It typically takes a few weeks for the Little Linguists class to gain new interest in the new school year as many of the toddlers begin preschool, so we have to wait a few weeks until new families hear about the class before our room is full again. However, since some of the toddlers only go to preschool a couple days a week if their mom is still on maternity leave with a younger sibling (since maternity leave in Czech is three years paid), the moms have opted out of Tuesday preschool so their toddlers can keep coming to Little Linguists! I love that they are so excited about the classes and want to continue for as long as they can.
We started Little Linguists for the school year with our favorite outer space theme and song "Zoom, Zoom!" This is a theme we go back to regularly, and the toddlers suggest we sing "Zoom, Zoom" following most other lessons. There is always so much to do in this theme with colorful planet cards on the magnet board and pattern recognition at the manipulate learning table.
Our favorite activity with this theme though is light exploration! I break a handful of glow-sticks, grab many colorful mini flashlights and lay out multiple telescope galaxy pictures. We turn out the lights and the kids have best time exploring with the little lights. If that wasn't enough, we also make paper rockets with large rubberbands that shoot across the room. The toddlers giggle and chase the paper rockets and come back to reload by pulling the paper rocket against a rubberband looped around a chair. One of the toddlers had launched her rocket so far that she declared, "It must have reached Kendra!" Many of the parents had explained to their kids that I was in America over the summer and it's really far to come see me, so we believe this is what she was referring to since I was sitting right next to her - it was her way of saying her rocket went so far! We finished up the morning of activities with neon markers and star stickers on black paper. There is just always something exciting about vibrant colors against black paper.
Kid's Club - Boskovice
We began kid's clubs in two of our three locations this month. I have enjoyed being at both locations on rotation and getting to spend the time with the kids as they get back in the swing of the new school year. At our center in Boskovice, it was almost like we didn't have the summer break as the kids all came back and fell into their regular after-school activities. I grabbed a group just sitting around and taught them how to play a game called "Pass the Pigs." Another leader watched as this group of teens actively participated in a couple long rounds of this game and then asked, "How did you do that? I never thought those kids would want to play a table game. They put on a 'cool front' and are typically really hesitant to organized activities." I told this other leader, "I could tell that with this group, and it helped one of our junior leaders also encouraged participation, but you also have to know what game would appeal to your crowd. In this game, you roll pigs on the table and risk your points - in my experience, when getting teenage boys to participate, anytime you can risk all your points, the game is suddenly much more appealing!" Needless to say, we have a new favorite game with these kids!
Kid's Club - Velke Opatovice
Our kid's club in Velke Opatovice is a smaller crowd at the start of the new school year, but a handful of the regulars love to drop in and hang out with us. I love how comfortable they are in the space and with the leaders, often asking immediately when walking through the doors if they can challenge us in foosball or any other game. I'm always up for a round a foosball! After playing a few rounds with one student, I rotated with another leader and went to sit next to different student who was playing a game on her phone. I said, "oh, that looks interesting! Is that a fun game?" She replied, "not really..." I said, "well, we have many games here, let's play something together." We grabbed my favorite two player game, Logic. This girl guessed my pattern in only two tries! I have never seen anyone guess that quickly! We had fun playing many more games before finishing club that day.
School Outreach
As you may have noticed, I did not begin regular English Classes with my Elementary students like I usually start in autumn. I have some upcoming ministry changes in addition to other activities, like a team of Americans arriving for the kick-off of the school year activities at the start of the week, that require my attention and organization for my team. I adore all my students, and it was hard not starting the regular classes again, but I also could not even think about how I would have managed that. To make up for my desire to see my students again, I talked with one friend who teaches in a village school where many of my students from last year attend. I came in for a special day of regular English Class activities - even bringing our character friends - Gerald, Piggie, and Pigeon.
We read a book, played a guessing game with colorful birds on our heads, and then the students created their own pictures of birds on Gerald's head (like in the book). We of course ended the lesson with American candy. It was so fun to see these students' excitement for this typical English Class lesson. One of my favorite parts of teaching kids is training in new translators. I grabbed one of my former students from his 5th grade classroom and pulled him in to translate for all the younger levels. He did such an amazing job and showed many skills of a great, upcoming translator! I was so proud of all of them and loved investing in the school in this way.
