This week at Skalka we had a Christmas party for each of our classes, clubs and activities! It was quite a lot of celebration...(six parties for me this week, in all.) :)
Praise God that many of the students came to celebrate even though this is a busy time of year for everyone.
At each of the parties our church leader, Mark, came to play the guitar and lead carols in Czech and in English. It was a lovely time. The classroom was decorated with a pointsettia theme and we lit candles and an advent wreath for the singing. What a delight to get to sing true songs about the birth of our Lord Jesus together with the students!
Everyone was invited to bring "vanocni susenky" (Christmas sweets) to share. There were sooo many cookies! People take their Christmas cookie baking very seriously here it seems. There were so many varieties. It seemed that each family made at least three or four different kinds of cookies...some made more than seven. Wow.
I enjoyed sharing some of my favorite "traditional American sweets" with the students as well (including Mexican Wedding Cakes/Russian tea cakes)
The best part was that at each of the parties the students who were there got to hear the Christmas story from the Bible! Yay!
Oh, let us pray that the truth of these words that they heard would really touch their hearts. Please pray with me that Christmas would be more than a time to clean house, eat carp fish, make potato salad, see family members and sing carols...those things are nice, but JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! Please pray with me that as the students reflect on the meaning of the songs that they sing and the scripture readings that they heard that their hearts would be opened to see their need to accept the Lord Jesus as their true SAVIOR! Thank you. :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmas markets!
The Christmas markets are open here in Prague!
Oh they are so beautiful!
In many of the squares the Christmas markets have been open since the beginning of December for tourists and locals to enjoy.
There is such a festive atmosphere! Some of the markets have live Christmas music and dance performances and a person can hear carols being played all around.
The stalls are full of wonderful and interesting things to admire.
There are craft stalls with things like traditional Christmas ornaments (made from straw, wood and glass.) There are jewlery stalls and booths selling painings and photography. There are booths with wooden toys for children and other fancy gifts to purchase!
Then there are the food stalls! There is such a variety of traditional festival food that is for sale! Roasted chestnuts, fancily decorated gingerbread cookies (Pernik) which hang on a string that children wear around their necks, mulled wine, langos (a fried dough topped with garlic, ketchup and cheese, mmmm!), trdelnik (a dough that is wrapped around a long pole that turns over a fire until it is baked and then is rolled in cinnamon and sugar), coffee and horka chocolada (which is like really creamy hot cocoa) and many other delicacies! So wonderful and exciting to smell all of the aromas and enjoy the festive spirit!
Let us pray that as the Czech people come together to celebrate that the season will be more than just fun traditions and festive moods. "Lord, as the Czech people hear the carols with the lyrics that tell about your birth, please open the eyes of their hearts to believe that You are more than just a baby in a manger who comes to bring them their Christmas presents. Lord, help them to see that You are the SAVIOR of the world. That you came to earth to live a perfect life and die for us as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Help us adore you for your love for us and for what you did for us. In Your holy name we pray. Amen."
Oh they are so beautiful!
In many of the squares the Christmas markets have been open since the beginning of December for tourists and locals to enjoy.
There is such a festive atmosphere! Some of the markets have live Christmas music and dance performances and a person can hear carols being played all around.
The stalls are full of wonderful and interesting things to admire.
There are craft stalls with things like traditional Christmas ornaments (made from straw, wood and glass.) There are jewlery stalls and booths selling painings and photography. There are booths with wooden toys for children and other fancy gifts to purchase!
Then there are the food stalls! There is such a variety of traditional festival food that is for sale! Roasted chestnuts, fancily decorated gingerbread cookies (Pernik) which hang on a string that children wear around their necks, mulled wine, langos (a fried dough topped with garlic, ketchup and cheese, mmmm!), trdelnik (a dough that is wrapped around a long pole that turns over a fire until it is baked and then is rolled in cinnamon and sugar), coffee and horka chocolada (which is like really creamy hot cocoa) and many other delicacies! So wonderful and exciting to smell all of the aromas and enjoy the festive spirit!
Let us pray that as the Czech people come together to celebrate that the season will be more than just fun traditions and festive moods. "Lord, as the Czech people hear the carols with the lyrics that tell about your birth, please open the eyes of their hearts to believe that You are more than just a baby in a manger who comes to bring them their Christmas presents. Lord, help them to see that You are the SAVIOR of the world. That you came to earth to live a perfect life and die for us as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Help us adore you for your love for us and for what you did for us. In Your holy name we pray. Amen."
Refugees from Myanmar-Connection with Bethlehem Baptist!
The other day I had the opportunity to go with some friends to a Christmas party/prayer gathering in Brno, Czech Republic. The event was hosted by a group of refugees from Myanmar. They have been here in the Czech Republic for about a year and it seems that they have been having a difficult time here so far.
