God had been answered. He just doesn't have the "feeling" of believing and is waiting for it to "feel right." We had a good talk about reading the Word and he said he was going to check out the youth group at the Baptist church in Banska.

The train ride was an amazing experience as we spent most of the 1.5 hours with our heads out the windows...can't believe they let us do it, but it reminded me of an old movie scene. I have to say our team was just a blessing to me and I was so thankful for every member.

We stopped for a few hours in Zilina and had a late night gyro snack, which was a gracious gift of God. When we arrived at the restaurant they were just closing, however they reopened just for us! The snack proved to be delicious and was much needed before we boarded the bus for a 3 hour trip to Vienna. Now we are going to board our plane and I am excited to get home.

I look forward to the trip home, the flight and the drive home from Chicago. Yes, it does sound like a lot of time and can be a bit grueling on the body, yet the company your with really determines the experience. I can say that God has done a mighty work in bringing our team together. Michael and Kristina and I have laughed a few times about how quirky and fun our team is. Truly God had a plan for our group and we pray that He will continue to use this experience to bless Lakeside and our friends and family.

In the next few days I will have at least one or two more post that have some more reflections on what God has done in our lives. I encourage you to ask the team members you know about this trip for all of us have a different view of the same story that brings a fuller picture of God's gracious work in our lives and at KECY camp!

Slovakia Trip update 11 - saying goodbye, well kind of

 Camp picture in front at the fire pit

Saying goodbye is never easy after a week like this. Today we began our goodbyes, I say began because we get to see the students one more time tomorrow in their own city. We left the Penzion at 12:30pm and took a train to Banska Bystrica 2 hours away. At the train station the students were picked up by their parents and we said a quick goodbye. I tried to make contact with each of the students, either a quick handshake or hug, and encourage them back tomorrow. “Erik your coming tomorrow right?” I asked. “I might be,” he said. “Might?” “No, no, I’m definitely coming!” I am confident he will be there too!

Saying goodbye to Erika, photo bombed by Alicia :)

The students went to their homes and we headed to the Baptist church where Ben is the pastor. It was a 20 minute walk, something we are very used to by now (20 minutes is a short walk here). The walk led us through the main square of Banska Bystrica. The square is a beautiful, old European courtyard, very picturesque. Walking right down the center and turning off into an alleyway on the right, I was surprised how close the church was. About one block away from the square was the church. It has a store front type entrance, but as you walk in you see it is a beautiful church.

Team walking down the square

We had our debrief time in the sanctuary as we began reflecting on the week and how we can encourage improvement for future teams. It was special time, just our team and the American interns, Chelsea and Harris. Any time you begin to attempt constructive criticism there is a real temptation for critical complaining to take place. After a long week, little sleep, many travels and food that we weren’t used to, I’d say our group did a fantastic job! Sure, I saw a few attitudes struggling, but all said and done nobody wanted to take away from what God did on this trip by complaining.

Ben's church sign

Chelsea and Harris affirmed our team over and over. They told us that they were impressed at how prepared we were and how flexible we were. Before we came there was some question on how the new group would be, but now they said they know we could have handled the camp with 50 students and done an amazing job. However, Harris wisely concluded with “maybe your preparedness was exactly what God knew you would need to handle the smallest camp.” We are very thankful for our interns!

After debrief, we had pizza! Now that doesn’t seem like such a big deal back home, but our eating schedule and menu here has been very different then we are used to. I realize I haven’t spent much time writing about the food so I will try to briefly explain. If you took our lunch foods and move it to breakfast, supper is moved to lunch and breakfast is moved to supper. Now that is just a start. They eat a lot of pasta, potato and breads here. Meat is typically only one meal each day, and vegetables were at a minimum. I know only some of our meals were traditional Slovak food and it was camp food, so it is not a good indicator of a Slovakian diet. All that needs to be said is that the menu left something to be desired in us all. Who would have thought that it was pizza? Haha

Everyone in good spirits after some tasty ice cream!

Jeremy bought me an espresso, so I was doing great!

We later walked into the square and got some ice cream, coffee and enjoyed the view before we headed to our host home. We split our team into four houses for the night. Michael Csepe, Danny Zarkovaki and Sergej and I went home with Ben. It was a true joy to meet Ben’s wife and children tonight. We had a lot of fun reminiscing about the week at their kitchen table.

