Women's Conferences 2006!!!

January 7th: I was waiting for the train to Cesky Tesin and I just felt this deep, quiet joy. The conferences were done, and God moved, and we were all basking in it. On the way to the train, I talked to one of the interns, Marketa, about what the conferences were like for her. "I'm so in love with Jesus right now," she confessed. Not only was the teaching powerful for her, but also that she could serve by helping lead worship. "Praying with the girls on the worship team was strong for me." It was beautiful to see the intern girls serve at the public conference and be stretched and have joy in it!

The conference for the public felt a little tough...I looked across the sea of faces and saw hardness. When I talked to the women, I heard frustration. One young mother told our small group that she felt really far from God, she didn't have any victory over her sin, her situation, and she didn't think it would ever change.... Other women talked about situations with their families, in-laws and with themselves where they felt bound.

But thank God for Pamela, Karen and Sharon, three women from Christ Community Church (St. Charles, IL) who came to teach and serve! Their life stories of beauty from ashes gave hope to all of us--again I saw how God not only wants to heal us, but that from those areas will spring healing for others. A while before these conferences God highlighted some verses from Isaiah: "Can plunder be taken from the warriors or captives rescued from the fierce? But this is what the Lord says: 'Yes, captives will be taken from the warriors and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save'" (49:24-25). Later on in the conference I spoke with that same young mother and she shared how she began to see a shaft of light. He's setting the captives free to set others free!

(the details again, just so you can keep it straight!)
January 4-6: Women's conference only for intern girls, female Kam employees and wives of Kam (Kam=Josiah Venture Czech). Serving team: Agnes, Radka, Katka and me and the 3 Christ Community foxes.
January 6-7: Women's conference for the public (ages 15+). Serving team: us 7 AND 8 intern girls.
Theme: I am God's Daughter! Holding firm to who the Bible says we are rather than who others say we are...believing God

january 6-7 women's conference (for the public)

 
 

women's conferences by radka

My name is Radka Sefrankova, and I serve as one of the coaches
in the Internship [Staz] program. I am also a part of the new “Women's Ministries” team in KAM [Josiah Venture Czech]. January is the month of our Men and Women's conferences, so the Interns spent time separately dealing with issues related to being a godly man or woman. The seminar for women was open not only to Interns but also to women in any way involved in the ministries of KAM.

This seminar was followed by a big weekend conference for girls and women. The Interns were involved in preparation and leadership. It is a great way for us to serve together, and to learn new things.

During the women's seminar we covered the topics of “I am God's daughter”, ”My time with the Father”, ”Overcoming hurts and disappointments with the Father”, ”Desires of a woman's heart”, ”Seductions of a woman's heart”, ”Satisfying a woman's heart”, and more.

This women's seminar is a part of our bigger vision of a movement of women through discipleship in local churches. The core of this vision is women serving each other; older women teaching younger women and giving them an example of a life surrendered to our Lord Jesus Christ. That is what discipleship means to us.

Through the KAM Internship program we hope, among other things, to support women and churches that want to build up their ministry to
women. We want to provide adequate materials and resources for those in ministry to be able to serve according to their gifts. We hope to see the wives of men in ministry get involved so that discipleship is a lifestyle. We want to support and help in areas when support and help are needed. We want to be ready to react to needs. With this view of Christ's bride - the church - we serve our female Interns, and we also try to direct them and to teach them with this in mind.

With trust we wait for God's guidance and help. Please write to us, if you have any comments, ideas or encouragement. We would love to hear from you.

women's conferences by agnes

I want to thank you for praying for us and tell you how wonderfully our God has blessed us at the conferences.

Many women told us how encouraged and blessed they were by the conference. Hearing about how God is their Father and longs to fulfill all their desires and needs and is truly good to them was revolutionary for many. You would think it´s such a basic thing but we all need to be reminded of that and mainly need to live it out. Our speakers did a great job, had very powerful testimonies that made their messages so real and authentic. Translation went very well as Katka translated for the first conference and then we had Lucka from Radka´s church who did the public conference and was simply perfect. She was an answer to prayers as I couldn´t imagine translating for the second conference with all the other responsibilities.

Great news about my Mum - she healed miraculously quickly [she had been sick] and was able to come and loved the conference. After coming back they had a long conversation about it with my Dad.

All the details fell into place and we had some very encouraging feedback from the questionnaires the women filled out.

So THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!!! IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE!!!

the gang: karen, sharon, katka, sande, radka, pamela, agnes, me, lucka

 
 

women's conferences by katka

"Thank you for a new perspective on some things".

"I praise God for a great and encouraging get-together with other women-His daughters. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of sharing".

"Thank you, daddy, for your powerful freedom. I do not know how you do it. Please, don't stop!!!!!"
--quotes from the praise poster at the conference


A week has gone by since the women's conferences, and I am still at a loss for words. How do I even begin to tell you about the women who came? How do I describe the atmosphere when we were all in one room worshiping God together? And how can I let you experience the beauty of when God began to work, revealing new things and healing old wounds?

"I am God's daughter" is what the conferences were called. These words hold so much power, and so much is hidden in them. Maybe hidden too well because it sometimes takes us, women, too long to know the true meaning of these words. This was our prayer for the conferences. That women would, by God's grace, renounce the lies they believed, invite God into their pain, and let Him speak the truth! And what happened?

God was faithful! He came for his daughters! God began the healing process in many hearts, including mine.


One thing I also realized as I watched everyone interact. Sometimes all women need is to be together. We need to laugh and cry together. I am so thankful we had a chance to do that; to enjoy each other's company and to share our hearts. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of sharing.


And God continued to work...I was able to pray with a girl last week. God revealed some lies, and as hard as it was to see them as lies, she was obedient, and took them to God. In her desire to help her friends and to bring them closer to God, she placed herself in His place. And as she prayed, God revealed to her that she was the problem, not her friends. She became "an idol" to them.

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Colossians 2:15

Again, God was faithful. He came was his daughter. He separated the truth from the lie. He named the lie. He was triumphant! My friend has victory in Him! She repented, and He forgave. He is healing her. Would you pray for her?

cesky tesin girls at the women's conference

 
 

all the ladies in da haus listening to pamela preach it: we are God's daughters!!!

 
 

betka, autumn and katka

women of all ages coming together

joseph, hip hop and snow: pisek english winter english camp 2005

The day after Christmas, Brad, Nate, Marisa and I all stuffed ourselves and our belongings into Nate's car and took off across the country for English camp. Honestly...I didn't want to go. I'd just spent 2 whole days stuffing myself into a state of almost-inertia with fish soup, turkey, exotic fruits, taco dip, potatoes, peanut butter cake...you get the idea. The last thing I wanted to do was run around and jump and dance for 5 days. BUT it turned out to be my all time favorite camp. The 4 of us felt very bonded to the Pisek leadership team and we worked together seamlessly. The students were super fun and the love in the cottage was almost tangible...actually, it was tangible, mostly in the form of wrestling, throwing snowballs, and pulling pigtails (due to a gang of 15 year old boys). The rap videos we made were hilarious (I wish I could somehow post them! If I find a way...) and Nate's & Lucka's nightly talks about Joseph's life hit home with the students. There were only a few total unbelievers and more kids who had made some kind of commitment, but either hadn't grown or were just on the edge. One of these girls has been going to youth group and Bible study since camp: yay! God is so good, and we're trusting Him to bring the others home, too.

pisek english winter camp 2005!!!

dana, klarka, darca, hanka, evicka and petra chillin on the busted couch

all the gangstas dancing the night away