Rachel's Wild Ride

THE FLIGHT

While driving to the airport the reality of the trip and what lay ahead - and still lies ahead - hadn't sunk in. Upon arriving at the airport everything seemed to be all set: I learned how to use the self-check for my luggage (with only a few minutes of complete confusion), grabbed my last Starbucks coffee for two and a half months, bought a book for the plane, and went through security with forty minutes to spare.


As I waited for my first plane to board I watched nervously as the departure time continued to get pushed back due to ATF (Air Traffic Control). My flight to Vienna consisted of two layovers and three planes: San Francisco, Frankfurt, and Vienna. Once the departure time from San Diego was pushed back an hour I knew I could miss my connecting flight in SF and quickly asked to have my ticked changed to a later flight. I ended up landing about two hours later and I missed both connecting flights into Frankfurt. Having never missed a flight in my life, I was frustrated and nervous. I found my way to Customer Service and, praise God, was able to get onto the last flight of the day leaving for Frankfurt only four hours later than my first flight.

During the flight I sat next to a lady who was on her way to Turkey to be a part of an archiological dig. I shared about my trip and explained how Christian English Camps worked. She told me she was interested in a "religion" where people live like Christians, only they take God out. They lived good lives, have social gatherings and do service projects. My response was that it would be pointless and a waste of time to live like that because God is why Christians do all those things. He is at the center of it all. Why have a birthday party if it is no one's birthday? Why bake or cook if you're missing the main ingredient? After my response she hesitated and remained quiet for the remaining six hours of the flight. I am not sure if God meant for me to be on the later flight to talk with this woman, but if I was able to get her to think more about God and her own beliefs, then it was worth the; wait, nervousness, and frustration.

AMAZING RACE

Each year the interns begin the summer participating in The Amazing Race, organized by two missionaries serving with Josiah Venture. We are given clues to find specific locations and upon arriving we are given a task that must be completed before receiving our next clue. The race helps each team bond quickly, learn how to work well with each other under stress and a lack of sleep, and figure out what each other's strengths and weaknesses may be.

A few of the tasks this year were to: do a street performance and get someone to give us money, feed a teammate food with a stick and string while blindfolded, bobsled down a hill, find someone to eat a hamburger we bought, placing gummy bears into specific bowls depending on their color using only our mouths, and to eat a traditional Czech soup that is made out of a cow's stomach. The race took us to Austria, Slovakia, and Czech Republic.

Throughout the three day race my team looked for different ways to have fun and make the most out of every situation. The race was successful, in that we bonded, had joyful hearts and a good attitude in every situation.

Waiting for the train to Frydlant (Malenovice)

Dressing up for all the season. . . .

Stuck inside a small elevator

TRAINING

After the race we spent four days at Malenovice, Josiah Venture's training facility in the Czech Republic. The theme for me this summer is to practice living a life with reckless abandonment. In other words, listening for the Holy Spirit and obeying all that is asked of me.

My prayer for this summer is said best by 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

"An when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

While at Malenovie a few of my friends from Czech were able to visit. We shared about what the past few years have been like and I was able to encourage two of them in their walk with God. After saying goodbye I had a sense of peace and I know I can now leave Czech for the summer and have my heart fully dedicated to Estonia and the new relationships that will be built.

     

WHAT"S TO COME

My team and I will drive to Estonia, a 21 hour trip! When we arrive we will prepare the program for each camp: English lessons, games, sports, skits, and talks. We will also begin traveling around and meeting with the nine churches that will be putting on camps this summer. 

Estonia is a country that has a huge gap in the Christian Church. There are people who are 70 and older and there are those who are 25 and younger. Most pastors and all youth groups are lead by students who are 18 years old. The youth feel pressure because they know the future of the church rests on them. They see the need of evangalism, but have not had it modeled to them. . .