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Bless teamHARROD before the end of the 2016

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For some 2016 was rough, for some 2016 was full of blessings.  For us, the Harrodovi, it was a mixed bag of ups and downs, but last night when Míša and I and I were catching up with a good friend, and long-time supporter, here in Oshkosh, we realized that in the midst of the tough things of 2016, we have so many things to be thankful for!  Míša turned to me, hit me on the shoulder and said, “You know God has been good to us this year!”

See in the midst of a difficult fall, much more difficult than we could ever imagine, we lost track of all the cool things God has done in, around and through us in 2016.  As we had this moment of clarity, we were humbled to think about what God has done and now we are thankful for the change in perspective.  No matter how hard your 2016 has been, I encourage you to take a step back and look at things from a different angle, you might be surprised by what you see!

Míša & Zach at Open House in Oshkosh

Míša & Zach at Open House in Oshkosh

With that said, 2016 is almost behind us and 2017 is bursting with potential.  Míša and I have obvious reasons to look ahead to 2017, as we are anxiously waiting to meet our first little Czech-American Harrod, but beyond this we are anxious to see what can happen in other areas of our life, work and ministry in Prague – church, missional communities, the Prague Lions, anti-human trafficking and more!

With that said, we are gearing up for 2017 in big ways, we have been in the States since December 2nd connecting with so many new amazing people and also getting re-connect with many friends who have been part of our lives for some time.  We are still trusting God to help us get off to a great start in 2017, so that we will be fully funded.  We have been working on getting our monthly support shored up, so we can feed our little, future Harrod, but also continue to love and be generous to many in Prague.  Beyond monthly support, we are of course also hoping to see one-time gifts going into 2017, so that we can earmark those gifts for practical things within our church, missional community, the Prague Lions and Míša’s work in anti-human trafficking.

Before the calendar turns to 2017, would you consider joining our monthly team and/or giving a one-time gift to take advantage of another tax write-off for 2016?  Click below to give.  

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While we have been in the States we have been sharing a few short videos from friends in Prague, so you can hear how you are blessing many in Prague through us!  Check them out below!  Thank you for being you and we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Blessing or Burden?

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Zach speaking at NCC Uprising, youth group.

I have been a “full-time missionary” for close to 14 years, which is absolutely crazy to consider! Fourteen years is a long time. It makes me feel a bit old as I type it and ponder those 14 years, close to 12 of them have been spent in Prague, the other two spent in Xenia, OH.

As I ponder those 14 years there are so many things to be thankful for and stop and praise God for. That is not a small amount of time and I can’t begin to imagine how many prayers have been prayed, how many dollars have been given and how much people, maybe including you, have sacrificed to be part of what God has, is and will be doing in Prague, Czech, Europe and beyond! I am moved to shout and sing out loud THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS AND WHO WILL BE PART OF THIS!

As we have been in Washington DC this week, we have been very blessed. We have seen God’s generosity through many people here. It’s moving and I’m speechless as I think about it all. In the midst of this all, something that I have been carrying around for 14 or so years stood out to me. Somewhere in the midst of this “career” of mine and the support raising I, and we, have done for all these years I started carrying around a “I am a burden” mindset.

What do I mean by “I am a burden” mindset? That’s a good question that I’m still trying to unpack, but somewhere in those 14 years, while I would write people, call people and try to create avenues to see the support we need raised, I started to believe that as missionaries that need to raise support, that we are not a blessing to people, but a burden to them. That when they see my name in their inbox or in their caller ID, they say something like, “Oh it’s that Zach guy again, he needs money.” This might be true, but I don’t believe it is the overwhelming response of people. However, in the midst of interactions, some how, some way I started to believe this.

Then God brought us here to DC and Míša and I have had this blown up this week. We have had people remind us that we are a blessing and not a burden. It has been freeing for us. It also has helped us to see that we aren’t trying to “sell” ourselves or what we do, but we are honestly giving people an opportunity to be part of what God is doing to woo people to Himself through our presence and work in Prague and beyond.
We are excited to see how God will surprise us the rest of our trip and we are actually slightly giddy with anticipation to see how He will show up. Of course, we will have those “burden moments,” but in those moments we will preach these words to ourselves: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15) Once again, THANK YOU to all of you who have been part of this crazy adventure in some way! You are all amazing. Please pray for us, as we are trusting God to once again show up and bless us, so that we can be a blessing to people in Prague! If you would like to be part of it, please CLICK HERE to help. THANK YOU!

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Jon and his wife, Anne Marie, who put together an amazing week, to allow and show us we are a blessing not a burden.

BIG NEWS

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movieposterWe have made our rounds on social media with our BIG NEWS, but we didn’t get it up on our website until today.  We are so stoked for this little person to join us in May, but till then we wait in anticipation and are trying to prepare in practical ways and in deeper, spiritual ways as well.

