Our Trip to North Carolina: Part 2

The next big event of our week was homecoming and the events that surrounded it. The Czech students got to be involved in putting together floats, which was a first for them.

On Friday morning, Tonya and I were asked to pick up some convertibles from a local car dealership so that the homecoming candidates could ride in them. We drove to the dealership and on the way there we decided to only pick up one of the cars. When we saw what kind of cars they were, we decided we could get both. "I want to drive that one," Tonya said, pointing to the JAGUAR that was parked there. I had to settle for a Porsche. 

The parade was fun. The seniors added the Czech flag to their pirate ship themed float. It was a very nice gesture I thought. 

At the homecoming games that night, Tonya and I were able to reconnect with some of our favorite people the whole world: our former players. Not all of them were there, but it was still wonderful to see them. We laughed, we reminisced, and cheered as a basketball player won homecoming queen. All was right in the world. 

Saturday evening my family met us for dinner at Champps resturant at Southpoint mall in Durham. Our students got an auhentic USA restaurant experience, with oversized portions and free refills. We finished the night racing go-karts. it was a blast.

Sunday we met for lunch and said our goodbyes to our host families. As we drove off in the bus to the airport, a student said, "I love these people." It was such a simple and perfect response to the hospitality shown to us that week.

If you helped in any way, thank you so much. We could not have done it without you.

Special Thanks to:

GRACE Christian School, Mandy Gill, Isaiah Whelpley, Don Payne and Sean Blesh.
Red Branch Baptist Church for giving us a van to drive, free of charge.
My parents, for all your generosity.
AJ and Dottie, for loaning us your van.
Jennifer, for having your baby while we were there so we could meet him.

 

Our Trip to North Carolina, Part One

When we last left off, we had boarded the plane and made it to North Carolina. We were all exhausted from having to sleep in the airport. When we got to RDU, the principal and assistant principal from GRACE Christian school were there waiting for us. We were able to use the school buses to make our way to our first true NC experience: Bojangles. For me, it was a wonderful welcome home meal. For the students, it was pure culture shock. I never thought I would have to explain what the word "fixins" meant. Some of them liked it, some not so much. One thing is for sure though, we were really grateful that the school picked up the tab. It was truly a blessing.

That night, we were able to take the students to their first NHL game. This was very exciting for them because hockey is the national sport in the Czech Republic. There were several Czech players on both teams, so the students waved their Czech flag proudly. It was a great experience. We even got to interact with some inebriated hockey fans just to give them a true experience (Lots of swearing and inappropriate comments to ignore. Good times.).

The next day was Wednesday, and the students spent most of it at school. They went to chapel with the GRACE students. That was certainly a very different experience for them, as most of them do not attend church services here in Prague. I am sure some felt very uncomfortable, but it was another authentic NC experience. Tonya and I were really overjoyed that the Czech students could experience something that we really value highly: our faith.

That is it for part one. Join me again in a couple of days for the conclusion to our USA trip with the Czech students.

Before I end this one though, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the host families, the teachers, students, and staff of GRACE Christian School. This trip was amazing, and it was amazing because of you. Thank you so much.

New York.

So we took a group of students to New York and North Carolina over the course of the past two weeks. This blog will focus on the adventure that was New York.

It was wonderful. Many of them were seeing the city and the US for the first time ever. Seeing their faces in Times Square was priceless. We were able to see pretty much every major landmark that the city has to offer. As a bonus, they went and decided to host the Super Bowl in New York for us. It was great to get to show the students just how big of a a deal the Super Bowl is here in the US. We got delivery pizza from Papa Johns. They liked it so much that we ordered it again the next day. It was a whirlwind of a tour, but I think the kids got to see everything they wanted to and then some.

When we got up on Monday, we were greeted by about six inches of snow. It was beautiful, but unwelcome. That was the beginning of the obstacle course that we called getting to Raleigh. 

The next obstacle occurred when we realized that our flight was leaving from JFK and not La Guardia. We were about five minutes from La Guardia and about forty from JFK. Did I mention all the snow? Well, we had to lug our bags through a maze of slush and icy puddles, up and down stairs, and in and out of subway trains. It was exhausting, but kind of fun. Well, not really.

