Sheppersons In Slovakia

Kids Camp

Zac — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:51:33 +0000

“Why are you all dressed up in a costume?” I asked Gwyneth one day. “Because I need a costume for kids camp” she said with a certain urgency. There is only one surprising fact about this conversation. Kids camp was still THREE WEEKS away! This made me pause for a minute and realize how important kids camp is for our kids. So, much so, that they prepare costumes 3 weeks out!

Kids camp is a special event organized by our mission organization (Josiah Venture) every summer for all the children of it’s missionaries, ages 8 and up. It’s a week long experience, dripping with gripping adventure, novel amusements, strong spiritual challenge and enriching relationship.

This years camp was located in an unknown village on a previously uncharted border between Croatia and Slovenia. And the stories that subsequently emerge are equally obscure – crazy games with dead fish and other strange animal parts, painful paintball explosions and ferocious team competitions.

But without a doubt, all parents know there kids will come home with two things; a deeper desire to follow Christ and be more like him and a solid confidence that there is a group of people in the world that loves them till it hurts.

Thank you kids camp team for your strategic efforts and personal sacrifice for our kids!

God goes to camp

Zac — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:54:08 +0000

I wanted to share a few stories about how God works through English camps in Slovakia this summer.

In case you didn’t remember, we had 8 camps with 9 participating Slovak local churches and 6 American local church teams. The last camp is finished and now the stories are streaming back.

“I came to camp to find God – and I found Him” one teenage boy said. A rough life with an abusive parent had made his heart soft even before camp started, to the idea that there must be something better out there. We always pray that God will prepare the students who come to camp. This is one classic example that unveils our passionate God, who works quietly behind the curtain of individual lives to make his love known. We praise you God, for being infinitely more at work than we imagine!

“I only go to church with my grandmother during the holidays, and I don’t really believe in God”, one camper commented. But after the influence of a christian schoolmate (who, by the way, had met Christ previously at a KECY camp), an intense week hearing truth and being with other God followers, gave his life over to God´s control. Thank you God for your perfect power to convince.

Classic quote – At the beginning of camp – “I don’t like that kind of music” At the end of camp – “Could you please give me the names of those bands and camps songs?” You are a God that changes our mind!

Rado was a typical students these days…. black clothes, long hair, earphones, “leave me alone” type … who met Christ at camp. “He cried at least 5 times on the last day as we all said our goodbyes” someone said. Thank you God for breaking our hearts.

One student said, “I already decided against following God last year” (because of his refusal to enter catholic confirmation classes – we found out later) . But because of the persistence of a loving camp leader, he decided to give his life to Christ. He is already a part of a small group of believers who meet in his local village. We worship you God, because you give us second chances.

These stories can be repeated over and over with slightly different details across Slovakia and Central Europe. God has changed lives this summer – it’s easy to hear.

And for those of you who pray and support the work of Kompas Training Center, I hope you sense and hear the impact of your sacrifice in the words of the above comments.

Summer Camp Season – 8 camps – 9 local churches

Zac — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:08:42 +0000

English, fun and truth. They make a great mix! That’s why the camping ministry in Josiah Venture bears more fruit than any other effort. In Slovakia, we’ll spend a week with 400 to 500 high school students over the course of the month of July. 6 American church teams will join teams from 9 Slovak churches to carry out 8 camps around Slovakia.

This years theme is “Redeem” and will focus on our need to be “bought back” from our slavery to sin and death. Our whole family will be attending the camp organized by a local church in Bratislava (our capital city).

Will you please pray with me that God will open the eyes of hundreds to their need for a redeemer.

Emili rises to the challenge

Zac — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:30:00 +0000

Emili has taken piano for several years from the same teacher. This spring we went through a crisis that challenged us all. Emili’s teacher grew more and more frustrated with her because of her lack of practice and progress. Her teacher would get so angry at times that she would scream at and harshly demean her.

But Emili is a trooper and she didn’t let it discourage her. She began to push herself to practice more regularly and in a more focused way. She knew that what the teacher was concerned about wasn’t all just hot air. And by the time it was recital day, she was fully ready.

She sat on the stage with nerves of steal and played her 3 pieces without a mistake. And, she looked like a princess as well. We are proud of her strong and determined spirit and we look forward to years of pleasure as she serves God with her piano skills.

Graduation!! – School for youth leaders

Zac — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:56:43 +0000

I could tell by the way the students stared at their diplomas that they were impressed with the way it looked and that they were proud of what they had accomplished. Likewise, I could tell by the way the students said goodbye, that what we had accomplished together this year had left a deep impression on their hearts.

