He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul

Hey dear ones!

I know it's been a while. Terribly sorry. Unless you felt like you needed a break from my frequent updates. Then you are so welcome. 

Since I've last written you, dear general public, I've been up to all sorts of shenanigans, as I'm sure you can imagine. 

Between shenanigans, however, I've had quite a bit of free time. Being the hyper, adventure-hungry extrovert that I am, this has been a bit of a challenge for me at times. One of the biggest things I'm learning this summer is to exchange restlessness for rest. 

During my down time, I've gotten to spend lots of time getting to know other beautiful souls. I've also gotten to spend lots of time getting to know my king, Jesus, reading his love letter and talking with him. I'm learning to recognize that time spent building relationships isn't wasted. This is what I was made for and these are the things that impact eternity. 

(Here are some places I've found rest on the past couple days)

The first half of this summer has been less about doing and more about being. Don't get me wrong, I've been privileged to do some amazing things, but the pace has allowed for so much rest. It has allowed me to daily offer myself as available and flexible to do what needs to be done and smile when plans change. I looked back at my journal from the beginning of summer at intern training. My team had shared things we had learned on the amazing race that we wanted to remember. One of these insights was that "God uses walking." The first day of the race, we had pushed ourselves, trying to run everywhere. Quickly, we found that this wasn't sustainable or enjoyable, and adopted a slower, but still intentional pace. This is a beautiful picture of the last month, working together, walking, being intentional. I am so full of God's love and overwhelmed with his grace and faithfulness. 

Tomorrow is a turning point. Tomorrow the campers come, and this summer will never be the same! Life is about to pick up speed and may not slow down much til I am on the flip side of this internship. I am so excited to spend my energy teaching, learning from, talking with, and playing with students. And I am so grateful to be so rested going into it. 

Glad that God uses walking and ready to run full speed ahead into camp,

Jenna

He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul

Hey dear ones!

I know it's been a while. Terribly sorry. Unless you felt like you needed a break from my frequent updates. Then you are so welcome. 

Since I've last written you, dear general public, I've been up to all sorts of shenanigans, as I'm sure you can imagine. 

Between shenanigans, however, I've had quite a bit of free time. Being the hyper, adventure-hungry extrovert that I am, this has been a bit of a challenge for me at times. One of the biggest things I'm learning this summer is to exchange restlessness for rest. 

During my down time, I've gotten to spend lots of time getting to know other beautiful souls. I've also gotten to spend lots of time getting to know my king, Jesus, reading his love letter and talking with him. I'm learning to recognize that time spent building relationships isn't wasted. This is what I was made for and these are the things that impact eternity. 

(Here are some places I've found rest on the past couple days)

The first half of this summer has been less about doing and more about being. Don't get me wrong, I've been privileged to do some amazing things, but the pace has allowed for so much rest. It has allowed me to daily offer myself as available and flexible to do what needs to be done and smile when plans change. I looked back at my journal from the beginning of summer at intern training. My team had shared things we had learned on the amazing race that we wanted to remember. One of these insights was that "God uses walking." The first day of the race, we had pushed ourselves, trying to run everywhere. Quickly, we found that this wasn't sustainable or enjoyable, and adopted a slower, but still intentional pace. This is a beautiful picture of the last month, working together, walking, being intentional. I am so full of God's love and overwhelmed with his grace and faithfulness. 

Tomorrow is a turning point. Tomorrow the campers come, and this summer will never be the same! Life is about to pick up speed and may not slow down much til I am on the flip side of this internship. I am so excited to spend my energy teaching, learning from, talking with, and playing with students. And I am so grateful to be so rested going into it. 

Glad that God uses walking and ready to run full speed ahead into camp,

Jenna

The Last Time I've Done Something for the First Time

My family has gone to some crazy and far off places together, but my favorite family vacation was when we went to Michigan three years ago. On that trip, we came across a quote we've often since referenced and which makes me think of my dad every time: "When is the last time you've done something for the first time?"

