July Update

Dobry den!

I hope all of you have been having a really great summer so-far!

My Training:
As some of you know I’ve been at TeachOverseas (aka ESI: Educational Services International) training in Pasadena, California for about two and a half weeks now. I must admit that the first couple weeks at training have been pretty stressful for me but, all still going very well. Every day I learn something new and feel more inspired to be a better teacher. I have also been building some very strong relationships with both the new teachers and the returning teachers in my region. I feel like God has hand pieced our regional team together perfectly and I feel like I have been able to personally connect with almost everyone. As far as “training” for the field goes, I’ve been learning a lot about the spiritual climate of the Czech Republic. I have also been feeling much more comfortable with teaching and my lesson planning has dramatically improved. There are about two more weeks until we fly out. We will be flying out on August 19th.

My Schools:
On Tuesday, I had a meeting with one of the directors and was able to finally learn more about my two schools! This fall I will be at two different schools: Gymnazium Milandy Horakove (in my emails I will call it Milandy Horakove) and Gymnazium Ody Pavla Rodatin (I will call this one Rodatin). (Gymnazium is basically a fancy, Czech word for high school/prep school) At Milandy Horakove I will be teaching both junior high (7th-8th grade) and high school students (grades 1 and 2). At Rodatin I will be teaching only high school students (grades 1-4).

My Ministry:
Things at the practice teaching site (practicum) are still going well. For those who are new to the update list, we practice teaching English lessons a few nights a week at a local, Christian-run community center. On Wednesday night, my lesson went really well and I almost started crying….not because my lesson went well…but because I was completely WOWED by God’s calling and how he is using the English teaching site for his glory. After our lesson one of the new students that evening asked to borrow my cell phone to call for a ride home. After the phone call he said that he could tell that this was a Christian ministry because “the Americans and the Mexicans do not exist, we are the same. This is the only place where people don’t treat me differently. I can see that here we are all brothers and sisters like Jesus say. It makes me sad that the world is not like this, when Jesus say it should be.” This was the students FIRST TIME at English lessons and he could see Christ in all of us. The fact that Christ was shining so brightly out of all of us already as a team was overwhelming, it took quite literally all of the energy I had to not burst into tears. Why does God have to be so cool? Haha

As for my ministry for this upcoming school year, I have been praying for guidance as to where my time should be spent. I have recently learned that the previous teacher at Rodatin was able to bring Young Life volunteers into the school by means of an English club. I have been praying about carrying on the ministry that the previous teacher has started. As of right now, I feel that He is asking me to continue this ministry in some way, but I am not sure how.

As of right now, I am not yet sure of what my ministry focus should be at Milandy Horakove. Milandy Horakove is a new school to ESI this year, so there have not been any teachers before me to pass on ministry ideas. I am thinking of either inviting my Milandy Horakove students to English club with my Rodatin students, or perhaps starting a separate English club or some other type of student club in which I can build relationships with my students.

Some of you also know that I have been praying about volunteering with IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) this coming school year. According to the IFES coordinator at InterVarsity chapter camp, the chapter in Prague is in desperate need of staff-workers, and I have been praying about volunteering with the chapter second semester. As if now I have not heard a definite “yes” or “no” from God on this matter, but I do feel that He is asking me to befriend the Czech staff members in this region for spiritual support. Please pray that I will hear clearly whether or not I should volunteer with IFES this year.

My Support:
First of all I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me regularly. Also thank you so much to those who have signed up for monthly deductions, and given special one-time gifts. As of right now, God has raised $5890.50!!! AWESOME!!! However, I do need to be at $7000 before I leave on 19 August, and would like to raise my full budget of $12000 before the end of February. If you would like to join my support team please visit the TeachOverseas website: www.teachoverseas.org and click on the contribute link under the “about us” section. From there you can give credit card or a paypal account or sign up for monthly contributions. In the “contribute” section choose “teacher or staff member” and enter my name: Sierra Athena Tyran.

My Prayer Requests:
- Praise God that team bonding and building trust has been a success!
- Please pray that the Lord will help to sustain me through the rest of training.
- Please pray that the Lord will continue to prepare my heart for my ministry in the Czech Republic.
- Pray that I will receive guidance as to how I fit into Young Life’s ministry at Rodatin
- Pray that the Lord will give me guidance as to what my ministry should be at Milandy Horakove
- Please pray that I will hear clearly whether or not I should volunteer with IFES this year.

Thank you so much for all of your support!!