 Banska Bystrica Square

Tonight will be the longest night of sleep we will get since we left the States. We typically got up around 6am everyday and kept going to midnight. I think I was in bed by 1am each night. I look forward to being in bed by midnight tonight and Ben and I will be going for a run at 8am, Lord willing.

You can be praying for me tomorrow as I will be sharing in the morning with the American and Slovak team before we meet with the students. I am praying God will allow me to encourage and challenge the team to take what they have learned and live it out everyday as they pursue Christ. We will worship together and then meet the students in the square at 1pm. They will show us around town a little while before we have a closing program at 3pm. This will be our official goodbye party. Then we begin our travels home at 8pm.

Camp Picture withe mountains in the background

They saying goes, “All good things have to come to an end.” I suppose there is some truth to that, but I am excited for what is about to begin. We have built great relationships with our new Slovak friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ. They have taught us and encouraged us so much! We have planted seeds of the Gospel in the students hearts. I know our team has been forever impacted by our time here. So I will disagree, this good thing is not ending, it is just beginning…

Slovakia update 10 - last night

When choosing to go on a missions trip, I frequently get asked if it is worth the money, time and effort to do it. “Wouldn’t it be better to just send the money to them instead of wasting it on plane tickets and travel expenses?” they say. I can tell you that at times, even on the trip, it is easy to wonder the same thing. Yet the last two days here are evidence enough for me that God does some awesome things on these trips.

Personally, the matter was settled for me back in 1992 when I went on my first short term trip. I know how much God used the several trips I was on as a student to impact my life and lead me to where I am at today. My experiences are the reason I love taking teens on trips because I know God will use it in their lives as well.

 Here Kayla is praying with two students (Erik and Lucas), 

both are still wrestling with faith. Erik believes in God,

but is still undecided. Lucas is thinking about it, but doesn't

believe in God yet.

Last night we was the Gospel night, where Ben shared about the Resurrection of Jesus and the free gift of salvation to those who trust in Christ alone. After the lesson we had a time for reflection and meditation as we individually walked through 5 stations. Each station was set up with Scripture verses and an activity to help process this weeks teachings. It helped remember life, pain, hope, plans and faith. One room had a powerful visual of forgiveness and salvation.

After the stations we headed to the meeting room to hangout. I think this was my favorite place because it was not part of the stations, but there was a heaviness, an awe on the team and students. The quiet remained in the room and people whispered in low tones for quiet some time. At one point it was mostly the American team and we decided to pray for the students. I was blessed to see some Slovaks walk in and join us. What I loved was to hear two of the students just freely pray with us in Slovak. I could see how the activity brought about some powerful lessons for everyone. Good conversations are still taking place from it.

Today was our last day here at Penzion Pod Varechou in the village of Zavadka. It was our normal schedule of English classes in the morning and sports in the afternoon. It was a lot of fun to teach the Slovaks how to play baseball, with a few adaptations. We did not count outs, fouls, strikes or balls. Everyone got a chance to hit and we went through the order and switched teams. It was a lot of fun, especially when one of them would surprise themselves with a hit or a catch!

Tonight’s lesson was on the restoration of Peter. After Jesus rose from the dead and met with Peter he asked him three times “Peter do you love me?” Peter’s answer was “Yes, Lord!” Then Jesus said “feed my sheep!” Could you imagine what Peter was thinking? The three repetitions probably reminded him of his three denials, but instead of guilt and shame, the offer of love and acceptance. Jesus prophesied that Peter would die serving Him.

The question was made to the students, “would you die for something you know to be fake?” Why would Peter be willing to die? Because he knew the Risen Lord! Pray for those who are on the fence, struggling to believe.

God gave us another extra blessing by bringing in more people to hear the message. Sergej shared the message tonight and as he was talking, four young teens asked if they could join us. Based on their facial expressions, I would say they had never been in a church service before! God brought them to us! Pray for these teens that the little time we had with them, might impact them for eternity!

Tomorrow morning we have a closing program and then we say our goodbyes to the students. We are all going to bed with a heavy heart knowing we have to say goodbye. We will get another day with the Slovak team of leaders before we begin our long trek home. Lord willing, I will have another blog post or two, but I don’t know what wifi connection I will have once we leave. I want to thank you for reading and praying for our trip!