Here is a list of some of my firsts from the past two and a half weeks:

-became an intern 

-swam in pants (twice)

-went to Slovenia

-went to Czech 

-went to a castle

-ate horse that actually admitted openly to being horse

-went creek stompin in Chacos (seriously so much better than flip flops)

-watched Wes Anderson films (and loved them)

-tried to slack line

-tried svickova, Kofala, and other Czech foods and drinks

-actively tried to enjoy mashed potatoes 

-made my foot bleed playing ping pong

-made my foot bleed playing ninja

-rode business class on a train 

I've met tons of new people from all over the United States and all over the world and getting to know all of these beautiful souls tops anything else on the list. I love adventures, but more than that, I love the ones with whom I share them and the God for whom I take then. I trust that this both this list and I will grow a lot throughout the summer. 

This is for my dad: a fellow adventurer and my supporter. To the man who consistently made sure I was planning to study abroad, to the man who encourages me to try new things and explore new places. To the man who I blame for my legs anxious to walk new paths, my mouth ready to speak to new people, intertwining stories and lives, and my heart seeking daily to know the heart of my Savior more fully. Happy Father's Day.  

Love, 

Jenna "Gina Marie" Pinkston

Another Swimming Adventure

It was another fabulous day here in Ostrava, planning and meeting and spending some much needed alone time. 

This evening, after Daniel and I cooked way too much meat in way too little pan for Taco Tuesday and Alyssa and I spent some great quality time with a local cat praying, the night was still young and we had no plans. The rest of the group was playing a card game. Not to bash card games, but I hate them. This one in particular sounded miserable, as there are no winners or losers. If there is one thing I hate more than games it would be a game where there is no shot at winning. Winning is the only good part of games. 

I wasn't the only restless one. We got out the colorful map of the city speckled with pubs and museums and aquariums and other establishments given to us by our hosts. After a hot week of joking about finding water to jump in, we pointed at the river. I don't know how serious that suggestion was, but I dropped the map and started walking out of the house. 

Petra and Dan, the Czech interns from Team VW and Team Lenhardt respectively, and I trekked across town, on railroads and tram roads, through trees, and past threatening stinging nettle until we made it to the river. 

After crossing a bridge that didn't look like it wanted us to cross it, we discovered that the river quite shallow. So in we waded and had a most glorious time swimming in the sunset, having underwater flip and handstand contests, swimming right up to the edge of the man made waterfall of death, and other mature things. All the while we ignored the lovely no swimming signs that probably didn't apply to me since I couldn't read them. 

And so it is the summer of wonderful, nontraditional swimming experiences. So next time you get bored, grab a couple pals and waltz on over to the river. Also, next time you pack for a summer abroad, bring two towels. 

Xoxo,

JB

Kids and Faith and Slack Lines

I currently dwell in Ostrava, our home base city, until Wednesday. The couple of days we get here between city visits are spent "nesting" (commence debate on how ok or not ok that term is), prepping, meeting, and resting. Among the perks of being here is the fact that we get to pair up with another team of four. 

This afternoon, after a brief chat with my beautiful mother and sister, I walked over to the park, which is smack dab in the middle of the missionaries' apartment where a couple of the guys are staying and the old church building where the rest of us are staying, sitting at a lovely 2 minute walk from either location. Jonathan, one of the guys living here full time, had set up a slack line. I have been trying to be cooler and towards that end, think it would behoove me to learn to slack line proficiently. 

Soon after getting to the park, the children came. A group of little ones approached on the right and teenagers meandered in on the left. I got to play with these awesome people, about 10 kids ranging from 7-14 years old, for about three and a half hours. I don't know the last time you took several hours to just play outside - toss a frisbee, kick a ball, play hide and seek and tag, swirl some kids around - but I would give it a 10/10 recommendation. 

