On the Road Again

Our new family picture

The CEE Summit takes place in Sherwood, AR next week. Preston is there now preparing to present the needs of CEE to churches and pastors who are interested in partnering with us. It's a great opportunity. Please pray for a good response and many volunteers to catch a vision for winning the lost!

While in Arkansas Preston will be preaching at Fellowship Baptist Church in Batesville. This was the first church where we served. He's excited about the opportunity to see friends again. Sunday night he will be with more friends--these served with us in Romania--at their church. After the meetings he will spend a few days with his mom. Please pray for him during his travels.

My English class continues to go well. God is giving me one-on-one time with my students right now. Last week was Gabriela. To read about my time with her, click here.

I also wanted to share one more article with you about what God is doing in the Czech Republic. Your prayers are accomplishing much.

Czechs Begin to Show Interest in the Gospel

Steve boarded the train expecting an uneventful ride to the capital city of Prague, but soon after departure a man in his cabin took out a bible and began reading. When Steve asked him what he was reading and why, he told Steve that he wanted to know about Jesus. “Holy Cow,” Steve said. “We had a 20-minute conversation about who Jesus is.”

This sort of thing just doesn’t happen in the Czech Republic—called the secular capital of Eastern Europe by some. However, as droves of teams have prayer walked and missionaries have fasted and prayed for breakthrough, God has begun doing something amazing.

Jiri Bohacek is a native church planter in Prague who is trying to reach people with the Gospel through adult English classes. Karen, leader of the advanced conversation group, shared that the women in her class are initiating discussions on spiritual matters and asking a lot of questions.

“I was explaining about Jesus’ resurrection but had to stop half-way through because we ran out of time—and it was an hour-and-a-half class.” Karen said. “When we started talking about Jesus being the only way to God, the discussion really got lively.”

Jiri is excited about this new openness to spiritual matters among his people.

“A few years ago when we were trying to reach people through a bible discussion group, they were totally uninterested in spiritual things, and I was so discouraged,” Jiri said. “But now, God is doing big things in peoples’ hearts. It is so fantastic. I am sure our prayers are being answered.”

Harold Johnson, a missionary in Eastern Czech Republic, gave out flyers around Christmas offering a New Testament CD and a pocket-size New Testament. Over 130 Czechs responded asking for Bibles and CD’s, and many even wrote letters of thanks. Steve Warren, Strategy Coordinator for the city of Prague launched a new evangelistic website and received over 1000 hits in January alone with multiple downloads.

Larry and Melissa Lewis, new missionaries to the Czech Republic, shared the meaning of Easter with their language teacher, Michaela, through Resurrection Eggs*. She was overwhelmed. “I’ve never heard this before,” she said. Michaela took the eggs home to share them with her 10-year-old son, who immediately took them to school to share them with his teacher, who had told the class that there is no God. “I have to tell my teacher,” the boy said, “she must not know about Jesus.”

Radka, a Czech believer, says that Czechs were infatuated with freedom after the fall of communism, but it has failed to satisfy them, so they are now looking for something to fill their emptiness.

“I think this is a new time for the Czech people,” she said. “I feel it. God is doing something.”

Steve and April met a girl in the park last year and invited her to house church. She refused. They saw her recently and again, she feigned disinterest in God. This time, Steve challenged her. “I think you are,” he said. Sheepishly she admitted that the week before, she had purchased her first Bible.

Please continue to pray for Czech hearts to be open and discerning. There are many false religions being proclaimed as well as the Gospel. With their new interest in spiritual things some people are being misled. For more information on joining the ministry in the Czech Republic visit hope4cee.org/Czech Republic.

Open Doors

I just recently finished this article about the things that God is doing in the Czech Republic. Since you are my prayer warriors, I have posted it here so that you can keep up with what your prayers are accomplishing. To read specifically about what is happening in my English class, click here.



Breaking Concrete
April 11, 2008


Evangelism is often referred to as “plowing concrete” in the Czech Republic (CR) because hearts are hard and unreceptive to the Gospel. However, in Olomouc, CR, missionaries Steve and April Brown, the concrete is beginning to break. In fact at their weekly bible study, where unbelieving visitors are coming regularly, a professing atheist recently said that she knows that Jesus is the only way to God, she just doesn’t want to believe it.

