as you go...

Lydia, Eva and Naomi
In the great commission, Matthew 28:18-20, there are actually two imperative commands: "make disciples" and "lo." ("Lo" isn't in the NIV but is in the original.) In the English version, it looks like "go" is the command, but it's actually a verb tense that's more like "as you go." One thing that our Strak team has been praying for and working on is making disciples as we go: pulling people close, speaking and reading the Word, praying, living life with Christ together. As you probably know, making disciples can be exhilarating, difficult, painful, time consuming, fun, intense.

That's part of why the "lo" is so important. Lo means behold, look, see...it's as if Jesus is saying, "Look at me, I'm with you--you're not alone and I'm all powerful." Please pray for us, to have our eyes fixed on Christ and draw on His energy.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely [lo! Look!] I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Jesus Christ.

make new friends/but keep the old/

one is silver and the other's gold/
Eva and Kaja during a sleep over. Kaja went to the same school as Naomi and since camp this summer has been a sunny part of our gang :).


Naomi, Hanicka, Alca (plus "Bonus" the baby!), Sabina and Eva at our ongoing VIP parties, every other Sunday evening. Girls only, hahahahaaaaa...


Jozef, Leni, Jura, Martina and Bara during an after camp scavenger hunt. Leni is a dear old friend, and her extra fun classmate Martina has fit right in--it feels like we've known her forever...and Bara is an amazing young woman, kind and brave.


Old friends Martin and Martin at the Pisek Thanksgiving party. We love these guys!

life after camp

English Club Strakonice! Every Monday night, we get together at my apartment for a few hours and play games, speaka Englisha and, um, eat and talk. It's super cool, as you can see by our fashionista selves. Special guest: Autumn! New words: apron, pony tail holder, skinny jeans. New friends: Steevee, Paja, Pavlina, Bara, Martina. Old friends: Naomi, Leni, Pavel, Jozef.


During "mafia" English club. Special guests: Klara B, Matt from Colorado and the Cherry Hills team! New words: vendetta, bribe, cigar.


English club in Pisek, every Wednesday at 5pm. Here old friends Marcel, Misa and I discuss the finer points of the past perfect case. Just kidding, we're either talking about Marcel's coin collection or Misa's recent trip to the States. I adore those guys. :)

MultiCamp, somewhere by Val Mez, 10.28-31

...above: part of the English Camp part of MultiCamp...
It was a little strange for me to get used to the idea of teaching English at a camp for Christians, but being at MultiCamp was great. Seeing youth emcee, lead, and speak during the weekend made me so happy! Young leaders are inspiring.

The overall theme of the camp was relationships, and hearing different speakers preach transformation and not conformity or coping was refreshing. You don't even have to work with young people to know that matters of the heart are where battles for the whole person are fought. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard here of suicides due to rejection and pain from relationships...or stories of students walking away from the Lord because of boy/girlfriends...or sexual sin robbing them of peace, faith, hope. Over 100 students heard daily about biblical issues like respect, boundaries, communication, etc, springing from a heart filled by the Lord...yessss...!

Kolin, baby, Kolin!

It's pretty amazing to be able to do this in public schools. Exit Tour happens in local high schools as a prevention program, during the day there are seminars about drugs, smoking, sex, aids and relationships, World War II, cults, English, etc. Students are then invited to programs that local youth groups put on in the afternoons and the whole thing culminates in a weekend rock concert where they share the gospel. Above, playing a name game during the English seminar before moving into the "Reality Show Challenge."


Kakushe (red hair, black shirt, center) and Eva (red shirt, thumbs up, right) and I went to Kolin to help out with the Exit Tour for a few days at the end of October. Our part of the Tour was helping with the English/American seminar: translating and beefing up the Kolin youth groups. I'm so proud of Kakush and Evi for the way they served and loved the students. It's pure joy for me to be their friend and co-laborer. Above is the Exit take on "Project Runway."


Dizmas and us. A big part of it is DIZMAS (click here for more!) a rock band all the way from Cali spend a few months in Czech. They play in schools during the day (see video below), in the city at night and share Jesus Christ always.


Lauree, Becca, Daniela...some of the team that make Exit Tour possible. I love you ladies!