© Ivan Steiger MMI

(Joshua 1:9)

January, 2002

DEAR FRIENDS AND MINISTRY PARTNERS,

…as we were looking forward to commemorating the "birthday" of baby Jesus born some 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, we experienced a great joy on December 7th, 2001, when another baby was born into our family—our grandson. Our son Filip, our daughter-in-law Lenka and our one-year old grandson Samuel welcomed NATHAN ANDREW into their stable. Pardon the term, but their home in Denver has not sold yet. Their household is still there, and they are "camping" with the bare minimums in an apartment in Salt Lake City, UT. Nathan was a good size boy, 3.8 kg or 8.5 lb. Both, mother and child are doing great. We did not see E-pictures right away, since the hi-tech equipment is in Denver and the roll of film was not properly developed. Instead of visual examination we asked questions. In times like this we feel the distance and emptiness of our arms that long to hug this bundle of happiness.

ROUGHER TIMES FOR PAVEL
As the Christmas time was approaching, instead of experiencing all holiday adjectives and atmosphere we faced a bit rougher times:

1. With some of you we shared that Pavel underwent on November 20th varicose veins surgery. The procedure (phlebectomy) took over 8 hours and he got something like 130-150 small pain-killing shots (the same substance dentists use). For the next 30 days he was supposed to walk daily for 5 hours. The result is absolutely wonderful. Praise the Lord.
2. As if those pain-killing shots were not enough, Pavel underwent some dental work with more shots and discomfort since a small gum surgery had to be performed.
3. While walking, a piece of an iron fragment got into his eye just next to his pupil. It caused a very unpleasant infection and a lot of pain. He went to the eye clinic where the doctor surgically removed the rusting irritation. That, of course, added more discomfort to his life since he was, on top of everything, "one-eyed."
4. While all those three maladies troubled his life, flu gripped him! Instead of walking and taking care of his leg and patched eye, he became bed ridden…
5. Another pre-Christmas "excitement" came in a change of the "expert tax law" that applied for some foreigners like us. Since January 1, 2001 our US income will be taxed here in CZ as well. We do not know the exact "loss" but about a third of our income will be gone…
6. The latest blood chilling moment came when Pavel accepted a small, certified package with the following message: "I am sending some powder agent for wine purification. I hope it will work! Your Josifek." Several years ago we wrote an article about wine drinking and the Bible. A number of people were quite unhappy about that issue. Alcoholic wine is used here for communion and any idea of non-alcoholic option is often offensive. The note and package with white powder was scary, especially since we published and placed on the Internet lately a lot of material concerning Islam. When the anthrax fright came in the US, we were joking that one day we will receive a strange package, too. This "was the day" for Pavel and Jindra. Klara knew that we would receive a package for Pavel's brother, Ivan, but she had not mentioned that, since she assumed that the package would be addressed to Ivan. At the moment of delivery and opening the package, she was in the other apartment preparing lunch…

Just before the leg surgery Pavel preached on Job. Thus he repeated during his ordeal in his heart all the time Job's words:
…Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?… (Job 2:10)

OUR PROJECTS NEVER END
We admit that this year our work-load got somehow out of hand. No matter how well we plan our days and use every minute, it is impossible to beat the deadlines. More and more projects stayed unfinished. Our long-term problem is that we are incurable project makers.

And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:2)

GABI—OUR LATEST BLESSING
More than a year ago we accepted a great administrative responsibility for radio ministry work that was done for 25 years in Quito, Ecuador. Once more we were in a situation of additional ministry work and responsibility with a minimum of help. We do admit that we are getting older and ministry gets more and more involved. Again, we faced a dead end situation…

And the Lord provided Gabi. We have known her for years. Previously she worked for several years in Readers Digest. For some reason she felt that she had reached the top of the challenge in Readers Digest and left to find a more challenging position and advance her carrier. This happened about two years ago.

When we met her last time, she was without a job and considered relocating back to her native Slovakia. Klara said to her: "Gabi, if you can find half of the support, we would like to have you on our team." What an offer! Our helpers make hardly an average income and here we offer her half of sub-average compensation. They work long hours and do a lot of work. Gabi said: "I will think about it." She did and a week later she said: "yes." Her job description is Radio Broadcasting Coordinator.

About ten days later after we signed the employment contract with Gabi, she got another offer with triple salary. We gulped for air. Gabi started with us so well. Just to name a few of her qualifications:

1. She is a Slovak by birth and holds both, Czech and Slovak citizenship. Her Czech and Slovak are flawless. This is good since we produce our magazine in both languages;
2. Her English is excellent. She can speak well and translate from English again to both Czech and Slovak.
3. She has very good experience from working for the Readers Digest magazine. She is a self-starter. She loves the Lord. Simply, she has the heart of a joyful servant.