On Sunday, the last day of May, 20 students traveled back to their homes from graduation, probably better equipped than 90% of Slovak church members. Pray with us that God will mobilize them in the years ahead to pour themselves out into the lives of those around them.

Our school for youth leaders is an investment. It is a serious investment of time, money, influence, experience, wisdom and knowledge. And it’s all for the strengthening of the church in Slovakia.

Screams outside my window

Zac — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:56:05 +0000

There is a certain part of me that wakes up when someone is crying. It awakens a desire to help, to rescue, to comfort. And when there is something that keeps me from responding, I feel really helpless and trapped. I guess that is partly the man in me and partly the parent instinct inside.

Now that it’s warmer outside, we have the windows at our office open all day. Just behind our building is the city hospital. Often we can hear the children in the hospital crying and screaming. It’s not a good feeling to hear this and not be able to help or calm or comfort or care.

But I have been taking it as a reminder that there are thousands outside, beyond our office walls that are crying out for help. Crying out because they don’t know the meaning of life, because a sinful world has cruelly punished them, because they are alone, because they don’t have hope.

God help me to find those who are crying out and need you and the joy that you offer.

Annual Ministry Report from 2009

Zac — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:47:22 +0000

Annual reports are typically very boring, with lots of numbers and percentages. But I have to say that our Training Center Kompas annual report is not so bad. It has lots of pictures, stories and a thumbnail view of our whole work in Slovakia. It’s online, easy to read through (in English or Slovak) and of course, it has all the numbers if you’re the numbers type.

I hope you’ll take 10 minutes to browse through it. Just click here

When you get on the report page, just click the arrow on the right to advance to subsequent pages.

Celoslovenskej sutaze v solovom speve Petra Dvorskeho

Zac — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:36:48 +0000

“Peter Dvorsky’s National Competition in solo singing”. This is the translation of the above title and the competition that Gwyneth won third place in this past month (May). Peter Dvorsky is a famous Slovak tenor opera singer from the eastern Slovak city of Kosice.

Kim and Gwyneth traveled by train 5 hours east from our home town to attend the 3 day competition. Probably the high point of event was during lunch one day. Mr Dvorsky and the other judges were walking by Kim and Gwyneth’s lunch table, when he stopped and asked about Gwyneth. He assumed she was not Slovak because of her name, but he said that her Slovak pronunciation of difficult Slovak sounds was very good and that she had a very nice voice. This was a real encouragement for Gwyneth.

This was her first national competition, so we were pretty proud of her.

How will the church survive?

Zac — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:26:40 +0000

This is a question that is frequently on my mind these days. I’m not worried about IF the church will survive. Church has been around here for centuries. And I believe it will be perpetuated in its current form. But my interest is in the FORM in which the church will survive in the future. The historical church has become so institutionalized and heavily structured, that renewal seems complicated at best. And its not only here in Central Europe that many are speculating about these ideas. The church everywhere is facing challenging times.

Recently our staff at Kompas training center, along with some other church leaders from around Slovakia attended a conference on healthy reproducing churches in the Czech Republic sponsored by our mission Josiah Venture. The guest speaker was Alan Hirsch. Alan is the author of “The forgotten ways” and “Re-Jesus”. His ideas that take us back to the principles of the early church have radical implications for the way church is done in this part of the world.

Everyone who attended came away extremely challenged by his teaching and asking God how we can be a part of nurturing a church movement for this generation. Please pray for the church in Central Europe and church leaders in Slovakia. The church will survive, but how will she look?

Youth leader’s conference – filled to capacity!

Zac — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:43:50 +0000

“I have prayed for two years”, one young woman said with tears, “that God would teach me what to do with the girls I am leading. And this conference has been the answer to that prayer. Now I know the specifics about how to disciple”!

Over 600 youth leaders from all over Slovakia gathered together for a four day conference of inspiration, help and training. As it seems to be every year, the auditorium was packed and overflowing with excited participants eager to learn.

To “pass the baton forward” was the challenge. Like relay runners, it’s our calling to personally hand off the life we have in Christ to another person through personal evangelism and discipleship. Everyone received their own baton and the spiritual tools to put the “hand off” into motion.

In one session, each participant was given a few minutes to write down names of specific people to whom their baton could be passed. In those moments, God seems to say to me that these moments of specific application were changing the spiritual landscape of Slovakia! Potentially thousands of young people will be raised up to run the race.

God is at work in this generation in Slovakia. Run!