How this all happened

In the summer of 2011, I got my first opportunity to serve as a short-term missionary from CEFC when I traveled along with our team to serve at an English camp in the Czech Republic.  Little did I know how much that two week trip would change my life.  During that trip the Lord opened my mind and my heart to truly love the people of Czech Republic that I came across.  Upon returning, I was on fire for missions in that country and was blessed to serve two more times at the English camp.  At the end of our trip last year Jim Caley and myself began discussions with Pastor Petr Polách about how our churches might grow our relationship with one another.  Upon returning, Naomi Jackins and myself brought some of the ideas of the Czech teams on how we might grow together to the Missions Committee at CEFC.  We were asked to prioritize these ideas so I sent them to Petr to look over them and see what their church thought.  About a month later I received an email from Petr explaining that among other things their church desired that our church might send me to serve with them for at least one year.  This came as an utter surprise to me.  I can remember showing Chris, my brother, the email from Petr just to make sure that I hadn't misread it.  I spent several days thinking and praying about this and felt that the Lord was calling me to serve him in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

This began a process of many months as the Missions Committee considered this trip and how it fits into the goals of the Missions Committee.  In February, Pastor Petr came to visit our church and during that time we were able to get to know each other a little better and give him the opportunity to speak with the Missions Committee in person.  From that point on the process ramped up and on April 30th I heard that the trip had been approved by not only the Missions Committee but the Elders as well.  

So, on July 30th, I will be leaving with CEFC's short-term team to serve at the English camp and then will be staying for a year to help Petr's church in Ostrava reach the teens in the community around them as they seek to grow their youth ministry.  I have gotten the opportunity to meet and build relationships with several teens from the area that have attended the English camp over the last three years.  Many of these teens do not currently attend the church but enjoy the English camp and come back year after year.  It is this momentum that we seek to capitalize on so that those teens might move from a love of the English camp to a love of Christ.