Everyone arrived safely and (eventually) so did our luggage!

After enduring the long, multi-stop plane itineraries, the entire team landed at the Košice (pronounced: Koshee-say) International Airport. While the first half of the team arrived on Friday, the other half joined us on Saturday, after finishing the camps SON hosted in Albania. Because of a tight layover in Vienna, the entire Texas contingent made it to Slovakia a day before their luggage. Happily, all except Margie’s luggage was delivered late Saturday morning. She was a trooper and patiently waited to welcome her bag, when it was delivered Sunday morning. Part of our team preparation and training involves being prepared for situations exactly like this. All team members listened and packed a couple of days worth of clothing and hygiene items into their carry-ons, which meant no one faired too badly.

After landing, filing the claim for delayed luggage, and realizing we were hungry, Pastor Miro introduced the team to Slovak cuisine, at a traditional buffet restaurant at a nearby mall. One we had our fill, it took only over an hour driving west to arrive at our new, home-away-from-home…

Getting used to our new Home away from Home

The Ichthys Lutheran Youth Center in Veíký Slavkov, is nestled in the foothills of the magnificent High Tatras mountains. You may recall, from the SON Ukraine Relief Fund efforts, it is the same center that received, housed, and cared for hundreds of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in 2022. It feature plenty of outdoor space for recreation and multiple rooms in-which to gather. Just last week they opened a “free-will offering” coffee bar located on the back patio, which faces a road where commuters can stop in for caffeine, lemonade, and tasty treats! We are especially grateful to enjoy such a luxury, while hosting a teen retreat.

Teen Campers Arrived!

Teen campers began arriving , on Sunday afternoon. We played games outside, met new people, and caught up with with olds friends. By evening meal time, 75 teens (and around 20 leaders) from Slovakia, Germany, Estonia, Ukraine, one from Albania, and the SON U.S. Team gathered for the opening evening of worship and a testimony from SON Executive Director, Pastor David, about having a new life in Christ.

This year we are focusing on the theme of Exchange – Death for Life, Comfort for Purpose, Self for Christ, and Loneliness for Belonging. This is the Great Exchange we know and have in Jesus Christ!

On Monday, the full camp was underway, with breakfast, opening session, small groups, games, sports, lunch, siesta time, more small group discussions, dinner, and the closing session and worship. It is an awe-inspiring sight to witness 75 students from 6 different countries singing songs of worship and the Word of God, together!

Thank you for your continues support and prayers. There will be more photos to come and many stories to follow. Stay tuned!

Here’s how you can stay involved and what you can do!

Pray Continuously: Set aside time each day to pray for the mission trip. Pray for the team’s stamina and health. Pray for the people we are serving, all of our international ministry partners, and for the work God is doing in, around, and through us in Slovakia. Pray especially for the teens and their families, who are joining us. We hope many will be positively impacted by the retreat. Pray for people to grow in curiosity toward Jesus and His Good News.

Stay Updated: Follow along on our ministry blog for more updates and inspiring stories from the camp. Your comments and encouragements are greatly appreciated and help us feel connected to our church family back home.

Get Involved: to learn more about the Spiritual Orphans Network, navigate to: https://sonetwork.org/learn/connect/ and fill out the form to request more information.