Transition

My transition from Athletes in Action to Alongside Ministries International is almost complete!  My time with AIA ended at the end of April.  I continued to work with AIA through the end of the school year in June.  After that, my director left for the States for a Government mandated 6 months and that effectively ended my time with AIA.  I worked at the Multisport Kemp in August and hope to continue to have that ministry opportunity in the future.

My journey to AMI was not clear cut.  Nearly a year ago, i began to look into where God wanted me.  Returning to Prague was not a clear cut decision.  I looked at different ministries and I also looked at going back to school.  Eventually, I do feel called to return to school and get some futher education, but I came to the conclusion that I had unfinished business here in Prague.  Ultimately I didn't feel called elsewhere, so I began looking at other ministries and options in Prague.  A few other things happened during this time span that narrowed my focus on where to look for ministry opportunities.  First, I met Andrew and Amy Funka, who were coming over to Prague with AMI.  Second, I began attending a Czech language church called TaCesta, which means The Way or The Journey, depending on the context.  I began attendign this church simply because Zach attended and had managed to get a number of our football players to attend with him.  I decided it would be good for ministry to go to church where my ministry focus was attending.  

I had looked at a few other ministries, and for one reason or another, those ministries just didn't feel quite right.  So I talked to Andrew about AMI.  After our conversation I began to look more and more into AMI.  After having a conversation with their Executive director, I decided to submit my initial application, which was completed in Mid-July.  At the end of August, I had a preliminary interview, followed by a secondary application which revolved more around personal testimony and theology questions, as well as what ministry looks like for me.  Finally, at the end of September, I had another interview, at the end of which, they gave me an invitation to work with AMI.  

My transition was a much longer process than I had anticipated, but I learned a lot about waiting on God.  I know that God's timing is perfect and that He will bless my ministry here in Prague.  

Over the next few weeks, I will begin the process of support raising yet again.  I have more support needs than I did in the past.  That combined with the fact that my support team has not had a place to support me since March or April will make support raising more of a challenge than it has been in the past.  I also have a very limited window, maybe seven weeks total, to get as much support raised as I can while I am in the States.  

I will be in the States starting around November 9th.  Right now I am at the whim of Czech immigration.  Once they give me a date that I can pick up my visa, I can begin to look into getting a plane ticket.  

Tentatively, I hope to be in Indiana from roughly November 13 to 18.  And I hope to make another trip in December.  I am also looking into trips to other parts of the country.  If you are interested in hearing from me  or having me come talk to a group while I am home, please feel free to email me at micahlembke@gmail.com.  

Summer

Summer is an interesting time for ministry here in Prague.  Life moves on at a hundred miles an hour during the school year, then all of a sudden it stops.  Normal people aren't around to hang out and do ministry with.  School is out, football is done.  Summer is very much a season of hurry up and wait.  Some weeks will be packed with camps or other activities, while others are completely empty.  

The hurry up and wait mentality is magnified by my changing organizations.  I fill out applications and paperwork, then wait for references to be contacted.  That's where I'm at right now.  I know this because about every other day I get an email from one of my references telling me they had a conversation with my prospective new organization.  The mentality is also magnified simply because since I'm in between organizations, I haven't received a paycheck for some time and I also have no account from which I can reimburse ministry expenses.  That means I must keep my expenses, both ministry and personal, quite low, which means fewer events, which means more downtime.  

The upside to this is I have an opportunity to focus on guys that I already know.  I don't have to extend myself out to meet new people.  I have met with George a few times.  He's always good to hang out and our conversations are always at least surface level spiritual.  

Luboš, my boxer friend, is usually good to hang out for an afternoon every week or every other week.  He is Christian and is much beloved by those who go to his gym.  I recently heard from one guy who works out at his gym that Luboš is unlike any other boxing or fitness coach he's ever had.  Luboš is very encouraging, taking an interest in the lives of those who attend his gym.  This is not normal Czech behavior.  Coaches here tend to be very severe and belittling.  Luboš's coaching style is, in a way, a very passive witness to those around him, yet people notice that he is different.  