Obstacle number three occurred when our flight to Raleigh was cancelled, causing us to spend the night in the airport. We did not get to check in our luggage due to a mysterious "security" measure that stated that we could not check in our bags until six hours before the flight. (This measure was even more mysterious when it disappeared the next morning due to us being in the way.)

We spent the night on the hard floor of the JFK airport. Some of us got pillows, some got blankets, some got both, and others got neither. Our students did not complain (at least not in English) and they used their luggage to make little forts in one long line through the airport so that they could have some privacy while they slept.

The next morning we were awoken by a less than friendly staff as they told us to move because we were in the way. I told the employee that we couldn't move because our flight was not available to check in (it was more that six hours before it left) and we had no where to go. "Who told you that?" she asked me, as if she had never heard of such a rule. "You did." I replied as calmly as I could. Now at this point, the trip could have taken a real turn for the worse. Thankfully, no one had to bail me out of jail that evening.

We got to the counter to check in and an employee who may have been part angel realized that we did not have to wait six more hours for a one hour flight, but that there was room on the next flight that was leaving in forty-five minutes. We rushed and made the flight, only to face obstacle number four: a malfunctioning aircraft.

We sat on the plane for about three hours while they tried to get it to work. Finally, we had to deplane and board another aircraft. From there, we were on our way to Raleigh, the subject of next week's blog story.

To sum up our flight schedule: Our 8pm Monday flight was delayed until Tuesday at 4pm. We boarded that flight at 8am on Tuesday instead and finally took of at 12pm. Sheesh.

Say Cheese!

Have you ever been in a group photo? Of course you have. Maybe it was for a team you played on, or a class photo from elementary school, or summer camp, but you've definitely been in one. The thing I love about group photos is that they capture a moment in time that will never come again. Surprisingly, that is also what I don't like about them. Group photos are bittersweet. They let us remember a past event with gladness, but they also make us sad as we begin to realize how much we miss those in the picture we no longer see anymore. In some cases, those in the pictures with us have passed away, leaving that photo as one of the only things of them that remain. This is a depressing thought for some of us, but not for all of us. Let me explain.

I recently had the privilege of taking a group photo with some friends of mine who have also dedicated their lives to serve The Lord here in Central Europe. As I looked at it on everyone's favorite social networking site, I realized that that particular group of people may never be in the same room again. I wanted to feel sad about this, but I was struck with the beautiful realization that most Christians take for granted on occasion: We will all be in the same room again someday.

For Christians, we have the peace of knowing that the end is never really the end. We have the hope of heaven and the peace of knowing that God will bring us all together again one day, either here on earth for some special calling, or in eternity when we celebrate the marvelous victory of Christ over sin and death.

So now when I look at myself in this group photo, I remember the hope I have in Christ and the peace that it brings. I don't deserve it, but He gave it anyway.

That is definitely something worth remembering.


Spiritual Renewal Retreat, January 2014

The Final Countdown

There is a song called "The Final Countdown" that plays just before basketball games or other sporting events. It implies that something big is about to be decided. Lately I feel like that song has been playing on repeat in my mind. Tonya and I have a big decision to make in February and it feels like we have so many options to entertain that we just don't know what to do.

When we decided to sell our house, store our belongings, give away our car and move overseas, we knew we would be doing that for at least two years. That number always seemed like so much time and such a far off place from where we were when we committed that we would certainly know what to do next when the time came to make a decision. Well, the time has come and here we sit, nearly clueless as to what we need to do next. We have a general idea of what we want, but we want what we want to be what God wants us to want. Makes sense, right?

We went to church today, hoping for answers or insights, and the pastor preached a sermon about waiting on The Lord. That is pretty funny because typically the last thing I ever want to do is wait on The Lord for anything. But that seems like what we need to do right now.

Will you help us wait on The Lord? Will you pray for us to have wisdom as to what our next step is? We would greatly appreciate it.

I bet that song is in your head now.

2013: Year in Review

The past year was one of the most challenging and roller coaster-y years of our lives. There were constant highs and lows and unexpected twists and turns. We learned a lot about ourselves, our lives, and our God who constantly provides for our needs. Here is how it went:

January
I was very ill at the outset of the month. To add insult to injury, January dumped a healthy dose of cold and dark on us that we were not quite ready for. Homesickness hit pretty hard as well. Suffice it to say, we were not a fan of the month of January.

