JV Camp Season

US teams at Malenovice for training

The kids got back from our church's English camp this afternoon, as did 14 other groups who were at camp this week across the Czech Republic!

This was the largest round of camps (we have three rounds during the summer) here in Czech. Praise God for all the young people who heard the Gospel this week!

English camps couldn't happen without the help of American teams who come over for two weeks to join us in this ministry. Over 250 people were here in Czech this week, sharing their lives and the Gospel at English, music and sport's camps across the country.

We are so blessed by all the American churches that partner with us across Eastern Europe during camp season! Bless you all!!

Now that students are returning home, please do pray for all those who heard the Gospel at these camps - that what they heard will resonate in their hearts and draw them to a relationship with the Lord.

Frydlant English Camp

It's already been a week since camp ended, but God is still moving in the hearts of young people who were there!

Six young people trusted Christ at the camp, and Tyler prayed with another one just two nights ago at a follow-up evening here in Frydlant!! PRAISE GOD for these new believers!!

Saturday morning when I went to pick up the kids, our Czech youth group leader told me in all his years of ministry he'd never had an experience like what happened the last night of camp. The Gospel was presented and an opportunity given for students to stay in the room if they were interested in praying or asking questions.

Normally three or four students stay and the rest leave the room....very typical response here in Czech (coming to faith is a long process for many).

But this time three or four LEFT the room, and all the rest of the students STAYED!! For an hour and a half there were people all over the room talking, praying, crying, and rejoicing when someone would come to Christ. How I wish I'd been a little mouse in the corner to see it happening!

I woke up Saturday morning to this text message from Claire: "Just led my roommate to Christ during evening program! It went great. The program was really powerful - all God's work! I bought her a bible with the money you gave me!" I cried when I finished reading that...so precious.

Each one of our kids had the privilege of praying with someone at camp as they trusted Christ. What an awesome experience for them to be in the presence of someone going from dark to light!

We are hearing similar stories of kids coming to Christ from all around our 11 JV countries where camps are going on. Thanks for praying and standing with us to see this next generation of young people put their faith in Jesus!

PS. The picture is Patty and Till siblings who all served on the team at camp this year!

Checking In

Dave and I were up at Velke Karlovice (an hour away from our house) last night to visit the kids at English camp. So fun to see them there!

But even better was hearing what God's doing in the lives of students this week. Two have trusted Christ! Several others have come back to the Lord after a period of wandering. Many are interested in coming to church. Others have questions and want to talk more about God. All are having a good time!

We were there for the evening program so got a taste of what it's been like for them all week. You can see in the picture, Tyler is leading worship, Caleb's off to the left playing bass (and running the PowerPoint!), and Claire is in there too - you just can't see her! Though it doesn't look like it in the picture, there are 62 at the camp - a nice size!

They have one more evening program tonight where they will share the Gospel and give students an opportunity to respond. Pray for that!

One of the elements of this year's program has been to tell the story of God each evening in story form - picture a dad telling his kids a story and you'll kind of have the essence of it.

Though it's not easy to see (it was dark in the meeting room!) the picture is Tyler translating as Matt (the leader from the Lancaster, PA team) asks questions and dialogues with the students about it. Loved seeing that part of the program!

Everyone will come back to Frydlant tomorrow morning (Saturday) for two days of "follow-up" with the American team still around. They'll all be at church on Sunday too - one of my favorite Sundays of the year when all those young people are there! How I pray that many of them will continue to come and hear more of the "stories of God"!