HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 57:9,10

Happy New year from Prague! I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted something. Please forgive us for not keeping you better updated. November and December have been overwhelming with a busy schedule; time has flown, we're not exactly sure what happened to the last three months of our lives. As exciting as 2009 was, we're excited to be starting a new year! We're settled into our new home and anxiously waiting to see what God has in store for us in 2010. If last year was any indication, we're certain that God has plenty of excitement planned for our family!

We finished up our first language course the middle of November and were so excited to use what we had learned. However, as we began to us our new Czech phrases with our neighbors and local shop owners, we found that after asking them their name, how they were, if they had a family, and what they do for a living, our conversations were over... that's all we knew to say. We knew a handful of vocabulary words, but had no idea how to put them into sentences to carry the

conversation any further. So, our game of charades continued, and thankfully our "victims" had a good sense of humor and attempted just as hard as we did to converse. We were informed many

times by our kids, and still are, that we didn't say something correctly, which is music to my ears...they are slowly beginning to pick up the language! While our knowledge of what to say is better than our understanding of what we're hearing, the kids seem to understand what they're hearing better than how to speak it themselves.

November brought with it new Czech contacts and the loss of previous contacts. We had mentioned in earlier posts Andi and Alena. Andi worked in the small grocery store downstairs and Alena, at a children's consignment store around the corner. Andi has since quit her job at the grocery store and found a new job at a bar across town. We've not seen her since, but continue to pray that God will bring someone in her life to share, in her heart language, about God's love for her. I've been back in to talk to Alena, but she has been so busy that we've not had many good conversations since mid October. Please continue to pray that God opens up the doors for a relationship to form between us. The first of November I met Mae, a Vietnamese store owner down the block. She was so sweet and welcoming. She immediately began to share to me about her family and her 18 month old son. She wanted to know all about my family as well. I'm hopeful that God will give us the opportunity to grow this relationship and give me the time to

continue visiting her in her shop.

Thanksgiving came and we survived the first holiday away from family. We decided to go visit some friends and colleagues in Germany. God blessed us with lots of laughter and companionship to walk us through what could have been a very lonely weekend.

The Monday after a playful Thanksgiving weekend hit hard with the onset of our second intensive language course. We

can now understand and say numbers better, know the days

of the week (most of the time), can somewhat understand and give directions and can speak in past and future tense...sort of. Now we can tell where we came from, where we currently live and where we plan to live in the future! : ) We still don't know enough language to share of God's love in their language, that will take several years to do with ease, but hold on to the faith that God didn't put us here to be useless, but that He can and will choose to use us whether we can speak Czech or not.

December was a very exciting, and even busier month. We have found it very easy to become frustrated with language barriers and our inability to witness. But God is faithful and continued to show us HIS abilities to lay people at our feet and somehow communicate with them and share His love for them. In an earlier post I mentioned an elderly woman in our building that we

seemed to "frighten" a bit. She conveniently looked the other way when she saw us coming and did all she could to avoid being in the elevator or lobby with us. One day we passed each other in the lobby and before she could get the door unlocked to escape I began to use my 5 Czech phrases to speak to her. She was very uncomfortable speaking with me at first, but once she saw that I wasn't going to let her go without speaking she gave up and engaged in conversation with me. I'm still amazed how God can make two people understand each other when they can't even speak the same language. Since that time she has been very welcoming and friendly, and even

asks us to share the elevator with her!!! We saw her on the 23rd and she grabbed my hands with both of hers, looked into my eyes and very sincerely wished me a Merry Christmas and a happy new year in Czech, I wished her a Merry Christmas and happy new year in English and she

smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen from a Czech...DO YOU REALIZE HOW BIG THIS IS?! That sounds like such a small thing from your end, but here it's HUGE!!! She touched me, she

smiled at me, she warmly welcomed my greeting back to her! The excitement from that encounter carried us for days! Please pray that we can figure out which apartment is hers. We would like to bake her something special and take it to her door. She has given us all of the signs that she's open to a friendship, please pray that God develops a special friendship between us.

Earlier this month I offered to share the elevator with another woman in our building. She as well was very welcoming and warm, she knew I couldn't understand a lick of what she was saying, but she spoke anyway. I tried so hard to understand her and reply back to her questions appropriately, I THINK I did ok! : ) She has since been very friendly when we see her and

always smiles and is so kind to Hunter and Allie.

God allowed Clem to make friends with the building maitenence man this month. He was working on the empty apartment on our floor and Clem greeted him one day when they passed in the hall. He was around the day our crate arrived and the movers were bringing everything up to our apartment. Our door was open all afternoon and he kept peeking in with curiosity. Clem took the cue and invited him in. He knows no English, but again, God enabled he and Clem to communicate. He has since led Clem to every empty apartment in the building to show him

his work. Again, I'm amazed at how we have been able to find ways to communicate with people without understanding each other's language.

