Today is the last day of my second camp this summer. I had a great time connecting with the students and playing lots of games with them. Last night, we split our discussion group into two groups...the guys and the girls. I'm not sure how the guys' group went, but the girls had a wonderful discussion. There was a different level of comfort when we had a smaller group of girls, and it allowed all of us to be more real with each other. I'm so thankful for these girls and their willingness to open up like they did!
Vysoké Mýto/Geneva camp
Posted in on 9:29 AM by AutumnToday is the last day of my second camp this summer. I had a great time connecting with the students and playing lots of games with them. Last night, we split our discussion group into two groups...the guys and the girls. I'm not sure how the guys' group went, but the girls had a wonderful discussion. There was a different level of comfort when we had a smaller group of girls, and it allowed all of us to be more real with each other. I'm so thankful for these girls and their willingness to open up like they did!
starbucks in prague
Posted in on 9:20 PM by Autumn2008 brought a wonderful thing to prague...Starbucks! And not long after that, a second and third one opened! Just yesterday, I finally had the chance to go to Starbucks in Prague for the first time. Soon after that, I was taking the metro to my next destination (Starbucks still in hand) when I saw another one! I was pretty excited! It intrigued me enough that I had to find out just how many there are in Prague now. It's official, there are five! AND in three weeks, there will be six!
on staring
Posted in on 9:17 PM by AutumnI have learned many great things from my parents. And if God wants me to have children, most of those things will be passed on to them. But lately I’ve realized that my children might have to learn things in a different way than I did. (This is, if I’m still living in Czech and if I end up having kids here.) For example: when I was little, I was taught that it’s rude to stare. However, if my kids grow up in Czech, they’ll have to learn that it’s rude to stare in America. It’s actually not rude to stare in Czech. I was on the train recently when one of my friends called me. When I answered and started talking to her (in English!) a little girl turned around and started staring at me. During part of the conversation, her mom even joined her in staring, and by the end, her little friend was staring as well. By the end of our conversation, we had quite the audience! I was reminded of something one of my other missionary friends said once, “Sometimes I feel like the circus is in town when I go somewhere.” It’s very true. I’m not really used to being the tourist attraction. But hey, it’s part of the fun of living in another culture.
Vysoké Mýto camp
Posted in on 1:12 AM by AutumnThe end of our first camp for the summer has already come. Here's a couple pictures of my English class. We had a great time building relationships, learning English, having great discussions, and playing MANY games together.
Thursday night, we had the chance to share the Gospel with them. Then we gave them the opportunity to stick around if they wanted to talk to anyone. Almost everyone stayed to talk! It was so neat to see so many people interested in hearing more about who God is. I love to see people open to figuring out what they believe and asking questions. It's very encouraging to me!
I SPEAK PEE
Posted in on 1:08 AM by Autumn
Entry #2
Yesterday, this girl wanted to tell a couple Czechs that her husband is a triplet...and since they didn't completely understand, I tried to interpret for her. So I said, "her husband is a triplet."…or at least, that's what I thought I said. What I really said, was...she has triplet husbands. Oops!
Yesterday, this girl wanted to tell a couple Czechs that her husband is a triplet...and since they didn't completely understand, I tried to interpret for her. So I said, "her husband is a triplet."…or at least, that's what I thought I said. What I really said, was...she has triplet husbands. Oops!
a couple amazing girls!
Posted in on 1:01 AM by Autumnsummer schedule
Posted in on 7:11 AM by Autumn
Our first camp of the summer starts today!
Here's our schedule for the rest of the summer:
Term 1: Vysoké Mýto
June 28th - July 5th
Term 2: Vysoké Mýto (with First Baptist of Geneva)
July 12th - July 19th
(The team will be in Vikyřovice during this camp, but I'll be in Vysoke Myto for a second camp with them.)
Term 3: Šumperk
July 26th - August 2nd
Intern debrief: Prague
August 7th -10th
Here's our schedule for the rest of the summer:
Term 1: Vysoké Mýto
June 28th - July 5th
Term 2: Vysoké Mýto (with First Baptist of Geneva)
July 12th - July 19th
(The team will be in Vikyřovice during this camp, but I'll be in Vysoke Myto for a second camp with them.)
Term 3: Šumperk
July 26th - August 2nd
Intern debrief: Prague
August 7th -10th
keep praying
Posted in on 6:52 PM by AutumnJust a reminder, please keep praying that God will provide the financial support for me to get back to Czech for good. I need to raise another $900 a month. It seems overwhelming to me, but I know I serve a God who is fully capable of providing His resources in order to get me back here. Please pray that He will lay it on the hearts of His people to help support me so I can get back and serve Him where He called me to serve.
Matt Redman concert-in Czech
Posted in on 2:01 PM by AutumnLast night I went to a worship concert in Czech. It was so amazing to see that many Czech Christians worshiping God together in one room! One thing that I found interesting, was how many people I knew there. It seriously felt like a family reunion! But it also really shows just how small the Christian community is in Czech...yet another reason to be on our knees for the Czechs.
always a paradox
Posted in on 12:47 AM by AutumnWhen I arrived in Písek on Friday night, the first thing that came to mind was, 'home sweet home.' Although, it was followed by the sad realization that it won't be home. There's a part of me that will always think of Písek as home, but pretty soon I'll be moving to a new "home", a home I haven't even visited yet.
It's amazing how many paradoxes there are as a missionary. Goodbye's are hard, leaving is hard...but leaving is exciting, too, and hello's are always so amazing! I'm sad that I'll be leaving Písek, but I'm excited to be moving to Výsoke Mýto, too.
My time in Písek was great! It was short, but I was able to see everyone I wanted to see in such a short period of time. I kind of felt like I was able to say an official goodbye to my friends there, my church there, and the town. I know I'll be visiting again and I'll see my friends there again, but I also felt like it was healthy to have some closure. The same day that I left Písek, I was also able to meet my future ministry team in Výsoke Mýto. I've heard many good things about them, and it was so great to meat all of them! I can't wait to be able to get more time with them!
All my bags are packed...
Posted in on 8:53 AM by AutumnIn just a few hours I'll be on my way back to Czech for the summer! I already switched out the currency in my wallet, have my passport packed, and I'm ready to go!
This summer will be my 7th, 8th, and 9th English camps (and for some reason I still get nervous about teaching English). I'm really excited to get back to Czech and to build some new relationships there. This will also be my first summer to join an intern team with JV. All of the other camps I've worked with have been "wild card camps", where a Czech church teams with an American church. It will be nice to see what the rest of the country is doing, and to experience an intern team. I'm praying that God will prepare me to be stretched in the ways He wants to stretch me and that I'll grow closer to Him through it.
more time with the kids
Posted in on 8:38 AM by AutumnAfter spending a week in Nashville, my sister decided to drive up to Chicago with me. It was so great to be able to get an extra week with her and the kids. We were so blessed to be able to get time with the whole family. It's sad that it doesn't happen more often, but we appreciate it that much more when it does happen. We took the kids to a museum a couple days ago and it was so nice to get so much time with my mom, my sisters and their kids. I just have to say...family is such a blessing!
A Week in TN
Posted in on 3:37 AM by Autumn
I've spent this last week in Nashville with my sister and her kids, and I have to say...being an aunt is THE BEST! I really can't compare it to being a mom (since I'm not one), but I love this! I know I shouldn't encourage this, but it's always been my secret goal to become the favorite aunt. But shhh...don't tell anyone.
On a more serious note though, one of the hardest thing for me when I leave to go overseas is not seeing the kids. When I left to move to Czech, Sierra had just started walking...by the time I got back, she was running and talking. The next time I saw her, I cried because of how much she had grown. Another thing that was hard was that I was in the delivery room with Sierra and the one to say, "It's a girl!", and with Hayden...I was in Czech at an Exit small group. I had never been so homesick than when I knew I was going to miss being there. So when I say goodbye, it breaks my heart more than anything to have to say goodbye to the kids. That's probably why I treasure the time I get with them so much. I'm sure I would treasure it anyway, but it's that much more meaningful to me knowing I need to soak up all the time I can with them while I can.
