Happy Birthday

                                Happy 13th Birthday, David

Short update

Thought I would give a short update to the recent events:

          -Debra saw the doctor again this week for the rash/sores that she has been suffering with.  The doctor told her to finish the medicine, but Debra would not need to see her again unless there is another problem.
      
          - About 700 Mikuláš tracts were distributed before the holiday.

          - My Bible study is finished -another very lonely person with many questions, but not willing to come to the truth.

          - Debra completed her Bible study, but no response to God's salvation.

          - James saw the specialist about his eye. The specialist saw no problem with the eye and said the tunnel seemed to be a mark in the eye since birth, just hasn't been noticed before now.


Thank you for all of your prayers for our family and the Czech people.

Thanksgiving

  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

 and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 100:4

 

We pray that everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day and those who are the "Black Friday" shoppers, did not spend too much money.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We had 16 people at our dinner table. Petr, Járka and their girls came to celebrate with us.  Please continue to pray for this young couple as we try to reach them with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

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Saint Nicholas Day (Mikuláš)

Saint Nicholas Day (Mikuláš)

The charming  (or not so charming) tradition of St. Nicholas falls on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 5th. If you find yourself walking the streets on that evening, you may run into a group of strange characters: St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (anděl) who represents the Good, and the Devil (čert) representing the Evil. All wear costumes. Mikuláš looks a bit like Santa Claus whose origin was supposedly inspired by St. Nicholas. All three characters walk the streets, stopping children and asking them if they were good in the past year. Most kids say yes and sing a song or recite a short poem. They are then rewarded with sweets, candy or other treats, which are handed out by the Angel. Bad kids would be put in the Devil's sack and taken to hell, or would only get a sack of potatoes or coal instead of candy - of course it does not really happen! The charming tradition of St. Nicholas falls on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 5th. If you find yourself walking the streets on that evening, you may run into a group of strange characters: St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (anděl) who represents the Good, and the Devil (čert) representing the Evil. All wear costumes. Mikuláš looks a bit like Santa Claus whose origin was supposedly inspired by St. Nicholas. All three characters walk the streets, stopping children and asking them if they were good in the past year. Most kids say yes and sing a song or recite a short poem. They are then rewarded with sweets, candy or other treats, which are handed out by the Angel. Bad kids would be put in the Devil's sack and taken to hell, or would only get a sack of potatoes or coal instead of candy - of course it does not really happen! The charming tradition of St. Nicholas falls on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 5th. If you find yourself walking the streets on that evening, you may run into a group of strange characters: St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (anděl) who represents the Good, and the Devil (čert) representing the Evil. All wear costumes. Mikuláš looks a bit like Santa Claus whose origin was supposedly inspired by St. Nicholas. All three characters walk the streets, stopping children and asking them if they were good in the past year. Most kids say yes and sing a song or recite a short poem. They are then rewarded with sweets, candy or other treats, which are handed out by the Angel. Bad kids would be put in the Devil's sack and taken to hell, or would only get a sack of potatoes or coal instead of candy - of course it  (the bag)does not really happen!

On Tuesday, tracts will be distributed relating to this holiday .  Please pray for those receiving the tract and that they would be willing read it.  

Happy Birthday

Happy 15th Birthday, James

Request for prayer

Thank you for those who prayed for ill church members and for the faithfulness of others.  This Sunday was a blessing to our family.  We would also ask that you remember to pray for Milada, she faithfully attends our services, but has not trusted the Lord as her personal saviour.  Her husband is waiting on his wife's profession before he is baptised.  Pray for Lenka, the school teacher that Debra tutors in English.  Debra is on lesson 3 of the four week salvation Bible lesson with her.  Pray for the salvation of Zdenek, he is an elderly man with cancer.   I was introduced to him by his nephew, a friend of mine. I have been able to speak with him several times, once in the hospital and again at his home. He says he believes in God.

