With such an amazing week in hindsight, we got to maximize our long layover in London by going into the city and seeing a few of the most famous sights - Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace.  We took a stroll through Hyde Park before returning to Paddington Station and heading back to the airport. Thank you Albert for leading us around on our excursion. We are incredibly grateful for our church family and many friends, who prayed for us during this week! When you see one of us at church these next few weeks, we would love to share with you more about how God worked this week!

We had a great final day at camp! Our English Classes, group discussions, crafts, and sports groups all finished strong as we enjoyed our time together with new and old friends before leaving. We also completed our mission to save the planet from the widespread pandemic. The kids managed to create the antidote and save Dr. Crazy! Our team had a wonderful time and enjoyed not only getting to know the kids but also having the opportunity to discuss our personal testimonies with them. Many kids asked thoughtful questions and even a few took Bibles home with them.
Continue to pray not only for our Czech brothers and sisters as they continue to minister to the Brno community, but also for the kids who heard the Gospel clearly. Pray that God will reveal Himself to them in new ways and ultimately bring them into His kingdom. Pray for us as we travel home through London on Saturday!

Every year at camp on Thursday evening we invite the kids and their families to a special grill party. There was lots of meat and lots of fellowship. Many great conversations took place, relationships were built and friendships were deepened. We got to see some old friends and this was a special time of hanging out together. The kids performed a dance they had learned from one of the Czech leaders. These families were invited to various activities that will take place throughout the school year, and they were invited to the worship services at the church plant. Pray for these families to connect to Runway ministries and the church plant so that they can continue to hear about God and salvation in Jesus.

On an another note the kids discovered that the antidote they found would be possible to treat the world against this dangerous bacteria that was released. Now, they had to do some research in their teams to determine how to exactly get the antidote just right and be able to save the world from this experiment gone wrong by Dr. Crazy!

On Wednesday the four teams took a special trip. They had to make a spaceship out of duck tape and plastic pipe and put their whole team inside this space so that could walk together. This spaceship would "transfer" them to a remote location in space called Planet Orbanis. Through various tasks on this journey they arrived and found a special antidote that they must bring back in the hope that this antidote will be the solution to the dangerous bacteria that was dispersed by Dr. Victor Crazy!!

While I (Stephen) was sitting in the woods waiting for teams to come complete the specific tasks we had prepared for them, I began to look at the trails in the woods. The top picture on the right shows a wide trail. And the other picture below on the left shows a much more narrow trail.  I began to think about the verse in Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."  

I am reminded every time I come to Czech Republic that there are so few who have chosen the narrow way and so many who choose the wide way. While there have been many gospel seeds that have been planted over the years, there is so much more work to be done. This week we have had incredible conversations with some of the kids, especially the teenagers. Many of them are asking very deep thought provoking questions. We can see the fruit and progression that has been made by continuing to bring a team to Czech Republic to do English camp. Pray for these seeds to continue to grow and sprout, and that many would choose the narrow path - that is the way to life in Christ. Pray for walls and barriers to fall down and for eyes to be opened so that belief in God can become clear and desirable. God is working!

Day 2 was fantastic. Each day is filled with a morning devotional, discussion groups, games, crafts, English class, difficult tasks, and of course English camp would not be complete without strange characters, as you can see the man in the white coat. This year's theme involves scientific research lab - a "protein" that prolongs life, but then an experiment was reversed and the protein shortened everyone's life. The kids are competing to find a cure for the disease. They found out that there is a cure on a distant planet and they must travel through space to find the cure.

From Jennifer: Being back here in the Czech Republic and seeing all that God has done has been amazing. Just like we read in Ephesians, God has done more than we imagined or thought would happen in 2015 when we first stepped off that first plane to begin our time here in the Czech Republic.  God is at work and it is so exciting to see!  God took dreams and turned them into something beautiful.  As I listened to the language again, I have been reminded that as Christians, we are a family no matter where we are from, whether that is here in the Czech Republic, America, or any other place.  in the Czech language they use formal or informal language, depending on who they are speaking with.  When they pray and talk with God, they use informal, familiar language, and that is a reminder that He is our Father.  He has created us to serve together as a family, and we are so thrilled to be able to do that this week with our Czech brothers and sisters.  