February

The cold continued, but we were blessed to have a wonderful trip to Rome. The weather was much nicer, and we got to spend some quality time with good friends. Tonya had a bit of an illness this month which prevented her from attending the school dance, which was a bit of a downer. Overall, though, February was nice.

March

March was LONG. Other than that, it was uneventful.

April

This month was a month of excitement! My brother and his family came for a visit for Easter. It was a great boost for us as they lifted our spirits. What was really surprising about this month was how cold it was. Even our students and colleagues remarked about how long winter was hanging on. The highlight of the month and the school year was our first drama club production. We did not know what to expect, and the students blew us away with how amazing they were. They really put their hearts into the production and we were very proud of them for it.

May

May was strange because our fourth year students were dismissed to study for their final exams. We had some days where we came in to school at 2:00pm to begin our day.

June

June had an interesting start as I attended a zombie walk with one of my students. It is exactly like it sounds. Dress up as a zombie, and walk through Prague. It was very funny. We terrorized tourists as they snapped photos of us. You can even find it on YouTube. The rest of June passed without event, and we said goodbye to Prague. We arrived home on June 29th.

July

July was a time to reconnect with family and friends. We also began to work feverishly on our August fundraiser. For the first time, we toured the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.

August

The highlight of August was no doubt our basketball fundraiser. We were able to see so many of our former students and watch some great three on three basketball. To all the people who helped us raise over 3,000 dollars for our endeavors here, thank you so much.

September

We returned to school the first week of September with a sense of confidence. We knew our way around the city and the school, and the month moved along very smoothly. We were able to connect with YoungLife Praha, a Christian youth outreach organization here in Prague. We also found a church home: International Church of Prague.

October

We began drama club again, this time with the assistance of some YoungLife leaders. We were very pleased to have them be a part of drama club. We were also able to take a wonderful fall break trip to Italy where we toured many famous towns such as Florence, Pisa, Milan, Verona, Venice, and Cinque Terre.

November

For November, we got together for Thanksgiving with all of the ESI teachers from Hungary and Czech Republic. It was great to hear about what The Lord is doing in these countries. A huge highlight for us was being able to see some new believers get baptized at out church.

December

December was surprisingly warm here in Prague. We only got a light dusting of snow that lasted for only about a day. The highlight of December was being able to travel again. This time we got to see Paris and Budapest, two very beautiful cities. I was astonished at how much French I remembered from high school. Mrs. Dorton, (my high school French Teacher) I am sure I have made you proud.

So that wraps up the 2013 year in review. If you are still with me at this point, you deserve a treat of some type.

It's only about three weeks until we will be coming to the USA with a group of Czech students! Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to all of you who have supported us through the past year.

The Reason for the Season

So it’s been awhile since we updated the blog. As I’m sure is the case for most this time of year, we have been pretty busy.  Our weeknights have been filled with Drama Club, Worldview Club, English speaking partners, and Bible Study. It’s kind of weird that last year it seemed like we couldn’t get anything going regularly and this year we never seem to have enough time to do everything we want to do. 

I was having a conversation about God recently with my speaking partner. During the conversation we started talking about how some people say that they don’t believe in anything and how that was hard to believe. We all have a measure of faith in someone or something even if it’s just ourselves.

During this Christmas season I think I’ve realized more than ever how much of a privilege it is that I do believe in God. It’s disheartening to think about the hopelessness of living without the hope of a Savior. I can’t imagine celebrating Christmas without recognizing and appreciating the whole purpose for the holiday. 

It’s hard to imagine not having faith in something greater than myself. It’s hard to imagine not believing in Jesus’ payment for my sins and the peace that it brings. It’s hard to imagine not having a personal relationship with God. But I have to try to imagine it because it’s how most people around me live their lives.

The whole “Jesus is the reason for the season” saying has come alive all around me because I’m one of few who truly believes that here. 

We will be taking a break from the blog for the rest of December. We will be doing a lot of traveling and will hopefully have lots to write about in January, including our upcoming trip to the USA!