Love is Loud

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

Love is patient, love is kind...

I'm not exaggerating when I say that all year I look forward to Winter Retreat with the youth group!  Going to the mountains with this group of close friends and students is the setting of some of my favorite memories.  From embracing the slopes in the early morning fog to midnight Mafia discoveries, spending five days with this group is never a bore.  

 It does not envy, it does not boast...

Before leaving on retreat, I was in bed with a silly cold for a couple days, but I wanted to be healthy for the trip.  Upon arriving to the retreat center, I was filled with energy for the upcoming time together which wore off by the late evening as again I felt overweighed by the silly cold.  I wanted to ignore the illness in hopes that if I could ignore it, it would magically disappear.  The next morning, I woke up feeling the same, but didn't want to miss the slopes and all the fun of skiing with the students and my friends!  I really enjoyed the morning skiing; however, the fog was really thick and the weather did not cooperate with the silly cold.  By the second morning, some loving and concerned friends forbade me to go skiing - not that it would have been possible even though I wanted to!  Thankfully, there were many friends who had stayed behind at the center that morning also, and God quickly encouraged me through their friendships.  Then, a group of friends said they would take my GoPro camera out to the hill to record the day for me to watch later!  It may have seemed like a small thing, but watching these friends ride down the slopes, say "hello" to the camera, and give smiles and thumbs-up, almost felt that I was there with them that day!  They selflessly showed love, and the video I created after retreat would not have been possible without their help.

 

 It is not proud, it is not rude...

We spent Valentine's Day together as a youth group, and although we didn't declare it Valentine's Day or do anything differently than our normal schedule for Winter Retreat, I don't think anyone would have rather spent the day doing anything else.  The love throughout friendships and especially the love of Christ was an underlying theme of the day.  During the long weekend, we had two student leaders speak during program time about Prayer and the Bible.  God inspired their talks, and I was humbled by their clearly outlined programs.  On the last night, we split into groups and each took on the task of looking at Discipleship through the examples of Jesus in the gospel.  A couple friends glorified all God has done in their lives by sharing their testimonies during the program time together.  The stories and programs captured the attention of the students and was a great encouragement to us all.

It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs...

On the last night at retreat, the youth pastor asked us all to sit in a circle in the main room.  In the center of the circle, he placed a pile of small chocolate bars.  He then asked us to thank three people in the circle for something they did on retreat that we appreciated and wanted to thank them for.  For over an hour, the leaders and students sat attentively, listening and sharing heartwarming words of gratitude.  Even as the pile of chocolates dwindled and the activity was officially brought to a close, the encouragement and smiles continued as students gave away their pieces of chocolate to thank more friends!  This group brought so much joy to my heart on this trip, and I am so blessed to be a part of their lives.

Some favorite still-shots from the videos on the slopes!

Watch a Recap Video of Winter Retreat!  (This is my favorite video that I have created!  And a special thanks again to the boys who helped out with the recording on the day I couldn't be out on the slopes.)  The song - LOVE IS LOUD - inspired this blogpost.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth... 

 Last week, someone asked me "what is your favorite part of your traditional week?".  While I enjoy so much of the activities I get to be a part of each week, I absolutely love the hour I get to spend with the girls at Bible Study!  The group is continually growing, and the ages are spanning further as younger siblings and older role-model friends join in with the group.  They all take on the task of learning from each other and teaching one another.  It was Valentine's Day that inspired the lesson this week as the girls and I looked at God's love for us through John 3:16.  We talked about how God gave us the greatest Love Letter - the Bible - and created our own Love Stationary.  The Love Stationary is kept inside our Bibles so when we read about God's love for us, we can write a love letter back to Him on a sticky not to place in between the pages.

 

Everyone Enjoys the Team Building Games!

Similar to the activity on Winter Retreat, I gave each little girl a small chocolate bar and told them to share four pieces of their chocolate with a friend and tell the friend something you love about their character.  The little girls ran out of chocolate so fast as they bounced between friends to say how much they love each other!  One little girl looked at the pile of melting chocolate pieces in her hands as the activity ended and said, "I have just as much when I started!"  But the meaning behind the chocolates meant more than the little taste itself.  I then asked the girls to say something they love about God, like we were giving God a piece of chocolate.  Near the end of sharing, one little girl declared that she loves God because without God we wouldn't even know what love is!

In an earlier lesson, we considered the beauty of Heaven.  We shared with the girls that God is preparing a place for those who believe in Him in Heaven.  Then, we discussed how as Princesses of God, we get to look forward to eternity with Him.  We colored postcards and each girl drew their idea of what paradise looks like for them.  One little girl said, "I don't really know what it will look like there, but I know I want all you there with me!" So this little girl went around the room and asked each person to write their name on the postcard.

In my father's house, there are many rooms.  John 14:2 

It always protects, always trusts...

The Littles have enjoyed lessons on Movement and Under the Water these past couple of weeks!  It is so fun watching these toddlers grasp onto English and learn through activities, exploration, and music.  There have been some new moms and toddlers coming recently to try the class, so I enjoy speaking with the new parents about the lessons and their children.  One mother asked me why I don't teach the entire class in English.  I explained that for their toddler, my main goal isn't to have them recite a list of English words, but to create an environment where they feel comfortable and safe so that English won't seem intimidating in the future.  If I spoke only in English, the Littles wouldn't as easily trust me.  It is my hope that when these toddlers start Elementary school, they won't be frightened by a new language, but will already have a built confidence from Little's Class to encourage the start of their learning.

Other conversations with new mothers in the Little's Class is traditionally about how I arrived to Czech and what I am doing here.  I always enjoy sharing how God has brought me to this city to be here for the people.  In one conversation last week, a new mother explained they had recently moved to the area.  After talking with her for a while, the mother said one sentence that I didn't catch, so I politely used a sentence I frequently use, "I'm sorry, I didn't understand that.  I'm still learning Czech."  To which the mother replied, "Well then I am amazed you understand me so long since I am Slovakian!"  We all had a wonderful laugh!  Thankfully the languages are very similar!

 The kids are still learning about food in English Class as we are covering everything including food groups, meals, flavors, dishes, restaurants, etc.  Throughout the weeks of studying this theme, the students are adding new vocabulary to their placemats, which are now quickly running out of space.  Some love asking when they would be able to take their placemats home (likely anxious to have mom and dad display it on the refrigerator), but there are still a few more lessons regarding this theme that I would like to cover before moving onto another.

 Always hopes, always perseveres. 

We can all feel spring around the corner (an interesting feeling for this Minnesotan in February), so the club kids and I have become more innovative with our activities to keep us engaged indoors as we wait for the weather to warm.  Some adventurous youth are taking to the outdoors on their scooters since the snow has all cleared, but many of us - me included - are waiting for a little bit warmer temperatures and a little less gravel on the roads (for grip when it snows) before pulling our skateboards and bikes out again.

 

 Building Spaghetti and Marshmallow Structures - the hardest task for these little architects was keeping the hungry club kids away from their building materials! 

Homemade slides, group games, and indoor knee beach ball 

They bought whipped cream for their "after-school snack"