Happy Birthday

Our youngest son turned 18 years old on Thursday 27th.  

                            Happy Birthday, David.  We love you!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas from Jeff and Debra

Ministry update

We have been back in the United States for three months now. We are striving to serve the Lord in our home church in Springfield, Missouri. I am writing especially to thank all of you for your faithful prayers and support through the 16 years we ministered in the Czech Republic. We believe the Lord did use, and will continue to use the Words of the Lord we planted in their hearts of the Czech people. Several people have contacted us to declare how much our time in Czech meant to them personally. We know some were truly saved, others may still be on the way to repentance, but God will receive glory and praise through it all. The Word of God was faithfully preached and we have His promise that it will not return void.

After a great deal of time in prayer and meditation, we are convinced that the Lord would have us establish a base in Springfield as “Home Missionaries”. We will work alongside Pastor Norwood, to build the work here. The church has an aging congregation that gives sacrificially to support the numerous ministries sponsored by Grace Bible Baptist Church. In order for this to continue into the future, there is a need to evangelize, witness, and otherwise labor here. At the same time, I plan, Lord willing, to be available to fill-in for foreign missionaries needing to take a short term furlough. There is an opportunity to return to Czech for the summer months to labor in place of another man who needs to travel home. This will only be possible if we are able to maintain sufficient support. Even though I will be on staff here at Grace, there are not funds available to even assist with our needs. Therefore, we are asking you, those which know us well and have supported us for many years, to continue to do so, should the Lord allow.

If our supporting churches determine that this is not something they can support, I will need to find a secular job. Doing so will seriously limit my ability to minister as the Lord would have me to serve. It is still our greatest desire to see souls saved and to labor for the Lord. We love and appreciate all of you, regardless of how the Lord leads you in this matter.

Funds for Shipment

     We would like to thank each of our supporters who sent additional funds to help us pay to ship our belongings to the United States. I recently heard from the shipping company. The container should be arriving in Chicago soon, and then it will be transferred onto a truck to be delivered to us here in Springfield, Missouri.

Family update

We are pleased and excited to announce the engagement of our oldest son, James, to a very godly and sweet young lady that he met in college, Caitlyn Hosfeld. They met in January 2016 and have been friends ever since. James proposed to Caitlyn in August of this year. They plan to be married after they both graduate in May 2019. (They now have their wedding set for May 18th 2019).

James has also accepted a job offer from a company in Kansas City. He will begin work there after graduation as well. James spent the summer with them doing his internship in software production as part of his education requirements. While James is beginning his senior year in college, David is just entering his freshman year. We rejoice in what the Lord is doing in each of their lives.

Back in the United States

     We have been back in the States for several weeks now. We want to keep you all updated as to how we are doing. We are enjoying spending time with our children and grandchildren as well as getting reacquainted with our church family here in Springfield, Missouri. Along with some much needed time for rest, prayer and fasting, we have been serving our pastor and church. I have been teaching Sunday school, as well as working around the property to help complete some much needed maintenance tasks.

Brethren, we know that only eternity will reveal all that was accomplished during our ministry in the Czech Republic. There were souls saved, families were disciple, and the Gospel was preached to every creature the Lord brought across our path. We rejoice in all that He accomplished through us. Every Pastor understands the stress and burdens that have to be faced when setbacks arise in ministry. Often discouragement, self-deprecation, doubt, and even depression can set in. In spite of these things, I am certain that we have completed the work the Lord had for us to do in Brno. We are anticipating direction for continued service in the near future. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

Our shipment

Our shipment arrived in Springfield.  Only at few things were broken; of course, it was the items we did not want to brake that did, so now is the time to invest in ''Superglue''. Just kidding about the glue, but all sincerity about our gratefulness to family and friends who helped pay for our shipment.  

Back in the United States

We have been back in the States for several weeks now. We want to keep you all updated as to how we are doing. We are enjoying spending time with our children and grandchildren as well as getting reacquainted with our church family here in Springfield, Missouri. Along with some much needed time for rest, prayer and fasting, we have been serving our pastor and church. I have been teaching Sunday school, as well as working around the property to help complete some much needed maintenance tasks.