May God bless you as he has blessed our team!

Slovakia Trip Update 9 - Sergej part 2 and Unexpected Blessings

Today was supposed to be back to normal schedule after our Day Hike yesterday, however we had a great surprise! We had our normal morning classes, but the afternoon we had the opportunity of helping the local missionary and seeing their ministry. Today's blog will just be a brief recap through pictures and a little explanation.

Who are the Roma? They are gypsies all over Slovakia. The Roma are a subculture here that is hated by the Slovaks. I can say that I was completely oblivious to the hatred until this event. We went to work with an American missionary couple, Charles and Janet Baldis, who work with the Roma children. We had the privilege of sharing a Bible story, singing songs and playing games with them. 

The Roma boys and some of our team

The Roma girls and some of our team

Beautiful fun kids! These children are starved for attention and light up when you smile at them! We had a great experience spending the afternoon with them. We played games in the missionary's yard for an hour. Then we walked them to their homes.

Entering in to their neighborhood on the outskirts of the village.

It was very poor and the buildings would be condemned in America, yet hundreds of people lived there.

Marek and I had a great conversation about hope on our walk. Ironically it was through a mutual affection for the band Red that sparked our talk!

The Roma neighborhood from the top of the hill. Very similar to the projects. We walked the children to their home, said a quick goodbye and left. The children gave many hugs and were sad to see us leave.

Of course I had to get at least one good hug on camera!

Kenzie taught the Bible story of Daniel in the lion's den while other teammates acted out the parts. Here you see Kayla and Summer acting like lions.

After dropping the children off, we hadn't even turned to corner when i heard one of the Slovak students say, almost under his breath, "I hate them!" with a visceral disgust.The other student responded with "I know but try to control your hatred." This is when I realized just how the Slovaks feel about the Roma. Then looking back over the afternoon I realized how they didn't interact at all with them. The Slovak team did, but not the students. As I read Matthew 8 later, I was drawn to Jesus cleansing the leper. The lepers were outcasts as the Roma are, for different reasons of course, but Jesus cleansed the leper and restored them. Tonight's testimony is how God cleansed a Roma and set him free, that is Sergej's story!

I had a great talk with Alicia, Summer and Kayla on the way back. It was so awesome to see how God moved in their hearts with compassion for these children. These are the moments that make the missions trips worth it! We talked about maybe the reason God only gave us 6 students is so we would be free to go and help these children! God is good!

Sergej part 2

So I missed spelled Sergej’s name as Sergie yesterday. Sorry Sergej! Last night Sergej’s story stopped at his arrest and possible imprisonment. Tonight he began by sharing how the authorities put him into an orphanage and promised to find out who he was and where he came from. Could you imagine not knowing your family and having no documentation, no idea where you came from?

The orphanage was designed to keep orphans for a max of 3 months, and he had hope that soon he would find out who he was. The authorities put out public notifications on the TV to find out if anyone knew him and no response came up. At the end of three months they still had no idea who he was or who to contact. They allowed him to stay and continued to extend his stay for a year.

After a year of trying to find out who he was and allowing him to stay, they told him that he could no longer stay at the orphanage. He had stayed four times longer then they were allowed to let him and it was time for him to go! They gave him one more day and then he had to leave. He had no where to go. He had no one to turn to. The only option he knew of was to return to the gang, but then he knew he would soon be in prison if he went back.

It just so happened that a church group that regularly visited the orphanage had come to visit that day. The staff told the pastor about Sergej’s plight and the pastor offered to help Sergej find his family back in the Ukraine. This pastor had planted several churches in the Ukraine and had helped many others find their families.

Sergej didn’t believe in God but he wanted to hold on to this new hope he had of finding who he was. He went with the pastor and was put up in an apartment. He had no job and didn’t go to church and returned to smoking and drinking. One day, a lady from the church that oversaw his apartment, came and saw the mess he was in, the beer bottles and the smoking and no money for rent. She told him that he had two choices: go to church with her and stay in the apartment or get kicked out. He chose church! Even though he was forced to go, it was there that he heard the Word and gave his life to Jesus at the age of 20.

I am forgetting a lot of details, but Sergej was reconnected to his mom eventually. He was able to finish school and is now studying Theology. He is praying about becoming a pastor. I see the light of Christ in Sergej’s eyes and in his smile! I know God has great plans for him and He greatly has impacted me this week!