In the Bible, Jesus commands followers to let children come to him. He celebrates their faith. These kids in the park were such an example of faith. They didn't know me and could barely communicate with me enough to swap names and ages. But they trusted me to hold their hands as they walked across a slack line and jumped as high as their little legs would let them. And when things didn't go as planned, when there were scrapes and blood and scary times, they trusted that their pain was not my intention, but just part of the process. Hugs and fist bumps covered a multitude of hurt. What if we could see how much God is on our side and ready to give us hugs and fist bumps and get us back on our feet and off on our adventures?

In Czech, there are greeting words that can be used for both hello and goodbye. So, like my wonderful little pals practicing their English, I will leave you with a great big "hello!"

Love,

Jenna

P.S. I may not be able to communicate much, but when I say "selfie," these chicos know exactly what's happening. 

How We Got on Czech TV

Today, we joined the local youth group in going on a hike from a village. If you are like me, please prepare to expand your current definitions of "hike" and "village." Lots of kids in the schools and youth group have said they live in villages and commute to school and I had no category for what that meant. And after the walk, the best way I can describe a Czech village to you is that they are like neighborhoods surrounded by fields and not cities. There are lots of lovely homes with yards and gardens, a couple of restaurants and shops, and a train station. 

When I picture a hike, I envision forests and dirt paths and creeks and hills. We walked through the paved streets of a village, into an old church, between flat fields, and up the 182 steps of a lookout tower. Or 183 or 185, depending on who you ask. I have training in counting (#ElementaryEducation) but the other girls were Czech and the steps were Czech so it's really a close call. 

After our very flat hike with almost no shade in the lovely sunshine (and after awkwardly and accidentally crashing a community Olympics event), we sat down at a restaurant to drink Kofala, a delicious Czech soda. As soon as we sat down, a cameraman arrived on the scene. 

Why not? We looked so fab. They were doing a report on what people do when it's hot. It was 80 degrees. In June. That was the story. 

I think it was a cover. Surely they just wanted footage of our beauty. Or they are undercover spies trying to track down a different group of hooligan youths  who are involved in the stealing of precious gems or the defacing historical wonders or the kidnapping of local pets. Or perhaps a normal, warm summer temperature was really all that was going on in the village today. At any rate, the good people tuning in were blessed with our faces and commentary on the weather. 

And that is how we got on television. Feel free to bask in this fame with me. I couldn't have done it without you. 

Sunburned and smiling,

Jenna

Coffee and Corks

I type to you from a lovely flat in Hradec Kralove. It has been a quick transition from being surrounded by 100 other interns in Malenovice to it being the four of us on my immediate team. This is where we get down to business, and I couldn't be more excited. 

After a day speaking in classrooms promoting English camp and in meetings, we met up with people from the local youth group at a cafe/restaurant. We sat around somewhat awkwardly, communicating in minimal English and sitting and sipping our beverages. 

My tea came with sugar packets. I take my tea black. I know, I'm extremely hardcore, but I need you to refrain from intense admiration and listen to this story. I look across the table at Vendy, a 15 year old, and at my unused sugar and say, "Here's the game. I flick the sugar and try to get it to hang off the table without falling." It's a pretty normal waiting around game. 

Soon, sugar packets are sliding from all angles among the 12ish people at the long table. Then, before you can say "Jenna-is-a-bad-influence," sugar packets are flying across the cafe paper football style. As our serious looking waiter approached, I stopped and avoided eye contact like a puppy full of shame. 

The waiter came back shortly bearing gifts. He brought corks and a metal bucket: the finest toys in all the land! We had a ball tossing corks into the bucket, at each other, and into each other's drinks. 

What had started as a sugar packet slide turned quickly into the waiter using an umbrella as a golf club to hit a cork into a bucket. A restaurant full of young adults was all at once filled with the wonder of five year olds. 

Sometimes language barriers work to your advantage. What a beautiful evening filled with joy and laughter and being taught words for flowers and medieval weapons in Czech. 

Love and giggles,

Jenna B.

The Waterfall: Take 2

Yesterday, I wrote to you about my journey to The Waterfall. And how we didn't actually find it. 

Today, I write to you about my journey to The Waterfall. 

