February 22nd, 2012 by Kim

“Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence” Psalm 42:5

This is the verse the Lord gave me yesterday. I had had a very bad day on Monday. Zac was gone, the house was overwhelming me, the kids had so many questions and I did not have answers.

So yesterday morning, out of despair, I decided that I had to set aside first thing for some Bible study. These are the verses God gave me. Is it surprising they are perfect and just what i need! I also studied about dependence on God (instead of ourselves). It was so good for me to hear this message again.

I decided that when the kids got home from school, the first thing we would do, in the midst of our chaos and messy new home, would be Read the rest of this entry »

February 15th, 2012 by Kim

House: We are so very thankful to report that as of yesterday, we have a signed contract for our house! It has been a very long 6 weeks of negotiations. After so many problems and issues,  we had a hard time agreeing on certain things.  I have to admit that I was surprised it was signed!  I thought the Lord might be preparing us to start the search again for a new place!  Although it is now signed, we still have some issues with the owner. To us, it seems that he just keeps asking for more from us (more money for various things). We are praying about how to handle this. Just yesterday Zac was reading from Matthew, how Jesus was telling how we need to give, give all we have even if it is to the theives. Ouch. Although we haven’t fully compared this scripture with our specific situation, even still that message  doesn’t feel very good! So please help us pray for wisdom in this area and that we are able to hear God’s voice in this.

Although the kitchen is still NOT finished or installed, we plan to move our things on Saturday. The weather is still cold, however a bit warmer than past weeks. With the warmer weather comes snow! While I was teaching this morning it snowed about 15cm! Now we have lots of snow on top of the ice!

French: Yesterday I meet with the girls’ French teacher. I was so nervous! I had written her an email and she did not reply, in addition to getting some negative feedback from some of the other parents and students. I met her in the hallway outside her office with the intention of making a meeting for the 2 of us. However, as I told her why I needed to speak to her, how the girls are not satisfied in her class, how they do not know how to study for her tests and how I do not understand how it can be since they have come to her and asked her for help. Immediately she asked if the girls can come to her during some of their free periods for extra help. She said that they needed to understand “completely” the things they missed while there were away in US.  Reading only the book isn’t enough, they need to get information from her. It all happened very fast. We agreed on times during the week and it was settled that they would come to her. I left there uncertain that she really heard my complaint (which was her negative response to my girls when they ask for help themselves). However, in the end the most important is that she is willing to help the girls understand more so they can do better in her class.

Slovak tutor: Emili told me yesterday that she had 9 mistakes on her Slovak dictation this week (last week it was 34 mistakes). Do you think the tutor is helping??? I celebrated with her and told her how it won’t be long when it will be 0 mistakes! It was so good for my soul to she how happy she is and eager to excell in her 2nd language.

Sicknesses: Sam is much better from his asthma episode last week. This week Hampton has been home all week with a strong cough. He says he is happy that he is sick so that he doesn’t have to go to school! Zac and I as well are fighting colds, but it seems that they are winning (the colds)!  Gwyneth was not able to sing at her concert today because her nose was a bit “clogged”. Her teacher took her out at the last minute. I suppose she is fighting the sickness as well.

Zac Leaves Monday-Zac will go to our Mission’s headquarters in the Czech Republic for a conference for growing healthy churches (Advance Conference) for the week. He will be taking Slovak pastors and church workers with him. It is a very important co

nference for these leaders to inspire them about the future of the church in Europe and how they (their church) can make a practical change NOW.

Church Building– Our church found a building and also signed a contract (the same day as us)! It is right in the center of our city, on the walking street, top floor! Everyone is so excited with the new possibilities that will come from having our own place. We will have a joint move on Saturday (us and the church) since all our things are all stored in the same building. It is promised to be a very long day!

February 10th, 2012 by Zac

The picture to the left is a team from a city in East Slovakia called Kosice. They are not a youth group team, but a team from a local church that serves in their own ministry to orphans and homeless. Each week they meet with needy kids in desperate circumstances.

.

.

“It’s a difficult work, they said, because usually the kids won’t listen well,

or sit still for very long or act serious. But God has given us a passion

for them and we know that one day our love and care for them will pay off”.