Man, I love these kids!
So, I leave a week from tomorrow and here’s what’s on my to-do list for the next week:
Posted in on 3:35 AM by Autumn
• watch my friend’s son (two half-days)
• snail mail update (including: writing, designing, printing, cutting, addressing, & mailing)
• write and send thank-you notes
• catch up on 25+ emails
• prep for three weeks of English camps
• prep for teaching on Czech culture at First Baptist (+ teaching the night before I leave)
• oh, and I almost forgot…PACK!
I'm surprised I'm not overwhelmed yet.
• snail mail update (including: writing, designing, printing, cutting, addressing, & mailing)
• write and send thank-you notes
• catch up on 25+ emails
• prep for three weeks of English camps
• prep for teaching on Czech culture at First Baptist (+ teaching the night before I leave)
• oh, and I almost forgot…PACK!
I'm surprised I'm not overwhelmed yet.
I SPEAK PEE
Posted in on 11:29 PM by Autumn
Entry #1
It was Nicki’s second summer mission trip to the Czech Republic. This time, she decided she wanted to learn more Czech. She had already learned phrases like, “I don’t speak Czech”, and “I don’t understand” and things like that. So she asked me if I would teach her something new. Now, I’m not a big fan of telling people they’re saying something when they’re not, so I thought it would be funny if I taught her some slang…something that the Czechs would find humorous. So I taught her how to say, “I have to pee.” So Nicki practiced and practiced and got the phrase down without any Czechs hearing her say it. Finally, she was ready to use it. A bunch of us were sitting down and talking, and Nicki looked at me and said, “Okay, I’m gonna do it.” And then she stood up and said, “I speak pee!”
(Names have been changed to protect the innocent from embarrassment without their consent.)
It was Nicki’s second summer mission trip to the Czech Republic. This time, she decided she wanted to learn more Czech. She had already learned phrases like, “I don’t speak Czech”, and “I don’t understand” and things like that. So she asked me if I would teach her something new. Now, I’m not a big fan of telling people they’re saying something when they’re not, so I thought it would be funny if I taught her some slang…something that the Czechs would find humorous. So I taught her how to say, “I have to pee.” So Nicki practiced and practiced and got the phrase down without any Czechs hearing her say it. Finally, she was ready to use it. A bunch of us were sitting down and talking, and Nicki looked at me and said, “Okay, I’m gonna do it.” And then she stood up and said, “I speak pee!”
(Names have been changed to protect the innocent from embarrassment without their consent.)
an interesting idea
Posted in on 11:26 PM by Autumn
The other day, I spent some time with a family who I’ve known for years. We were up until all hours of the night talking and laughing until we had tears in our eyes. One of the many outcomes of my visit with them was that my friend decided to encourage me to do something…
The challenge: Write a book containing humorous missionary stories – stories of cultural flubs and language blunders.
The title: I SPEAK PEE
The challenge: Write a book containing humorous missionary stories – stories of cultural flubs and language blunders.
The title: I SPEAK PEE
neustále se modlete
Posted in on 4:45 PM by Autumn
pray without ceasing
There's never a time when prayer is needed any less, but there are many times when prayer is needed more.
For three years now I've been asking people to come alongside of me to pray with me for the Czech Republic. After living there for a year, and spending another year and a half in preparation to go back...my departure date is just around the corner. I don't have my tickets yet, but the goal is to leave on June 19th!
There are a few things you can be praying about with me.
-I need to raise at least another $500 a month. Pray that God will provide and that I'll do my part in making the right connections.
-I'm praying for people to come alongside of me who want to help me build an even stronger network of prayer warriors and potential supporters.
-There are a lot of changes happening in Czech. Because of some of these changes, we're asking God's direction in His placement for me.
-That God will give me peace in knowing that this is all happening in His timing...not mine.
Thank you for being on your knees with me!
~Autumn~
living in paradox
Posted in on 4:23 PM by AutumnOne of the things that we talked about at my training in Colorado is the paradox of leaving for the mission field. On one hand, it’s really exciting to get to go to the place where God called me, on the other . . . I’m going to miss everyone SO MUCH! Last weekend, I went up to Minneapolis to visit with and say goodbye to a couple of my good friends. While it was SO good to get time with them (and meet some of their friends), it was also SO hard to say goodbye. It also reminded me that I have more goodbyes to come that are going to be hard as well. I can’t even describe how it feels to be both ecstatic and heartbroken at the same time.
This time in the states has had its ups and downs. I think some of the downs have been my own fault for not having the right attitude going into things. For a long time, I tried living in the states while keeping my heart in Czech. Looking back, I’ve realized that a lot of the reason I did that was to protect my heart from getting hurt. If I didn’t get close to anyone during the time I was here, it wouldn’t be hard when I had to say goodbye. But instead of protecting my heart, I ended up hurting my heart in the long run by not getting close to anyone. Thankfully, God has allowed me to push through and I’ve been blessed with some AMAZING friendships with people who will be all over the world.
One of the great things about being in the states has been the time with my niece and nephews. I have to admit, it’s hard to leave everyone, but when I leave and come back to a kid I hardly recognize…it breaks my heart more than anything. This past year or so has been so great to be able to soak up as much time as I can with the kids I’m going to miss the most. (My 1 & ½ year old nephew is even saying Auntie Autumn all the time now.)
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this paradox I’m living in. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a life of paradox. One of my friends even said to me, “As missionaries we’ll always have a sense of homesickness, no matter where we live.” I’m not looking forward to always having this feeling, but at the same time…this isn’t really our permanent home, so how comfortable should we really get here?
what to write...
Posted in on 5:21 AM by Autumn
So, I have this problem when I'm in the states...I never have a clue as to what to write on here. I mean, I have the tendency to embarrass myself when I'm in Czech. I mess the language up all the time, or walk into the men's bathroom...one time I even told a lady that I didn't understand her because SHE didn't speak Czech. Oops. She still talks to me though, so I must not have messed things up too badly. So anyway, when I'm in Czech, I feel like I have ALL KINDS of stories to tell, but when I'm in the states...how exciting is it when I say I'm support raising and meeting with different people? It seems kind of boring. So, I guess what I need to realize is that it's okay for my blog to look different when I'm in the states. I mean, my life's different when I'm in the states so why shouldn't my blog look different?
Colorado
Posted in on 3:20 AM by AutumnI'm currently in Colorado doing five weeks of training to get ready to go back to the mission field. It's amazing how often we have our own agendas, and God has something else in mind. My purpose in being here is to learn how to learn another language (linguistics and phonetics drills...things like that), and how to adapt to another culture. Before I came, my expectations were to learn what I was supposed to learn and get to Czech as soon as I could afterwards. This is happening, but God had even more plans than just that. I've been blessed to have built some really amazing friendships here. This picture is of Dan, Ellie, me, & Ryan (heading to Zimbabwe, Brazil, Czech, and Slovakia). A couple weeks ago we had an extra long weekend, so the four of us decided to take a road trip together. We had 72 hours, so we spent 24 of them driving to the Grand Canyon and back! It was an amazing trip! I feel so blessed that God put us all together for our training. It's amazing how God can bring friendships together even though we'll eventually end up all over the world.
the cutest kids in the world
Posted in on 1:21 AM by Autumnsummer update in the winer
Posted in on 1:15 AM by AutumnOkay, maybe blogging isn't my thing. I like doing it...I just forget about it. Then it's been MONTHS and I finally decide to catch up. As is the case now. So, even though it's February...I'll give you a quick update on the summer...then continue to other things.