Practically we will need to prepare his or her room and all that comes with that, but we are also practically preparing for his or her arrival with our trip back in the States right now.  One of the most practical things we need is a salary and living expenses that will be for a family and not a couple.  We are trusting God to help us raise an additional $1000/month to help us raise our salary and living expenses for a family of  three, but we are also needing to re-raise some monthly support, as people have had to change their giving for a variety of reasons.

Would you consider joining our team, but giving monthly?  Your regular monthly support helps us do the day in and day out ministry in Prague.  Please CLICK HERE to give today and be part of what God is doing in Prague through us.

We are also praying for this little one’s arrival as we wrestle through what it means to be parents, how we are going to parent and the ins and outs of being a parent.  Both of us have a bit more experience with kids, thanks to our siblings who our 15 and 16 years younger than us, BUT still that doesn’t prepare us for having our own little one.  Would you pray for us, as we wait in great expectation to meet little Oliver or Anabella?  Please pray that God would shape and prepare us to be the parents he or she will need.

Thank you for being you and as always BE A

Introducing #800in8

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#800in8BANNERb

I can’t believe my last full week is almost here! Where has the last 6 months gone? It’s amazing how quick life goes by and in the midst of it you have no idea that it is actually moving that fast! (CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW)

With that said, I am, rather we are, excited that I will get back to Prague and jump into life, ministry with the football team and the church but moreover we are excited about the our BIG DAY JUNE 28th! Even though we are so excited, we we are still trusting God to show up in some big ways. As I have wrote recently here on my blog, the process of raising support, or ministry partner development, has been tough. There have been so many cool things happen, so many people excited about what we are doing and excited about us BUT there have been the days where we have prayed and talked about this all and wondered “What God is doing,” and “Where and how are going to see what we need to raise come in.”

In our praying and pondering this idea came to us, that is an idea to share all over the internet about our ministry, about Prague, about Czech and more. So in my last 8 full days in America we are doing, and going for, #800in8. Our goal is to create awareness, energy and opportunities for people to join us and help us reach our minimal goal for monthly support.
So in this video I talk about what the next few days will look like and what we are hoping to share with you all. You can find us on social media here:

Zach’s Twitter Account
Míša’s Twitter Account
Zach’s Instagram Account
Míša’s Instagram Account

We will also use the hashtag #800in8 and #HarrodRallyTime (hashtags are used to find trending & specific information on most social media networks).

We will be sharing both specific and general information through the many portals of technology with as many people as possible, so that we might increase our chances of getting #800in8. Our hope is that people will respond by GIVING, INCREASING and SHARING all of, or any of the information we share. Then as people give and help us meet those needs we hope to share praises with you all as people respond!

We have a need and we are trying to be creative and faith-filled in seeing God help those needs get met.

So will you help us get #800in8? You can head over to our GIVING PAGE (click here) and/or send/forward/share this with as many friends as possible for us.

Thank you in advance. You’re all rockstars in our book! Ready. Set. GO. #800in8

#800in8 from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.
 

 

I don’t want to be “that” guy.

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There have been many things that I’ve learned about myself, our culture of today, communication and God over the last 5 months of being in the States and doing this thing called “support raising” or “ministry partner development.”  It has been a bit of a journey, some of those days were up days and some of those days were down days.  Through it all, I can see that this has brought my lovely fiancée, Míša, and I closer together and moreover it has deepened our trust in God and confirmed our calling as a couple and our callings individually.  Which is HUGE!

I’ll be honest it’s been a challenge.  I don’t want to get into the depths of this and/or attempt to drown myself in my own “pool of self-pity,” so we’ll keep it at that – it’s been a challenge.

Recently I had a moment of clarity, as I pondered a few things — why it’s so much harder this time around, why so few people respond to the many forms of communication we have and so on.  As I pondered I had a real moment with God and it got me praying. In my moment of clarity I realized, that I have two options, if Míša and I are going to hit 100% for our monthly support: 1) PUSH and be pushy or 2) PERSISTENT YET SENSITIVE. I have tried TO get in front of more and more people which means increasing the opportunities.

I’ll be honest I don’t want to be “that” guy.  The guy that would be from option one.  We’ve all encountered that guy, or girl, they call several times, they don’t take “no” for an answer, there’s an air of arrogance and manipulation and so on.  Some days that guy is staring me in the face  in every mirror I pass.  When I encounter that guy in the mirror, I get a little frustrated and I’d like to punch him in the face because truthfully the line of boldness/confidence and pushiness/arrogance is razor thin.

So what is the alternative?

