The Things We Leave Behind

Our apartment is trashed. Our suitcases are empty. We both have projects we're still working on. You'd never guess by the looks of things that we're moving internationally tomorrow. There's so much to be done, so this will be our last post until we're in Minnesota again.

The last couple days, we've had to say goodbye to our friends that became our family. There's no good way to do goodbyes. There's never the dramatic music playing like we hear in movies. There aren't the quiet, one on one moments to say all the things we've built inside our imaginations; the hugs and whispers of affection always happen right in the middle of the chaos while everyone is watching and our minds are distracted by the activity around us. Did we get to say all the things we wanted to say? Probably not. But there aren't adequate words, so we'll simplify it to, "I love you."

When people ask us, "What were a few highlights of your time here?" we both joke at first about the amazing food and drinks we experienced; but then we seriously answer, "The people." It's hard to choose just a few pieces of our time with everyone to tell you all about. I'm sure Daniel and I will still be processing this all months down the road. But, the way we saw the people grow and learn and stretch together. The way they treat each other with love like real brothers and sisters. The way they speak about each other and sincerely look out for the best interest of others. The way that strangers welcomed us into their homes without knowing more than 20 words of English. The way our neighbor would knock on our door to show us the view from her balcony. The patience they exemplified when teaching us how to pronounce words or when they agreed to translate for us. The way they ask, "how are you," and really mean it. The countless cups of tea accompanied by conversations of depth and laughter. So much depth and so much laughter. These things and so much more we will miss.

So now as I begin to tidy our belongings and make sense of this current disaster, our hearts are slightly cracking from the pressure of the fullness of our time here. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude, joy, and love. The memories, relationships and experiences that happened here - these aren't the things we leave behind to fill with dust and nostalgia. These are the things we're taking with us, to motivate us, to encourage us, to remind us of God's faithfulness - to fill our hearts with hope and His promises of what is yet to come.

Thank you, Kostel Jinak; thank you, friends of Šumperk, for opening up your lives to us and giving us so much. Thank you, New Hope Church for your encouragement for this to happen. Thank you, friends and family in the States for sacrificing to allow us to do this. We are grateful.

Less Than A Week Left

We're less than a week from returning to Minnesota. Are we excited? I don't know how to answer that; it's bittersweet. We've grown to love these people, this place, this way of doing life. It's going to be hard to return. But, Daniel is looking forward to hot sauce, peppers and bean burritos. I'm looking forward to Dutch Crunch chips. [And of course our cat, family, and friends]. :)

 It was a snowy start to 2016 here, but the last few days have warmed up and the snow has turned to slush and melted away for the most part.

sledding just outside of our apartment

Last week, I hosted a Bible Art Journaling event and I think the girls had a lot of fun. They all were super focused during the Bible study/journaling time, but my personal favorite part was when we came together at the end to show what we'd been working on and what God was teaching us during our journaling. They all said this was a helpful resource.

Kostel has been meting on Sunday mornings for the past 2 weeks now instead of the previous regular schedule of Saturday evenings. It seems to be going over well, and we've had a packed Kostel each time! We've also been encouraging people to invite each other over for lunch on Sundays after the service. This past Sunday, we had a delicious meal with Ester, Jirka, and their little girls, Baby Ester and Amalka.

Jirka, Baby Ester, Ester, Amalka, Daniel and I out for a short walk after lunch

Somehow, jam-filled crepes ended up on the kids' heads. :)

As we're finishing our last week here in Sumperk, words can't express the gratefulness we feel for everything we've experienced, the moments we've shared, or the love for the people we've met. After we leave Šumperk, life continues here; so we're trying to do our best with these last interactions and meetings with friends, saying goodbye, enjoying the present. 

We have a going away party this Saturday, 5pm, at Kostel Jinak, and we're hoping to see all our friends and acquaintances there and are looking forward to that sweet time together.

Ways You Can Be Praying for Us:

- A sore throat has returned to haunt me these last few days of our time here in Šumperk; please pray for it to go away

- Pray for us to say goodbye well, to communicate well, to be present in the experiences

- Pray for time and stress management as we are beginning to think about packing up and cleaning up here

- Pray all our stuff fits back into our suitcases! :) :) :)

HAPPY 2016!

Happy New Year! 2016 has started off with a bang (literally; watch the videos at the bottom of this post)!

The streets of Šumperk are covered in a thin layer of snow and temperatures have dropped; it really feels like winter now. Students have returned to school; everyone else has returned to their offices for work. 

Kostel Jinak hosted a fantastically fun New Years party last week; we had delicious food prepared by Chef Petr, karaoke, lots of decorations, and awesome fireworks. Our neighbor was supposed to join us for the event, but she wasn't feeling well; so she handed us a couple plates of treats to bring to Kostel and she stayed home for the night.

Daniel and I took Friday and Saturday to head to Prague together. This was the first time we'd had just us time (36 hours straight) this entire trip! It was relaxing to roam the Prague streets, being familiar with the sights already, enjoying the Christmas markets, taking in all the ornate surroundings, doing whatever we felt like doing. Prague's big New Year's celebration is actually on New Year's Day instead of Eve, so we watched fireworks from the view of the St. Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. One tourist activity that we enjoyed was going to the top of the Astronomical Clock Tower for the birds eye view of Prague. It's only $5 USD; there's quite a wait in line, depending on time of day, but it is worth it! We were pleased to discover that the experience isn't just "go up, look around, come down." There are historical pictures and contextual stories to read as you make your way up the ramp inside the clock tower. At the top, it's a 360 view, and you can take as long as you want to look around. We stayed at the Fusion Hotel (yes, I did choose the hotel because of the name); it was located in between the train station, the city center and the all the shops. It was an incredible location, and we were on the 5th floor so we had a good view. It was one of the lower priced hotels, but it had one of the best continental breakfasts I've ever experienced, was clean, trendy, friendly and helpful staff, and like I mentioned, great location. When in Prague - stay at the Fusion Hotel and go up to the Astronomical Clock Tower, k? 

Big news in Kostel: we're meeting on Sunday MORNINGS! We were previously meeting on Saturday evenings, but we're giving this new schedule a whirl to see how it works for everyone. So far, it's a success. We had a PACKED house this week!

This Friday I'm hosting a Bible Art Journaling workshop - I'm hoping people will find it helpful as they're learning how to study their Bibles and deepen their relationship with Christ. I helped with a Bible Art Journaling workshop back in MN through the NHC Arts, and people loved it. I had a woman stop in my office a couple weeks later and say that this new method of processing and studying has transformed the way she listens to teaching in the classroom, on Sundays at church, and how she soaks in God's Word. Hopefully, this can be an effective tool in the Czech context as well. 

Soooo...we have just 3 weeks left here, guys! Daniel and I are trying to dig in even further and make the most of our connections. 

Ways You Can Be Praying:

- Pray for students as they are finishing their semesters and facing exams over the next couple weeks (the first semester doesn't end until mid-late January here)

- Pray for Sunday mornings to be anticipated vs a dreaded alarm cock

- Pray for Daniel and I to be even more intentional with our time

- Pray for English Conversation this week as we get back into our regular Thursday schedule after a couple weeks off

- Pray for the Bible Art Journaling workshop to be an effective resource

VIDEOS & PICTURES:

Karaoke: Lucka & Petr singing, "I Wanna Be A Billionaire"

Karaoke: Daniel & I singing "My Eyes" from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

New Years Fireworks!


Fireworks Video 1
Fireworks Video 2
Fireworks Video 3
Unedited "Happy New Year!" Kostel Jinak Video

Prague

Inside the Clock Tower

John Lennon wall!!!