Mission: The Czech Republic

*If you would like the email version of this with pictures feel free to comment below. It's much more attractive :P*

Dear Friends,
It has now been just under six weeks since I left the Czech Republic after serving there for my second time. The trip itself was only two weeks, but so much happened in such a short period of time, that it is hard to imagine it happened so quickly. I first of all though want to say how much I appreciated all your support and help that enabled me to partake in this journey.

An Overview
After weeks of meetings and fundraisers over the summer, we departed from Fairbanks, Alaska, destination: the Czech Republic. The journey was much smoother than last time, and we all made it to Prague safely without many complications. After spending the evening and morning there at a hotel, we traveled by bus to training. This was held at the vacation town of Cesky Sternberk, overlooked by a castle and centered on a slow-moving river. Over our time there, we had daily meetings for team bonding, prayer, worship, cultural information, and just general info regarding the camp and teaching. During this time I got to know the Alaska team better and enjoy certain things like running, playing music, and taking pictures. After this period of about five days, we left by train to travel to the town of Most. There we took a car up into the mountains to where the camp would be held at a ski lodge. This was the day before camp. That evening we got some rest and began preparing for classes and camp the next day. We were reunited with the Czech youth group, and together, we finished all the preparations.
Camp lasted one week. Each day we taught English, learned about the Gospel, sang songs, did crazy things, and grew closer together. Each day was different and special in its own way. Some highlights include Water Day, the camp dance (that’s right), Hike Day, the talent show, pool time, camp songs, and afternoon activities (which might have included running miles through the forest looking for little numbered posts).
The weekend after camp I spent with boy named Mara from my music class. I spent the night at his house and explored his city. We then went to the church in Most and had a fun afternoon of playing laser tag with the youth group. That evening we went back to Prague, where we stayed until Thursday morning. There we explored the city and spent another day with people from camp.

Music Class
Music Class ended up turning out a lot better than I had thought it would. There were only two official students in our class, but we had three other Czech team leaders and I had two other people from the Alaska team to help. Every day was split up into an English learning morning, and a playing music afternoon. Everyday was a challenge to gather materials together that were interesting, engaging, and fun. I think I can finally sympathize with my teachers at school.
We analyzed songs, learned theory, played Telestrations, and took close-up pictures, among many other things. The afternoons were a little harder to determine how best to spend our time and I think that if I were to do the same thing again, I might change some things. However, we had many fun moments of singing and sharing songs that I won't soon forget. We were mainly preparing for the camp talent show which was later on in the week. We ended up performing two songs: Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day and Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Hallelujah was my favorite. There is something so beautiful about the song and we were able to really build it up and use our broad range of talents.

An Honest Reflection
Overall, it was so great to be back in the Czech Republic. I can't say that it was always easy and fun, but it was definitely worth it. Last summer when I went on this trip for the first time, most of my worries and struggles stemmed out of the fact that I knew basically no one. I was going into a new culture, so basically everything was new. This year, it was so great to go back to a place where I felt like I had family. I had friends now to embrace and laugh with again. There was something so refreshing about returning. However, God chose to grow me in ways other than stepping out of my comfort zone and entering new places. I had to learn how to be selfless and to learn where I fit in with the team.
This year there were some problems with team chemistry, which made it more difficult on a daily basis. I had to learn to not let things affect me that shouldn't and to stand up where I felt like I should. I want to be clear that the people on the trip weren't bad people. Far from it. There were just some cases where my personality and other personalities clashed and I had to deal with it. There were also many times during the trip where I just wanted to run away and hide from social interaction. However, I also learned the importance of investing in people and doing the hard things.
During this time, I was going through some difficult personal things and really was struggling with my team identity. Who was I on the team? What was I in the Czech Republic for? It was cool though to see God give me more confidence throughout the week and help me feel more comfortable with who I was, where I was, and how I could reach out to the Czech people.

A Spiritual Journey
The Christian life is not a steady climb. It is not a steady incline into perfection and holiness. Rather, it is a journey. It is travel that leads up and over, through and underneath the circumstances of life. It certainly isn't always easy or clear. Not only was this trip a key moment in my spiritual journey, it was a key moment in many others as well.
Since last year was mostly about making relationships, this year, was about watching them blossom. It was so cool to see people change throughout the week. The first couple of days most people were shy and skeptical of the whole Christian aspect of camp, but as things started moving along, people became open. They started laughing and having fun. They started questioning there worldviews. They started talking about God.
I was able to connect with multiple people and see how they all moved along in their personal journey with God. Most of my time though was spent with Mara, the boy who I spent the weekend with at his house. He was not a Christian, but as we chatted and especially through the nightly discussion groups we had after the evening Bible messages, he came to a point where he basically said, "I know this is true, but I need a personal experience, in order to completely change my life and follow God." That amazed me. Here was a boy who could've cared less at the beginning of the week, to now saying that he thought it was true, but just needed a sign.
Another cool thing was that two people gave their lives to the Lord. Neither were in my group or circles of friends, but it was so fun to see them so excited about it.
Personally, as I already mentioned, God was growing and stretching me. He helped me reach out to people and be there for others. He taught me about his grace and how He had taken care of me. Thursday night was the Gospel night, and they do a really neat thing called Labyrinth. After the Gospel is presented, everyone goes through a prayer walk that traverses the entire compound. It is lit by candles and basically is a time when people can process what they learned from the week, focusing on the ideas of God's love, our sin, Jesus' sacrifice, and our decision. For me it was a very helpful physical way of walking through the Gospel and sensing God's love.

