Final Thoughts on Czech

It has been a great week, with many “God sightings” as we’ve sought to be a “Barnabas Team” … encouraging people in whatever way we can.
Our hands encouraged the Josiah Venture Staff as we were able to so some construction work on the Pstruzi House Retreat Center. Our lips expressed words of encouragement and prayers for the leaders and families who live and serve here. And last, but certainly not least, our hearts connected with the vision and passion of the entire Josiah Venture organization.

We’re hoping and believing that there will be many more connections and opportunities for people to join with us in this part of the world!


I leave you with some fun pictures of our journey.
Mark carrying a crock pot as carry-on luggage for 6000 miles, Mark and Noah, posing for a breakfast photo, Dave, Mel & Amy enjoying a new twist on an old board game, and Noah and Mel - goofing around after dinner at a seafood restaurant.

Maybe next year there will be pictures of YOU on here... at least that is what we are praying!!

Time to leave - almost!

After a long day working on the Retreat Center, we had to vacate the Ellenwood home, because new travellers from Wisconsin (Three Lakes) were coming to visit. But the good news is that our final night in Northeastern CZ was going to be in the Josiah Venture's Hotel Melanovice. (Click here for Hotel info) The hotel was purchased as a little run-down hotel, and refurbished by Josiah Venture to be a true, self-sustaining, tourist filled hotel! They also use it to host English camps, retreats and seminars! This is where we will possibly stay when we return with a team next March.

The good news is that we would stay at a fabulous hotel - the bad news was that the blizzard was still blowing, and the little mountain-pass / driveway up the mountain was unfit for travel. So we had to HIKE up the hill for our final night!

The next morning, the snow was still flying as we prepared to make our way back to Prague. Thankfully, God lifted the storm just as we departed, and we had dry roads for most of our 4 hour journey! (AMEN)

Workin like crazy snowmen!

Thursday was to be our final day of hard labor - and loving on the Ellenwoods!
The day again began with bright sunshine and 29 degree temps. The weather was soon to warm up, but the sky was about to fall apart on us!

It was time we wrapped up our project on the Retreat House. Today there was a lot of work to do. Siding, rafters, purloins and flashing prep - all in preparation for a metal roof which will come soon.

Our highlight of this day, beside all the great work we accomplished was our side trip to the local log home factory.

The actual retreat house will be a newly built log home. We got a private tour of the factory which might build the home. Although the log home will be assembled by factory technicians, all of the interior detail work will need to be done by teams of Americans and Czechs working together to finish the retreat center as soon as possible.



URGENT MATTERS. There are over 180 Josiah Venture missionaries in 11 countries who are in need of this Retreat Center. Mel told us today that each week he receives telephone calls and emails from people who are requesting time at the Retreat Center, fearing they may burn-out soon. From the USA there are already counselors lined up to volunteer their time at the center for hurting people. It is urgent that this Retreat Center is built soon!

We wrapped up our final work day, staying as late as we could on the mountainside working.

By the time we were finished working - we were truely "finished" Our bodies ached and our muscles were tired, but our Spirits were renewed with the incredible amount of work that was accomplished over the week!

Tonight will be our final night with Mel, Amy, Hannah, Hayley and Noah. It will be bittersweet.

Working Wednesday

The girls day: Wednesday morning started off with the boyz (Mark & Dave) heading off to the building project to do some more work. Joyce & I got to sleep in and then spend some time with Amy Ellenwood. We have not had a lot of time with her, so that was nice.

We started the morning by getting some laundry started. It takes a long time to do a load of laundry. Most washers have a 2 hour washing cycle. Yikes! We perserved because Mark's clothes can get really smelly after a few days of work. Later Amy took Joyce & I into Poland. The Ellenwoods town, Cesky Tesin, is located on the border of Poland. Like right on the border! We can see the border gate from the house. We went downtown and parked the car. Then we walked down the street and over the river and we were in Poland. Cool! We did a little shopping and ran into two friends of Amy's friends. It was definitely a "God thing" as one of the friends was dealing with the 2 year anniversary of her son's death. Amy has been a great encouragement to this woman and we pray that the Lord will use it.

In the afternoon, we went with Amy to her school. She teaches English to Czech students twice a week. These students are like High School students yet they are doing college preparation studies. The students had to ask us questions and then tell Amy the things they learned. Later they told us in English about the Czech school system and the teachers. It was fun and interesting.









The boys day: Dave, Mark & Mel's son, Noah working at the retreat center.

Tired Tuesday

Please accept our apologies for a delayed Tuesday Blog - we have been going busy straight through from 6:30 this morning until about 10:00 tonight. After a little devotional time & quiet time, it is time for bed.

Thankfully my best buddy Dave had a little energy left to blog - he posted a ton of super fun pictures, and wrote all about today.

