Amber's thoughts on Emerge: Women's Leadership Conference

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be a part of Next Level International's first ever Women's Conference. Linda Howell, director of Leadership Development & Women's Development for NLI, has a vision to see 1 million women across Europe to be equipped and challenged to move into leadership. This was the first step towards seeing her dream become reality. Sheldon's connection with NLI was my in, and so I had the chance to help out where I could. I was working alongside the other women from NLI and a team of American women - we had a great time!

Perhaps what surprised me most was how much I was impacted over the weekend. There was a fabulous worship band and for the first time in 10 months, I was able to worship in English.... it was incredible. I believe I've taken my ability to worship God forgranted. After 10 months of struggling through worship songs in Slovak, where I'm so focused on getting the pronounciation of the words right, let alone understanding what I'm singing... I was able to worship God effortlessly. It was such a gift.

In addition, I was able to connect with one woman in particular that really spoke into my life. There are definitely times when I feel that at 25, I am in WAY over my head. Through a one hour conversation I was able to gain perspective, peace and the realization that I'm not the only one to have gone through a challenging time.

This weekend once again proved to me that God often does incredible things in a person at the most unexpected times.



The all Slovak, all girl worship band!



In the front row the 3 main speakers: Linda Howell, Gabrielle Reinas & Judith Green (from left)

Whose Laughing Now?!

This past Tuesday evening I (Matthew) was helping at a discussion club our church hosts for university students. It's called Potichu Nahlas (Quietly Outspoken). As part of an icebreaker game everyone had to make up a story about the person to their left. So my friend got quite a few laughs at my expense as they told tall tales about me...of which I understood enough to know that I was getting razzed pretty good.

Then it was my turn. Speaking in front of a group of strangers in a language in which they are fluent and I am not is a humbling experience at best.

Though I struggled with my grammar, I got in a good joke. People laughed at what I said and not just how I said it (or mispronounced it). I've missed being funny. It was a good feeling.

That said - there is still so much to learn!

Our Migratory Church

This is the VBC Business Centre located within Centrum (downtown Nitra). It has a large "congress hall" that has sat empty for years now - until last week. Church family went in and washed, scrubbed and cleaned away years of dust to get it ready for Mozaika. You can read more about it at www.vbc.sk (there is an English option in the top right hand corner).

The facility includes a dedictaed foyer, a large meeting hall with chairs and a stage, and a space behind the stage where kids programs can take place. It is everything Mozaika needs and it has been promised to us only for the month of October. We have had our past two Sunday services there and there are already ideas swirling around of what we could do with this space if it was ours.

So we are thankful that we have this space and very much appreciate all your prayers BUT we still need your support. The VBC administration has told us that there is another business interested in renting the space. This other business is willing to rent the room 24/7 (thus pay more) while we can only afford to rent the room on Sundays. We are not sure whether this is a business tactic to pressure us into signing a 24/7 contract (afterall, what are the odds of 2 businesess wanting the same spcae in the same week after it has sat empty for years). The VBC will make a decision regarding who gets the room by the end of the month. So for now we know we have a space to meet in until the end of October.

The Mozaika family would really like this space. Not only is it in a good location and a good facility, but the VBC intends to remodel the room in 2 years time as part of a larger building renovation plan. As such we could renovate the room however we want since they will demolish it all anyway. So we could build multiple kids rooms, paint, post community bulletin boards etc.

So keep praying with us.

A Work in Progress

Though the VBC said they would get back to us last Tuesday with an answer....they haven't. Miro, our church planter, called them once and they affirmed that they would call us, and not the other way around.

So we wait and we pray and we trust.

This past Sunday we returned to the family home in Ivanka pri Nitre. The church family here is fasting and praying. We know that many are supporting us in prayer. We ask that you keep praying.

Church a la Village

It's Sunday afternoon and I am happy to say that we did not have to have church in some back alley this morning (which is good seeing as the temperature has dropped over 20 degrees in less than a week - but that's a whole other story).

The searching this past week did not offer up many possibilities for today. So a family in our church opened up their home. They have a huge house in the nearby village of Ivanka pri Nitre. Though different from our usual Sunday times together, it was absolutely great! The home setting really seemed to draw people together. There was talking, laughing and singing. It had the genuine sense of family about it - complete with the sounds of kids running around in other parts of the house!

Mozaika started as a home group and then grew into a church from that core family. This has been the first crisis that the new, larger family has faced. In group settings, challenges have a way of either scattering or gathering people. Today felt like we bonded more as a community.

Miro, the church planter, has made a good contact in a local office facility called "VBC". They have a meeting hall and are open to ongoing renters. It would see Mozaika move closer to the town centre and also comes with the possibility of office space. Monday is a national holiday so we will not have a decision from VBC until Tuesday. We ask that you pray for favour for Mozaika.

See You Later

Last night we got a phone call letting us know that Amber's grandfather, Herman, had passed away. Grandpa Herman had been ill for some time now and it was his desire to be making eye contact with Jesus, rather than nurses. It is almost one year to the day since Amber's Nana passed away.

We have missed many weddings since moving to Slovakia (much love to our very understanding friends), but this will be the first funeral that we cannot be a part of - all part of the adjustment process to living away from family.

Born on German soil to Polish parents who were fleeing the advancing Russian army, Herman was a strong man, a source of support, and encouraged us whenever he could. Though we did not get to say goodbye in person, we were able to have a letter read to him on our behalf. After hearing it he said that though he may not see us again on earth, he'll see us in heaven.

Until then...

No Room in the...Dorm?

Life sometimes offers up moments that take you entirely by surprise and give you little, if any, chance to process before forcing you to move on.

Yesterday was one such moment.

Mozaika, the church-plant here in Nitra, meets in a student hotel (like a dorm) for our Sunday program. The managers of the facility have never been fans of the troop of children that arrive with great zeal every Sunday. In the absence of fondness for little people, we were never able to secure a contract gauranteeing our time there. They reprimanded us for being too loud or too messy - so we tidied and hushed as best we could.

This past Sunday was Mozaika's official launch service to kick-off the new school year. We have a new operating model, a new family-friendly service time, new multimedia and a shiny new ad in the paper. The sky was blue and the room was bustling with people....apparently to our detriment.

Monday afternoon, still rosy in Sunday's afterglow, brought a sharp change in pace for us. The student hotel called to inform us that we had left their facility a "huge mess" for the last time. Effective immediately we have nowhere to meet.

So today there were flowers given to those building managers to show how much we appreciated our time with them, and then there was searching. Evangelical churches are viewed as cult-esque and so renting a facility is just flat out difficult. It took over 20 applications last time to find this place.

As a team we feel we can either laugh or cry - we had a good laugh about it this afternoon.

Pray that we find a place and that the laughter continues.