From Albert: God has been reminding me of Matthew 9 and Acts 17 this week—both a call to labor in the harvest and a picture of sharing Christ in a place where He is not yet known. Seeing Czech believers faithfully serve in a nation where decades of Nazism and Communism erased Christian memory has deeply humbled me and reshaped how I view missions. Like Paul in Athens, we are sharing Christ with people who have no background in the Gospel, and this has taught me how to communicate Him clearly in a truly foreign context. Our team has gone “down into the well” this week, and soon we’ll return home to keep holding the rope for those who labor here long‑term.

From Catherine: One thing God has been showing me over the last few days is how easy it is to admire the incredible beauty, rich history, breathtaking architecture, and vibrant culture of the Czech Republic, while also recognizing the deep spiritual need that exists beneath the surface. The people are wonderfully creative, hardworking, and committed to excellence. Yet many are also deeply self-sufficient and take pride in not needing anyone—including God—which can make conversations about Christ more challenging.
I'm also realizing that many people here have little or no understanding of the Bible or the foundations of the Christian faith. God is teaching me to slow down, start with the basics, and trust Him to prepare hearts. It's a reminder that sharing the gospel isn't about having the perfect words but about faithfully planting seeds and allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work only He can do.

From Evelyn: We have to think deeper in our faith and be prepared to answer hard questions. The people here in Czech and the kids I’ve talked to don’t want to know Christ because they don’t understand why they should choose Christ. They ask the hard questions that I feel we in America are afraid to ask. They want to know why things happen? Why does choosing God make it better? And If I can be nice to people why do I need God to help me? Knowing their culture is so important to understanding how to minister to them. It’s also been so fun to form meaningful relationships with them. I’ve gotten to know so many of the kids and play games with them, even if they don’t know English very well I can still throw a frisbee with them.

From Mickey Ann: The last few days have been a wonderful experience connecting with past Czech team members and students from the 2023 summer mission trip, as well as new team members and students.  All have grown and changed.  The Czech Republic is such a beautiful country full of history and culture, but so void of faith.  Overwhelmed by the beauty of medieval churches and cathedrals and knowing that those who built those beautiful structures did so as a testament to the Lord that I know and love, yet He is unknown by the vast majority of people in this beautiful country.  To say that the work being done here by missionaries and members of the congregation is important to the kingdom is an understatement.  I’m so blessed to be a part of this team and I pray that I have planted a few seeds for the Kingdom!

English camp 2026 has begun! We were so excited to welcome 28 kids from the Bystrc community to English camp. Only a few of them come from unbelieving families. Everyday we start with a few icebreaker games. The kids are divided into 4 teams and they will compete each day for points, and even made special flags which represent their team. This year's theme is "Research Institution" under the leadership of Dr. Victor Crazy! Dr. Crazy is not a real person, but serves as a character for this week's camp theme and story.  He did an experiment for us and taught about the body which includes various chromosomes, proteins, and bacterias.  The kids had discussion groups in order for us leaders to get to know the kids better so that as the week progresses we can have more and more gospel conversations. English groups got off to a great start and we believe God will give us opportunities to talk about God and his love for us. This year we want to discuss with the kids the meaning of the fruits of the spirit. We believe God will use this week to grow the seeds that have been planted in previous years and to plant new seeds. Please pray for the kids to trust us and open up to us so that we can tell them about Jesus. Please pray that the physical activities of the games will not cause injury, and that God would give us great weather throughout the week. 

To end a wonderful first day of camp, we traveled to the Brno city center to see some of the sites that make Brno such a beautiful place. We saw Špilberk castle, Vegetable square, and Freedom square. God has given us a wonderful team to work with - First Baptist Church in Plant City, Florida, and amazing Czech brothers and sisters. 

We even got to go up into the Old Town Hall tower to see a beautiful sunset skyline. Pictured in the background is Špilberk Castle.