“This is huge,” Steve said. “You can see the Word of God moving in their hearts.”

This bible study began over a year ago and still no one has repented and followed Christ, but the people continue to come back and bring their friends, even when they vehemently disagree with what the Bible says.

One of the regular attendees is a girl named Lucie. She met April in the park and a week later joined her for coffee and a talk. Within minutes of arriving Lucie shared with April about her involvement in the occult. April told her about the truth of Jesus. Within two days Lucie was at April’s door.

“She called and asked if she could come over and talk,” Steve said. “For three hours she asked questions about God, salvation and the Bible.”

Lucie regularly attends Bible study.

In the Park
At Easter, Steve and April hosted their annual Easter egg hunt in park close to their house. A woman they had met a year ago, also named Lucie, passed by and they struck up a conversation. She knew about their Bible studies and had never shown interest in coming, but she asked if they were seeing fruit from their efforts. As Steve told her about some things God was doing, she commented that she was just not into the “God thing.” When Steve challenged her comment, Lucie sheepishly confessed that she had, indeed, bought her first Bible the day before.

“I about fell over,” Steve said. “She admitted that she wanted to know about God and thought the Bible might be a good place to start.”

Lucie heard the Gospel message that day and is now interested in attending Steve and April’s Bible study.

On the Right Track
Steve was recently on a train, sitting in a cabin with two Czech men, when another amazing opportunity fell into his lap.

“No sooner did the train pull away from the station than the guy sitting next to me pulled out a New Testament and began reading it,” he said. “Then the man sitting to my left pulled his Bible out and began reading it. At one point all 3 of us were reading our Bibles.”

When Steve asked Jakub, the young man sitting across from him, why he was reading the Bible, he said it was because he wanted to know about Jesus. The second man was already a believer, so together, he and Steve told Jakub about Jesus.

“I may never see Jakub again,” Steve said, “but I trust the Lord to work through His word.”

For His Glory
What Steve and April are experiencing is not isolated. Other missionaries living and working in CR are also seeing fruit for the first time. English classes are serving as discussion times for spiritual topics, Bibles are being readily accepted and evangelistic websites are getting hits. One missionary in Prague was able to share the entire Gospel with her English class in response to questions that the students had initiated.

God’s movement in a country that has been so unresponsive is inspiring and energizing the missionaries laboring there. They need your prayers and involvement to capitalize on this time. To find out how you can be a part of Steve and April’s ministry, visit their website. To discover all that God is doing in the Czech Republic, click here.

An Amazing Class, Skiing, and Missing Preston (Again!)

David "resting" on the mountain!

English classes have been going very well. We have three classes-beginner, intermediate and advanced. The intermediate class is using some bible stories and everyone seems to enjoy it. my advanced class has 4 students and we do only conversation--no grammar. They all have children in the English club downstairs, so they are very regular. I pretty much let them pick the topic of discussion, and 4 out of 6 weeks it has revolved around spiritual things. I am amazed at their openness and curiosity.

Last week I was telling them the true story of Easter. They had brought a traditional lamb-shaped Easter cake and I asked them if they knew why it was in the shape of a lamb. None of them did. We talked about Jesus being the lamb of God. I didn't get through the whole story of Easter because we ran out of time (class was 1 1/2 hours).

At one point, Gabriela stopped me mid-sentence and said, "I have a question... so you're saying that the only way to get to God is through Jesus?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Well, what if I don't know Jesus, then what happens to me?"

"Well, you can't know God unless you come to Him through Jesus," I said.

"No, but, what actually happens to me if I die without knowing Jesus?" she asked.

"Well...you go to Hell," I said reluctantly.

She accepted this, but surprisingly protests came from the other side of the table.
Suzanna is the only one of the group that attends church --Catholic Church-- and she said that Jesus wasn't the only way.

I told her that the Bible said differently. She said the Bible and Jesus were secondary to God and weren't necessary to get to Him.

"I will find my own way to God," she said.

Suzanna believes in Jesus, but also believes in Mohammad and Buddah--and she's the one who goes to church. The others are just as confused.

Suzanna #2 says that her path to God is nature. Ivana was telling her that she saw problems with that when Suzanna asked her what her path to God was.

"I don't have a path to God yet," Ivana said.

