Letovice and Boskovice, Czechia
A friend and I helping at the city festival - taking care of the kids on the Elim Jumping Castle, and having lots of fun with hours of chatting!
In a country where air-conditioning is limited, the best way to stay cool is to jump in the backyard pool with friends! Twice that week, I joined this group in making whirlpools and splashing into the comfort of the cool water.
Card games at the last summer club in Boskovice. Even in the business of summer with camps and trips, a few of our Boskovice half-leaders and helpers were determined to have club open for the kids in the month of July!
Sitting by the river with friends. (Ice-cream not pictured due to quickly eating the summer delicacy before it melted in the heat!)
Playing "Activity" (a board game that combines "Taboo," "Pictionary," and "Pantomime") with the youth group! Even though we technically do not have youth programs in the summer, the students have consistently asked to meet and play games, build campfires, and go on late-night outings. It brings us so much joy to see the tight bond of friendship in this group!
Prosetin & Nyrov, Czechia
A friend and I went on a hike to some nearby forests to see two WWII Partisan Bunkers. To step in a place of history in my own "backyard" reminds me how history is all around in these timeless European villages.
Historians have records stating there were nearly 30 Partisans living in these two hideouts - they know at least one soldier was a woman.
Brno, Czechia
I got to spend a few days in Brno (the capital of Moravia) with some friends. We went on a long hike in the forest surrounding the city, spent time at the new pool, worshiped at church together, and hung out in the apartment - or sometimes outside the apartment as I enjoyed sleeping two nights on the roof patio under the stars!
Vienna, Austria
My family came to Europe for a week vacation. I met up with them in Vienna and we traveled by train through the Alps to Innsbruck and finally Zurich. It was an adventure to remember!
At Belvedere. I convinced my family to visit the palace on our first evening together! They braved the jet-lag to explore this part of the city with me.
Walking around the palace grounds. I was completely immersed in the history at all these sites... and simultaneously drowning in the summer heat.
I knew when I visited Vienna, I would have to see the Musikverein - as it was an important place in my favorite book series... even though the characters were fictional. ;)
Innsbruck, Austria
Family Picture in Innsbruck
Made it to the top of the mountain! We took two cable cars and then climbed the last bit for the most spectacular view of the entire trip!
The city of Innsbruck is so perfectly situated in the valley of the Alps that the city itself is relatively flat, but the mountains continued to beautifully peak over the steeples and rooftops.
Zurich, Switzerland
Walking alongside Lake Zurich and suddenly we didn't feel as if we were in the center of the city anymore. The weather in Zurich really cooperated with our schedule; a couple times after returning to our rental apartment, it began to downpour, but we rarely felt the drops from the clouds when we were exploring downtown!
On our first night in Zurich, we attended Hillsong Church! To see God moving in this country and just tasting the excitement in the evening service filled my heart. From the greeters jumping with signs shouting "WELCOME TO CHURCH!" at the entrance to a string of baptisms to close the service, I could see God's love blessing this city through the people.
Wandering around Old Town in Zurich and learning about the city from our self-guided walking tour. While the LetFest American Team was in Prague, a small group of us started a game we called "Statue Stories." When there was a statue that we passed without a description, we took turns making up a story that would fit the sculpture. Dad got into the game this trip too!
The Zurich fortress park has King-Sized Chess boards, so we couldn't resist a chance to play - and later we found that skilled chess players also could resist the chance to to give their advice to a group of amateur chess-playing tourists.
As summer is quickly coming to a close, most teachers are preparing their classrooms and materials; while this week I am gathering together pages of ideas and planning, I still have a Christian Youth Festival and a Young Adult Christian Camp coming up in these last two weeks of summer! I am looking forward to these final summer events and then diving back into English Classes and traditional club schedules.