I was inspired and encouraged by this team, who give of their time and strength for the marginalized. Challenging? For sure! Worth it? Absolutely!

This was one of 12 ministry teams present at our training weekend for teams (TVT). Our theme for the weekend originality, creativity and excellence. Through bible study, activities, team building and demonstrations, we inspired the teams to these divine qualities.

Below are some of the responses.

“I am very glad that I could attend TVT. It was an amazing experience! I am very encouraged and motivated. And I hope that all what we experienced there, saw, learned and realized, won’t just collect dust, but that it will really be helpful in our ministry. Be blessed and continue to be a blessing!”

“TVT was great for us as a team. There were some slightly difficult things, but they were true, so we have to deal with them. It was great that we could all be in a room together and have space for everyone to share ideas.”

“It was super to have a facilitator (outside observer) in each group, so that later we could discuss some observations and conclusions with him. This approach can make us move forward”.

“TVT was something amazing. It was indescribable how we worked together so well. All for One, One for all … all the time … I had perfect experiences, memories, inspiration and a sense of fulfillment … you are amazing!  Continue to fight for the Lord! :)”

February 10th, 2012 by Zac

I wondered if I would ever be able to say it. But it’s a reality now. Last month (January) we reached 100% of the support increase we envisioned 8 months ago. Of course, this corresponds to each person following through with their personal pledge. But we are confident that God will be faithful in this just as he was in bringing willing partners.

It was a long road, but one filled with constant reminders that God was guiding the course – not us. We surely would have given up and ultimately failed without his intervention.

So now we can move on peacefully and passionately to the mission on our table. And it’s so encouraging to have so many more people like you praying and partnering with us to do it!

God, we praise you for your help and faithfulness!!

February 10th, 2012 by Zac

“Our churches are in desperate condition.

Most of our congregations are made up of the elderly,

and churches are getting smaller and smaller.

There is no new generation behind to renew the church”.

This was a comment of a church member serving in the Reformed Church here in Slovakia. The Reformed Church is the third largest denomination in Slovakia, but only makes up 2% of all denominations here.

It’s a common mantra from traditional churches here. The church has not been able to reach this generation. And now it finds itself trapped by its own traditions and practices.

That is why ADVANCE is so important. It brings together leaders from all protestant denominations to ask the hard questions about the church’s future.

This month (February), Advance (which is organized by Josiah Venture) will host it’s third international conference in the Czech Republic to consider these difficult issues facing the church of Central Europe.

From Slovakia, we will take 10 church pastors, leaders and workers from several denominations. We are begging God to bring renewal and health to every church and for every denomination.

This year’s speaker will be Tim Chester, who pastors the Crowded House church in Sheffield, England. He has also authored the book Everyday Church.

Here are some pictures from last year’s conference.

February 10th, 2012 by Zac

New house from the front

When I first entered this house 8 weeks ago, my first impression was “definitely not”. It didn’t seem like the right location, it seemed a bit small, and it was all torn apart from the remodeling. So, I checked it off my list. But it seems that God had other plans.

I left Slovakia that week, and returned to the States for Christmas without signing a contract on a house. I was somewhat disappointed and confused. And yet confident at the same time, about God’s ability to guide us to the right house.

So, after we returned as a family to Slovakia last month (January), we continued our search for the right place. Kim insisted that we go again and see this house, because she felt some sense that it could be the right one.

Kitchen remodeling

When we returned to the house, we both had a good feeling about it. The reconstruction plans seemed more favorable and we realized the location had some advantages. We also realized that we knew the owners family from a previous rental situation, plus other, suitable houses were not surfacing. So, we began to move forward with this option.

Computer visualization of kitchen plan

It still looks like we’ll be waiting a couple of weeks before moving. But we are hopeful it won’t be too long.

View outside our dorm window

In the mean time, we are still living in the dorms of our organizational headquarters. It’s small, but has all the essentials we need – beds, kitchen, bathrooms etc.

