We made it to Lousville, KY on Sunday evening 8:30pm eastern time - both Kenya and Czech interns. We were greeted by many welcoming faces from Southeast Christian Church.
This past Monday and Tuesday, all nine interns have been transitioning back into our North American culture. Once again, we have been under the direct care of the amazing Mi2 team: Ben, Will, Jerri Lynn, and Blake. We are slowly working our way back into society, the same society as different people. Three months in another culture under the amazing leadership of Josiah Venture (Czech Republic) and Life In Abundance (Kenya) can change you, and thank the Lord it has.
It has been incredible to come back together with the people I met on May 19, 2012 and to see and hear the changes that have taken place in their lives. These past few days with the Mi2 have been such a blessing. I am thankful to experience our first steps back into America together; and tonight around 8pm I will step back into Canada with my dad.
I'm still not fully capable of expressing how I feel. I am mourning the end of a season; every once in a while I'll cry. I am excited for the changes that have taken place and am looking forward to what is next, although I know that re-entering life here will be interesting. I am 'super pumped' to see my family and dear friends at home whom I have missed these 3 months. At the moment and every moment coming, I must rest in Jesus and rely on Him to transform me. At this moment and every moment coming I am responsible for what this experience has given me, which is much.
Thank You Jesus that You are alive in me, in you our supporters, in Czech and around the world! Thank You Jesus that you will never leave us and that You will continue to lead us on this transforming journey.
Our God is greater!
Rejoice in the Lord, always,
Esther.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The Buses are Loading
Good Morning from Prague!
We have the privilege of being in the beautiful capital of Czech Republic as we say farewell to our beloved friends. This morning at 9:45 Sarah, Chelsie and I will fly away from our summer family and summer home. Unfortunately I do not have much time to expound (we have been rather busy since camp ended on Friday), so I will give you all a quick run-down of our final hours.
First off, our third and final camp was amazing. We joined another intern team to support Kutna Hora for their first English camp! It was a small and intimate camp with few unbelievers (typical for first-time camps). It was encouraging to be with such a passionate group of Christians; I believe our light, life and love was a strong testimony to the unbelievers who continuously heard the name of Jesus.
We arrived in Prague Friday afternoon. From that time until now our team has been making the most of our final hours together. We have visited Alfons Mucha's Slav Epic, debriefed our summer, encouraged one another, ate together and even got to play Banana Grams together. We have cherished this time. Our camp coordinators, Nate and Emily Hughes, Rob and Audrey Chestnut, and Martina are also here in Prague to debrief with us and to send off their friends. I am glad for that, it will be difficult to say goodbye to our incredible leaders.
Yesterday I was able to chat with a couple from my church, Doug and Jean Lindsay! They arrived here in Prague yesterday on vacation. What a joy it was to see them and be reminded of the wonderful home I have in Canada.
In a half an hour we will say our next goodbye; now I must get my things together, eat breakfast and walk to the metro.
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther.
We have the privilege of being in the beautiful capital of Czech Republic as we say farewell to our beloved friends. This morning at 9:45 Sarah, Chelsie and I will fly away from our summer family and summer home. Unfortunately I do not have much time to expound (we have been rather busy since camp ended on Friday), so I will give you all a quick run-down of our final hours.
First off, our third and final camp was amazing. We joined another intern team to support Kutna Hora for their first English camp! It was a small and intimate camp with few unbelievers (typical for first-time camps). It was encouraging to be with such a passionate group of Christians; I believe our light, life and love was a strong testimony to the unbelievers who continuously heard the name of Jesus.
We arrived in Prague Friday afternoon. From that time until now our team has been making the most of our final hours together. We have visited Alfons Mucha's Slav Epic, debriefed our summer, encouraged one another, ate together and even got to play Banana Grams together. We have cherished this time. Our camp coordinators, Nate and Emily Hughes, Rob and Audrey Chestnut, and Martina are also here in Prague to debrief with us and to send off their friends. I am glad for that, it will be difficult to say goodbye to our incredible leaders.
Yesterday I was able to chat with a couple from my church, Doug and Jean Lindsay! They arrived here in Prague yesterday on vacation. What a joy it was to see them and be reminded of the wonderful home I have in Canada.
In a half an hour we will say our next goodbye; now I must get my things together, eat breakfast and walk to the metro.
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Make Me a Servant.
