HOPE NORWAY & HOPE CZECH REPUBLIC
Warm greetings to you in the most wonderful name of Jesus Christ! I was scheduled for two leadership meetings in March. Before I left London, the Lord had stirred my heart to believe that He was going to do something great in these countries through these wonderful people. I am talking about Norway and the Czech Republic.
Hope Norway Leadership Seminar
My flight brought me to Rygge, a tiny but convenient airport half-an-hour away by car from Drøbak, where Hope Follo meets. After we had landed, all passengers were required to pass through the Passport Control in two lanes — one for Norwegians and EU citizens and the other for anyone. I always feel sorry for those standing in line behind me, because as a holder of a Thai passport the visa examination can take quite a while. It also happened this time, although the officer was nice and friendly.
After collecting my luggage I proceeded to the arrivals hall where Tonje and Bent were waiting for me. It was nice to meet them again. They brought me to their home sweet home, where I stayed for the next four nights.
Norway in mid-March was still covered with lots of snow. Although it was cold outside, inside our hearts we were on fire for Jesus. We had a good time in the leadership seminar, sharing our hearts and the reasons for our existence as Hope Norway. One reason everyone highlighted was that we want to be a part of Jesus’ Great Commission by making disciples for Him. What the Lord has done in the church recently was so absolutely encouraging.
Since January this year He has blessed the church with many new believers. A group called Holy Fighter was set up to cater for these young followers of Christ.
All the efforts they have made throughout the years have now paid off. Because I got to know many wonderful people during my two-year stay in Norway, I ended my journey in this country with many visits to old friends.
Prague Czech Team Camp 
Next I flew straight down from Oslo in the North to Central Europe. My destination was Prague, Czech Republic, for the team camp. My seven days over there were packed with meetings with individuals and groups of people, the highlight of which was the team camp. I was so encouraged to witness how the church has grown in quantity and quality. Many new people were added to the community.
The first meeting I dropped in was a student care group at a student dormitory. It was full of new faces I had never seen. The participants learned about communication through various games. One of the most impressive conversations I had was with two young believers who asked me questions about God and Christian living. It is always encouraging to see people hungry to know God. It took me back to my younger days when I newly met the Lord and hungered to learn more about Him.
The camp was held at a nice community centre in Prague. The hall became cramped when everyone who promised to come showed up. Apart from the Czechs, there were three visitors from Hope Germany. Whenever we worshipped the Lord, we had to put the chairs aside to create space for everyone to move freely. Two young men decided to join the team. We were touched by their testimonies and we prayed for them.
The theme of the camp was The Core with the focus on the core values of Hope. It is good to remind ourselves of the Biblical values we are holding. It is God and His Word that inspire and motivate us to do what we are doing in the first place. Together with Ondrej as the co-speaker, I was sharing from my heart to the audience.
After my teaching sessions each morning, everyone was given a chance to ask any question in a Q&A session. I was so impressed by the queries posed by the young chaps. They revealed how much they wanted to develop their spiritual life and serve the Lord. Some of them continued their discussion about what they learned after midnight. That brought tremendous joy to my heart. What else can I say but God is good all the time!
In Christ,
Pastor Prakich
Hope Europe Website
