Love is a Universal Language : July 2023

James 1:17 "Every GOOD THING given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

LetFest is our summer outreach event with our youth organization, ELIM. For one week of summer, we put on a day camp for kids (ages 6-18), then have evening activities for teens and adults. It is an intensive week filled with many different activities and it takes many months of the year to prepare all the details. I love that there is so much happening at one moment in LetFest and without everyone on the team, it just wouldn't happen. To see how we each get use our gifts to make the best week possible for others is one of my favorite parts of the week!

Enjoy this short video recap of LetFest!

(Talking at the start: Kendra - "Say hello! How was your hike?" Translator (in the best Czenglish ever!) - "[The hike] was very good. We are maybe [hurt] and [burned] from [stinging nettle weed], but it was good. Thank you.")

Preparation

As school ended the last day of June, we went into full LetFest preparation with our Czech team to get the building all ready for the week of camp! Our team of Americans arrived a few days before LetFest began and we continued our preparation with team building between the teams and training for the days to come. It was a special time for our Czech team to connect with the American team, and we learned very quickly that we were all going to really enjoy the two weeks together! Friendships formed instantly and carried throughout the camp.

LetFest Begins

We had about 120 students for the week of camp (divided pretty evenly between English and Sports/Dance Classes) as well as 50 Czech volunteers, 15 Americans, and a family from Great Britain. During the day, we had our LetCafe running nonstop as many guests from the city and parents stopped in to chat and see our newly renovated space. We also had many guests come listen to seminars and participate in evening activities. Needless to say, if one wanted to find a quiet place just to themselves, they had to be incredibly successful at hide-and-seek! I loved that everywhere there were kids flooding through the halls and engaging in so many activities.

English Classes

Yes, my shirt says "Chaos Coordinator" - it's an official job title for Monday at LetFest...

This year, my role had a little different look to it. Instead of teaching a group, I helped manage all the classes, and I loved dropping into all the classes during the day! I made sure all my teachers, translators, and students had everything they needed - materials, snacks & water, care, and encouragement.

It was always exciting jumping in and out of classroom activities. If I wanted to Freeze Dance, I'd join the littlest group. If I wanted to listen to a Narnia reading, I'd join the middle-teen group. When I came in and out of the preteen group, I had to make dolphin noises because they were imagining they were on a cruise ship and had decided that if I insisted on visiting, I had to enter upon a dolphin! Then I'd loop to go check in on my all-boy teaching team who had fourteen 9 & 10-year-old little girls in their class - only girls (I still don't know who was more afraid of whom on that first day... the 14 little girls of the teenage American boys, or the teenage American boys of a swarm of 14 little girls... they managed just fine and by the end of the week, the girls were clinging to their teachers!) I occasionally dropped in for a short conversation at reception or the cafe, rummaged for materials in the storage room, printed last minute papers, distributed snacks and water, but joining in on the classroom activities to see the kids' smiling faces was definitely the highlight!

Sweet little friends whom I met last year at LetFest!

2016: these two were my students for the first time & 2023: they were first year translators! I love this legacy as I get to see these kids grow over the years.

Program

My group of little buddies and I met in the same spot every day for program time - up by the sound booth - for multiple reasons: 1) close to the microphones if I needed to jump up and translate something last minute; 2) next to the stage for one of my little buddies to lead one of our camp dances (such great young talent!); 3) and the most important reason (secret revealing...), it was directly in front of one of the fans in our non-air-conditioned room with 200 people! Our youth and family teacher from the American team taught each day about our theme "Good Things." The first day was talking about creation and all the good things in nature, but the best thing that has been created is us! The following days, we talked about how our "bad things" separate us from knowing all the Creator of good things, but that He sent Jesus to repair our relationship, which is a VERY good thing! The programs were engaging, thought provoking, and perfect for young listeners.

Workshops

After programs, we had an hour and half for the kids to participate in workshops (including artistic, sporty, and theatrical workshops). Some of the kids rotated through multiple workshops in the afternoon and others were committed to their workshop for the entirety of the week!

Baseball workshop is one of my favorite activities at LetFest each year! This year, we stayed at our outdoor space at the main building to make it easier for the little kids to drop in and out of the game. As we were setting up the workshop however, we realized the baseballs had been brought up to the sports field for Sports Classes! We gathered some softballs, foam balls, wiffle balls, and scrounged up two baseballs in the storage room to make do... but the kids were fast learners and wanted to try catching with traditional baseballs. We also realized our American baseball gum that my partner had so generously brought over was in the bag with the baseballs at the Sport Field! The only solution was to get the baseballs! I quickly ran to find a friend with a car and then ran to find the leader who had the key to locker room at the field, and then sprinted back to my co-leader and sent him off to get the materials. My task seemed easy. Keep a dozen kids entertained until we get the balls. I decided batting practice would do the trick. I pulled out the tee the Americans had so graciously brought and set it up for the kids to bat.

Then chaos ensued.

In one moment after my co-leader had left, my star baseball student sent the (thankfully plastic) ball flying over the fence into the neighbor's yard. At the same time, one of my little students came running up to me saying, "[Student A] with a broken arm, has locked herself in the bathroom and can't turn the lock!" If that wasn't enough, another leader immediately behind her said, "Kendra, [Student B] (our youngest member at camp at 5 years old) is crying and refusing to talk to anyone. You know her best; can you help?"