Philippians
2:1-11
“If you
have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His
love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then
make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in
spirit and purpose… (vs. 1-2)
As our
internship here in Czech Republic comes to a close, it is difficult to express
what we are experiencing. Logistically, all Czech English Camp teams are together,
finishing training for our third and final week of camp. Our intern team will
be partnering with Jerry and Melissa’s intern team to lead Kutna Hora in their
very first JV English Camp. Today we will say ‘goodbye’ to all other intern
teams.
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| Our final few hours with our Czech family from Colorado, the Hartmans. |
Earlier
this week we parted with our dear friends, the Hartman family. They have been
an encouragement, a comfort, a source of fellowship, tenderness and compassion.
I will and do miss them dearly.
It’s
difficult to know how to say ‘goodbye’ and yet I am convinced that there is a
healthy way to do it… can anyone tell me that way? There was a time in my life
when my heart was much harder and goodbyes were easy; I simply closed up my
heart, decided not to feel and walked away. But thanks to the transforming power of Jesus
Christ in my life, I now bawl at the dinner table the night before I leave (yesterday). By that I mean to say, God has
grown my willingness and capacity to love and to express emotion, and now it is
no longer easy to say ‘goodbye.’
During that period of ‘cold-heartedness,’ I often questioned whether or not I had
experienced what Philippians 2:1-2 describes. It was one of those passages that
I read with my head but could not connect to with my heart. Without question I now know this encouragement from being united with Christ, comfort from His love, fellowship with the Spirit, this tenderness and compasstion. I'm sure I have experienced it throughout my life, but I have not been able to recognize it.
So now I have a responsibility: to be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose... to be a servant like Jesus out of love (Phil 2:3-11, Gal 5:13). How can I best serve the people that I love? How can I love them well?
As I say 'goodbye,' I am realizing how much I love the people around me. I wish that I would have expressed my love more often and more openly. This is most likely the next step in my ongoing lesson on love - to open my heart, to lay down the walls so that I can fully serve the people around me while they are around me.
Please continue to pray for all intern teams and JV camps! There is one more round of harvest and it is as ripe as the previous two.
Please pray that we would continue to experience the fullness of Philippians 2:1-11, and that we would keep our focus on today.
Thank you all so much. I love you.
Rejoice in the Lord always,
Esther.
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| My dear friends, the members of Team Granola, the intern team we lived with in Cesky Tesin. |
Saturday, July 28, 2012
We have this Hope.
What an amazing week!!
We just finished our second camp week. This week we partnered with the Zlin youth group and the American team from CFC in Evansville, Indiana. I am so impressed with how camp turned out - it was a great time for students and leaders. I so badly want to communicate the success and joy of the camp, and I believe that pictures can really help me out here. So here are just a few...
Many testimonies were shared throughout the week. The students heard the gospel very early on and several responded not even half-way through camp! - both believers and nonbelievers! It was so great to be able to speak freely about Jesus only a couple days into the week. The students knew what we are about and why we have this hope and joy!!
And here is a video!!! Friday, the final day of classes, was Ben's birthday; my class came down to visit Ben's class to sing a Czech birthday song.
What a joy this week has been. The message of the camp was woven throughout the week: like both sons in the parable of the prodigal son, we try our best to reach the "good life." We might go after fun and excitement or just stick to the rules to get ahead; either way, we come out feeling empty. Run to your heavenly father through Jesus Christ - He is Greater Than the 'good life,' "freedom," chaos, rules... He will not leave us empty; those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame!! I know that God has used this week-long message to change lives - including mine.
Thanks again for joining our journey.
Rejoice in the Lord always,
Esther.
We just finished our second camp week. This week we partnered with the Zlin youth group and the American team from CFC in Evansville, Indiana. I am so impressed with how camp turned out - it was a great time for students and leaders. I so badly want to communicate the success and joy of the camp, and I believe that pictures can really help me out here. So here are just a few...
