Summer Temperatures Yet Autumn Pushes Forward

Fall Colors

Fall is probably my favorite season of the year.  Watching the beautiful transformation of colors is always great.  Driving up the driveway to Community Evangelical Free Church in the Fall is always a wonderful sight, seeing the driveway lined with brilliant yellows and reds.  I have to admit that my street here doesn't have as bright of colors as those I remember from years past in PA but it is still amazing to see the creativity of God.  The temperatures here this Fall have been great often remaining between the mid 60s to mid 70s during the day.  This is not much cooler than the temperatures that I have experienced during English Camps here during July and August.

The First English Conversation Group

Last Thursday afternoon, we hosted our first English Conversation group in the church.  There were not many children the first week but we expect that to increase soon.  We did however have about 13 adults and one teen show up for the conversation group.  We spoke for about an hour and a half about ourselves and about the difference between the social systems designed for maternity level in the Czech Republic and the United States.  Women in the Czech Republic are able to stay home for up to 3 years for each child when they are born to take care of the children.  And they are paid to do this.  I am sure a lot of moms back home wish this was the case in the United States.  Pray as this process continues week after week that I will continue to be able to come up with conversation topics that are worth talking about for an hour and a half.  Pray also that these conversation groups might open up more opportunities to talk about the gospel and lead people to visit the church on Sundays.  Pray also for a young man named Petr.  He attended last week and showed some interest in attending the youth group.  He didn't this past Friday but it would be great to see him.

Just a couple of pictures from the conversation group

Friday Night Youth Group

Things continue to go well with the youth group.  Although the numbers change from week to week we have more people getting involved.  This past Friday, we had two new people attend the group one of whom said that she will be coming each week and that she really enjoyed it.  This is an encouragement to me and the other leaders.  Continue to pray for us as we plan and move forward that God might continue to bless this ministry and that these teens would grow in their relationships with the Lord.  Pray also for me and the other leaders as we have conversations with individual teens both during and outside of the weekly meetings.

Tomorrow's Trip to Vienna

As some of you may know, very early tomorrow morning I will be leaving Ostrava for the day and traveling to Vienna, Austria for the day to do more things for the visa that I need to remain here.  I am not sure whether it is possible to leave the Czech consulate there with the documents that I need tomorrow but we have been in contact with them over the last few weeks and have given them everything that they have asked for so far.  Pray with me that the Lord would bless this trip with safety as well as allowing us to get what we need as soon as possible before the end of the month.  I am confident in the Lord as we go through this process but pray for me that I would continue to have this faith in God's faithfulness.