We know that only eternity will reveal all that was accomplished during our ministry in the Czech Republic. There were souls saved, families were disciple, and the Gospel was preached to every creature the Lord brought across our path. We rejoice in all that He accomplished through us. Every Pastor understands the stress and burdens that have to be faced when setbacks arise in ministry. Often discouragement, self-deprecation, doubt, and even depression can set in. In spite of these things, I am certain that we have completed the work the Lord had for us to do in Brno. We are anticipating direction for continued service in the near future. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

Engagement

As of June 30th,James and Caitlyn are engaged. Wedding scheduled for May.

Jan Hus Day

Jan Hus Day is a public holiday in the Czech Republic on 6 July.

This holiday commemorates the martyrdom of Jan Hus in 1415.

History of Jan Hus Day

Jan Hus, born in Bohemia in 1369, was a priest, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague.

Inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe, which he helped translate into Czech.

Hus is seen as a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. Hus was an advocate of church reforms, such as using Czech as the liturgical language, aligning the church's practices with teachings contained in the Bible, limiting the power of the church to spiritual matters, and stopping the sale of indulgences.

His followers became known as Hussites.

He was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1412 for insubordination.

After being promised safe passage to attend a meeting that was intended to discuss the differences in the church, Hus was detained and put on trial. Refusing to give up his beliefs, he was found guilty of heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church and was burned at the stake on 6 July 1415.

During his execution, it is said that the pages from the banned Wycliffe bible were used as kindling, and one of Jan's last acts was to proclaim that a man would rise up in a 100 years whose teachings could not be suppressed. Almost exactly a century later in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his list of 95 issues against the Roman Catholic church onto the church door at Wittenburg.

Between 1420 and 1431, the Hussite forces defeated five consecutive papal crusades against followers of Hus. Their defence and rebellion against Roman Catholics became known as the Hussite Wars.

School Update

Debra is very excited to have finally finished school. Well, she has finally finished teaching our children their daily lessons anyway. (smile) David finished his final examinations just over a week ago. His graduation is scheduled for Friday, May 4th. So, in light of that, Debra has completed nearly 24 years of teaching kindergarten through the twelfth grade. I decided that she deserves a diploma as well. David finished at the top of his class, class of one but okay, still he managed to maintain a 4.0 average throughout all of the twelve years. We are very proud of what the Lord is doing in his life. He was accepted to The College of the Ozarks for the fall semester. He intends to work on a bachelor’s degree in the culinary arts. He also was accepted into the summer work program at the college. By working through the summer, David will be able to pay the entirety of his room and board for the two following semesters. Please pray for him in this next phase of his life. It is a blessing to watch him become a man. 

 James completes his third year of study in computer technologies this month. He will be working a summer internship with a company in Kansas City Missouri.

Traditions of men

Debra had a very interesting discussion  with one of her English students, Kamila. Kamila is 34 years old and grew up in a Catholic family. She lives with her boyfriend and is now pregnant. She was explaining to Debra how important it is to her family that the baby be christened after the birth. She is concerned that the priest might not do it because her boyfriend was not christened as a baby. Debra asked her straight out if it would not be more important to her family for her to be married rather than to christen the baby. Oh no, she said! They are not concerned about that. Apparently neither is the priest. Pray for Debra to have wisdom in these discussions.

Graduation

               Class of 2018

Knowledge of the Holy Homeschool

     announces the graduation of

David Blaine Allison

           On May 4th 2018

              at 7:00 p.m.

            Brno Town Hall

        Brno, Czech Republic

Tract distribution

Today, we started distribution of the "Judgement Day" (Soudný Den?) tracts to the apartments just north of us. Please remember to pray for those who will be receiving them.

Spring is finally here

Brno, Apr 3 (BD) – For most people in the city, the most pleasant seasons are spring and summer, when azure blue skies and comfortable temperatures become the norm.
Today, we can expect a high of 16°C and sunny skies with variable clouds, according to Accuweather, the popular weather website and app. The hottest days of the week will be Wednesday and Sunday, with highs of 18°C and 19°C respectively.
Except for occasional showers on Thursday, we will see mainly sunny weather. It would be wise to take advantage of the pleasant weather conditions and get some fresh air, as the following week is not expected to be as balmy, according to forecasts. The second half of next week will bring rain, and daytime highs are only supposed to reach 13°C.
According to the weather forecasting website timeanddate.com, the average daily high temperature in April is 16°C, and the average low is 5°C. According to that same website, the mean April temperature is 10 °C, with 13.1 mm of precipitation and a humidity of 64%. In contrast, the average daily high in the month of March is 9°C.

