HE IS RISEN!

What an interesting and, yet, exciting Easter it has been here in Prague! *Note to self...do NOT attempt to wear your pretty Easter high healed shoes when 30 minutes of walking is required to reach your Easter service destination...stick to practicality! We rose early this morning to attend a special 7:30 sunrise service on the Vltava River. We made it out the door with a few minutes to spare, hiked 6 blocks to the metro, and caught the subway just in time. We then got off at the appropriate stop and continued to walk another 15 minutes to where the service was to be held. We ran into some colleagues, also on their way to the service, and proceeded to hunt down the service location. We ended up walking an additional 20 minutes or so trying to find it. By this time my feet were screaming and I was promising to throw my cute little Easter shoes into the suitcase the minute I got back home, never to wear them again, until back on US soil. We finally, after arriving 25 minutes late, found the service location and quietly joined in the celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Only for it to end 10 minutes after our arrival. Not near long enough for my feet to recover from our early morning hike! But it all paid off with a hug from a Ukranian friend I've been getting to know at church and a hug to Clem from the Russian pastor whose's congregation meets in our Czech church building. We enjoyed the beautiful view of the sun shining on the river and dozens of swans swimming in the river. It was a beautiful reminder of God's peace and provisions He offers to us all!

The day continued with playtime at the park and breakfast at ....McDonald's, of all places. I just discovered today, as we searched for a place to eat breakfast, that malls here open at 9:00 am on Sundays...including Easter Sunday. It was a day no different than any other for the Czechs. After resting at home for a couple of hours from our early start, and soaking my blistered feet from our trek across the city, we headed to a friend's house to join our team for Easter lunch and to celebrate this special day together. What a special day it has been for us the kids! He's allowed us to focus on Him all day, in one way or another, and in very unique ways. Hunter and Alllie took notice all day of how no one, except fellow Believers, stopped to recognize the day. I thank God today as He has allowed our children to take notice, once again, of why we're here and the spiritual needs of those we were sent to love and serve for Him!

So what were we up to in March? Well, please allow me to share, it's been good!...

Clem and Phillip met Valstik in the park on one of their Friday afternoon outings a week ago. He certainly appeared to be seeking. He was very eager to talk with Clem and Phillip about Christ, and eagerly read from the Bible. They had a lengthy conversation that lasted close to an hour! Here is a video of part of their time together. Videoing these encounters is not a common practice for Clem for various reasons, but Valstik gave Clem permission to do so. Please pray for Valstik. He did not have a phone or e-mail, we're not even sure he has a permanent home. We do believe a seed was planted in him though, so please petition our Father to see that the seed grows and Valstik comes to a saving knowledge of Christ.

You may click on the following link if the video doesn't play.

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/b2e39a10e44020d3c0e80170c8d88841/video/11770194

Clem has been praying for the Lord to bring him a national partner to help with evangelism efforts and language barriers. You can be in prayer about this in April. He met a national Believer, Andrew, and asked him if he would be interested in going out with him and engaging the lost. During their conversation, Andrew expressed that Clem's inquiry could be from the Lord. In two weeks Clem will be having breakfast with Andrew and his pastor. Continue to pray and see if the Lord is moving them together to do ministry.

Thank you so much for your prayers last Tuesday as we were given the opportunity to share Christ again in the Czech school. In all honesty, I was dreading our visit. I just didn't feel God's direction in how I was to share with the children and struggled as to how to plan for our visit.

But, God had a plan in all of this. He felt the need to remind

me that our visit had nothing to do with me and what I was to share, but instead it was all about HIM and what HE WILL do and share whether I'm prepared or not (although we are to prepare to the best of our ability).

Here is what God did...Pani (Mrs.) Stankova translated the songs we had given her for our visit, "Alive, Alive" and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High", and gave them to the children two weeks prior to our visit. The kids had been working on learning the songs at home WITH THEIR PARENTS, and many of them had memorized "Alive, Alive". They loved that song and begged us to sing it over and over. We must have sung that song 10 times while we were there!

