We started back this week in a full whirlwind of activity. On Monday we took the 5:35am train to Zilina and met in a nearby church called, New Beginnings, which has a partnership with Andy Stanley’s church, North Point. We met there along with a the campus team in Bratislava. It was a good day of vision, aligning, and strategizing for the sake of reaching students for Christ. I was encouraged by the steps of unity that the campus ministry in the country of Slovakia is taking in order to move forward. Our country director challenged us to commit to fasting and praying for Slovakia one day each week. This is a steep challenge for me, but it’s one that I definitely feel like I want to do, and know that Jesus assumes in the scripture that we will do. So, I’ll be fasting for Slovakia and for lost students everywhere on Tuesdays if anyone would like to join me. That night we arrived late back in Kosice, and after going up five flights of stairs back to my apartment I felt completely exhausted. I started asking myself, I’m so tired and it’s our first week back! How will this work? Where will I get the strength to move ahead? Even having thoughts that I didn’t want to go on campus at all that next day. I knew these thoughts weren’t from Jesus, and all the while I was recalling a blog my friend Courtney, who is on the world race and currently serving in Nicaragua wrote among the first 2 months she was on the field. She wrote this on July 25th,

Running through my head was that I no longer had [a desire to reach the nations] in my heart! I used to feel so passionately for the nations to come to God. I used to feel a burning desire and loved the persecuted church. My heart’s desire was to see people from all over the world come to know God. And no longer as obvious as it had been. As I am processing all of this I am thinking “Lord, I cared so much for these things but now that I am here actually doing it that desire is not as strong. What happened to me?

I was remembering this, and the reality that a lot of times we just don’t “feel” like getting out there, we “feel” tired and we “feel” alone. Usually these things are valid, but what is more true than all of them is the reality that God has called us and He will accomplish through us what He said He will accomplish.

So, Tuesday morning, I woke up, feeling surprisingly refreshed, headed to language class learned how to say things in future tense, (finally)! So I no longer have to say something in present tense when I mean that it will happen in the future. Language is such a funny thing sometimes. After language, I had lunch with my country director, and headed straight to the bus station to take a 30 minute bus ride out to Presov. On the way there I texted two girls that I’ve been meeting with off and on. Miska and Zuzka, both were excited that I contacted them and wanted to get together that day on campus. As I was walking to campus I began feeling really hopeful that God would work, that He would meet us there. Once on campus the Presov team met to talk about our plans for the semester, we need a consistent room to start an english club, we need to talk with students and get their input and interest level on going to an english class. So as a team, we started to get on the same page, we were feeling encouraged. We talked with some students about doing english class, they seemed excited that we were about to offer something like this to them. I met with Zuzka at a cafe across the street called Balada, I love this little place. She opened up to me and shared some things that were going on in her life, I’ve challenged her to begin reading through John, which I’m encouraged that she will actually do. I am reading through it with her, I’m on the 4th chapter and am completely amazed (just like I was with Acts). Following that meeting I met with Miska and Mirka at the same time to talk about everything going on and the excitement and the anticipation that we have that God will do something in Presov this semester. Miska was excited as we challenged her to have a newly forming Bible study in her room, she accepted. I gave her a copy of solarium and asked her to look over it, because the next time we’ll meet, we’ll go together on campus to try it with students. I also challenged her to think of one person she could share it with in her personal life. Immediately she replied, “I can’t wait for Janka (her roommate) to get back so I can share this with her!” (thank you Jesus).

Later I found out from Biba that Zuzka shared the gospel with her sister but didn’t even really know that she did it.

Now it’s Thursday and I’m excited to report that we have a room on campus. We’ll be meeting for english club called, “talk the talk” on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday starting on March 3rd going through the 12th. We are praying for momentum, that this would bring students who are spiritually interested. Would you pray this with me?

Also pray for Miska that she would share solarium with her roommate and that she would see God use her. Pray also for our time together, that she would feel encouraged and would continue to desire growth.

Pray for the girls Bible study that is starting up in Presov, pray for a hunger for God’s word and for community.

Pray for Zuzka, as we meet next week that she’ll find God in the pages of scripture.

God is at work, we are seeing Him and we are so very thankful.

I really need to catch up in the blogosphere, I’ve picked my oneword, and I want to write all about it, it’s playing into everything I do.