missionaries from CZ

I met Natalka at Cesky Tesin camp in 2005. After the summer she contacted me about giving her brother English lessons, and both of them ended up coming to English Club. Around that time my friend Zuzka approached me about leading a Bible study together, and Natalka came to that. Because she was from a village she usually came early and stayed the night (with her crazy cousin Ania :). Natka became one of my favorite people. The next year, the two of us led a Bible study together and she started co-leading her church's junior high youth group and discipling girls in her village.

When she graduated high school in 2007, she decided to go to a Bible college in Slovakia to study missions and continued to serve in her church. Last summer she went with OM (Operation Mobilisation) Now she's in the midst of writing her bachelor's thesis paper and raising support to be a missionary in Nepal for a year. Her steadfast love for Christ, uncomplaining, sweet spirit and passion for discipleship will make her as fruitful among the orphanages and remote mountains of Nepal as she has been in Terlicko. If you have any interest in supporting Natalka Fojcikova, please click HERE!

a bit of a fulfillment of a vision...

I continue to be a big fan of the women's ministry team here in Czech. This year, a team of 5 from Christ Community Church (IL) came to teach, serve, share for many women in Malenovice (above) and for several women in the S. Bohemia region. Sharon, the main speaker, shared how for her this was the fulfillment of a desire she's had for a long time. As a now retired counselor of 25 years and a frequenter of Czech, she's wanted to see more Christan counseling in this part of the world. January 8-10 she and the team helped Czech women get some of the basics so they can help each other. This weekend many women learned how to listen actively and empathetically, how to ask good questions, confront in love, be a safe person, etc. May the fruit multiply!

Eva Eve: grrrls unite!

Lucka and Aubree illustrating "Eve to Eve."


Kakushe leading one of the sessions about safe sex and abstinence. She did an amazing job teaching! Alca was the leader of the weekend, and she stepped into it so naturally and beautifully, like she was made for it. Our little team was a source of joy for all of us.


Naomi and Hanicka reading the book Eva Eve as part of one of the sessions. For some of the girls, it was the first time they heard that waiting until you're married to have sex is a viable option, and that sex is more than just a physical act. They were also encouraged to take a good look at how they value themselves and to start thinking seriously about their priorities. Even for the girls who don't believe, they experienced a different viewpoint and were positive and open. Thank you for praying!!!

Coufals' Retreat, or How the Women's Ministry Team is Pregnant with Metamorphosis

Lucka and Radka, Olomouc in the background. I love these ladies and am thankful to have gotten to serve with them these past years. Each one was an example to me of leadership, hard work, sacrifice, wisdom, grace and beauty. Both will be working in the public sphere as well as continuing to serve in the church. May God bless them in the next season of their lives!


Petr and Agnes, looking into the future (or watching the Jumping Drums concert). Agnes (who's due at the end of the summer!) is going strong with the Eva Eve (Eve to Eve) project. Several years ago, she picked up a copy of The Bride Wore White and started doing girls' purity retreats with Dannah's material. She eventually co-authored and edited a book, Eva Eve, about purity by Czech women, for Czech girls. She then changed the retreats to coordinate with the book and started training regional counsellors: women who teach at and organize the weekends.


Zuzka, a young woman who was part of the Staz program this year (left, with Marketa) just came on as a regional counsellor. So even though the womens' ministry team is technically ended, Eva Eve is taking off. Please pray for Agnes, Zuzka and this ministry.

women's conference is coming...

...Lavished with Grace...January 4-5 2008

Katka and Agnes are cooking up an amazing conference this year (#4!) and we are all really excited about it. Czech Christian author Hana Pinknerova will be the main speaker and already hotel Malenovice is filling up. This female Staz interns will also be involved in different capacities (leading worship, skits, etc) and I'm praying the the Lord will give us all deeper insight into his beautiful grace, and that we would truly live "in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding" (Ef 1:7-8).

more of what was and what will be...

10/5-6 Eating Chinese with the Ceske Budejovice group during their English camp overnight reunion party. What a blessing to see old new friends and see them get involved in the youth group!


10/6-7 The Tabor youth group's hobo skit was great, as were their reunion party relay races: "Cursing Life," "Cigarette Tug'o'War" and spitting.


10/19-20 Our Pisek youth group hosted a regional youth conference called Houba (Mushroom? Sponge? either one works). About 80 students attended, and David Novak (head of youth min for the CB denom) and Jirka Kantor (a pastor from Plzen as well as being a teacher and coach for our Staz cell) gave it to us straight about sex and relationships. Radka, Marketa (from Staz), Jana Cimpova and I led a seminar just for girls where we talked about our experiences with relationships, sin, disappointment, and meeting Jesus in the midst of all of that.

WHAT UP:
10/23-24--Staz in Tabor...road trip!
10/26-27--Slepici Ulet (Hen Flight, lit, aka, girls' wknd) with our Pisek youth group
10/29-11/2--Staz in Malenovice
11/2-11/4--English weekend with Letovice!

