April 9th, 2010 by Kim

“Mom! I can see things I never saw before”! That’s what Emili told me as we walked home from the city  Wednesday from picking up her new glasses!

I felt bad that I had put off taking  her to the eye doctor since the beginning of the school year.  Then one day after a science class at school, I asked her what the class was about. She told me that she didn’t know. Surprised, I asked her why? Did she not understand the slovak I wondered?  Then she said, “I couldn’t see anything the teacher was writing on the board”!

Needless to say, I made an appointment immediately.  Obviously, she needed glasses. Sounds easy enough. . .however, have you ever shopped for eyeglasses with a 12 year old? Oh my! It wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be.Many stores and one week later, here are the results! I think she looks even more like her dad! Which makes her happy too. She loves them.

Life with glasses comes with many learning experiences: Lesson #1: don’t wear your new glasses while in the car, it makes you car sick (her pop tells her that she’ll eventually get used to it). I’m sure there will be many more lessons for us all. For now, we’ll start with this!

March 19th, 2010 by Kim

I wanted to officially get word out about my recent surgery. It really has been a whirl wind. I was just reminded that it happened exactly 1 week tonight, although it seems like 2 days ago for me.

It was last Friday night (March 12), all the kids were asleep and Zac and I were just getting into bed when I began to have severe abdominal pressure and pain. As best as I can explain it, the pain felt similar to the last stages of labor (full of pressure) and pain. I went to the bathroom thinking it would relieve the pressure and it only got worse. Now I felt nauseous, hot, cold, faint, ughh everything all at once, it was overwhelming.

Over the next course of hours, I was seen by my doctor (gyn) who quickly diagnosed me with a ruptured tubal pregnancy. This was not exactly a surprise. I had been seeing my doctor since January, at which time I learned I was pregnant again! But after several weeks of careful watch (and a 3 day hospitalization in February for observation), it was determined that I had an ectopic pregnancy that was spontaneously dissolving.

What we were surprised with now, was that it was ruptured and I was hemorrhaging internally. Although devastated at the moment, God allowed me to think clearly and remember a friend here who had gone through this same thing. I immediately called her for a recommendation of a doctor (for surgery). And within 15 minutes that doctor called my doctor. (This was necessary since unlike the US,  hospitals here are staffed with their “own” doctors. So the doctor you see in the office setting is not the doctor who will treat you in the hospital). The results of this one phone call was completely the hand of God. Because our greatest fear was going into surgery without any knowledge of a reputable doctor.

Within a few hours, everything was worked out and I was in surgery in a nearby town – Cadca. It was a scary time of course, but God did give me a real peace about everything. You can not look at the circumstances without seeing His hand in everything. Even the detail of which hospital was from Him. it was a newly renovated GYN ward and operating room (that we didn’t know existed until I was in it).

The nurses were amazing and caring women. They took such good care of me.  Zac was not allowed  with me during recovery very much and my 2 days in ICU!  They told me: “he doesn’t need to see you like this, we will take care of you”. And they did. Although it was hard not to have Zac there, I think they were right. He didn’t need to see me that way. I was in a lot of pain, and it would have been very difficult for him to see me like this for long periods of time.

I was released on Tuesday (March 16) and Zac has had plenty of opportunity to take care of me! He is doing great nursing me back to health and managing our brood! He’s exhausted and 1/2 sick himself with some respiratory bug. We have had precious friends bring meals every night. They have been a real blessing.

I do not understand why I needed to go through this trauma (not just the surgery, but the roller coaster of emotions since we found out we were pregnant. . . then not. . . then yes, then it’s ectopic). What I do know is:  I have a God who cares for me. He protects me.  He provides for me. He comforts me. He is REAL. If you have never experienced this God, you are surely missing something.

January 30th, 2010 by Zac

Thanks to your generous year end gifts, we are no longer in minus figures in our ministry account at Josiah Venture! In a previous post, (see previous post) I had explained that the global financial crisis had forced some supporters to reduce their monthly giving – creating this shortfall.  So, we would like to say a word of deep thanks to all of you who gave extra or gave special gifts to Josiah Venture in December to bring us to this place. We sincerely appreciate your personal sacrifice and investment into God’s kingdom through us. It certainly made for a happy new year!

