Team Transformed

We left Malenovice today with the conclusion of training last night where we commissioned each team. Last night we had a few powerful moments as we took communion and discussed purpose as a team and where God is leading each one of us individually. We also got the chance to perform the Lifehouse skit in front of an audience and through that skit the message of Jesus was powerfully to those in training. I'm excited to see how it touches the hearts of the nonbelievers at camp.

This morning was a pretty early start where I got to meet a random friend of mine from Frydlant where we have a few crazy stories of how we met and a few more instances. We spent about four or five hours on trains and a buss as we made our way to camp. The night before really caused us to take a deep look at the big picture God has for us but today we were changed in a different way.

We took an hour to spend time alone with God and I dont think there was a single person from the team left untransformed. I spent it soaking some Psalms and also preparing for my devotional. When we came back together we had a time of sharing where God spoke clearly about wrongs that needed to be writing and it was a definate time of spiritual clensing. Some of it was released bitterness and unrest that had been held back for months which left our team refreshed. It was amazing to see the transparent moments where team members were willing to be vulnerable so we could become stronger. God is moving in our hearts as a team and I'm so excited for camp to start tomorrow.

How fitting that my devo out of 1 Peter delt with having a clear conscience, being clear minded and self controlled. So that we can be prepared to defend Christ at any time, so we can be not only physically clean but spiritually baptized and so we can clearly connect with God. (1 Peter 3:15-16,21; 4:7)

Pray for students as they arrive tomorrow and relationships begin to form. Pray for the Letovice team that they can be fully prepared, along with enough rest tonight for everyone and throughout the week.

thank you for your prayers.

Blessings

Birthday Blitz!

My birthday arrived here in a Czech about an hour ago and I’m about to get some rest for the second day of training. Usually I don’t think of it as arriving but it won’t hit America for a few more hours. Our traveling was not so much complicated, but more long than anything. We were in “travel mode” for roughly 30 hours as we enjoyed a six hour layover in New York and spent the first night on the airplane then waiting for three hours in Prague. We have had one day of training and are looking forward to how God will continue to grow our team in tomorrow’s training. Today, during a couple hour break some of us went to a stream that was near the hotel, we enjoyed getting wet and Andy brought his professional camera and got some sweet shots. It was relaxing after the strenuous travel and a few hours of training.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

~ Romans 8:1-2

This section of scripture has been hitting me hard for the last week and I’m still thinking about how I can make it real in my life. First thing that caught my eye was the bit “in Christ Jesus,” which is the real twist in this verse. The verse shows that it is conditional in which the preceding is only true if you are In Christ Jesus. Now what does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?” From my understanding it is a reflection of where you draw your life from, if you have died to self and it is Christ living in you. This is one of the most popular phrases in the New Testament which shows how powerful it really is. Also it leads directly into verse two which presents the gospel in a way that I haven’t seen it in where it is a matter of laws. Before Jesus there was the law of sin and death which ruled but how is a law broken? Well, by a greater law. Verse two gets to it and says that “In Christ Jesus” is that law that overpowers the lesser law bringing salvation. This law gives those in Christ power over the darkness, Death was the most powerful weapon that Satan had and now there is no evil that can keep us from God if we are in Christ Jesus. Praise Jesus.

As far as camp goes there are a few things that we aren’t sure about. It looks like there is a larger group than usual of students who have never attended the Letovice camp before. We have been in prayer a lot as a team and I have really enjoyed how much we are dedicated to God leading this trip. We have our second day of training tomorrow and I pray that the lord will fill us and encourage us. Same as every other year we are going to be at a new camp but we have heard good things about this one. Please pray for energy for our team focus on God over the next few days. Pray James Three over our team that we will be taming our tongue and use them to praise the Lord instead of tear us down.

the Lords Guidance

The English camp in 2008 was a very difficult time for me because i was under the impression the entire trip that this was my last time spent in Czech for a while. So my reaction was to give everything I had, and even a little bit I didn't have to serve those around me and be the light of Jesus. I was praying before and throughout the trip about the future for a few reasons and didn't expect how God would speak to me and lead.

We were waiting in line to check our bags in and a man camp up to our group from Delta admitting that they had overbooked the flight and was willing to make a deal. He said that if we stay they will pay for hotel and food and will give us a voucher for future flights. At the time i didn't really make the connection but it sounded like a sweet deal so I went for it. The voucher was able to cover the entire air fair for the trip this year and made it clear that God had more plans for me in Czech. God had given it to me and the best thing i could possibly think of doing is to give it back to him.

