Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Josiah Venture 2x3 campaign
One Percent from Josiah Venture on Vimeo.
There are 32.5 million students between the ages of 15-29 in the 11 JV countries. 32.15 million of them don't know Jesus! We want to see these young people reached! We are asking God for the opportunity to stretch our boundaries. To see God double the fruitfulness of this ministry in the next three years.
As part of this vision, Josiah Venture will host a fall vision tour in 11 cities in North America:
Seattle –Oct 26
Portland – Oct 28
Phoenix – Oct 30
San Jose – Nov 1
Pasadena – Nov 3
Atlanta – Nov 6
Hamilton, Canada – Nov 7
Peoria – Nov 8
Minneapolis – Nov 10
Denver – Nov 11
Chicago – Nov 13
I realize that some of you live far from the cities mentioned above, but if it would be at all possible for you to be at one of these, I would encourage you to go! It's going to be a great time of reconnecting, sharing the vision, and hearing stories of what God is doing here in Europe! For more information, or to rsvp, go here
Hope to see you soon!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sour Cream Apple Pie
We've had some beautiful fall days. And this past weekend I decided it was the perfect day to bake a pie. So I did. It was delicious. 
Sour Cream Apple Pie
Topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 tablespoons flourFilling
1 1/3 c. sour cream
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly slicedPie crust (you can make your own, or use a pre-made one from the refrigerator section of the grocery store — I always do) fitted into a deep-dish 9" or 10" pie plate and chilled
To make the topping, in a bowl blend the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour until the mixture is combined well. Cover and chill the topping.
To make the filling, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples and stir the filling and apples together.
Spoon the filling into the chilled shell and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a pre-heated 350-degree oven, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (You might need to put a bit of tinfoil on top of the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent the top from burning.) Transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely. Dig it.
I got the recipe here.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
FALL
" Fall always makes me want to rush out and buy school supplies. If I knew your name and address I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils". (Tom Hanks in 'You've Got Mail')
End of the summer
We finished our third camp, said good-bye to our interns, and also to the summer. It was strange to go home, and to be on my own again, to not have to buy groceries for three, to not always have someone around, ... I definitely had to adjust. The interns did an awesome job this summer. They arrived, mostly having no clue as to what to expect, and jumped right into things. They did their best with the language (and did really well!), dealt with cultural differences, and really stepped out of their comfort zones daily! It was so great to see them build relationships, and to pour into students! God used them in many ways this summer!
Charis, Josh, and I at our last camp
There were 39 students that trusted Christ at camps in Slovakia this summer, that we know of! Praise God!! Camps may be over, but the work continues. Camp is only one week out of 52! We are praying for follow up work. That students would stay connected with the youth group. That they would see what life with God is about as they go about their days, going back to school, meeting up with their friends, and living life with their families.
I had a conversation with a girl in my youth group last week. We were talking about school, the fall, and the busyness of life. Afterward, she asked me to pray for her. She wants God to help her manage her time well. She wants to make sure she spends time with God, and does not forget about Him because of everything else taking up her time. I have been thinking about that since my conversation with her. How that is a struggle for me sometimes. How I sometimes have too much to do to "just stop and be with God". And how I need to stop seeing it that way because it's not an either/or kind of thing, but instead I just need to invite God into everything I am doing. Allow Him to be a part of my day, no matter what I am doing. And I am praying this for the girl, and for the girls in my small group, and for our youth group, and the students in Slovakia. May we be people who do not just add God to their "to do" lists! May we learn what it means to dwell in Him, to draw from Him, to live life with Him.
Charis, Josh, and I at our last campThere were 39 students that trusted Christ at camps in Slovakia this summer, that we know of! Praise God!! Camps may be over, but the work continues. Camp is only one week out of 52! We are praying for follow up work. That students would stay connected with the youth group. That they would see what life with God is about as they go about their days, going back to school, meeting up with their friends, and living life with their families.