Slovakia update 8 - Day Hike and Sergie story part 1

(View of the plains from the way down the mountain)

Have you ever walked so long that you didn’t think you could take another step? Well today was one of those days, but it was AWESOME! We have officially hit the halfway point at our KECY camp here in Slovakia. Today, instead of English classes, we had an all day activity. The activity was a day hike into the mountains, and I was so excited!

Remember, we are here to teach conversational English, and inherent in this situation is that communication is not always clear. So a day hike to our Lakeside team means something different to the Slovak team. We took an 8 hour hike into the national park right behind the Penzion. It was only a 3.7 mile hike to go to the top of the first ridge. Doesn’t sound too bad does it? Not at first glance, but it also is a 5,500 foot climb. My best guess is that we walked over 8 miles today. My Fitness Pal said we burned over 5,000 calories! I and our team, are sooooooooo tired. (Truthfully I dozed off a few times writing this blog haha)

(Most of our team 3/4 of the way up)

Early on, everyone was energetic and excited. However, as we got higher into the mountains the road began to steepen, the breathing became a little harder, and thirst was becoming stronger. I began to think of some good spiritual parallels to life. We talked about keeping our eyes on the path and how Jesus paved the way for us. We talked about the importance of being faithful in the next step and not worrying about the trail far ahead. We saw stagnant water puddles and talked about how the prophet Jeremiah says we drink from “broken cisterns full of stagnant water that leads to more thirst,” a picture that sin never satisfies but we need to turn to Jesus, the source of Living Water.

(even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these - Matthew 6:29)

It was a great trip to visit with the Slovak team and students. I must say, what I enjoyed the most was having some great conversations with my team. Learning how God is teaching them new things and challenging them in new ways was awesome. Watching their interaction with the Slovaks was very encouraging.

Pastor Ben and I on the hike

Parents, I want to boast about your kids a little. I did not hear any complaining or discouraging words while we were on the hike, or on this trip for the most part! One of the Slovak leaders told me when we were almost back from the hike that he is very impressed with the maturity and attitude of our team. How they are so willing to help and set the example for the students and the Slovak leaders too. I was encouraged to watch their team work and friendships develop.

David and Jeremy up to their shenanigans

 

Alicia and I talked about what it is like to feel like you are outside the group and the journey to being a part of it. How it can be difficult when you can’t make all the events and not realizing how close of friends are available in youth group. She also shared how this trip is challenging her and impacting her because of serving others. I am really glad she is on this trip!

Team Leaders: Michael and Kristina and I

Jeremy and I had a chance to talk about the issue of pride, the topic of our daily quiet time book. His example of pride really showed me how God is shaping his heart. He talked about his disappointment of there “only being 6 students” and not the 20 or more he thought. He initially thought it would be a waste of time to send our team for “only 6.” However, he has seen what God is doing and realize that God knows best and we are called to be faithful to His call, not to our expectations.

Keeping Kenzie and Alicia from falling over the edge :)

I could go on, but it is after midnight and I need to head to bed soon. I hope you are enjoying the pictures of our trip!

 Eric and I at on the first break

 Marek, David and I having fun

Danny and I enjoying the scenery

Tonight’s topic for our talk was Rejection, looking at how Peter reject Christ. Each night there is a testimony shared to help the teens identify the story in a person’s life. Tonight Sergie started his testimony and will complete it tomorrow. So you have to read tomorrow’s blog to know the end!

Sergie’s Story Part 1:

 Sergie and Steven

Sergie is a 27 year old Slovak leader who is studying for a Theology degree. He is thinking about being a pastor but is a little scared about what that will look like. However, after hearing his story, I know God has amazing plans for whatever He does with him.

Sergie did not grow up in his family as a normal child. When he was 5, his mother took him away from his father in the Ukraine. They didn’t have any plans or money, but needed the distance. They were homeless for awhile, until a caravan of gypsies wanted to take them in. After they settled in, his mom abandoned him to the gypsies.

A gypsies life is not an easy life. They don’t hold down jobs, but instead steal, beg or force someone else to steal or beg for you. They are assigned an amount they have to bring to the group or they will be punished. Sergie said that if you didn’t meet your quota they would break an arm or a leg…crippled children bring in more money then healthy. He said he had to have several surgeries to repair his broken body.

