Czech and all it's beauty...

As I sit here in Colorado, thinking about the fact that Aaron has handed out Czech trip application, and having heard just recently from so many of my friends in Czech, it makes me think about how much I love that country, the people, the scenery, and the way God is moving over there. Everything in my body wants to go back so badly. If I could live half of my life there and half of my life here, I would do so. And in fact, I feel like I already do that in a way. My home and my heart are split between the two countries, the families I have here and the families I have in Czech are both so dear to me. In fact, when I got married, I was so nervous to have Aaron meet my friends in Czech because they mean so much to me. It felt like I was introducing him to my parents or something. And they all loved him and he loved them!!!

But as I sit here thinking and praying about if God is wanting me to go back again this next summer, I want to reflect on some of my most favorite times in Prague and in Czech.

My Top List: (in no specific order...they are all top)

1. Returning my second year and feeling like I was "back home"

2. Staying with the Lipus family and eating European cheese and drinking Czech beer

3. Hearing Jumper tell me "The cool thing about you is that I can tell you are not here just to do a 'mission trip thing' and check it off some list. You actually love the people and care about it here and that's awesome"

4. The moment when the Czechs stopped calling me Seleny Americanka (Crazy Amercian Girl) and started

calling me Seleny Ceska (Crazy Czech girl)

5. Sitting in the pub with Cilco and Georgey

6. Talking with Osvald about Heaven

7. Singing with Adela and having her in my english class

8. Hiking and talking with Radek and Boris

9. Going to a Czech hockey game with Cilco

10. Watching Ondra accept Christ

11. Seeing Daniel accept Christ and then watching him lead the next year

12. Introduing Aaron to everyone, specifically Jumper and Osvald

13. Staying in Cesky Tesin with Jumper and his family

14. Going to a concert put on my Jumper and then catching a train with Lukas, Darius, and Petr at about 2 in the morning

15. Going to a cajovna

16. Sitting on the trains watching people or going past sunflower fields

17. Having Cilco request "It's a Beautiful Day" by U2 for me on the radio and all the sudden hearing the announcer say "Americanka Cheryl" over the radio and then having the song played!

18. Listening to Dave or Nate or any of the other missionaries talk about what God is doing.

19. Eating Hot Raspberries with Lenka

20. Spending New Years Eve in Brno...CRAZY

21. Having discussions with my class from 2006 where I was also able to have Georgey as my translator.

22. Getting coffee with Monica

23. Hot Chocolate in Malenovice
24. The blueberry fight I had with Jumper, Lucka, and Tomas

25. THE FOOD

26. Watching the American students grow

27. Going on the morning walks with Cindy

28. Talking with Pavla in the pub

29. Coming back again and again and again.
30. The friendships that have turned into family

Osvald, me, and Jumper after I introduced them to Aaron and we got to sit in a pub for a while and just chill.

My Class from 2006 (Georgey and I are in front)

At the top of Serak after the hike we do with the students!

Daniel back at camp as a leader!!!