Ricany, January 1998

DEAR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST

As we count down the last days before Christmas, our hearts and minds are filled with remembrance toward all of you. Saturday, December 13th, we enjoyed a concert presented by the Clara Ward Gospel Singers. We were showered by many blessings and while we admired musical talent, our thoughts took us back to America. As our eyes filled with tears, our memories wandered through Idaho, Washington, California, Colorado, Arizona, Canada... through many events, places and homes which were opened to us during the years. We could really feel the heart-beat and souls, sorrow and joy of the singers, longing hearts of slaves, refugees, immigrants, and countless people who found new homes and Jesus Christ in America. Together we can sing the new song about our home in heaven. We are looking forward fulfilling the words of the book of Revelation toward New Jerusalem.

I can see and hear singing while reflecting over the events of past days, weeks, months of this year. Thank you Alice, Dolores, Ruby, Pat, Rose and James.

The Czech Republic was blessed during the past seven years. We could enjoy the breath of freedom after communist oppression. Some cases of past injustice were corrected, former political prisoners were rehabilitated, number of properties and businesses were returned to their original owners in restitution, many state owned companies were privatized, many entrepreneurs started new businesses and services. We had good crops and peace.

Eight years later, the tare is choking the wheat. Some events actually reminded us Egyptian plagues as well as the Jews forty years of wandering in the desert:

Last winter we were hit by extremely cold weather; last Summer a grim flood covered a third of the land. Crops just rotted, mosquitoes tortured people and animals, and epidemics devastated the wild life. In November this country experienced the first demonstration leading step by step to a political crisis. The next day we were "stunned" by a cold-blooded murder of a black student from Sudan. This is not the first racially motivated act. About twenty non Caucasian people have already been killed and many more, including foreigners, have been attacked, beaten up or just robbed. We can watch documentaries about criminal activities in railroad stations, bus stations and subways. Open drug distribution, pedophilia and prostitution rings are rampant; not much is done about it. The number of household (within family) murders, violence and suicides is growing. Statistics show that crime committed in Prague is about twice the rate of New York City per 100 thousand people.

In May 1997 the Czech Christian Alliance composed of 66 local churches of seven denominations issued a warning to all Czech citizens. In December 1997 president Havel addressed the nation. For the first time in eight years someone else other than the Church pointed toward a deep moral crisis, pride, arrogance, lack of courage to face the Communist past, lawlessness, fraud, corruption, non transparent system of law, bureaucracy and many other ills. As financial skeletons tumble out of closets, the Czech people grow quite concerned. The collapse of the government clearly marks out the definitive end of an era in which the Czechs were forerunners in transformation of the communist state into free-market democracy. The dream castle of the velvet revolution, freedom and democracy built on the humanistic sand is dangerously shifting and will require costly repairs. We face early elections and only our Sovereign God knows, what is ahead. Never before have we heard from the president or other governmental authority, that we should respect God's commandments. Need for soul searching, humility, honesty and almost repentance was expressed but so many people just cringe when they hear of the need for moral standards. As the insecurity and fears in society grow, when politics disappoint, only the Gospel of our Lord can bring hope and healing. It looks like confrontation between no-moral-imperatives attitude and cultivation of moral code. There is a joke about the Civic Democratic Party that has the entire party falling into the river and the country being flooded by dirty money and clean communists.