Hey church family! Our Czech mission team left early this morning to travel to Brno, Czech Republic. Please pray for our team: Stephen, Jennifer, Catherine, Albert, Mickey Ann, and Evelyn! Be praying for us as we travel today to Philadelphia and on to Prague!

We love you and appreciate your prayers and all your support as we pursue God's calling to be on mission for him to the Czech people. Follow our mission blog as we give updates throughout the week. 

This is the Czech and American team for English camp.  This year's camp was awesome. Many of the kids continued to ask deeper questions about God, Jesus, and salvation. Continue to pray that the seeds that were planted would grow to maturity.  Throughout the week several kids asked for a Bible to take home and read.  Also, two different parents also indicated interest in attending the worship services at Runway.  Pray that these parents will follow through and that God will lead them to salvation.

Today Daniel (One of the camp leaders) spoke about the Bible and how it necessary for our spiritual lives: 1. To grow our relationship with God in a deeper way, and 2. To help us navigate this life on earth.  Please pray for these kids and their families that as they read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin and help them to understand that Jesus loves them, died for them, and wants to have a relationship with them.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would help them realize their need for a Savior.

As I write this, it is early on Saturday morning, and we are headed home today. Please pray for us to travel safely. We already have been delayed from Prague - so pray that this delay does not delay us further from getting to Atlanta and home to Montgomery. Thank you so much for your prayers this week. It's bittersweet to leave such an incredible place and precious brothers and sister in Christ, but our team is tired and ready to sleep in our own beds.

Our team has really enjoyed coming to Brno and helping with the camp. On Thursday we continued to speak to the kids about the sin that we have in our life, but that God sent his only son, Jesus, to die in our place. We must place our faith and trust in him and believe that He the son of God and that he died and rose from the grave. The discussion groups have been full of kids asking many questions and many of them have asked to receive a bible. We got to play American football with the kids during our sports time. The English groups went well throughout the week.  Every year for camp on Thursday evening we invite the parents, grandparents, and other siblings to a grill party. We invite them to meet them, and also try to connect them to other activities and ministries at Runway.  Afterwards, Marek, one of the leaders of Runway, said that he spoke with two different sets of parents and they both indicated they would like to come to a worship service in Bystrc. This is great news because it means that seeds that we are sewing and planting are taking root and continuing to grow.  Pray for the last day that we will have more opportunities to talk with these parents and their kids.  Pray that after the camp, the Czech team is able to continue deepening these relationships and be able to continue to share the gospel.

On Wednesday we go to go see the new church that is being renconstructed.  It used to be a restaurant.  Taylor Road has been faithful to help support the purchase of the new building by sending a small gift to the church plant. We are grateful for a church that supports missions in so many different ways.  Below are some pictures of the current state of the building and other pictures to show what it will look like when it's finished. The church plans to open the "Runway Hub" at the beginning of September. This will help double the size of space they need as a church plant,
Pray that that church will be able to raise the money necessary to renovate and finish the purchase of the building. Pray that these new parents would come and hear the love of God and message of salvation.  GOD IS SOO GOOD!!

Every morning after the talk that we share with the kids, we have discussion groups that are focused on what the leader has shared and some questions to help the kids think about the existence of God. These discussions are slow at first but then kids open up and talk more and ask more questions. Several of them have continued to ask for Bibles.  This year God is really opening the eyes and hearts of the kids to consider what it means to believe in God. And how they should respond to God's plan and love towards them. Pray for us to continue to have open doors and the answers to the questions they have and want to ask us.

On Wednesday we even deeper in the discussion concerning the existence of Jesus and his time here on earth. Several more kids have asked for a bible. This is awesome that they are interested in learning and reading more about Jesus.  English lessons are going well and the team is working really hard. Continue to pray for us to have wisdom of how to answer the kid's questions and to make adjustments to English lessons as needed.  On Thursday we will have a grill party together and have invited the parents of the kids to come. This is our opportunity to connect with the families of the kids and invite them to other events at Runway happening throughout the next school year.

