Usti Nad Labem

With our last camp behind us and sitting here on our last day of Intern Training I staring into the face of the end. I could sit here and write for forever. So much happened this summer. Good, bad, easy, hard, everything. So this is what I am going to say.

We finished our last camp. It was amazing. It was with Usti nad Labem. This was the camp I was waiting for all summer long. It was great. We had an amazing Czech team and an  amazing American team. We hit deep conversations with my English class the first night. The students wanted to know how to come to know Jesus, what a relationship looked like, how I came to know Jesus, and so on. It was incredible. Every night we went over the time limit and every night it got deeper and deeper. I was blown away about what God was doing at that camp. We did our Labyrinth night and two students camp into a relationship with Christ and it was incredible to see! Many other students wanted a relationship so bad but there were things holding them back. So as you read this be praying for them that they surrender to the Spirit. I had great connections with the leadership team from both teams. I am excited to see how God grew the relationship between the Czech and the American. So hopefully they will work together again next year. It will be cool to see how God will use them again next year.

We spent a few days in Prague with the rest of the Czech interns and had a great time of debrief. It was what my heart needed to get prepared to go back home. Now I'm sitting here in my dad's living room back in California. I want you all to know that I could not praise God enough for the support you all gave me. I could NOT have done this with out you guys. I'll send a few most post about my transition back home and pictures. But for now, I'm gonna enjoy being home!

ValMez

What a week! I am sitting at my last training reflecting on our 2nd term camp. I can;t believe how fast 2nd term went and I can not believe our last camp is starting me in the face and that in 15 short days I will be on a plane back to the States.


This camp was probably the hardest yet. I was pushed out of my comfort zone in every way possible. I taught a beginners class at this camp and that was the max of my responsibility. I usually had no idea what my class was saying during discussion or during class because they most spoke in Czech. We had a translator to help the student communicate with me and my helper Dean. But, what I am realizing more and more now is that God can do this without me. I know it sounds like a DUH statement but it is so easy for the mind set of " He can't do this without me" to set in. He doesn't need me to do this but he has chosen me. He is using me. Most of this camp I sat back and watched God work.


One night in our evening discussions I gave my story about the latest in my family life in three sentences. After that the students all started opening up and going deeper and sharing stories about their home lives. It even opened a chance for us to share about God with one of the girls. I cried after this night. I had no control no power of how that story was gonna effect the students. But God knew and he used it. Incredible. Who knew that 3 small sentences could be used so powerfully. God is just blowing me away.


Also this week we had a team from New York come and serve with us. I fell in love with these students. They were High School and College aged students who had never done this trip before. It was up to us interns to help guide them through the process. The way these New Yorkers were teachable and handled every challenge with grace blew my mind. Two  of the New Yorkers, Kyle and Michelle, had never taught before and were handed class of intermediate English speakers. They so gracefully stepped up to the plate and did an amazing job teaching a class together. My helper Dean was incredible the way he help lead discussion groups. One day I handed the lesson to teach and he did it well. It was cool to watch God group these New Yorkers and these students over the week. The JV story and purpose is being lived out and it so cool to see how God is using English Camps to changes the lives of nationals, American, and Interns. There is no place I would rather be right now then right here!

As we head into our next camp I have a few prayer request.


1) Strength as we are all tired both physically, mentally, relationally
2) We all stay fully engaged here and not check out because the end is near.
3) That God does big work in the lives of the students this week!


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Jackie