One new opportunity that I have was basically handed to me by the good folks at Starbucks.  One of the baristas was asked by a former NHL hockey player to help his young protege practice his conversational English, since he would soon be headed for the States to play in the farm system of an NHL team.  She said that she would be apart of the conversation, but that it might be better if she brought someone like me into the conversation.  So she asked me if I would help and I, of course, agreed.  I'm glad God used my caffeine addiction to open some ministry doors.  I'm not sure where this open door will lead down the road, if I'm just doing this for one person, or if this will open the door for further relationships.  

This lull in my schedule will be brief.  We had Multikemp last week and junior team training camp next week, after which our season will take off, so I'll savor these last few moments of peace before the next round of organized chaos that is ministry here in Prague.

Runner-Up

Few things in life are more humbling than a medal ceremony where, after a long, hard fought battle on the field, you are awarded the second place medal.  Immediately after the final whistle, the winners explode all over the field congratulating each other and you are left at the 50 yard line waiting for some measure of decorum so that you can proceed with the handshake line.  Following that, the medal table is set up with the trophy.  You are awarded your silver medal first, before the champions are awarded their much sought after gold.  Everyone in the stands and everyone on the other team gives you a courtesy clap as you choke back your tears, allow some strange guy to sling a medal around your neck, and walk off and wait for your team's post game huddle.

Eventually, after the head coach has diplomatically shaken hands with nearly every person in the stands, he makes his way over to the huddle as Queens' "We are the Champions," blares over the speakers for someone else.  He congratulates guys on a great season, recounting how far we have come in the last few seasons.  It is a bitter speech to give, given the circumstances.  He reminds us that we have come along ways for such a young team and that our future is bright if we all stick together.

This season had its share of highs and lows.  Mostly, we were blessed with highs.  We finished our second consecutive regular season undefeated in Czech play, including our first victories over our rivals since 2006.  We had two scrimmage games against Berlin Adler and the Dresden Monarchs, arguably two of the better programs in Europe, and our guys came away with a good idea of what we are striving for in our program.  Thanks to working with our American QB, Garrett, our receivers got a lot better, and our defense is ever improving.

Our group of American players.  

My own retirement from playing was short lived, as we noticed after week one that our depth on the offensive line was not going to get us through the season.  So, right before our second game, I showed up to practice with my equipment, instead of a whistle.  I anchored down the right tackle position, feeling pretty good for about two games, then feeling pretty lousy for the rest of them.

At my final practice, with Marco, one of our junior centers who played up this year.
Sort of an out with the old, in with the new kind of picture.

Our coach is right.  We do have a bright future.  As of right now, we are the only team in the country who is fielding a junior team, which means we are the only people developing our own talent.  As every coach in America will tell you, there are no shortcuts on the way to the top.  The road is long, but in the end, I firmly believe that we will have success.

I am proud of our guys.  For some to receive a second place medal is a huge accomplishment.  It marks the first time many of our guys have something to show for something that they have done.

As for me, my playing career is, without question, over.  Because I was slated to simply coach this year, I came into the season not in game shape, and as a result, played most of this season hobbled and out of shape.  I used more tape this season than in all previous seasons combined.  It is time to hang it up.  What was a difficult question last year is no more.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to have played this game for a number of years and have received more than I could ever imagined from this game.  The Lord has blessed me with great coaches and mentors throughout my career.  I look forward to being able to coach and influence a new generation of football players here in Prague.

On offense.  I am #70, playing right tackle.

Christmas

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year.  For me it is a special time of year where you can gather as family and friends to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Prague puts on a good show for Christmas.  The Christmas markets are all set up selling a wide variety of things.  The city is all decked out in lights and Old Town Square has a huge Christmas tree lit up, as well as a stage where different acts perform throughout the Christmas season.  Nativity scenes and advent candles dot the landscape, as well.