In closing, I just want to ask for you all to remain in prayer for the Czech Republic. God is really working over there, but there is also a lot of opposition. It was so great to see the guy that had came to know the Lord from last camp be a fully integrated part of the youth group now. However, his family has now rejected him and he lives on his own. Please be praying for him and for Mara, and that the Czech Church would continue to grow and thrive. It has been such a privilege to be a part of this ministry. I also want to say again how grateful I am for all your support and encouragement. This trip wouldn't have been possible without you.
Much Love,
JJ

Homestay with Mara Tucek

Training ended well and we are now at camp gearing up to start tomorrow. Pray for open hearts and flexibility, as we begin.

First day of training went well. We made it safely to Prague and have now arrived at and spent a day at, training. Please continue to pray as we prepare for camp and our English classes.

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your support and help. I now am officially fully supported! It has been quite a ride these past weeks as I have been very busy working in Alaska. It has been great though to see my brother and sisters and have the opportunity to prepare with the team from Bethel for the trip, a luxury I didn't have last year.
This year I will be helping teach a music class with another man from the church named Jacob. We will use English music theory and vocabulary while also having classes on improv and just having fun playing together. I'm very excited. Music is a gift that crosses cultural boundaries.
It's amazing to think that the trip is now only two weeks away. We leave on the 24th. This year there will be fourteen of us, seven first timers.

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Here is a list of prayer requests as we prepare for the trip:
1. Pray for the seven newcomers. I know from experience that it can be very daunting to do something out of your comfort zone.
2. Pray for Jacob and I as we plan and write the curriculum for our class, as it doesn't really exist.
3. Pray for all the Czech leaders including the two that will be helping us teach music.
4. Pray for the camp that it would be a place where kids could come and feel welcomed and at home, and be able to encounter God in a very real and personal way.
5. Pray for the camp as right now fewer people than anticipated have signed up to go.
6. Pray for our team, for nerves, for fear, that we would be able to plan and pack well, and that we would be able to all go with the right motives.
7. Pray for the Czech church as they plan the whole camp.
8. I would also appreciate prayer that I would really be able to encounter God in a new way on this trip. I've been on a wild journey this past year and I'm excited to see what God has in store for me.

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Thanks so much for your support and thank you again for taking part in this journey with me.
Sincerely,
JJ

Ahoj přátelé!
Je čas, abyste nás trochu více poznali. Dnes vám představíme 2 členy českého týmu, kteří budou zodpovědní za vedení MUSIC CLASS: Jindra a Pája.
Jindra je absolvent ZUŠ ve hře na kytaru a vedle toho hraje na violoncello, housle, bicí, basovou kytaru a zpívá. (Zapomněli jsme na něco??!) :)
Pája je čerstvou maturantkou teplické konzervatoře - hraje na příčnou flétnu, klavír, a zpívá.
K nim přibudou 2 Američané z Aljašského týmu - ty vám představíme někdy příště. :)
Pokud máš hudební nadání a chceš se na týden zapojit do kapely a hrát songy nebo improvizovat, rozhodně pojeď s námi! :) Přihlášení zde: http://englishcampmost.cz/

"A movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society."
This is the mission. This is the calling--to reach out to the lost and connect them with the found.

Dear Friends,
Last summer I had the privilege of leaving my home and traveling to the Czech Republic to fulfill that calling and mission. It was my first official missions trip and I was very anxious as almost everything about the trip was new to me, and yet God held my hand through all of it. It was the best experience I've ever had and as I look back on it I can see how every difficulty and joy produced an incredible fruit.
This summer, I have the privilege of returning to that beautiful country and joining with that mission yet again.

JV (Josiah Venture)
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The needs are great in Czech. Less than 1% know Jesus as their savior. We as a team have a great opportunity to work with Josiah Venture (www.josiahventure.com) and the Czech church in the town of Most to reach students in their city through an evangelistic English camp. The mission statement quoted at the beginning of this letter just so happens to be the mission statement of Josiah Venture. Their goal is to accomplish this by equipping young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission. The Czech church has already begun to invite students from their community and schools. At the camp, students will experience a youth camp environment along with 3 hours of English class every morning. Through serving, building relationships with the Czech students, discussion groups, evening talks, sports times, hiking, and a lot of fun, many of the students are exposed to genuine, Biblical Christianity for the first time. But the outreach doesn't stop when camp is over. After the students return to their hometown, they are followed up by the church to continue the relationships built at camp. It makes for great sustainable ministry long after we return home.
During my whole experience of working with Josiah Venture this past summer I had no complaints. I have seen many different methods of outreach and sharing the Gospel in my life as an MK, but never one as successful as JV was. They were stream-lined, effective, caring, helpful, and I must say ingenious. My only wish is that their ministry was present in more countries.