This summer was amazing! I was back in Czech and able to help with two English camps. I planned on staying a month, but after connecting with a girl at one of the camps, she asked me to stay another month with her family. It was a lot of fun, plus it was a great experience to live with a Czech family for a while.
...going...and going...and going...
Posted in on 2:35 AM by AutumnWell, I'm off to Czech again! This time it's only for five weeks. (Not that that's a short amount of time, but I'm not moving back yet.) I leave tomorrow and I'll be there until August 9th...and I can't wait!!! I'm so excited to see everyone again and to help with a couple camps...and to build some relationships...can you tell I'm excited?
Well, here's my schedule:
July 8th - 13th - Malenovice - JV Training
July 14th - 21st - Sumava Mountains - youth camp #1
July 22nd - 27th - Pisek - camp follow-up
July 28th - August 4th - Sumava Mountains - youth camp #2
August 5th - 9th - Pisek - camp follow-up
If you think about it, please pray for me while I'm there!
african misunderstandings
Posted in on 3:25 PM by Autumn
Now that I'm in the states, I can't ever think of anything fun to write on here. I can't really tell any cultural stories or how I messed the language up and embarrassed myself. For some reason, those stories don't come as often when you're in the country you grew up in. But I did remember a story someone told me about that I thought you might appreciate.
Marianne was a missionary in Africa. One Sunday, she went to church and was a little confused at one of the worship songs. They were singing joyfully a song that sounded (to her) like this: Wee-na wee-na, wee-na wee-na wee-na...Jesus is a wee-na! I can picture her just looking at her husband wondering what they were singing about. Then later in the song they started to sing: Loo-sa loo-sa, loo-sa loo-sa loo-sa...Satan is a loo-sa! Right then she realized what they were saying, "Oh, winner! Jesus is a winner!"
Marianne was a missionary in Africa. One Sunday, she went to church and was a little confused at one of the worship songs. They were singing joyfully a song that sounded (to her) like this: Wee-na wee-na, wee-na wee-na wee-na...Jesus is a wee-na! I can picture her just looking at her husband wondering what they were singing about. Then later in the song they started to sing: Loo-sa loo-sa, loo-sa loo-sa loo-sa...Satan is a loo-sa! Right then she realized what they were saying, "Oh, winner! Jesus is a winner!"
returning from space
Posted in on 6:36 AM by Autumn
So, here's something on my mind lately. Reverse culture shock. Or better yet...Re-Entry. I'm reading this book that my mission's pastor recommended to me, and that's what it's called...Re-Entry. Once I had been in the states for a while, I realized that I couldn't call it reverse culture shock anymore. I wasn’t really “shocked” about things, but I knew I was going through something. But I couldn’t seem to explain it to anyone. If you’ve ever gone on the mission field (short-term or long), you might know what I’m talking about.
The book calls this Re-Entry. It relates it to an astronaut going into space, and then returning to the Earth. One astronaut, who was in space for months, came back and his body couldn’t get used to the gravity again, and he ended up being paralyzed. The author said that returning from missions is similar to an astronaut returning from space . . . every part of you just has to get used to things again. And no matter how long it’s been, once you’ve gone, you’ll never be the same again.
When I read this, it really helped me to be able to take a deep breath. One of my first thoughts was, “I’m normal!” It’s such a good feeling to be re-assured that you’re not going through something that you shouldn’t be going through. I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me. Especially when no one around me could relate to me. So yes, I may feel like an astronaut at times, but at least I’m normal, right?
The book calls this Re-Entry. It relates it to an astronaut going into space, and then returning to the Earth. One astronaut, who was in space for months, came back and his body couldn’t get used to the gravity again, and he ended up being paralyzed. The author said that returning from missions is similar to an astronaut returning from space . . . every part of you just has to get used to things again. And no matter how long it’s been, once you’ve gone, you’ll never be the same again.
When I read this, it really helped me to be able to take a deep breath. One of my first thoughts was, “I’m normal!” It’s such a good feeling to be re-assured that you’re not going through something that you shouldn’t be going through. I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me. Especially when no one around me could relate to me. So yes, I may feel like an astronaut at times, but at least I’m normal, right?
throwing in the towel
Posted in on 3:37 AM by Autumn
You know, I think I should just give up on trying to keep up on this. I guess I'll just have to randomly write on it, then whoever checks on it will be pleasantly surprised when they find something on here.
Austin David
Posted in on 11:59 PM by AutumnYou Know You're an MK When...
Posted in on 6:28 AM by Autumn
Okay, I know I'm not an MK, but I can still relate to some of these...or at least appreciate them.
1 You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
2 011 is a familiar area code.
3 People send you used tea bags in the mail.
4 You speak two languages, but can't spell either.
5 You flew before you could walk.
6 The U.S. is a foreign country.
7 You embarrass yourself by asking what swear words mean.
8 You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
9 You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
10 You consider a city 500 miles away to be "very close."
11 Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
12 You think in grams, meters, and liters.
13 You read the international section before the comics.
14 You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
15 You don't know where home is.
16 You do your devotions in another language.
17 You sort your friends by continent.
18 "Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
19 The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her.
20 You aren't terribly surprised when you do.
21 You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
22 You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
23 You wince when people mispronounce foreign words.
24 You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
25 The majority of your friends never spoke English.
26 Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
27 You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
28 You realize it really is a small world, after all.
29 You never take anything for granted.
30 You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
31 You know how to pack.
32 You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts, 50 and 60 cycle current, and realize that a trasnsformer isn't always enough to make your appliances work.
33 You get confused because the dollar bills aren't colour coded.
34 You have a name in at least two different languages, and it's not the same one.
35 You miss the sub-titles when you go to see the latest movie.
36 You know what the name of your subcompact car means.
37 You determine your speed by the smaller orange numbers on the inside of your speedometer dial.
38 You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
39 You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
40 You go to a church you have never been in before and find your picture on their bulletin board.
41 You look at the Rockies and think, "Nice hills."
42 You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home.
43 You know hundreds of missionaries all over the world, but forget your pastor's name.
44 You consider a three year old piece of clothing to be "Practically new."
45 You don't know whether to write the date as month/day/year, day/month/year, or some variation thereof.
46 You meet another MK, and discover that you share the same best friend.
47 The best word for something is the word you learned first, regardless of the language.
48 Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
49 You wake up one day and realize you're not a foreigner anymore.
50 You wake up one day and realize you really still are a foreigner.
1 You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
2 011 is a familiar area code.
3 People send you used tea bags in the mail.
4 You speak two languages, but can't spell either.
5 You flew before you could walk.
6 The U.S. is a foreign country.
7 You embarrass yourself by asking what swear words mean.
8 You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
9 You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
10 You consider a city 500 miles away to be "very close."
11 Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
12 You think in grams, meters, and liters.
13 You read the international section before the comics.
14 You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
15 You don't know where home is.
16 You do your devotions in another language.
17 You sort your friends by continent.
18 "Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
19 The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her.
20 You aren't terribly surprised when you do.
21 You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
22 You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
23 You wince when people mispronounce foreign words.
24 You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
25 The majority of your friends never spoke English.
26 Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
27 You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
28 You realize it really is a small world, after all.
29 You never take anything for granted.
30 You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
31 You know how to pack.
32 You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts, 50 and 60 cycle current, and realize that a trasnsformer isn't always enough to make your appliances work.