Ministry progress:
We are pleased to report a more active spirit of cooperation within the local Church. This year we met a number of Americans we knew about but never had an encounter with them. • We just received an updated list of missionaries and mission organizations working in the Czech Republic. It has over twenty pages and each page has about 8-10 entries. • We do experience among our readers more mature responses to challenging questions and issues. • We are pleased to report that more Christians are becoming involved in radio broadcasting. The state radio, we are on, provides now five hours of Christian programming per week. Three hours in the evening and two hours in the morning. One Christian program on another frequency (not ours), is rated among the five most listened to. • We become more involved in the local church in Ricany. Pavel has eighteen Bible study lessons scheduled for the next six weeks. The lessons are well received and it is amazing to see, how people are grasping Gods truth when they have chance to ask questions, and be immersed into the WORD. Part of the lessons is taught in English. Every time Pavel welcomes few more students. What a difference! Our first Bible study meeting had just four people, last week we had about fourteen. We can see how hungry some people are. Even some lost sheep are coming back. In moments like this our hearts are touched. • And here we go again. Full of dreams, plans and major decisions. What to do first? We know that our primary commitment is the broadcasting and publishing. As we read letters from grateful magazine readers, we praise the LORD for the privilege and means to reach such a wide section of the population which is constantly growing. This year we added about 600 new names. • Klara started a monthly ladies home fellowship. First time with four ladies - two local and two missionaries. To balance the number we included children to reach the perfect number of seven and we shared "The Pineapple Story". It was a great opener. Next time we doubled the number. After some resistance to "Americanization" Klara skipped an offer to prepare the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We just talked about the Thanksgiving theme and it was wonderful. To be more authentic, we introduced real apple, peach, pecan and pumpkin pie. They loved the pie feast. Our Christmas meeting was attended by more new ladies in spite that several missed because of the flu. • During Christmas we are ready to invite to our home more visitors, groups and fellowships. We again learn serving Gospel and pies. The need for personal involvement is growing and brings fruits. We go back to the "Personal Renewal in Ministry" we attended in October at Balaton Lake in Hungary. The Paraklesis Ministry was found in 1987 by Jim and Judy De Vries. In their travels around the United States they noticed that very little was done to give personal support to pastors, especially to those who were hurting.

The most valuable activity was a SUPPORT CHECKLIST. We were supposed to name the person(s) in our life who:

1. Tells me the truth in love; levels with me:
2. Cares enough to hold me accountable:
3. Gives me the kind of atmosphere I need to be real in his/her presence:
4. Asks me the difficult questions:
5. Prays for me about what I really need:
6. Enjoys me:
7. Values me; helps me have a sense of my own worth and integrity:
8. Helps me reframe events, so I see them from God's viewpoint:
9. Helps me live with the pain in my life, whatever it may be:
10. Laughs with me:
11. Affirms that I am competent while also allowing me to ask for help:
12. Calls forth the best that is in me, evoking my gifts:

Most of us, missionaries and pastors, stared at a blank page. Many were weeping and sobbing. Loneliness is a heavy burden even when we are constantly surrounded by a multitude of people.

• We had several ups and downs. We praise the Lord for His blessings and goodness:
• We could be together with both of our sons, with Klara's brother and cousin and his children from Canada.
• We spent some time with our friends, attended some mission conferences and the above-named special retreat.
• Safe travel to Israel, Germany, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Central Asia, Poland and Hungary.
• Several reunions with family, friends, classmates, other missionaries.
• We were excited as well as disappointed by Filip's engagement and canceled wedding plans, but the Lord is faithful. He heals deep sorrow and brings new challenges.
• We could share the joy of new baby-boy named David. Pavel became "granduncle" and his brother, a happy grandpa.
• During the year we made several hospital visits, shared pain and mourned the death at the funeral of Klara's uncle. He was almost 87. Two years ago we celebrated his golden wedding anniversary with our younger son, this time we attended with our older son an old-time funeral.
• Klara's mother spends more time with us and it is good for all of us. We keep her busy in the kitchen. She enjoys all the holiday festivities, preparations, attends the Bible study and church with us. It makes her days full and more meaningful.

• Repentance and wisdom for leaders of Czech Republic
• Ministry impact and growth
• One of the main obstacles is related to our location. We are short of help because of ,the distance willing helpers must travel. The main problem is lack of available time to do anything about it except to pray. There are many parts to this puzzle. Recently we stumbled into an attic space which can be built up into an apartment and office space in Prague. It is a block away from Pavel's ,brother apartment building. It would be nice to find a Mission partner for this project. We are talking about 5,400 square feet space or 500 square meters, enough to finish two apartments and office space with recording studio. Housing and office space, especially in Prague, is a constant and very expensive challenge to all, including missionaries.

Let's pray that 1998 will change the course or curse this country is in right now. News from Czech Republic are not reported on CNN or other major news reports, they are important only locally, but we do appreciate your concern, prayers and involvement in this ministry. We will faithfully present the GOSPEL to the lost.

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