Czech Republic Work

1. Czech Republic Work • I went to the Czech Republic around 13 years ago, just before Slovakia and the Czech Republic split (1993). • Leon Mauldin and I spent a month in Ceske Budejovice preaching and teaching.

4. Lonnie Oldag was located in CB at the time, and we worked closely with him. • Lonnie and we used a translator named Jan Novak. • We got very close to Jan, and Lonnie particularly had a great impact on him. • Shortly after Leon and I returned to the US we learned that Jan had been converted.

5. We also used a translator named Mira Vokal. He was already a Christian. • During our studies we had several classes with a very sweet girl named Rose. • Shortly after we came back Rose was converted, and some time later she and Mira were married.

6. During these years, although I had kept up with the work, I had not been able to go back. • Last year Mike Morrow asked me about coming to present lessons of Psalms and Minor Prophets. • He felt the Christians had grown to the point they needed to begin studying the Old Testament more intensively.

7. Each year Christians from all over Eastern Europe meet for these lectures. • The lectures are arranged by individuals, and individuals pay all of their own expenses, travel, lodging, and food. • I therefore accepted the opportunity to go.

8. I arrived on Friday. • Saturday Mike Morrow and I got out and toured Prague via shoe leather. • Sunday I preached at the services at Prague. • Sunday afternoon I traveled with two brethren from Prague and Kesutis, a brother from Lithuania, to Kamenice where the lectures would be held.

9. Kamenice was located between Prague and Ceske Budejovice. • Each morning, Monday through Friday, I spoke from 9 until around 11:45. • In the afternoon, from 2:30-4:30, Buddy Payne and I had a question and answer session, Monday through Friday.

10. Bill Bynum and his wife Nancy and their children were there from Budapest, Hungary. • Lee Fenner and his wife Sondra were there from Lithuania. • Rudolph and Christina were there from Bratislava, Slovakia.

11. Jindra and Mysha and their children were there from Ceske Budejovice, and Mira and Ruzenka were also there from CB with their two girls. • There were three Honzas: Honza Novak, Honza Vlcek, and a third Honza whose last name I did not remember. • They were there with their families.

12. A Czech named Robert was there. He married Tommy Andrews’ daughter Tammy. They were both present. • The former first chair violinist with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra was there with his wife. • Steve Baxley and his family were there from Litomysl.

13. Of course Mike Morrow and his wife Tatiana were there with his wife’s mother and a niece that they have adopted after the tragic death of her mother. • One lady was there with her quite old mother from Slovakia.

14. There were many others whose names I cannot recall. • We probably had up to 60 or so at some services. • One of the comments heard in a prayer was “help us to show the face of God to the people.”

15. The church does not have a legal status in the Czech Republic. • This does not mean it is illegal. • It means that the church cannot incorporate, cannot build a building or own property.

16. The place where they meet is of little interest to the brethren. • They do not view it as any problem that they do not have legal status. • If they did have it, for one thing, then they would receive state funds, and they do not want that.

17. Their worship is scriptural, although more informal than ours. • Part of that has to do with the difference in number. • We have more people here at Eastside than are Christians in the entire Czech Republic and probably Slovakia, Lithuania, and Hungary thrown in for good measure.

18. The situation in Romania is probably the best of all Eastern European countries. • In many places these brethren meet week after week to worship with absolutely nobody to encourage them to do so but themselves. • Some of them have no preachers and there are no elders.

19. They also are always on the lookout for people with whom they may study. • They are capable students. • Sometimes they show immaturity and a lack of experience, but most of them are still relatively babes.

20. Immodesty is without a doubt a great problem, but it does not compare with the problem in most European large cities, such as Prague. • But I found the Czech Christian women modestly dressed. • It can be done even when surrounded by wickedness.

21. After the lectures I went to Ceske Budejovice and stayed until Wednesday. • I had studies on Saturday with Mira and Ruzenka. • Mira wanted to know how one found the right balance between a hypercritical attitude that is never satisfied with the evidence and an attitude that never seeks solutions to difficult questions at all.

22. We had services at 8:00 am on Sunday morning with 11 present. • After church I spent the day with Jindra and Mysha. • I studied some of the Psalms and talked about how to study with Jindra. • I attempted to advise Mysha about problems with her family.

23. Monday I had more studies with Myra about freedom, a sort of philosophical discussion. • Then we had a fairly extensive discussion of the canonization of the Bible. • I also had studies with Ruzenka, one of which was a fairly detailed story of Balaam, because she did not know why he was considered such a bad guy.

24. Tuesday I drove up to “the cottage” with Jindra and Mysha and their two precious girls. • There I gave Jindra a most thorough history of the times of the prophets and a summary of every one of the written prophets.

25. Wednesday I studied with Ruzenka, and she took me on a historical tour of Ceske Budejovice. • Wednesday evening we had a study with the church members except for Mira who had to miss because of a business trip.

26. Thursday I got up at 4:45 and traveled to Prague on the train. • Mike and I then went by Delta and got my corrected tickets. • I spent the rest of the day getting ready for the lecture that evening. • I put it on power point, and Tatiana translated it.

27. We probably had 20 visitors at the lecture. • Tonight you will get to hear that lecture yourself. • Several Bible studies were signed up as a result.

28. At 7:30 Friday morning, I got up and we went to a nearby museum located in the old house of an aristocrat. • He had allowed Mozart and his wife Constanza to stay there while Mozart finished his opera Don Giovanni. • I saw pianos Mozart played on, and I enjoyed that experience immensely.

29. We got to the airport at about 11:00, with departure at 12:45, and it was one of those fairly rare times when I wished I had gotten there 15 minutes earlier. • I made every connection, and 21 or 22 hours after I woke up that morning, I got to go to sleep.

30. After a trip like this, one thing I do not have to feel guilty about is the use of my time. • I could not tell you the total of lessons and studies presented during the time. • I think there is no doubt that the brethren were profited and built up by the work we did.

31. We need to be conscious of our brethren and sisters in far away parts of the world. • They have their problems and concerns. • I am still not convinced by any means that the pump has been primed. • It is still necessary to work hard to establish the cause of Christ in these places.