I was lucky enough to get in on the first part of the Christmas season here in Prague.  I got to take advantage of the markets and the sites.  After that, however, I spent my Christmas at home.  My parents shelled out money for a plane ticket for me, so for the first time in 19 months, I stepped foot in the United States.  I had a bit of an adventure getting home, but that will be the focus of another post.  It was great to get back home and see so many friends and supporters.  The trip was, of course, too short, but I was glad to get back to Prague.

I was able to spend a lot of time with my family, which was a blessing.  My parents and brother, Seth, came for a visit last June and that was all I saw of my family for the last 19 months.  So it was nice to see everyone again.  I enjoyed the Christmas Eve service at church immensely.  Our church has changed a bit since I left.  I finally got to meet the new pastor, Tony, who is a great guy.  I was also able to meet up with some friends and younger supporters in Omaha during my time at home.

My schedule originally did not allow for meeting with too many members of my extended family.  Unfortunately, my aunt passed away while I was on my way home, so we went to the memorial service, where I was able to see many of my extended family.  It was good to see everybody, I just wish it could have been at a happier occasion.

One of the highlights for me was, of course, the food.  The food in Czech is good, but it is different and I don't eat near as much (my Czech friends will find that hard to believe).  When I got home, all bets were off.  I told some of my church friends in Prague to expect to see a much wider me when I got back.  They were charitable when they saw me, saying that I didn't gain any weight, but the snugness of my pants tell a different story.  My mom set out to spoil me and did an admirable job.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday.  I pray that God blesses you in this new year.  Please continue to pray for our ministry here in Prague as we begin a new year, as well.  My life and ministry looks to have many changes on the horizon.  I look forward to an exciting 2013!

Nabor

The offseason is upon us here in Prague.  The junior season finished a month ago and, while preparations are being made, the senior season has yet to begin in earnest.  So what does a young football coach do with all of that time off?  Nabor.

Nabor is an interesting Czech word with really no English equivalent.  If you type it into google translate, the word will not be translated.  As far as I can understand it, Nabor is a series of practices that combine recruiting and tryouts and basic skills development, as well as some physical fitness.  At this point, the people attending Nabor are almost fully committed to the program.  Nabor practices started during the junior season, so some people have washed out. 

Our goal is to provide a base of skills that the new players will need once their respective teams begin organized practice.  We generally have all players do all drills.  We are not position specific yet.  Everyone works on blocking, tackling, catching, backpedaling, running the ball, and whatever other skills that are necessary to learn.  This also gives us a chance to evaluate players and see where they may fit best on the football field, as well as if they fill a position where our various teams need depth. 

Some guys are easy to evaluate.  Linemen are linemen, from size to personality.  This is cross-cultural.  A tall guy with some speed will inevitably end up playing receiver.  The tougher positions to evaluate and decide whom to put where are the linebackers, running backs, strong safeties, tight ends, and a few defensive back positions.  While in America we can generally look at a guy’s size and speed and determine which of those positions he should play, those boundaries are not so static here.  I can kind of understand how a junior high coach feels or a high school coach with a new batch of freshmen feels during the first couple weeks of camp. 

Lately I have been the only coach to come to the practices.  On one hand, it is nice because I can coach proper technique for blocking and tackling.  On the other hand, I also need to coach other skill sets that I am not as familiar with.  Nabor is certainly a learning experience for all involved! 

One of the biggest challenges for me is that we are recruiting for three different teams.  In addition to the junior team (high school age) and senior team (ages 18+) that I have written about in the past, we are trying to add a cadet team, which would serve roughly junior high aged kids.  So we have a wide range sizes, ages, and physical developments at Nabor.  For drills, it is easy to simply divide them up by size.  Most of them have a similar knowledge of the game, no matter the age group. 

