Fall Ministry and Language Courses

A New Season of Ministry

The fall ministry has begun! We kicked everything off with our "Chill Afterparty", a thank you weekend for our volunteers from summer camp. It was a great time of fellowship and fun, including a movie night and a Kahoot trivia game about summer camp 2021. A special tradition for our Chill events is "WOL Coffeehouse", complete with decorated tables, wait staff, and special desserts. There were about 20 people that were able to come, and we hope to be able to do it in October next year so more people will be available. 

Adaptation Courses

We launched a new ministry this year in connection with schools in our area. When kids go into 6th and 9th grade, they change schools and are in class with completely new people. To encourage unity and building new friendships, at some point within the first month of school, all 6th and 9th graders participate in "Adaptation Courses". These are done outside the school setting and normally about three days of activities and games to get to know each other, practice communication, and build trust. There are government guidelines for what should be included in this type of course, and on top of that we can also have a meeting for spiritual conversations because we are hosting the event. The kids had a great time and learned a lot, and a few of them are going to come to camp next summer! 

Icebreaker game

Communication activity

Teplice Mini Camp

The last weekend in September several members of our team traveled to Teplice, a town north of Prague for a mini camp. Several of the kids who made decisions for Christ were from that area and the church we are connected with there wants to expand their ministry to include these kids. We had several teenagers who normally attend the church, as well as some of the new kids and other neighborhood kids join us. We squished a whole week's worth of fun and activities that we normally do at camp into 24 hours! We stayed through Sunday as well, and our band led worship for the Sunday service, Athang shared his testimony, and Fernando preached. The plan is to go once a month to help them continue to build their youth program. 

Explaining to the kids that ignoring or
covering up sin doesn't fix the problem

group picture

the kids had a lot of fun in sports with Fernando!

Building a New Team

Word of Life Czech has welcomed many new missionaries this year! First me, and then Fernando and Cesia de la Rosa, and then Adam and Julie Cook and their kids, as well as a few interns. The real kickoff for this fall was the very beginning of September with our staff retreat. We had a wonderful four days getting to know each other better, talking about some dreams we have for the ministry, and discussing foundations that are essential for our team to be strong, united, and successful. I am so excited to see how the Lord uses this team He has put together to serve in Czech Republic!! We are all so different and yet united by the desire to see Czechs "take their next step with Jesus" (this is our camp goal, and really the goal of all of our ministries). 

Language Learning

I've started Czech Sign Language courses again, and soon will be starting Czech classes as well. The Sign Language has come back quickly, which I'm thankful for, as it's been some time since I used it regularly. Spoken Czech has been a little harder. I know a lot of vocabulary, but my grammar struggles, and the teachers I've talked to aren't sure which level to put me in! I'll probably end up in a class where I won't be learning as much new vocabulary but more focusing on the grammar rules that I have forgotten since I last systematically studied the language. 

Prayers and Praises

- please pray for all of us learning Czech. It is a complicated language and it can be very overwhelming to try and learn a language and culture and way of life simultaneously, while also doing ministry and trying to build friendships

- pray for the kids we were able to minister to in Teplice that they would continue the connection with the church there and continue to grow in their walks with the Lord

- please continue to pray for my adjustment here. It has been so different this time, between a completely different living arrangement and more intensive language goals and new cultural discoveries, it's been difficult. Pray for understanding and peace and wisdom as I learn to navigate a whole new world.

- praise for a successful beginning to fall ministry! We are off to a great start.

- praise for the fall season finally arriving! It is my favorite season and I'm so excited for crisp mornings and wool shawls and sweaters and colorful leaves!

Love in Christ, 

Adele