We were also rerouted through Brussels, Begum where we had a tight connection in which we missed because of a late arrival so we ended up spending a night there while have a chance to explore for an evening. God was continually showing me that money and other issues are not going to stand in the way of what he wants to do. Through circumstances I thought I knew the way but through circumstances and prayer God showed the way.

Also with the last post, i started it in November and just actually posted it a few days ago.

top of the world .. well 5256 ft.

Its been almost a year since I last posted, rather embarrassing but I think its a new chance to keep up with this blog. For those who don't know this past year was my third trip to the Czech republic. God moved in awesome ways in our team and also in the lives of the students in the Letovice youth group. For me personally this was the hardest year to leave, because I was very unsure about next year and whether I will return or not. During camp and follow up I gave everything i had, and then some. To be most effective for Christ I had to deny my own wants to serve those of the team. I'm looking forward to this year but I'm praying that I will have the same passion. Its would be easy to let my pride get the best of me and not offer my best in this trip.

Looking back..English camp last year was an amazing example of how powerfully God is using the youth group in Letovice. As I think of the two camps before I say how the sheer numbers had grown greatly from around 65 at the my first camp to just over 100 in this camp. Along with the numbers it was amazing to see the passion that the members of the youth group had for

reaching their friends so that they can come to repentance in Jesus. The first thing I noticed last year and the most vivid memory was the view from our camp at Portášky, it made it easy to meet with God with the undeniable creation mentioned in Romans 1. Along with the view we had from camp we ventured to the top of the highest point the Czech Republic, Snezka, which is on the Poland border. I had never experienced a peak quite like this where there were such a dynamic view of the Czech hills and large faces of rock. The hiking was much more challenging which i enjoyed and spending time with some awesome guys who were much better conditioned than me. One guy I was able to have a two hour conversation with whom it was very difficult to have a conversation with the first couple nights of camp!
Camp it self was a blast, there is so much energy in the youth group which made every game and every activity a blast. Whether it was out in the field playing Frisbee or relaxing picking blueberries (which I grew a fiery passion for) there was never a dull moment. The spirit of God was moving powerfully through the camp, all week spiritual questions about God and who Jesus was were being asked some nights there were two or three discussions going on during discussion groups. The last night Jesus' death and resurrection were a few of student accepting Christ. For some it was coming to the knowledge of the existence of God. During those conversations I was challenged as well with some questions about Jesus that I didn't know, and at the same time God was able to work through my incompleteness. Camp came to a close and we traveled back to Letovice where we got to Join their church for Sunday worship and other activities. We were able to tell them some about the camp and anso encourage them with with stories of how God moved. We also traveled to some nearbye caves and also to Prague with the students who could come along. The last evening we watched a movie and spent our last moments with some of the students. For all it was an emotional time to firm some friendships as they would exchange e-mails and ICQ addresses.

Thank you so much for your prays that Jesus would call them out of the darkness and into his light.

Training in the fog

the past 3 days have been training at malenovice on the mountianside by the city of fredlont. We have been on a tight schedule for training but having some free time to relax and think about what we are about to do. today we had a panel that talked about czech culture and some history. I learned about what happened militarely to the land. there was the munich pact which ment that France and Germany basically gave Czechloslovakia to Germany (if im understanding correctly). Remembering back to last year when we visited poland and went to the city of Krakov on our way to Auschwitz and one thing that i thuaght if was how warstruck Krakov was. How for ever 30 new buidings there was one that you ould tell was really and didnt get bombed. it was really powerful, and along with that there was the clock tower in the center square that looked like it was rebuilt using old bricks and new bricks together. I thaught that was a cool sybole of moving on. Now i thaught about both situations, Krakov was bombed and in result of that had physical wreckage everywhere but Czech with cites like Prague were a different story. Prague seems virtually untouched but the wrechage wasnt in building it was broken spirits and national pride because they were given away. Then at the same time the nation would be so different today and english camps might now exist. but this history lesson really got to me.

Sometimes i feel so unworthy to spread the gospel with the weght of sin. Carying the most precious cargo has so much weight behind it with it and i feel like such a broken vessle. But the amazing thing is that God uses this broken vessle to carry the preches cargo because it makes it that much greater in seeing that the vessle is not going on its own power.It makes me fearful of God as well, beause although he is going to be with me i need to be careful becasue of the perception of other. God is good and i cant wait to see him use this vessle.

it is very late and we are traveling to camp tomorrow, so pray for safety and that camp goes well. its very close to the highest point in czech called and sounds like shlowska or something. Team unity is really starting to tke form, i like our dynamics to this group and im excited to see God work through people iv never seen. This is when we will get tested as a team, so please pray that we can stay unified.

thank you so much for your pratyer support, we all apreciate it!