Back Online

A month ago, I looked at my photo-reel to see which pictures I would be able to share with all of you and was surprised to find that besides a few screenshots of video calls with Club Kids and Youth Group, I hadn't taken any other photos in October.  

... okay, I DO have one other picture of all the snow we got in Minnesota on October 20th as I needed proof for my Czech buddies that it actually DOES snow here as early as October, but I assumed many of you Minnesotan readers already have a similar picture.  (Nonetheless, I will include it here for your enjoyment.)  While I had expected my little Czech friends' responses to be along the lines of "That's crazy!" or "I can't imagine having snow that early!," I should have known they would write instead "Magical!" and "I want to come visit!" followed by swarms of heart emojis.  Without Halloween or Thanksgiving holidays leading up to Christmas, these kids have been looking forward to Christmas since the start of October.  Their anticipation for simply beginning advent has built greatly during this time!

Needless to say, my lack of writing a post last month was simply in effort to provide readers with other pictures and stories that weren't only video-chat calls, though it seems that even after another month, that is essentially what will happen anyway.  Perhaps your own camera-roll looks similar to mine as it is the reality of what communication currently looks like. 

The Czech Republic went into full lockdown again at the start of October as their second wave of Covid hit - and it hit hard.  Czech was the worst country in the world during October for their increase in positive Covid cases, averaging 10,000 new cases a day.  In a country the size of Czech, that would be compared to if a half-million US citizens tested positive each day.  Many of my friends and church family were in quarantine for exposure or testing positive themselves.  During that time, we moved Kid's Clubs completely online.  Four times a week, the leaders rotated and lead an online chat-and-games hour with the kids.  I have been enjoying jumping in and leading to continue connecting with the kids even during this time back in the states.  We have figured out some games that we can play together online.  A favorite was a scavenger hunt that had the kids running around their rooms looking for different items.

As things are looking up in Czech, a few of the Elementary grades have begun to reattend school.  This past Monday, ninth grade began school again.  Since it is their last year before applying to high schools and trade schools, the ninth graders have many tests and exams before thier application tests into high schools.  It came as no surprise that none of the ninth graders I wrote with were excited to return to school and this maze of exams for their final semester.  Sixth, seventh, and eigth grade start school next Monday on a rotation schedule with part-time hybrid learning.  Many of the students told me that they are used to learning at home now, but they are looking forward to seeing friends in school again.  One of the youngest club-girls who was on the video call told me, "I'm not looking forward to sitting in class.  I'm not even really excited to see my classmates... I see my twin sister everyday, and she's my table partner.  But I'm just very excited to leave my apartment each day!"

Part of the youth group has been meeting each week as we have a new guest couple call in each week to share their stories of how they met and how God was evident in their relationships from the start.  It has been inspiring to hear all the different stories and seeing how these stories are encouraging this group of youth students to grow closer to God.  

We had an all-church online service with an American speaker call in to share with us.  It was wonderful to all call in together and get to see many different faces all at once.  As a church, we have grown closer during this time of quarantine and lockdown as we encourage each other and pray for one another.  The whole Mission Church was praying this past month for one of the members at our Sister Church in town as she was in the hospital with critical-level Covid.  Our sister-in-Christ was baptized last year and has three young children at home.  With a pre-existing condition, the illness took a huge toll on her health.  The church prayed.  The doctors said it didn't look good - she wasn't breathing on her own, and they placed her in an induced coma.  The church continued to pray.  A couple days later, the doctors were surprised to see one lung working by itself at 25%.  They said if she woke up from her coma, she could potentially beat the illness.  The church prayed.  She woke up!  The doctors said if her lungs began working by themselves, she could move from "hospice" to "ICU" in the hospital.  The church prayed.  A couple days later she moved to ICU - her lungs working by themselves.  The doctors said if her fever went away, she could go home.  The church prayed.  The next week, she hugged her children in her home.  Even the unbelieving doctors said, "This is miraculous."  Hallelujah!

It is amazing to think that I am already over halfway finished with the 6-month furlough.  (If you want to know the exact number of days, one of the club kids has a countdown on her phone.)  The weeks seem to speed past, and while I had hoped to be able to meet with all of you during this furlough time in the states, it is great to know I am able to connect with you here.