Mission Trip to the Czech Republic Over Spring Break

The mission trip to The Czech Republic was incredible. God showed me so much while I was over there. God revealed a lot to me on this trip - a lot about future ministry and a lot about me. The team I was able to go with was incredible. The national leaders and missionaries were incredibly welcoming to us. This was by far the best mission trip I have ever had the privilege of being a part of.

We left Chicago in the evening of March 7, and we arrived at Prague in the evening of March 8. We were met at the airport by two women who would be leading us around The Czech Republic for our two week trip - Lucka and Jitka. We left the airport by bus, and we stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of Prague that night.

We left Sunday morning to go to Ceske Budjeovice, which is south of Prague. We traveled by train for a few hours, and we were greeted by the student leaders of the youth group at the church we would be staying at. I had the opportunity of speaking to the youth group that day. The message was on tearing down your high places, and it looked at the examples of the "good" kings of Judah from 1 and 2 Kings. Jitka translated, and the response was outstanding. It was humbling seeing God use me to speak into the lives of other believers.

Monday, March 10, we split into two teams and went to two high schools to teach English classes. We then used the English lessons as an opportunity to invite the students to a youth group party at the local church. After school, about 20-30 students came to the church. We played some group games that were a lot of fun. Jason, one of the team members, gave the message, which was on the faith of the friends of the paralytic when they dug through the roof. Matt gave his testimony following the message. He talked about the time his father died, and it was very powerful.

We then left Ceske Budjeovice and traveled to Tabor by train. We were again welcomed at the station by the leaders of the youth group. Tabor seems like it almost escaped communism. It is a beautiful little city, and the church we stayed at was a block away from a castle. We arrived in the evening, and we were all quite tired from the traveling. A few of us did not sleep well at all the night before, and it was catching up to us. I was asked to speak to the youth group after dinner that night. Giving a message while you are tired is difficult. Also, being asked to cut about five minutes out is difficult too. Again, the message went really well, and again I was humbled by God's use of me to communicate His word to others.

Tuesday, March 11, we went to a high school in Tabor, and we taught English classes most of the day. We then had the opportunity to play big group games in their gym. We played a lot of tag games, and it was a lot of fun. Throughout the day, students who were a part of the youth group were inviting other students to an American Party that the youth group was having that night. At the end of each class, we would invite students to the party. Well, over 50 students showed up. It was incredible. We played some cool group games, had some food and drinks, and Ben gave a message/testimony, which went very well. Following the message, they showed some videos for summer English camps. The organization we went through is Josiah Venture, and English camps are a main part of their ministry. We then got to talk with students for a while, and it was great getting to know them and help establish some connection with the youth group.

We left in the early afternoon of Wednesday, March 12. We missed our train because four of our team members got stuck in an elevator, but we were able to make it to Strakonice in time to hang out with the students in Leah's (missionary there) after school English class. Nik gave his testimony, and we had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. We were then split up and sent out to "host" homes. Tom and I went to Evicka's house. It was great. Her family was very welcoming, and it was the first night I was able to sleep in a bed since the hotel in Prague.

Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, we taught English lessons all day at the local high school. It was a lot of fun. We got some students who were more talkative than usual, which always makes the lessons easier. Students there are usually pretty quiet and do not talk much, but once in a while the class clown(s) are in your group, and it is much easier to just have a conversation.

One of those guys was Mark Holub. Talking with him and the group was a lot of fun, and I was able to eat lunch with him and some of his friends. We were able to organize a trip to a pizza place after school. He and a friend came to Leah's apartment and picked Matt and I up. We went to a pizza place and met a few of his friends, and we got to talk for 2-3 hours. It was great.

After lessons on March 14, we traveled by bus to Pisek, which is where nearest youth group is. It's about 30 minutes out of Strakonice. We helped the youth group run their Friday night meeting, and we were able to hang out with a lot of the students who were there. I got to play ping pong and do some flips when a few of the students started break dancing to the beat of two djembe drums. This was also our first encounter with gypsies - descendants of Indian immigrants who settled in The Czech Republic. This is where the hip-hop culture has found its home. Also, there is still a lot of division and prejudice between Caucasians and gypsies, and the division in the youth group is palpable, which is incredibly unfortunate.