33 You get confused because the dollar bills aren't colour coded.
34 You have a name in at least two different languages, and it's not the same one.
35 You miss the sub-titles when you go to see the latest movie.
36 You know what the name of your subcompact car means.
37 You determine your speed by the smaller orange numbers on the inside of your speedometer dial.
38 You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
39 You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
40 You go to a church you have never been in before and find your picture on their bulletin board.
41 You look at the Rockies and think, "Nice hills."
42 You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home.
43 You know hundreds of missionaries all over the world, but forget your pastor's name.
44 You consider a three year old piece of clothing to be "Practically new."
45 You don't know whether to write the date as month/day/year, day/month/year, or some variation thereof.
46 You meet another MK, and discover that you share the same best friend.
47 The best word for something is the word you learned first, regardless of the language.
48 Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
49 You wake up one day and realize you're not a foreigner anymore.
50 You wake up one day and realize you really still are a foreigner.
My Favorite Cousin...(just kidding Emily!)
Posted in on 5:16 AM by AutumnOkay, so I don't pick favorites...but I do have a couple cousins who I'm really close with. One is my cousin Emilly (no, she's not the one in the picture) and she just met up with me last week to go swing dancing (and I regret that I forgot my camera). The other is my cousin Brian, who I don't get to see nearly as often. But thankfully...I'm able to spend some time with him now.
Next Saturday, my good friend Jason and his wonderful fiance Diana are getting married. So, my parents and I headed down to Florida for their wedding. And conveniently, a lot of my relatives live in Florida. We arrived in Jacksonville yesterday and are headed to Orlando, then to Tampa, then back to Jacksonville again. No matter how much driving we have to do, it's still great to see everyone again...and I can't complain about the weather, either!
My "Sister's" Wedding
Posted in on 5:06 AM by AutumnFor those of you who don't know, I have more than just two sisters. Okay, I have two real ones, but I also have two more adopted sisters. (Both of them lived with us for a number of years...at different times.)
On February 24th, my "sister" Carolyn was married. It was a small and beautiful ceremony. They were married in a mansion in Lake Geneva. One thing that I thought was neat was that Carolyn prayed it would snow on that day...and God gave her a snow storm! You have to just appreciate his sense of humor...and sometimes you have to be careful what you pray for. ;-)
Luncheon
Posted in on 6:39 PM by AutumnHey you guys. I just wanted to let you know that my church is having a luncheon for me tomorrow. It's at noon at First Baptist Church of Geneva (west campus), if you can make it. If not, could you be praying for me? I want to share what God's doing in the Czech Republic and get people excited to pray for us. Please pray that that's what happens...but more importantly, pray that God will be glorified throughout.
Watch EXIT 316 online!
Posted in on 5:11 AM by Autumn
Hey you guys. I just added a link that I thought I'd point out to you guys. Believe it or not, you can watch EXIT 316 online! If you just click on the link, you can watch full episodes online...every one of them. You might not understand them, but you can at least get a feel for what they look like. (And compared to everything else that's on Czech television...the quality's exceptional.) Let me know what you think! http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/vysilani/10109769637-exit-316-jina-dimenze/24566.html
Another EXIT Report
Posted in on 4:21 AM by Autumn
There are about 300 small groups using the Exit material as an evangelistic tool. Recently we received an e-mail from a 17 year old guy who is gathering students in his dorm to watch the show and discuss it. One week he had 75 there – and only two or three of them are believers. Pray for strength and courage for these young people.
Dinner with the Kaspars
Posted in on 12:47 AM by AutumnReverse Culture Shock
Posted in on 11:48 PM by Autumn
When you move to another country, there are certain things you expect to happen. You expect things to NOT be "normal" anymore. You expect everything to be different...and you do what you can to adjust to those differences. But when you come back to the country you're from, you expect everything to be "normal" again. But you soon find that the things that were once "normal"...well...aren't.
When I first moved to Czech, my mentor gave me some advice on learning the language. She told me, “Never tune the language out. Even if you don’t understand keep listening, don’t tune it out.” I didn’t realize how much I did that, until I got back to the states.
I went to the store with my friend when I first got to the states. She and I were walking and talking, and I finally had to stop her for a second and tell her that I didn’t hear a word she had just said. I got so used to not tuning things out, that I couldn’t tune anyone in the store out. Not to mention the fact that over there, whenever I hear English, I automatically assume people are talking to me. So when I was at the store, I heard every word of every conversation around me, just not the conversation I was having. I was on auditory overload. I heard everything, but couldn’t understand anything. While I’m in the states, I have to re-train myself to tune out background noise so I can understand what’s going on around me.
I never understood that living in the states could seem so different to me. I’m just figuring out what it’s like to live in the states again.
When I first moved to Czech, my mentor gave me some advice on learning the language. She told me, “Never tune the language out. Even if you don’t understand keep listening, don’t tune it out.” I didn’t realize how much I did that, until I got back to the states.
I went to the store with my friend when I first got to the states. She and I were walking and talking, and I finally had to stop her for a second and tell her that I didn’t hear a word she had just said. I got so used to not tuning things out, that I couldn’t tune anyone in the store out. Not to mention the fact that over there, whenever I hear English, I automatically assume people are talking to me. So when I was at the store, I heard every word of every conversation around me, just not the conversation I was having. I was on auditory overload. I heard everything, but couldn’t understand anything. While I’m in the states, I have to re-train myself to tune out background noise so I can understand what’s going on around me.
I never understood that living in the states could seem so different to me. I’m just figuring out what it’s like to live in the states again.
Exit 316 update-Dave Patty
Posted in on 5:37 PM by Autumn
The weekly T.V. show produced by the KAM team for Czech Television just finished its first season with a final episode that aired right after Christmas and was focused on the Meaning of Life. These first 17 episodes have been viewed by between 120,000 and 170,000 people a week, and are generating lots of discussion and response. As near as we can tell, close to 300 evangelistic small groups are meeting around the shows, and these groups are touching close to 3000 people a week. Just about every week we hear of someone coming to Christ through this show!
Czech Television has asked us to continue on until the end of the school year, which means another 26 episodes between now and the end of June. Pray for the production team which is now working double time to create these additional episodes, and for the turbo team who is working to connect even more small groups into the evangelistic campaign. This is an unprecedented opportunity, but is also very spiritually demanding.
One of the things that has surprised us is the overwhelmingly positive response we have received from the churches. All together, 18 denominations are using the show as part of their evangelistic strategy! The week before Christmas, KAM received an award from the Ecumenical council of Churches for Exit 316. This group of representatives from all of the denominations in the Czech Republic named Exit 316 as the ecumenical event of the year. Praise God for these open doors!
Pray also for the Kompas team in Slovakia as they work on plans to broadcast Exit 316 next fall. Because of the similarity in language, the show can be used there in Slovakia with only minor modifications.
Czech Television has asked us to continue on until the end of the school year, which means another 26 episodes between now and the end of June. Pray for the production team which is now working double time to create these additional episodes, and for the turbo team who is working to connect even more small groups into the evangelistic campaign. This is an unprecedented opportunity, but is also very spiritually demanding.
One of the things that has surprised us is the overwhelmingly positive response we have received from the churches. All together, 18 denominations are using the show as part of their evangelistic strategy! The week before Christmas, KAM received an award from the Ecumenical council of Churches for Exit 316. This group of representatives from all of the denominations in the Czech Republic named Exit 316 as the ecumenical event of the year. Praise God for these open doors!
Pray also for the Kompas team in Slovakia as they work on plans to broadcast Exit 316 next fall. Because of the similarity in language, the show can be used there in Slovakia with only minor modifications.
Yes, yes, the rumors are true.
Posted in on 7:25 PM by Autumn

If you heard the rumors going around about me being back in the states...you heard correctly. I arrived just before Thanksgiving and was able to head down to Tennessee soon after arriving to celebrate with the family. It was so great to be able to see everyone again, to be able to meet my new little nephew, and see my adorable niece again.
I'm back in the states for a little while raising support for the next two years. I'm hoping to meet with as many people as possible, so if I know you, please contact me so we can get together.
Hope to see you soon!