The Trip

​ The trip itself is about two weeks and its initial purpose is helping lead the English camp for the Czech youth. After uniting with the Bethel Church team in Fairbanks Alaska, I will travel with them to the Czech Republic. The first week will be spent at a training center where we will be immersed in Czech culture and history. It also serves, though, as a place to grow closer together as a team, meet up with the Czech youth group leaders, learn about the camp, and make plans for when it actually begins. The second week involves traveling to the town of Most where we will set up for and begin camp. Every day involves a morning Bible study and English lesson, an afternoon workshop session and activity time, and an evening program with a Gospel message. The theme for this year's camp is Seen. Have you seen him? Finally, we will spend a few days living with a Czech family and then return to Prague for a couple days before heading home.
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My Purpose for Going

First of all, one of the neat things about JV is their focus on following up in the lives of those involved with the camp, and one of their ways of doing this is by making a three-year commitment for all churches involved with this ministry. I happened to be a part of Bethel Church's second trip and now hope to join them again on their final one. The purpose of this is so that relationships can be made and fostered. The fault of many missions trips is that they last for a short period of time and once people return home they forget about the people they met. However, this method serves to encourage friendships to be formed between Czechs and Americans that continue to grow and open people to the Gospel.
Second, I honestly just love the Czech Republic. As I said at the beginning, this past summer was literally the best experience I've ever had. The combination of meeting wonderful people, exploring a new culture, and stepping out of my comfort zone, created memories that I won't soon forget. I really do have friendships with the people there and I can't wait to see them again. I don't know if God has a plan for my future in that country, but all I know is that I've fallen in love with it.
Thirdly, I want to reach out to the youth in the Czech Republic. They are individuals full of potential, but also full of pain. In the short amount of time that I spent with them, I realized that for many the idea of Christ was revolutionary. It changes their whole perspective on life and the way they live. It was interesting for me to see the longing in each individual to make sense of life. There was probably the greatest variety of worldviews present there than I've ever come into contact with in one place at a time. The need in the Czech Republic is great, and with my limited talents and abilities I hope to make myself a valuable asset to my team and to the spreading of the Gospel message.​
Finally, I want to encounter God in a new way. Some of you may know that this past year has been very challenging for me and it has been a time where I have really had to come to terms with what I believe. I want to know God as He is, not just as who people say he is. Christianity is life changing and therefore I want to reach a point where I can know without a doubt that I truly believe fully in that message and have chosen the right path. I really do believe that this experience has the potential to provide great insight into some of these things and so, just as much as this trip is a mission to the youth in the Czech Republic, this trip is a mission to my heart and soul in Christ Jesus as well.

​What You Can Do

This trip involves so much more than just me getting on a plane and heading to a different country. It involves you. As always money is a problem. It takes a lot of funds to bring about an event like this, with airfare and the general cost of living at the camp I have to raise a total of $2,500. However, money is only a small part of what I need and the whole team needs for bringing this about. We need God's presence on this trip and a huge part of that is made possible through prayer. Pray for our trip. Pray for the Czech Republic. I will try and keep you updated on other prayer requests too. Feel free to like my page , but if you don't have Facebook, I'd be happy to keep you updated via email.
It's always awkward to ask for things, but I sincerely believe that this trip is a step that God wants me to take. Please know that I ask for these things out of love and full knowledge that many people are unable to support in some ways. I appreciate all of you guys so much and your support over the years in all sorts of ways. It has been such a blessing to my family and I. We as a team will also be hosting various fund-raisers to help with the costs.
If you would like to support by funding me, you can do so by following this link: http://www.bethelchurchak.org/short-term and by clicking on the "Click here to support our Youth Mission Trip to the Czech Republic." *Note: the link may not be available overseas so you can either send the money or deliver it personally. If you would like to send a check, you can send it to : PO Box 83889, Fairbanks, AK 99708, with an attachment saying that you'd like the money to go towards helping me go on the Czech Trip. Please feel free to send me an email if you choose to do so, I would love to send you my thanks and keep you updated.

I am very excited for what the future holds and also glad that you get to be a part of this along with me. I hope that not only I can be blessed and encouraged through this, but that you would be as well, along with the many others that I will meet along the way. If you would like any more information or simply want to chat, feel free to send me an email. You all have been such a blessing to me.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Shafe

Update coming tomorrow! :D Stay tuned.

Krásný první máj!
V nové pondělní sérii vám představíme camp, jak by se dal popsat mnoha rozličnými přídavnými jmény.
Začneme: FUNNY. Na campu je denně plno situací, které jsou vtipné - smějeme a bavíme se. :)
Namátkou: když tancujeme camp dance nebo to, jak se naši Američané snaží vyslovit některé české slovo. Zkuste je naučit třeba "strč prst skrz krk"! :)

100 days till Czech. 100 days till I return to that beautiful country. 100 days and counting!