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| Everyday we had played "sports" on the field/hill. Filip and Michael from the Czech team were super creative and this time was always really fun. Here we are playing Human Bumper Cars - Don't touch your engine or you'll blow up! |
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| The main meeting area: all meals, evening programs and morning announcements were held here. It was also a great place for games; students could be found here during free time and around meal-time. |
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| David (Zlin youth group leader and one of my students!!!) gave his testimony during the Evening Program. Notice there are two speakers - everything must be translated!!! |
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| TALENT SHOW!! The students were soooo creative! Here Sarah Burge and Amy Hartman's class is performing the 2012 Olympic Ceremony. Their swimming routine (with music from Pirates of the Carribean) was incredible. Be impressed. |
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| Our intern leaders - Matt and Amy Hartman - on their 15th wedding anniversary! (July 27; also Ben's birthday). Amy's mom, Sylvia was able to join us for the camp and surprised her children with loads of pastries for the entire camp! |
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| A few of the girls during the concert on Friday night. |
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| The Band. Even though all the songs were in Czech, the music was certainly enjoyable that final Friday evening. |
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| Saturday morning, the Americans (and a Canadian) were given signed Czech flags as a thank you!!! |
What a joy this week has been. The message of the camp was woven throughout the week: like both sons in the parable of the prodigal son, we try our best to reach the "good life." We might go after fun and excitement or just stick to the rules to get ahead; either way, we come out feeling empty. Run to your heavenly father through Jesus Christ - He is Greater Than the 'good life,' "freedom," chaos, rules... He will not leave us empty; those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame!! I know that God has used this week-long message to change lives - including mine.
Thanks again for joining our journey.
Rejoice in the Lord always,
Esther.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Part II Begins!
Hello!
How are you? I hope you are doing well and that you are
experiencing encouragement throughout the body of Christ.
As American-team Training Part II is coming to a close, I know
that many of us here have been encouraged. Most of our English-speaking team is
here together; Sherri, Rachel and Melissa have come from CFC in Evansville ,
Indiana
Our first night here at team training, Dave Patty, President
and founder of Josiah Venture, shared Josiah Venture’s history with us. I
apologize, I do not have the words to describe the encouragement this was to me
and I think many others. God has given Dave Patty a contagious vision, the mission
and the means to carry it out. Young people of Eastern and Central
Europe are being equipped to spread the gospel and there will be
revival.
We are stepping into work that God has already begun.
 |
| Listening to Jenda's testimony Thursday night. |
Yesterday, Ben and I (Esther) were able to share the purpose
and practical tools for English classes. I consider this an honour – to
encourage the American teams to “invite students into valuable conversations
with kingdom dwellers!” A goal of English class is to increase the confidence
of these teens in their English conversations. However, our kingdom goal is to be
witnesses of Jesus Christ – in the way we speak, what we speak, the way we love
and the way we teach!
“Come and see what life is like in God’s kingdom!”
Please continue to pray for our English camp and the many
other camps that are going on throughout Eastern and Central Europe
this week. Thank you for taking part in this, we can do our part without your
support!! Praise Jesus for His working body!
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Esther.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Bringing the Good News
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”...
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Romans 10:14-15,17
Thank you so very much for your support - for sending us to lay a foundation where one has not been laid, for sending us to bring the good news!
This has been an amazing week. We have loved building relationships with the students - as teachers, coaches, leaders and friends. I know that the students have experienced the love we have because of the love God has for us; I know that we have been witnesses of the truth, that we have glorified God and that we have brought the word of Christ to their ears. I am so thankful. I have surely been blessed, and I hope that you are blessed as well.
Coming into this camp, 3 out 41 students were known believers. On Thursday night we shared the gospel; that number increased to 8!!!!!!!! and many more are interested and/or have questions concerning a life with Jesus! Friday night, the gospel was presented again. Today, students will be connected to the local church, as almost all will reunite for "Sunday follow-up."
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
Praise the Lord!!
Rejoice in Him always!
Esther.
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Romans 10:14-15,17
Thank you so very much for your support - for sending us to lay a foundation where one has not been laid, for sending us to bring the good news!
This has been an amazing week. We have loved building relationships with the students - as teachers, coaches, leaders and friends. I know that the students have experienced the love we have because of the love God has for us; I know that we have been witnesses of the truth, that we have glorified God and that we have brought the word of Christ to their ears. I am so thankful. I have surely been blessed, and I hope that you are blessed as well.
Coming into this camp, 3 out 41 students were known believers. On Thursday night we shared the gospel; that number increased to 8!!!!!!!! and many more are interested and/or have questions concerning a life with Jesus! Friday night, the gospel was presented again. Today, students will be connected to the local church, as almost all will reunite for "Sunday follow-up."
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
Praise the Lord!!
Rejoice in Him always!
Esther.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Pictures from camp!!
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| Volleyball workshop |
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| Jason sharing his testimony during evening program. |
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| American Team Training at Malenovice: learning the camp dance!! |
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| This here is team Seychelly, my team, kicking butt during afternoon sports. |
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Welcome to Camp English Part I, 2012
Hello from English Camp!!!
We have been running around since... well, for quite some time. Camp officially began last Saturday morning.