We were able to play ping-pong with the students, and spend time in prayer as a team for the small groups. Stacey gave the message to the youth group on the apostles' conversation with Jesus in the boat after feeding the 5,000; and Matt gave his testimony again.

Saturday, the 15th, was my birthday. I got to turn 20 in The Czech Republic. We got ice cream, and we began planning the sports afternoon. We played some tag games, soccer, volleyball, and Viking, and it was great opportunity to get to know some of the students more and build some relationships. Saturday night was the English Camp Reunion party. We sang lots of camp songs that all the students love, and a few of the leaders from Tabor came out for it. They told us that five girls who came to the American Party came to the youth group meeting on Friday night, which was very encouraging to here. We all got to spend time with students, and it was a great night. I got to have a really good conversation with Lenka, a leader from Tabor, and I got to each Leah and another student some swing dancing. I don't know much, but I know enough to have fun. It was great.

We went to church Sunday morning, and we left right after to travel all day to Malenovice Hotel near the Czech-Poland border. Josiah Venture owns the hotel and uses it for staff training, staff meetings, and they also use it for some supplemental income. We spent three nights in Malenovice. This was our decompression, reflection time.

We went to Auschwitz concentration camp on the 17th, which was an experience. Not many other words really fit. God used this time to reveal two truths to me. One, it revealed that no matter how strongly you believe something, if it is against God's will, when push comes to shove, you will know what you are doing is wrong. The Nazis had a worldview that saw the Jews and many others as lesser people only worthy of slave labor or death. They really believed it, but when allied forces closed in, they blew up the gas chambers and tried to hide/destroy as much evidence as possible. God's statutes are written on all of out hearts.

He also showed me what a works based salvation would be like. It would not be salvation at all. It would only lead to death. The tour guide said again and again that the Nazis only saw a prisoner as worthy of life if they could produce, if they could work/labor in factories or in fields, and etcetera, and it only led to death. If you could not work, you were executed. If you could work, you worked until you could work no more, and then you either died or were executed. There is no salvation. Thank God for His amazing grace and the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ who gives us a true salvation and an abundant life right now.

March 18, we went to a house being repaired/remodeled/nearly completely rebuilt. This house is going to be used as a missionary retreat house, a place where missionaries and national leaders can just get a way and spend some time with God and family. We also took out the internet for the whole city. The tower that supplies internet to the whole city was about 200 feet from the house. We had two fires going to burn dead branches and limbs around the house, and unbeknown to us, one of the fires was on top of the power cable for the tower. Well, we burned right through it, and they sent a repair man out to fix it.

That evening, Nathan joined us at the hotel. He oversees The Czech Republic for Josiah Venture. Getting to spend time talking with him was great. We also watched Transformers and The Princess Bride.

Wednesday, March 19, Dave Patty joined us. He is the founder of Josiah Venture. Getting to hear his story and talk to him about JV's ministry and vision for the future was encouraging and inspiring. Some of us even took notes.

After meeting with Dave, we traveled by train back to Prague. We spent the night in the original hotel, and we spent the next day seeing Prague. Food, architecture, St. Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, and just having time to relax and hang out with each other was great - the perfect end to an amazing mission trip.

We then flew home on March 21, and school started back up March 24. It was a wild ride.

I believe God may be leading me to Eastern Europe for youth ministry, specifically in The Czech Republic. For anyone reading this who supported us on this trip through prayer and/or monetary gifts, thank you so much. God used this trip in incredible ways, and there are 4-5 of us seriously considering doing our internship for school there next summer, and there are three of us seriously considering full time ministry there. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was an amazing trip, and God is doing great things in The Czech Republic and Eastern Europe as a whole.

If you are interested in learning more about Josiah Venture and/or getting involved, you can visit their website: www.josiahventure.com. You'll be able to see the countries JV is ministering in, people involved, opportunities to get involved yourself, and more.

Do you know that God has called you to the United States? Are you sure? Take a look at international youth ministry. There is a huge need abroad, and JV is one of many opportunities to get involved.