Hayden Layne
Posted in on 11:14 PM by AutumnVienna Vacation
Posted in on 11:07 PM by Autumn
I recently decided that I was long overdue for a vacation, so my friend Jami and I decided to stop talking about going on a vacation, and just go. So we did.
Last Friday we hopped on a train and went to Vienna. We had a great time, and packed in more in a few days than I could have ever imagined. We even hit Starbucks a couple times!
I'm incredibly thankful for a great vacation, and an amazing friendship.
Exit Responses and Statistics
Posted in on 12:59 AM by Autumn
1. Another Dimension - total viewers: 101,600
2. Love - total viewers: 125, 200
3. Friendship - total viewers: 111, 500
What this doesn't include is those who are viewing it on the website of Czech Television. Several thousand people are going on to watch it there as well. http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/vysilani/10109769637-exit-316-jina-dimenze/24566.htm
“Exit 316 is generating an unusual level of response”.
-Memo from the press secretary at Czech Television to the Executive Director in Prague.
“It's just great what the Exit does! It just gives me so many opportunities to talk to my schoolmates about God! When one of my schoolmates saw my Bible, so he read it for a while and then asked me if I could get him one! Some other guys read the Bible, too and even one who wears a Satan symbol. I've never had so many opportunities to talk about God at school!”
-Honza Vosalik-High School student, Pisek
“This show is addressing issues that all young people face – I’m going to use it for discussion in my social studies class every week.”
-Non-believing mom who is a teacher in a public school. Her daughter, Petra, gave a testimony in the first episode of Exit.
“I’ve been trying to get small groups going in our youth group for two years. Now Exit starts and all of the sudden we have three groups meeting every week!”
-Youth group leader in Tabor.
“I just received news that Exit is in 2nd place for the most watched show on the internet this week (the week it aired), and in 3rd place for the most watched show on the internet for the entire year!! They say that 75,000 viewed the premiere on TV last Wednesday, and 500 – 1000 people a day are watching it on the internet.”
-Lubos Hlavsa, director and film editor for Exit 316.
Vienna
Posted in on 12:37 AM by Autumn
In September, I had the opportunity to go on a Mission Trip to Vienna with my church. And I mean, my church in the states. First Baptist was going on a Mission Trip to Vienna, Austria, and they welcomed me to join them for part of their trip. I was able to take a train down there and it only took me five hours to get all the way there.
The most exciting thing for me was being able to get to know the team. Sometimes I forget how many quality people there really are in this world, until I come across people like this. I'm so thankful to have been able to get to know each person from the team.
We also had many opportunities to work with refugees. We helped with a clothing drive at The Oasis, brought meals to refugees, brought food to others, and just minister to the refugees around. I was even surprised to find that my Czech somewhat helped with communicating with the refugees who spoke Russian. It's not the same at all, but it's much closer than English or German.
It was definitely an eye-opening trip. It really opened my eyes and my heart to what's happening in other countries...and especially a country that's so close to Czech.
(Here's a picture of everyone in the team but me.)
Train Adventures
Posted in on 9:15 AM by Autumn
Normally, traveling by train isn’t a problem in Czech. You can typically count on the trains to be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. Such was not the case recently. I was taking (what should have been) a two and a half hour trip. Oh, how I wish it had been. It ended up being a ten and a half hour trip. Yeah, that’s right . . . ten and a half hours! I’ll tell you the story.
I left in the morning at 11:15, and I was supposed to get to my final destination at 1:55. I only had to switch trains one time and I had ten minutes to do so. (There have been times when I needed to do it in three minutes, so I was fine with only having ten.) I arrived where I was supposed to switch trains and literally ran to my next train to play it safe and get there on time. Apparently, I didn’t play it safe enough, because it had already left. So, I checked the schedule, and had 3 ½ hours until the next train left. Which meant, I had to find something to do for that time.
Now, one thing that’s interesting about traveling over here, is that not only do you have to make sure you get on the right train, but you have to make sure you get on the right part of the train. Sometimes, you might get on the back of the train, and they leave it somewhere and only the front continues on to the next town. This was my next mistake. Thankfully, I was able to get off the back in enough time to get onto the front before it left.
After that, we made a stop in a town a few stops away. After about ten or fifteen minutes, I realized that this was a longer stop than it should have been. About a half hour later, and with trying to communicate through my broken Czech, I finally found out that there were computer problems in the next town and they didn’t know when the train would be leaving. The total time of waiting . . . are you ready for this? Four and a half hours!
THEN, literally three stops later, the police came on the train to check everyone’s passports (border crossing) but this only held us up fifteen more minutes.
Can I just tell you . . . I’ve never been so thankful to get somewhere before. But hey, it makes a good story.
I left in the morning at 11:15, and I was supposed to get to my final destination at 1:55. I only had to switch trains one time and I had ten minutes to do so. (There have been times when I needed to do it in three minutes, so I was fine with only having ten.) I arrived where I was supposed to switch trains and literally ran to my next train to play it safe and get there on time. Apparently, I didn’t play it safe enough, because it had already left. So, I checked the schedule, and had 3 ½ hours until the next train left. Which meant, I had to find something to do for that time.
Now, one thing that’s interesting about traveling over here, is that not only do you have to make sure you get on the right train, but you have to make sure you get on the right part of the train. Sometimes, you might get on the back of the train, and they leave it somewhere and only the front continues on to the next town. This was my next mistake. Thankfully, I was able to get off the back in enough time to get onto the front before it left.
After that, we made a stop in a town a few stops away. After about ten or fifteen minutes, I realized that this was a longer stop than it should have been. About a half hour later, and with trying to communicate through my broken Czech, I finally found out that there were computer problems in the next town and they didn’t know when the train would be leaving. The total time of waiting . . . are you ready for this? Four and a half hours!
THEN, literally three stops later, the police came on the train to check everyone’s passports (border crossing) but this only held us up fifteen more minutes.
Can I just tell you . . . I’ve never been so thankful to get somewhere before. But hey, it makes a good story.
EXIT 316 airs Wednesdays at 6:05PM!
Posted in on 10:15 PM by AutumnGrand Opening
Posted in on 11:27 AM by Autumn
My church in Písek just recently finished building our new church building/youth center. August 6th was the Grand Opening. It was so amazing! Normally, we have about 120 people at a regular service. At the opening, there were about 550!!! We brought in every chair we owned and still didn't have enough chairs to seat everyone. What an amazing opportunity this is. I'm really excited about what God is going to do through having this building.
Youth Camp 2-Písek & Christ Community Church
Posted in on 10:12 AM by Autumn
Youth Camp 2 was much different than I had expected. For starters, I was exhausted. I kept praying that God would give me strength, but the thing I looked forward to the most was taking a nap. I think my body was just telling me that it had had enough. Tuesday night rolled around, and I was flat-out angry with God. I was mad that I had been praying for strength and he didn't give it to me. I was mad that I was missing the wedding of someone who is very important to me. (Which made me realize that I was still mad that I had missed another good friend's wedding when I was in Haiti.) And I was just mad that I was there. This was the camp I was looking forward to the most, and I couldn't even enjoy it or be a part of things because I was so exhausted. So I sat in my room that night, praying and wrestling with God. I didn't want to be there anymore. I seriously considered figuring out how I could leave and get to my friend's wedding in time. As I was sitting there, my good friend, Jami walked in, and she was such an encouragement to me. I shared with her how mad I was and I saw that I had a few things I needed to give over to God. Jami encouraged me with the passages where Paul talks about his thorn in his side. Then Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I didn't know how God was going to use this, but I knew that He was going to. I finally said, "God, I have nothing left. Please work through my weakness."