Thank you all so much for your prayers! Things have been going very well. During the day, we have English classes, workshops and sports. Many of the English teachers are 'first-timers' and we are quickly learning how best to teach our individual classes - thank You LORD! The workshops are a great idea; both Americans and Czechs are discipling the students in the skills they have been equipped with. Shelly is a wonder at the sporting events! We have an 'English Camp Olympics 2012' theme going; it is obvious that Shelly has put a lot of time and creativity into these events.
Durning the evening program, there are games, dancing, singing, skits, and a teaching; afterward we have small group discussions. The teachings follow the parable of the Prodigal Son, a skeleton has been provided by Josiah Venture and each speaker is putting their own flare to the 'flesh' of the talks. So far each night, the evening program ends with a cliff-hanger; the students are very engaged and eager to know how the story ends. During small groups, leaders are guided by questions that have been prepared to go along with the evening talks. Magda is my Czech-speaking small group leader and she does a wonderful job leading the girls. They like her so much. Tonight, I will be sharing my testimony with the small group (Magda will translate). The teaching will introduce the older brother... someone I can relate to very well. For a good portion of my life, and somewhat still today, I was bound by laws; God is so gracious in leading me back into the freedom I have in Christ.
Slowly, we are building up to the good news of Jesus Christ... the anticipation is AWESOME!!
Please continue to pray for us!! Thank you!
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Esther.
We have been running around since... well, for quite some time. Camp officially began last Saturday morning.
Thank you all so much for your prayers! Things have been going very well. During the day, we have English classes, workshops and sports. Many of the English teachers are 'first-timers' and we are quickly learning how best to teach our individual classes - thank You LORD! The workshops are a great idea; both Americans and Czechs are discipling the students in the skills they have been equipped with. Shelly is a wonder at the sporting events! We have an 'English Camp Olympics 2012' theme going; it is obvious that Shelly has put a lot of time and creativity into these events.
Durning the evening program, there are games, dancing, singing, skits, and a teaching; afterward we have small group discussions. The teachings follow the parable of the Prodigal Son, a skeleton has been provided by Josiah Venture and each speaker is putting their own flare to the 'flesh' of the talks. So far each night, the evening program ends with a cliff-hanger; the students are very engaged and eager to know how the story ends. During small groups, leaders are guided by questions that have been prepared to go along with the evening talks. Magda is my Czech-speaking small group leader and she does a wonderful job leading the girls. They like her so much. Tonight, I will be sharing my testimony with the small group (Magda will translate). The teaching will introduce the older brother... someone I can relate to very well. For a good portion of my life, and somewhat still today, I was bound by laws; God is so gracious in leading me back into the freedom I have in Christ.
Slowly, we are building up to the good news of Jesus Christ... the anticipation is AWESOME!!
Please continue to pray for us!! Thank you!
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Esther.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Pray, Pray, Pray!
We've met our American team! Mike and Mary Alice, Vonni, Lisa, Steve and Jason were brought in by full-time missionary Lauree Austin (who will also be doing camp with us). The team has been sent by Lauree's homechurch in Hensen, Oregon, and Lauree's sister, Anna, will also be joining us on Sunday! Adam, Michael and Monika have also joined us here from Ostrava. It has been great getting to know their stories and encouraging to see their excitement for camp.
Camp is finally here; we're really doing it! Sorry, rephrase: God is doing it and He's brought us on to be a part of His victory!!! He's brought YOU into this victory! Through your prayer and financial support, we the body of Christ are functioning in our parts to advance the kingdom. Please, please pray this week especially.
Pray that we would be courageous, humble, flexible and that we would persevere; that we would indeed rest in Jesus and rely on Him for strength, energy, wisdom and creativity. PRAY PRAY PRAY for the victory of the salvation of the young people coming to camp! Pray for open eyes, for soften hearts! Fight for us in your prayers. We are more than conquerors;
Jesus said,
we have been promised a land of rest in Jesus!!!
"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest...
Camp is finally here; we're really doing it! Sorry, rephrase: God is doing it and He's brought us on to be a part of His victory!!! He's brought YOU into this victory! Through your prayer and financial support, we the body of Christ are functioning in our parts to advance the kingdom. Please, please pray this week especially.
Pray that we would be courageous, humble, flexible and that we would persevere; that we would indeed rest in Jesus and rely on Him for strength, energy, wisdom and creativity. PRAY PRAY PRAY for the victory of the salvation of the young people coming to camp! Pray for open eyes, for soften hearts! Fight for us in your prayers. We are more than conquerors;
Jesus said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
Luke 4:18-19
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:21
we have been promised a land of rest in Jesus!!!