Setkani/Meeting/3rd of 4/March 16-17

Katka, Lucka, Agnes, Radka and I

Just to recap, Setkani is something our women's ministry team (but primarily Agnes and Radka) has been leading this school year. Four weekends about 25 women from all different denominations all over Czech get together and learn how we can better serve the women in our churches. The material is from Sonlife ministries, Strategy of Christ's Ministry, and theme for the four weekends are small group discipleship, building a team, evangelism and multiplying leaders.

This past Setkani was SO GOOD. The theme is one of my favorite anyways, but even more than that our team totally clicked. Actually, "clicked" is a weak word, we more than clicked, we experienced some kind of supernatural oneness and love. It was rad. Even all of the women there clearly felt comfortable with each other and they challenged and encouraged one another. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to us!

JV Women's Retreat, Feb 26-March 2: Roma, baby.

Some of the JV ladies by the Palatine. The theme of this retreat was taken from Song of Songs 1:6, that we were to let the Lord tend our vineyards *so that* we'd bear more fruit. I expected to have my spirit refreshed by time away with God, but the beauty of Rome--from the balmy weather to the lush green foliage to amazing food to indescribable art and architecture--unexpectedly feed deep, hungry places in my soul, too.

While wandering around by myself, I found this quiet little courtyard shop.

From the left: Laura T, Lauren, Amy L, Amy E, Hannah, Cassie and Laura H's back about to throw coins into the Trevi Fountain. One of the best things about our yearly retreats is being able to spend quality time talking with women I see maybe two times a year. Iron sharpening iron...thank you especially Amy L, Hannah, Kristy, Krista and Cassie for challenging and encouraging conversations.

The Trevi Fountain. I guess if you throw money in it you'll come back to Rome...hopefully that doesn't just count for euros, because I pitched in some Slovak crowns and definitely want to return to Roma. I know blanket apologies aren't so cool, but I'm sorry Rome for constantly speaking in a lame Italian accent! But thank you so much for the best eggplant parmesan ever!!!

my spot on the Appian Way (Via Appia Antica)

Krista on the Appia Antica. This road streches from Rome to Brindisi (which is in the heel of the boot). Wikipedia says that it was begun in the early 300s BC and used by Spartacus. We (along with Jaycee) took public transportation out that way to get to the St. Callisto catacombs. It was both tranquil and a bit sublime, seeing the graves of martyrs and early Christian catacomb paintings.

Where I had my "vineyard tending time": the Circus of Maxentius park, where they used to race chariots.

My view from the park. I had sweet time talking with the Lord (more on that later) and then a little adventure of getting locked into the park. I jumped a fence, got myself stuck in another park and, while in the midst of climbing a tree, a not-so-amused Italian man unlocked a gate and let me out. Thank you Krista!!!

Jesus the good shepherd, from the catacomb of St. Callisto, mid 3rd century. This is one of my favorite works of art of all time, and to see it live was literally a dream come true.

Women's Conference, Jan 5-6 2007

About 140 women gathered at Malenovice for our third annual Women's Conference. This year's theme, as mentioned below, was beauty, inside and out. One of the most beautiful things for me is seeing God at work...one young mother told that she hadn't wanted to go to the conference at all and even picked seminars that she thought would be the least applicable to her. Thankfully, she wasn't able to avoid the Holy Spirit, and said that after a several year break, she was going to go back to her local church.


Tamara and her band from Cesky Tesin led us in worship, and they rocked the casbah. Tamara (far right) as well as being an amazing Czech teacher, also sings in the jazzy folk band Alesanka. One of my favorite things about these conferences is women of all ages and denimonations together for a common purpose: growing closer to the Lord.


The team! From the left: Kaleen, me, Radka, Katka, Katka, Sharon, Agnes, Alca, Lucka, Brenda, Judy and Denise. Having the 5 women from Christ Community Church (Elgin, IL) was encouraging and fun. Judy was the main speaker and the other 4 ladies all led seminars. This year we had 10 seminars, the other 6 were led by Czech women from around the country.

Radka and Agnes then went on to lead the second Women's Ministry training weekend, Setkani, January 26. Please keep praying for women's ministry in the Czech Republic.

Setkani: making women's ministry history

November 10-11 in CB Pardubice was the first Setkani! Setkani (which means "meeting" in Czech) is the first of four weekends that our women's ministry team will be hosting this school year. Agnes and Radka are the leaders of this time of training and inspiration, and did a masterful job teaching and guiding discussion!

Women from all ages gathered to think about how they can better serve, or begin to serve, the women in their churches. Here are some women from KrS denomination, Vsetin. About 25 women came from all different churches and from all over the country...the spirit of unity was amazing.

All of the feedback so far has been extremely encouraging. Many of us were able to connect with others and share ideas and recources. These women are, in the words of one, some of the most influential women in this country regarding women's ministry.

The training material was "Strategy of Christ's Ministry" from Sonlife as well as training in leading small groups. The teaching was interactive, with small group discussions. There was also a big discussion about the state of women's ministry in the Czech Republic. We have the freedom to serve, more materials are becoming available, but one big barrier seems to be fear. The great challenge is to formulate and keep a vision for serving women, and thereby expand the Kingdom!