That next day, I had planned on going home to get some rest instead of going on the ten-mile hike. But when I woke up, I knew God had other plans. I had more strength that day than I could have ever imagined. So I changed my plans and went on the hike, and the whole way there, I was able to talk with my friend Julie. Pause the story for a second, because I have to fill you in a little bit. (She's in the middle in the picture, and my friend Alča is on the right.) I met Julie last year at camp when she was in my English class. Throughout the year, God laid two people on my heart to be praying for, Julie and Jitka. Before camp, I had the opportunity to request who my roommates would be, and I requested Julie. (And because I was so exhausted and in my room all the time, Julie and I had many opportunities to talk.) Last year, Julie was in the same position that Hanka is in this year. She thought she wanted to accept Christ, but didn't want to make a decision like that at camp. So on the hike, Julie and I had a long time to be able to talk. Later that afternoon, I walked into our room and Julie was reading a Bible. So I asked her what she was reading. In that conversation, Julie told me that she wanted to give her life to God, and she and I were able to pray together. Praise God that He worked and I didn't! I was so weak, and I had nothing to give. But God was able to work though that, and through my exhaustion.
God is at work all around us. These are just a couple of the stories of how He worked at the camps, and there are many others. I can't help but praise Him for how He works through us...and through our weaknesses.
Family Camp-Písek & Christ Community Church
Posted in on 10:11 AM by Autumn
Family Camp was a completely different atmosphere. At first, I thought that having three hours with twenty kids between the ages of five and fifteen would be difficult. But by the end of the three hours, I felt like we didn't have enough time. It was fun working with the kids, and hearing their thoughts on different things.
Youth Camp 1-Blatna & Blanchard Road Alliance Church
Posted in on 10:10 AM by Autumn
Youth Camp 1 went really well. We were able to build relationships with people and share our faith with many. The night the gospel was presented, I was able to share my faith with a handful of people. Earlier that day, I had been very discouraged. I felt like I was having a hard time getting to know anyone. It seemed that a lot of people knew each other, and they stuck with their friends that they already knew. After the gospel presentation, we were given a Bible passage to read on our own. I walked out of my room after that, and after asking God to use me, and sitting outside of my door was a group of girls. Right away, they stopped me and started asking me questions. They said they had questions about the Bible, and when I sat down and asked them what kind of questions, it was like they couldn't wait to ask them. Their first question was about the trinity...and the questions just continued from there. I thank God that He was able to speak through me in that discussion. Later that night, God gave me another opportunity to share my faith with another girl who was hurting. I was truly amazed and overwhelmed with what God was doing in the hearts of so many.
A couple nights later, we had a bonfire where most people end up staying up all night. I walked out to the bonfire at around 11:00 and had planned to just talk for a few minutes and go to bed. I ended up getting into a conversation with a girl named Hanka (she's in the middle in the picture above), and she and I stayed up talking until 2:30 in the morning. Hanka ended up telling me that the only reason she didn't want to accept Christ was because she didn't want to make a decision at camp. She wanted to go home and get into the reality of life before she made a decision like that. So, she's going to go home and think about things, and she and I are going to meet in Prague and talk more about this. Please pray for Hanka, and for our meeting in Prague. I'm hoping we'll be able to meet in the next week or so to continue our conversation. Pray that whatever is holding her back will disappear and that she'll desire to become one of God's children.
Training at Malenovice
Posted in on 10:04 AM by Autumn
I wasn't sure what to think about going to camp training. To be honest with you, I didn't really want to go. I thought that since I had been to camp before, I couldn't imagine why I would need to go to training for it. But I went and I had fun (isn't that always the case?). To me, the best part about it was that the team was able to bond and really get to know each other before we even started the camp. Now, I'm glad I went.
Interested?
Posted in on 10:43 AM by Autumn
Well, I'm hoping my lack of consistency on here didn't turn everyone away from reading this. I'm also hoping that after the summer slows down, I'll update this more frequently. (I'm guessing that once my computer is fixed, I'll do much better at this.)
So here are my summer plans:
July 11-14 - Camp Training in Malenovice
July 15-22 - Youth Camp in Pisek (with Blanchard Road Alliance Church in Wheaton)
July 23-28 - At home in Pisek. Along with Camp follow-up. (Ali Fuehring will also be staying with me that week)
July 29-August 5 - Youth Camp in Pisek (with Christ Community Church)
August 6 - Official Church Grand Opening
August 6-12 - Follow up
There are a few things you can be praying for. I'll write more after all of this when I have time to breathe again.
So here are my summer plans:
July 11-14 - Camp Training in Malenovice
July 15-22 - Youth Camp in Pisek (with Blanchard Road Alliance Church in Wheaton)
July 23-28 - At home in Pisek. Along with Camp follow-up. (Ali Fuehring will also be staying with me that week)
July 29-August 5 - Youth Camp in Pisek (with Christ Community Church)
August 6 - Official Church Grand Opening
August 6-12 - Follow up
There are a few things you can be praying for. I'll write more after all of this when I have time to breathe again.
Lotsa Contact Info
Posted in on 7:09 PM by Autumn
Okay, maybe it's just 'cause I'm missing people, but I really like to be able to keep in touch when I can. So here are a few options for you.
1st - I have a land line. You can get INC calling cards and it's only 2 cents a minute. Don't worry, both of my roommates speak English, so you won't feel silly if you call. Besides, the phone is in my room and they both have cell phones, so they hardly answer anyways. So, the number is 011.420.382.228.778. Yeah, I know it's long, but most of it is all the country codes and all that jazz.
2nd - Skype. You can download this for free, and talk to me through a headset for free. The only thing is that you need high speed internet. It's awesome and I highly recommend it. (www.skype.com and mine is podzimka13)
3rd - AIM. And if you don't know what this is, then nevermind . . . you probably don't have it. Mine's wereonin5.
and 4th - You could always e-mail.
1st - I have a land line. You can get INC calling cards and it's only 2 cents a minute. Don't worry, both of my roommates speak English, so you won't feel silly if you call. Besides, the phone is in my room and they both have cell phones, so they hardly answer anyways. So, the number is 011.420.382.228.778. Yeah, I know it's long, but most of it is all the country codes and all that jazz.
2nd - Skype. You can download this for free, and talk to me through a headset for free. The only thing is that you need high speed internet. It's awesome and I highly recommend it. (www.skype.com and mine is podzimka13)
3rd - AIM. And if you don't know what this is, then nevermind . . . you probably don't have it. Mine's wereonin5.
and 4th - You could always e-mail.
Updated-Upcoming Events
Posted in on 8:33 AM by Autumn
APRIL 21-26 - Kristin LaBarre is coming to visit! (She's a friend from the states who is studying in France now.)
We had such a good time! And apparently, she couldn't get enough of Pisek, because she's coming back in June for the rest of the summer...details to come.
APRIL 28-30 - Sto Procent (100%) - A huge youth retreat, that everyone here is going to. They have them every two years, so it's pretty big.
I actually didn't go to this (Sto Procent). I needed the time to tie up some loose ends with these videos we're finishing.
MAY 1-2 - JV Singles Retreat - Twice a year (typically before the spring and fall retreats) the people who are around the same age, get together to just have fun and build relationships with each other.
MAY 3-6 - JV Spring Conference - This is for all second culture missionaries (with JV) and their kids. There are so many of us that we're going to fill up three hotels!
MAY 7-16 - Steve Siwula is coming to visit. (Nothing like a visit from my brother.) He thinks he's coming to relax, but little does he know...I'm putting him to work. Hehehe. Okay, he volunteered to help me with any videos I might be working on. I'll make sure not to keep him working the whole time as I'm sure he'll want to see the country...and maybe a couple others.
We had such a good time! And apparently, she couldn't get enough of Pisek, because she's coming back in June for the rest of the summer...details to come.
APRIL 28-30 - Sto Procent (100%) - A huge youth retreat, that everyone here is going to. They have them every two years, so it's pretty big.
I actually didn't go to this (Sto Procent). I needed the time to tie up some loose ends with these videos we're finishing.
