November 1996

Dear friends, partners,

HOW TO START?

Well, this-months newsletter will require a little more effort to write. Klara is not around, and 1, Pavel, must do it. It will be different than usual, since we are two distinct people. I know, we are supposed to be one body. However, we still keep our own unique personalities. So don't be surprised. Momentarily I am a man without a woman, traveling around the Western United States.

HCJB held a conference of its World Offices in Colorado Springs. That's how I happened to be without Klara. During the month of October I am in the U.S. I am here a little bit incognito, with no time left to do all our necessary business. It would be impossible even if we were here for months.

Klara stayed in Prague - somebody must work - this is the answer I gave when people asked me - where is she? I said on a few occasions, that I feel like a bow without the violin, or like a key without the lock. I just wanted to stress that a husband and wife are one thing, one instrument, one organism, one mechanism, made up of two mutually dependent personal elements. A pastor, whose wife was not at home, jokingly paraphrased my saying, that he felt like a ball without a chain. Seriously, no matter how we look at it, our wives are the civilizing factor in men's lives:

• The Lord God Said, "it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. "

Our oldest son, who is almost thirty, even remembered, rather was reminded, to send a card to his mom - Klara, on Mother's day! By whom? By a girl whom he likes.

Truly, ladies, you are our civilizing factor. The major moral decay and repaganization of the Western world started by not appreciating woman's role as a home maker. She left home for the mirage - to feel more "valuable" and "appreciated". Neither have materialized! The results are catastrophic all around the globe. The family has lost its values. Consequently, streets, neighborhoods, towns, counties, states, all have lost their values also. The cell of any society, a God-designed family, was fragmented. What am I talking about, I digress. This is supposed to be our report!

HCJB WORLD OFFICE CONFERENCE

It was held the very first time in Colorado Springs on October 1 - 3. Almost all the World Offices were present. A meeting like this is very important, since the global HCJB World Radio strategy is not only addressed here, but also refined by feedback of its many participants. Next years conference will certainly result in concrete steps.

MY VISITS

After the conference, as Klara and I scheduled, I had to visit our Northern California supporting Churches in Santa Rosa and Madera; and a supporting Church way up in the Pacific Northwest in Tacoma, Washington. We had not visited these Churches in five years! In our two previous trips we had always covered our Arizona Churches, and two in Southern California (Simi Valley and Fallbrook). Klara told me, that she was not going to suffer such a distance in any car!

First, however, I have to tell you how our Lord prepared my car. Our son Vit here in Denver, found a car for $126 per week. Not too bad. Then I e-mailed him to look further. He discovered, that Alamo, near the old Denver airport, rents a subcompact car for $74.99 per week! So, my monthly bill came to $311, or only ten "bucks" per day! Flying would be much more expensive. That is not all. At the counter, I learned, that no subcompact car was available, so they had to give me, a red two-door Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. One can be fined only for standing next to that car. I have not driven such a cannon ball yet. This can happen to you only in America. So, I tried to behave behind the wheel nicely, like a missionary ... ? At each Church and to everybody I was explaining again and again, that it is not my car, that it was supplied by the Lord, it truly was, and I paid next to nothing for it. Briefly put, my missionary image was jeopardized...

Then, I started driving. I mean real driving!!! I had driven about 5,000 miles. My poor Klara, she wouldn't have survived this one. I , like driving. My route was Denver, Idaho Falls, Spokane, Tacoma, Santa Rosa, Madera, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Moab, Denver. I slept in a different bed every night except three nights in Santa Rosa, two in Madera, and a few nights in Denver at Vit's place, every day in a different bed. I would like to stay stateside for a much much longer period, and make calls to as many of you as possible. However, without my own bed it is fun only for a couple of weeks. Without my wife it is not fun at all. However! I have seen without her things, which I would not seen with her. For example, in San Francisco, I visited a submarine, and some veteran ships. I could stare timelessly at old photographs without worrying how she feels. I spent four hours simply on a ship. I couldn't do this even with my son Vit, who likes all such things.

WHAT'S GOING IN PRAGUE?

I don't know. Klara told me over the telephone, that our last Bible Bastion was visited by almost fifty people. Thanks to our Lord, things are moving ahead. Please pray for Petr Vadura. He is the young man with whom we closely cooperate on our broadcasting, publishing and now Bible teaching projects. God willing, sometimes in the future. he may gradually take over some of our responsibilities, when we retire to heaven.

Thanks for your prayers and financial support which are always critically needed. We all live in a critical time. It is a privilege to represent you in the field.

In His Service,

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