(Psalms 63:1-3)

September 2000

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERSAND SUPPORT

First of all we would like to express our thanks for your regular support, letters, postcards and e-mails. It should not be an excuse, but we often overlook proper acknowledgment.

TOSANOVICE

A very unusual sight - people standing outside of the auditorium

We had a quite busy summer. Only our Lord knows whether it was "productive" or not. He is the One who adds to His children, not us. One of our summer blessings was ministering to young people in Tosanovice. The second time within the past three years the campers had to be evacuated due to heavy rains and consequent flooding. It sounds like bad news, but the Lord knows better. The organizers of the Tosanovice camp and respective authorities now talk about an adjacent land to church property in another flood-safe town. The new property may become a permanent place for the summer camp that is usually attended by some seven hundred young people. Several hundred of the local adults usually show up for the evening program and weekend. This year, because the tent was flooded, people could gather only at the windows of the auditorium:

FRIENDSHIP

Klara is collecting stamps

Not long ago Klara was talking with several friends from different countries about friendship. When we observe hardness of hearts toward the Gospel of "good, friendly and cultivated" people of Europe, it breaks our heart. We live in a confused world. Very often Europeans say that American friendship is only superficial. We developed this idea further and arrived to the following conclusion: What Europeans consider to be a shallow American friendship, is everyday politeness which people in Europe mistakenly call friendship. Europeans are not as open on the first sight. Friendship is much more than to be friendly and polite. One of our dear friends from the time we lived in Denver (1979-1984) expressed this topic very well:

Dear Klara and Pavel,
Friendships, especially between Christians, are blessings from our Heavenly Father! I don't know how people of other cultures can have so few friends and acquaintances. I would feel so lonely without friends! Who better to share our joys, our sorrows, our pain, our failures and our successes with? God has given you and Pavel as cherished friends to me and to Dorothy while she was alive!

You have to be friendly to have friends. Trust and concern for each other is also a part of friendship. All this we have found to be true! God bless you as you labor among your countrymen and women. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we think or do! Keep on keeping on for the Lamb!

Love in Christ,
- Bob -

EXPO 2000
Because we truly value friendship, we were recently blessed and rewarded. Our friends from Hannover invited us to come to see EXPO 2000. Since we have journalist passes, this was an irresistible offer. This friendship takes us back to the times when we were refugees in Austria (1969). There we met a Czech doctor, who became another good life-long friend. He is grateful to Pavel for his radio programs and writings. They showed him the narrow way to Jesus Christ.

The EXPO 2000 theme is Human kind, Nature and Technology. What a tribute to man made idols and life producing gods like water, trees, sexual power, etc. How self reliant, how proud, how self-sufficient and successful is the world of science and human wisdom. One of the discussion forums was titled - Omnipotence of science and impotence of religion. However, the EXPO itself proves just the opposite. No matter how much of high tech displays, no matter how much of virtual reality, laser flashes, noises, speed and futuristic dreams, all are just pictures and shadows of an instant gratification and human emptiness. When we contrast the pavilions of Techno World with spiritual "vitality" of the pavilions of the Third World, we can see how the people are attracted to spiritual level of life. We could see how different kinds of religions played a major role in lives of millions of people. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, shamanism, yoga, ajurveda, dance meditation, ascension of our Lady and daily recitation of Koran was just a fraction of religious lore. At the Bhutan and Nepal exhibition were long lines. Visitors of India's pavilion were leaving with a red dot on their foreheads. In short, it was a quick trip around the world and Klara filled her EXPO passport with over 120 countries.

Hundreds of drummers were drumming for peace, tolerance and understanding. No matter how big the gathering and how many drums sound, there is only ONE answer for the future of human kind. Nature and technology is only a horizontal human dimension - mere existence. Vertical dimension is the only way to spiritual fullness with our Savior Jesus Christ. Unless we know the answer to question - "who is man," the humanity is like a boat without a rudder. It really does not matter if the passengers are on a raft, love boat or nuclear submarine. It is better to be in the belly of a fish than on board the Titanic. Mission organizations had a pavilion in shape of a whale and during the EXPO days they have a number of presentations. On the way back we stopped in Berlin and saw a small remnant of the Berlin wall. In most places there is a paved line showing where the wall used to be. We visited an exhibition about the History of Berlin wall and life in the divided city. It was a powerful presentation of not so distant past where the wall and iron curtain kept Communist countries and Western world divided. One of the most unique monuments to the World War II in Berlin is the church torso.

OUR WEAKNESS
As you know, almost a year ago, we expanded our ministry with Internet pages. In June Pavel said at HCJB European Council Conference in Switzerland: "What is not downloadable, it does not exist for young generation." This is a true statement but Klara adds that anything being downloadable can also bring one down. At first we did not realize that we created another full time position without adding another person. Since Klara does not speak the language of webmasters she coordinates what others are doing, keeps deadlines and monitors e-mail correspondence. Our life is hardly anything else but ministry related activities. We realize that this is wrong and not spiritual. This heavy schedule creates tensions which brought us near a burn out. Only prayers and words of encouragement kept us going. Klara took a mini-vacation in August to rebuild her strength.

NETWORKING
E-mail brings in new contacts. Some of them are really internationally exciting. There are two samples below. One is from Kentucky the other from Australia:

Out of all the searches under Christian Czechs, Czech Churches, Czech missionaries, Czech bibles and so many more, you are the only resource that came up. I find it amazing how God has not only used you to touch the lives in Prague and those fellow missionaries you know through your own connections but that He uses any device to connect the hearts of His servants.

In His Love,
C. G., Kentucky

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Steiger:
My words to you are long overdue. My wife, Eva, and I truly appreciate the Gospel work that you are doing in Christ's service here in the Czech Republic. You are both spearheading a work that is like a voice crying out in the wilderness -- the Czech Republic is a spiritual wilderness; the winds of secularism have left their scars across the land. Your work is bringing refreshment to those that have ears to listen and heed.

Alex P. Australia

We have another contact from Australia -Karel J. (of Czech origin) is a scientist and cooperates with Ken Ham's ministry - Answers in Genesis. He is also involved in Trinity foundation.

AFRICAN STUDENTS OF PRAGUE
Recently we had in our church four African students - believers. One of them is a student of Theology. They led our worship with drums. They are Kikongo, Lingala, Lontomba and Kimongo speakers with an excellent command of Czech language. We think that they can translate Sunday's messages of our pastor into their languages and record them for further broadcasting. We will pursue this opportunity in Ecuador as we look forward to the 3rd International Council Meeting in Quito.

THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL IN QUITO
Eight of us - four from Prague, three from US and Mrs. Kladensky of Quito will represent the Czech broadcasting. Our reunion and strategy planning starts on Saturday September 9, couple days before the official opening of the Council. Vladimir, our webmaster, will accompany us as well as our pastor Daniel who prepares children programs for HCJB for many years. Regular conference is scheduled for September 11-15, 2000.

During our absence the "International Money World Fund" will meet in Prague. We are sure that you will see daily reports on TV about protests as it was last year in Seattle. The Czech police force will get new guns - since the present ones have the tendency to accidentally misfire... On the television we have seen the police exercising and making preparations to crush rioters. About 30,000 foreign protesters are expected to visit the Golden City.

In HIS Sovereign Grace Pavel and Klara

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