MAY 1-2 - JV Singles Retreat - Twice a year (typically before the spring and fall retreats) the people who are around the same age, get together to just have fun and build relationships with each other.
MAY 3-6 - JV Spring Conference - This is for all second culture missionaries (with JV) and their kids. There are so many of us that we're going to fill up three hotels!
MAY 7-16 - Steve Siwula is coming to visit. (Nothing like a visit from my brother.) He thinks he's coming to relax, but little does he know...I'm putting him to work. Hehehe. Okay, he volunteered to help me with any videos I might be working on. I'll make sure not to keep him working the whole time as I'm sure he'll want to see the country...and maybe a couple others.
Denomination Leaders' Meeting
Posted in on 8:28 AM by Autumn
This next week, we are sharing about Exit 316 at a Denomination Leaders' Meeting. Please pray that they are receptive to hear what Petr has to say. And pray that they get excited about their churches being a part of Exit. The conference is April 11th in Malenovice.
A Good Name
Posted in on 8:19 AM by Autumn
These last couple of weeks have been really busy. I've been home for four days and I'm leaving again tomorrow. We currently have two major videos we're working on, plus five commercials. I tell you, the name Turbo is really fitting, because that's the speed we're going at now.
The two main videos we're working on are to help get the local churches and youth leaders excited about Exit. If they're excited, then they will get on board with us and their church (or youth group) will use Exit as a tool to share their faith. We're strategically attempting to reach the country through getting every church and youth ministry involved.
Please pray for the video production. Pray for the technical problems we might face. Also, for the strength and endurance to keep going when we feel we've had enough.
And pray for the church leaders and youth leaders. Pray that they will be open to this new idea and they will see the opportunity that this could have.
The two main videos we're working on are to help get the local churches and youth leaders excited about Exit. If they're excited, then they will get on board with us and their church (or youth group) will use Exit as a tool to share their faith. We're strategically attempting to reach the country through getting every church and youth ministry involved.
Please pray for the video production. Pray for the technical problems we might face. Also, for the strength and endurance to keep going when we feel we've had enough.
And pray for the church leaders and youth leaders. Pray that they will be open to this new idea and they will see the opportunity that this could have.
Croatia
Posted in on 7:22 AM by Autumn
This past week, I went to Croatia for a women's retreat. And it was amazing! It was the perfect balance of meeting people, building relationships, hearing good teaching, and having time alone. I think the most rewarding part for me was spending time with people who are in the same boat as I am. The women who were there were all of the JV missionaries and missionary wives. At first, I didn't like the fact that were being exclusive by not having nationals be a part of it. Then I realized that it would have brought a whole new element to it. There's a common ground that I have with someone who is from the states and living in a different country that I don't have with someone who is not. The week was a peaceful and relaxing week, and I look forward to the next women's retreat.
Learning Czech
Posted in on 10:13 AM by Autumn
One of the most challenging things in moving to another country is attempting to learn the language. It’s amazing how dependent you become when you can’t do simple things like communicate. Having my degree in communications, you would think that I’ve learned a thing or two about communicating. However, when you don’t speak the language . . . you’re helpless.
So in order to communicate, language learning has become a big priority. Although, I wish I could say it was easier than it has been. When I first got here, I didn’t want to waste any time, so I started with a tutor within the first couple of weeks. And I was SO lost. She was trying to teach me the different forms of different words. The whole time I was nodding, but thinking, “What the heck is she talking about?” I didn’t know any of the words she was using, so trying to put them into the right forms didn’t make any sense. Like, I didn’t know how to use the correct forms of I have, you have, she has . . . because I didn’t even know the words I, you, she . . . I was incredibly lost. So I stopped working with her, originally thinking that I would just take a break from her until I knew a few more words.
When I did that, my friend Lucka stepped in and started to help me. We started by learning different words that I would use. Our first lesson, I learned how to ask someone if they want some tea, and what kind of tea, and then I learned different kinds of tea. These things are practical and I can practice them all the time. From there, we’ve just worked on whatever we feel like at the time. One time I wanted to know how to ask for things at the store, like saying “I need . . .” or ordering at a restaurant, and things like that. It has helped so much, because now I can go to the store and ask for sliced ham if I want and things like that. I know I won’t learn everything from her, but it helps so much to be able to learn what I want to learn from someone who knows the language. It even helps to just sit down with her and practice what I already know.
Just yesterday I started with a new tutor. Now, Lucka and I are still going to work together on learning Czech, but I’ll have structure with this tutor (who has had experience teaching Czech to foreigners). I was very encouraged because I knew everything we went over. I found myself saying “Rozumim” (which is, “I understand”) the whole time. I’m excited to have the consistency and to be able to learn from a professional tutor.
On top of that, my friend Jana is going to consistently teach me Czech as well. She just graduated with her Masters in teaching, which makes her the ideal person to help me. I’m hoping my schedule will be pretty steady with going to the tutor two or three times a week and working with Jana four or five times a week. And if Lucka is still willing and able to help me, we can do it on the days that I don’t go to the tutor. I was told that on the average week, I should spend twelve to fifteen hours a week on language learning. Between all of these people helping me, and studying by myself, I think I’ll get those hours in pretty easily. Praise God for providing people who can help me learn to communicate!
So in order to communicate, language learning has become a big priority. Although, I wish I could say it was easier than it has been. When I first got here, I didn’t want to waste any time, so I started with a tutor within the first couple of weeks. And I was SO lost. She was trying to teach me the different forms of different words. The whole time I was nodding, but thinking, “What the heck is she talking about?” I didn’t know any of the words she was using, so trying to put them into the right forms didn’t make any sense. Like, I didn’t know how to use the correct forms of I have, you have, she has . . . because I didn’t even know the words I, you, she . . . I was incredibly lost. So I stopped working with her, originally thinking that I would just take a break from her until I knew a few more words.
When I did that, my friend Lucka stepped in and started to help me. We started by learning different words that I would use. Our first lesson, I learned how to ask someone if they want some tea, and what kind of tea, and then I learned different kinds of tea. These things are practical and I can practice them all the time. From there, we’ve just worked on whatever we feel like at the time. One time I wanted to know how to ask for things at the store, like saying “I need . . .” or ordering at a restaurant, and things like that. It has helped so much, because now I can go to the store and ask for sliced ham if I want and things like that. I know I won’t learn everything from her, but it helps so much to be able to learn what I want to learn from someone who knows the language. It even helps to just sit down with her and practice what I already know.
Just yesterday I started with a new tutor. Now, Lucka and I are still going to work together on learning Czech, but I’ll have structure with this tutor (who has had experience teaching Czech to foreigners). I was very encouraged because I knew everything we went over. I found myself saying “Rozumim” (which is, “I understand”) the whole time. I’m excited to have the consistency and to be able to learn from a professional tutor.
On top of that, my friend Jana is going to consistently teach me Czech as well. She just graduated with her Masters in teaching, which makes her the ideal person to help me. I’m hoping my schedule will be pretty steady with going to the tutor two or three times a week and working with Jana four or five times a week. And if Lucka is still willing and able to help me, we can do it on the days that I don’t go to the tutor. I was told that on the average week, I should spend twelve to fifteen hours a week on language learning. Between all of these people helping me, and studying by myself, I think I’ll get those hours in pretty easily. Praise God for providing people who can help me learn to communicate!
The Details
Posted in on 10:06 AM by Autumn
It’s hard to know where to start a story like this. Mostly because there really is no beginning. I believe that God prepares us for things long before we ever find out about it. Whether we see it or not, He is always working in our lives. And I know that God has been preparing me for what He has in store for a long time. And as we all know, there are always two sides to a story. And in this story, we have my side and we have Lucka’s side. I’ll start with my side, since I know it best.