From our human understanding this is a miracle. She is a single lady with no husband to support her financially. The salary we have been giving her cannot pay her bills. In spite of it she decided to serve in our small, understaffed office. In short we realize what a treasure the Lord has provided.

Within a few months we would like her to become the coordinator between program production for Quito and our office. At this time she creates a computer database of all the audio programs we have in our office. This digitized archive will contain at the beginning about 650 radio programs. The next step is to contact pastors and new speakers who could create Czech and Slovak programs for HCJB.

If you are moved by our Lord to help Gabi with her monthly bills, please mail your tax-deductable gift to: HCJB World Radio PO Box 39800 Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9800 Attach a note: For Czech Projects, Acct. #500-577850

ANOTHER BLESSING
At the same time when Gabi started to work with us, another helping hand joined us. Mirka, mother of our daughter-in-law-became a volunteer once a week. Now two grandmas are working side by side. Mirka's help was crucial during our year-end mailing. Over 1000 letters and inserts were packed and mailed. Mirka is taking care of HCJB listeners mailing agenda. We have so many sorting keys what to mail to whom—it is mind-boggling.

MUCH WAS ACCOMPLISHED
In the meantime Vladimir and Pavel technically resolved the automatic Internet downloading of Quito Czech and Slovak programs to our Internet server here in Prague. Our listeners used to be constrained by broadcasting time-schedule whether they listened short wave or live stream on Internet. Not anymore! Now they can listen to our Czech and Slovak HCJB programs on Internet anywhere in the world and anytime! The technical quality of the broadcast is incomparably better on Internet than short wave. They can listen not only to "today's" program, but they can open and listen to an entire archive of our programs. They can go back days, weeks, months and soon years. The archive will grow every day by one program. It is amazing. This special Czech service is in addition to regular Internet live streaming where one can listen to HCJB in many different languages. We have now individualized radio access for 24 hours a day. It was a great test of our faith and endurance. This is our way to say Merry Christmas to the Czech and Slovak people wherever they are on the globe. We are E-mailing hundreds of people about this new feature on our website. We hope that they will E-mail their friends. The first two reactions on the next day:

• Hallelujah! This is unbelievable! You are really a year ahead of the entire HCJB. Once more—thanks. (Texas)
• Thanks, I have tried it. It's wonderful. (Prague)

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:
Klara's great desire is to cultivate friendships and communication with people and not be absorbed only by work.

Lately we neglected this part of our ministry. She shared this deficiency with a few other people, and was encouraged by the following E-mail message:

God Bless you, …it is interesting that you should mention that we tend to get wrapped up in our work or ministry and not in people. I have been thinking the same thing. Maybe God is speaking to us to redeem our time by building relationships with each other and those whom we are in contact with. Anyway it is a thought. I have been convicted of that by elders that are on the church board with me that I don't even really know on a personal level. I am resolved to change that this coming year call it a new years resolution.

THINGS THAT LIMIT US
The postage rate went up again and, basically, the printed matter mailing does not require a minimum circulation of 7000 individual addresses. We are considering reducing the number of magazines we mail out. We will continue only with those readers who communicate with us. Since the Slovak distribution is facing a financial deficiency due to rising costs as well, we may discontinue the Slovak language version. Instead we will provide the Czech magazine to Slovak readers. This could stabilize our budget and lift some of the work load from our shoulders as well. It is a painful decision, but we prayerfully sought answers and this seems to be the most reasonable one.
About a month ago we stopped translating the HCJB English news from the Christian world. Instead the news is on the web pages in its original form. Many Internet users know English, and they can benefit from the English service.

PRAISES:

• For His kindness, care and protection during the whole year.
• After some difficult times and clergy pressure in the ministry, we rejoice that our bond with people we minister to is stronger than ever.
• For an extremely busy year and many tasks accomplished. We are exhausted. The Lord is talking to our hearts, and we need to slow down.

NEXT EVENT:
We promised to some supporting churches in Arizona that we would join them during their mission conferences this spring. We were hoping to do home ministry for about three months and visit some churches we did not see for years. Under the circumstances we are modifying our plans. As of now it looks that Pavel will go by himself, and Klara may join him later for a couple of weeks.

PRAYER NEEDS:

• Our physical and spiritual health, endurance and balance between work and time to rest.
• That the Lord will help all of us to find support for Gabi and her financial needs.
• Filip & Lenka—sale of their house in Denver
• Home ministry travel schedule for Pavel and car for that time.
• We asked another person to volunteer with correspondence files. We have hundreds of beautiful letters with testimonies, notes of encouragement which are just stored in boxes. We would like to get those treasures sorted and use them that they can become blessings for others.

OUR WISH:
To see our new grandson and his older brother, in other word, to see our kids. It is difficult to be far away when such important things are happening.

IN HIS GRACE Pavel and Klara

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