Well I’m choosing option two.  Choosing to be persistent, but also sensitive because after all when I am interacting with someone and giving them the opportunity to partner with Míša and I, I’m not just asking for money, but I’m giving them an opportunity to make a difference with us and, in reality, I’m serving them just as much as they are potentially serving us, by partnering with us.

Some days I’ll fail but I’m choosing to be sensitively persistent; trusting God and even choosing to trust people.  Because I don’t want to be “that” guy in the mirror trying to convince anyone by being pushy.  I choose to be persistent but sensitive. I choose to serve and not manipulate. I choose to trust knowing that God is good God that will provide and resting in the though that Jesus himself “came not to be served, but to serve.”

trust . hope . provision

THIRTEEN PERCENT & CHECKING IN.

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13%

That is what lies between Míša and I reaching the “recommended” amount of monthly support that TEAM has set for us. It has been an interesting few months back in the States, trusting God to show up in the midst of this season of life and also provide for us. I’ve learned a lot about myself, my own walk with God and God himself in this process. Which, at times, has been beautiful, then at other times it’s been a mess, but through all of it I’ve seen God show up.

Last weekend I was blessed to take part in a mens retreat (which was life-changing and world-shifting! If you are a man, you need to do it, check it out, CLICK HERE!), and one of the things we talked about was “checking in” with our feelings, communicating how we feel and connecting with others around us. Fifty some men opened up using simple words – Sad, Angry, Scared, Tender, Happy, Excited and/or Tender to describe how we felt. Unlike, most men, I don’t have a problem always vocalizing this (even to a fault, that is why the minute time limit was great for me), but it was powerful opening up and hearing men open up. With that said, I thought it would be cool to “Check In” as I think about the next 40 days and everything that is ahead of me.
[Read more…]

Join us for a Sunday gathering at TaCesta

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Of course, you are always invited to join us in Prague at one of our gatherings of our church plant, TaCesta, but I thought it would be fun to give you a feel of our gatherings via video. I just didn’t want to just share what our gatherings look like but I thought it would be fun for you to here from Saša, our lead pastor, as he shared a bit about my work and my role within our church. I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to help Míša, my fiancee and soon-to-be wife, continue to make a difference in Prague, Czech and Europe through our work with TaCesta, CLICK HERE, and join us today! Enjoy the video!

TaCesta Video for Zach Harrod from Zach Harrod on Vimeo.

The Journey…

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This year, 2013, has been a full, full year! It was a year, that some big things happened in this crazy life of mine! I still can’t wrap my mind around it all! I did, however, want to share a little of that change with you, by sharing an article with you. If you have been paying attention I’ve switched organizations, TEAM), and that means God has finally after all these years (read about my heart for church planting from years past here) allowed me to be part of church planting with a amazing group of people, whom make our community TaCesta (which means “The Journey” or “The Way”). As I said, I wanted you to read more about TaCesta and this church planting opportunity, recently TEAM did a great article about our efforts, here a short excerpt, click the link below to read the whole article!

“Unrivaled in its day as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, Prague was called the “Mother of Cities.” The city flourished during the Roman, Gothic, and Renaissance periods, and is the birthplace of priest and philosopher Jan Hus, a forerunner of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

Yet somehow, the people of Prague and the Czech Republic are some of the most atheistic in the world. Polls peg as many as 89 percent of Prague’s 1.3 million people as non-religious.

“Czech has a rich spiritual heritage, but unfortunately that is pretty much gone,” says Zach Harrod, a TEAM missionary serving in Prague. Centuries of religious and political battles, followed by decades of Soviet domination, have left the Czech people suspicious of organized religion and outside influences. They tend to be private about any religious and political beliefs – if they believe anything at all.”

Please read on, click here…

Change is Coming…

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What type of person are you? Do you like change or do you avoid it? I’ve always thought I’ve loved change, but as I’ve aged a bit I realize I’m not one or the other. I long for change. Change can be exhilarating, but there are somethings that at least appear as though they should remain as is. Change is inevitable, though, and we have the decision of whether we want to make the most of it or fight against it. I choose the first option – embrace it and make the most of it!

By now you are probably wondering, “What are you talking about Zach? What is changing?” I’m glad you asked. After a challenging fall that was full of evaluation, prayers, discussions and much more, I have made the decision that it is time to move on from Athletes in Action and be in a place (rather organization) that suits my heart, passions, dreams and where I see God taking me here in the future more. Most of you have heard my presentations in the past, read my blog or heard me share my heart. You know that the “local church” has had, for years, a special place in my heart. Right now I’m in the midst of the application process with an organization named The Evangelical Alliance Mission, or TEAM. TEAM’s purpose “is to help churches send missionaries to establish reproducing churches among the nations to the glory of God. We seek to do this wherever the most people have the greatest need in collaboration with churches anywhere.”