Our family is normally healthy, but at this time we would ask that you pray for James.  We took him for his regular eye exam last Tuesday.  As the doctor looked into his eyes, she noticed something that was not correct.  James has a spot in one of his eyes that looks like a tunnel made by a needle.  We can not remember any accident involving his eye.  The doctor did not see anything left in the eye, but called for a sonogram to be done by a specialist.  James appointment will be this Wednesday afternoon.  Please pray that the eye is clear and that there will be no need of surgery.  Please pray for Debra.  She is having a reaction to something that is causing a rash, actually sores on her head, back and chest.  We do not know what is causing it.  She has an appointment to see the dermatologist at the end of the month.  Please pray that the doctor can prescribe meds to treat this quickly and  an explanation.

As we minister here in the Czech Republic, please remember to pray for our family members  and our church family in the United States.

Discouragment comes, but blessings prevail

With several people ill, others needing to work or those who were out of town for the weekend, it left us with the lowest attendance in our Czech services. It has been a long time since we have had this low of an attendance. Our English service was truly a blessing as we heard a message on prayer from Julio,  the  young man from El Salvador.  Please pray for the Czech people and for Julio. Julio will be here until the university's first semester ends in February.

   

Czech holiday

The Independent Czechoslovak Day is celebrated on October 28th of every year in Czech Republic. On that date in 1918, Czechoslovakia became an independent country from Austro-Hungarian Empire. From 1939 to 1945 the state did not have a de facto existence, due to its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czech government-in-exile nevertheless continued to exist during this time period (also under communism from 1945-1989). Obviously the country dissolved in 1993 when Slovakia became a separate nation, but the Czech Republic still celebrates this 1918 independence. 95 years ago on October 28, 1918 the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague proclaimed the state of Czechoslovakia.

Thank you

Thank you to all that have been praying for our Daughter, Donna.  She is doing much better, but still needs to be on the oxygen.  The doctor said that she wanted to see her again in one month, at that time they will test her blood oxygen levels again.

Two weeks ago for our mid-week service, we turned our attention to finances and what the Bible has to say about them.  This has proven to be a blessing.  Please pray for Jerek, Alena's husband, who has been attending these meetings. He has never attended any of our services, and as a matter of fact, has never been to our house for any activities.  It has been a blessing to see him come and to see the others participate in these meetings.  Please pray for open doors and walls to be broken down.

Continue to pray for our services, especially those that still need to be saved or baptised. We are continuing our memorization of the Roman's Road and will be starting a series on the encouragements found in Psalms 23. 

Prayer needed

Please pray for our daughter Donna. She had a C-section last Friday to deliver her baby, and was taken back to the hospital a few days ago by ambulance. She has fluid in her lungs and her blood pressure is very high. She had an ultrasound on her heart, and it appears to be fine, but she still can't breathe without the oxygen due to the fluid in her lungs.  She is also dealing with postpartum depression.  Please pray for her health, and for wisdom for the doctors. 

Big blessing in small bundles or ...

Big blessings can come in small bundles, but in this case a big bundle -- The birth of our first grandson. Elijah John was born at 11:47 p.m., on Friday the 4th of October. Weighing in at a hefty 9 lbs. and 7 oz. and 22 inches long, he is truly a big blessing in a big bundle with an enormous appetite.  Due to some complications during labour, Elijah was delivered by C- section.  Please keep our daughter, Donna, in prayer for quick healing.

   

 

And the autumn breeze ...

The autumn breeze is a welcomed relief after a very hot summer.  I am glad we missed it, but hot summer or not, we are still able to enjoy what autumn brings our way, especially in our services.  In our Czech Sunday school, we are continuing to memorize the Roman Road (Cesta Římanů).  By the first of winter, we will have finished our walk through the Bible.  Please be in prayer with us as we decide what lessons will be of the most value to the children (and the adults) at this time.  We have a few lessons in mind, just need the Lord's guidance. 

In the mid-week services, the ABC's of Christian Growth studies have finished.  Next month, we will begin a series on "What the Bible says about finances".  Our autumn literature campaign is under way and the invitations to services at our new church location are in the planning stage.   Please continue to pray for the ministry as we pray, plan, prepare and continue to move forward for Christ's sake.

