‘Of one mind’: Teaching and learning in the Czech Republic

Volunteer Heather Hempel and her Czech interpreter, Ella, review English vocabulary with students during an English Bible Camp hosted by LCMS Short-Term Mission July 3–15, 2024, in Bystřice, Czech Republic. Hempel was part of a mission team from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Newport News, Va. (Michael Olin)

Heather Hempel served as a volunteer for an English Bible Camp in Bystřice, Czech Republic, July 3–15, 2024. Heather is a member at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hillside, Ill., where her father, Donn, is the church organist and choir director. She served on an LCMS Short-Term Mission team from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Newport News, Va. Below, Heather shares some of the things she learned as well as taught during the camp.

By Heather Hempel, LCMS Short-Term Mission team member

From July 3 through 15, I served as a volunteer at an English Bible Camp hosted by LCMS Short-Term Mission in Bystřice, Czech Republic. The experience brought to mind Paul’s words to the Philippians: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Phil. 2:1-2).

When our team arrived in Bystřice, we met our Czech hosts, who made us feel at home in every way and gave us a wonderful whirlwind tour of the church campus and the rooms we would be teaching in. When I told them I was training for a triathlon, they even gave me a pass to a nearby pool and showed me a beautiful river path where I could run.

While our team had a meeting on campus, a few members of the Czech team made learning aids. One of them was a vocabulary ladder — large pieces of paper with English words hung in a row on the classroom wall.

“You’re doing that for me?” I asked. “Of course!” they said with warm smiles. What a neat idea for the kids to see their new English words!

A classroom in Bystřice, Czech Republic, is decorated with visual aids for teaching English during an English Bible Camp hosted by a LCMS Short-Term Mission from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Newport News, Va., July 3–15, 2024. (Heather Hempel)

Later that day, our hosts took us to a historic home where the tour guide only spoke Czech, so our team leader, Andrzej, translated. I had been most worried about the interpretation/translation part of the trip, so seeing Andrzej interpret made me feel more at home because I knew this was what I was going to be doing in my teaching.

The Czech team told us that they had just completed one camp with a team from the Netherlands and that, after our camp, they were going to another large Bible camp. I wondered how this was going to go. What if the Czech team was already tired of doing camps? The upcoming week was looking to be very hot, with temperatures in the 90s. But soon I was going to realize that I had nothing to worry about.

At supper I sat next to Ella, one of the interpreters. We discovered that we both play the violin. Ella described how she got to perform in an orchestra with a fantastic conductor at her church’s anniversary celebration. She described how it felt to praise God through the music. I knew exactly what she meant.

Ella offered me her violin to play while I was there. I was so touched, honored and grateful because, otherwise, this would have been my first time not playing violin for over a month. Having a violin to use also enabled me to play during the music class at camp!

The team serves homemade popsicles to participants in the camp. (Andy Lewis)

The next day I was feeling a little more anxious about teaching children who spoke a different language from mine. What if my interpreter didn’t understand what I wanted to do? What if I spoke too much or too fast, and the kids didn’t understand what I was trying to say? What if I spoke too slow, or they thought I was boring? We had another meeting, and Andrzej assigned Ella to be my interpreter. I felt a rush of relief and joy. We both understood each other so well already. I knew that I could rely on her and that we would make a great team.

Later that week, Ella invited us for supper at her house in the mountains. We felt so at home meeting her mom and dad, who were expert potato pancake makers!

I had the joy of working with many other interpreters, too. I was amazed that, despite the heat (90-plus degrees every day), and with no air conditioning or even fans, no one complained, no one argued, no one had a bad attitude. When I had the idea to make homemade popsicles, an interpreter named Marushka washed all 47 of the tiny molds before I could get to them.

It was also Marushka and other people on the Czech team who swept, mopped and cleaned the floors of every room we used, cleaned the bathrooms and got set up for the next day.

An LCMS Short-Term Mission team from Resurrection Lutheran Church in Newport News, Va., tours a historic home in Bystřice, Czech Republic. (Andy Lewis)

I found such encouragement watching them and interacting with them. There were times the heat got me down, but as I observed the Czech team members helping all the children, anticipating not only their needs but ours, I would get right back up and help as much as I could, too. I was surprised to discover that they were also encouraged by our American team and even by me!

“We’re so amazed and blessed that you would come from so far and go way out of your comfort zone to teach in a different language!” they said.

During the entire week, we were unified in fellowship, filled with the Holy Spirit, and able to have deep, Gospel-filled discussions with the children. The joy, compassion and tenderness everyone expressed to one another reflected the joy of being one in purpose and having the mind of Christ. It was a perfect example of what Paul taught the Philippians, and it was a joy to live it out!

Visit lcms.org/servenow to find your opportunity to serve the Lord and His people through LCMS International Mission.