Rícany, June-July 1996

Dear friends, partners, our brothers and sisters in Christ,

FAITH COMES BY HEARING is more true than ever. Good reception depends on many factors and we recognize how important is your prayer. As we gathered the first weekend in June at HCJB European-Conference in Germany we were excited to see the new opportunities in Euro-Asia region. This time representatives from nine different countries shared the Gospel progress by hearing. We pray that the next year we can add at least one more country where HCJB is involved. Our prayer goes for Poland.

Ron Cline was our main speaker and his wife Barb led us during prayer time. The topic of annual conference was the HARVEST.

As you can see our newsletter is this time a little late. Since we have the E-mail, we found out that our decoding software is different. We had some difficulties to decode the first edited draft of this message. There are other obstacles, like poor telephone lines and no access to our E-mail box. In spite of some troubles our ministry work is exploding. Sometimes we are breathless as we observe the Lord's challenge. Other times, we just take cover as we enter the spiritual battle zone. This time we will take you through past three months. For this reason we need to add another page. All this is a result of your prayers, support and faithfulness.

The first weekend in April we spent at a conference in Ostrava. We enjoyed the fellowship from both countries Czechs and Slovaks come together once a year. The audience is always eager to hear Pavel's messages. On the front row of elders, eyebrows were being raised again. Some congregations establish different committees to check scripturally what is being said or written. Later, they are grateful for the depth of the study they have to do--to prove that Pavel's inductive approach to the scripture holds water.

As always, during our pilgrimage to Ostrava, we made several stops to see friends and relatives on the way. We made two hospital visits. The person we hadn't seen for twenty seven years just asked: 'How could you become religious? Why?" The surrounding spiritual darkness is as heavy as London fog. People are rejecting the good news, even though some of them are courting terminal illness, old age, family and marital problems. Most of the people avoid the reality of death or dying. Instead, many are fascinated by reincarnation, healers, obscure teaching and New Age. As in America, occultism is popular among actors, famous personalities and medical personnel as well as among other educated professionals. Especially in atheistic countries the education is worshipped. It is sad to see how many nice people are being deceived. As Czech government was trying to convince people that economic transformation is completed, we are convinced that spiritual transformation (from atheism to paganism) and another shade of communist thinking together with abuse of power has reached higher stage. Recent election proved this. Struggle for power between Civic Democratic Party and opposition Czech Social Democratic Party is far from over. The Democratic party is ahead of socialist only by 3% votes. The next are communists followed by republicans who are strongly anticommunist. No matter what kind of coalition will be established, the cooperation will be difficult. Sad to say, Czech voters proved a deep rooted communist (10%) and socialist (26%) sentiment. The rest of Eastern Europeans elected 'reformed' communists directly. In our country they are hidden in other parties. Czechs often spoke about their country as the most stable and advanced model of transition in the formerly communist Eastern Europe. As one western economic commentator said about our prime minister- Even Vaclav Klaus admirers in the business community are whispering: "The emperor has no clothes." Our type of democracy keeps moral absolutes away from people's lives. Godlessness is ruling.

The Department of defense recently signed historical agreement with publisher of porno magazine. Czech soldiers serving in IFOR in former Yugoslavia under NATO are receiving regularly pornographic magazines at taxpayers expense.

FIRST AND LAST DAY IN APRIL:

Police encounters - around noon on the April fools day, we received a phone call from the police station. On the other end of the telephone line, we listened to a familiar story. "We are the Ellisons from Phoenix, Arizona. We bring you greetings from our church, Pastor Engram and his wife. Last night we arrived in Prague from Berlin, and this morning we found out that our car was robbed. Our video recorder and camera were stolen. Now we need someone who can interpret for us to fill out a police report."

When we met, the Ellisons were happy to see someone who could communicate with them as well as with the police. When the necessary paper work was done, we parked the car in a safe place to be sure that it would not be stolen. The rest of the afternoon we enjoyed a quick tour of Prague on foot. It was about the first decent day we had had since November. When we stopped to warm up, the request for a cup of hot chocolate remained unfulfilled.

Speed of light--or breakfast in Ostrava, lunch in Brno, dinner in Prague--that was our Easter Monday. The same night we met with Kay Arthur and her staff at the opening evening for Precept Ministry training. About twenty different nationalities and language groups met in Prague. Speaking of 'Babylon,' Kay started to teach in the hotel's dining room with one microphone. Her opening lecture was translated into Romanian as well as to several languages grouped by table. We could see that she was able to melt down all differences the very first night. I was sorry that I could not attend the full schedule. Our broadcasting deadlines pressed us very hard. It was a reminder of good old times when I was involved in Bible studies and different women's groups.

The last day in April is another popular pagan holiday celebrated here--witchburning night. Driving home at night we saw many burning fires.

VISITORS:

Among the most glamorous was the Queen of England. Her majesty and entourage passed through our town going to Kutna Hora to see the cathedral--and maybe some human bones. Just a little bit less spectacular, but rich in experience, was the visit of Bill and Sandra Quesenberry. It was another of those almost typical days. In the morning we met at the airport (the plane was delayed) and took a quick trip to Ricany. For lunch we had hot dogs and pastries we bought on the way. Our home was somehow "foodless," as we forgot that Saturday afternoon most places are closed. After a late lunch we took Bill and Sandra to their hotel, and we left for the evening presentation - Creation - Evolution. After the program, we drove to Pilsen to prepare for a live broadcast for Sunday morning.

