YFC Czechia Preparation Series

Nine days. NINE DAYS?! As we rapidly approach the 1-week mark for our trip, one of the most important things about which we can talk at this stage is cultural preparation. We've talked about the physical aspect of navigating a steep country with our Midwestern legs, the mental aspect of experiencing culture shock, the spiritual aspect of following Jesus wherever He goes each and every day , not just on mission trips, the financial aspect of trust, obedience, and investment in the Kingdom of God, and the emotional aspect of loving openly and sacrificially. Now we're going to talk about a few  cultural aspects of trip preparation as we make ourselves ready to serve internationally in a little over a week! 1)  Dobrou chuť - In Czech, the above statement is used to mean, "Enjoy your meal." Believe it or not, food is one of the leading causes of maladjustment when serving internationally. Here in America where food is life, we have this “life” available

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.    - Ephesians 5:2 (ESV) DISCLAIMER: Before we begin, let me preface this by saying: This is a long one, haha. Additionally, this brief look at Emotional Preparation may not be what you were expecting, but I hope that it will be helpful to you nonetheless! During my first trip to the Czech Republic back in 2012, which took place about 20 minutes away from the camp at which we will be serving, we spent three weeks teaching English in various schools, hosting nightly youth group events, and organizing larger youth/community events such as soccer tournaments, lock-ins, and presentations about the United States. We had 3 or so main translators helping us throughout this time and one of our translators, who I will call Patrik, seemed to struggle a lot with his faith and with God. One night, before my team and I were to take a group outing the next day to a nearby town, I