Winter in Narnia (aka Czech Republic)

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend a YFC Staff Training School in the Czech Republic.  All staff who have joined within the last year are invited to attend this program, which teaches about the history of YFC, different ministry models used around the world, fundraising strategies, professional and personal work habits, and spiritual foundations.  I really enjoyed meeting fellow workers from around Europe and the Middle East and sharing stories of ministry in various contexts.  Although we are all working towards the same goal, it's fascinating to see how different ministry looks in Germany, Slovakia, Tunisia, and Spain.  I also got to enjoy the beautiful snowy landscape and frigid winter temperature.  And what winter adventure is complete without a trip to the local doctor and hospital with a case of pneumonia!  Yes, I know how to do it right!
I developed the yearly cough and cold about a week before I was to leave for Europe.  I usually get this once a year, so I wasn't too concerned.  However, ten days later, my cough persisted and was accompanied by a fever, congestion, and a general feeling of "being sick."  Since I generally don't enjoy doctors or medication, I insisted on toughing it out as best I could.  I stocked up on Tylenol to keep the fever down and continued to attend training sessions with pockets full of tissues and cough drops.  Only once I developed this obnoxious little chest pain in my ribs and lungs every time I coughed that I finally gave in and agreed to see a doctor.  Let the adventure begin!  First we needed to find someone who could drive us to the doctor.  There was a very sweet older woman who worked at the campground where we were staying who agreed to take me.  The only problem was, she didn't speak a ton of English. So first we had a meeting with the camp owner who listened to all my symptoms, and then explained in Czech what the problem was.  Then we bundled up and headed into town.  Unfortunately, the doctor didn't speak English either so after a few attempts at communication and many blank stares, we resorted to google translate to help us out.  What resulted was a 15 minute "silent" conversation where I acted out my problem, she typed something on google translate, and I nodded either my agreement or disagreement.  It was eventually decided that I had a bacterial infection that needed antibiotics.
I spent much of the next two days in bed, full of medication.  Unfortunately, as the days passed, I wasn't feeling any better.  My chest pain was worse, if anything, and I seemed to be more tired and sick than before.  So the last night of the conference, I found myself taking a midnight trip to the hospital, where thankfully I found an English speaking doctor who diagnosed me with pneumonia.  More pockets full of medicine, and I was finally on my way to getting better.
Although it wasn't what I was expecting at all, I must say, it was an enjoyable trip.  I learned a lot from the sessions I did attend, had great conversations with people of the same heart and mindset as me, and enjoyed the change in scenery.
I must admit I have taken most of these pictures from other people.  Being confined to bed is not conducive to many picture-taking opportunities.  :)

new friends at the Czech banquet on the last day

YFC Camp Immanuel (no, we did not stay in those cabins :) )

the lake

the team (minus me and my sick roommate)

at the hospital!  Getting my chest x-ray

the lake again, because it's just so pretty :)

I miss LOOKING at winter, not FEELING it.  :D 

training sessions

these frozen forests reminded me of Narnia

worship session

salt and light

At the beginning of December, we had a meeting with local youth leaders.  We talked about what we would like to see happen in youth ministry in the next year.  The overwhelming response from the leaders was we want to get involved; we want to be a part of the community; we want to serve others.  Wow!  That's fantastic.  What a great idea!  However, connecting with the local community is easier said than done.  Nonetheless, we ended the meeting by breaking into small groups for prayer.  I challenged the groups to pray for "big things".  There is no limit to what God can do, and sometimes all you need to do is simply ask.

So we asked.

And God answered.

Just a week and a half after that prayer meeting, I found myself walking into a local orphanage.  Through a completely unexpected and sudden local connection, we had arranged for the youth group at our church to host a National Day celebration at a local orphanage (National Day, December 16th is like the Fourth of July).  This had never been done before.  Getting into local organizations, especially orphanages, is extremely difficult, almost next to impossible.  But God opened an amazing door of opportunity.  We were invited to spend the morning playing with the kids and celebrating with them.  Our new local friend went above and beyond what we expected:  she found local artists who were willing to donate time and supplies for the kids to paint canvases about Bahrain.  She arranged for a jumping castle, popcorn machine, and cotton candy machine.  She brought in her talented friends to do face painting.  It was incredible.  All we had to do was ask, and God answered in ways we couldn't even imagine.

