Back in Tachov (ah, home sweet home), we continued our goodbyes at church this morning. This afternoon we visited Royal Rangers camp, which is in full swing. We shared in Sunday worship with the kids, then followed the group into the woods where they were doing their group activities for the afternoon. The camp has a "Hobbit" theme, so three teams have to compete in different games and activities to win Hobbit points. Today's activity was crossing a stream on a wobbly log. The children, ages 4-10 or so, skillfully navigated the stream, with only one little girl falling in. Of course, this being a rare hot day, it was actually a bit of a treat to splash in the cold forest stream.
We returned to Tachov for an English lesson with Michal before Phil went back to camp to join evening worship and activities. The evening activity was for each team to perform a song for the Elf King at the campfire. The Elf King sat on a stump while the songs were performed. The kids had each made their own musical instruments, so it was quite fun to watch. The blue team, which added a sort of interpretive dance into their song, won the competition.
On Tuesday, in our last official acts here, we will lead the children in a game of kickball, and then Phil will give the evening message. It will be about the battle between good and evil, and our part in that battle. Tomorrow we have our final lesson with Michal, followed by the final meeting with the ladies English group and the final meeting with the firemen.
Leaving is a bittersweet experience for us. This summer has been so wonderful for our family that it is hard to close the door to this chapter. We have many great memories of the people here. We have been invited into the lives of many people in a way that would not have been possible as tourists. We have a deeper appreciation of the Czech people and culture, and especially of the Czech Methodist Church. It is a country that is still rapidly evolving. On the train back from Prague to Tachov we noticed that about 1/3 of the route was under construction. New highways, new railways, new renovation of many old national treasures - this is a country catching up from years of stagnation, and the pace is rapid. In another two decades this country is likely to have the equivalent infrastructure to the western European countries. It sure is a far cry from the mental image Phil had of Eastern Europe from his visits in what had been East Germany 20 years ago, where everything was dirty, delapidated, gray, and depressing. We have similar hopes for the Czech Methodist Church.
At the same time, closing our time in the Czech Republic means we will soon see our friends and family who await our return, and we are grateful for each of you. We also look forward to stepping into our new role at the church in Virginia, and the new school year with Eric starting kindergarten and Daniel in 5th grade. We are so proud of both of the boys. Time and time again people commented on their good behavior and polite manner. They were excellent anbassadors for our family, our church and our country. During the radio interview the interviewer even commented on the boys' good manners, which made Phil a proud dad!
Thank you for your support, your prayers, your encouraging notes, comments, letters and financial gifts. You have blessed us in so many ways!
Our next and final blog entry will likely be on our return to the United States, as we have only a few busy days left.
Some Photos:
Sunday afternoon worship at Royal Rangers camp.
"Gandolf" (Pastor Milan) giving the message during worship.
Crossing the stream in the woods. It looks easy, but the log was pretty bouncy. All of the streams and lakes here have that chocolate colored water. There must be some mineral that colors the water. We'll try to learn the answer before we leave.
The boys on the train from Prague to Tachov.
Feeding the ducks on the Vlatava River in Prague. We wanted to feed the swans, but they weren't around, and the ducks seemed pretty appreciative.
Phil and Teresa on the Charles Bridge in Prague.
Thank you all so much for sharing with us. Through your posts, I almost feel as though I've been there. God bless your return to us in VA.
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