Hello again my friends

    Hello from Czech Republic yet again!! This is going to be a quick blog but a much needed one! As many of you know we(dizmas)are still very short on finances and are doing everything we can to try and raise support in between traveling and playing concerts!! I am asking for your PRAYERS that the Lord will provide all that we need but also, if you feel led or know anyone that would be interested in supporting us PLEASE encourage them to get into contact with me!! Again, we value/need your prayers more than I would ever be able to communicate!! Thank you all so so much!!! PEACE AND BLESSINGS to you ALL!!

-Sam O.

An interesting week....

        It's not that this week wasn't really good....I think it was that it wasn't what I was expecting. Which, I should really come to the realization that it is NEVER what I expect! It was a much "easier" week compared to last week simply because we played in three schools instead of five, but harder because it was the 2nd week of tour and we were all struggling with being sick. BUT by much prayer and the grace of God we made it through!!
      We never really know what to expect when we go into schools...it's kind of a hit and miss.....sometimes the kids are awesome and they love it! OR, they think we're crazy and don't want to really talk to us. And on very special occasions you get rebuked by the teachers for being in their schools and manipulating/brain-washing the students....I know right?? Comes with the territory though ya...?? I'm still praying for said teacher....
BUT-no matter what, we push through and try to connect with the kids (and whoever else wanders into our paths for that matter!) and try and get them to come to the afternoon activities we put on throughout the week, and finally to the big concert at the end of the week where the Gospel is shared. **THIS** is the goal! To share the LOVE of Jesus with the lost! Nothing else! The music is just a platform to present it. And praise the Lord for the platform! But it's nothing compared to Jesus being accepted by these kids!
        So, this last week in schools, for me, was ok. I was very sick so it was not the easiest week. The "weirdest" day by far for me had to be the day of the concert, Saturday. We got to sleep in which was FANTASTIC, but I woke up just kinda....lol, grumpy. Do you ever have those mornings...?? I wake up kind of grumpy, and then one of THE FIRST things I see really just ticks me off! I know, juvenille...but it's what happened. So the day's off and running and I am already in a bad mood...great. We head to the venue, get set up, sound check, and we have plenty of time to spare before the show starts. I am still in a grumpy mood because of what I had seen earlier that day so.......I sat down with my Bible...and just read and prayed...A LOT. Praise the Lord that He uses us despite of our failures and shortcomings!! I am so selfish sometimes it makes me sick....and have such a jealous heart. The Lord is teaching me much. BUT-I am forgiven and free through the blood that was shed for me!!! Clinging to promises like that today!!
            Despite all of my "mood-swings" it came time to play a concert. I don't think I have had more things go "technically" wrong EVER in a single show. First song of the set, I brake 2 strings. 3rd song, I slice my hand open and start bleeding. And other "bad" things just started happening all over the stage at that point. LOL, BUT-we still rocked hard and the bottom line is.....the Gospel was shared and kids heard about the love that Jesus Christ has for them! No matter how many things go wrong musically, that is all that matters!!! Had some great conversations with some kids after the show...a couple girls came all the way from Opava to see us! They said they had been reading the Bibles that they received at the last concert!! That is HUGE, FYI!! Signed way too many autographs and took way too many pictures, loaded up the white van, headed back to the CB church, grabbed our luggage and started the 4 hour drive back to Cesky Tesin.
           Looking back, a good week. We got to share our lives with many students and more importantly we had the privilege of sharing Jesus with these kids. What else is there??? Praise the Lord.
Thank you all more than you know for the prayers!! Keep them coming!! PEACE AND BLESSINGS!!

-Sam O.

A section of the crowd on Friday night...

Week 1....

