These two rock! In a couple of months they will be Mr. and Mrs. Josh Radcliffe, but right now they are still Emily McQuinn and Joshua Radcliffe. If you look close at this picture above you can see that they are in the middle of my dear home, Prague, which is where Josh proposed to Emily! Josh went above and beyond and has forever raised the bar for us single men all over the world when it comes to proposals, click here to read Emily’s account. Anyway, they are an awesome couple and I love them for many reasons, but this morning when I got their invitation to their wedding I had to check out their website, emilyandjosh.com, and I was very surprised to read the “giving” page, which says:

PLEASE, NO GIFTS!!!!!!!! In lieu of gifts, we would ask that you make a contribution to a ministry that we believe in and support. Below we’ve provided you a list of a few ministries that we are personally involved in and hold close to our hearts. This list is not complete… feel free to donate to a ministry that you may hold close to your heart!

What? Are you serious? So cool… Well, I was blown away to see my name, a short explanation of what things look like here and links to my website and my giving page with Crusade. How very cool and how very humbling. Thank you not for only simply supporting me yourselves, or for including me in on this but moreover for setting an example that blows my mind away! Josh and Emily, you humbled me, brought conviction to my life, blessed me and so much more this morning as I read this. Thank you…!

Today, believe it or not, is the one year mark for my return “home” or back to Prague! I can’t believe it’s already been a year! So much has transpired in the last 365 days that as I thought about a year in Prague and putting something on my blog about I didn’t know where to start or what to do. How do you attempt to sum up a year like I’ve gone through, or any year for that matter, in the last year. As I sit here looking back and reflecting over the last year I’m so grateful for what God has done, both in the ups and the downs. I think one of the biggest things that hits home with me as of late is what God taught me about my “romanticized view” of returning to Prague, that I included in my May/June monthly prayer letter. I wrote:

I have a confession, while I was away from Prague, I had a “romanticized view” of the many things back here, especially with the Lions. I think this is a common epidemic amongst human beings; we do it in a variety of ways – marriage (if we’re single), kids, singleness (once we are married, looking back, or so I’m told), and much more. Well, this year wore out my romanticized view of the Lions and has brought a HUGE degree of reality to my life and ministry with the team.

As I sit looking ahead, over what God would do, could do, in the next year I sit with a much more grounded view, but yet I’m so very optimistic to see what God is going to do. As I include pics that attempt to sum up the last year, I wonder what images will sum up the next year of life in Prague. It should be exciting to see what transpires! Thank you to each of you who pray and support what WE (that is you and I partnering together with God) do here in Prague, Europe and beyond!

Back in Prague with new friends - my roomdawg (Ernie), Mark and Jason.

I was so excited to see how God had moved in Ondra’s life while I was gone and I also dove head long into learning Czech in a class room that consisted of Chinese, Koreans, a Swede and myself.

I loved jumping back into coaching and loving on my junior team guys! Pray that God would move in their hearts!

Last fall was interesting, because I was waiting, and waiting for my shipment to come with all my stuff, it came 4 months after it was scheduled and I was so very happy that it arrived! I also was blessed to spend a week on holiday with dear Crusade friends in Athens, which was a much needed break between semesters of language class.

The second semester of Czech class brought presentations, these pics (with Gustav’s [me Swedish classmate who used to play] try to represent my attempt of trying to explain American football in Czech!

It was also a blast attending the Story of the Soul conference and working with my Polish friends on a presentation about being “World Changers”.

It was awesome to partner with my teammate and friend, Šimmí, as we taught 15 or so kids how to play American football. It was also so much fun to celebrate Gustav’s birthday with him. He makes me proud to say I have Swedish blood in my veins!

This summer also brought a visit from my very dear friends, Andy and Chelsey Garrett, that was so very refreshing. Then of course, work took me to the “Far East” which I could have never have imagined.

The Chinese loved us foreigners, it was strange feeling like a rock star! I was blessed to take my friend and teammate, Honza, with me for a life changing couple of weeks! Lastly, a short lay over in Moscow, just made me scratch my head and wonder…

Thanks for sharing the last year of life with me! May God bring a revolutionary next year!

This week I read an article about the Czech Prime Minister’s, Mirek Topolánek, disappointment with Czech’s low medal showing in Beijing which really hit home, in my opinion, about what having a bad view of sport is. From what I read it would seem that WINNING is what matters. Now I’m all for winning, but is that the “Olympic Spirit”. It can, again in my opinion, be said that this was China’s goal for the games, or for that matter many countries. It was a classic case of Lombardi’s (extreme) position of “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” I know, I know, he might have been misquoted and meant to say, “Winning isn’t everything. The will to win is the only thing.” Either way sportsmen and women across this world have lived the “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” life and it leaves them wrecked in the end, because it’s simply not true. Well here are a couple of interesting quotes, about this played out here in Czech, that I found interesting.

Few sports fans in the Czech Republic will forget the recent Beijing Olympics, where the country notched up six medals, three silver and three gold. The games featured a number of gripping stories, including the very first gold medal win of the games by shooter Kate?ina Emmons as well as Barbora Špotáková’s stunning last-minute win in the javelin. Yet days since the Olympics ended, the country’s prime minister, Mirek Topolánek, has now expressed disappointment. On Wednesday, Mladá fronta Dnes writes, he stated flatly that Czechs should have won more medals, given how much money the state spends on sport. He made clear, too, that there could now be changes to come.

“I have no problem with those who provide the funding managing how funds are spent. That’s their right. But to suggest that our athletes did too little just days after the Olympics, that’s simply insulting. Sport isn’t math, and even the best–trained and most talented athletes, after hundreds of hours of training, can come up short. I can’t imagine what we’d say to other excellent athletes, such as US shooter Mathew Emmons, if he were Czech. He had the misfortune of losing gold – not once, but twice - at the Olympics.”

