It has been nearly six weeks since I moved to the Czech Republic. Have you been keeping track? Things have been going great and I am doing well. Life seems to be playing some weird time trick thing on me right now. With the time that has past, it feels like I have been pretty busy with things to do and get done, but then somehow feel like I have been not as productive as I would like to feel. One of those things being making sure that I am updating you all well enough. Let me lay out what things have been like so far...

Land in the Czech Republic on May 13th, 2014.

Move into my new house/apartment with roommates Josh and Jonathan (they have been living in the Czech Republic and working with Josiah Venture on staff for the past two years. I met them over a year ago when I came to the Czech Republic to see where my placement might be with Josiah Venture. I now live with them!).

Unpack. I took everything with me on the plane. 2 big bags of clothes, 1 suitcase full of camera equipment, 1 hard shelled camera case full of camera equipment, 1 large REI backpack, and 1 electric guitar.

Rest and Read. The first few days consisted of a lot of this. Trying to adjust my sleep schedule and spending time reading scripture, praying, and writing down what was happening and what I was feeling.

Summer plans. Schedule out a tentative summer with specific things to document and capture.

Go to Ikea and buy a bed, a dresser, a night stand, some shelving, and a new TV stand for the roommies (they needed it). First things first, right?

Continue to learn my way around town.

Attend youth group and church. My roommates serve at different churches. I am still in the process of finding a home church.

Factor in exercise into my daily routine. I am finding running at least 3 miles a few times a week is actually very energising and helps with adjustment here.

Amazing Race in Slovenia. Every summer when our (Josiah Venture) summer intern arrive. They split up into their countries (teams) of service and perform tasks an competitions over the course of maybe 3 days. This is to create unity and also expose strengths and weaknesses that are good to be aware of before heading into a summer full of ministry. And heck...it is also loads of fun to run around Europe for a few days with college students from the states!

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO I MADE FROM THE AMAZING RACE.

Intern training In Czech. After the Amazing Race, the group of about 94 interns and our Josiah Venture staff headed back to the Czech Republic to our training facility at Hotel Malenovice near a town called Frydlant on the east side of the Czech Republic (pretty close to the Polish border). During the next 4 days, the interns were trained and prepped for the summer ministries they were heading into made up of English, music, and sports camps.

Host summer interns in our home.

Work 2-3 days at the office in Frydlant. I am also working from home almost daily on things that I can get done from my computer and or phone.

Continue to plan camp tour route. (At this point camps have not yet started. Interns have arrived and have been promoting camps in their cities of service. Camps won't officially star until the end of June). With my team being scattered literally all across the globe right now, it has been a challenge to coordinate video calls, send emails, and communicate the best. We are learning to make things work though and plan to the best of our abilities.

Be in the Word. I usually set aside a good hour (sometimes 2, sometimes more) to just read Gods Word and pray. I am thankful that in the chaos of trying to start a new life, build new relationships, find routine and consistency, that Gods Word and prayer have been the most consistent. I think without that time set aside for the study of His word and prayer, I would be having a pretty hard time.

In the next week I will be heading to Poland for a JV english camp and to start working with my summer intern who's name is Jacob Hash. I am excited for things to get moving and to get to work behind the camera. We will both come back to Czech after camp in Poland to recharge before heading out on the road for potentially close to a month documenting camps and testimonies of what God is doing. Pray that I would prep well for all that is to come in the next few months and that this week I would be able to rest well before it all starts. I am so excited to start doing what God has brought me out here to do and to show to world the incredible things that God is doing throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

I am also really looking forward at keeping you all informed better on what is happening in my day to day life. Not just the major things, but evening the minor things that will hopefully shed light well on my new life and ministry here in the Czech Republic with Josiah Venture.

To Christ be the glory, forever and ever, amen!

Please feel free to comment on these blog posts and ask questions. I would love to interact with you more and share with you better the life that I am living here in the Czech Republic. Cheers!