Youth Group
We came back together in this new school year as a youth group and have been talking about what it means to fully rely on God and trust each other. It has been fun seeing everyone after summer and reconnecting again. Throughout the summer, we saw each other as we worked together at LetFest and spent free time grabbing ice cream or hanging out, but we are always looking forward to seeing each other again! One of my favorite parts of this ministry is the deep questions from these youth. A young friend asked to meet with me last week to discuss prayer. I was thrilled to meet with her as we talked about what it means to pray and how to have a lasting relationship with our Creator and communicate with Him through prayer. These youth are ready for more leadership in the upcoming year, and I love encouraging them and supporting them in their potential. I continue to help them and lead in this season and will then take a step back to let them really thrive in their leadership growth.
Weekend Trips
A group of North American missionary friends and I joined together in Prague for our regular book club meeting. We just started a new book about the rebirth of belief in God throughout Europe. While we were all in agreement that many of the examples have not quite reached Czech churches yet, we can see how these principles are coming on the horizon and could affect the Czech church culture as a whole in the upcoming years. There are so many perspectives as we come from churches and communities all around Czech and get to encourage each other in this.
At the beginning of the month, I group of friends and I went on an overnight roadtrip to celebrate our friend's marriage! It was a fun time at the wedding and on the road with this group of friends. We all enjoyed long conversations together and feeling even more connected with each other through this one friend and all the ways she has encouraged our friendships.
Salzburg
For many years, I have figured out the best time to travel in Europe is early September. The weather is perfect and the kids are back in school, making tourist locations a little less chaotic. Last year, a friend and I took advantage of this timing since we start youth clubs a couple weeks into September at ELIM and she starts university later in September as well. We decided to go on another trip this year at that same time, and it was the perfect mix of city and nature! Salzburg captured our hearts.
My friend had never seen Sound Of Music before, which is a must before visiting Salzburg. (She loved it and watched it twice, she herself a musician.) We went to many of the locations in the film - jumped the steps in the garden, walked around the fountain, ran through the tunnel of greenery, visited the abbey, and then made like the Von Trapps and climbed the mountain! It was a good 3.5 hour hike to the top (if you want to just do stair steppers for four hours, this is the right hike!). Honestly, it was probably my favorite part, as I've learned I really enjoy the adrenaline of mountain hiking and reaching the summit!
Untersberg - elevation 1,973m.
We absolutely loved the museums (both of us keen on history) and especially had enjoyed the birthplace of Mozart. It was a quick trip - just two full days - but it was filled with the perfect amount of nature, history, music/art, and especially time together as sweet friends.
Someone once told me they only count having visited a place if they met a local. As we were walking around Salzburg, I saw this guy with a Twins jersey! Being a fellow Twins fan myself, I walked right up to him and asked, "are you a Twins fan? I'm from Minnesota!" He shared he had been a au pair in Minnesota for an extended time and had become an avid Twins fan going to seven games in the season! Though originally from Salzburg, I definitely made quick friends with a local.
I arrived back to Minnesota for a few weeks of R&R after LetFest and a busy season of preparation. In between resting and visiting with some nearby relatives and friends, I enjoyed time with the youth kids as they were still very attached to each other after finishing their mission trip to Czech. I loved to watch how they included their friends in their fun as they explained inside jokes that then became familiar for everyone and joyfully shared their experiences. Sometimes it's hard to believe that I first met and helped lead these girls when they were in 7th grade and now they are going into their 11th year! They have such a strong bond, and I enjoy being an encouragement to them alongside their leaders.
We enjoyed a couple last game nights and goodbyes before I headed back out to Czech again. It was interesting all that we were able to learn about each other through these games that we hadn't realized while at LetFest. Seeing how different these youth think and how they are able to work together to reach a common goal was seen actively on the mission field and in the games! It was also decided that with the amount of team quotes that are recorded during preparation and LetFest, we have enough material to make our own game!
One of the harder parts about living far away is not being with the kids as they grow up who I am still connected with stateside. I love the bond many of these kids and I still have and the hugs I get from some little children at church each year are special. When I left after last Christmas, the little daughter of my friends and I had made one of those special bonds as she was comfortable being placed immediately in my arms and put her head on my shoulder. This summer, when I saw my friends and their daughter again, we all shared the same thought that she is seven months older and likely doesn't remember me while also being at an age that is very connected to momma. I was content just knowing she was growing and happy and to see my friends, but the way this little toddler continued to climb up into my lap in small group and at church and then "hammock" in my arms made us all realize even if she didn't remember me, she felt safe in my embrace. I am still convinced, toddler hugs are the purest thing in the world.