One observation that I do have is that the younger players tend to learn the skills quicker during practice and retain what they have learned so that they can build on those skills in the next practice.  The older players tend to be more focused, though.

In addition to preparing these guys for the football season, I also get the rare opportunity to mix with them before the season and before they get absorbed into their various teams as a whole.  I see this as a great ministry opportunity.  I have been able to meet and get to know quite a few of them.  I can try to lay a good ministry foundation before football and the rest of the team distract them.  Football can be an overwhelming sport, especially for beginners, so for guys to know me from the beginning is good.  

Decisions

What follows is a post on a decision I made recently.  While I am not so foolish as to think that this decision will be particularly life altering, it does touch on a few themes that I think are important, namely identity, prayer, the importance of having wise council and having others speak into your life, and general priorities.  

A few months ago, after our Senior season had ended, I sat down with our head coach, Martin, for my post season interview.  Martin started the conversation by thanking me for my contribution to the team over the past few seasons and my willingness to change positions for the betterment of the team.  It was nice to hear such affirming words from my head coach, especially given that I hadn’t played defensive line since high school.  A little further into the conversation, he alluded to the fact that we will have a lot of young guys rising from juniors to seniors and the group of seniors that we do have are very young and inexperienced themselves, not just at offensive line (the position I coach) but the entire team.  I had been given a heads up that this was where the conversation was going to turn, but when he asked the question, I was still not prepared for it.  Martin asked me to consider stepping down as a player in order to focus more intensely on the young group as a full time coach. 

Midway through the last senior season my answer would have been an absolute yes.  Physically, I was feeling the wear and tear of playing so many years of football, combined with the stress of playing one position and coaching a different one.  At times, my body still feels the effects of the season.  Reason would dictate that I accept the offer to leave the field and walk the sidelines.  It is amazing how your decision making process changes when the question revolves around something that has been apart of your life for so long.

I had never pictured myself as a football player first in any aspect of my life.  My high school career was above average and I was blessed with the opportunity to play at Wabash College, where I learned more about the game than I ever thought possible.  I did not see the field much at Wabash, but being apart of the team was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  I certainly considered myself a student first while in university.  I never considered being a football player as being core to my identity in any way.  If anyone were to ask me my priorities I would have enthusiastically recited the "Faith, Family, Football," mantra, referring, in order, to the priorities laid down by many a player and coach over the years.  Yet here I was being asked to give up something that had been apart of me for much of my life.  What seemed like an obvious decision in the middle of the last senior season was no longer an obvious decision.  Another idea that died was the idea that football was not a core part of my identity.  

Generally, having something like football near (not at) the core of your identity is not a bad thing.  Problems can arise when that thing (football in this case) positions itself above everything else, God and family especially.  I think, briefly, this fact became true for me, which is why it took me so long to make a decision.  Despite the sound advice I was receiving, I was struggling.  That was the point where my priorities were inverted.  "Faith, Family, Football," all of a sudden became "Football, Faith, Family."  I became more concerned about Micah the football player than Micah the Christian.    Eventually, I realized that I had not prayed about the question.  I was too busy trying to rationalize a way to keep a helmet on.  A lack of prayer is a problem that is easily remedied.  I'm not going to say that praying gave me the answers right away, but I did feel more at ease with the process and gained some insight into the direction and questions that needed to be asked before making the decision.  

Once I got through my identity issues and prayed about the decision, I was left with one question:  How would this decision affect my ministry with the players.  Trying to coach and minister to guys is very difficult.  You have to be an authority, all while trying to be friends with them and maintaining a position to speak into their lives outside of football.  Honestly, the answer is unknown.  I believe I have enough capital built up with the guys I have played with here that not playing anymore would not be detrimental to my personal ministry with these guys.  Zach seems to think the same thing.  With that in mind, I came to a decision.

