It's here!

Tomorrow morning we leave for camp! I have spent an incredible week with our team of Canadians! They have been wonderful! They were so prepared that we were able to cut out two prep times and spend that time building into one another and the youth group here!

Last month my prayer for camp was that we would have at least 70. We would not eat it too much on the empty spaces and it looked like we might make it. Yesterday, we registered our 81st camper!!! God is so good!

I look forward to this camp and to meet more students from Katowice! I hope to continue building into both the youth of Katowice as well as the youth of the Canadian youth group!

One camp! 2 more after that! I love my "job"!

Here We Go!

Tomorrow is the day! Camp orientation will be over and Friday, the Canadians and the Polish youth will meet one another! Yippee! I am excited to see these groups together! They have both worked very hard separately and now we get to see them work together!

Please pray for these first few days to ones that are filled with fun, hard work and great bonding time!

We leave Sunday for wonderful Zakopane, Poland! I like to think of it as Poland's Breckenridge!

Lions, Tigers and Wild Pigs, oh my!

Okay, so we don't have any lions or tigers in Katowice outside of the zoo, but we do have wild pigs and they are not afraid of humans now. Two of men from church were attacked by a group of wild pigs just a block from my house 2 weeks ago. I thought they were pulling my leg and told my roommate about it.
"Yes! They were outside our door the other night. I had to wait in my car until they left."
So, I have exchanged Colorado bears for Polish wild pigs. . .

Red Tape

I have to get through it in order to stay here. My residence card expires next month (in the middle of camps!) And so I must get everything done before camps starts next week.

My friends at church have been helping me with the new card. Today was a RED TAPE day. It took longer to pay for my "social security" tax than it did to get the official paper saying that because I paid, I can now continue the process of getting a new card. I don't fully understand it all yet, but it is what I need to do in order to stay in Poland and I gladly do it! :)

It could be worse though. I have friends have been kicked out of their country just for sharing Jesus.

This red tape stuff is a cost that I did not really understand until I got here. I also have more appreciation for the immigrants in the States who have to go through our red tape in order to stay in America.

A positive note: I am getting to know where the government offices are in Katowice! :)

Back Home!

It has been 4 years since I have done camp with the boys of Zielona Gora. It is like coming home! I am excited to be back! It is like We are having camp in Zakopane, one of my favorite places in Poland!

I have our Katowice camp first, but I would ask that you pray for these guys too. Please pray that God would guide them. Some of what they will do will be new and we our American side is small this year. It will be mostly "Southern Gables" graduates along with a few more Coloradoans.

I love this Picture! You can see each personality in this photo!

Matt Redman in Czech

Yesterday about 20 of us jumped into our cars and drove to Vsetin, Czech Republic to see Matt Redman and Hillsong for a worship "concert". It was a GREAT time! What was amazing to me though was a young lady who walked up to me.

"Do you recognize me?" she asked.
"You look familiar, but I don't know from where." I answered.
"I was in your camp when you were in Nachod (Czech Republic)! My name is Hannah." she smiled and we talked about others who are still there. It was 1991 or 1993 that I had this young lady at camp! What a treat it was to see her!

Matt was great! Hillsong was good, but Matt ministered to my heart and soul!

We had a great time!

Great Weekend! Great Gatherings!

My weekend started on Thursday! I took our intern team to Zielona Gora to do camp promotion in three schools. It was a great time! I was asked to teach a kindergarten and 1st grade class! What do I know about that age? God was with me though and we had a GREAT time doing the Hoekie Poekie, learning about Colorado and my family, learning our numbers and colors through Uno cards and then ending by singing, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" After a full day of classes, we spend several hours connected with students at the church's English club. It was a great time, and long day!

The next morning I got up and drove 5 hours back to Katowice so I could be a part of our year end Pool party of Moosk. Due to technical problems with the pool, we ended up going to a park and, I think had a even better time of connecting.



During this time, I found myself surrounded by a group of young people who wanted to improve their English. I asked them to share with me their views of Polish culture and religion. It was fascinating and very informative! This group wants to continue the discussions and so, we are planning on getting together to talk and exchange beliefs and views of life! I am very excited about this door that God has opened.

Moosk is a city-wide group of young people who love to get together! Please pray for those who are hearing about Jesus for the first time and that they will see the difference between following Jesus and following religion.

And So It Begins . . . . . .

I met with Laura Hash today. We looked at the map of summer camps! Whew! It will be a very busy time!

The summer interns come to Katowice tomorrow and on Thursday I leave with them on to do part of our pre-camp tour!

As I get ready for the camps that will be happening this summer, I think all of the young people who will be learning what it means to have Jesus in their lives! I pray that this summer some of the young people that I met at schools this month will come and see how life can be different with Jesus leading!

To truly BE HUMAN is to know, and follow the ONE who created you. To trust and depend on He who loves beyond comprehension. To see how everything that is done in life is worship!

A Polish Wedding with Internatiional flair!

Przemek and Monika!

This weekend I went to the Czech Republic for a Polish wedding with a Latin American theme. No, you did not misread this!

My Polish brother Przemek, who now lives in Ireland, met his Polish bride there. (Przemek and I met at my first English camp some 8 years ago. Our relationship has blessed me in many ways and I was excited to see that he found Monika!)

It was a wonderful weekend long party! There were Poles, Canadians, Irish and Americans in attendance. The music was Polish, Irish, Latin American and a smidgen of Hip Hop. Truly an International event!

We had a "backyard" grill accompanied by Latin American music (with a dash of Irish jigging) for an afternoon of dancing. At dinner, we had a kind of tortilla soup, guacamole, and wonderful burritos (a very special meal here). There were even elements of English Camp at the "game time" portion of the event.

What a great time and the food was GREAT!

While at this wedding, I was able to reflect on the young Polish leaders who I have had the privilege of knowing and becoming friends with. It has been wonderful to watch those who have given their lives to Christ and who are following in His steps (even though some are in other countries). It also got me thinking of others who have chosen to walk away and live in their own steps. I stepped out of the party for a few moments to pray for a few who where heavy on my heart. Oh, Lord, turn them back to you! It was bitter sweet to reunite with those who were once teenagers at my first few Summer English Camp years ago and the paths that they have chosen to take.

Przemek and Monika love them all well. :)