Prague Through Their Eyes

With two girls home from college, yesterday was a day for a mom and daughter trip to Prague.

Claire and Hannah have known each other most of their lives as kids who grew up here in Czech alongside our two families who serve with JV.

Hannah will be a senior at BIOLA this year, and Claire a sophomore at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

Both girls have been away from their home in Czech for a while: Hannah for two years and Claire for one. They love the places that God has them in now and talk excitedly about their lives there.

But being third culture kids growing up here, they also have a unique love and bond with this country.

It's not only the homes and towns they grew up in, but they feel a bond with Prague as well.

Coming home just wouldn't be the same if they didn't get to be in their hometowns and in Prague.

I'm so glad it worked out for us to all go there together. It was just about as perfect of a day as it gets to walk the city, experiencing Prague with them:

Coming into Staré Město and hearing their squeals of delight over the breathtaking beauty of the old clock tower, first built in 1410.

Seeing the backdrop of gorgeous old buildings with the classic city trams criss-crossing in front of them.

Making the trek up the hill to the castle gardens that overlook the city of a hundred spires.

They actually say there are five hundred! See HERE for more info!

Everywhere we turned in Prague there was truly a feast for the eyes and soul.

Hannah and Claire soaked that in as we walked for almost seven hours straight enjoying this beloved city.

Of course you can't live on beauty alone.

A stop for take-out Thai food to eat on Václavské Náměstí was a must!

Ever the moms, we sure loved giving our daughters a special day reconnecting to their roots here.

As the day wound down and we finished eating take-out on the square before hurrying to catch a train home, I thought about another one of our JV Kids who is here in Europe this summer doing an internship with JV.

Jacob wrote a wonderful blog post called "Home: A Heart in Many Places," describing the dilemma of every third culture kids so well. It's definitely worth a read.

"Home is nowhere and everywhere," he said.

I realized that yesterday we spent the day in one of Hannah and Claire's homes (and I must say, I feel like it's one of mine too).

No, it's not the place where we live. But it's a place we definitely all feel a certain tug in our hearts to go to, and a certain wistfulness when it's time to leave.

It's a special place. Not just because of its beauty, but because it's part of who we are as we live in this country and share our lives and the Gospel.

**Thanks Claire for carrying your camera around all day and capturing these photos!**

For Claire's sweet perspective on the day click HERE