According to author John Haggai, "It is a basic law of human nature that you feel as you act or think."  Sometimes I don't feel very happy.  I admit it.  Now, you may be tempted to say to me something like, "Turn that frown upside down!" or "Don't worry, be happy!", and your encouragements, well-intentioned as they may be, probably wouldn't help me very much.  That is because my unhappy feelings stem from (what I consider to be) some lousy circumstances.  The solution, of course, is not to try to pump myself up with positive thinking, though, all things being equal, positive thinking beats negative thinking nine times out of ten.  No, positive thinking is an insufficient remedy for curing the blues because it ultimately depends on me.  Lord knows, little ol' me and my wobbly determination level isn't quite enough to get the job done.  I need more than that.  I need help from above.

It was early Monday morning. I'm not used to being up before 8:00 am so, I can only guess that it was around 7:30 am and I had been up for at least two hours. I walked around the Children's Education building at 44 Academy Street, marveling at the amount of work that went into planning, decorating, and generally getting prepared for the first ever Camp Alpha at First Baptist Church Alpharetta.

This month we are in for a great treat! Lynda Turley has graciously allowed us to follow her mission trip to Slovakia. As most of you probably know, the best part of mission trips are making connections with people, and watching them develop in their relationship with Christ through your positive influence. Lynda and her team have been able to do just that. Throughout the next few weeks we will be bringing you pictures and Lynda's insights form her trip to Zilina, Slovakia. Keep coming back and enjoy the difference that a follower of christ can make in the lives of others.

August's Mission Spotlight: Slovakia
By Lynda Turley

Slovakia: Part One

Slovakia: Part Two

Slovakia: Part Three

Each day, we had team building challenges and sports competitions. There was life-size soccer/foosball, water balloon launching competition, water balloon volleyball with the whole the team holding onto a sheet for catching and returning. Our team provided options for free time each afternoon. Some of our team offered American sports while others had crafts indoors. Both were very popular, especially the ultimate Frisbee, American football, and making journals with a magazine collage on the cover and tie-dyeing shirts and even some campers' personal clothes. In the evenings after the speakers, we had more time for socializing. Each night we arranged a different fun way to hang out…coffee house, campfire with S'mores, watermelon pigout (including seed spitting), ice cream sundae bar, and movie with candy night. Isn’t it amazing what we all have in common when we’re looking for it?

Saturday, the evening we left camp, the church hosted a cook-out at Kompas. Some of the youth who couldn't be at camp came for the cookout. Everyone had a fun time! There were more games, music, and lots of new friendships were made firmer as they transferred home after camp. As the evening concluded, mostly due to the rain storm, there were some tears and many, many hugs.

On Sunday, we attended church in the Jones' attic. To my happy surprise, there at a table was Snajo, one of the teens from camp. He was part of my group last year and claimed atheism. At the beginning of camp this year he declared he wanted nothing to do with God-stuff. He was only at camp to hang out with friends. I had noticed that through the week, Snajo seemed lighter, less serious. He was having fun and participating in the activities versus sulking on the sidelines or leaving the area. Lo and behold, he came to church! I pray the feel-good time Snajo had at camp has made an impression that there is something he wants that Christians have.

The service was an experience that confirmed for me the greatness of God. I didn't understand the lyrics, but I felt the Spirit moving in the music and the voices. The thought came to me that as praises were lifted up in the attic of a missionary's home in Slovakia, there were acts of worship happening all over the world: in cathedrals, in cottages, in huts, and outside in fields. He appreciates the variety of expression. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord, worthy to be praised and glorified!

That evening we said our final good-byes to our missionary friends and some of the youth who planned camp. We had a wrap-up meeting and farewell dinner at Picolo, an Italian restaurant. Then they saw us off at the train station. It was bittersweet to leave them. I pray that God will allow me to go back for camp next year.