Staying here has given us a good opportunity to rest, get the kids back in school, and reorient ourselves, without having to worry about moving a house. I think with we a huge blessing in retrospect.

Thank you all for your prayers as we have navigated through these transitional days. The greater meaning of these relationship connections, timing and location is still unfolding!

February 10th, 2012 by Zac

It’s not easy to leave your 4 year old in a place where he doesn’t know anyone, he can’t communicate with anyone and he doesn’t really understand the concept of school.

But this is our task each day now as we initiate Hampton into his new kindergarten. At first, he thought it was a pretty cool idea to go to school like big brother and sister. But that wore off after about 2 days. Now he’s confused about why he can’t stay home like he always did.

He gets ready in the morning with everyone else, but he gets a loving escort into his classroom. Lately its been with some tears on both his and our side. All the rest of our kids went through the same thing. So far, two made it through – one didn’t.

The biggest attraction at the school is a small indoor swimming pool. I know – crazy! But Hampton loves to swim, so he lives for Tuesdays – swim day.

The miracle of it is mainly one thing – language. Kids his age absorb a foreign language like a sponge. Within a year, he’ll understand amazingly and start to speak in Slovak as well – with no language lessons, no grammar. Only going to school every day.

So, if you read this post this far, please stop and take a minute to pray for little Hampton – that he will have peace from God each day when his mom and dad leave him in this strange place – Skwalka.

February 9th, 2012 by Kim

Things on my heart this week:

Hampton:  he continues to be stronger and stronger against going to school. this is very hard for me. Thankfully, Zac is taking him to school each morning for me. He is much stronger than me! I really do not know what else to do.  I decided that each time he is talking about and fretting over if he will have to go, I must stop and pray for him at that moment; for peace and not fear. as well as praying for him constantly as he leaves the house crying. I KNOW that God can give him peace and take away all fear. I am praying and TRUSTING God for that.

Emili- i need to secure a tutor for her.  i met today (wednesday) with one young teacher. I think she will be perfect! Emili is excited about her. They will meet 2 times a week for 90m each time. Thank you Lord!

School- for their slovak school: understanding/comprehension in all subjects, especially Slovak Language (for them all) and math and chemistry (for Emili and Gwyneth). Also  for their English teaching. I need to get better organized and give them weekly assignments. Sometimes I get panicky when I see them with free time. I don’t want them to forget their English!

French class- Emili and Gwyneth are struggling in their French class. From what i can understand, there teacher was not happy about the time they were away. She is being very strict with them. Ok, I understand that. However, i don’t understand why she is not willing to help them “catch up”. Emili has gone to her privately on a few occasions to ask for help, extra exercises, information on how to better study, etc. According to Emili, the teacher is not willing to help her. My response is to have a meeting with the teacher, however, the girls are scared this will only make the situation worse and not help. Today (thursday) they have a test, and we were are all nervous wrecks last night. We need to pray and ask God how we should respond to this teacher.

teaching- I started my teaching again last week. I have 2 days at the primary school, where I teach 4 classes two times per week (tuesday and wednesday). I love being at the school where my kids attend. I love being able to see them in their envirnment. Equally, I love the relationships I have with the teachers I teach with; sharing my life with them, conversatations about God in my life. In addition, I am teaching at a private firm, one day per week (Monday). this is new for me and I was VERY hesisant. However, I really believe that God gave this opportunity to me. Yesterday was my first day. I have 6 adult  Slovak students from one  german company about 30m away. It is mostly conversation however, the first lesson, I was doing most of the talking! They had so many questions about me! Mostly: why are you in Slovakia. So i had the whole 90m to tell them about why I am a missionary to Slovakia! It was great!

House- It’s complicated. We are still living in Kompas. The house is NOT finished. We are still working on signing a “legal” contract. We really like the owner, he is very kind and I think has a good heart. He wants to help us, but at the same time he does not/can not have all the money we are paying go for taxes-40% (he as a loan for this house he needs to pay back). Zac is talking with him daily and trying to reach an agreement that is good for each of us. In addition, his girlfriend is pregnant (with twins) and was in the hospital this week. He is under a lot of stress it seems. We know that it is no mistake that God put us together. We are excited to see how He will work in their life!