"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest...
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" - Hebrews 4:11...12)
I am so grateful and so excited about your support! Thank you for praying. We will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony!!
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Esther.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
And so it Begins... !!!!
Today is Day 1 of the camp cycle; we have begun a new era.
At noon today, Team Hartczech (that’s our new team name) and four other Czech
teams will reunite at Hotel Malenovice to begin “American team training.” !!
It’s finally HERE!!
These past few days we have been reviewing, sharing and
refining our English classes and have been preparing for these next three days
of training.
Camp leaders consist of the Czech leaders from the local
church, the J.V. intern team and a short(er) mission team from an American
church. (Fellow Canadians, we need to talk about getting a Canadian team over
here in the coming years, yes?)
During the training, Sarah and Chelsie will be leading the
Camp Dance Workshop and Ben and I will lead English Teaching – presenting the
heart and practicality of English classes. I am super excited to be working
with Ben on this; he is jam-packed with creativity and energy. I am looking
forward to presenting what we have developed.
Camp #1 begins on Saturday, July 7.
Please continue to pray for us! We are Christ’s body, and we
cannot do this without our Him, our Head.
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. Zech 4:6
Rejoice in the Lord, always!
Esther.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Dinner with the Hartmans
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| Fushion Concert: Matt is at the top left. |
Friday the four of us remaining were off to Ostrava to spend the weekend with the Hartman family - Matt and Amy, Hannah (10), Caden (8), Asher (7) and Hayes (4) (the family now includes Sarah, Esther, Ben and Chelsie).
Friday: Fushion Concert. Fushion is another branch of Josiah Venture which reaches out to the local youth through music. The group performed all their songs for friends and family, and since Matt Hartman helps lead the ministry here in Ostrava, we interns came along! It was a blast! All the songs were in English, and the students sang, danced and played instruments with so much heart and enthusiasm. It was exciting to see their joy through music.
Saturday we traveled to Zlin to spend time with the youth group there. We got to know some of the leaders we will be coming alongside for English camp - playing games, eating, talking and discussing responsibilities. We will be doing our second camp with this group in July, and we are looking forward to serving with such a kind and loving group of people.
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| Here we all are at the Zlin Zoo! |
Here we are on Monday, back at the Hartman home - invited to stay one more night. It has been such a blessing for all of us to share this time together in a family setting. My heart is most certainly encouraged. This very minute Hayes is chasing Asher who is doing his best to eat a rice cake while Caden is watching as he eats lunch. We are in good hands.
Thank you all for your prayers! We will continue to prepare for English camp, as we now have new responsibilities for Zlin camp!
Rejoice in the Lord always,
Esther.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Dixon Farm
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| Sarah's pumped about her arms getting pumped up from all this shoveling and 'wheelbarrowing.' |
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| Here we are in the middle of the day, working alongside the neighbours who were turning over their hay. |
Thanks for joining us once again! We're happy to share our story with you.
Esther
Father's Day Post
Happy Father’s Day! This morning I treated myself with a sermon in English! I miss my church family, so it was a nice to watch a piece of home. I watched Kyle Idleman’s sermon from last week. If you missed it, you can watch it here:http://www.southeastchristian.org/?page=4754
In this sermon, Kyle presented the idea that we (as Christ-followers) should be the illustration of God’s design. This reminded me of the question that I have been presented with over and over. “Am I a picture of Christ to others?” As I have stepped into this internship and my role as a disciple maker, I have to be sure that when I invite people to “Come & see” (John 1:39) my life that they are seeing Christ in me. Is there truly something impeccably different about my life? Do people see the Gospel in how I live, act, speak, etc.?
When I think about the people that have discipled me, its not only the knowledge that they shared with me, but also the actions that I saw them doing. One of the most influential women in my life taught me to love the Word. She didn’t teach me that by telling me that I should love it or that I have to love it to be a good Christian. She taught me that by simply loving the Word. She always has her bible with her, she is familiar with it, she lights up when she talks about what she learns about Jesus, and she makes decisions based on the Word/Jesus. Without a formal invitation, she invited me in to “Come & see” her love for the Lord.