In the fall I had the opportunity to talk with one of the girls from Myanmar, Hparat. She is studying English here in Prague at Charles University now and is very articulate.
It turns out that there is an incredilbe connection between us! In the 1860's a missionary from Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, Minnesota (my church) went to Myanmar to bring the gospel to her people! Her people received the gospel message and have been believers ever since! Neat! In fact, Hparat's father is now one of the main pastors in their area. Plus, when visitors from Bethlehem went to Myanmar to visit, Hparat was the one who gave them the tour of their area! Wow. What a small world. God is so cool to connect us in special ways like this.
The situation in Myanmar is very difficult right now, however. Every 50 years the bamboo trees grow a special kind of flower. Apparently, the rats in the area like to eat this flower and when they do, the rats proliferate profusely. So, currently there is a plague of rats in Hparat's community in Myanmar. Sad! This infestation has caused a famine in the area because the rats eat all of the food supplies...can you imagine it?? I saw pictures of the buckets of dead rats that had been killed. Disgusting...
Praise the Lord that some of the people have been able to escape to other contries. Praise God that other countries like the Czech Republic have been willing to take them in. However, things have not been easy for the people after they arrived here. First, they were in a refugee camp for many months. They began to learn the language and were introduced to the Czech culture, but it is very different from their own culture that they are used to.
The people that we talked to at the prayer event said that they were used to living in a close-knit community. But, here the families are separated into different areas around the region so they are not able to see each other very often.
I was so blessed to get to hear the youth from Myanmar singing worship at the prayer event! It was so precious to hear them singing songs with familiar worship tunes in their native language (and in Czech and English!)
Will you please pray with me that the Lord will continue to provide for the people of Myanmar? Please pray that the Lord will bring peace to the political situation in the country, that the famine will cease, that the plague of rats will end, that the Christians will stop being persecuted, that the drug problem will stop, that the immigrants will be able to adjust to their new cultures and languages well and that the joy of the Lord will continue to be the strength of the people as they live their lives in service to our God?! Thank you.
In the fall I had the opportunity to talk with one of the girls from Myanmar, Hparat. She is studying English here in Prague at Charles University now and is very articulate.
It turns out that there is an incredilbe connection between us! In the 1860's a missionary from Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, Minnesota (my church) went to Myanmar to bring the gospel to her people! Her people received the gospel message and have been believers ever since! Neat! In fact, Hparat's father is now one of the main pastors in their area. Plus, when visitors from Bethlehem went to Myanmar to visit, Hparat was the one who gave them the tour of their area! Wow. What a small world. God is so cool to connect us in special ways like this.
The situation in Myanmar is very difficult right now, however. Every 50 years the bamboo trees grow a special kind of flower. Apparently, the rats in the area like to eat this flower and when they do, the rats proliferate profusely. So, currently there is a plague of rats in Hparat's community in Myanmar. Sad! This infestation has caused a famine in the area because the rats eat all of the food supplies...can you imagine it?? I saw pictures of the buckets of dead rats that had been killed. Disgusting...
Praise the Lord that some of the people have been able to escape to other contries. Praise God that other countries like the Czech Republic have been willing to take them in. However, things have not been easy for the people after they arrived here. First, they were in a refugee camp for many months. They began to learn the language and were introduced to the Czech culture, but it is very different from their own culture that they are used to.
The people that we talked to at the prayer event said that they were used to living in a close-knit community. But, here the families are separated into different areas around the region so they are not able to see each other very often.
I was so blessed to get to hear the youth from Myanmar singing worship at the prayer event! It was so precious to hear them singing songs with familiar worship tunes in their native language (and in Czech and English!)
Will you please pray with me that the Lord will continue to provide for the people of Myanmar? Please pray that the Lord will bring peace to the political situation in the country, that the famine will cease, that the plague of rats will end, that the Christians will stop being persecuted, that the drug problem will stop, that the immigrants will be able to adjust to their new cultures and languages well and that the joy of the Lord will continue to be the strength of the people as they live their lives in service to our God?! Thank you.
Worship night and craft gathering
Hello friends!
Thank you for your prayers for the worship night that we hosted at our church a few weeks ago. It was wonderful. Our leader Mark prepared a good program with scripture readings and everything. It was really nice and we had a good turn out. It was so wonderful to get to be able to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and praise His name!
I think that the Lord heard our prayers that night too, because the next evening we had a craft night at church as an outreach event for the ladies in the community. It was a record turn out! God really blessed us. It was neat to see mothers and kids enjoying themselves and socializing together as they decorated lovely silk scarves and ties.
