Greetings Family and Friends,

Here are some highlights from 2009!

January

• We had a PCF family presbytery in our attic (a precious time of all parents praying over each child in the church).  We sat upstairs in the cold/bare attic (first new layer of flooring is complete) with a portable heater.  11 months later, the attic if fully fitted, thank God! 
  
• "29 Hodin" event- this was an IHOPP international event focuing on prayer and worship over the EU counties and especially the Czech Republic, as the CR presided over the EU from January 1- July 1.  We hosted people from about 7 other EU nations, and it was co-led with Levi Graudins from Latvia. 
  
• Kelsie is still teaching at CISP, for 4-6th graders.  Matthew turns 10 and Moriah turns 6. 
  

February

• Ahhh, finally a bit of R & R- a long weekend in the Czech mountains at our friends' condo.  We ski, sled, drink lots of hot chocolate and try to stay warm together.  
• Normal routine continues with church, school, IHOPP, and community events PLUS John starts to work many hours in the attic.  Ceilings completed.

March

• Kelsie organizes a big fundraiser with church &  school to raise money for underpriviledged children in Belarus and Nigeria.  We managed, with the help of MANY others, to raise $3600 for them. 
  
• "24 Hodin"-  IHOPP held another non-stop prayer and worship event in Prague, with many attending and many lives changed!
• Walls built in attic.
• Celebrating another PCF baptism service.

April

•  We were very busy this month with many community events in Prague like a huge SEDER passover meal, an city-wide Inner Healing Seminar, an Easter Uvaly outreach for children in our village, and ministry training for leaders in the church
• Painting begins upstairs and more insulation is added in walls and the floor.

May

• We get to celebrate another PCF baptism service!
  
• We host the first of many summer BBQs in our garden.  This are wonderful opportunities to get to know others, invite friends, and make connections and relax. 
  
• John turned 46!
• Boys begin baseball lessons, and finally find a sport they love.  American baseball is not easy to find in Europe.  : )
• John goes to DFW, Texas for his sister's 50th Birthday party, and he takes Matthew our son as a nice surprise. 
  

June

• John and Kelsie get invited to Holland to give the blessing at our dear friends' 25th Anniversary celebration.  It was our first trip to the Netherlands and we also were blessed to baptize this couple's three adult sons while there.  It was a wonderful break and we were able to reconnect with others, and each other.
• Work continues in attic as many details are planned.  Electricians begin coming, and John is still getting bids for carpenters.

July

• John and Kelsie celebrate 13 blissful years together.  : )
• Summer holiday begins!  We enjoy performing a wedding of church members in a beautiful garden in Prague, followed by a grand party on the river.  We love doing weddings (even though lots of work).
• Planning begins for our Uvaly English Camp.  We should have started planning 6 months ago.
  
• We work in the attic WITH our children. They have been learning about a health work ethic (at least from a Mullen perspective!)
  
• Our church sends a team to Ukraine to minister in churches and orphanages.  John went with Mitchell and Matthew.  They boys did fantastic; acting in a drama, working with kids in the orphanages, and praying for people after church services.  They were exposed to extreme poverty amongst Gyspy villages and they came back changed!
• We attended our 12th pastor's camp in the Czech countryside and enjoyed great fellowship with other pastors and their families from our Czech denomination, Krestanske Spolecenstvi.  Also we greatly encouraged by Alan Vincent's visit and teaching times with us.
• Sam Walters arrives, a teenage son of a friend.  He spent several wonderful weeks with us.  What a servant and great guy.

August

• We had our 9th Uvaly English Camp!  We were less prepared, had fewer helpers BUT, as we suspected would happen, we had the most fruit ever!  That was God at work.  We were exhausted in the end.
  
• We had a short famliy vacation in Germany at a water park after English Camp to unwind.
• The boys attended their 3rd MK (Missionary Kid) Summer Camp, and they had a blast.  Moriah was too young.
• While the boys were at camp, the rest of us drove to Berlin for a conference about reaching unreached people groups within Europe with Ethne, led by the Adletas.  Then Jeff Serio showed us around the center of town. 
  
• Had a short visit from a Gateways Beyond team which was wonderful.
• Time to get ready for a new school year! 
  