I have been blessed to play this game for many years.  Many of my life’s emotional highs and lows can be tied to this game and the people involved with it.  Most people’s football careers end after high school or college.  The high school activities association or NCAA says that you can’t play at their level anymore.  I have been blessed with opportunities beyond that.  This is a difficult decision, but one I am glad to have the opportunity to make.  I am also most grateful to Martin and Zach for allowing me the opportunity to make this decision, when they had it within their power to simply dictate it.  I am also thankful for time to consider the decision, having been asked the question in July and rendering my decision last week.  I am also blessed to have people in my life that I can ask for and receive 

After finally praying about it and actually listening to the council of those around me, I have decided to hang it up.  Wise council, prayer, and common sense

I am thankful for the opportunities to play for the Prague Lions senior team and to help coach both the senior team and the junior team.  Even still, I am a bit emotional about this decision. God is moving here on the Prague Lions American football team.  I am excited to coach one more season with these guys and am even more excited at what God has in store as we turn our attention to off season and preseason preparations.  

I hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I pray that God blesses you as we enter the Christmas season.  

My new official team photo.  

Junior Season Part 2

At the end of the season, we finally had a chance to meet the Panthers again.  This game had a lot riding on it.  If we won, we would be champions of the Czech Republic.  If we lost, we would have to play a tiebreaker game two weeks later. 

The Lions came out flat.  We started terribly slow.  The Panthers quickly grabbed the lead, scoring the first touchdown.  We fumbled the ensuing kickoff down to the five yard line, where we finally corralled it, only to be stuffed for a safety and a 9-0 Panther lead.  After that, our guys finally woke up and started to play football.  We scored our first touchdown, and then scored again.  We had two solid drives, with guys stepping up and making plays.  After the second touchdown, the opposing defensive coordinator called a time out to argue the call.  We are of the school of thought that if the opposing team gives you time to put in the fake extra point, you should do it.  We did it and went up 15-9, which was the score at halftime.

After the break, both teams traded possessions, with the Panthers scoring the first touchdown of the half just into the 4^th quarter.  With the extra point, that put us down 16-15 with the clock running.  At this point, I was thinking, “If I have to coach two more weeks and a tiebreaker game because we lose by one point, I’m going to be quite upset.”

Our guys responded with the best two drives of the season.  We scored very soon after the Panthers scored, behind some great blocking and a great individual effort by our running back.  After that score, we elected to go for two in order to go up by 7 points.  Zach asked me if we should try a short pass or some other misdirection to get the two points or just line up and run it down their throats, a silly question to ask an offensive lineman or coach. They blitzed, our linemen covered their gaps well and established a new line of scrimmage two yards deep in the end zone. 

Prague Lions Junior Offensive and Defensive Lines

(Side Note For those who are not as acquainted with football, when it comes to short yardage situations (where the offense needs to get 3 yards or less) the offense, especially the line, has to bet on their own skills, strength, and indeed their own manhood itself to get those yards.  It is a battle of wills between two virtually immovable forces.  You have to decide that you want those yards more than the guy lined up across from you.  The offense has more riding on the play because any stalemate is a win for the defense.)

That made it 23-16.  The Panthers kept the ball on the ground on their next drive but could not get a first down, turning the ball over on downs.  That Panther drive took a lot of time off the clock.  We got the ball back and went right back down and scored again, this time kicking the extra point to go ahead 30-16.  The Panthers got the ball back with under two minutes left and stalled.  At that point, we took a knee and it was over.  

The celebration started almost immediately.  After last season’s frustrating loss in the championship game, our guys were back on top.  The Panthers were a good opponent who improved greatly over the course of the season. 

Some final thoughts on the season:  We had a good team.  The guys who came to practice consistently improved a lot over the course of the season.  I do feel we could have improved more as a team, but in the end, we were champions.  Guys really accepted the coaching that we offered.  That was evident on those final two offensive drives.  Overall, I was happy with the way the season turned out.  

Championship After Party