Read it at http://nextinternational.blogspot.com/
Above, Dave & I finish up a 10 course recycled brick knee wall below the frame wall we built yesterday. There is such great joy in a job completed for the Lord! Cathy and Joyce completed some pretty huge tasks today as well, but I'm sure Cathy will tell you about them in the morning.
The Folks at Josiah Venture are so very happy that Faith was able to send a small team this Spring to work on the Pastoral Retreat Center. The completion of this center is going to have eternal meaning in the lives of all who can use it - and then continue ministry.

Cathy will get us back up to blogger speed in the morning tomorrow!
Thanks for all your continued prayers! This is a fantastic mission so far - God is using us in great ways and showing & teaching us great things.

Staying with the Ellenwood family is a total treasure for us, and I hope for them too!
Bless you all ! - Goodnight!

(now go to read Dave's Blog!!)

Construction Monday

On Monday we went up the side of the mountain to the site of the Missionary Retreat Center. Currently, it is an old house with a barn. The barn still has hay from housing animals. The house has been gutted.





Today the men; Mark, Dave & Mel worked in the barn. They framed up a new wall that will eventually become the outside wall as the chicken coop part of the barn will be torn down. The barn will then continue being renovated until it is a beautiful guest house for the retreat center. It is where counselors can stay when they are assisting families who may need their help.
















The women; Joyce & Cathy gathered tools and headed into the house to de-construct framing on the second floor.

Later on Monday night, the Ellenwoods hosted several Moody students at their home. They shared their story of how God brought them to Czech.

It was very inspiring. They are faithful and God is awesome!

Day Three - Sunday

This morning we woke up to chilly temps and pouring rain.

Mel took us to his local church-plant near his home in Karvina. It is a small church. One of the Elders will preach most Sundays. However, once a month the pastor of the "mother" church comes in to preach. He was preaching today.


Dave was asked to share with the church today. Everyone said that he did very well speaking in Czech. He would not agree, but he is humble. Two girls from the church sang and they reminded me so much of our wonderful friends in Slovakia. I realize how much I miss them. Noah translated for me. It was his first time doing serious translation and he did it very well. When we had prayer time, I participated and he translated my prayer for the church to hear.

Pray for this little church. There are about 60 people who attend off & on, today there were about 30. Economic times here in Eastern Czech are very hard. Most of the coal mines and factories have closed. Domestic violence is high, and the the young people are a lost generation.

But there is Hope. Each year thousands of young people come through English programs and summer camps sponsored by Josiah Venture. Each of those programs and camps are connected to a local church body who love on & follow up with any students who are interested.

Keep Praying!

Day Two - Cesky Tesin

Saturday morning we woke up at the crack of daybreak, borrowed a car from friends, and drove all the way across Czech from West to East, ending up about 100 yards from the Polish Border. Our first stop was to meet up with some guys high up in the Josiah Venture organization. They laid out a vision for their ministry for the next 15 years. ((incredible))

We met at a hotel which was purchased and renovated by Josiah Venture. They now use it for a conference center, summer camp, weekend retreats - and it also serves as an actual Hotel for locals, travelers and skiers.

Our next stop was suppose to be at the retreat center that we will be helping to renovate, but it has snowed everyday for the past week, and we couldn't get in!! Sunday we will go up with shovels to clear the driveway.

We closed the day (Saturday) with home made spaghetti and all of us joining in the world's funnest game (Telephone Pictionary) Mel laughed until he cried!!
(thanks Brandon)
(did I mention that it was 45 degrees & sunny?)

Day One in Prague

We arrived safely in Prague on Friday afternoon, spent the afternoon with some old friends and slept hard after traveling 5000 miles.



Here are a few fun pictures of Prague. Cathy is trying to figure out how to buy subway & train tickets from a machine written entirely in Czech (successfully)!
Cathy is sporting her new Czech hat, because the wind was whipping up around 20 mph!
And finally a photo of one of the most beautiful churches (now a museum) in Central Europe. It is housed within the safety of the walls of the Prague Presidential Palace.

On to what is NEXT ! Czech Republic

Cathy & Mark Jensen, Joyce & Dave Johnson and the hearts of dozens of supporters travel Thursday, 3/12, to Prague, and then our final destination, Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic. We will be staying with Mel & Amy Ellenwood, sharing in their lives and their ministries.

Please continue to pray for the Ellenwood family, the people of Czech, and all the travelers that God will have us meet along the way.

(You can enlarge the accompanying photo by clicking on it, or if you go to the actual blogsite "www.worshipwithourlives.blogspot.com" you may leave comments > very encouraging)

We will update this blog as often as possible - once we finally get settled in.
We fly out on Thursday and land on Friday, then hopefully catch the train from Prague to Cesky Tesin.

Not only is God worthy of all Praise, Honor & Glory, but I'm sure He loves a good Adventure!

Back Home

Well, we are all back home, safe and sound. All of us are humbled to have been a part of what God has done in the past week. Please keep praying for all the people in Ica that Jesus will continue to be glorified in their lives and that they will be strong trees planted by streams of living water that will shade and transform their whole country. Thanks very much to all who have been praying for us, we did see God's hand during our stay....further adventures to come...so stay tuned.
With lots of love and thanks,
The Peru Team