Orlova

I can't believe its been 2 months... Time is just dripping from my hands and fingers, and feel like I have hardly had a taste.

This camp has been an amazing experience. It is far different from anything the team and I had seen or expected. We had a total of 13 Czechs and 13 Americans. The first few days was spent indoors, trying to escape from the rain. This really brought everyone close together as the hours were spent playing card games and talking. It seemed like everyone was a mile away from each other when they all first walked in. Nobody knew each other, there wasn't a youth group connection, the American team was novice to the whole experience...but by the end we saw the mile disappear. I saw students who said that they were atheists singing at the top of their lungs at the end of camp, "I am somebody because God loves me." I heard students from the beginning of discussion groups asking "why do I need forgiveness? I haven't done anything. I am too young to experience any pain in my life" to finally at the end of camp saying, "I just can't get over how much junk I have in life..."

No one made a commitment to follow Jesus, but when a girl in one of our groups came up and asked, "Can I have a Bible? I really want to figure this out," that was more real and authentic than any worship conference or evangelistic camp I had ever been to. I saw the thirst for truth. For me, it was just enlightening to live in community with the lost, to feel their pain, to love unconditionally, and to see them as our Creator sees the world.

As believers, we were struck with notes from students that said things like, "why are you different"....or "we have never been loved like this before"....Praise God that He was made known by our love for one another. There was sadness in our goodbyes, but I wonder if this is what the Apostle Paul felt, moving from town to town, after falling in love with it, seeing growth, but knowing there was more to do.

I'm so in love right now. With the country. With the people. With those I am serving beside. With what God is doing in this place. I don't want it to end.

Tomas became a believer last week. It was so eye opening to see the Holy Spirit work in him, calling him to share his story and tell the gospel, immediately. He was an absolute gift.