I had a conversation with a girl in my youth group last week. We were talking about school, the fall, and the busyness of life. Afterward, she asked me to pray for her. She wants God to help her manage her time well. She wants to make sure she spends time with God, and does not forget about Him because of everything else taking up her time. I have been thinking about that since my conversation with her. How that is a struggle for me sometimes. How I sometimes have too much to do to "just stop and be with God". And how I need to stop seeing it that way because it's not an either/or kind of thing, but instead I just need to invite God into everything I am doing. Allow Him to be a part of my day, no matter what I am doing. And I am praying this for the girl, and for the girls in my small group, and for our youth group, and the students in Slovakia. May we be people who do not just add God to their "to do" lists! May we learn what it means to dwell in Him, to draw from Him, to live life with Him.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Camp #3 - Prešov
Prešov was our third, and final camp was the summer. And honestly, we were tired....both physically, and emotionally. We needed strength, and we were completely leaning on God to sustain us. And He did! He gave us energy when we had none, and it was so great to once again pour into students, and see their lives changed. I have said this many times, and I will say it again, ...I don't think I will ever get tired of the transformation that takes place when God steps in, and touches a person. What a beautiful process!
Nikka (in the picture above) is one of the girls I had fun connecting with. She's just a fun person to be around.
After camp, we all stayed in Prešov and did some follow up activities with the youth group. At one point, the youth leader encouraged the students to share about how the week at camp was for them. Nikka was one of the first ones to get up and in front of everybody talk about how the week at camp changed her life. She called herself a gangster, sharing about getting in trouble with her group of friends all the time. One of the things she realized at camp was that life did not have to be like that. And she wanted to change. She wanted to go a different route...
At camp I got to share a cabin with these four girls. We had so much fun. And we just hung out, talked, laughed, and shared life together for that week. I loved being able to get to know these girls, and to be able to spend so much time with them.
Iveta and Zuzka are sisters. They did not really want to be at camp. They hardly smiled the first few days. They came because their parents wanted them to come.
That changed as the week went on. They had a hard time saying good-bye to people, they did not want to leave camp. I love this picture! These girls were touched, transformed, and are so excited to be a part of youth group.....and I am excited to see their stories unfold...
One reason this camp was special for me was Leah. Leah and I have known each other for ten years. We first met at a camp in Slovakia. I was a student, she was one of the leaders. Since then God has allowed us to work together. We both were a part of the women's ministry team here in Czech for a couple of years. Leah has become a dear sister to me, and I am so very thankful for her! As much time as we have spent together in the last ten years, we never got to do another camp together until Prešov. And so, after ten years, we were reunited in Slovakia doing a camp together once again. What a privilege to work alongside you, Leah! Love you!
Nikka (in the picture above) is one of the girls I had fun connecting with. She's just a fun person to be around.
After camp, we all stayed in Prešov and did some follow up activities with the youth group. At one point, the youth leader encouraged the students to share about how the week at camp was for them. Nikka was one of the first ones to get up and in front of everybody talk about how the week at camp changed her life. She called herself a gangster, sharing about getting in trouble with her group of friends all the time. One of the things she realized at camp was that life did not have to be like that. And she wanted to change. She wanted to go a different route...
At camp I got to share a cabin with these four girls. We had so much fun. And we just hung out, talked, laughed, and shared life together for that week. I loved being able to get to know these girls, and to be able to spend so much time with them.
Iveta and Zuzka are sisters. They did not really want to be at camp. They hardly smiled the first few days. They came because their parents wanted them to come.
That changed as the week went on. They had a hard time saying good-bye to people, they did not want to leave camp. I love this picture! These girls were touched, transformed, and are so excited to be a part of youth group.....and I am excited to see their stories unfold...
One reason this camp was special for me was Leah. Leah and I have known each other for ten years. We first met at a camp in Slovakia. I was a student, she was one of the leaders. Since then God has allowed us to work together. We both were a part of the women's ministry team here in Czech for a couple of years. Leah has become a dear sister to me, and I am so very thankful for her! As much time as we have spent together in the last ten years, we never got to do another camp together until Prešov. And so, after ten years, we were reunited in Slovakia doing a camp together once again. What a privilege to work alongside you, Leah! Love you!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Camp #2 - Klenovec
My team is back in Presov, getting ready to leave for our third and last camp tomorrow morning....we are still tired from our last camp with Klenovec, and very much missing everyone there. It was a small camp and we absolutely loved it!
We had 14 students at this camp (and we praise God for every single one of them!), and they all knew each other so it was hard to get to them at the beginning of the camp.
It was so cool to see,though, how they opened up as the week went on. They all want to come back next year, and they also want to bring their friends. That is exciting! What is even more exciting is that for a whole week they got to hear about God, and even in just a week's time we got to see huge changes going on inside some of them.