At the same time, I have to be honest and say that our debt free status may not last long. In the last year, we have only added one new monthly partner to our support family, from the ten partners (we have mentioned so often) we need to shore up our financial needs. Also, in this condition, we have NOT been able to add back  the $500 salary reduction that we imposed on ourselves last year.

So, please pray for us in this situation. We  really need God to bring those additional 9 monthly partners to us soon.

January 29th, 2010 by Zac

It’s usually the same every week. On Sunday afternoon, “Mr. Jay”, as we’ve nicknamed him, calls me (Zac) on on my cell phone to make sure we’re at home, and within 30 minutes he’s knocking on our door. All the kids run to greet him because they know what this means for them – PLAY TIME! He sword fights, plays computer games, chases, tickles, laughs and jokes. And at some point in the chaos, candy of some kind (usually chocolate) comes out from his pockets for each of our kids.

Dinner together usually follows, prepared with love by my wonderful wife. Then me and Jay find a quiet room for focused time in God’s Word and for prayer.

For some months, Jay has been coming closer and closer to our family and to God. He also is enrolled in our school for youth leaders at Kompas. So, there is always lots to talk about – from theology to Bible study to relationships to ministry.

At present, he is working in his father’s business and is asking God to show him the next steps for his life. He wants to finish his college education and serve God wherever he leads.

It is obvious that God has His hand on Jay and that he has great plans for using him here in Slovakia.

Please pray that Jay will keep growing in God’s wisdom and grace in the days ahead.

January 22nd, 2010 by Kim

I have trouble writing about needs, when God has so graciously and abundantly supplied so much (especially at the end of the year). We are so thankful we are finally out of the red (after 11 months). God has used so many people during these hard economic times to give  and give to our ministry. We celebrate and continue to be thankful for how He provides for us.

We can’t control timing of when needs come, and God does say that “we have not because we ask not”.  So, I’m writing about some of our urgent needs: Read the rest of this entry »

January 22nd, 2010 by Kim

So here is our family’s Christmas story. I was hesitant to share it until now. I pray I can communicate it correctly.

Because of the financial situation we are in,  I sat down to think and plan for Christmas and made out a very modest budget for our family. Because things are so much cheaper in the States and because online shopping is so much easier than shopping here, I decided it would be best to order all our gifts from the US and have them mailed here. Read the rest of this entry »

November 25th, 2009 by Kim

For the last 6 months we have faced a growing deficit in our financial support. Primarily this is due to the financial crisis in America, which has forced some of our major supporters to decrease their giving. Over these months this deficit has grown to now $5000. Josiah Venture graciously continues to pay our normal salary each month in spite of this growing debt, but the debt still accumulates on our account.

We have tried to be proactive in reducing our monthly salary by $500 per month, and this has certainly helped. But we still have to find additional supporters to replace our losses. So, we are asking God to provide us with 10 new supporters at $50 per month (or 20 at $25). This would bring us back up to sufficient support. However, we also have to repay the $5000 debt we have accumulated over these past months. (And just in case you are wondering, this debt has accumulated from our normal, fixed, monthly salary expenditures. We have not been overspending or buying anything new. It’s simply a matter of a financial support shortfall.)

If God would lead you to begin partnering with us monthly or to help in our situation any any way we would be very grateful. All gifts are tax deductible when given through Josiah Venture, which offers the following options for how to give.

* Mail your monthly check (our name attached on a note) to Josiah Venture at:
P.O. Box 4317
Wheaton, IL 60189-4317

* Create a monthly electronic bank transfer by clicking here and following the instructions.

* Use your credit card to give, by clicking the same link above.

We are grateful for you who faithfully stand behind us here in Slovakia and who have a global view of the kingdom of God.

If you have any questions, please e-mail us (zshepperson@josiahventure.com) or simply pick up the phone and call us at our US number -  864-335-9388.

