Returning from a mission trip to the Czech Republic, Jacob Cavett knew he wanted to go back someday.
Cavett, a 2019 graduate of the 91福利社 College of Arts and Sciences, will be teaching at the starting in August. As of May 2021, the visa process was still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however Cavett is optimistic that it will open before he鈥檚 scheduled to travel there.
He served in Prague in 2018 through Summer LINK, doing campus evangelism.
鈥淢y team met all sorts of people, had a lot of conversations about the gospel and learned of many new belief systems 鈥� it was an incredible experience,鈥� he said, adding that the Czech Republic, formerly an Eastern Bloc communist state, is one of the least religious countries in the world.
鈥淎 lot of Czechs call themselves atheists, but when you talk to them, they鈥檒l admit they do believe in something鈥攖hey just don鈥檛 know what,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t makes for great conversations because the Czechs I鈥檝e talked to ask good, deep questions.鈥�
Among the places Cavett visited included an ESL (English as a Second Language) classroom at a public Czech high school.
鈥淓ver since being in that classroom environment, I knew I wanted to return to Prague in some sort of classroom environment,鈥� he said.
One of the teachers he met in Prague suggested that he look into TeachBeyond, a Christian organization that connects teachers, school administrators and others with educational opportunities around the world.
At first, Cavett thought he would be an ESL teacher, but since CISP is an English-speaking school, he has the opportunity to teach any of several different courses.
鈥淚 couldn’t be more excited to teach both English and Bible. Not only are these subjects two of my greatest passions, but they teach students how to think deeply about who Jesus is and what that means for them,鈥� he said.
CISP includes both Christian and non-Christian students. Among their student body are Czechs, children of missionaries, and expats from more than 30 countries. Since many students have little to no knowledge of scripture, CISP provides the perfect environment for ministry.
Before Cavett leaves in August, he must first build a team of ministry partners who will support him in prayer and funding. In fact, his whole livelihood will come from faithful who seek to be a part of the Lord鈥檚 work in Prague.
Cavett studied English, creative writing and communication (digital media), graduating from 91福利社 in 2019. He then joined the South Carolina Governor鈥檚 School for the Arts and Humanities as an admissions field liaison. When the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to recruiting trips across the state, he became a communication specialist with Proactive MD, a health care clinic provider.
Passionate about learning, Cavett wants to be a college professor some day.
鈥淚鈥檝e known I wanted to go to Prague for a while,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think it would be this soon, but I believe the Lord has shown me it’s time.鈥