In about two weeks, I will be on my way to the Czech Republic. This summer, I am spending 10 weeks as an intern for Josiah venture. If you are interested in learning more about this amazing organization, you can view their website here.
This will be my third trip to the Czech Republic. Last year I served on a short, two-week missions trip, putting on a English camp with Josiah Venture and the Church of the Brethren in Český Těšín. Then I returned in the winter to put on an English minicamp with the same church.
As I prepare for this journey, I have been filled with conflicting feelings. I am super excited to go and see what God does but I am also afraid of being away from my family and friends in a foreign country for so long. I want to go, but part of me doesn't. It reminds me of the men in Matthew 8:
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
- Matthew 8:19-22
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Like them I am enthusiastic and desire to follow Jesus and learn from Him and do His will, yet there is that hesitation. I want to be comfortable. I don’t want to have no place to lay my head or to leave my family behind. And this is where God has challenged me. Am I ready to go all in? Do I believe that God is more important than my comfort? Will I follow wherever He leads? While I will never do any of those things perfectly, this summer, I believe I have answered emphatically: YES!!!
This whole thing is so far out of my comfort zone, sometimes I can’t believe I’m actually doing it. But I want to do it. It’s an interesting feeling that I struggle to put to words. For me, it has been a big thing to surrender to God. I am an introvert and never thought I’d really leave home except for a short vacation every once and while. Growing up as a kid, my mom (I love you mommy!), had me read biographies about all these missionaries and martyrs that have served God all around the world. While most people may be afraid of their situations or the terrible things they went through, to be completely honest, the books made me afraid because most of the people were introverts… Nearly every book started with someone who was terrified to talk to people and wanted to stay far away from being a missionary in a foreign country and yet ended up there. What could be more terrifying to a shy little boy who hated talking to people? But it’s happened to me and I want to go serve God in the Czech Republic.
I am super excited to go and what makes me more excited is that I want to go. It’s evidence to me that God is real and truly does change us. I praise God for this change in my heart and if He can do what He’s done on my heart in just the past year, I can barely imagine the good things He has planned for me.
Me with my English camp team last summer, 2023.
Before I wrap up, there is one more thing I have been thinking about as I prepare.
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Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
- Matthew 9:35-38
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I am praying to have the right heart as I go. Jesus saw people and had compassion that moved Him to action. This is often not my natural response and I have been asking God to change heart about this and I have seen immense growth this past year. Additionally, Jesus talked about sending workers into the harvest. I want to be faithful and go and reap the harvest which He has prepared, to continue to pray that He will send others, and pray that the harvest would be reaped, and many people would be saved.
I would like to thank all the people who have supported me financially to allow me to do this and I ask for continued support through prayers that God would do a mighty work this summer, both on me and through me.
This is the first of hopefully a series of blog posts about my trip. The goal is to send updates, prayer requests, and share what God does throughout this summer!