At the age of 14 he decided to run away and make a new life. He used his new skills to stay alive, but ended up joining a gang. After a few years, the police caught him. He said this is the first time he began to pray, after all what would it hurt.

Because of his transient lifestyle and abandonment by his mother, he didn’t know his last name or where he was from. The police heard his story and gave him an option. He could choose option 1 which would be going to prison or option 2 go to a children’s home and they would help him discover who he really is. He chose option 2…and you will have to read tomorrows to find out what happened to Sergie.

Final thoughts for today: in a busy schedule it is easy to be satisfied with the minimal approach to personal time with God, however I have been feeling so hungry for the Word of God that I just desire to read it. I have been reminded of how much I need to read it. I have begun reading through Matthew again, and the Psalms. It is so exciting to read Jesus’ words and see how they are hitting me right where I am at in Slovakia. Thanks for your continued prayers for me and the team!

Slovakia Update 7 - Happy Independance Day!

Happy Independence Day!!

Spending the 4^th of July out of the USA is interesting. There are things that we miss: family, parades, picnic, fireworks, etc. However, we made some pretty great memories today in celebration of the blessing God has given our country.

Every evening we close the night with an “E-Night.” I believe it stands for “environment night,” meaning we create an environment for informal gathering and fun. Tonight we had the Slovaks celebrate the 4^th with us! This may seem a little selfish being in their country and celebrating ours. However, our English classes are based on “A Trip to America,” and we are studying American cities and culture. So we felt free to have them celebrate with us.

Unfortunately we were not able to bring fireworks or sparklers, so we just had to describe them. We did however bring s’mores! Marek said that the s’more was “the greatest thing I have ever eaten!” We had a campfire and sang campfire songs, concluding the night by singing our national anthem.

Alicia clowning around at our carnival!

Before s’mores, our team performed the “Everything Skit,” a drama describing how Jesus created us to be in a relationship with Him, but our pulled away by our sinful desires. It’s at our most desperate point that Jesus jumps in to rescue us and concurs the sin! I had the privilege of concluding by sharing the Gospel! Pray that seeds from the drama and talk take root!

Two of our students: Erika and Martina

It was really exciting to see our teens talking with the students afterward. Some where teaching them how to make s’mores, but there where some really good God-conversations taking place. I am proud of our team for the effort they put into the skit and performing as if they were in front of an audience of hundreds. Kayla told me today that at first she was sad that there were “only 6 students” but now she thinks it is the perfect amount! She said she didn’t know how we would be able to have as many opportunities with more students. This size of camp leads to a lot of depth!

Marek is a student and Michael is one of the Slovak leaders.

The evening talks are going through the life of Peter, setting the stage for the Gospel story. They are a progression of talks and are intended to leave the students hanging, waiting for the next part.

I am also proud of Steven and Jeremy who shared the talk in the evening program through and interpreter, the last two nights. Steven shared on Wednesday night about how the Apostle Peter had to face the ultimate trial of doubt when Jesus died. What were the thoughts Peter had when all his hopes and dreams died?

Jeremy spoke tonight about how Peter need to refocus on Christ and trust His teachings. He saw Jesus calm the storm and walk on water, surly he could trust Him in this trial.

Two students: Lucas and Erika after a friendly bet. If Lucas ate his dinner

 like a cat then Erika would jump in the lake. I think she regretted this haha

It brought me great joy to see them teaching. Both of them enjoyed the opportunity and Jeremy said he really enjoyed talking through an interpreter! I personally hate having to use an interpreter. Having to pause and wait often derails my train of thought, but Jeremy said it helped him gather his thoughts. That was exciting to me!

Girls escaping the rain

A note of thanks:

I have received several emails/Facebook messages telling me you are praying for our team. It is great encouragement to read about the prayers you are sending up for us. I am so happy that we get to share this trip with you and I pray that you are blessed and encouraged by it.

Slovakia update 6 - classes begin!

Today we began the English Classes and they went really well. I believe today is the hardest day as we are still figuring out how to do class, but it went much smoother than we thought. I wanted to post the pictures of our teaching teams for you to see.

 The Green Team: Jeremy, Summer, Mirka, Jany and me!