Also, God chose to stir in the heart of Pani Stankova. She brought her own picture Bible, and shared the story of Christ's death, burial and resurrection...clear down to

Thomas' doubting that Jesus was standing in front of him after the resurrection, and needing to touch Jesus' scars in order to believe that it was really Him. What makes all of this even
more beautiful is that we don't think Pani Stankova is a Believer. Her knowledge comes from a historical standpoint. God used her in a
beautiful way. Again, reminding me that He can and will use who He wants to use when and how He wants to use them! She has asked Clem and I

to continue coming next year as well, and that we

are welcome to come for any holiday that we have CHRISTIAN songs for. She stated that the songs we have sung in her class give the room a good atmosphere and make her feel good. Absolutely amazing!!!

After class, the kids gathered around me to talk, in their broken English, about their favorite foods, games and TV shows. They were so eager to "show off" their English skills. We had so much fun with them!

We took Hunter with us, which proved to be good for him as well. This was the class that he was a part of, when he attended the school. The kids were so welcoming of him and he also enjoyed our time there. He took these pictures and the video...I think we have a media guy in the making : )

Please click on the following link if the video doesn't work.

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/9ccc601ef965203c3b126f81d81c29f4/video/12163345

We also asked for your prayers as I shared the Easter story with the ladies in my ESL class last Wednesday evening. I thank you again for your prayers on their behalf! They are a beautiful group of ladies and I'm really enjoying my time with them each week. I was able to share with them, as well as offer them each a Bible of their own. They listened graciously, however, were not willing to consider that what I was sharing was anything more than a story of a good man. I returned home with every Bible that I left the house with. Hope...God has given me hope that one day, I will return home empty handed...and that these beautiful women will return to their homes with their hands full of God's goodness and truth.

Please pray for (L to R): Romara, Jana, Zdinka,
Sarah (a colleague that is helping teach), Barbra,

and Tereza. Also remember Jitka and Veronica, they are not pictured here but attend as well.

Also pray for me as I prepare each week's lesson, that I know how to prepare and am capable of teaching them what they hope to learn, in a way that is pleasing to God and that brings them closer to Him.

Well, I told you that we have had a busy month!

How Can You Pray?

In addition to the requests above...

* Please continue to pray for us as we walk through this first year of adjustments. With Spring and sunshine upon us each week gets easier and easier. Allie has finally settled in so nicely to school and has many friends. Hunter is settled into homeschooling and his attitude about being here seems a bit better.

* Please pray as we seek out the best schooling option for Hunter for next year. We have applied for a scholarship to a Christian International school that we think he would do very well in and where he can have the opportunity to make some good friends. Please ask God to intervene in this process and either give us the scholarship we need or turn us in another direction.

*Please pray for Sasha. We've mentioned her and her husband Alex in previous posts. She is having difficulty securing a long term visa and must return home to Moscow on April 11 until they can get this issue resolved. She is opening up more to me and has shared that her life has had many difficulties lately, although she still has not given me details.

***PRAISE**** Sasha was returning from Moscow the day of the terrorist attacks in their subways. She missed being in the middle of those attacks by one hour. Please ask God to use this close call to open Sasha's eyes to His protection and provisions and to lead her to Him as she deals with her recent difficulties.

*Please continue to pray for Nika, from the travel agency. We are continuing to meet so that she can practice English and I can practice Czech. This week her interest in history led into a discussion of Biblical history, which led to a brief discussion of creation vs. evolution. She stated that if she sees then she will believe, but she will not believe anything she cannot see. Ironically, even though she did not see evolution take place, she has chosen to belief it over creation. Please pray that God will soften her heart and cause her to question her belief system...ultimately leading to a realization that God DOES exist and wants a relationship with her.

* Please pray for our tutor, Dagmar. She had a skiing accident last month and broke her hip and thigh. Her injury required pins to be placed in her leg. Please pray for a quick recovery. She is stuck at home for the next month and a half, and I think going a bit stir crazy.

We love you all and covet your prayers. We are living in such a dark culture that has closed themselves off to the truths of God. The Czechs desperately need your prayers!!!

In Him,

Clem, Carrie, Hunter and Allie