Martin | Slovakia | January | 2022
PROGRESS REPORT
Dear Friends and Partners,
The story of the Magi from the East (Matt 2:1-12) inspires us again at the beginning of this new year. These gentlemen set their hope on the star that led them to Bethlehem to find Jesus and offer him their gifts. Their hope was fulfilled and they “were overwhelmed with joy.” However, they made it to Bethlehem mainly because their hope had a purpose and goal – to see Jesus and give Him their best. This type of hope gave them strength to overcome outside obstacles and inner doubts on this long and difficult journey. The year 2022 opens a new chapter in our individual and corporate life journeys. It is difficult to predict what is ahead of us. However, if our journeys have Jesus as their purpose and goal, we can face this year with much hope. And as the Magi, we can meet Jesus, serve Him, and be filled with joy.
Here at the CCE, our goal and purpose for this year remain the same: bring Jesus to students and families through a high-quality education and meaningful community experience. Because of the pandemic it is not easy to maintain them, therefore we welcome every extra activity that offers in person education and community time. Starting this month, our school became involved in a government project to tutor elementary and middle school students in English language. These afterschool conversational courses are a great opportunity for students to enhance their English and have a quality time with their peers. As Vierka Bargárová, one of the teachers says, the pandemic had a negative effect not only on students’ knowledge but also on their social life. She is very certain that these courses help them to catch up with their English and re-establish their relationships with their classmates and teachers.
In addition to English, which is the main foreign language in our school, our students can also learn French, Spanish, and German. We make sure that our students have a chance to hear and learn from native speakers. Nina Weiss came to our school through German Lutheran Social Services (Diakonia) to teach German. For her our school is a great place for prospective teachers to learn about education, instructions, and all the issues a teacher faces in this job. The school’s atmosphere stimulates her growth and unlocks her potential. Moreover, Slovakia is a beautiful country and a great base for traveling across Eastern Europe. In her words, “it is the right place to be in the beginning of my teaching carrier.”
Dear friends and partners, we hope that this year we will finally have the pleasure to meet many of you face to face again. We plan to visit our US partner churches, individuals, and organizations on two trips, one in March/April and one in May. We are also looking forward to this summer because many of you are planning to come and resume the mission projects you were sharing before the COVID pandemic. We are eager to show you our school’s progress and share with you our dreams for the future. We all have the same goal for our journeys as the Magi – to see Jesus. Let Him empower us so we can overcome all the obstacles that are ahead of us that at the end of our journeys we might be “overwhelmed by joy.”
Yours in His service,
Adrian Kacian, Director of Development Bohdan Hroboň, president of CCE
| Ways to GIVE | Make your tax-deductible gift in one of these ways: | ||
| Vision Slovakia |
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church |
New Heights Foundation |
| Paul Berge, Director St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 (651)-762-9143 pberge@saintandrews.org || DONATE NOW || |
Kathy Clolinger, 815 S. Washington St., Naperville, IL 60540 (+1)630-281-4226, accounting@oursaviours.com |
Mark Johnson, Board Member 7913 NE 58th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98665 360-606-7505, mjohnson@traxxcorp.com |
| Through Your Home Church If your church is a partner of the Center for Christian Education, make a donation noting “CCE” in the memo line of your check. Your church’s business office will include your contribution along with its regular support. |