Not too long ago I posted a rant (it’s czech people!) about people on both sides of the political divide in the States calling my home, and the place I love dearly, Czechoslovakia. Which it hasn’t been since January 1, 1993, but that’s okay continue to call it Czechoslovakia… No, no, no! In fact, to help us all out, here is a wiki article, Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, to enlighten us all about the so-called “Velvet Divorce” between, the now, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

I also have a little more to help us in our journey of recognizing this very dear country as the Czech Republic. This week over at Radio Praha, an article was posted, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic or Czechia – what’s in a name?, that should help us on this journey. Here is one quote that I wanted to share with you:

“Well, there are a couple of aspects to it. One is, that it used to be Czechoslovakia, so there are people who were born in Czechoslovakia and there are people who consider themselves Czechoslovaks. And there are certain agreements and events that actually took place in Czechoslovakia. So when you are talking about Czechoslovakia, you should properly speak about Czechoslovakia. The problem comes when people don’t realise that there was a transition and they think that they are talking about Czechoslovakia and in fact they are talking about the Czech Republic, which is difficult in and of itself, and that is where all the confusion comes in of course.”

I must admit that I know this is a hard one and I can show grace, but there is part of me that feels that its my duty to help many distinguish my new home from a country formerly called Czechoslovakia! Here is a map as well, which should will help us locate where we are in the world here in the Czech Republic.

As you can see we are, probably, the most centrally located country (and Prague is probably the most centrally located city) in all of Europe. We are no where near Former Yugoslavia. Well, I’m off to a staff meeting and prayer… Thanks for stop by zACHhARROD.com for this history/geography lesson!


DisclaimerI hope you pick up my sarcasm and realize that I’m just having some fun, while trying to make a slight point. Thanks for understanding! Blessings…

Sometimes its hard not being in the states because I miss out on great opportunities like this:

Alas… I got fired up reading about the Lead for the City conference over at Acts 29’s blog and I wanted to post the words/questions that got me fired up here. So here you go!

Doing ministry in the new global cities is not an easy task. Sure, rural and suburban areas present their own unique challenges, but often it’s the city leader who feels alone in the most influential centers of our world. You are called to stay: to reach non-traditional people and to connect with the new artistic and economic elite, most of whom care nothing for the church. You are faced with corruption in the local political system; you see decay around you every day. In the middle of this, you are called to actually make a dent for good in the larger social fabric… certainly no easy feat.

What does it mean to love your city? What does it mean to “reach” your city in truly transformational ways? If you’re a minority leader, how do you navigate between the two worlds of your local tribe and the larger evangelical culture that you often feel torn between? How do you find resources - the leaders and money - to do what needs to be done? How can you plant a new church in an area where a church a day either dies because of its refusal to adapt or sells out in the name of relevancy? How do you preach truth in a culture that is increasingly resistant to it? How can you work for Shalom in a place rife with racial and socioeconomic division?

I reread this blog entry several times, because the first paragraph hit it right on the head and the second paragraph made me scratch my head and think and think some more. I think I might do some journaling through these questions and see what God does. I hope this section from Acts 29’s blog challenges you as well. Okay off to get my day started. Have a great Labor Day for all of you back in the States, no holiday here, no bar-b-ques, sniff, sniff…

A few days ago my friends, the Syvertsens, posted a link for the J. Crew ad/short film, which highlights Prague! I just had to follow and post it on my blog as well.

Unfortunately, (or Fortunately I’m not quite sure) life doesn’t quite look like this for me - no cool car, no girl, no cute kids running with balloons, and no strong jaw like the one guy model - but a young man can dream right! At least for some of that… Haha! You could probably leave the strong jaw (I’m okay with my jaw) and car off, but I’d take the rest! J. Crew really did capture some beautiful pics that are showcased in their fall catalog. I tried to find if they had the pics up somewhere outside the catalog but I could only find one (found at Love Made Visible).

Beautiful stuff and I’m stoked to see Prague featured like this!

Forgive me for not getting anything substantial up from our 3 week long trip to the Far East. I’ve been working on a monster prayer letter and the rest of the time has been filled up with coaching our junior team (although I put a TON of pics on my flickr, see below). I did want to share two videos with you, that haunted me and that I absolutely could not escape while I was there. One is “Beijing Welcomes You.” This song is so very true, I was so very surprised by the hospitality of nearly every person I encountered there. The second is the Adidas’ commercial for the games. It is interesting, it reminded me of something I’ve seen in the past. I won’t share, because I would love to hear what you think of it. Okay, off to cross some things off my to do list. Blessings…

Theology is, and should be, extremely practical. That is one of the reasons I love the writing and preaching of Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. His newest book is coming out next month and while I was in China the website for his new book went up, check it out Death by Love. Here is the trailor for it, which is beautiful and you can see how “big” and even “lofty” theology, to some, is extremely practical. Love it!

Erin and I flew in last night and my dear friend Mark picked us up at the airport (thanks again brother!). It was absolutely beautiful to sleep in my bed last night and to lay on my couch watching some TV. I’m going to lay low before going to church this afternoon. I had a great time in China and it was great to have a long lay-over in Moscow, but it is so sweet to be home. It looks like, besides today, I will have hit the ground running this week with our junior practices starting and getting ready for STINTers. Look for more about the last three weeks soon. I’m still wondering how much I should put up, we shall see. Thanks for all the prayers over the last couple of weeks. Until next time…

Hello from my bed at the Hostel Napoleon in Moscow. Yes we are in Moscow for a long lay over for a couple of days before getting back to Prague. The Olympics were great and some cool things happened beyond the medals! More to come but I wanted to post a quick update. Be a revolution!