 The White Team: Kayla, MeKenzie, Danny, Ludka, and Michael

 The Red Team: Kristina, Martina, Sergi, Michael, Alicia and Steven

 The Blue Team: Michael, David, Tim and Beno (the pastor)

Each team has at leas one Slovak student to help. The teams are for English classes, discussion groups and sports/activities. Already we have begun bonding very well.

 The guys and me in front of the Penzion

 The girls in front of the bowling alley where we hold our classes...

no, we are not bowling, but might get to later :)

 Who would have thought the teeter totter would be so popular! I was asked if we could build some at church. One of the many ways we are breaking down walls together.

David found some time to volunteer and repair the side walk. Steve would be so proud!

Kristina is hanging out with Mirka and four of the students. Erik, the bashful, doesn't want his picture taken. Lucas, Marek and Erkia.

After lunch today, we took a 30 minute walk into the village to play sports at the local soccer field. It was a beautiful walk and the village was very nice. Our students really enjoyed seeing the village and learning some Slovak sport games. We taught them how to play "Ultimate Frisbee!"

 The lake and the mountains by the Penzion

 Walking through the village, Zavadka, to soccer field

Learning new sports together.

Slovakia update 4

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We are HERE!! Penzion Pod Verachou will be our home for the next several days and we praise God for giving us safe travels here. Today we had to catch 3 different trains on a 4 hour trip to get to a small village (2,500 people) not far from the city of Banska Bystrica. Upon arriving here we quickly placed our stuff into our rooms so we could begin meeting the Slovak team that we will be working with.

I had to stop and take this picture of the view from my room!

The train ride here was long, but fun! We got to see so much of the country. Banska Bystrica is in the center of the country, however it took us a long time to get here as we had to go through and around the mountains. The countryside is beautiful and every once in a while there would be a castle or other structure that would appear. It is truly a breath taking country.

boarding the first train

settling in for the journey

passing a train station

Arriving here we found the Penzion to be an absolutely beautiful place to stay. We have been split up into rooms with Slovaks. I have been paired up with Benjamin, the pastor of the church from Banska Bystrica! We haven’t had a lot of time to get to talk yet, but I already tell I like him! He led a time of worship and challenge when we first arrived. We also paired up to learn the camp dance to “Me Without You” by Toby Mac. Ummm let me say it is pretty funny seeing the two of us “bust a move” to a techno song haha. All of us had to practice it as we want to be ready to teach the students as they arrive.

 me and the girls in front of the Penzion

Our team immediately made friends with the Slovak team, which I am very thankful for. Pray for our Slovak friends as we prepare to minister together this week: Benjamin (the pastor), Mica, Michael, Tomas, Lutka, Eveka, Sergie, Emily (American missionary), Janny and Mirka. We also have two interns: Chelsea and Harris.

Tonight we had a devotion led by Janny (pronounced Yanny) on Matthew 9, he spoke in Slovak as Mica translated. His major emphasis was how Jesus had such compassion on people and never said he was too busy for them. We need to learn from Jesus’ example this week and always give of ourselves to the students who will be coming to us.

Both the American team and Slovak team were disappointed when we learned that we will only have 6 students tomorrow. I keep hearing that there are “only 6 students” and have begun to gently correct with “No, there ARE 6 students that we get to teach!” Sure we had all envisioned a larger camp when we signed up to come. However, God’s ways are not man’s ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. I have begun to describe our approach differently to our team. We are not looking at “planting a field by spreading the seeds far and wide” but are not being very intentional to “plant a small garden.”

Earlier this summer I helped plant a garden. Each of the seeds we planted were done so with care. We dug a hole for each seed, put some good soil in the hole, laid the seed in, buried it and watered it. This is my desire for our approach this week. Since we have a few students this allows us to intentionally plant the seeds of the Gospel in their lives. We will have an opportunity to really get to know these students and share our lives with them as well. You can continue to pray that we will have the right attitude when it comes to this issue.

Benjamin declared today that every member of the Slovak team will be in our English classes to learn English alongside the students. He wants to take full advantage of our time with them and challenge them to grow in their English speaking. This also has provided us with a chance to disciple and encourage the Slovak team, and be encouraged and learn from them.

We are very excited to be done with traveling for the week and finally begin the ministry that we have been preparing for. God has been very gracious to us and we are excited to share with the Slovaks. Thanks for your prayers!