This year is a special one, because as one mission team to Letovice was finishing, another was already in swing! We have a double mission trip year as some friends in my organization and home church saw a need to bring a small team of young adults to help us kick off the start of the school year at ELIM. We typically start youth clubs and youth groups the second week of September after the kids feel a little more familiar with their school schedule. Though we have realized that there is a lot of energy at LetFest at the start of the summer and the kids are excited to see each other again when the school year starts, but in that month of August that we take off as an organization (for rest and family), we lose some of the momentum. To bypass that a bit this year, another suggestion was made - more Americans! This seems to be a great draw - even one of the Czech mothers I was recently talking to said "I think any time you bring Americans in to Letovice, people will come." At the end of September, this team of eight will come to help us bring the excitement back for the school year. I enjoyed meeting with them a couple times while I was stateside and encouraging them in their planning. I am very grateful for their flexibility as they know this is a new trip, and we're figuring out the details, but I couldn't be more excited for their arrival and their hearts for these people.
I finished out my stateside time with a trip to Lake Tahoe with my sister and parents. We enjoyed lots of hiking (I especially loved the high climbs and the views!), kayaking on the really clear lake, and marveled at the delicate chickadees as they ate right from our hands! It was a fun experience and good to get some time away as well.
LetFest is our biggest event of the year. It is a multi-faceted, multi-generational summer outreach camp. During the week, we had over 70 Czech volunteers, 20 Americans, 140 registered students, hundreds of others who joined in activities during the week, and many more who surrounded the festival in prayer. While there are many months of preparation for LetFest, and during camp week, nights can average between 4-5 hours of sleep, seeing the memories these kids create makes it all worth it.
Watch this video I created for an overview of LetFest!
Preparation
On a Team Building Scavenger Hunt
We start off the week of LetFest a few days earlier as an American team from Minnesota arrives to work together with us to create this spectacular week. There are a few days at the start that we use for team building and training for both the American and Czech teams so that we can become unified as one team. Whether some of the youth volunteers are returning to continue building into friendships or new youth students joining in for the first time, we see how all their talents are used and each valued as a member of the team.
A while back, one of my youth students shared that she wanted to be baptized before LetFest! She made a commitment to God in 2019 and since then has been learning what it means to be a follower of Christ, which is not an easy feat in a very atheistic country and as the only Christian in her home. Though, she has remained strong in her faith and wanted to make this public declaration of faith in front of her family and friends. We started our Sunday early in the morning at the reservoir for the baptism before heading to church and then kicking-off LetFest in the afternoon!
One part of European summer culture is frequent ice-cream trips (it is common to grab an ice-cream while waiting for the bus or on a walk to the city as it helps to cool down in a place where there is a lack of air-conditioning). There were more ice-cream trips this year than any other that I can recall as some of the Americans learned this cultural norm and decided they needed to fulfill the European ice-cream summer equivalent in the two-week stay!
Some of my favorite little American buddies came to see us during LetFest Preparation and ice-cream was enjoyed by all!
Morning Activities
Mornings at LetFest are split into three categories: English, Sports, and Dance. I serve as the organizer for the English Classes in the mornings and can often be found running between the different classes as I deliver materials, snacks, and provide assistance when needed. Somehow, the morning goes by very quickly, and I love checking-in with all the students, teachers, and translators in the five English Classes.
During the morning, I got to spend some time with a friend of mine who was running the information desk for the week. We would chat at the information desk or meet up at our on-site cafe for a quick coffee. Somehow, throughout the week, my organization skills were tested as some of my youth students figured out that simply moving pencils to the marker box created a level of chaos in my office that I had to fix. (Note: in my office, materials are all labeled, color-coded, and one of the youth students said he would rewatch the supply videos because the level of organization was like those calming "re-stock" videos on social media!) As I had mentioned to my friend at the information desk about these youth students' ploys to create additional havoc to my week by moving random items to different containers, she smiled and said, "you should not have told me that!" We are great friends, and she also wanted to be a part of the pranks, and somehow supplied the youth with heavy duty, double-sided tape. One day upon entering the office, nearly all the boxes had been sealed to the shelves! It was quite comical, and built a camaraderie between these certain youth (Czech and American) and my dear friend at the information desk.
I know many of the kids in the different English groups as nearly all my regular English Class students were registered for LetFest, and we always have so many returners from previous years. Besides that, I love getting to know the little siblings of students I have had before. Both of these two boys are younger siblings of some of my students, and we created special bonds throughout the week. The little one with the drawing isn't old enough for classes yet, but with three older siblings in classes, he and his little sister would often hang out at the festival with their parents. One morning I found him in tears while waiting for his parents and quickly remedied the situation with a piece of paper and markers. Soon, he was smiling and telling me all about the art and happily joined his dad again a few minutes later. After that, anytime he saw me during the week, I got a big smile and wave and he even tracked me down on the last day of camp to make sure his parents could get a picture of us together! I was glad he enjoyed LetFest as much as all the other kids!
