Sheppersons in Slovakia

I want to thank all of you who responded to the last update with our news of the upcoming baby. I had so many encouraging notes, I was not able to respond to all of them.

I think I have finally made it past “that phase” and each day I am able to do more and more, Along with each day growing bigger and bigger! I find myself feeling like the days are so long and it seems to me like I’ve already been pregnant 40 weeks, when in reality I’m only 19!

So far everything is going great with the baby-no problems. I have my next appointment just next week and we hope to find out the gender of the baby! Currently I’m seeing a doctor locally here in our city. It has been so nice not to have to drive to Vienna every month (and quite honestly, I don’t know how I would have been able to during the previous months with all the sickness). However, we still are uncertain of our plans for both the delivery of the baby and our furlough time home this summer. The timing of the 2 overlap (the baby is due in June and we planned to leave for the States at the end of May). (more…)

This time two years ago, we were seeking God’s direction for a house. At that time, our landlord needed to sell the house we had been living in for four years. Because of God’s great provision we have been renting another wonderful house since that time!

However, as the dollar has continued to lose value, we pay more and more of our monthly salary for rent. A much better long-term solution (and benefit to our monthly budget) would be (more…)

Déčko has returned from Holiday Break going strong! It seems that no one forgot about it during the break, and in fact we even had new visitors at this last performance! This was encouraging for us, the workers, and I even heard people saying, “this was the best Déčko yet”!

Please keep us in your prayers that as we keep going month by month. That God will help us to identify our weaknesses and make the program stronger. Some of those things include:

• understanding how to advertise properly, to get new people to come or really to get the people (age group) it is intended for to come
• bringing the content to the level it needs to be (age-appropriate)
• preventing volunteer burn-out

Déčko has it’s own web address: www.decko.sk also you can view lots of photos from the most recent shows here!

I had already prepared some writing about how this winter for us has been the strangest one in the time we’ve lived here. Warm temperatures, no snow, lots of rain. It hasn’t even felt like winter, and it really threw the kids off when there was no snow at Christmas, since the two always coincide. However. . . . all things changed over the past weekend! Snow, finally, even though it was the last weekend of January. It has NEVER come THIS late. We’re normally under about six feet by the time Thanksgiving comes!

So, we had a great time over the weekend, getting into all our snow gear, building snowmen, snowballs, and sledding. I’ve already posted lots of photos in the gallery. Unfortunately, the temperatures have changed again already by today (Jan. 31) and everything is melting quickly. The snow has now become rain again, and we’re not sure how long this winter weather will last. It was definitely fun for the short time it was here!

Speaking of Christmas, we had a wonderful time here celebrating the birth of our Lord. We had several guests (both American and Slovak) and I enjoyed cooking a big meal for everyone. I was disappointed however, when I couldn’t find sweet potatoes or celery (for the dressing). It didn’t seem to matter to anyone but me! It was a great time being together and celebrating (and eating). (more…)

I wanted to first give a glowing report about Emili. Thanks to many of your prayers, life for her at school has really seemed to change for the best! The problems that were so big and real a few months ago are almost forgotten! Things have drastically changed. The girls in her class are kind to her and I can’t even remember the last time something “bad” happened. Isn’t our God so good and so faithful?

We want to thank each of you who have prayed for her in this situation, and for all of you who have written her personally and encouraged her. She is definitely encouraged!

One big change that also helped is that Emili is now attending a different “after-school” class than her previous one with the “troublemakers”. Since lessons are over for her usually around 12:30 she goes daily to the “after-school class” for extra subjects like music and art and homework:) (more…)

We are thankful that God has provided another monthly partner since we last gave a financial update. That means real progress toward our goal of 8 new supporters that we talked about in October. Thank you to those who are praying about this need and to those who are regularly giving each month toward the ministry in Slovakia. If you would consider becoming one of the remaining 6 needed monthly partners, (more…)

All at once I realized the situation. There were three teenagers and a one year old boy… and a single mom. Their house was not really warm and there were no lights on. But the thing that got my attention most was the faces of the teenagers. They were not bright, fresh and open like the typical teenager, but lifeless, lonely and sad. (more…)

I have great news I want to share about our Gwyneth Anne. Before Christmas Gwyneth was 1 of 10 selected to be in her school’s singing ensemble! And if there is anything that fits Gwyneth, it’s a singing group, she sings every waking moment! At the table, doing her homework, watching movies, whatever she is doing, she is also singing! So she has been attending singing lessons (as a group) 2 times a week at school.

Then this past week the teacher (who is a private singing teacher) asked me if I would consider allowing Gwyneth attend the Music School she works for to attend “solo” singing lessons! She went on to say the most impressive thing about Gwyneth’s voice. I was shocked! Not that I didn’t think she has a nice voice, but mostly b/c she is American and singing all in Slovak! I was so proud! (more…)

Our davka web project still needs $1500 to be complete. (our next payment of $600 is due February 7) Here are the details of the project.

You may remember that one of our priorities here at Kompas is to provide training materials for youth leaders in the Slovak language. For several years we have regularly produced materials on cd called “davka” (which means a dosage of medicine). Hundreds of youth leaders have been trained and inspired through theses materials. (more…)

Instead of listing all the articles again here in the “Prayer” section, I decided to summarize with a short list and give the links in you haven’t read them yet:

• Clear direction about where to have the baby and the need for housing while we are in the states along with continued improved health for Kim and the baby: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2007/01/29/back-among-the-living/

• Decko success, improving it, getting people to come: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2007/01/29/decko-resumes/

• Emili’s school and learning; praises for her new friendships, and new after school class, and mid-year test success: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2007/01/29/emili-update/

• Gwyneth’s language ability, school lessons and remembering things, singing and piano: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2007/01/29/gwyneths-singing/

• Davka web project: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2006/12/15/davka-web-project/

• Possible Housing need/financial solution: http://www.sheppsnsk.org/2007/01/29/housing-need-and-financial-solution/