Ricany, December 1995

Dear friends, partners, and all of you in the Christian family,

Wishing you peace, joy and happiness at the Christmas season and New Year, were the lines on our special Christmas greeting we had prepared for you already in September while in Quito, Ecuador. It was a 1996 calendar with our picture. Everything was planned so well, but the bottom dropped. Rather, the box with our special mailing was broken. United States Postal Service wrote to us:

"The enclosed was found loose in the mails or has been damaged in the handling in the Postal Service ... We realize your mail is important to you and you have every right to expect it to be delivered intact and in good condition. ... We appreciate your concern over the handling of your mail and sincerely regret the inconvenience you have experienced."

Only 368 out of 1,200 calendars arrived to Tucson, Arizona to be mailed. For a moment we were crushed, but what can we do? We sent several Faxes to Arizona and to Ecuador, but that will not correct what happened or move the time back for us. After we calmed down, we decided to mail calendars at least to over 300 people in Arizona. Please accept our apology for the gap in communication and have a family bear hug instead:

We have twelve more days till Christmas and many deadlines. Our do-list contains recording of ten more programs for the Pilsen radio, record a New Year program in Pilsen, get the next issue of our magazine to the printer's shop, prepare and mail tax deduction receipts for all supporters in Czech Republic, and many more ...

As you know from our previous letters and reports, we have completed a very busy year. After we arrived home in November, we were welcomed by many pounds of mail. By now we exceeded 2,000 local letters and they are a great encouragement to us. We can see that the lives of many people are changed. Because of your prayers and support, we can share this joy with you. We praise the LORD for His many blessings.

As of January 1996, together with Trans World Radio in Brno, we are adding every Saturday two programs for the State Radio in Pilsen. In the morning a ninety-minute block, in the evening a sixty-minute block. The evening program may be a reprise or another program. Sunday program was changed from two hours in the morning to ninety minutes and sixty minutes in the evening. The same program will be broadcast with some modification on a private station in Brno. Our goal is to offer these programs also to the State Radio in Prague and Brno. Commencing February, and for the next three consecutive months we plan to videotape four lectures and panel discussions dealing with Creation - Evolution. Please pray for this undertaking. More exciting events are just in planning stages, like getting on E-mail, etc. We are very pleased and concerned for limits we are testing. The need for a full time employee is most urgent. To find a suitable person and additional funding is a matter of our mutual prayers.

Many committed Christians will tell you - the more involved in the Lord's work a person becomes, the more often he or she is a target of the enemy. So often a Christian will face hardships, hostility and danger. Without the Lord's protection and your faithful prayers we could not have accomplished all He did through you in the past five years. We praise the Lord for all tasks we were challenged with. Our hearts overflow with thanksgiving to our Father for a praying family literally around the world.

Onward Christian soldiers - today we don't hear this great hymn too often. I wondered in earlier days, what kind of battle we could win? R.C.H. Lenski wrote that some Christians "see the soldiers on parade, the uniforms, and the glittering arms and are eager to join, forgetting the exhausting marches, the bloody battles, the graves, perhaps unmarked."

Today I wonder not only about-worldly armies, but also about Christian soldiers. Many wars are fought but very few are won. There are still some countries where to be an army recruit is honorable decision. Proponents of peace movement convinced many that our world can be better without arms and armies, but wars do remain. Some Christians adopted similar attitude toward missions and focus more on worship than war. In some countries army service is voluntary, but service for the Lord is not.

The need for churches where missionaries are honored, raised and sent is overwhelming. We sing worship songs, we talk about the spiritual war, but there are too few soldiers who stand in front lines. It is estimated that there are about 140,000 evangelical missionaries in the world. I wonder if we have more worship leaders than missionaries? Somehow we overlook that we live in different than peace loving world. As we visited during our home ministry assignment many churches, we admired musical talents among Christians, the sound systems are up to date, churches have TV cameras and high tech equipment. Singing and music melts the hearts, pastors words inspire and encourage. Our answer to the mission call should be also encouraging, not to retreat from the mission front lines to worship service, but to regroup. In Christian life and service we have much to learn and seek the proper balance. Commitment, sacrifice, loyalty and faith are proven weapons of any Christian soldiers.

Only very few people have first hand experience of a battle field. Number of soldiers around the world is reduced. New ways of combat and tactics are being developed. Direct confrontation with enemy in front lines is left to special small units and their technology. As we observe the war conflicts we notice how perfect logistics must be to successfully support front lines.

Missionaries, the front line soldiers of God's army, need 100% commitment from every Christian and every Church. It is the time for everyone to examine personal involvement in missions. As we observed, most prayers and financial encouragement to missions comes from the veterans of the World War II. Most of mission presentation events is attended by silver hair generation. The older generation is used to listen more to the challenge of the WORD. Could any army or country expect victory in the war if the battle is carried mostly by veterans and musicians?

It is said that a front-line soldier is supported by a team of nine soldiers. However, in the mission field a Christian soldier involvement is eleven times thinner. On the average one hundred Christians support a missionary. To send off new missionaries to the front lines is not an option. It should be a challenge for every church. New technology is opening door to many new languages and countries.

It may take just a praying person to launch his congregation's mission outreach. We know a relatively small Phoenix church which adds a few missionaries every year. Mission committees can add at least one or more missionary every year. We need senders as much as the army needs recruits. Opportunities for new ministries and native workers involvement are being explored all the time. Missions and missionaries depend on daily prayers, financial encouragement, technology and know-how of many people. A wise man once said, "a plan is nothing, planning is everything."

We were privileged to celebrate the 65th anniversary of HCJB during the annual conference in Ecuador. We were not only closer to heaven, elevation of Quito is 9737 feet above the sea level, but we also enjoyed almost heavenly worship, prayers and thanksgiving from all of our brothers and sisters, missionaries who are the vital part of the vibrant body of Christ.

We noticed how we changed on the outside during the years. As His children, however, on the inside we are renewed to a greater love and appreciation for each other. The human body gets weaker, but the body of Christ's servants gets better and stronger. Who would have dreamed 65 years ago that the HCJB missionaries would reach so many people. We all are writing new chapters in mission history. We can say for sure, there is not a dull moment in our life.

Again, we want to thank you for your prayers, financial encouragement, love and concern you have shown to us and HCJB mission. Thanks to all of you for taking a major part in all that is happening.

• for unsaved dear ones in all our families
• for encouragement to start new churches in Czech Republic
• for more partners in mission work and ministries
• for efficient ministry to many listeners and readers
• that we can inspire and motivate local ministries
• that we can minister and serve all visitors who will come to see us
• that we can glorify the Lord in all we do

This year, more than ever, we were blessed beyond any expectations. We are happy to share with you all the blessings as we look forward to start the next year with more dedication, perseverance and joy to share the best news with all those who are still living without the LORD.

Please accept our cordial invitation to visit us. We would appreciate seeing you and allow you to see first hand what God is doing.

May the Lord richly bless you. Rejoicing in His service,

The Steiger's

Return to Prayer Letters Home Page.