Superhero LetFest

It has been a couple weeks since I have posted an update, and that is because we just completed LetFest!  LetFest is a city-wide multicultural/multigenerational camp with English learning opportunities, a variety of workshops, seminars, sports classes, music classes, dance classes, and many other events!  As you can see, the weeks were filled preparing for LetFest, contudcting LetFest, and rewinding from the week of activities.  During LetFest, 17 Americans from Friendship Church came to help with the week of ministry and teach English.  Additionally, a team from Great Britian along with individuals from New Zealand and Russia came to Letovice to help put on LetFest.       This year at LetFest was the smoothest it has ever been - everything worked wonderfully and transitioned so well.  In each moment of the day, I could see how talents were being used for God's glory and to show unbelievers the love of Christ.  

American Team on the Fourth of July

During Letfest, I taught the youngest English Class (ages 6-10).  I had a total of 20 students in my class and we played many games and created multiple projects with English vocabulary immersion throughout the activities.  Since the theme of LetFest this year was "Superheroes," we called our class "Superhero Training" and did many team building activities to train us to be Superheroes.  By doing Superhero Activities, we created an environment where the students could build courage and become comfortable with the class - generally, this class tends to be very shy, but by day three, even the shyest kids were asking to be in the middle of the class first during activities!

Superhero Training

At the end of the end of the week of LetFest, I also like to creatively share the gospel with my students in a way that they will hopefully remember.  This year, I shared God's love with my students through a short gospel presentation called "Smile, God Loves YOU!"  We took toothbrush kits and had the students decorate them with many stickers to make the kits unique just like them!  Then, I talked about how God created each of them unique and with a smile to share with the world, and also how we can find joy when we love and trust God.  The students really enjoyed the activity, and I pray that God was able to touch the hearts of the students in this experience.  

Showing off their Toothbrush Kits

This was my fourth year of teaching the Children's English Class at LetFest, and I have been praying for some of these first students for four years to make a decision to follow God.  The group of kids in my first class are not "kids" anymore as many of them are about 15 years old!  One night during LetFest, there was an "alter call" in one of the seminars and two of the students I had in my first English Class stood up and went forward to commit their lives to Christ!  One of the students had talked to me before LetFest and said she maybe thought God was real, but still didn't know for sure.  After the seminar, she came to me with tears in her eyes and said she was all in for God!  As you can assume, I was in tears at this point too as we hugged and rejoiced God together.  It is moments like this after years of prayer, conversations, and building friendships that I can see how God has used me and so many others in each step and with each planted seed.

Matching Friends

In the afternoons of LetFest, we have a "chapel time," and the speakers talked about Superheroes from the Bible.  What amazed me during these chapel talks is the number of kids that stayed during the program and their attentiveness to the speaker!  Most days, I had a group of about 7 young girls sitting around me listening to the speakers and answering the crowd questions.  There is something very heartwarming about having a six-year-old in my lap calling out anwers to the Bible story designed for teenagers.  

With a "Little Friend"

With each LetFest, I enjoy seeing returning students, some of whom come a long distance just for LetFest!  I also love meeting new friends and students as LetFest continues to reach more people.  I am excited to see how God will use the friendships made at this LetFest throughout the year!

Two of These Young Friends Travel from Prague to LetFest Each Year!

After LetFest, I joined the American Team for debreif in Prague.  I really enjoyed spending the time with the team and getting to know each of them even more.  We were able to encourage each other and share how we saw God work at LetFest.  While we were in Prague, we had the opportunity to go help at a club for Gypsy kids one afternoon.  A group of five of us went and spent the afternoon at the club - some of us played soccer, others had conversations with the older kids, and I spent the majority of the time with a little five-year-old who just loved to jump from a bench into my arms and be spun around or go for "piggy-back rides."  I loved seeing how God could continue to use our talents in Prague and felt so blessed to spend an afternoon with these kids!

I leave Monday for Vikings Camp with a group of about 30 people from the youth group and Plan B club.  I am excited to see all that will happen this week and pray God will have his hand on this event also!