The religious setting of the Czech Republic

The religious setting of the Czech Republic

Brno Daily  March 22, 2018  Adapted from an article written for Brno Expat Centre by Ricky Yates. Title image: Casadei Graphics.     

Palm Sunday is this weekend, so this week Brno Expat Centre (BEC) is publishing their updated infosheet on Christianity in the Czech Republic as well as religious services for both Christian and other major religions.

The Czech Republic is frequently described as one of the most atheistic countries in Europe. However, the unwillingness of Czechs to answer census questions about religious denomination may result in an underestimate of the number of religious Czechs. While it is true that the Czech Republic is relatively irreligious, religion has played an integral role in its history.

For example, St. Cyril and St. Methodius created an alphabet which allowed the language of the Slavic people to be written down for the first time. Jan Hus, who inspired what is known as the Bohemian Reformation, was also responsible for the introduction of diacritics into Czech spelling.

The crushing of the Bohemian Reformation movement in 1620 under the Habsburgs led to the international diffusion of the works of the last Bishop of the Unity of Brethren (Bohemian Brethren), Jan Amos Comenius, an educational reformer whose methods were far ahead of their time.

After World War Two, the Church and its followers experienced a very hard period under the Communist regime. The Church itself suffered oppression, and individuals were subjected to judicial and less institutionalized murder, imprisonment and torture, and to severe and systematic discrimination.

In 2012, more than twenty years after the Velvet Revolution, the oppressed churches were granted final restitution of assets, or financial compensation for what could no longer be returned.

  Czechs and their attitude to faith / religion / church

Today, the average Czech often complains that churches are not very welcoming to newcomers. One reason for this is past communist oppression, which resulted in church congregations suspecting outsiders of being informers.

The second reason is the attitude that those who decide to come to church should already ‘know what to do’. Yet there is now an almost completely un-churched generation who cannot be expected to ‘know what we do in church’.

This negative perception is frequently reinforced by the local media, which emphasize the very stereotypes that people dislike at the expense of reporting on beneficial church activities or churches that are welcoming and growing.

Nevertheless, religious freedom and free expression of faith are now not only guaranteed by law, but also generally respected as a personal (albeit private) right, i.e. Czechs do not mind if someone is a believer as long as their faith is not forced on others around them…

Finally, Paul wrote, “God gave the increase”

There has been some evidence of true conversion in Martins life. Martin is my auto mechanic. Many of you may remember me mentioning him in previous letters. He always has good questions and even insights about life and relationships. Pray for his growth and opportunities to further encourage and disciple him. He is always very busy with work. We pray the Holy Spirit will work to change his  

priorities.

We appreciate and pray regularly for our supporting churches (family and friends), that the Lord would grant each of you a special blessing for your faithfulness to Him.

For souls still waiting,

Jeff Allison

Paul also wrote, “Apollos watered”

I have been spending a great deal of time teaching on the family and the Christian home. There is such a great need for this kind of instruction, not only here, but also in the United States. So many parents are struggling with their children, trying to make them behave and do right. Unfortunately it is the parents that first need to get things right, both between themselves and often with the Lord. Children certainly learn far more from what they see and hear than by what they are told. We continue to work on how to be a witness for Christ. How to share the gospel. How to open spiritual conversations with friends and loved ones. Isn't it amazing how hard the devil kicks when it comes to opening up to a friend about the gospel? I continue to encourage the people in memorizing Scripture and being prepared to give and answer to every man/woman that asks.

Paul said "I have planted"

1 Corinthians 3:6-7  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

We rejoice for the honor of being involved in the Lord's work.

Our planting ministry continues unabated, even through the cold winter months. We have been amazed at how reticent people are to receive even the smallest gift. You may remember that we printed and distributed a tract called “helping hands”. The tract was distributed along with a pair of mittens for children that didn't have them. The vast majority of people were not willing to allow us to give a pair of mittens to their child. Regardless of how cold is was outside! They simply “know” that there are strings attached. When we left a pair on a bench in the park and walked far enough away, it was only minutes before they were snatched up for a little boy or girl.