Health- Before this week, I wanted to tell you how we are celebrating everyone being healthy, despite the unusually cold weather. Maybe you have heard about it in the news that Europe is experiencing extremely cold days now. It is -16 to -20 most mornings! The wind really smacks you in the face. There is ice everywhere as well. Everything on you that is exposed, freezes (including nasal passages and mucus)!  Despite all of this, we continue to be healthy! What a praise! We have been taking a new kind of vitamin a friend has given us, maybe you know it: Juice +. It really seems to be doing a good work in my children, we are so thankful to have this for them. HOWEVER,  on Sunday we stopped in at the house to check on the progress. There was dust everywhere from where they are making holes in the walls for the gas, water, electricity and such. We were only there a few minutes, no more than 30. Immediately Samuel  is struggling with asthma, and is back taking his medicines and inhalers (he has not needed them for 3 weeks).  Last night (Monday) was a difficult night for him. I was up with him, praying for him. I feel so sorry he has to battle with this. Please help me pray for him.

February 7th, 2012 by Kim

February 1st, 2012 by Kim

I’m writing today, Wednesday, thinking of you and how you pray for us so faithfully. Today i have some things on my heart and mind and would like to share them with you:

1) Tutor for Emili– I got a good lead yesterday for someone who can help Emili with Slovak language. She (Emili) is still upbeat about school and is wanting to find someone who can help her. This person is a new teacher at our school. Although she is teacher of German language, she has her degree for Slovak language as well. Since she is only part-time teacher, she has more time to give to extra teaching like this. I was at school today, but wasn’t able to find her and ask her about this possibility.  As for school for Emili, it is different each day. For example, yesterday she came home and said, “mom, I think i need to go back to home schooling for math. I didn’t understand anything the whole hour”. However today, she was completely opposite, ” i understood everything, and did the whole worksheet front and back with out mistakes”! Today the worksheet was in English. So i really believe this extra tutoring is all she needs.

2). Hampton– like emili his days fluctuate between loving school and hating it! Every day is different! I am praying and asking God for wisdom with him and how much i need to “make” him go. Presently, he is going everyday from 8,00 until 12, with swimming on Tuesdays!

3). Ladies’ Bible Study– I had my first meeting last Friday night with the 5 ladies who will attend the bible study. We spent time praying for one another and discussing what each week will look like. since the study is in English and most of the women are not so proficient in English, we decided to meet every 2nd Friday to give them more time to do the “week study” (so 2 weeks to do 1 week). In the off weeks, i will continue to meet with 1 of the ladies, most fluent in English, and we will work on translating the material for the upcoming week- to make sure that there is full understanding. I have to say how already this study is giving me so much joy! From the first day’s study the teaching was about posturing ourselves before God in reverence and and fear, like the boy Samuel. Showing obedience to God, like Samuel, even when we don’t have all the details, situation, and have questions. Just obey. LIke a child, we must come to God.

4) House– The house is still not ready. The floors are being finished as well as the bathrooms. Then a huge clean up must be made before painting each room. So at least 1 more week. Tomorrow we meet again to discuss the kitchen  options. We must decide if we will move before the kitchen is finished. Currently, it is a empty room. No cabinets, appliances, etc;  only floors.
We faced some problems with the how the contract will be worded. For us it was an issue of integrity and honestly and we are not able to sign it in the words it was written. Although we completely can empathize with the position of the owner, and would not wish him to pay more tax than what is necessary, it is a difficult situation. We are praying for wisdom in how to deal with this.

5) Church- Our church continues to meet every week. We have experienced a real strength from them since our return, and feel it is stronger than ever. We are so encouraged. Since our numbers are steady at about 45 people each week (30 adults and 15 children) we are finding it difficult to meet in homes. When I say “home” think Slovak, 1-2 room flat (not house). You can imagine how packed it is! So great to all be together in this way. We are actively looking for a space to rent each week.

I’ve been working on this email all day 🙂 It’s 10 pm now and I will wrap it up and send it on to you! Have a great evening together and thank you for all your prayers!