For the second day in a row, come free time, I set out into the woods. This time, I was so much more prepared: I had a towel, ziploc for the phone, shorts, and a larger group of companions, including menfolk. This can also be read as "Jenna crashes Poland time and invites Melanie: a tale of redemption." The Poland team is great. Through living situations and the magnificent Becca Carmer, I've gotten to know a few of these people, and it makes me long for the days when technology will enable me to simultaneously spend a summer in Czech and Poland. 

When we hit the first road off of camp/hotel grounds, my hopes and dreams faded as yet again my daring co-adventurers seemed to lack direction. However, soon we passed the waterfall of yesterday and I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. 

We continued on the path and other, intuitive paths, until LO AND BEHOLD we actually happened upon what HAD to be The Waterfall. Some of my pals immediately plunged in, but my heart had to go on. Too much creek was left un-stomped. The group split roughly in half, as some stayed at the fall then turned around, some of us (including my friend Mel you may remember from yesterday's misadventure) went onwards, and one of us (oh hey JT) took an adventure that was described using Gollum as a visual, which is always a good sign. 

We walked and grinned through and by and around and over and not under the creek. I walked until my feet were numb from the cold water and I couldn't walk 5 feet without clumsily stumbling. Given the immanence of country time meetings, we turned around, jumped in at the base of the fall, and scrambled/ran back to the cabin with minutes to spare. 

We talked this week about how we connect with God and rest. Three of those ways were through relationship with other people, through nature, and through being active. I got a three in one with this adventure, and my soul smiles sleepily and contentedly as I type. 

May your days be filled with ice cold water to and friends to mock you when you can know longer stand. And constantly ask if you're alright (oh hey Simon) just so you don't think all my new friends are mean. You're probably worried enough already, my dear mother and whatever other reader happened upon this.

Tomorrow, we are off to a new city and a new adventure. Get pumped. 

Love and hugs,

Jenna

The Dumbest Thing I've Done All Week: A Narrative on the Best Part of my Day

I found out that basically everyone here has been hiking without me. Statistically, that is likely inaccurate, but it is still unacceptable. Today after lunch, two fellow Czech interns mentioned they were going to The Waterfall and I immediately and figuratively jumped on that.

One of the girls planned on getting in the water and the other did not. I opted to join the one who would not. Among my reasons were the fact that it is 50 degrees here, creeks are cold, and they would have to wait for me to change. 

We set off into the woods, following directions that were passed along by word of mouth and, as my co-adventurers later admitted, half-heartedly listened to. After completely redirecting, I suggested we just hop down into the creek and walk upstream until we found the waterfall. I was a delighted camper, given that this was my first crick stomp in Chacos (so much better than stompin in flops), crick stompin is one of my all time favorite pastimes, and neither of my new friends judged me too hard for calling it crick stompin.

When we reached The Waterfall, Mel was ready in her swimsuit and Amy was content to take off her boots and put her feet in the water. I went into a subtle panic as both the mermaid and junior higher in me absolutely could not let this beautiful pool of water go un-jumped in. 

You know when you make a promise to yourself and break it? Like "This year I will be more organized than cramming all my notes in one notebook" or "This is my very last cookie?" Well, a mere four days ago I promised myself I would never swim in pants again.

But there I was, with minimal prompting, plunging into the base of a Czech waterfall. For a brief moment, I was unsure if I knew how to swim, what life was, and if I would be able to resurface. It was that cold. I floundered about, making it to the surface and awkwardly pushing and falling and pulling myself out of the water and scrambling up the bank. Based on both of my swimming experiences so far, it's safe to assume no one here knows I'm a competent swimmer. I make myself feel better by thinking of it as my secret weapon which will eventually and surely come in handy.

These are the uncomfortable, numb-footed, ear-to-ear grinning moments I live for. And this summer's adventure is just beginning. 

Oh, and it just so happens that we didn't go to The Waterfall. We went to some other one on accident. I think I know what's next on the adventure list.

Love,

JB