Seeking open doors

     For some time now, we have been praying for an open door into the university, but have not been successful. As we continued to pray, we received a call from a missionary to El Salvador and his Pastor in the U.S. about a young man in the mission work in El Salvador that will be attending the English program this semester at the University in Brno. We were overjoyed to receive the information that he would like to attend both our Czech services and our English service.  Julio arrived the second Sunday of this month from El Salvador and he has already been a blessing to our family.  Julio has made a profession of faith and feels a calling into the ministry; in which he is preparing himself for the work the Lord would have for him to do.   Amen and Amen!

     Our return from furlough always brings open doors. Our Czech neighbours and friends always want to see our photos of America and of our granddaughters. They are so happy that we have returned to their country once again.  We have used this return and others from the past to invite many of them to our home for cook-outs and dessert.  This gives us an open door of opportunity to share the gospel with them again and to give testimony of the Lord’s goodness and strength. 

      Starting day of school has come and gone.  We are finishing week three. Using our home schooling and the ability to teach English, we are looking for another open door into the Middle school in Modřice, the village where we live.   Last year, we had the opportunity to speak to the class of ninth graders; we are asking the Lord to open that door again.

Home

Well, it is hard to believe that we have been back home for nearly three weeks.  we were greeted with much work to do in the garden. Everything had grown while we were gone and needed to be trimmed. The house was ready for our arrival with the exception of the kitchen floor, which was covered with ants - dead ants.  I decided to outline the kitchen walls with ant killer before we left in hopes of preserving the few baking items not used before our departure.

Our first service was truly a blessing to us. Everyone was in attendance, except for Mirek; who had to work. Our first Sunday was also "Back to School" Sunday and our students were looking forward to what Auntie (Debra) had planned for them.  This year, each student received a gift from the USA and we had a Luau after our services.

The Lord continues to bless our family and the work here among the Czech people.  The Lord provided another car for us. He saw fit to answer our needs and concerns with a brand new car -  a Peugeot W308 wagon.  Last Sunday, we were back into our old building.  The landlord is charging us the same cost of $110.00 per month(Sundays only).  This is a great blessing because the Czech people that are coming and our church members can pay the bill with the tithes and offerings.

We have been praying and seeking the Lord for an open door into the university for some time now.  During this summer we were contacted by another missionary and his pastor about a young man from their church in El Salvador that will be coming to the Czech Republic as an exchange student to finish his degree.  The young man's name is Julio.  He speaks English well, so he will take part in the English program at the University in Brno.  This past Sunday was his first Sunday with us.  What a blessing he has been to our family already. 

The boys and Debra are off to a great start in school.  James is now in the eleventh grade and David is in the eighth grade. Chemistry and Geometry are new subjects for us, but James is ready to meet the challenge. We will begin looking with James at universities in the states. We have a few on our list, but of course, the final list will be based on what James wants to study.

And finally, our home has been filled with many visitors, which brings us great joy to be able to share the gospel with them once again, and to also share the Lord's provisions with them.                                                                                                     

                                                                             

Furlough draws to an end

What a wonderful time we have had among the Lord's churches and our family. Being with our daughters and their families was fabulous.  Our grand daughters are growing so quickly, they are a joy to be around.

We are down to the last few days of our stay in the states.  We have two churches left to visit, packing and our final shopping trips. On Tuesday we will head to the airport for a 10 o'clock , overnight flight to Germany, then Home to the Czech Republic.

We would like to say ''Thank you '' to each of you for making our stay such a blessing and time of refreshment.  We are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for the coming year.  Please remember you are always welcome in our home.

Thank you for your continued prayers and faithful support for the work among the Czech people.

Our USA adventures continue

Since our last update, we have traveled from the Ohio valley, Tri-state area to Canada.  We took two days to travel the 1,300 mile trip to Brandon, Manitoba where we were able to meet old friends and new friends.  Crossing the broader into Canada and back into the United States gave us no problems or delays.