Lunch & Break
After the divided activities in the morning, we all group back together for lunch and a short break. One of the first days, I noticed the line for water was really long and jumped in to help the process go by more quickly. Each day after that, I would assume the same spot to make sure the kids were all getting water on these hot days (it also gave me a chance to remind some of the kids they "forgot" to grab vegetables to eat too). After nearly everyone had gone through the lunch line, I'd refill the water and then anchor the lunch line, and the kitchen staff was grateful for this one less thing to worry about. Throughout the week, I received a new title by the American youth students - Waterbottle Babysitter. I would find their waterbottles left abandoned on tables and in classrooms and collect them as I went around the center until I'd intersect with their owner. One American said I would somehow always show up with his waterbottle right when he realized he had left it somewhere again!
I'd have fun during the break time connecting especially with the kids who were up at sports all morning!
Program
The theme of this LetFest was "Best Friends." It was so fun to see the kids all walking around in Best Friend t-shirts matching everyone at the beginning of the week and knowing some of them will have made new best friends by the end of the week. Our program time after lunch is a time when the Family Ministry Pastor would share a story about friendships and how the kids can be good friends for each other and ultimately have a friendship with their Creator. We looked at stories from our own lives and biblical stories to give examples of friendships that were relatable for all ages. Program time is scheduled after lunch and a short break to give the kids a chance to pause and listen during the heat of the day (summer heat and no air conditioning can make for some very hot days). However, on one of the days, we realized it was too hot to remain in the building and thankfully our priest friend offered the cathedral for us to use. The naturally cool building created a great environment for the program time and was a fun, little field trip! It also showed the unity between the churches of the city of Letovice as we often connect to support each other in ministry.
Workshops
In the afternoon, we release the kids into a time of workshops. There are three categories for workshops - creative, sport, and artistic (dance/drama/videography/etc.). A good friend and I helped in organizing all the creative workshops this year to make sure there were leaders and crafting materials needed for the workshops beforehand. Our planning and preparation ending up being a real blessing as the leaders could just grab a box with all their materials and set up the workshop. It also allowed us to change things around as needed (which happened daily).
Surprisingly, even though I organized the art workshops, I was often helping in the sports workshops. I led a t-ball workshop with one other American - though, one of my Czech kids plays the sport and is a natural leader, so we were able to give him a role in helping organize and lead too! The kids had so much fun with this workshop and it is one of the highlights of every LetFest. I also spent time just helping hold up kids during the rollerblading workshops and from there would kick soccer balls back to goals, bounced four-square balls back to the four-square court, volleyed lost volleyballs back to the net, and finding a spikeball that was always winning an unspoken game of hide-and-seek!
Seminars & Evening Activities
After Workshops, the kids headed home for the evening and we began our evening activities. There was a short break for some team meetings (and more ice cream trips) and dinner before we started with an evening seminar. There were various seminars throughout the week open to the whole community as speakers came in to talk about life passions including theology, stories, and world events. One of the seminars was led by a panel of youth students as they shared their experiences about the value of friendships. When the seminars finished, we moved into our Evening Activities. There were dodgeball and rock climbing competitions, traditional Jewish dancing, and a favorite of ours - a pop quiz! For the quiz, we create different teams and pool our knowledge to try to have the most points. I really enjoyed that this year, my friends who were recently married joined us for the quiz night and we had a lot of fun together. The questions this year were diverse and creative. One question had been "what is the name of the tree that grows the tallest in the world?" I looked at my team and said, "I'm pretty sure it's sequoia." The youngest one on our team said, "I was going to say the tree that grows on Mount Everest, but I trust you!" I thought her response was very creative, and it made us all smile!
Hawaii Party
As I had mentioned earlier in the "Morning Activities" section, I made some special new little buddies this week at LetFest. One of the boys is the younger brother of one of my regular students, and it was his first year at LetFest. Monday morning, he had big tears rolling down his cheeks and was very worried about leaving mom all day. We found he has many friends at camp, and it looked like things were going to be okay. Each year at LetFest, we have a special dance the kids learn and we dance together with a partner. One of the first days, I asked this little boy if he needed a partner, and we had the best time dancing together. During the "freestyle" dance time, we looked at each other and realized instantly we have the same crazy jumping dance moves! He suddenly broke out of his shell and from that moment, anytime they announced the dance, he'd find me and cling to my hand unwilling to let another partner take that spot!
