Update #2


We had a much needed Sabbath back in Malenovice with the entire Poland Josiah Venture team, including English Camp and Fala (our Polish JV partner). For one day, we were not allowed to do anything that felt like work, and were encouraged to listen and bask in the voice of the Lord. I'll admit the idea stressed me out at first. In just a couple days, we were supposed to dive into teaching workshops in primary schools in the mornings, then head straight to Fala headquarters and lead worship for the first round of short-term American teams leading English Camps! We had so much to prepare, and we were supposed to take a day to just do nothing?



But it wasn't nothing. It was a day to trust that if we made sacred space for God, He would renew our strength and provide for the rest of the crazy week. It was a day to reflect on everything He had done up to that point. It was a time for thankfulness, rest, and security. A time I didn't realize how much I truly needed.



I started my devotional time that day in 1 Kings 19:11-13, when the Lord appears to Elijah, "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." There is so much noise in our lives, so many frightening events beyond our control, but these are not God. His presence is experienced as a gentle whisper, and we need to learn to be quiet enough to hear it, to seek it out in the midst of the rain, the earthquake, and the fire.


God has been so faithful this week, my friends. The kids in our choir workshops at primary schools in Mikołów were SO excited and engaged, and a joy to teach! Our team divided and conquered, and managed to teach 2 songs in English and 1 in Polish in 5 different schools, working with about 500 students in total over just 4 days!




On Friday we were able to go back to 2 of the schools and perform for their big end-of-the-year ceremonies, and on Saturday all of the schools were invited to perform as part of a huge event in the town square. It was an amazing opportunity to build positive relationships with students, some of whom were very interested in coming to camp later in the summer, and introduce Fusion as a ministry tool to the local churches. Please pray that doors will be opened for future Fusion programs in the area.



When we weren't teaching in schools, we were back at the Fala headquarters facility called H2O, welcoming and equipping short-term American teams for the first term of English camps throughout Poland. On Wednesday night, all the interns put together an Evening Program as a model for the American teams to use in their camps. Fusion was in charge of worship, and I led an entire worship song in Polish for the first time. One of my favorite things about my short-term trip two years ago was the music - playing with other people, and being able to worship the same God together, regardless of language barriers.



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