After our return to the United States, we have been to churches in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kanas.  What a blessing it has been to be in the Lord's churches and among His people. We have been with our home church, Grace Bible Baptist Church, for one week now.  Our church family is such a blessing to us and the wisdom that our Pastor imparts is just what is needed to strengthen one for the mission field.  We are looking forward to our second week here at Grace then we will be moving towards Colorado.

Our USA adventures

After much planning, preparing and praying, we had an uneventful flight to the United States. Our trip was smooth with an on-time arrival into Washington D.C., where a happy face was awaiting our family.

For the first two weeks, we helped my parents as they prepared for their move into a nearby retirement community.  There were many closets and storage areas, as well as a two car garage and a large workshop to sort through before they could begin to pack for their move from a three level single family home into a two bedroom apartment.

During our stay with my parents, we were able to purchase a mini van for our travels while in the USA and we were able to visit several of our supporting churches in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.  We also set off the alarm system in the storage unit where a few of our things are kept. - the boys loved the warning to flee the building.

We hated to leave my parents, but know that they have good help with my sister and brother doing all they can do to help with the next stage of the move.  We travelled to Michigan where we attended a three day preachers' conference.  The conference was wonderful.  The three days consist of five preachers in the morning, lunch, a short rest time in the afternoon, two preachers at night, followed by more food and fellowship time.  The preaching was great!  The food was great! The Music was great! And the fellowship was great!

We left Michigan and traveled over to Ohio where we have set-up a home base with one of our supporting churches. Last week, the boys were able to go to camp.  What a blessing.  James was awarded the "Senior Male Christian Character Award".  He was so surprised and encouraged.

While staying in Ohio, we have been able to visit our supporters in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. This Sunday we have the opportunity to present the ministry to a new church.  Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit the Creation Museum.  We had a wonderful day as a family and so enjoyed the museum and gardens.


On Monday, we head for Canada for a few days before we return to the states and head to our home church in Missouri.  Please remember to pray for our safe travels and for the condition of our nation and churches.

Sweeter as the time goes by

The longer we are in the Czech Republic the deeper our love for our Lord becomes. The love for the Czech people also grows, making this week a difficult week as we prepare for our summer furlough.  We continue to trust the Lord, and he continues to give us peace and comfort. Please pray for us.  There are always so many things to get in order before departing for the States.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound

Praise God, Sunday was another wonderful day.  The young men of the church sang "Amazing Grace" as Mikky played his guitar.  Mikky has been practicing and has showed much improvement. It was a joy to hear James, David, Mikky and Maty sing praises unto the Lord.

Today is a holiday in the Czech Republic, Liberation Day (Den osvobození).  This date marks the
Czech liberation from Germany at the end of the Second World War. Germany signed the terms of surrender on May 8, 1945, and the German army in Prague surrendered on the morning of May 9.

We will be having a traditional Czech cook-out this afternoon.  Sausage and pork cooked on the grill, sliced vegetables, bread, and of course Czech cukroví (cookies, small tarts and sweet breads).

 

A visitor from the USA

We have been blessed by Luke, a college student from Michigan.  He has helped with street distribution and has prepared and distributed John/Romans in the village of Pavlov. We also took time out to play games, to take a hike to the castle Dívčí, to view the remains of the fence used during the communist regime, and to walk to the Austrian/Czech boarder.

On Sunday, Luke taught our English Sunday school, gave his testimony in our Czech service, and preached our Sunday evening English service.   What a blessing to hear God's Word from this young, powerful servant.

After services, we had a cook-out. It was the first one this spring. The day was a little cool, but the food and fellowship were wonderful. 

Sunny Sunday

It was good to have everyone back in services today.  Alena and Milada are feeling much better and Mirek had this Sunday off from his job.  Maty was still coughing a little, but it is that time of the year for many people.   The sun was shining and we were singing praises to THE SON. We are now memorizing Psalms 23 as a group and still learning the books of the Old Testament. For the months of April and May, we are giving a Bible to each visitor.  Please pray that we will have visitors. 

Birthday celebration

On Sunday we celebrated Mikky's 11th birthday.
             Please pray for his salvation.