On Thursday, January 19th, we had a meeting for Turbo 316 (the parallel campaign with Exit 316). During the meeting, we were talking about the need for many different videos. And the question was, who would be able to produce them? More accurately, the question was how it would be possible for me to produce them without knowing the language. So they asked me if I knew anyone at the church who might be able to come with me to be my translator. And I told them that I couldn’t help but think of Lucka.
See, Lucka has always been interested in video production. She works in communications at the church and has never had the opportunity to do very much with video production. Last Spring, she heard about Exit 316 and . . . well, she’ll be able to tell her story better than I could.
“My prayer was very simple and, I thought, naïve. I prayed to have a chance to take part in the project. I didn’t have much faith that it could really happen. It didn’t make any sense, I was a complete outsider, and it was just a desire of my heart. But a little seed of faith is enough, I guess.”
It seems to me that this has been a desire of Lucka’s heart for a while, and the seed that was planted now has the chance to be watered. I’m sure you can see why she seemed to be the perfect person to join us with this project.
Now like I mentioned earlier, every story has two sides. And while we were in our meeting talking about Lucka joining the team, she was at home receiving a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. She started feeling really complacent in her job. She wasn’t sure if she was in the right place, and didn’t know where God was leading her. So she sat and prayed about it for an hour that day. It’s like God was just preparing her heart for what was about to happen. The next morning she received a phone call from someone on the team asking her to join us. You can imagine her shock when she received that phone call.
Lucka and I, along with a guy named Petr, have now become the production team for Turbo 316. Our task will be to prepare the way for Exit 316 in local churches. We want to equip and train the young Christians to use Exit 316 as a tool for evangelism and discipleship. It is a huge task but a wonderful opportunity to win the young generation for Christ. And our prayer is that you would join us in praying for this project.
On Thursday, January 19th, we had a meeting for Turbo 316 (the parallel campaign with Exit 316). During the meeting, we were talking about the need for many different videos. And the question was, who would be able to produce them? More accurately, the question was how it would be possible for me to produce them without knowing the language. So they asked me if I knew anyone at the church who might be able to come with me to be my translator. And I told them that I couldn’t help but think of Lucka.
See, Lucka has always been interested in video production. She works in communications at the church and has never had the opportunity to do very much with video production. Last Spring, she heard about Exit 316 and . . . well, she’ll be able to tell her story better than I could.
“My prayer was very simple and, I thought, naïve. I prayed to have a chance to take part in the project. I didn’t have much faith that it could really happen. It didn’t make any sense, I was a complete outsider, and it was just a desire of my heart. But a little seed of faith is enough, I guess.”
It seems to me that this has been a desire of Lucka’s heart for a while, and the seed that was planted now has the chance to be watered. I’m sure you can see why she seemed to be the perfect person to join us with this project.
Now like I mentioned earlier, every story has two sides. And while we were in our meeting talking about Lucka joining the team, she was at home receiving a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. She started feeling really complacent in her job. She wasn’t sure if she was in the right place, and didn’t know where God was leading her. So she sat and prayed about it for an hour that day. It’s like God was just preparing her heart for what was about to happen. The next morning she received a phone call from someone on the team asking her to join us. You can imagine her shock when she received that phone call.
Lucka and I, along with a guy named Petr, have now become the production team for Turbo 316. Our task will be to prepare the way for Exit 316 in local churches. We want to equip and train the young Christians to use Exit 316 as a tool for evangelism and discipleship. It is a huge task but a wonderful opportunity to win the young generation for Christ. And our prayer is that you would join us in praying for this project.
Turbo 316
Posted in on 2:31 PM by Autumn
In September of this year, the first Christian television show will air in the Czech Republic. It will be an evangelistic tool that will use the megaphone of the media. Can you imagine how many people it could reach?
The only problem is . . . what do we do once we spark their interest?
The answer is Turbo 316.
Turbo 316 is the dual campaign that will go along with Exit 316. Through it, we will be able to use this big evangelistic tool for discipleship as well. We will train church leaders to be able to use the videos while sharing their faith. The church leaders will train youth leaders and small group leaders, and they will train individuals. Essensially, every Christian in the Czech Republic should have the opportunity to learn how to share their faith by using these videos.
What's my role? . . . you might ask. I will be teaming up with two people (Lucka and Petr) to make videos for Turbo 316. We will make promo videos, training videos, videos for church services and youth groups and others for individuals. Part of the time, I might be working on Exit 316, and other times I'll be working on Turbo 316, since they will go hand-in-hand. Our first deadline is February 2nd, when we'll have our first promo video done. Please pray for Lucka, Petr, and I as we enter into this new adventure of Turbo 316.
The only problem is . . . what do we do once we spark their interest?
The answer is Turbo 316.
Turbo 316 is the dual campaign that will go along with Exit 316. Through it, we will be able to use this big evangelistic tool for discipleship as well. We will train church leaders to be able to use the videos while sharing their faith. The church leaders will train youth leaders and small group leaders, and they will train individuals. Essensially, every Christian in the Czech Republic should have the opportunity to learn how to share their faith by using these videos.
What's my role? . . . you might ask. I will be teaming up with two people (Lucka and Petr) to make videos for Turbo 316. We will make promo videos, training videos, videos for church services and youth groups and others for individuals. Part of the time, I might be working on Exit 316, and other times I'll be working on Turbo 316, since they will go hand-in-hand. Our first deadline is February 2nd, when we'll have our first promo video done. Please pray for Lucka, Petr, and I as we enter into this new adventure of Turbo 316.
Three Weeks
Posted in on 7:18 PM by Autumn
Well, I’ve now lived in Czech for just about three weeks now. Although, I have to tell you, it doesn’t feel like I live here yet; I feel like I’m just visiting. I don’t think the reality has really sunk in yet. Part of it is because I’m not completely moved in to my apartment. My things are still in boxes waiting for me to unpack them. Which I would love to do, but I have no place to put them yet. I found a bunch of things at a second-hand shop, and those will be sent on Friday. After that, it’ll feel more like home.
I started language lessons this week. Part of me feels like it won’t be that difficult, and the other part is so overwhelmed that I find it hard to study. I probably pick up on every 100th word, so that doesn’t help with the whole conversational aspect. Every once-in-a-while, I’ll be able to pick up on what people are talking about. I’m starting to write down words on flashcards to learn them faster.
If you’re wondering how you can pray for me, please pray that I will be able to absorb this language like a sponge. I never thought I would pray to become a sponge before, but I can’t think of anything more accurate. So, every time you wash your dishes with a sponge, or every time the kids are watching Sponge Bob, think of me . . . and better yet, pray for me. Pray that I would become that sponge. :-) Thanks.
I started language lessons this week. Part of me feels like it won’t be that difficult, and the other part is so overwhelmed that I find it hard to study. I probably pick up on every 100th word, so that doesn’t help with the whole conversational aspect. Every once-in-a-while, I’ll be able to pick up on what people are talking about. I’m starting to write down words on flashcards to learn them faster.
If you’re wondering how you can pray for me, please pray that I will be able to absorb this language like a sponge. I never thought I would pray to become a sponge before, but I can’t think of anything more accurate. So, every time you wash your dishes with a sponge, or every time the kids are watching Sponge Bob, think of me . . . and better yet, pray for me. Pray that I would become that sponge. :-) Thanks.
Awaited Arrival
Posted in on 8:26 PM by Autumn
I'm here! I made it!!! I'm so excited to be here in the Czech Republic. I would have never thought that I would feel at home like I do. The flights were crazy, and after them I was so thankful to finally get here. I was able to jump right in to things. I arrived in Pisek on Friday and left on Monday for Malenovice (the Josiah Venture/KAM Headquarters). Monday and Tuesday I had meetings that I was able to be a part of. We'll start filming Exit 316 within the next few weeks. I thank God that He brought me here when He did . . . just in time to start filming. Isn't His timing perfect?
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