Get to Know Meadow Penley

Ministry Description

At Word of Life Czech Republic, the interns are an invaluable part of the team and help them to reach Czechs with the Gospel of Jesus. The team is a small one, so all of them are involved in one way or another with everything that they do; however, there are several key areas that interns help with.

1. Teaching English as a second language is a tool the Lord uses to help us reach Czech young people. Though we cannot openly share the Gospel in schools, our interns are allowed to go into local schools, teach English, and invite all the children and teens in those classes to our summer and winter camps. This is a hugely effective way to be able to serve the community, bring exposure to our ministry through a positive testimony, and ultimately, share the love of Jesus. In addition to teaching English in schools, interns also assist us with a local after school English program that is run by one of the local churches. Once a week throughout the school year, they help us reach teens by playing English games, singing worship songs, helping with a short weekly Bible lesson, and building relationships.
2. Interns help us prepare for both on and off campus events that we host such as summer and winter camps, day camps around the country, local outreach activities such as an annual Christmas dinner, etc. The interns have key leadership roles and are responsible for Czech volunteers, especially during our camps. They are mentors and work area supervisors as well.
3. When not hosting our own events, we rent our property out to other churches and organizations in the country. Our team is the support staff for these events, and interns help us by joining us in cleaning, preparing meals, doing laundry, and helping to keep our property cleaned and maintained. We also rent part of our property during the school year to a small private school. Our interns help us with this ministry by providing lunch each day for the children and teachers, and other occasional opportunities to teach English or do seasonal activities with the students.

Learn more about the ministry in the Czech Republic.

About Meadow

As a child, I was not born into a Christian home. My family and I would attend church at times; however, I was never stirred on to have a personal relationship with Christ. I didn't even know what a personal relationship with Christ looked like! My childhood had a lot of trials, which left my mother, sister, and I moving a lot. So, when I was twelve years old, we moved to Coatesville, PA and started attending a church regularly. From there, I was loved on by that community and eventually was paid for by the congregation to attend summer camp at Word of Life's teen camp- The Island. At The Island, I met Christ personally and believed that He had died for my sins and resurrected from the dead three days later. I learned that if I only believe in Him, I would not have to be eternally separated from God. So, there I put my faith in Christ's sacrifice!
I wish I could say it was all smooth sailing from there; however, I struggled to find my rooting in my faith. I knew that I had been saved but I did not know how to live out my faith- this caused a lot of sin struggles. However, by the Lord's grace, He eventually drew me back to Him and I ended up at Word of Life Bible Institute. I spent two years diving deep into the Word, serving in different cultural contexts, and seeking His will for my life. These two years have been amazing! In our Acts class, the Professor challenged each of us: "How far would you go for the gospel?". I found myself convicted. Was I willing to do anything for the gospel? Cross an ocean, cross a cultural barrier, make myself uncomfortable for Him? From there, I felt the Lord put a pull on my heart and a call on my life. Through a bunch of amazing open opportunities, the Lord gave me the chance to visit Czechia for a missions trip in April of 2025. I had my sights set on Czechia before that trip; however, that trip only confirmed my burden for the people and my willingness to go. Now, the Lord is so kind in allowing me to pursue this!

Acts 20:24 "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Contact Information

mcpenley@wol.org

Address:
Meadow Penley
Word of Life Czech Republic
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870