Pavel & Klara Steiger's Prayer Letter

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, (Hebrews 2:1-3)

Greetings and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Last time we asked you to pray for our 6-week home ministry in the U.S. You did and this is where our thanksgiving begins.

We started in NJ at Seaside Family Conference just a week before the East coast was hit by the hurricane. The theme of the conference was from the book of Hebrews. What a blessing! It was a tremendous spiritual challenge for us. In the afternoon, during the free time, we enjoyed several games of mini golf and air hockey with children and adults of participating families. After the conference we had three free days to drive to Manchester, NH to visit our son, his wife and their children. One year makes a big difference in the grandchildren. While in NH we crossed the bridge in Portsmouth and stepped for a few minutes into Maine. The East coast was just getting ready for God's beautiful display of fall colors. From there we drove back to the NYC area via VT and MA. Back in the NY we attended home fellowship night, and the next day we worshipped in North Shore Baptist Church. Later on we met with the mission's committee and presented our ministry. The East coast part of our home service was wonderful, and we personally enjoyed some special friendships. There was only one flaw - Klara's time was about three days short.

From Newark we flew to Phoenix. We arrived about four hours late. There we were received not only with open arms, but also with keys to a beautiful TOYOTA Camry. This was a special surprise, since just before the departure we received the following message: "the maintenance supervisor here at the church has just told me that the missions car is not working properly and needs major work. It can not be driven out of town. I have tried to find another vehicle for you all but I have not had any luck." The Lord is good.

Once again we enjoyed our "home base hotel" at the Carl's and enjoyed the friendship which started back in 1991. Our first week in Phoenix was very busy, visiting churches and supporters. The following week we drove to California, stopped in Fallbrook and continued to Simi Valley. There we were hosted by a home schooling family with five children at home and the 6th in college. Klara's dream came true. She had a first-hand home-schooling excursion. What fun she had with all the children. Valley Bible Church in Simi consists mainly of home schooling families. To see the learning investment and study progress in the life of children and parents was exciting. This is one good example of how the Christians can effectively influence the world.

An unexpected meeting in Long Beach with the Booker's (they have served with HCJB for 30 years and now do mission representation) was reassurance that once a missionary you may slow down but do not retire. The Booker's called together several friends and supporters we have not see for almost ten years. Thanks.

While in downtown LA we had to get certificates of citizenship for our sons from our safe deposit box. [If you wonder why our safety deposit box is in downtown LA, here is the reason. It goes back to 1986, when we left for Indonesia and left all our important documents including our will in the safe. At the time we had no idea that we would not return to live in CA or the US. During our absence there was a fire, but fortunately the box survived without any damage.] Filip was recently asked for proof of his citizenship for car registration in New Hampshire. Apparently the passport is not considered to be proof of citizenship in NH. Both sons now have their bicentennial citizenship certificates in their possession. They were 8 and 9 years old when they became citizens, and their pictures are really cute (our photo's fell off). The day in downtown LA was lovely. Klara had not been there for at least five years and once again, she would like to have stayed three more days!

From L.A. area we drove to Menton, visited our friends we knew in Indonesia and drove back to AZ, this time to Tucson to be with Marie Taylor (she was the one responsible for AZ becoming our main support base). The mission conference in Canyon del Oro Church was fantastic! We had daily activities with other missionaries in the church and in home fellowship meetings. We met with missionaries born in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic serving in the US and Europe as well as with missionary veterans. We were amazed that the attitude toward the Gospel in Spain is nearly identical as in Czech Republic and other European countries. On Sunday we broke our activity record - ten events, including three communion services in two churches, three Sunday school classes, lunch, a visit, an Octoberfest sausage fellowship afternoon and a closing ceremony at a Mission conference. The most touching moment came when the congregation prayed for us, and missionaries prayed for the pastor.

The fifth week we spent back in Phoenix with the plan to conclude AZ meetings. How- ever the pace slowed down a little bit, since two pastors were on vacation. Instead we did some shoooooping (fantastic summer sales) and recharged our batteries in different churches attending on going specials. At the lecture of Phil Johnson, author of numerous books dealing with Creation evolution issues, we "bumped" into another friend from Indonesia with whom we had lost contact some years ago. This led to another dinner.

Fellowship with the New Covenant Fellowship which provided the car was very friendly, loving and inspiring. We are planning some future activities together, this time including a person from Germany hopefully leading to the Bible distance education on web.