God's truth has the power to transform, and we definitely saw that. I am praying that God continues to work in these students' heart, drawing them to Himself.
This was the first time the Klenovec church did English Camp, and I have to say that they did an excellent job. They were well prepared, and they put their whole hearts into it. It was so encouraging to see this new team step up, and totally rely on God in what they were doing. They did so well. I really thank God for this team, for their hearts, and am really excited about how God is going to continue to use them!
Ivana - the girl in the picture above is a part of the Klenovec team. She is a new believer, and she had many responsibilities at camp. Her heart was for the students, and she did everything she could to make sure things went as planned. She was flexible, willing to change things at the last minute, always busy working on things....she was an example to many! How it must have pleased God to watch this young woman express love to people around her!
It is sometimes hard for me to know what to write about camps....I don't want it to be just another camp, just another student.....I see God at work at these young people's lives, and I get so excited! It's a long process sometimes and we never know when or what needs to happen for people to believe, but at least I know that the process has now started for these 14 students because they got to hear about Jesus.
Thank you so much for praying, and will you continue to pray as we start our third camp? We have 50 students coming this week! We leave tomorrow...Sunday and Monday we will be doing pre-camp training, and then camp begins on Tuesday.
We had 14 students at this camp (and we praise God for every single one of them!), and they all knew each other so it was hard to get to them at the beginning of the camp.
It was so cool to see,though, how they opened up as the week went on. They all want to come back next year, and they also want to bring their friends. That is exciting! What is even more exciting is that for a whole week they got to hear about God, and even in just a week's time we got to see huge changes going on inside some of them.
God's truth has the power to transform, and we definitely saw that. I am praying that God continues to work in these students' heart, drawing them to Himself.
This was the first time the Klenovec church did English Camp, and I have to say that they did an excellent job. They were well prepared, and they put their whole hearts into it. It was so encouraging to see this new team step up, and totally rely on God in what they were doing. They did so well. I really thank God for this team, for their hearts, and am really excited about how God is going to continue to use them!
Ivana - the girl in the picture above is a part of the Klenovec team. She is a new believer, and she had many responsibilities at camp. Her heart was for the students, and she did everything she could to make sure things went as planned. She was flexible, willing to change things at the last minute, always busy working on things....she was an example to many! How it must have pleased God to watch this young woman express love to people around her!
It is sometimes hard for me to know what to write about camps....I don't want it to be just another camp, just another student.....I see God at work at these young people's lives, and I get so excited! It's a long process sometimes and we never know when or what needs to happen for people to believe, but at least I know that the process has now started for these 14 students because they got to hear about Jesus.
Thank you so much for praying, and will you continue to pray as we start our third camp? We have 50 students coming this week! We leave tomorrow...Sunday and Monday we will be doing pre-camp training, and then camp begins on Tuesday.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Dinner and Bowling
As a thank you for serving at camp, our church paid for a nice dinner for our Czech team. We all got to dress up, and enjoy a nice evening eating good food, tallking, and laughing.....It is an honor to serve with a team like this! Some of us ended up going bowling afterwards....and yeah, it must have been the clothes because most of us didn't do so well :) We still had a great time!
Frydlant Camp
Camp went great. Thank you for praying! What a great time connecting with students, and sharing Christ with them. It is always so amazing to me to see what God can do in one week. The transformation that sometimes happens is incredible!
God definitely was at work at our camp!
I praise Him for:
- two students who decided to accept Christ as their Saviour
- good questions students asked, and great conversations about God
- American and Czech teams working together, and doing an awesome job!
One reason this camp was also special to me was the partnership between the Frydlant church, and LCBC (Lancaster County Bible Church) - how cool to see these two connect, and to serve together! Doesn't it just blow you away how nothing - distance, culture, language, ...etc - can stand in the way when God decides to do something? I love it!
Every year we do a talent show at camp. It is always on the last night of camp, and it is a lot of fun. This year I decided to perform a song on a guitar. It was a huge success. Josh, my intern, introduced this song to me. Here is a video of him playing it. I didn't change one thing. Enjoy!
I am now back in Slovakia reconnecting with my team. We are going to Vienna tomorrow morning to pick up our American team, and heading to the camp site to start with training. Camp begins on Tuesday....this is with the Klenovec youth group. I need to come up with something for the talent show again :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Camp begins TODAY!
