Blog Post or Novel... You Decide :)

Originally, I had thought I would be able to transition into writing a blog post every couple weeks since everything should be pretty routine and traditional as we move into the school year activities; however, as I am considering all that has happened in the past two weeks, I am in awe of the variety of activities and the many ways I want to share all God is doing here!  So we will see how the next couple of weeks go, but for today, grab your favorite beverage and kick back to read what has been happening here, look through pictures, and even watch a few videos.

At the beginning of last week, two of the Elim leaders and I ventured into three Boskovice Elementary Schools to invite kids (ages 12-15yrs) to join us at our new club for a party the following Wednesday.  When we go to the schools, we like to surprise the kids with the fact that I am American and speak English!  In one class we visited, the teacher was an English teacher and after I finished speaking, she gave a joyful clap and exclaimed "excellent!" and continued to say to her students that I had spoken perfectly.  I held in my laughter until we left the classroom, but the whole time I was thinking "I hope it is perfect... I have been a native speaker for 22 years!"

Inviting at the Schools

Wednesday came and we stocked up on Pepsi and Popcorn and prepared to open the club doors for the party.  We didn't know how many kids to expect, but we were all pretty surprised when we had over 70 students show up for the party!  It was a reminder to us all that when we are obedient to God and do what He has called us to do, we can trust He has everything purposefully planned.  Popcorn kernels speckled the carpet, kids jumped between games, and the room didn't lull for four hours!

Watch a short video about the Boskovice Party here! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3traSI9M1g

My Kid's English Class is growing and the only girl who was in my first class is thrilled that three more girls are coming regularly!  In the past two weeks, we studied vocabulary and phrases surrounding the topics of Transportation (car, airplane, train, boat, etc,) and Bodies (arm, leg, head, elbow, finger, etc.).  My "classroom" doesn't always contain four walls and desks as we are regularly outside practicing the vocabulary.  Whether it is having a team race like a train or tracing each other's bodies with chalk, my students seem to be finding that learning English can be fun and active!  

Train Races

Chalk Tracing

I also started teaching an Adult English Class, which is already maxed out and there are still more interested in the class!  We are considering if it is possible to split into two groups and continue to include those who desire to learn English.  I thank God there is so much desire to come to the class as it is a great way to introduce families to our church since my class is located in the youth room within the church building.  The first lesson was exciting as I only knew a couple of the adults and we spent the time getting to know each other and playing an English alphabet game to see how much they already know!  When they arrive to the class, some of the adults are more shy than the kids I work with, but by the end of the time together, everyone seemed comfortable with the group and excited for the next lesson.

English Alphabet Game

Last week, the kids had a day off of school, so we used this opportunity to have a Club Sleepover!  There were over 40 of us altogether and activities lasted throughout the night.  It was my first sleepover club, so I had mistakenly thought that the kids would probably stay up just past midnight before they all crashed from their energy... boy, was I wrong!  I went to bed at 5am, and there were still some kids watching movies and playing games!  Between jumping in the bouncy castle, foosball and table tennis competitions, group games, movies, and Nerf wars there was no time to be tired! Even though we didn't get much sleep and the half-leaders looked completely drained in the morning, we all agreed it was a perfect night.  It was a great time getting to know the kids, and getting to pray with them before our dinner was a real treat as we were able to show them our faith in a way many of them have not experienced.

Sleepover Group

My Nerf War Team

Watch a short video about the Sleepover Club here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chgx6nmUaT0

Autumn here is absolutely wonderful because as it is gradually getting cooler, the days are still pretty warm and great weather for outdoor activities - not that Minnesota fall where you go outside and half the people are already wearing scarves and boots and the other half, who are in denial for the long winter ahead, are still wearing shorts and sandals.  So we decided to take another bike trip with our club kids to make the most of the great weather!  We biked around the lake near Letovice and through multiple little villages.  I have to give credit to these kids as Czech is a pretty hilly country; every time we would make it to the top of the hill, I would hear small cheers from the kids as they sped down the other side of the hill.  I guess that's the best part of a hill is that after you do all the work to go up, you have to eventually get to enjoy the ride back down!

Bike Trip

Watch a short video of the Bike Trip here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIMp6c08aNk

On Friday afternoons, I get to spend a couple hours with some of the kids from the church.  I have really enjoyed the time with this group as the teachers not only help the kids learn Bible stories and practice verses, but they are also teaching the kids life-skills like reading a map, using a compass, tying knots with rope, and identifying different plants in nature!  To do both life-skills and Bible time simultaneously, one of the leaders created an extravagant scavenger hunt with clues and challenges.  As the students completed various tasks, they would earn play money for their team.  At the end of the scavenger hunt, there was one last task at the church.  The teams were each given an offering plate and asked to give some of their "money" to God.  On the table in front of the teams was some sweets they can buy with their earned money.  Each team had over $100; the first team gave $6 and the third team gave $30.  The second team, however, stood at the offering plate for a while as they talked about the good time they had playing the game and they were thankful to the leaders for organizing it, so they decided to place all the money they had earned in the offering plate.  The leader then read 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  He continued by saying that the money the teams put into the offering would be doubled since they had decided to give some to the offering cheerfully.  The second team noticed the disappointment of the first team once they realized they had not given much to the offering.  That is when I realized they really understood the context of the verse as they took their chocolate bars, broke it into multiple pieces, and sat with the other teams and shared all their winnings with the groups!  The students seemed to understand they would have more joy sharing their sweets than eating the whole bar themselves.  I can see how God is using this time to enrich these kids' lives as they are not only learning about God, but showing their understanding of the scripture through their actions.

Team Scavenger Hunt

Watch a short video about the Bible Class Adventure here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDWJHCh2LM&feature=em-upload_owner

If you made it through this incredibly long blogpost/novel, I applaud you!  As you can see, days here are never boring as I am frequently reminded of the blessings God has given me to share with others. Whether it be silly faces on the soccer field or trying not to shake the table from laughing while playing Jenga, I know God is with me in each moment, and I pray others see Him there too.  

Club Time

Youth Group