English camp is off to a great start. This year's theme is Investigation. We are investigating not only clues to solve a mystery, but also we are investigating the Life of Jesus. Today was the first chance we had to meet the kids and get to know them a bit. Some of the pictures are our interactions with them in English, games, small discussion groups, crafts or sports. Please pray for our team as we find ways to teach and explain the I AM statements of Jesus. Today, we had some introductory gospel conversations, which we pray will continue to deepen as the week progresses. Pray for openness and favor with these kids, many of which have never had an encounter with Jesus, the Bible or even Christians.  Thank you for praying for us and asking God to bless our week of camp. While we are a bit tired from the start of the week, we know that God will give us strength as He works through us and our Czech brothers and sisters. 

Video of Day 1 activities.

Lonnie shared his testimony of life before Christ, his encounter with Christ that led to salvation and surrender, and life after Christ. Stephen also preached at the Runway church plant service this evening speaking on John 10:1-15, when Jesus said, "I Am the door of the sheep," John 10:9. This week we are going to talk to the kids about the I AM Statements of Jesus as the kids investigate the life and character of Jesus this week. Can you guess the theme of the camp? Tomorrow is I Am the Bread of life, John 6:35 & I Am the light of the world, John 8:12. 

On Saturday, we continued our exploration around Prague seeing the Old town square where many historic events took place which shaped the direction of this nation.  Prague is home to some of the oldest structures in Europe.  We began the morning seeing the oldest functioning Jewish Synagogue in Europe. Behind us in the picture above is an astronomical clock that is the oldest in Europe. Every hour the skeleton chimes and the blue windows open to reveal the 12 apostles as they walk by the windows. Throughout the city there are many bold touches of Christian and evangelical influences that are embedded in the history of Czech lands.  What used to be one of the most protestant countries in the world back in the early centuries, has changed into a place of darkness due to consequences of religious wars, nazi domination and communism. These situations have squeezed the nation dry of spirituality, but God is doing a new work and gospel stories are emerging. God is working among the Czech people - people are seeking the Lord and turning to Christ, and churches are being planted in small and large cities. Continue to pray for a fresh wind to blow across this land and for revival to spark a flame of repentance and acceptance of truth once again. Jan Hus, a pre-reformation reformer said, "Therefore, faithful Christian, seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, tell the truth defend the truth even to death."  Jan was burned at the stake in 1415 for his faith.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

We spent the good part of today at the JOS school that is run by Pastor Peter and his wife, Mary. We did our VBS lesson and song with the kids (about 320 total), played games, and gave them soccer balls and jerseys.

Tonight, we fly out of Nairobi at 10:45pm (Nairobi time) to begin about 30 hours of travel. Pray that all of our flights will be smooth and that we won’t encounter any delays or problems.

We will see you Sunday!

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Early this morning, our team left Narok and headed back to Nairobi. We spent the morning ministering to the children and teachers at Patris Learning Centere. Amber, Paul, and Christi led the kids in Bible stories, music, and games. 

We want you to know, church, that your giving has helped make today possible. Because of your generosity through tithes and offerings, our church's VBS was made possible a few weeks ago and the same curriculum was brought to Kenya and used with the children here! Because you give, the lives of children all over the world are being changed!

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Our team has had a full day of ministry in Narok, Kenya. This morning, we visited a local men’s and women’s prison and met with some of the staff. Pastor Daniel preached a short message at the men’s chapel service and Christi shared words of encouragement with the women. We were able to purchase some handmade floor rugs that the female inmates have made and will be sharing some with our church family. 

This afternoon, we wrapped up our Pastors Conference. Pastor Daniel continued his seminar on Expository Preaching and Christi Millo taught a seminar on Prison Ministry. We were blessed by the attendees with traditional Maasai gifts and presented certificates of completion to all of the pastors and ministers.

Monday, July 7, 2027

Today, our team was in the city of Narok for our Pastor Training Conference. We had a great turnout of around 50 pastors and ministry leaders. Some pastors traveled over an hour to attend. Pastor Daniel taught a seminar on Expository Preaching, Paul Millo taught on Creating a Volunteer Culture, and Amber Russell taught on Children's Ministry. Tomorrow, we continue our conference. Pastor Daniel will teach another preaching course and Christi Millo will teach on Prison Ministry. We are also planning to visit a local prison.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Today, our team had the wonderful opportunity to worship with our brothers and sisters at "EWCA" Church. Pastor Daniel preached a message from Psalm 57 and the children of the church absolutely loved the members of our team. After church, we drove several hours through the Rift Valley to a city called Narok where, on Monday, we will begin our Pastors Conference.