We hope that events like these will help the people in the community begin to get connected with our church. That they will feel welcome and that they will be interested to learn more about the Lord, our God who gives us hope and who gives us all things! Please pray with us that the ladies who came will have open hearts to listen to the Holy Spirit and that they will want to come again!
Thank you for your prayers for the worship night that we hosted at our church a few weeks ago. It was wonderful. Our leader Mark prepared a good program with scripture readings and everything. It was really nice and we had a good turn out. It was so wonderful to get to be able to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit and praise His name!
I think that the Lord heard our prayers that night too, because the next evening we had a craft night at church as an outreach event for the ladies in the community. It was a record turn out! God really blessed us. It was neat to see mothers and kids enjoying themselves and socializing together as they decorated lovely silk scarves and ties.
We hope that events like these will help the people in the community begin to get connected with our church. That they will feel welcome and that they will be interested to learn more about the Lord, our God who gives us hope and who gives us all things! Please pray with us that the ladies who came will have open hearts to listen to the Holy Spirit and that they will want to come again!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Christmas
Today I had a difficult revelation-my "question of the day" for the
beginning of class this week has been "what is your favorite Christmas
tradition."
As I listened to each student describe what they do to
celebrate Christmas, which has taken several hours all together by now,
I was SAD to realize that only two of the students mentioned going to
church at all as part of their Christmas tradition (one just went to light candles)! Oh my!!!
Seriously, you guys. This is a TRAGEDY! Not to know the meaning of Christmas.
These people, my students, don't even TRY to worship their creator and redeemer on the day that we celebrate His birth! The horror of it is still striking me,
I think...I mean, seriously...in America, at least MOST people make
SOME sort of effort to go to church, to be in the presence of the one
who made them!!! But here, the focus was on making potato salad and
eating carp fish. Seriously. They talked on and on about Christmas
traditions that did NOT focus on Jesus or his birth. Indifference to God is awful.
People, please, please, please pray for the Czech people!!! They believe sooo many lies from the pit of hell, you guys. I mean, for example, the parents tell their children that "baby Jesus" brings them their presents under the tree...well this is
probably a step up from Santa Claus, that is what their image of the
most high GOD of HEAVEN remains, you guys! Most people connect "baby
Jesus" with Christianity, which makes him little more than a fictional
storybook character along the lines of Santa Claus!! Sad news, you
guys. The Czech people are being really deceived and they're falling
for it.
Please, please pray that the Lord will open the eyes of their
hearts, that they will WANT to search for the TRUTH from the carols
that they do sing about (some of which mention the Christ child).
Please pray that the Czechs will WONDER what Christmas is really
about, that they will care to think about their need for a Savior!
Please pray with me. I can share the truth over and again, but unless
the Lord removes the veil from their eyes, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SEE!!
I'm weak, we're weak, but He is strong. Please pray that the Lord
will restore the TRUE meaning of Christmas and that He will receive
glory during this Christmas season here in Prague.
beginning of class this week has been "what is your favorite Christmas
tradition."
As I listened to each student describe what they do to
celebrate Christmas, which has taken several hours all together by now,
I was SAD to realize that only two of the students mentioned going to
church at all as part of their Christmas tradition (one just went to light candles)! Oh my!!!
Seriously, you guys. This is a TRAGEDY! Not to know the meaning of Christmas.
These people, my students, don't even TRY to worship their creator and redeemer on the day that we celebrate His birth! The horror of it is still striking me,
I think...I mean, seriously...in America, at least MOST people make
SOME sort of effort to go to church, to be in the presence of the one
who made them!!! But here, the focus was on making potato salad and
eating carp fish. Seriously. They talked on and on about Christmas
traditions that did NOT focus on Jesus or his birth. Indifference to God is awful.
People, please, please, please pray for the Czech people!!! They believe sooo many lies from the pit of hell, you guys. I mean, for example, the parents tell their children that "baby Jesus" brings them their presents under the tree...well this is
probably a step up from Santa Claus, that is what their image of the
most high GOD of HEAVEN remains, you guys! Most people connect "baby
Jesus" with Christianity, which makes him little more than a fictional
storybook character along the lines of Santa Claus!! Sad news, you
guys. The Czech people are being really deceived and they're falling
for it.
Please, please pray that the Lord will open the eyes of their
hearts, that they will WANT to search for the TRUTH from the carols
that they do sing about (some of which mention the Christ child).
Please pray that the Czechs will WONDER what Christmas is really
about, that they will care to think about their need for a Savior!
Please pray with me. I can share the truth over and again, but unless
the Lord removes the veil from their eyes, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SEE!!
I'm weak, we're weak, but He is strong. Please pray that the Lord
will restore the TRUE meaning of Christmas and that He will receive
glory during this Christmas season here in Prague.
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