Hawaii Party is our conclusion to LetFest. We showcase all the things the students accomplished during the week, including dances, theater performances, artwork, and new sport games they learned. This year, we even included a talent show for the kids to share their talents on stage. During the theater performance, a large storm came through, and we had talked as a team before that if the winds get bad, we need multiple people to make sure our event tent didn't blow away. When we heard the wind, a group of us all ran out and, even though we were soaked, we saved the tent from blowing away! We had a spontaneous party under the tent. I enjoyed it for a little bit before needing to focus my attention elsewhere as emotions left some kids dealing with fear of storms and other anxieties. It was a crazy last day of LetFest, and thankfully God gave the strength needed for all that happened that evening.
Church
Our final official LetFest event is church on Sunday morning. It is fun to see some of the kids and families come back for one last goodbye with the Americans and leaders for the summer. A couple of new students who joined us this year came to church, and they said it was their first time at a church like ours. They had recently moved to Letovice in the last few years. Their mom mentioned how her grandmother was Catholic and out of honoring her grandmother had wanted to try church but hadn't felt the churches she had attended relatable. She said she would be interested to come to church with us, though her work schedule often has her working Sunday mornings, though she asked if the kids could come to church with me when the new school year starts! I was amazed at this mother's openness and seeing how she saw how her kids had enjoyed LetFest so much this year and wants them to continue with those friendships. Her son was incredibly shy at the start of the week and told me he knew no one outside of his sister. He was easy to connect with and I made it a point to make sure he was always feeling engaged and welcomed into activities. He made some really great new friends by the end of the week!
Prague & Debreif
After all the LetFest festivities, we went as an American team to debrief all that had happened over the week of ministry in Prague. We enjoyed the time together, often mixing into different groups as we explored this beautiful city and learned more about Czech culture. This is so important to the ministry because it gives the students an insight to a bigger worldview and helps them understand the culture of the Czechs through first-hand experiences. One of the days, we planned an outing to Terezin - a WW2 concentration camp and ghetto. I had last visited Terezin when I was 16 - the same age as some of these students, and knew it can be a very powerful experience. I feel passionate about youth learning the events of history as these stories should not be forgotten.
While we were exploring the tower lookout, we ran into another group who clearly had midwestern accents. One of the students sparked up a conversation with them and they explained they were here teaching at an English Camp on a mission trip and are from Wisconsin. I quickly jumped in asking which organization they were with and where their camp had just taken place. As they explained, I pieced it all together and asked, "Were you working with [name of missionary]?" They all looked at me wide-eyed and said, "Yes! She just dropped us off at the train station this morning!" I explained I had met the missionary at a conference a couple years back and we really connected. We snapped a picture together and I sent it off to my missionary friend so she would get to share in our random, fun connection too.
This is "my spot." It has been my spot for the past 15 years as I have traveled to Czech for LetFest, and a few years back, there was a small X that had somehow been carved into this very spot. Years ago, one of the leaders had said that someday there will be a marking on this very spot to commemorate all the years of staring up at this beautiful cathedral. I love sharing this spot with the students each year!
We had a little surprise for the youth students in Prague this year. A group of my Czech youth students traveled to Prague for the day to surprise the team and spend the day with them! I enjoyed most the reactions of students, running to see their friends who had unexpectedly arrived in Prague. We explored the city together on our last afternoon there and for the first time, Americans ran alongside the train with departing Czechs (a tradition we have leaving Letovice with the Czechs running along the platform as the train departs). There were many more great conversations and encouragement that happened between the youth!
Team Time & Stateside Rest
This summer, I decided to come back to Minnesota for a little R&R as we have August off in our ministry and wanting to spend some time with family, friends, and further invest in these youth students as they come off the mission field. (Additionally, I questioned in December why I really only come back to Minnesota when it is so cold!) It has been a blessing getting this rest time - I hadn't realized how tired my body was especially after LetFest, and also being able to further debrief with the students and leaders about LetFest as they are processing the ministry that just took place.
Right before LetFest began, I celebrated my 30th birthday (the team got me socks that say "I'm 18 with 12 years of experience, and I think any youth leader can relate to that!). To celebrate, the team and friends came together to bring me to a Twins game! It was really special, and I had the best time watching the game and with these friends. Since a couple youth students hadn't been able to join us, we decided to continue the fun the following week at the county fair. I really love watching all these students connect and invest in each other and encouraging them as they consider all that God may have planned for them in the upcoming years.
Back in 2021, I had a six month stint back in Minnesota and got connected with a couple youth groups. It was so special this LetFest to have two of "my" girls who were just little 7th graders back then join in the ministry I had been telling them about. I have remained connected with the girls and the leaders and love visiting Bible Studies and Youth Groups when I am back to encourage them, support them, and see how much they have grown in their faith!
