Progress Report – 2025 – March

March was the month of Lent. It is a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. This key moment of Christianity brings a proper perspective to our lives and activities. Understanding Jesus’ sacrifice leads us to humbleness knowing it was our sin and alienation from God that brought Jesus to the cross. No human can stand God’s judgment, ultimately there is nothing in God’s eyes we can be proud of, even though occasionally we do good things. However, God in Jesus’ cross offers all of us forgiveness and new beginnings. Only a humble heart can appreciate the breadth, length, height, and depth of this offer to benefit from it in this life and the life to come. For “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Lucia Valocká and Viktória Veterníková, two of our high school freshman students, experienced this forgiveness and new beginnings in life when they were baptized and confirmed in our church on Sunday, March 16, 2025. Their stories clearly confirm the CCE ministry “mission through education” really works. Having no encounter with Christianity in their families, they came to faith through the ministry of our school, their peers, our teachers, and student pastors. Their personal stories are a great encouragement for all of us, here in Slovakia and in the USA, to continue in this effective mission.

In March we were privileged to host a prospective American teacher Katka Modrich from one of our partners at Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, IL. She spent the whole month first observing and shadowing, then taught all levels of English while enjoying fellowship with teachers and students. We are very happy that after this preparatory month Katka will return in September and become a full-time English teacher in our school.

Visiting our USA partners and supporters is one of the special moments to be mutually encouraged in our faith and mission. Adrian Kacian had this opportunity in March meeting with partners in the Minneapolis and Fargo areas. This weeklong visit was full of mission plannings and presentations. It was great to feel the support for our building projects such as finishing nine classrooms and other mission activities.

Our school psychologists and special ed teachers together with our Peer Ministry students organized the “Day of the Mental Health” in March. During this day, our students and teachers experienced various activities to improve one’s mental health and to prevent depression, addictions, burnouts, and other mental problems. Several of the day’s workshops including relaxation techniques, various art therapies, and even Canis therapy were presented with the aim of raising awareness of this topic among the students. However, these workshops also gave them practical examples of how to improve their own mental health and the mental health of their classmates and friends.

Dear friends and partners, faith in Jesus Christ can not only save us from our sins and give meaning to our lives, but also bring about an assurance that God loves us in spite of our shortcomings. Through the ministry of CCE more than 750 students hear this Christian good news on a daily basis as this newsletter demonstrates. We thank you for your support and prayers wishing you humble hearts so your personal Lenten season will lead you through the crucifixion of your old self to the glorious resurrection of a new being in Christ.

in His service,