After a full week

Hey Everyone,

First of all I want to apologize for not updating y'all or posting anything in a long time. This past week has been pretty crazy (we're told it was our craziest week of the summer) and I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and process the events. Today we have the afternoon off before church so I'm using it to let everyone know what's up and how things have been.

This is my 10th full day in the city and my experience already has been amazing, difficult, spiritually challenging, and so rewarding. One of the outreach organizations from the World Harvest team here is a church plant called Faith Community Church. It has about 80 or so regular attendees and is an English speaking church. We will be helping throughout the summer with Childrens Church and other outreach events that will be taking place there.

On Monday we has a meeting with a woman named Anna who helps run an after school organization for gypsy children called Teen Challenge. It is located in an area of the city where many underprivileged families live, and they help to provide a Christian environment where Roma kids can come and do crafts, games, music, and learn about the Gospel. We met with Anna to discuss how we would be helping Teen Challenge throughout the week. After our meeting, the group went to the outskirts of the city for a prayer walk at Riverside School. This school was founded about 15 years ago by a couple of British guys who were not happy with the education system. Since its founding, the school has grown to two campuses (Early Years Campus and Primary and High School Campus), and nearly 400 students. It is one of the most renowned schools in Prague and is the home to international kids whose parents work for big corporations and embassies. As a result, the children come from homes that practice different religions such as Hindu, Catholicism, Islam, Atheism, Far Eastern Religions, and Christianity. However, even though there is such a diversity of nationalities and religions among the children, the school is staffed entirely by teachers and board members who profess Christ as Lord. So it was really interesting to walk around the school with the teachers and learn how they are trying to spread the Gospel in the classroom, and to the parents outside of the classroom.

On Tuesday, we went to a park for Teen Challenge and hosted a day outside where the kids could play soccer, do crafts, get their faces painted, play music, and just have fun being outside with a bunch of American interns. In the evening we had our family night which is a weekly event where the team just gets together for dinner at our leader's (Mark and Joanna Stewart) house and just hang out and relax. Also, someone volunteers each week to share their testimony and this past week Joanna shared hers, and so did I. Over the years, one of the things I have deprived myself of is a solid group of Christian friends that I can share anything with and be prayed over by. It has been such a blessing to have that community and fellowship in the Word and I can definitely feel the growth that the Holy Spirit is working in me already.

Wednesday and Thursday were filled with prayer meetings, Czech language classes, and Teen Challenge. Because it was so busy and we were always going it was difficult to find some time to spend time in the word, pray, and think. But we have realized that patience is definitely something that we need prayer for, and that the Lord would fill us with His grace so we won't get frustrated when we are so busy. Still, this past week was our busiest because we had Teen Challenge every day. Also, on Thursday, I gave my first cross cultural testimony that had to be translated so that was definitely a neat experience. Friday we had a prayer walk in the morning in a suburb area of near the outskirts of the city, then we had Teen Challenge again that afternoon, and finished the day with our weekly Friday night prayer walk in Wenceslas Square.

Saturday was our first real day off which was so refreshing. Last night we all went down to the Old Town Square where they have this huge T-V screen set up where they play every World Cup Game. It was so much fun to sit in this square surrounded by old churches, towers, and statues that are hundreds and hundreds of years old watching the World Cup with thousands of other people. It would have been an even better experience if the U.S. had actually been able to pull off a victory.

Anyways, I have some prayer requests that I would ask y'all to keep in mind when you think about me over here. First of all, the living space in our apt. is really small and we all need patience with each other, so pray that Lord would calm us down when we get upset. Secondly, that I would not get discouraged by the fact that I am only here for two months, and that I would be able to build lasting relationships with Czech people just the same. Finally, that the temptations with women, drugs, and sex which are so freely offered and available in this city might not effect me and that the Lord would guard my heart and keep me from straying from His way. Many of you know my testimony so you know my past abuses in these areas and how it might be very difficult for me in some situations, so please be my prayer warriors for that. More to come in a few days! In Christ,

-Wade

Pictures

Hey Everyone,

I put a bunch of pictures up from the last couple days in a new album on my Facebook page. I'm trying to work on getting some up on my blog so all of you non-facebookers (If there is such a thing these days) can see some pics. In Christ,

-Wade

First Couple Days in Prague!

I've been in Prague for the past couple of days and today was our first full day in the city. Our flights went very smoothly as did customs getting into the country which was an answer to our prayers. Mark and Joanna Stewart are the intern leaders here in the city and they picked us up from the airport around 2 p.m. (8 a.m. Eastern) and we ended having a cookout with all the other families of the team. It was so great to finally meet everyone.
Our flats are not too big, but definitely bigger than anything we expected. There is an awesome pub right next to our flat and we are only about a block and a half from the Stewarts which is great. This morning we went for a prayer walk around a district of the city called Zizkov which is a more arts/new age part of the city. It is also the home to many of the Gypsy (or Roman) populace. The Gypsys are very much hated and often abused across Europe so we spent a lot of time praying for them, the Czech people in that district, and for an organization that we will be working with called Teen Challenge.
The afternoon was spent walking around most of the city and seeing a lot of the popular sights. It is such a beautiful and unspoiled city. There always seems to be a great surprise around every corner. This evening we went on another prayer walk in the center of town called Wenceslas Square. A lot goes on here that I am not really privileged to talk about on my blog but please just keep that area in your prayers. As I said, the city is so beautiful and has not fallen subject to a lot of the wars that have ravaged many European cities so it is mostly unspoiled. However, the need for the Gospel is so great and I can already see the depravity of the city just in the first day. Please continue to keep myself, my team, and the people of Prague in your prayers. More to come later. In Christ,

-Wade

At the Start

I'm sitting in the World Harvest Mission sending center outside of Philadelphia, Penn and the excitement with our team is definitely building. My flight arrived this morning around 11 and so far today we have all just been hanging out with each other and talking about the upcoming months. All the interns (about 25) are here. In the next two months we will be sent out on missions to places like Uganda, Ethiopia, Czech Republic, the Sudan, England, Spain, and Austria.
With me are the six other interns that will join me in Prague. James Masterfield (Missoula Montana/University of Montana), Houston Cofield (Memphis/Ole Miss), Drew Hill (Tallahassee), Jillian Weiss (Elon University), Anne Henderson (Gordon College), and Laura Huhn (Asheville). It is exciting because we all get along really well and enjoy each others' company. This summer is truly going to be life-changing for all of us.
Our flight leaves tomorrow evening around 9:30 and while we are all excited and ready to go, there are definitely some fears that constantly run through our thoughts. How are we going to react to an entirely foreign language, culture, country, and environment? How boldly will we proclaim the Gospel when the moment comes for us to profess our Faith? I ask that you please pray for us in these our initial worries, and also in the requests to come. If there is one thing that we are certain we will constantly need throughout the summer it is prayer. Keep us in your prayers always. I am so grateful for all of you reading this for giving me this amazing opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission. More to come soon. In His name,

-Wade