Am I inviting others in to see my love of the Lord? Am I reproducing Christ-followers who fear and obey God? (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Not only am I called to make disciples, but this summer I am called to “pull a Philip”. In Acts 8, we see Philip walking in obedience even though he has no idea what God is EXACTLY calling him to. His journey starts in verse 28. I encourage you to read it. At the end of this snapshot of Philip, we see that after he made a B-line to teaching about Jesus, they arrived at some water and the Eunuch wanted to be baptized. In verse 39, Philip is gone. It says that the Eunuch never saw Philip again, “BUT went on his way rejoicing”.
At the end of the summer, when I leave, will these students be rejoicing because its not about me (Sarah Burge) changing their lives or being dependent on me. Instead, are they rejoicing because I made a B-line to teaching about Jesus? Can I leave and it not matter because they are rejoicing that they encountered Christ?
So, my job is to be Philip. To run along side them. To sit with them and do life with them. To teach them about Jesus. To let them see how I live because of Christ. To leave and it not matter because its not about me, its about the Kingdom.
Please continue to pray for me and my team as we are pursuing being disciples who make disciples!
Love ya much,
Sarah
Sarah
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Together bringing His love to the world.
"and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them." - Acts 18:3
We arrived in Ostrava on Thursday and stayed through Monday. What a great weekend! It came with its bumps, miscommunications and challenges, but I assure you it was a good experience overall.
Thursday we were picked up at the train station by Michael (church youth leader), Monika and Davide. These are some stellar people! They were so helpful throughout the entire weekend. Jonathan and Ben stayed with Michael, while Sarah, Chelsie and I stayed with full-time English teachers: Shelly, Chelsea and Ashley. These girls allowed us to stay in their apartment... even though they left for a conference Friday through Sunday! They gave us the keys to the 'flat' and said, "make yourselves at home." This is a concrete example of the attitude of the believers we met this weekend.
Over and over we were welcomed into the lives of those we encountered and were invited to join in their work. Before this weekend, I had expected to come and serve this body of believers in tangible ways. However, coming out of the weekend I realize that I have been served and so very blessed by them: through their love, hospitality, kindness and encouragement.
On Sunday we joined their Bible study; Michael began by reading Acts 18:1-4. It is the introduction of Paul's relationship with Aquilla and Priscilla. Through this story, Michael very clearly communicated that we are "Paul" and their body is "Aquilla and Priscilla"; we met them and immediately joined in their work. This touched my heart deeply; it also gave me a better understanding of our relationship as believers. We are all here for the purpose of the gospel, and because we are fellow Christians, there is an immediate unity of love and trust. We come alongside one another, encouraging one another in the faith, and building each other up as we live to advance the gospel.
"and because [we are Christians], we "stayed with them and worked with them."
Friday: School Visits, Young Life (youth outreach progam that was so well done by the Czechs!), bowling.
Saturday: Camp meeting, Youth Group.
Sunday: Church, Lunch with a large group of Christain young people, Bible Study.
Monday: School Visits, traveled back to our base (Cesky Tesin), debriefed the weekend, Jonathan shared his testimony with the team.
I am so excited to be doing camp with these incredible brothers and sisters. They are so committed to sharing the gospel and to living the gospel. I am even more excited to be a bridge that connects unbelievers and new believers to these amazing children of God.
Its all because of Jesus we're ALIVE!
Rejoice in the Lord, Always,
Esther.
We arrived in Ostrava on Thursday and stayed through Monday. What a great weekend! It came with its bumps, miscommunications and challenges, but I assure you it was a good experience overall.
Thursday we were picked up at the train station by Michael (church youth leader), Monika and Davide. These are some stellar people! They were so helpful throughout the entire weekend. Jonathan and Ben stayed with Michael, while Sarah, Chelsie and I stayed with full-time English teachers: Shelly, Chelsea and Ashley. These girls allowed us to stay in their apartment... even though they left for a conference Friday through Sunday! They gave us the keys to the 'flat' and said, "make yourselves at home." This is a concrete example of the attitude of the believers we met this weekend.
Over and over we were welcomed into the lives of those we encountered and were invited to join in their work. Before this weekend, I had expected to come and serve this body of believers in tangible ways. However, coming out of the weekend I realize that I have been served and so very blessed by them: through their love, hospitality, kindness and encouragement.
On Sunday we joined their Bible study; Michael began by reading Acts 18:1-4. It is the introduction of Paul's relationship with Aquilla and Priscilla. Through this story, Michael very clearly communicated that we are "Paul" and their body is "Aquilla and Priscilla"; we met them and immediately joined in their work. This touched my heart deeply; it also gave me a better understanding of our relationship as believers. We are all here for the purpose of the gospel, and because we are fellow Christians, there is an immediate unity of love and trust. We come alongside one another, encouraging one another in the faith, and building each other up as we live to advance the gospel.
