It’s been a busy first month back in Prague. Some people have asked me how I have adjusted, and the best way I can really explain the experience this time around is to say it’s kind of like sophomore year in college. It’s not really new; there are some familiar places and faces. I’m in the same flat (apartment) as before with the same flatmate (roommate). I don’t have to relearn tram routes—the same ones I used last year still go to the same places. My church family here looks a little different but many of the same people are here and it’s been good to reconnect with them and to also meet the people who are new since I was last in town.

A week after arriving I took off for the first of two camps. This is the third year I’ve been here for winter camps and the first time we have actually done a full-on winter English camp. And I have to say, it was one of the best camps I have been a part of except for one thing, the food. My expectations for food at camp are usually pretty low, but this time it didn’t even meet those. Not only that, but a “24 hour bug” (a.k.a. food poisoning) went around to almost the entire camp. I was the third person to come down with it and I was wiped out for a full day. It’s a good thing I always travel with Cipro. After a couple doses of that I was back in the game, which was good because the folks who had picked me up while I was down needed me to cover for them once they went down as well.

I believe that one student in my English group became a believer this week. If he didn’t, he is not far away. His high school teacher, who was also at the camp, tells us that she has to get on to him for reading his new Bible during class time. What a good problem to have—your students spending too much time in the Bible rather than on their schoolwork.

The second week was more of a ski camp and we were not able to secure the place we have used the past two years, so we found a last minute replacement, the Archdiocese of Liberec, a town up closer to the Czech/German/Polish border. It was a little less than ideal for a camp, but it was much warmer than the cabin in the woods where we normally stay. Despite not seeing my breath in the mornings when I would wake up, I still managed to get a nice flu virus. Two weeks later I still haven’t really been able to kick it, so that’s a big prayer request. Today, I leave for the week to speak in schools advertising our summer camps and I would really like not to cough and sniffle the whole time I’m at these schools.

In addition to better health, please join us in prayer that many kids who hear about our camps this week will sign up to come. We offer to teach them English (something they want) and then at camp we introduce them to Jesus (someone they need). Pray for safe travels and stamina for me as well. It’s very tiring work jumping from classroom to classroom and from school to school. But last year we definitely saw the results of this work and I have faith that our efforts won’t be fruitless this year.

Easter is coming and it’s a great time to be here in Prague. The Easter markets set up in many of the squares around the city are a good reminder of this. Hopefully more warm weather will not be far behind. This southern boy could use some more heat and sun. Thank you all for your continued support of the work we do here at the English Connection. Stay tuned for more updates soon!