During the last week of language for the year our crate arrived. It couldn't have come at a worse time, but couldn't have been more wanted and appreciated! It was like Christmas and unwanted chaos all at once. Our small little apartment was overtaken by boxes and loads and loads of stuff that needed a home. I'm happy to say that three weeks later ALMOST everything has a home and we're settled in. Our apartment has now become a home. Our pictures, the kids' toys, favorite blankets, books and decor are in place and we

now feel like our home is a place of rest and is

welcoming for visitors and new friends.

December 23rd we were given an amazing opportunity to teach English Christmas songs to the 3rd and 4th grade English classes at Hunter and Allie's school. Clem offered and they accepted. We jumped on the opportunity, and loaded with a Czech Bible in hand we chose Christian Christmas songs, had the kids' and teacher read the Christmas story out of Luke, in their

language, and shared that the songs we were teaching them came from the Bible. We were floored that we were able to so easily put the Word of God before them in a school setting. We were also able to explain that baby Jesus, who they believe brings them their gifts on Christmas Eve, is Jesus Christ that died on the cross for them. Most Czechs do not connect baby Jesus with Jesus Christ. They're familiar with the crucifix, but know very little about it's meaning. And most

Czechs don't believe stories of Jesus to be much more than just stories. We were able to explain that our family believes that every word in the Bible is true and is the Word of God. We just pray that the translation given by their Czech English teacher was accurate! Below is a video clip of our time at the school.

If the video doesn't play click here.

Also in December God brought us three national Believers that all go to our church that have offered their friendship, all of which speak amazing English. One has offered up her hugs, one has offered to take us skiing, and the third has asked if he could come for dinner...he lived in American for 5 years and loves American food. : ) They are all seeking to build a friendship with us. Please pray with us that God will use them as our National partners to help us reach the Czech people we were sent here to serve, as well as to disciple and train them how to disciple their friends, neighbors, coworkers and family.

We had a great Christmas this year, in spite of being so far from family. It definitely felt different at times, but we had a special time of celebrating the birth of our Savior with our kids.

About a week or two before Christmas the Czechs line up at the street corners to collect their Christmas carp. Still swimming they choose their fish of choice and it's gutted right there on the corner...ooh, the excitement around town! Looked appealing, but we chose to stick with a turkey, which wasn't so easy to find!

With our crate arriving a week and a half before Christmas we were able to get the house decorated and carry on with our traditional celebration. Our celebration was much smaller and quieter than years past, but still very special!

God is showing us our new normal, and it feels better and better each day. The daily tasks of shopping, errands and getting the kids to and from school aren't so strange anymore. Language learning is difficult, but we're seeing progress and that is so encouraging. Hunter and Allie are doing great in school. There are rarely tears before school now, and the Czech children in their classes have become more open to friendship with them. Allie has even told me that she thinks she would do OK next year going back to the Czech school. Praise the Lord! Holiday gatherings with colleagues has enabled us to get to know more of our colleagues and has spawned new friendships for Clem and I, as well as for the kids. We had two kids over to spend the night last week and two more over last night to play. Allie will begin piano lessons again this week as well as swimming, and Hunter will begin taking fencing. Although God hasn't brought many opportunities for friendships with other mothers and families through the kids' school, we're hopeful that He will bring those opportunities through the kids' new sports.

We have received so many e-mails, phone calls, and letters of support and prayer from so many of you. Please know that you have been helping to carry us through this first three months of adjustment. We thank you and love you all so much. We are convinced that so much more can happen on the field when those of you back home lift us and our people groups up in prayer! "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains." Colossians 4:3

I promise we'll do a much better job of keeping our blog updated in the future...I've actually scheduled it on the calendar! : )

HOW CAN YOU PRAY FOR US?

*Please continue to pray for the Czech people and that God stir a curiosity in their hearts to find out who He is and a desire to accept Him as their personal Savior.

*Please continue to pray for our language learning. It's crucial to reaching as many people as possible with the Word.

*Please continue to pray for Hunter and Allie and their acceptance of Prague as their home. Please pray that they see God at work in our lives and in the lives of those around us, and that they develop a growing desire to serve God among the Czech people while we're here. But also, that they desire to serve God where ever He may lead them in life.

*Please pray for friendships to develop between us and the people we've mentioned to you. But also that God continue to bring more Czechs into our lives to minister to.

*Please pray that we NEVER miss an opportunity to be used by God. Whether it's a smile, an outreached hand, or an opportunity to share the Gospel, pray that we won't miss it!

"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

LOVE,

CLEM, CARRIE, HUNTER and ALLIE