excited/burdened

i started a different entry the other day which i'll finish up later. but i wanted to share about some things i realized tonight.

my mom is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. Some of her students are members of a Ukrainian/Russian church here in Lancaster, and they were going to be singing and playing piano in a Christmas program tonight. so naturally, since i can't pass up anything european, i went with her.

oh i loved it. it reminded me of what i expect Czech to be like in nine months:

+talented, bilingual teenagers and children. i'm so jealous of them

+absolutely gorgeous women...cause of insecurity :)

+awesome Babickas (Czech word for Grandma) - these older ladies have lived through totalitarian governments, but some of them are really strong Christians. they all wear skirts and scarves and are the greatest cooks. go here to watch a video about one such Babicka: http://deidox.com/films/pastors/?f=LUDMILLAG

+i didn't understand hardly anything. especially because even words on the screen were in russian (totally different alphabet) which gives me even loss context than czech. but i'm at the point still where i love just listening and reading people. i'm sure that will fade after a while in czech once i get frustrated that i can't express myself, but for now i love it

+the people were so eager to serve us and talk to us. one guy came over and insisted that we have a translator and explained everything, and the father of one of my mom's students got us all coffee (though i didn't really want it)

sometimes i get so unbelievably excited that i'm going to czech. this week tessa and i got our prayer cards and started filling out the visa applications which made it all seem so much more real.

when we first decided to go we were so excited that i lost sight of WHY we were going. so i prayed that God would burden me for the czech people again, and then i saw a link to some statistics that an amazing mission's organization found in Czech. here's a summary:

+less than three percent of students in Pardubice are interested in learning more about Christ.

+78.7% of students in Pardubice claim no religious creed

+5.5% believe the church is credible.

+read the full report here: http://clarity-research.net/?page_id=174

these are rough statistics to work around. how do you make the other 95% believe that the church is credible, let alone attend church? how do we reach out to that 79% of students who don't see a need for religion?

let's be praying for these czech people.

who goes to the czech republic?

so before i go on, excuse my numerous amount of "ums" in the video. obviously i'm not a speaker :)

but moving forward, who goes to czech republic? ...a couple years ago a friend asked me what i love about czech so much. i couldn't really give a solid answer. i adore the czech people, enjoy the culture, and honestly the scenery doesn't hurt - whether it's city or countryside! let me show you what i mean.

so first of all, where the heck is czech?

it's pretty much smack dab in the center of europe. which is perfect for traveling (advertisement - we want you to come visit!). it's surrounded by Poland, Slovakia, Germany, and Austria. we will be living in Pardubice and living in Hradec Kralove (both pretty much exactly east of Prague).

we've worked with the church in Pardubice several times before, though my last three english camps have all been on the Moravian side of Czech (far east - close to the Polish and Slovak borders).











i think that every town and city in Czech has a town square - this is Pardubice's. they're all quaint and beautiful. most have a statue, some have towers, and there are shops and restaurants around the square. i just love town squares!

and here is the capital - Prague. the first picture is one that i took of the cathedral and astrological tower.







the one below is from Wenceslas Square (remember God King Wenceslas? he was czech :))

and finally: the Charles bridge and the castle

but the best part is the mountains. i've spent the most time in the Beskydy mountains on the eastern side of czech.













this is hotel malenovice, my favorite place in the world, tucked away in the beskydy mountains!









pictures just don't do this land justice!

czech! yay!

praise God, things are finally moving forward with this czech trip!

so here we go: on the side you'll see a video featuring Tessa and me! you can hear more about what we'll be doing in czech by watching the video. i'll post a little bit more throughout the week about a bit of czech history, where czech is (does anyone know?), how Czechs view Christians, and just go more in depth with where we'll be and what we'll be doing.

for now, if you're interested in giving either a one time gift or monthly, you can let me know or just send a check to the address on the sidebar.

and most important!! don't skip this!

PRAY FOR US!

this is all such a new challenge. as Tessa and i prepare to head over we'd love your support and encouragement and prayer. there's a lot to get done before we leave in nine months, and at times it's seemed a bit overwhelming and taxing. but we're getting there, and God continues to find ways to burden us for the Czech people and remind us why we're actually going. we love czech people and want to share God's saving love with them.

and again, excitement ensues! sometimes i can't believe i'm actually finally moving to czech!

i'd also encourage you to read this post and this post to see some pictures and read about my past experiences in czech!