Bundle up:

Bundle up: Brno hit by severe cold as temperatures drop to -13°C

Brno, Feb 26 (BD) – Make sure to bundle up properly before going outside this week, as temperatures will decrease severely. Forecasters predict severe cold with temperatures varying between -1°C and -13°C.

Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a Yellow Warning for Extreme Low Temperatures. The warning is in effect until Tuesday, February 27, 4:00 PM CET.

“A drop in air temperature below -12 °C is expected. It will be dangerous to stay outdoors without adequate cover of skin. Little children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases should reduce their time outdoors,” reads Czech Hydrometeorological Institute’s website.

After Wednesday, the temperatures are expected to slowly increase. The highest temperature of the week, -1°C, is anticipated on Sunday, March 4.

February is usually the driest month of the year in Brno. With regards to the temperature range, the average maximum temperature in February is 3°C and the average min. temperature is -3°C.

John 3:16 💗💗💗

💗💗💗  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.💗💗💗

First public fridge opens in Brno

 

Brno, Jan 10 (BD) – On Monday, Brno got its first public fridge and public cupboard, the so-called ‘Share Point pro Brno’. Located at Římské náměstí, it is a self-service point where citizens can leave food and clothes for those in need.
There have been two separate initiatives behind this idea – the informal Public Fridge group and People in Safety s.r.o. The groups manage the operation of the public fridge and cupboard. Brno-City Hall (radnice Brno-střed) joined the project and supported Share Point with a subsidy of CZK 39,000 and provided the location.

Zeman remains CR president

      Zeman beats Drahos to win Czech presidential runoff

Anti-immigrant and populist incumbent Czech President Milos Zeman has won a second five-year term in a runoff election, beating his centre-left pro-EU rival Jiri Drahos in a close race. The outspoken pro-Russia, pro-China Zeman was declared the winner with 51.36 percent of the vote on Saturday.

Czech New Year's tradition -fireworks

1/1 New Year’s fireworks over Špilberk 

Spectacular fireworks are a popular tradition in Brno to see in the start of a new year, and 2018 was no different.

A prison shrouded in horrific legends, a place of valuable historical collections, a beautiful view over the city, and a venue of many cultural events held throughout the year, including fantastic fireworks shows – all of this is Špilberk Castle






 

Inner city outreach

Each year we also do an inner city outreach to the homeless. We purchase food, clothing items like socks, gloves and even hats. Included are always a Bible as well as gospel materials. If you have never personally handed food or clothing to a cold and sincerely hungry man, woman or child, you don't yet understand how good it feels  to go about doing good in the steps and the name of our Lord.  Last year we distributed 6 bags, this year 15 - does that tell you anything? 

Orphanage outreach

This is the first year we were able to get into an orphanage in the city. The Lord made this possible and brought it to our attention. Most orphanages are run by the Government and we are not permitted in to minister at all. This is a private orphanage supported through private donations. After communicating with the director I received a list of needed household items. We did not purchase gifts as there exists a separate “tree of fulfilled wishes” that is placed in the mall nearby. Along with the items we bought we included of course Bibles and gospel tracts. We pray this may open the door to further outreach opportunities there.

 

 

Wishing all of you a successful new year in serving the Lord

 

 

I want to begin by wishing all of you a successful new year in serving the Lord. May we do greater things through greater faith in the coming year. We pray the Lord's richest blessings upon every spiritual endeavor.

 

We ended the year here in Brno in the same way it began. Doing our best to serve the Lord by being witnesses unto Him. We distributed the majority of our newly printed Christmas tracts. “Jesus, the reason for the season” We went out on St. Mikulash day the sixth of December and distributed our tracts dealing with that pagan holiday.  The children are visited by  St Mikulash, a demon, and an angel. If they sing Christmas carols and their parents approve, the children are given candy. If the parents want to discipline the children, the demon gives them coal. This tract is based on the true story of Debra's former Czech language teacher. She describes how fearful she was leading up to the visit. She knew she had not been doing right and she feared that the demon would take her away.