We met around 40 local kids that day.  Some were orphans; some were being raised by single mothers or extended family; most came from struggling families; few spoke English.  Yet we were invited to be a part of their lives, even if just for a day.  Our goal was simple:  be salt and light.  Love like Jesus loves.  Without words, we tried to communicate love and hope to these children who so desperately needed it.  I know our hearts were touched; we pray that theirs were too.

the city to which you are called

Jeremiah 29:7  "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have called you into exile.  Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

I started working on this project a few months ago and recently got around to finishing it.  A woman came to visit our church a few months back and she shared with the congregation that she felt God had asked her to visit Bahrain with the sole purpose of praying for the country.  She shared about how powerful that kind of intentional prayer can be and how God calls specific people to specific places.  We are not where we are by accident.  Recognizing that, it's also important to pray for the places to which we are called.  She then shared this verse from Jeremiah.  Since her visit, I haven't been able to get that out of my head.  This drawing is a picture of Manama, the main city in Bahrain.  It's now hanging in my house as a reminder to pray for this city to which I have been called.  

On a related note, some YFC friends were visiting this week, and I decided to take them to Saudi.  Well, we drove along the causeway as far as we could, took a trip up to the lookout tower, and had a look at Saudi  :)  While we were up there, we felt the need to pray for Saudi.  So there we stood, looking out over Saudi Arabia and praying for opportunities to minister in that difficult country.  I believe God heard those prayers, and I believe he will open doors for ministry there.  In fact, I think those doors will open much sooner than we think.  

Looking over into Saudi (the close bit of land is part of the causeway, the halfway checkpoint between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.  Then the bridge continues over into Saudi.  The land on the horizon is Saudi Arabia.)

Please pray for both Bahrain and Saudi, but also pray for the cities in which you live.  

Jordan

At the end of October, I had the chance to attend a regional YFC conference in Jordan.  We met in Ajloun, an area about an hour and a half north of Amman.  A beautiful area with little towns nestled among the rocky mountains and olive trees, it was an ideal setting for a retreat.  I loved the beautiful views, the cool weather (it is fall after all!) and just the chance to be outside.  I met YFC teams from Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia as well as some of the regional and area directors.  It was a good opportunity to learn more about YFC as an organization and develop a broader understanding of the YFC community, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.  We had daily Bible studies, small groups, and teaching sessions.  One of the most interesting sessions was on inter-faith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.  We also had some free time to explore the area and an extra day at the end to spend in Amman.  I was even able to meet up with a former Al Raja teacher who is now living there!  It was great.  Here are some of my favorite photos of the trip.

Hadrian's Gate--Roman ruins in Jerash, Jordan

Gotta love the Arab bag pipers  :)

The ruins are in the middle of the town

surrounding countryside

Amman, Jordan
a city build on hills

strolling through the Citadel

old meets new
Roman bath house vs. high-rise buildings

view of Amman from the Citadel

These ruins called the Citadel literally sit on top of a mountain in the middle of Amman

view from the Citadel--a Roman amphitheater.  Our hotel was right across the street from that.  

steep steps in the amphitheater

October Happenings

Wow!  October was a busy month!  We kicked things off by partnering with a local young adults' group to host the first ever inter-church football tournament!  The event, called Kaleide, was held on October 12th.  We had teams from 12 local churches participating.  The football tournament started in the afternoon and went on until evening.  Following the tournament was a small concert featuring three local, Christian bands. The event was a great way to pull the Christian community together for a time of fellowship and friendly competition.  

The following week we hosted the Bridging the Gulf youth leaders' conference.  We had a great three days of fellowship and teaching with more than 30 youth leaders attending!  Participants came from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman.  During the second day we participated in a scavenger hunt across Bahrain where we had to decipher clues, reach locations, and complete tasks.  It was an adventure to say the least!  

everyone climbing a tree

a little Bahrain Titanic  :)

team bonding

Bridging the Gulf

Next week will be hosting our first official AGYFC Bahrain event!  It's called Bridging the Gulf.  We have invited youth leaders from Bahrain and other Gulf countries for a 2 1/2 day conference.  We have a special guest speaker coming from Abu Dhabi, and the YFC team from the UAE will lead the break out sessions on communicating with youth, working with parents, third culture kids, and counseling teens.

We were really excited to be hosting the conference in Bahrain because after the success of the Desert Challenge youth camps the previous two years, we realized that we really need to get leaders on board.  By hosting the conference, we hoped to prepare the leaders and churches for the camp next year.
However, when we started planning the conference we ran into a few problems.  We were hoping to fully fund the event so it would be free for those attending.  Unfortunately, our funding didn't come through as we had hoped, so we had to charge participants.  The cost of the conference became an issue for many of the youth leaders as they or their churches didn't necessarily have the funds to participate.  But God is so good.  What he has set in motion, no man can stop!
Praise the Lord we have received generous donations out of the blue!  One group has offered to pay the registration for up to 20 youth leaders from Bahrain.  I didn't even know 20 youth leaders, but we began a prayer campaign for God to bring them forth.  And bring them forth he has!  We are up to 17 local leaders and a total of 36 for the conference!  Amazing!  We were aiming for 25-30, and once again, God has exceeded our expectations!  :)

Please join us in praying for this conference.  May the conference be a fruitful time of learning and growing together!