"and because [we are Christians], we "stayed with them and worked with them."
 |
| Sunday night Bible study. |
Friday: School Visits, Young Life (youth outreach progam that was so well done by the Czechs!), bowling.
Saturday: Camp meeting, Youth Group.
Sunday: Church, Lunch with a large group of Christain young people, Bible Study.
Monday: School Visits, traveled back to our base (Cesky Tesin), debriefed the weekend, Jonathan shared his testimony with the team.
I am so excited to be doing camp with these incredible brothers and sisters. They are so committed to sharing the gospel and to living the gospel. I am even more excited to be a bridge that connects unbelievers and new believers to these amazing children of God.
Its all because of Jesus we're ALIVE!
Rejoice in the Lord, Always,
Esther.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Role of an Intern.
We've been sent out, in groups of 5 and 6 and 8's. Our intern training finished yesterday and now we are rolling into action. Today Jon, Ben, Sarah, Chelsie and I are going to Ostrava for the weekend; this is where our first camp will be. We will meet with the partnering church and their youth group and will present the camp in high school classrooms!
We are going out as ambassadors (2Cor 5:20); we represent Christ and His church. I thank God, His apostle Paul and the Josiah Venture staff for communicating this mindset. This past week a full time JV missionary gave us a sober understanding of who we are as interns: we are bridges and we must be disposable. This summer I am merely a stepping stone for youth to meet with Christ and to be connected with their local church. I am here for only a short time, for a week as far as the campers are concerned. I cannot, I MUST not be depended upon. Josiah Venture's vision is to see 'a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society.' I am not the local church, I am not a permanent and therefore it would be wrong of me to act as though I were. We are here to direct the youth to Christ, the Head and the church, His body.
Please pray that we would maintain this mindset, that we would be humble, selfless and willing. "We are all Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2Cor 5:20)
Thank you all for your support in this ministry. Together as parts of Christ's worldwide body, we will continue to see God move here. He has already begun!
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther
We are going out as ambassadors (2Cor 5:20); we represent Christ and His church. I thank God, His apostle Paul and the Josiah Venture staff for communicating this mindset. This past week a full time JV missionary gave us a sober understanding of who we are as interns: we are bridges and we must be disposable. This summer I am merely a stepping stone for youth to meet with Christ and to be connected with their local church. I am here for only a short time, for a week as far as the campers are concerned. I cannot, I MUST not be depended upon. Josiah Venture's vision is to see 'a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society.' I am not the local church, I am not a permanent and therefore it would be wrong of me to act as though I were. We are here to direct the youth to Christ, the Head and the church, His body.
Please pray that we would maintain this mindset, that we would be humble, selfless and willing. "We are all Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2Cor 5:20)
Thank you all for your support in this ministry. Together as parts of Christ's worldwide body, we will continue to see God move here. He has already begun!
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Dva.
We survived the truly amazing 'Amazing Race'! What a blast!
There are so many things I could tell you, but perhaps I should begin with Josiah Venture's intention of the race. The race provides a quick and intentional way for the teams to get to know each other and to learn how to work together. After realizing the purpose of the race, our team (Jonathan, Sarah, Ben, Chelsie and Esther) decided our goal was not to win, but to actually do our best in every situation. Personally, I was overjoyed since the pressure of having to win greatly reduces the amount of fun I have. The goal to do our best served us extremely well throughout the entire race; when we ran the wrong way for 10 minutes, when team members were tired or frustrated or when we stumbled through a challenge, we were able to work together, doing our best in the circumstance we were given. I thank God for this. As a team, we have learned so many important things that will surely transfer over into the summer! I am so grateful!
So, here is an overview of the race:
This year, teams met at the airport in Krakow on May 30, 2012; here the race began. The next 46 hours are somewhat of a blur. We raced through Krakow until the afternoon of May 31 (shaving heads, arms and legs; decoding; playing people bingo; grocery shopping; eating our planets; visiting Oskar Schindler's enamel factory; asking many Poles for directions; praying and debriefing throughout). We took a 3 hour bus ride through the countryside of Poland, nailed the H2O Olympics, danced our way the train station, and taxi'd our way to our destination, Hotel Malenovice. We arrived at the hotel on June 1, 2012 at 1:30pm in second place. Yes, second place!! We were soo very excited... and somewhat shocked.