Pastor Daniel will teach on "Expository Preaching", Paul Millo will teach on "Building a Church Volunteer Base," Christi Millo will teach on "Prison Ministry," and Amber Russell will teach on "Childrens Ministry."

Pray for the nation of Kenya today. There are nationwide anti-government protests happening and we pray that they would not be violent and that it would not hinder our conference from taking place.

Saturday, July 5, 2025

After an 8-hour layover in London, England, our team finally arrived in Nairobi this morning around 5:30am (Nairobi time). We were greeted by two of our ministry partners here in Kenya—Dr. Nathan Chimora and Pastor Peter. Thankfully, we have been able to catch up on some much-needed sleep today and, tonight, we will enjoy dinner together.

Tomorrow will be the beginning of a jam packed few days. Because our original plan of spending 7 days doing ministry has been shortened to 5, we are trying to cram in as much as possible. Pastor Daniel will be preaching in a local church in Nairobi Sunday morning and then we will travel a few hours to a city called Narok where we will lead a Pastor Training Conference. 

How you can pray:

• Pray for safe travel to Narok
• Pray for all of the pastors attending the conference. Many will be traveling long distances.
• Pray for Pastor Daniel, Bitrus Cobongs, Amber Russell, and Paul and Christi Millo as we all lead various parts of the conference.

Our  team's trip didn't quite get started as planned but, as we are learning, God is good and wise and sometimes our hearts and attitudes need a little more adjustment before we are ready to be used by Him. On Tuesday evening, our flight from Atlanta to Newark, NJ was diverted to Washington, D.C. where we wound up spending the night. We were told that there were no flights going to Nairobi until Sunday. Wednesday morning, we arrived back at the airport to try and catch a flight back to Atlanta so that we could regroup and come up with a new plan. To our surprise (but not to God's!), the ticket agent booked us a flight leaving Thursday evening for London where we will catch a connection to Nairobi.

What you can pray for on Thursday:

• Pray for no delays or complications 
• Pray for our team's stamina and strength as we head into 16 hours of travel

-Pastor Daniel

The last couple days of our time here in NYC have been busy! But that’s exactly what we came here to be! We’ve served in schools, helped organize and make Easter eggs. We’ve given out hotdogs and popcorn to the community. We’ve given out food at a pantry. We’ve given out coffee and pancakes. And in all of it, we were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus, loving and serving the community of Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Thank you for your prayers. God was faithful to keep us unified and motivated the entire week. We leave, but Swerve Church remains to be the light of Jesus to their community.

Please continue praying for them as they reach their neighbors with the gospel!

“We don’t simply go to church - We are the church and exist for the world.”

One of Swerve Church’s values is SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. Swerve Church exists to be the hands and feet of Jesus to its neighbors. It is our privilege to be those hands and feet for Swerve. Whether it’s painting apartment floors, organizing school supplies, or handing out free snacks and invitations, we are able to play a small part in reaching Bushwick for Jesus. Please continue to pray for us! Over the next couple days we will be serving in other local schools and doing block parties for the kids and teens of the community. Pray for our love to abound for one another and for those around us!

Thank you for the prayers! We arrived safely yesterday! Last night we enjoyed Time Square and got settled in our housing for the week. This morning we worshiped with Swerve Church, the local church plant we’ll be serving this week! Please be praying that God will use us to impact the Bushwick, Brooklyn community. Swerve Church are the soldiers on the front line. We are here to assist them in any way they need us! Pray for unity, love, and flexibility to be key markers for our group! Pray that we will keep the mission first in our minds even as we enjoy this amazing city!

Pray with us as our student team travels to NYC today. This week they will be serving in the Bushwick neighborhood at Swerve Church. Pray for the local people to be open to speaking and hearing the gospel this week.

Check back for daily updates!!