See pictures below Our first months here were an amazing series of God sightings – seeing God at work providing and guiding. Often, at the end of a day, Nancy and I would say to each other, "The Lord led here. A prayer has been answered. A stranger helped us at the right moment." The cab driver at Kennedy airport who served us so well. The skycap who went above and beyond at LaGuardia and was so happy to do it. At the police station in Svitavy where they served us even though they were closed, or a railroad platform in Prague, or in Svitavy’s city hall where they stayed open to meet our needs. The Czech Embassy in Vienna was wonderful to us as we applied for our Visa. God’s people are beautiful, but He also uses and blesses those who don’t know him. When atheists and skeptics serve others with joy and satisfaction it should be seen as evidence of God at work. Why should bodies of soulless molecules find pleasure in loving deeds?
While we feel many points of cultural differences, we have not been lonely since our move to Svitavy in June of 2006. Shortly after we arrived in the Czech Republic, we had a special moment after Litomysl worship Sunday morning. Retired Pastor Jaroslav Kucera sought us for a conversation through an interpreter. The giving of flowers and plants to special people and on special occasions is a beautiful Czech tradition. Pastor Kucera gave us a strawberry plant loaded with dozens of berries. He told us, “Even though your hair is gray, God will give you much fruit here.” He had thought this through, prayed it through, and came to us as a senior Czech church leader with his affirmation, blessing and maybe even prophecy. You can see a picture of this moment on this Web page below. It is the Litomysl Cirkev Bratrska Church that is our Czech serving and oversight organization.
First love International has been wonderful from the opening moment with them. First Love is our sending mission, or coordinator and connection with our 12X120 Team. We are so proud to serve with our international mission team. Dr. Tom Clinton of first Love has visited us and has offered great insight and counsel. First Love is essential to this mission work.
The Litomysl Cirkev Bratrska Church is equally essential. It was these elders that invited Nancy and me to come. It is these elders that hold the lasting passion for Church planting in Svitavy, Vysoke Myto and Moravska Trebova. How many churches do you know, of 100 people including children, that are committed to three church plants? Oh, and in this process the home church is prospering and needs a new building. That is 21st century confirmation of the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:25, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” This church has a budget for the Svitavy work, and they will provide the local umbrella of oversight.
Did I say that God’s people have been wonderful to us? They met us at the airport, helped outfit of flat, and have made sure that we lacked nothing we needed. They invite us into their homes and trust us with their prayer requests. Today a friend and core team member told us, “We were lonely until you came.” That is one of the most beautiful expressions of friendship I’ve heard – and they are Czech and we are American. In 1970 Nancy and I went to Utah to start a church and introduce people to the Savior, and we had no one to work with and no place to stay. Here we had a flat waiting for us and a core mission team ready to serve next to us. Or us next to them. When you are working side by side for the Lord it doesn’t matter how you express that unity of vision, purpose and commitment.
The city has welcomed us too. The local high school has rolled out “the red carpet,” and is doing everything it can to help us have an enjoyable experience teaching English in the school. We have about 65 students, ages 15-19 is my guess. Strangers call us for help with English and we become good friends. We have seven English classes, teach two couples, and meet with individuals. We are tutored twice a week in Czech by Radim. I take my turns in preaching and teaching the Bible. We have regular meeting with the Svitavy core mission team as we gear up for a possible spring church start. But we have much to do before that happens. We are also working toward next summer’s outreach opportunities with English camps and other projects we are thinking and praying about. I often tell our Svitavy friends that we have ten churches and many people who are praying for them, for this city – people who pray and give. That encourages them, and while they can’t see our 12X120 team, it makes them feel less lonely too.
Reflection: The Czech language and culture unite in a system of speaking to and treating people either formally or informally. The Christian name, the first name, is not used until you know someone well. By the way, they call your first name “your Christian name.” I like that. Do American Christians think of that when they name their children? There are introductory greetings that are formal -- Dobry den, and others that are informal -- Ahoj. I was returning with an interpreter to my Svitavy bank for the second time, and was trying to remember the name of the lady who had served us on our first visit. I asked my interpreter friend, “was her first name Jitka?” He answered, “It doesn’t matter. We would never use the Christian name in a bank.” That is because it is a business and is formal.
In the high school, when I enter a classroom the students all stand at polite attention until I tell them to be seated. At the end of the class session I invite them to stand, wait a moment and then wish them well and tell them to go. They walk out of the classroom quietly and respectfully, with a kind greeting for me on the way out. Can you imagine that in America? A little polite formality serves the Czech culture well.
As an American I have often broken the formal “use the surname only” rule. People are forgiving, but I can sometimes sense the tension for a moment while they struggle with a decision on whether to correct my American first name custom with equals. I may apologize or the moment passes and all is well. They know I’m an American and give me extra liberty and forgiveness.
After a Sunday morning church service I was in a discussion of these formal and informal ways of greeting people. One knowing person observed, “Oh yes, in America there is no distinction between formal and informal unless you are speaking of God himself, when you use Thee and Thou.” I let it go. I was too ashamed to tell him that even with the Creator King Americans no longer have any formal words.
Additional reflections: • We love Czech Rye bread • We miss smoke free restaurants • How do the Czech people survive if most things cost more here than in America? • Answer: Czech people tend to buy what they need for function and not so much for style consciousness or for accumulating more than they need • Gasoline is $6.00 a gallon • Czech service people work hard and pleasantly • All vehicles here are 5-speed stick shift • Czech buildings are designed to last hundreds of years • Our flat is 80 years young • Office Max or Staples could make a fortune here • Czech worship choruses have singable and memorable melodies • No one complains about waiting in a line • Bus and train service is a marvel to experience • Cobblestone are charming and practical • Czech waiters add the final bill in their heads • Sandals are worn ten months of the year – twelve for some • No restaurant is open in the morning so there are no breakfast meetings • In our Svitavy flat we only have 15% of the stuff we had in our USA house. Why did we think we needed that other stuff? • Svitavy was organized as a city in 1256 making it 750 years old • This world and these people are worth fighting for CLICK OR DOUBLE CLICK ON AN IMAGE BELOW TO MAKE IT LARGER
