Blessing and Trials
Jonny | January 25, 2010The long neglected jonnyandlisa.com blog was throwing itself the self-pity party of the decade, the decade being off to a shaky start and all. I’m the party pooper, here to put things right and get this shindig back on track. There is a lot to catch up on from snowy Frydlant nad Ostravici!
If you are here to skim, not read, here are the important links: http://cindylobel.blogspot.com/ and Lisa’s photo gallery.
Despite the jovial tone above, I write with a heavy heart. Cindy Lobel, my dear mom, has been diagnosed with serious, advanced stomach cancer and is currently fighting through chemotherapy and the life-altering events that rocked our world. We rushed home for Christmas and have two more trips to America planned for this year. We are desperate for your earnest and regular prayers (see James 5:16), for a miracle is the only hope. To keep up, visit http://cindylobel.blogspot.com/.
Despite the challenge of being faithful in light of God’s difficult goodness, we are enjoying a true outpouring of his blessings and Spirit. Beskydy Mountain Academy is growing stronger each month, students are connecting with Jesus at every turn, and our small church is finding its feet. Lisa continues to blossom as a teacher. I caught myself secretly taking notes as she related the effectiveness of an inventive new class exercise she used today. As the only native English speaker in her school, she is currently editing term evaluations for each student in every class, which piles up to about two hundred evaluations!
You might remember that I am the homeroom teach for this year’s graduating class. The responsibilities of guiding eighteen students through their final year in a Czech high school sometimes overwhelms me. For example, it will be up to me at the end of this spring semester to sit in on the final, terrifying oral examinations. I should act as an advocate for my students and ensure that the board evaluates them fairly. That is a tall order for someone of my Czech language ability! Yet, there are bright, even delicious, moments, which solidify my faith in how right God was when he called us here.
Some weeks before Christmas, my class staged a celebratory dinner, called stužkovák, for their teachers, classmates, parents, and friends. My part in this mysterious Czech tradition was to knight each student with a massive sword and give them an official ribbon which signifies my approval for them to proceed on to the aforementioned, terrifying oral examinations. The scrawny kids I remember hazing as first years were suddenly before me as adults, ready to graduate and continue on to university, community building, and the full lives we always aimed to equip them for at BMA. (The hazing comment was a joke, Dad…)
Family time has been precious, as you can imagine. My youngest sister, Erica, dropped in on us for three weeks on her return trip from Uganda. We had a blast and she made quite a splash with my class at BMA. She hung out there, went to classes in Czech, and helped a couple Czech students study for the SAT. I was so sad to drop her off at the airport in Prague. I thought it would be until the following summer before we saw her again.
The call from my parents came as Lisa and I were decorating our tree a week before Christmas. We were shocked by the news of cancer and quickly arranged to fly back to New York for Christmas. Yet, we finished our work at school and even threw a Christmas crêpe party for my class before departing. The mix of emotions as home was intense. It was our first time together as a family since my wedding with Lisa two years ago. We enjoyed some sweet times of prayer, worship and games together. As an added bonus, Lisa and I spent an afternoon with our old friends from Frydlant, Ken and Andrea Pitcher, who have since moved their family to Rochester.
Now back in our cozy apartment, we are thoroughly entrenched in our work and ministries. I’m guiding our church’s worship ministry, only by grace from Jesus. Every other week, we hold a Bible study here at home for any BMA students who are interested. Last week we had a record thirteen students in our living room, studying John 14 and 15! More than twenty BMA students show up voluntarily for prayer twice a week at school. Many students have connected with Jesus for the first time or in new ways this year. One student summed up why I am so excited about BMA in a sweet facebook status update: It´s nice to feel, if anyone ask you a question: How is your school? And you can say: I pretty love my school! I am just happy about that!! 
Finally, you might enjoy sharing some pictures from our second year of marriage. Check out Lisa’s photo gallery. Thank you so much for reading, praying, and faithfully supporting us here in the Czech Republic.
Christmas Party with (most of) my BMA Seniors
Bible Study with BMA Students
Our local mountain, Lysa Hora (1323 M, 4340 ft), in the January snow.
Erica, Lisa and I visited Prague together.