Since my grandfather passed last week, I’ve been considering legacy and what it means to have a lasting legacy. It’s been rather introspective and I think that it has been healthy for me. Asking yourself questions like, “What do I want my legacy to be?” or “If I were to leave this world today, what would be legacy be, how would people remember me?”, can produce change and resolve in your life. I had begun thinking about this as I sat on the 10 hour flight from Munich to Chicago on Wednesday, but yesterday waking up to the news of Václav Havel passing was another wave hitting me. (Havel was the first president of Czechoslovakia and then Czech Republic after the fall of communism, as well as a notable dissident that helped lead to the collapse of communism in then Czechoslovakia. Here’s a wiki page on him.)

I never met Havel, although I wish I could have met him, but his legacy and life impacted this kid from Lake Geneva, WI that lives, and calls home, Havel’s homeland. Sadly, some over look the impact Havel had and some question it. Or better, some question the man himself. I’m not claiming the Havel was a saint, he was a broken man like you and I, but there have been a few Czechs throughout history (another couple are Jan Hus and Jan Amos Komenský, or John Amos Comenius, to just name a couple.) that I admire and I pray that there would be more Czechs like them. Czechs that exhibit and embody the same values and qualities that made these Czechs heroes!

My director, wrote on Facebook last night, “Where are the Havels of this generation?” I would love to see “Havels” of this generation, “Havels” that aren’t concerned about themselves, but their countrymen and strive for higher virtues than “what’s best for me.” To my Czech friends, and non-Czech friends too, I would challenge you all to honor the legacy of Havel, by striving for, living out and embodying the ideas, values and virtues that made Havel the culture changer that he was! That is honoring his legacy! Yes, mourn and remember him, but remember him and honor him, by being the change that the Czech Republic so badly needs! By the way, my prayer is that the same passion that was seen last night on Wenceslas Square and throughout Prague, and the country, would be put into practice and lived out with passion! Here’s a moving video of last night’s celebrations of Havel, his life and his passing.

I have watched that video several times. As I watch it I pray for the country, I call home now, that something deep will happen. I pray that God would use the passing of this influential man to change the Czech Republic and ultimately draw more people to Himself. Please pray with me to this extent!

Here’s a couple of notable quotes from the man who helped change the course of history in the Czech Republic:

“Love and truth must triumph over hate and lies.”

“The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his own life, but that it bothers him less and less.”

“Man is in fact nailed down — like Christ on the Cross — to a grid of paradoxes . . . he balances between the torment of not knowing his mission and the joy of carrying it out, between nothingness and meaningfulness. And like Christ, he is in fact victorious by virtue of his defeats.”

“The only lost cause is one we give up on before we enter the struggle.”

“You do not become a “dissident” just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual career. You are thrown into it by your personal sense of responsibility, combined with a complex set of external circumstances. You are cast out of the existing structures and placed in a position of conflict with them. It begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends with being branded an enemy of society.”

That’s just scratching the surface of the quotes you can find, click here to find more.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening nonstop to a song from Folk Angel’s new Christmas album. The name of the song is God With Us, but honestly it’s not a song but a poem about God being with us. As I listened to the track nonstop in Prague over the last two weeks, what stood out to be the most was the longing of the Israelites for the Messiah.

I pondered… “How would they have felt?” As I thought and prayed through this, I realized to a lesser degree I can understand how they felt as I long for an “Advent” (ad·vent/?ad?vent/ The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.) of sorts in the Czech Republic. I labor and labor. I pray and pray. I love and love. I speak and speak. I listen and listen. Yet I haven’t seen the “Advent” that I yearn for to the hearts of the Czech people. So this song/poem ministered to me in this way for the last two weeks…

Then Tuesday at 5 pm my vonage line (American line via the net) rang and my crying mother was on the other end of the line. Honestly over the past couple months I’ve had a nervous feeling, every time that phone has rang, and it was for this reason. I learned quickly that my grandfather, Bob Shisler, passed away in his sleep Tuesday morning. He has slowed down over the last couple of years and had issues that most elderly people have, but this was unexpected to all of us. Since Tuesday the words of this poem/song have hit me in a much different way!

I’m hurting. My family is hurting. It’s been hard to see my mother morning and even harder hearing my grandmother’s grieving voice, but this amazing truth – God with us – has moved me. Jesus hasn’t left me alone in this. He’s in the midst of it all. He’s here. So as we are in the midst of “Advent Season” this year, this simple, but overwhelming truth, will take on a whole new meaning for me and my family. Please listen to this song, meditate on it and realize that God is with us! He is with us!

I just saw this today and I thought I would share it with you. I’m thankful for the organization I work for and our global impact. Thank you all for all your support to make a difference for the Kingdom!

I just wanted to wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings from Prague! While Czechs, don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, as it’s an American or Canadian holiday, that doesn’t stop us from sharing some “Thanksgiving Love” with out Czech friends! I recently uploaded a few pictures from our Thanksgiving party at the Sports University we work at here, click here to see all of them.