This year’s theme of camp is “being human”.
The talks start out the first night with the basic concept that humans are not perfect and that there is something wrong with the world. The conclusion, as we know, is that a solution to all these problems exists, and the solution is Christ.
Will you pray this week?
For both the Frydlant and the LCBC team - that we would we united and really work as one body, for selfless love, for energy
For the students - that they would know!
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." Colossians 1:13-14,28
Friday, June 27, 2008
School visits
Interns got here at the end of May. Camps begin today.
Our time in Slovakia has been busy with visiting towns we'll be doing camps with, mainly going to schools, and inviting students to camps. I have a new appreciation for teachers.
Going to all those high schools brought back so may memories....and yes, some things never change....like the smell that lingers in the hallways.
It was amazing to see how open the schools were. They let us come in, and totally take over the classes. The teachers didn't even go in with us (I figured they probably enjoyed a nice coffee break). What an awesome opportunity to meet students, and to show them what camp will be like.
Our time in Slovakia has been busy with visiting towns we'll be doing camps with, mainly going to schools, and inviting students to camps. I have a new appreciation for teachers.
Going to all those high schools brought back so may memories....and yes, some things never change....like the smell that lingers in the hallways.
It was amazing to see how open the schools were. They let us come in, and totally take over the classes. The teachers didn't even go in with us (I figured they probably enjoyed a nice coffee break). What an awesome opportunity to meet students, and to show them what camp will be like.
When in Slovakia.....
Bryndzové halušky ( in English: Potato dumplings with sheep cheese) is the national dish in Slovakia. The basic meal consists of Halušky (the dumplings) and Bryndza (type of sheep cheese), it may be covered by fried bits of bacon.
The recipes may vary - one of the main ingredients are the potatoes which are added to the dough. When the halušky are cooked the bryndza is added.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Some more pictures from the race and training
Hanging out during Intern training
Welcoming interns at the airport, and walking back to a train station during the amazing race
at intern training
so ready for the summer :)
Amazing Race and Intern Training
As soon as the interns got to Prague, we started the Amazing Race. We spent countless hours or trains traveling all over the Czech Republic, trying to complete different task, arriving in Malenovice tired, most of them jetlagged, hungry, and in need of showers and clean clothes. It was fun, though, and a great way to get to know each other as we begin to serve together. We were able to travel, to work, and to make decisions together, seeing each other in stressful situations, and having to work as a team.
Before we took off for the summer, we got to spend five days in Malenovice going through a pretty intensive training - great teaching on the upper room discourse, seminars on how to teach English, evangelism, conflict management, personality tests,……many, many great things to help us prepare for what’s ahead. On Wednesday, June 4, we all took left Malenovice going to all the different places we will be serving this summer!
It was so encouraging to be with everyone (around 100 people), to pray with and for each other, to know that we all are a part of something big God is doing here in Eastern Europe.
Intern Team
My team for the summer - Josh, Charis, and I. We also have a Slovak on our team. His name is Dano and he will be with us off and on this summer. He lives and works in Prague and so he will be travelling a lot to be able to serve at camps. I will get an updated picture on here as soon as we get one.
Please pray for our team….for unity, for strength and perseverance, for bold faith, for growth.
I am so excited about this summer and that God brought us all together. He wants to use us and I can’t wait to see how He does. Please pray for a willing spirit and an open heart for each one of us as we meet youth groups, talk to students, and serve at camps. We want to be used, and we want to see what God has prepared for the summer.
Summer 2008
I am spending this summer in Slovakia. It all began at the end of May when our JV interns flew into Prague. I was there, at the airport, awaiting Josh and Charis, my two interns I will be spending the whole summer with. They arrived, we met, and our adventure began.
The interns are here for three months serving in the different countries JV is in, connecting and working with local youth groups, and helping out with English camps. All the interns were divided into 13 teams going into 7 different countries: Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Latvia, and Ukraine. There will be over 60 English going on in Eastern Europe this summer! Praise God!
My team is in Slovakia for the summer, working with youth groups in three Slovak towns: Kukova, Klenovec, and Presov.
June is spent travelling to the towns connecting with the youth groups, preparing for camps, and going to school inviting students to camps. June and August is when we have camps and follow up activities.
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