Zoe loving summer, her ball, and Jacob!

The life of a dog...

Jacob's adventures

Jacob's been learning to play the violin the past few years. A few weeks ago, he had the chance to join a few kids from our church in a Christian competition sponsored by a church not far from us. Take a listen!

The Camp Song!

Every year we have a theme song and dance... Thought you might enjoy seeing us learning it!

Summer Prep

We've had two separate meetings that have happened at our "Hash Garage Hotel." The first was back in May when all the leaders of the Polish youth groups gathered together to pray, practice telling their life-stories, learn the camp song, role play leading someone to Christ, learn some new games and just hang together. This summer there will be 8 camps happening throughout Poland and it was a privilege to have all these leaders together in one place.
Katowice Group

Learning games...


The other group just left on Sunday morning. They are a Canadian group that has come to Poland to serve with our youth group here in Katowice. They are at an English/Volleyball Camp happening in the Tatra Mountains near a city called Zakopane. This was the first time we've done the orientation time with North American teams at our home. Due to the fact that a smaller group of people were here, we decided to host it. Besides the Canadians, we also had our summer interns (4) and three girls from Multnomah Bible College who are helping alongside the interns at another camp going on right now in Swinouijscie which is on the Baltic right on the German border. It's amazing to us that God gave us this home which can easily house 20 people besides our family. With a newly installed pool filter, the environment led to great discussion and preparation for these servants who have come to co-labor with us to reach the youth of Poland. Pray with us for these camps!


Three of our interns... The group for orientation (and the pool!)

Listening intently!

The Armenians are coming!

Well, they actually were already here. A choir from Armenia came to Poland to take part in a church choir competition. They were awesome and actually took 2nd place out of about 15 choirs from all over Europe. After their competition, they had made contact with our church earlier and came to Katowice for a concert for a coop of churches. It was awesome. They really were talented.

There were about 24 in the group and 14 of the ladies ended up staying in our "garage." It was quite interesting trying to talk with them as they only spoke Russian and Armenian! They were here for two nights and at 3:30 am the second night, a few came running to our house banging on the door. One of the ladies had fallen down a few stairs while she was going to the bathroom. It ended up that she broke her leg very badly and we had to call the ambulance. After deciding that she would need surgery and to stay in Poland for a few extra days, the entire group ended up staying in our "garage" that night. (They were to leave the day she broke her leg but plans needed to change...) So, that night we had a concert around the campfire.

Enjoy!

A relational month

This past month, we've had lots of special events at our church focusing on relationships. It seems that it's been an intensive time of really getting to know the great people that God has brought to our church.

At the end of March, a few ladies and I at our church along with some ladies from Mission Hills in Littleton we're involved in planning and leading a retreat for the women of our church. There were 50 of us that spent the weekend in Wisła at a "Spa for the Heart." Because of the fact that our bodies and souls are so connected, we spent time talking about physical and spiritual needs... water-cleansing, fruit-fruit of the spirit, food-the food from the Word of God, exercise-walking with God for the long-haul. We also had lots of fun doing special "spa" things as we played and talked together.

I've heard from a number of ladies how God met them in a very special way. And, since that as well as a goal of getting to know each other was met, I'm very satisfied and thankful to God for what He did.

A few pictures:

After we returned from the weekend, we also invited the remaining women from our church who couldn't join us on the retreat, to enjoy a British tea also hosted by the ladies from Mission Hills. The beauty and the discussion on the need of us being involved in each others' lives really blessed me. I trust that it also blessed the other ladies who joined us.

Then just this past weekend, 65 of us from our church headed 6 hours on a bus to Prague for a site-seeing trip together. Again, the goal was to enjoy this amazing city (in spite of the rain!) and each other. We really feel like community is beginning to run deeper. Conversations were happening deep into the night and on the bus about matters that really touch people's lives and hearts. We long for it to spur each other on towards love and good deeds.

If you haven't gotten to Prague, you need to go! What a city. And, even though we've been there before visiting fellow JV missionaries or hanging with summer interns or traveling through on our way to Germany, we've never really just been the typical tourist. It was fun to join the "masses" who make their way to this beautiful city.

I was also really moved to hear again the story of John Hus and his committment to the Word of God in the language of the people. As we sat in Bethelem Church where he gave sermons in the Czech language for the first time to over 3000 people back in the early 1400's which later cost him his life, I was challenged to "speak the language of the people" and live and die for what really matters. I'm thankful to be able to walk in the paths of people such as he. This spurs me onward!

Isn't it beautiful?

Love being with my man!

Sure helps to have Starbucks along the way!

Great picture of community!

We're so excited about the continuing deeper relationship we're experiencing with Irek and Basia, the Pastor and his wife from our church.

Solidarność!

This is a recent post from our teammate, Alice, on her blog. It's so interesting, I stole it!


Today in my Polish lesson I found out that my teacher was in prison during 1981 for 7 months. The Communitst government did not like the fact that she backed and advocated for the freedom of Poland from the USSR.

(For those of you who were under the age of 10 in 1981, this may not be interesting, but I was in high school at the time and followed the plight of the Polish people during this time.)

She told me about how difficult it was to live during that time. Her love for her hero, President Regan and what he did for the Polish people runs deep. I told her that she was a hero for freedom in my eyes and she just brushed it off, like any good political "soldier" would. "It was about freedom, not me." she said. (loosely translated)

We then got into the fact that the Polish Prime Minister will not be going to the Olympics becuase it would be as if Regan backed the USSR instead of the freedom of Poland back in the 80's. He will not sit in the same place as those who do to the Tibetians, what the USSR did to Poland. She was very passionate about this fact and is disappointed that America does do the same.

China is causing many here to remember the brutal years that Poland lived under the crush of the Communist government. It will be interesting to see how and if the Olypmics will be received here in this country.

I am not wanting to be political, but this conversation caused me to pause and think about the fact that I have not prayed for China or Tibet like I did for Poland in the 80's. It also gave me new insight as to the how deep the vaccum is in every heart in Poland who do not have Jesus to give them hope. I am rubbing shoulders with those who's only hope is what they can do for themselves. That is a difficult hope to hold on to. My prayer is that they will find the ONLY HOPE Who will never let go!

Who knows what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future! Thank you Lord!