WHAT STRUCK US MOST
First it was the incredible expansive urban and population growth in the US. We saw many new freeways, housing developments, shopping centers, and new church buildings, ...all this in the middle of economic crises and the situation in Iraq. This is in stark contrast to the situation in Europe where we as an "old age continent" with sluggish economy show signs of serious future problems. Most of countries have more burials than births. We could answer many questions and share the differences between US and Europe especially in the changing light of world politics and demography.

Second - many opportunities to learn and grow spiritually. The joy of fellowship in Sunday school classes of all ages was overwhelming. What an example of an unceasing desire to learn. Klara was in the Bible study group where the lecture leader was 82 and the oldest student was 92!

Third - the world of missions is changing. It is harder to gain church support due to expanding different mission outreaches - from local community involvement to short term missions and humanitarian help. Out of shared experiences we learned that more and more missionaries are supported by individuals. From time to time we feel that we might be the last "career" missionary generation. By some we are now called ambassadors or global staff.

To summarize: we were pleased that the new pastors we met during this trip are mission minded. For the first time we realized that they are the same age as our sons. As the pastors are getting younger and we are getting older, we rejoice that they are loved by their congregations. We praise the Lord that every church and individual we visited was a great encouragement to us. They expressed their love and concern for the ministry.

In Simi Valley we were given the new book written by Don Richardson, "The Secrets of the Koran". We highly recommend this work and think every church should examine this book. Don Richardson named one of the chapter's "An Auto-genociding Continent". This is a bleak outlook for the old continent. The United Nations projects Europe will lose 124 million people by 2050 … No terrorist group could inflict bigger damages than the European society has inflicted on itself through abortions and the single life style. There are about 1.2 children per woman in child-bearing age in Europe! As the Christian churches of Europe are emptying, mosques are filling up. Only the Islamic countries show population growth, and they are moving North and West (to Europe). European societies with socialistic ideas provided governmental services for people from the cradle to the grave. The result of the past 50 years of atheistic experimentation brought death to the nations and Christian heritage. In other words, the continent which sent thousands of missionaries to the whole world, became an example of the post Christian decay. The attempt to make things better and create Euro union with a new constitution, multireligous continent without mentioning God, is an interesting idea, but the European melting pot will be fired by Islam. Germany and France have now together at least 12 million Muslims who have large families. Once 10 additional countries join the European union in June 2004, Muslims will move freely into them, and with their birth rate they can repopulate the whole continent within a few decades just like in Yugoslavia's Kosovo. Europe was almost conquered by Islam once before and the price not to be islamized caused many years of war and lost lives. In the light of the current situation, we should praise the Lord while we have opportunity to have missionaries and share the Gospel. The days the Lord gives to all of us presents the challenging question - whose business is the mission to the world? This was the theme of the Missions conference we attended in AZ - it is Church's business.

OVERALL PICTURE OF OUR REGION
We are grateful for all individuals and churches remaining as faithful ministry partners. Our prayer is to have sufficient number of churches and individuals to become involved in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The results are not as obvious and easily accounted as in some other countries, but we are sure that the Lord has prepared many more hearts for us. Once again we want to share how it really feels to be Christian worker in this country:

This summer we prepared 12 mission activities and more than 100 of our church workers and leaders participated. By a definite miracle the Lord brought to us about 800 unbelieving friends. He provided tens of helpers from abroad and locally. We know that the numbers are not always important, but they are encouraging and reassuring that Jesus Christ is alive and He is touching lives of unbelievers as well as believers, who do not spend their vacation time only to rest. Although again and again we feel the pain that out of many capable and gifted Christians only a few sacrifice their time, energy and finances for His kingdom. In the same manner we are sad, that out of many hundreds we had contact with this summer, only a few individuals reacted to the Gospel. One of them, though not immediately, was a 15 year old named Paul. He attended one camp last year and two camps this year. However, he accepted the Lord alone, at his home, after he returned from one of the youth meetings. His prayer at the next meeting was the prayer of a totally different man. Before, the confident, self assured, know-it-all, cold hearted young man, was now a meek sinner in front of God, grateful that God revived his feelings, that he can be gentle toward others and recognize their needs. Please, pray for him, since he lives in another town (of about 25 thousand people) and there is not one evangelical church. He is not the only one in that town and once again, as the church, we feel a strong call to start a church right there. …Thanks for your prayers and support.
Viktor H.

Our next letter will come after the New Year - so allow us to send our love and appreciation at this time.