A weekend in Zlín

Below you will find the story/account of my weekend in Zlín.  For those that have less time, you will be able to skim through the bolded words or phrases for a quicker read while (I hope) still getting all the main ideas.  Čau!

One final weekend:
I want to thank you for your continued support of the ministry I am a part of here in the Czech Republic.  My final weekend (of this season at least) in Zlín and Olomouc was great.

I got to teach on Friday night, and I talked about God's call on our lives.  God is ultimately unique (Isaiah 64:4), and He imparts this uniqueness to His children (1 Corinthians 2:9-10), and then we split for the guys to read and talk through 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and for the girls to read and talk through Proverbs 31:10-31; both pictures of what a life called by God look like, and we as brothers and sisters are called to exhort and encourage one another toward these pictures of Christ-likeness, with our prayers, our words, and our actions.

The rest of the overnighter was a lot of fun, especially introducing them to P.O.W. (Place, Occupation, Weapon).  I love it because it is an improv game that overcomes language barriers.  We also ate pizza, which is an essential requirement of any youth group overnighter.  We walked around town and closed out the night with a viewing of "Fireproof".

Saturday was full of surprises as plans changed and changed again.  When it was said and done, I got to spend the day in the beautiful city of Olomouc.  David, one of the students at the overnighter, goes to college in Olomouc, and he took the afternoon off to give me a tour of the great sights - walking, pictures, churches, architecture, statues and sculptures, a black and tan and fried chicken and cheese, dorm room coffee, and good conversation - so good.

Back in Zlín for the evening, I went to Samuel's house for the night.  He is the elder who is responsible for the college and youth ministry of the church and the Czech leader I led Zlín camp with.  Staying with him and his family is always a joy.  Full of hospitality and love, the Huštovi family has been a source of great joy and encouragement for me.

The Huštovi family and me.  L-R: Samuel, Eliška, Šarka, Barunka, and me.

Sunday followed with a wonderful farewell in the church as I got to enjoy seeing Filip, a student who became a Christian this summer, share his testimony again, and be given the opportunity to share my testimony.  I was only asked about five minutes before, so I did not have anything planed (for those who may come and visit Czech churches, always have a message/testimony in your back pocket because you really never know when you will be asked to share).  I ended up sharing about the people in my life who impacted me - Mom and Dad, a 65(?) year old Sunday school teacher named Ed, my first and third youth pastors, my first and only college pastor, and roommates (and this is only scratching the surface).  I read Hebrews 10:24 and exhorted them and myself to not put off what we can say to someone today until tomorrow because you never know what God will do with your words and actions.  Like the five loaves and two fish, we do not know how God will multiply our obedience in "spurring one another on to love and good deeds," but we have hope and assurance that He will because our "Father is always working" and "the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."  We believe that God has done, is doing, and continue to do great things.


I got to thank the church for their hospitality and spend a relaxing afternoon with the Huštovi for lunch and dessert, then I boarded the train to head back home to Tabor.  I was given the opportunity to tell three people about Jesus.  So thank you for your prayers.  God acts because of our prayers (Isaiah 37:21ff. Keyword: "Because").

And that was my weekend in Zlín and Olomouc.

For more pictures from the weekend, please click here.

Prayer Requests:

• I am traveling to Ústí nad Labem tomorrow.  I will be joining the youth groups from Litvinov camp for a weekend retreat.  I am teaching Friday night, and this will be my final weekend (in this season) with these friends.  So, prayers for teaching, relationships, and goodbyes.  "[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
• For a restful week after the Ústí weekend.  I will be traveling to Orlova to visit friends and then is Thanksgiving conference (WooHoo!).
• Next Friday is a Thanksgiving youth group night/outreach for the Tabor youth group.  I will be sharing a short word, and we are hoping to build relationships with some new students who (we are hoping and praying) will be there.

Thank you all.  It is hard to believe I am near the end of this season.  It's been amazing.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2