November 19th, 2009 by Kim

you email someone you don’t know and ask them to bring over items for you when they come to serve in Slovakia on a short-term trip! Christmas gifts, school books, dvds, food items, clothing items,  electronic equipment (even an electric piano once); you name it and I’ve probably asked for it! Part of me feels really guilty when I do this, then the other part is so incredibly thankful they said “yes”, I soon forget about the other ( i know there are many of you who can relate to this).

This has been me so many times, I honestly can not tell you how often we have been the recipient of these generous “bringers of imports”- countless.  However, I am reminded of them (and thus never to forget them) on a daily basis. Whether it is while I am doing school with Emili (school books), or cooking with brown sugar, eating pancakes with syrup, or peanut butter, listening to Emili practice her piano or eating the last hot tamale, I am reminded and I am thankful. I understand that I would be without all these wonderful things if they had said “no”,  because shipping is way too expensive.  It’s funny the kinds of things (big and small) that bless you when you are away from them for so long, huh?

So this is for all of you who have sacrificed (and only packed 1 set of clothes for yourselves) to allow more room in your bags for things for our family. The Lord brings you to my mind almost daily, and I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. Bless you!

October 22nd, 2009 by Kim

Yep it’s true! October 14th was the first snow here in our city! It didn’t last for only one day, but for that whole week. It snowed everyday. I always remember snow in October, so i’m not quite sure why i’m so surprised, and yet  I am. Maybe since it was less than 7 days ago we were bike riding enjoying the nice fall weather! Also, the leaves have only just begun to change. I guess I should be more surprised that summer lasted as long as it did!

Nevertheless it’s that time now. The dreaded task of going to the basement to find the winter clothes boxes (x4), have everyone try on all the winter clothes, sort out the misfits and pack the summer ones back up. It’s at least a days work (that I have been putting off all week). But it seems I can’t put it off any longer, the kids must wear warmer clothes to school now!

Speaking of school, we’re off to a great start this year! With now a first, fourth and sixth grader, school and school activities take up the largest part of our day.

Sam LOVES his first grade class. He is going to school with Gwyneth now (although he rarely sees her there). That means Gwyneth, being the eldest (on most days) at school loves the responsibility of taking care of little brother, getting him from class and bringing him home.

Emili continues her homeschooling now as a sixth grader. Just last night, as we were listening to her read aloud from one of her books, we were commenting on what an incredible reader she is, agreeing that neither Zac or I were quite that kind of reader in the 6th grade. We’re so proud of her!

For a bit more interaction with kids her age, she goes to school on Tuesday & Thursday for a Biology class. Interestingly, it’s the same class of students she attended 1-4 grades with. The students have welcomed her back excitedly. It was fun to watch that reunion! Also, I know the teacher of this class, and she is a loving, kind woman with similar beliefs and values it seems. What a blessing!

I’m still teaching at the school 4 days a week and even in Sam’s and Gwyneth’s classes! It gets busy around here in the afternoons with sports, music, homework and supper preparations-I’m certain no different than yours. We’ve learned flexibility (even Hampton, since he has to have his nap in the car 2x week!) and grace (like yesterday when I forgot Sam’s sports bag, so he missed his sports class) Everyone is happy (for the most part) so we keep going

May 15th, 2009 by Kim

Our JV Family

We just returned Sunday from our annual conference in Czech Republic with our extended Josiah Venture family. Here we are all pictured above, big huh? Although it is a very large, it definitely feels like “family”.  All of us are Americans, living in Eastern Europe doing youth ministry. It is a privilege for us to serve alongside these wonderful people.

This conference is something we look forward to each year as well as our kids. It renews both our Spirit and our Soul in teaching and fellowship.

This year (like every year it seems)  we said goodbye to 10 our our co-workers (and their families). It was really hard, however we recognize how richly God has blessed us in our life here. We can’t imagine any other life.

saying goodbye to Ken and Andrea

We are anticipating the arrival of new teammates to Slovakia this fall. A couple and their 5 kids are right now in the States raising support. They are  hoping to be in Slovakia by this Fall!! Praise God for these new friends and ministry partners.