Here’s Micah and I getting our “pilgrim” and “indian” on! I know the first Thanksgiving was far more peaceful than this picture, but Micah and I like to have fun!

We had a “Thanksgiving Tree” at the party (by the way, the tree is my art work! ), where people wrote on leaves what they are thankful, it was moving to see what everyone was thankful for! I’m thankful for many things, but one of those things I’m thankful for are the wonderful ministry partners that long to see Czechs turn to God in thankfulness! Thank you for being you and supporting what God is doing here! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What are you thankful for on this Thanksgiving of 2011?

…being made in Prague! Here’s another video for you all!

Micah, our newest STINTer (intern), wanted to share a few words with my ministry partners and my future ministry partners about what WE do in Prague!

Micah was on a 4 week summer project in 2009, so it’s fun to hear him talk about the change between then and now within our team! It get’s me fired up! Things are happening! WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you Micah! Thank you to tall those ministry partners that partner with me to make this possible! Be a Revolution!

If you want to join my team of ministry partners click here or on the SUPPORT link in the toolbar. You can always go directly to Cru’s online giving site by clicking HERE!

THANK YOU MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO!

Today I’m speaking at Emmanuel Baptist Church and I thought it would be cool to share the words of my friend, and father to one of my players, Dan Hron about OUR influence in Prague! Thank you to each ministry partner who partners with me to make this influence and, Lord-willing, life change possible! For those of you that might be watching this and want to join my team of ministry partners, learn how by clicking HERE. BE A REVOLUTION!

Hey gang! Here’s the schedule of where I will be, when I will be there and so on… Will I see you? (click on the addresses for maps)

• July 30th, 2pm-5pm – Xenia – Tim Hortons, 38 North Orange St.

• August 4th, 4pm-7pm – Oshkosh – Starbucks, 240 W Murdock St.

• Aug. 6th, 2pm-5pm – Appleton – Starbucks, 4339 W Wisconsin Ave.

• August 7th, 3pm-5pm – Oshkosh – Open House at Smiths (email me for details)

• Aug. 10th, 4pm-7pm – Lake Geneva – Caribou, 883 Main St.

• Aug. 13th, 2pm-5pm – Delavan – Starbucks – 1741 E. Geneva St. Unit A

Beyond that here is the run down of the churches I’ll be at again.

• July 31st, Xenia – Emmanuel Baptist Church

• August 7th, Oshkosh – RiverVally Church

• August 14th, Elkhorn – Southern Lakes Evangelical Free Church

I do hope to see many of you and share about what God is doing here in Czech! If any of you are interested and/or able to host a support dessert I still have dates I could fill up. Thanks for all you do to make a difference in Prague, Czech and Europe!

zhtv 29 interviews from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.

Finally, after more than a year I have a new episode of zhtv up! Miracles of miracles! Enjoy this, the 29th, episode of zhtv. You will get a deeper glimpse of ministry, life and football here, even if the interviews are in Czech. Thanks for all you, my ministry partner, do to make a difference with me here in Prague, Czech & Europe! Be a revolution!

Will I get to see you this summer, while I’m on the “Coming to America Tour 2011?”

Here’s the dates and the locations of the churches I’ll be speaking at (click on the church name for their website).

• July 31st, Xenia – Emmanuel Baptist Church

• August 7th, Oshkosh – RiverVally Church

• August 14th, Elkhorn – Southern Lakes Evangelical Free Church

Beyond coming out and seeing me at the church gatherings, you can also see me at a local coffee shop in those three areas – Xenia, Oshkosh and Southern Wisconsin (Lake Geneva). Times and locations will come later here on zACHhARROD.coooooooom!

Beyond, that I’m needing to raise more support, as I said in the video, so if you can help me out by connecting me with more liking-minded people, who want to make a difference here in Prague, Czech Republic and Europe, that would be great. OR if you want to host a support party that would be even better! CLICK HERE and let me know!

Thank you and BE A REVOLUTION!

That’s right lives do get changed in Prague! Believe it or not! Our Dutch colleges (I love the Dutch!) came during March and shot some footage (with cameras I wish I had) for a couple of documentaries and promotion for their summer projects as well. Here is the latest one! It’s a great video, even if you don’t understand Dutch, because some of the interviews are in English! There is one interview you NEED to hear, Jarda. If you don’t want to watch the whole video (you’ll regret not watching it all) just start at 6:40.

As Jarda said in the video, it was AIA staff and STINTers (interns) that God used to impact his life! I love his story. I love his heart for his countrymen! I agree with Jarda that, “It’s quite difficult to change it [the unbelief and atheism of Czech], but we would like to try!” I will keep trying! Thanks for joining me in the adventure!

BTW you can watch the video with English, just use the cc-button in the YouTube-player.