September

• Ester Moriah starts 1st grade at the local Czech school down the street.  She is thrilled.  But we are not excited about her being in a classroom with 27 other active kids her age, with one teacher and no aide.  Guess we will have to supplement her education at home in English.
• John takes a group of men on a retreat.  Where?  Sailing on the beautiful blue Adriatic waters of Croatia.  They studied the Bible all morning and didn't want to stop.  But eventually they had to, in order to cook, eat, swim, snorkel, sightsee, jump off cliffs, etc.  It was tough.
• Crazy school schedules begin with extra activities like after school activities, a canoe trip, field trips, etc. 
  
• Our IHOPP session moves to a new time, and it grows incredibly! 
  
• In the attic, a new kitchen is installed, the bathroom in tiled, and we buy laminated wood flooring.

October

• We felt exhausted, discouraged and under seige UNTIL we have our PCF fall church retreat with the theme from Ephesians "Sit, Walk, Stand, Fight".  Then we see it was just a battle we had to push through.
  
• Kelsie leaves by herself to go to DFW for 3 weeks to see family and attend a SGC Missions Conference.
• Mitchell turns 12!
• A new mission/home group is started in Uvaly, thanks to a couple from our church who moved to Uvaly. 
  
• Boys finally move into their rooms upstairs.
  

November

• We had a very large Thanksgiving meal in Uvaly at our freind's house- 80 people!  It was a wonderful day with lots of invited guests, games, singing, GREAT food, and nice weather. 
  
• Time to winterize the garden.  No small task!
• We love to host Shabbat meals in our home on Friday nights, especially in the autumn and winter seasons.
• As a church, we regularly feed the homeless. After John leads the Sunday school class out during the church service it finally catches on!  Instead of 2 or 3 gathering to go out on the streets, we are having 16 show up.  Lots of winter hats and gloves handed out, but most importantly, prayers and love.

December

• We thoroughly enjoy the holiday festivities with Christmas parties and finally we can celebrate in our 98% finished attic!  It is a joy having so many people over and having more space.  Moriah's room is upstairs now too, and we are no longer on top of each other downstairs.
  
• The Christmas joy is tainted with the sad news that Kelsie's mom can no longer be treated for her cancer b/c she is not strong enough.  Kelsie flies to Dallas the day after Christmas to be with family in Dallas for a month.
  
• Happy New Year everyone!  Kelsie is in Dallas and John and the kids are back home in the Czech Republic. Pray for grace during their separation.
  

News:  Kelsie has a new blog site.  You can read more about our daily lives and insights on this new site.

Click to learn more...

Prayer Requests- please pray for:

• Kelsie's mom, Sistie, and father, Jack.  They are troopers!
• God's clarity and re-direction in this new year.
• God's provision financially and in every other way.
• The kids' education.
• For more people to come disciple young adults, and for more revival in our nation and throughout Europe. God has not forgotten Europe!  

Antioch Mercy Ministries, Inc. • P.O. Box 820603

• Ft. Worth, TX • 76182 • USA

or Komenského 204, Úvaly 250 82 Czech Republic

Why Europe?

Europe is a desperate place, spiritually.  Missionaries are needed to "give back" to Europe the seeds of the gospel which were planted around the world centuries ago by European missionaries. The Czech people are listed by Joshua Project as .25% evangelical. Less than 1% is considered an unreached people group. :-0

Please consider becoming a financial partner with us to REACH EUROPE now.

Giving Info:

We are always grateful to the Lord for meeting our needs. We are also grateful to those of you who partner with Him in that task.

U.S. Gifts can be sent to:

Antioch Mercy Ministry, Inc (TX Non-Profit)• P.O. Box 820603 • Ft. Worth, TX • 76182

Please designate “Prague” on a separate piece of paper or on the check. Further info can be obtained at either intheblackbookkeeping@gmail.com or johnkelsie@gmail.com.

European gifts can be wired to:

Raiffeisenbanka. s. Registered office: Na Příkopě 19, 117 19 Praha 1; Company ID No.: 00562246 Telephone: 800 124 100 or +420 841 841 841; Bank Code: 5500; SWIFT Code: RZBCCZPP; AccountNUMBER: 2678564001 IBAN: CZ8855000000002678564001; Transfers in CZK, US $ and EUROs.

Click to learn more...

We pray all God's richest blessings for you in the coming year! Love,

John, Kelsie, Mitchell, Matthew and Moriah
Missionary pastors in Europe
johnkelsie@gmail.com
Phone: 214-628-0791
Phone: +420 608243788
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