transition--transition! transition! (to the tune of "tradition" from fiddler on the roof)

A big thing that's happening this year is that the evangelism team is changing. Mel and Amy are heading up a team of people within Josiah Venture to focus on intensively on missionary care. This is super cool, because Mel and Amy are incredibly gifted at caring for people and creating a healthy team. And, this is super needed: the JV team has gained about 100 new missionaries in a few short years. Unfortunately, this also means that they won't be heading up Czech English camps anymore...it's been sad for us (esp Lucka and Romana and I) to realize that we won't have the constant contact with them in the camp office like we're used to. *sigh* So what's happening is that Brad came last winter, Nate came this summer, and Greg will be coming in the winter and they, together with us and Trev and Cass, are the evangelism team. We all have different responsibilities, and Nate is our team leader. So, it's like...I dunno, it's good, I'm excited, but it's totally bittersweet*.

WE LOVE YOU MEL & AMY!!!

*yes, I hear Simeon everytime I say, think or write that word!

the whole evangelism team gang! from the left: greg, nate, lucka, hayley, romana, trevor, hannah, me, cassie, amy mel, noah (in motion) and brad. sorry this isn't a great pic, it's the only one i had with all of us and no swimming suits :)

"i love you, too"...a little appreciation mohawk at letovice camp

Why Europe Rocks: Reason #7

English Rules

As an English speaker, I constantly get questions about verb tenses, when do you use "I have been" vs. "was" and "I will" vs. "I'm going to," etc etc. And, as an English speaker (as opposed to: an English student) I never know. Since the best way to learn is to teach, I decided to teach the tenses in my English clubs.

So Wednesday I stood in front of the group of high school seniors with my internet notes. "Who can tell me how you make the present perfect tense?" They all started talking at once, and one girl said, "I HAVE BEEN...he HAS DONE...we HAVE LIVED...." I looked down at my notes, back at them, back at the notes. "Well, close, but that's not what englishpage.com says. It's: has/have + been + verb+ing." Dorota said, "No, that's present perfect CONTINUOUS." Dang it. After more discussion--because I really didn't get WHY a present tense would be composed of past tense verbs--they explained the difference to me in a way that made sense, and I realized I'd just forgotten to write the word CONTINUOUS on my paper. Who's teaching who? The only comfort I have is that whenever I ask questions about declining Czech nouns, I'm met with similar confusion: "Pozdravuji Milanovi!" "Leah, it's MilanA" "Oh, right, because it's the 2nd case...or is it the 4th?" "Uh...koho co? I don't know..."

the women's ministry team: katka, me, agnes and radka 

something new...

once a month, the 4 of us (Agnes, Katka, Radka and I) spend time together talking and praying and planning in the area of women's minstry. Our vision is a movement of discipleship among women in the local church, and how we're getting there...well, we're praying a lot, and God is answering! Below is a story from Radka, our leader, about the first meeting we had at the end of September:

"I was wondering how was God going to speak to us. On Thursday, we met at 2 pm and one other women (Lucka-she works in communications in our church) asked us if she could join us for that meeting. We gladly said yes.

Then we prayed. After the prayer time Lucka told us that God has been putting something on her heart lately. She said that during these past weeks she hears God´s voice telling her that God wants to serve women in the Czech Republic. Either with us or without us He wants to minister to women to heal their wounds and wrong conceptions of life. She said we can join Him if we are willing to surrender to His leading.

WOW, we sat there for a while silent. Was I wondering how was God going to speak to us? He had sent Lucka to be the messenger.

What a great direction. Lord Jesus is the one who ministers to people, we have the priviledge to be a part of it. It is not us, it is Him."

Amen! Please join with us in praying for this ministry, and that we would be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obedient to the Lord!