This gets me fired up because it will allow me to partner with the local church here in Prague and, Lord-willing, be part of lots of new church-plants throughout Prague, Czech, and Europe, which has been a desire for years. I’m thankful to God for Athletes in Action and the Crossan family (AIA Czech Director), for all that they have done and been used to do here in me and through me. I’m thankful for them all for so many reasons. Some of those reasons are how I look at ministry, missions, culture, the Church and more. Over the years, I’ve had a deeper conviction that how we do ministry and life here as insiders sent on a mission into this culture, is more than a strategic way to reach, what can be termed as, “post-Christian” societies, but a way of life and foundational to making a deep impact. What is ironic is that, while this conviction has deepened, it is also a main reason for the shift to a new organization. This fall I was challenged to consider the way we, or rather I, do things here and if that fit within the vision and mission of AIA globally and here in Czech. After much prayer, thought, and conversation, I felt as if God was calling me to continue to do what I do as an “insider” with football, specifically, but I’ve also felt called to be part of church-planting and connecting my guys and many “not yet Christian” Czech friends to a local church.

With that said, please know this switch, change, and slightly new direction isn’t because of sin, unresolved conflict, or bad feelings between AIA and Billy, my director here with AIA, and myself. Rather it is about ministry philosophy and how we feel we can reach Czechs with the greatest effectiveness. We, much like Paul and Barnabas, have decided to go our separate ways, but yet we will still look for ways to partner and be in relationship, as we have become family.

I thought it would be good, and word/space saving to do a quick FAQ on this, so here we go:

So what does this mean right now?
Right now it means that I will finish out this school year with AIA, in the same capacity as I have had for the last couple of years. It means that I need your prayers to finish strong and be ALL where I am now. It also means that I need your prayers, that I get the final acceptance from TEAM ASAP and that they approve the church plant, TaCesta (The Way or The Journey), I’m a part of as an official Czech TEAM “initiative.”

How will this “change” what you do?
TEAM’s local leadership here is supportive of my “insider role” with football here, so that will remain unchanged, but in place of what I have done with AIA at the Sports University and other roles with them, will be replaced by church-planting, Lord-willing, with TaCesta, as I mentioned above. The lead pastor’s name is Alexandr (Sasha) Flek, who was the chief translator on the newest Czech translation of the Bible that was released about 3 years ago. We are in the process of praying and processing through what this will look like, but I’m excited. Our church is connected with Tim Keller’s Redeemer Presbyterian’s international church-planting effort, City to City.

Do I have to switch my support immediately?
In my next Anastatoo letter, I hope to have all the details on how you can switch your financial support. At this point, I have an account with TEAM, but I’m waiting on a few things to be in place before we switch over. So please continue on with support to AIA/CRU as usual, until I share all the details with you in a coming prayer letter. I will still need money on my AIA/CRU account through the summer and CRU has a great system in place to assure that everything with support and finances are handled well. I will make sure you are up to speed.

When will this transition happen?
My official last day with AIA/CRU will be August 31st. Then the plan is to begin to serve here with TEAM through the end of the junior season, late October/early November, and return to the States for my 6 month stay, as I communicated in an earlier prayer letter. This 6 month stay is required because of a treaty between America and Czech, that requires Americans to spend 6 months every 5 years in the States. I’m still working on what these 6 months will look like. They will include connecting with ministry partners and family, developing my support base, recruiting and more.

Thank you for all you do to reach Prague, Czech and Europe through our partnership! It has been amazing to see what God has done here through YOU and I! I hope that this change will lead to greater effectiveness and more fruit. I also pray that you will be ALL IN with me into the future, as you have been over my last 9 years with AIA and CRU. Please feel free to email me, facebook me or call me (for number please email me first) if you have ANY questions, comments or concerns. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING YOU, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MADE A HUGE IMPACT HERE!!

On Television…?

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One of the things that I have not grown used to, is having television interviews in Czech, that is me speaking Czech in these interviews. I’m not sure how many I have done now, but with each interview I grow a bit more comfortable. However, every time I still find myself thinking something like this – “Is this really happening? Am I really going to be on national TV in this country? Am I really speaking this language?” Every time, questions like this have gone through my mind. The most recent interview was no exception, but I had an amazing time doing it. In about 45 minutes we covered from how I first got her to Czech, to why I do what I do, and why YOU, my ministry partners, partner with me to make a difference. I hope to have the interview with subtitles but until then I wanted to share the link with you.

CLICK HERE to watch the interview, then you can skip ahead to the 19:23 mark and watch the interview. While most of you reading this, will not be able to understand what I’m saying you can still appreciate the fact that we are getting what we are doing in front of many people in the Czech Republic. It’s very exciting, thank you for being part of it!

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