Sunday school fun

This Sunday in Sunday school we gave awards to all those who participated in our Scripture memory contest.  The winner in the adults group was Debra and the winner of the children was David Allison. David, James and Debra memorized the Scriptures in both English and Czech. Second place for the adults was Ján, 3rd place was Milada and 4th place was Alena.  For the children, we had a close race, Micheal took 2nd place by only one verse, 3rd place was Matyáš and 4th place was James.  The winner of the children's competition received a gift certificate to "Subway" for a large "Meal Deal".  Ribbons, certificates and gifts were presented to all who participated. Milada and Alena were not present for the photo.

James, David, Ján, Micheal
 Matyáš

Resurrection Sunday

Our attendance was low this Sunday.  From man's point of view it was a discouraging day with sickness, bad weather and those who forgot to change the time an hour forward, but our hope is not in health, sunny days or the time change, but in the risen saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please be in prayer for the Czech people. 

Low attendance

Please be in prayer for those who attend our services.  We had several missing this past Sunday.  It is neither winter nor spring here. The temperature changes maybe the cause of  many cold viruses, sore throats and flu among the people, those who suffer from spring allergies are not sure which would be better.

Here comes spring .... or winter

Just as soon as we thought spring was well on its way, we had one to the biggest snow storms that we have had all year. The early spring flowers and the buds on the trees were well covered in a sheet of pure white snow.  Fortunately, this storm arrived on Monday and not Sunday.  In Brno, the streets and parking areas are always a mess after the city makes room to push the snow into any available parking spaces and even onto the sidewalks.  Parking at the new location seems to be fine for now, but just in case there is a problem with the nearby parking being full, one of the merchants, and friend, on the same street told us that we could use their designated "customer" parking space on Sundays, when needed.

A place ...

The office space that we are renting is truely a blessing to our family and the members of Brno Bible Baptist Church.  Their giving has increased making them a big part of paying the rent. Our Scripture memorization contest is coming to an end with some amazing results.  We have been so excited each Sunday to see the competion amongst the children and to see the adults join in on the fun. Spring is very near with buds on the trees and flowers blooming. They are calling for snow, but we are praying for sunshine.   The winters here can be very cold, very long and quit depressing for many people,  causing suicide to be at its highest rate this time of year. Please pray as we continue to give the Czechs the truth and hope from God's Word.   

A snowy Sunday

The snow, ice and cold temperatures kept us at home this week.  We canceled our Czech services, encouraged each father to lead his family in a truth from God's Word, and desired to be in a warmer place.

On Monday, Debra and the boys had the opportunity to speak to the 9th grade English class in Modřice.  The young people asked the typical questions for their age, but the one question that stood out was "What are you doing here?"  The door was opened to share a testimony of the Lord and His truths.  The students enjoyed the "chat" session and asked for them to return again.

Winter services

Sunday was another wonderful winter day to serve the Lord.  We were able to resolve more of the small details in the new location. Services and fellowship time went smoother then last week, but we sure have stirred Satan.  This week has been a week of trials for our family, as well as the members of Brno Bible Baptist Church.   Please continue to pray for protection and growth as we move forward. 

New location for services

   

This week was our first service held in the office space that we are renting.  The space worked great for us.
Jan and Anička came early to help with the set-up and Alena baked two beautiful cakes for our fellowship time. Please be in prayer as we reach into our community.  The address had been posted on our Czech web page. The Lord is faithful and we praise Him for His goodness. They you for your support and prayers.

Family Photo

                          

                               From left to right:  James (age 14), Debra, David (age 12), and Jeffrey.  

                               Thank you Lord for allowing us to serve You in the Czech Republic.

                               Please continue to pray for the souls still in need of the Savior.

                         II Timothy 2:2

A New Year

The Lord has blessed our family and the members of Brno Bible Baptist church in many ways during 2012. We are now looking forward to 2013 and what it holds for us.  We started the new year with a new scripture memory challenge that stirred the children's excitement.  We are also learning the books of the New Testament, as a church. Of course, our family knows them in English, but we still need some work on them in Czech. Praise the Lord for another year to serve Him in the Czech Republic.