Yesterday our team (minus the Bealls, who stayed at home battling a sickness) returned from an Easter retreat in Slovakia, an annual event held by the church which meets in the capital city, Bratislava. For most of us, this was to be our first time to meet the Christians that worshiped there, and we didn’t know exactly what to expect. Unlike our experiences with the churches in Prague, Brno, and Wroclaw, we hadn’t yet met any of the Christians from our neighboring country. I guess we all had preconceived notions and mental pictures about what the group in Slovakia would be like, but not much more. So, we left Olomouc last Thursday afternoon and enjoyed a short three-hour train ride to Bratislava. After arriving, we jumped on a bus which carried us, the Prague folks, and some of the Slovak Christians up to the camp about an hour away, where we were to ‘retreat.’ Over the course of the next 3 days, we enjoyed songs and lectures in English and Slovak (which is very much like Czech, but a little softer-sounding), excellent Slovak meals (usually a light soup followed by a main course of pork or chicken with a gravy sauce and rice or potatoes…mmm), afternoons full of soccer (a.k.a. ‘fotbal’), baseball, and Frisbee (complete with plenty of minor injuries and sore muscles), and most of all- precious opportunities to just sit, laugh, and learn about one another.
By the time the retreat was all said and done, I think it’s safe to say that we and the rest of the team were deeply encouraged and excited about the new members of our family in Slovakia. And when I say these folks are ‘family,’ I don’t say that lightly or at all in jest. When you live in a part of the world like Eastern Europe where committed Christians with whom to worship are scarce at best, you don’t take those you meet lightly. You need one another and you appreciate their faith, because you know it has been tested over and again. It’s all the more exciting when you realize that you genuinely enjoy being with them. And we did genuinely enjoy them. The churches in Slovakia are made up of young leaders (about our age or a few years older) who are the type of folks you just want to be around. They are sincere, full of energy, and on fire for God. We are so thankful to be yoked together with them and to call them family.
When we arrived back to Olomouc Sunday evening, Josh & Sarah were there at the train station to welcome us home. I’ve always loved and appreciated my teammates, but I learned a little more about that when we saw them that night. Each member on our team provides so much, in beautifully different and unique ways. We each have our role and our purpose here. Without Josh or Sarah or any of the others here, we would not only grieve the loss but also feel the hole of their absence. They become more and more each day like your closest blood relatives- those you would not want to live without.
Finally, last night, Corey and I both called our families to wish them a Happy Easter. Neither of us knew what their plans would be, but we hoped they weren’t missing us too much since it was the holidays. I guess we were both a little surprised, but more than that, really encouraged to hear the hustle and bustle in the backgrounds. They were glad to hear our voices and wished us happy Easter, but they were extremely occupied with meal preparations, as well as with a house full of family members who had come over to enjoy the holiday with them. After short conversations with both of our parents, we hung up and realized yet again just how much God provides for us. Remember the passage in Mark, in which Jesus says, “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields…) and in the age to come, eternal life. I think the blessings of God flow not only to us, but also to those like our moms and dads and sisters and brothers, who have selflessly sent us on our way to follow God’s calling. As the Psalmist says, “The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!â€