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.