Dear Prayer Partners;

With 2 weeks of school yet to go we are looking back at the milestones of this year.  This was a particularly monumental year in the history of the CS Lewis School because on May 30th CS Lewis Bilingual High School presented the very first graduating class..  The ceremony was not typical of Slovak tradition but resembled American High School Graduations in many ways.

Typical Slovak students completing their high school education take their oral testing in  four subject areas. The last week, they go through the halls as a class and sing their goodbyes to the other students, turn in their books and after the results of their oral testing are complete and if they are favorable, students return to pick up their certificates.  No ceremony, no program, just simply students receive a piece of paper that acknowledges the completion of high school.

CS Lewis Bilingual School,  following the model of an American Christian school in Minnesota, had a ceremony with gowns and hats, diplomas and unique to CS Lewis- mini lanterns given to each student as they left the stage.  The ceremony was at 10 am on Saturday May 30th with a sandwich, cake and coffee reception following. For us it was very meaningful as well because it was our 16th wedding anniversary, I would have never imagined on our wedding day that 16 years later we would be living in Europe as missionaries teaching English.  The whole day was retrospective as we not only looked back on our life together, but also on the 3 years that we have invested in the students here at CS Lewis in partnership with you, especially Vic as he has worked very hard with this  graduating class this year preparing them for their oral English exams.  Many students came up after the ceremony and sincerely thanked him for his investment.

One comment was made to  students through a short video;  the words were quite striking to us and we could echo the speaker's thoughts.  In 2004, the first year the school opened, this man was sent here by his church from Minnesota to help launch this new bilingual high school.  He said to the graduating class, " I don't really care if your English is better, My only hope is that you have learned about the source of love, and how to love".  Yes that is the reason we are here to teach these students that true love is found in Jesus Christ. 

One of the most frustrating hurdles we overcome daily is balancing our duties as "teachers", that is why the school has hired us and they keep us very busy in this realm, and our call to minister and share the Gospel, that is the purpose for God bringing us here .  Now we have bridges to the students but many days we are struggling for time and space to cross these bridges and to nurture these relationships that are ready to hear the message. It is evident that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, and our desire is to invest in every student that is receptive to the Gospel, but physically it is impossible.

Each year our family has the incredible opportunity to join the sophomore class on their English Language Camp.  This is an optimal time where the two callings we have come together, we go as teachers but  time with the students is open and the focus is meaningful discussion about life issues, Holy Spirit led opportunities to minister and share. Every year God has met us and done great things during this week.  Two years ago, this camp was where our relationship with Lucy and Maja first took root.  We are excited about this year's sophomores because we know them better than classes in the previous two years and they are more open with discussion and feelings than the prior students.  Please pray now and through June 22-26th as we spend 1 week in the mountains with these students discussing issues like, success, heroes/role models, priorities, and love. Your partnership is as valuable to the Message being shared as our physical presence of being here.  You too are spreading the Message of Christ's Love to the students in Slovakia. We thank you for your prayers and financial giving.

Vic will be traveling to the US in July to fulfill obligations with our organization to train new teachers for overseas ministry.  The majority of the cost for this trip is our responsibility, so if you would like to contribute a special gift to help cover the expenses of Vic's work training new teachers this summer, please send contributions to:

Account 206116
Vic & Darla D'Ettorre

TeachOverseas.org
444 E. Huntington Drive
Suite 200
Arcadia, CA 91006
USA

or special gifts can be donated through paypal by logging on to:
http://www.teachoverseas.org/contribute.php

Please also pray for:

• Vic-Safety as he travels to California in July & the financial need of the travel expenses to be met
• Darla-Health issues since winter, pray for wisdom as she seeks medical advice
• Dominic-Attending a Christian camp in Serbia July 18-25th, pray for God to speak to Him and give him a passion to pursue in his free time.
• Ana-Pray she will invest her summer time in activities that bring joy to others; God would use her as an instrument, like making her crafts to give to others and letter writing to friends.  Also that she will hunger for God's Word.
• Pray for Maja as she will be attending baseball camp as a coach. (A Christian outreach camp sponsored by Good Sports Ministries) The Gospel will be presented, please pray that she hears and responds to the invitation.

• Pray for boldness for Lucy as she has the opportunity to share her salvation testimony for the first time at baseball camp this summer.

We love you and are indebted to you for your prayers, financial sacrifices, and encouragement.

Vic, Darla,  Dominic and Ana