    Hello again friends. Well, we've finished our first week of touring in the Czech Republic and we are all very tired but very pleased with how the week went! Our first stop on tour was the city of Opava. It's interesting because last tour we had ONE city where we played in 4 schools....in Opava we played in FIVE schools!!! AHHH!!! We played Monday through Friday and then a concert Friday night. The week was plaqued by tiredness and the ATTEMPT at fighting sickness by a few members of our team...BUT God was faithful and brought us through, as always! Thankfully we had today(Sunday)and all day Monday to rest and hopefully get over the cough that is trying EXTREMELY hard to take us down! But God is for us!!!
      We head out for an 8 hour drive to our next city, Kolin, on Tuesday morning. Please be praying for the city of Kolin and everyone that we will be coming in contact with. Pray that we would be lights in an EXTREMELY dark Country.  Please be praying for our health and safety as we continue our tour over the next couple months!! Also, please be praying that the needed funds would somehow find it's way into our accounts so that we won't starve : ) God is faithful, and will provide where He has called!! Until next time...PEACE AND BLESSINGS FAMILY!!

-Samuel

Hello again!!

       Hello my friends!! I hope this update finds you all well and blessed! It's been nearly a full week since we arrived in the Czech Republic and it is feeling more and more like home. It's funny, when we headed home to the States after the Spring tour there was a level of comfort of being here that we had adjusted to. Luckily, coming back it has been unusually easy to jump right back into the flow of things!!

             We spent the first half of the week at Hotel Malenovice(which J.V. owns) rehearsing for tour, going to a number of meetings for cultural training and pre-tour preparations.
             We were lucky enough to get to have breakfast at the Patty's on Wed morning!! FYI, breakfast also came served with a Bible study held by mister Dave Patty himself!! Dave Patty is the man who first started Josiah Venture back in 1993. After our time spent in Malenovice we came back to our flat in Csesky Tsesin and have been having band practice for the past couple days in nearby city called Trinets. Funny story, our practices in Trinets have been underground in an old bomb shelter(see pic below) turned club/music venue....go figure. Tomorrow(Saturday)we have our last band practice in Havijov and then Sunday we hit the road and "officially" start the tour in Opava! Goodness gracious....words fail me. I am in awe of all that the Lord is doing and how He chooses to use fools. Truly He uses the foolish things of this world. If you ever have any doubts of this...don't worry!! I am a perfect example. It doesn't get much more foolish then this crazy mexican/musician/missionary!! Yet, here I am in Eastern Europe playing rock'n'roll while sharing the Gospel with the youth! Thank you Jesus!!

         That's all for now family!! More to come soon!! Talk to you soon, PEACE AND BLESSINGS!!

-Sam O.

In the Czech Republic!

     Hello friends and family and anyone else who might possibly be reading this blog!!! So, I am sitting in the lobby of Hotel Malenovice enjoying the cold weather with a warm cup of tea. Yes, you should definitely be jealous. I had forgetten how beautiful this Country is!! It is absolutely stunning!! We have gotten here just in time to see all of the trees start to turn gold and brown...but the hills and mountains are all still wonderfully green....and some people seriously think that there's is no Creator?? Hm. Anyways, needless to say the Czech Republic is a gorgeous Country and gives great credit to our FABULOUS  Creator.
           Ok, getting here....yes. It was a very very long day of traveling. The flight itself wasn't actually that long...it was the 8 hr layover in Frankfurt that was the killer!! We got to the airport, looked at each other, and were like there is no way that we're waiting here for 8 hours! So, we took a tram to old town Frankfurt and walked around for a couple of hours. Heh, and evidently "October Fest" is in full swing in Germany!! When the 8 hours finally came to a close we boreded our 2nd plane and headed for Krakow, Poland where we were picked up by some of our Czech friends! AFTER THAT-another 21/2 hour drive to our flat in Czesky Tsein!! But we finally made it to our flat(praise the Lord)and crawled into our glorious beds!!
           For the past 2 days we have been in Malenovice going through cultural training and band practices. For the rest of the week we're mostly just practicing music and getting ready to head out on tour. We leave Sunday afternoon for our first city, Opava! Please be praying as we are gearing up for 5 city's and 9 more weeks of seeing God move and do radical things!! Also, I am still deeply under the influence of JET LEG so please please please forgive my poor grammer/spelling!! More to come soon!! Until then...PEACE AND BLESSINGS!!

-Sam O.