On the second day in May, our Chinese friend Shen arrived. The same day, in the late afternoon, we were looking forward to meeting Pastor Engram and his wife from Arizona. As we were coming out of the subway, we 'met' another couple from California. Hazel and Warner had just been robbed by a pickpocket. None around spoke English. Since we were out with Shen, we offered to accompany them to the police. It started raining, and the five of us took the subway again. As we were boarding the train, the very same thief was trying to push himself onto our subway car during the rain rush. Warner spotted him and shouted: "That's him; that's him!" but he quickly got out. As we were getting on the escalator, another couple of thieves took an interest in our group. We spotted them, and I gave the warning. Later we saw the same 'operators' on the escalator two more times. Packs of pickpockets operate between the most frequently traveled stations. The foreigners are easy prey.

As we parted with Warner and Hazel we got a nice American "THANK YOU" hug. It sure felt good, and we are certain they felt a little better also.

MORE VISITORS:

Few minutes after we arrived from the HCJB conference in Germany, we had a telephone call. Our dear friend Vaclav also from Germany, a doctor with whom we spent five months in Austria as refugees in 1969, visited us. He is our faithful radio listener and now also a committed Christian.

Pavel's grade-school mate Joseph, 25 years later they met in Los Angeles, is retiring here. It looks like he will be almost our neighbor. Thus, we will be able to sow.

A family reunion in our home is a very special event for us, since we were separated for such a long time from our family here, and now we are separated from our children who live in the USA. Klara's brother with his family spent their vacation with both mothers.

PRAISES:

Mrs. Eva is a lady who was helping us for several months to take care of book orders. On her last day of work, she asked some questions and later we prayed together for her salvation.

Our son Filip is in LOVE. We have known Jana since we arrived in the Czech Republic in 1992. We liked her at first sight. Last year we exchanged telephone numbers and E-mail addresses, since Jana became an exchange student from the Czech Republic at the Kansas State University. From there the romance took off and blossomed. We are all happy. I even received a Mother's day card from Filip with note that Jana has good influence on him. We continue to pray for one more Christian girl as we have two sons.

All in the family? Recently we found Vera who will help to maintain our home and office one-half day twice a week. We just discovered that she is also Jana's cousin and her mother was our editor of the magazine before we moved to Ricany at Prague.

We have very busy summer schedule ahead. Since the summer months are booked as bed-and-breakfast, we can enjoy visiting friends and family without being embarrassed by spider webs or hot dogs lunches.

We had an excellent P.R. day in Brno. Finally we could do what was a long time overdue. We visited the radio station PROGLAS who transmits our programs. Also, we made short stop in Trans World Radio * What a brain storming we had! They are ready to break ground for a new office building * We will pursue a broadcasting license for radio network in several different cities. * Brno's Print Mission moved - they built new offices and we just arrived for grand opening celebration. What a joy to be again with the person we dreamed together in Austria about follow up ministry to radio listeners in correspondence and with tracts. Now the tract print mission is reality * Did you ever see two sets of twins in a family?. We did. The father is the author of Czech version of computer concordance. * In the evening we attended Jindra's big 50 birthday celebration. The feast was joined later by a visitor from Ireland. When he was asked if he would like to have a dinner, he replied that he had two dinners on the airplane. He said: "I would like to have a drink, but no alcohol, please." That took care of the rest of wine and Champaign.

The presentation on Creation or Evolution was finished in May. The attendance and interest was great. Actually, we may continue another series of lectures in the fall. The video taping will be available shortly, and orders are coming in. Speaking of creation or evolution, I had the opportunity to listen to the presentation of a professor from one of the theological seminaries. If he is teaching what he was presenting, it is not a seminary but a cemetery.

Speaking of a cemetery, we attended the funeral of a 92-year-old man who was from one of our most faithful families of local supporters. The service was beautiful. At the conclusion Pavel said, "I would like to have a funeral like this." The pastor gave an evangelistic message, and we sang several hymns. Later on, with his wife and daughter, we listened to stories of persecution and village rejection for being a Protestant. Two more people who were close to our ministry passed away. Milan, in his thirties and Frank from Canada, just short of his 80th birthday. We miss their involvement in the magazine publishing but we rejoice that they are with their LORD.

PRAYER NEEDS

As we started to attend the local Church in Prague regularly, Pavel was preaching Sunday after Sunday. He loves to preach, and nothing is too hard for him to overcome or sacrifice. Since our time is already stretched to the maximum, additional preparation for Sunday preaching was more than I could handle. Even portrait of president Havel fell of the wall during Pavel's preaching before election. From that time the wall is empty.

After more than a year of being near Prague, we sneaked once into the International church. My heart woke up again. There are women's bible studies (for six years I have missed one); and, most of all, people talked to us again in a normal way. Loneliness comes from the 'holiness and formality' of the local church. They became human beings at Jindra's birthday party. I truly miss an American informal atmosphere and JOY in the church.

Jindra's mother fell and broke her hip bone. Since the bone was shattered, she had a hip replacement and was recovering at home. Jindra took care of our correspondence at home. She was very cheerful and took one day at the time. Her peaceful attitude was great encouragement to us. After several weeks of suffering her mother died peacefully in her sleep. Her daughter Katka just graduated and she will work for father of the girl our son is dating. Can you follow the Christian world-wide-web?

Children's Christian awareness is low. When the Gideons present the New Testament (in Czech - New Law) in schools, many students are convinced that they are receiving an amendment. When East German students visit the church in the West part of Germany they do not know who is the crucified man on the cross.

Klara had an appointment with deputy minister at the Department of education in regard to Sex education. I have to verify more information but it looks that the government gave the authority to the principals and parental council (not every school has one) what method they choose. Several different groups of 'professionals' are involved in preparing and printing materials. What we could so far observe, the materials could be classified as moral endangerment of children.

Let us remember: Joy to the Lord is not presented only at the Christmas time. ...He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nation prove the glories of His righteousness, the wonders of His love.

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