One of our other American friends was walking by at that moment, and I commissioned her to lead the dozen baseball players, sent a student translator to go ask the neighbor to get our ball back, asked the other leader to go with the student to unlock the little girl from the bathroom, and I went to find out why our youngest camp member was in tears. (Turns out she just needed big sister to make her laugh and then wanted to play alone.) Upon arriving back, my baseball co-leader met me with the bag of baseballs and with a laugh I said, "you are never leaving again!" The rest of the baseball workshop was a great success!

(1) Little Star player asked for a signature on his baseball at the end of the week. I was honored!

(2) Grabbed some of my upcoming little leaders to help me set up for the baseball workshop, tossed some of my jerseys and a baseball cap at them... turned around and realized I had the best bat boys!

Besides the baseball workshop, I helped at a rollerblading workshop a couple of the days. The kids are incredibly talented! One of the little girls was so determined she would push my hands away and then grab them again a second later as she lost her balance and then pushed them away again! It was a back and forth like this, and I loved watching her dedication to mastering balancing on rollerblades alone (and, in the same breath, slightly terrified that she would topple over at any moment she pushed my hands away! But it is by falling that we learn). Watching the kids migrate between workshops as they try out new activities, is one of my favorite things during workshop. I really enjoyed seeing a beautiful mural come to life on the walls of our building! I love the greenery that mirrors the spray-painted old skatepark walls on the other side of the courtyard. It really seems to say, "but in this place, there is something beautiful growing!"

OH MY! Such beauty!

Seminars

After workshops, we sent the little kids home to rest for the next day. The leaders would break up into different meeting teams as we needed to discuss different evening or next day activities. We then had some down time to rest, eat dinner, and prepare for the evening activities. We started evening activities each night with a seminar. The seminars this year were stellar! Monday night included eating dried bugs at the end (the cricket was alright, but I only had one, thanks for asking...). Watching one student torment his older sister by eating dried bugs in front of her brought a fun end to the seminar! I joined my ELIM team in a seminar that we call, "The Story of the Soccer Ball" - about how ELIM was formed and how we got to where we are now. Our team of nine joined on the stage one by one until all the seats were finally filled as we each took a spot in the story. A sat up there waiting for the five empty chairs to fill next to me, because I really didn't feel like we were complete until all nine of us sat on that stage together. It truly is a powerful story God has given us, and we know that we need each other for the work to continue to grow. I began thinking, "what could this team look like with 10 chairs filled? Who else can come and continue to grow this ministry?"

One impactful seminar was on Tuesday night. We had four of our American teenagers up on stage to share some very big life stories. The seminar was titled "Unexpected Life" and these four teenagers talked about the unexpected life situations (many major health scares for such young people!) and how God carried them through the difficulties and uncertainties. After finishing the seminar, many of my youth broke into tears as they felt the power of God in these stories. One of my little buddies was sitting next to me and said, "They have such big stories!" I told him, "You could ask any American here to share their story, and they will have a big story too." Without missing a beat, this little friend turned to me and said, "What's your story?" It was the perfect opportunity to share. Later, this little friend said, "you know what's the same in all these stories? That you all trusted God and read your Bibles even if things were hard!" I was so glad he had connected it all by himself.

Evening Games

Following seminars, we began evening games! We had a rock climbing wall competition, a dodgeball tournament, and a team pop quiz. Though my teams didn't win, we definitely enjoyed each other's company more than anything else! It was fun to have friends come and join us each evening for seminars and games - some who we have just met and others who were once small kids who grew up coming to ELIM!

Dodgeball Team

One other American and I got adopted into this family (and best friend)'s team for the pop quiz. All the kids/youth in the group have been in my English Classes over the years, and I love being a part of this legacy and watching them all grow!

Hawaii Party

To finish up the week of LetFest, we ended Friday with our traditional Hawaii Party. As the space filled with parents, guests, and out of town visitors, I found myself slipping more toward the groups of friends I had spent the most time with during the week at LetFest. We grabbed some barbecue and then gathered together outside (where we had more space) and played many rotations of SpikeBall and tossed the baseball around until the sun started to set. It was the perfect time enjoying the games with friends and students on the last evening together.

Hot Air Balloon Flying over our SpikeBall Game at Hawaii Party

All the varying levels of emotion at LetFest in one picture ;)

Debrief

We came together again on Saturday after LetFest to debrief and worship again as a team. We shared encouragement with each other and then talked about upcoming leadership talent we had seen in many of the students throughout the week. Probably my favorite part of my job is looking for upcoming leaders and encouraging their strengths and helping them also see their own potential. We said goodbye to the American team as they headed of to Prague on that Sunday after church already dreaming about the next LetFest and wishing summer 2024 would arrive faster.

Prague

In an effort to not lose 15 American travelers in Prague, I joined the team on their trip to our capital city. Disclaimer: I know they would have been fine without me, but I always love taking the team to Prague and sharing all the history of our country with them. I am not sure how the pair of students who stuck with me for most of Prague were able to handle all my random history facts throughout the couple days! Prague never seems to become "overdone" for me, and to experience these sights again with people who are seeing them for the first time always brings more new life to these historic buildings with deep history. One thing that was special about this group of Americans was that they were excited to participate in the experiences. Many times, I've wanted to go up the clock tower or sit in on a classical concert in a Prague cathedral, and with this group we were able to do that! There were plenty more ideas of things we all wanted to do if there had been more time, but the best part was spending time together. We were able to debrief more about LetFest and really encourage one another during those days in Prague as we all dreamed about what the next year will hold for missions in Czech.