So here we are the hotel for intern training - with limited internet access as there is only one communal computer. It is absolutely beautiful here; we are so very blessed to be a part of this and I know that we will learn so much. We will learn not for the sake of knowing, but for the sake of doing. We are being equipped to be sent out and I am so excited.
"To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29)
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther
There are so many things I could tell you, but perhaps I should begin with Josiah Venture's intention of the race. The race provides a quick and intentional way for the teams to get to know each other and to learn how to work together. After realizing the purpose of the race, our team (Jonathan, Sarah, Ben, Chelsie and Esther) decided our goal was not to win, but to actually do our best in every situation. Personally, I was overjoyed since the pressure of having to win greatly reduces the amount of fun I have. The goal to do our best served us extremely well throughout the entire race; when we ran the wrong way for 10 minutes, when team members were tired or frustrated or when we stumbled through a challenge, we were able to work together, doing our best in the circumstance we were given. I thank God for this. As a team, we have learned so many important things that will surely transfer over into the summer! I am so grateful!
 |
| Our finishing dance at Hotel Malenovice! |
This year, teams met at the airport in Krakow on May 30, 2012; here the race began. The next 46 hours are somewhat of a blur. We raced through Krakow until the afternoon of May 31 (shaving heads, arms and legs; decoding; playing people bingo; grocery shopping; eating our planets; visiting Oskar Schindler's enamel factory; asking many Poles for directions; praying and debriefing throughout). We took a 3 hour bus ride through the countryside of Poland, nailed the H2O Olympics, danced our way the train station, and taxi'd our way to our destination, Hotel Malenovice. We arrived at the hotel on June 1, 2012 at 1:30pm in second place. Yes, second place!! We were soo very excited... and somewhat shocked.
So here we are the hotel for intern training - with limited internet access as there is only one communal computer. It is absolutely beautiful here; we are so very blessed to be a part of this and I know that we will learn so much. We will learn not for the sake of knowing, but for the sake of doing. We are being equipped to be sent out and I am so excited.
"To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29)
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Esther
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
There once were three girls in Czech...
Hello friends,
Thank you so much for being here; thank you for looking into our story here.
On Monday Chelsie, Sarah and I were able to sit in on Josiah Venture's Czech ministry team meeting. The speaker (possibly the head of the Czech ministry team, but I'm not sure because he spoke Czech) gave all the team members small notepads for the summer. He said it could be their own miracle book containing many stories of how God moved. There are enough pages to write something everyday, and I expect that this is necessary. This blog is our 'miracle book' to you - that "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim" (taken from 1 John 1:1).
May God be glorified in us.
I am confident that the Lord will move, that He is moving, and I desire to tell His stories. I encourage you to tell your stories. Look for Him - He is moving everyday here and there with you.
Recently, I have been praying for a more willing heart; yesterday, someone told me one of their stories and said, "here God taught me what He can do when we are willing." I'm sure he had no idea, but that resonated so deeply in me; I know that I will be more willing because of what God did there. It's all because of Jesus I'm alive.
Thank you so much for your support, prayer and interest. I am so very happy to be here. I love it here - God knew that I would love it and He brought me here to take part in what He is doing. I am so thankful. God bless you all with eyes to see His presence and movement. Praise His name!
Rejoice in the Lord!
Esther.
Thank you so much for being here; thank you for looking into our story here.
On Monday Chelsie, Sarah and I were able to sit in on Josiah Venture's Czech ministry team meeting. The speaker (possibly the head of the Czech ministry team, but I'm not sure because he spoke Czech) gave all the team members small notepads for the summer. He said it could be their own miracle book containing many stories of how God moved. There are enough pages to write something everyday, and I expect that this is necessary. This blog is our 'miracle book' to you - that "which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim" (taken from 1 John 1:1).
May God be glorified in us.
I am confident that the Lord will move, that He is moving, and I desire to tell His stories. I encourage you to tell your stories. Look for Him - He is moving everyday here and there with you.
Recently, I have been praying for a more willing heart; yesterday, someone told me one of their stories and said, "here God taught me what He can do when we are willing." I'm sure he had no idea, but that resonated so deeply in me; I know that I will be more willing because of what God did there. It's all because of Jesus I'm alive.
Thank you so much for your support, prayer and interest. I am so very happy to be here. I love it here - God knew that I would love it and He brought me here to take part in what He is doing. I am so thankful. God bless you all with eyes to see His presence and movement. Praise His name!
Rejoice in the Lord!
Esther.
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