So this is where my ladies are spiritually. Please pray for them. I think Ivana and Gabriela are really hungry for truth. The two Suzannas are more ambivalent and skeptical. After class, all said they were looking forward to coming again after Easter to continue our discussion. Please pray for God to speak to their hearts over this holiday celebrating His resurrection.

Missing Preston
Preston is gone this week in Budapest. He is teaching a course on Systematic Theology. When I asked him how he was yesterday, he responded, "I'm great, I'm teaching!"

He loves to teach theology and the opportunity to do that this week is a real blessing. His trip to Portugal last month was wonderful. He met with church planters throughout Europe and they shared their successes and struggles. It was a really good time of fellowwhip and learning. The Ebenezer and SC Training conferences that took place before Portugal were very well received. God provided a great learning environment and seemed to be at work in our midst.

Though Preston has been gone a lot, we did manage to sneak away with the family last week to go skiing/snowboarding for a few day. We are so grateful to the Lord for providing for the trip through finances, a great place to stay and even snowy weather (which was surprising since we've had an early Spring!) The family time was so good, even though we were a little sore. You know its been a good trip when your 17-year-old says, "Wow, that was so great--I wish we could spend more time together like that!"

A Hostile World

As we began English classes last week, we were excited that 11 people signed up for this session. We had advertised it on the web and through flyers. We had said that we would teach Beginner and Intermediate English and use Bible stories to practice what we learned.

One man showed up with a bad attitude. He wouldn't sign up because he wanted to "check it out" first and make sure we weren't going to push the Bible on him.

"If you teach me English,that's good, but if you start reading the bible to me, I'm leaving," he said. "I'm an atheist and I'm happy being an atheist."

Since he was in the beginner class, there wasn't any bible reading on the first night because they aren't able to understand well enough to do that yet. The lesson was basically simple English.

As he left he said, "So why didn't you read out of the Bible? Are you going to use the Bible?"

Our Czech colleague was intrigued by him and said, "Why, do you want us to read the Bible to you?"

Though it was a question asked lightly, we all wondered later if he was protesting about hearing the truth a little too loudly. Since we advertised that we would indeed use the Bible, why did this man come to "check us out" if he was so opposed to hearing the truth. We're thinking he's hungry for something and that maybe he isn't so happy being an atheist after all. Please pray for this man, Mirek, and for the other students as we begin another session.

In the intermediate class we are using bible stories from the beginning. Right now our students are Honza, Honza and Katerina. Please pray for the truth to sink into their hearts and make them hunger for more. Please also pray for the relationships that we will build with them--that they will be a bridge to their salvation.

Along with English, the next month will be full of training events that will keep Preston hopping. Being an introvert, these conferences always leave him pretty drained. Beginning Feb 27 we will have the Ebenezer conference. This is for our first term missionaries. They come to Prague and have opportunity to de-brief their first year on the field. We have found that it is a vital part of their longevity as it helps them to process the stress of cross-cultural living as well as the inevitable spiritual battles they face. This conference is the one I speak at as well. I will have 2-3 sessions and always spend the rest of the conference just trying to be a good sounding board for the folks, ladies imparticular. This conference will be especially challenging as many of the folks are actually living here in Prauge and I know them very well. It is one things to talk to folks who see you once a year and quite another to talk to those who walk and talk with you daily. Please pray for all of those who will come and for us as we lead.

Immediately following this is Strategy Coordinator Training. This is the biggest training event of the year as it trains our key personnel to reach their particular people group. Preston will be facilitating and teaching and counseling and advising and so forth. The families come with kids and stay for 31/2 weeks. It is an intense time. Please pray for participants, families, children, and volunteer child-care workers.

Thank you for your prayers. We serve a mighty God.

Merry Christmas from Prague.

This time of year always makes us think about the reason we do what we do. Emmanuel--God with us. That pretty much says it all. I'm always amazed at how, in this country, with so many reminders of the truth--manger scenes, beautiful hymns, christmas masses--the people here don't relate any of it to the real Jesus who came and dwelt among us. We're doing all we can to push back the darkness and share the light of Christ with each person we meet. We constantly pray that God's Spirit will move in the hearts of the people and make them long to dwell in this light. Thank you so much for praying with us. We are seeing God at work.


Our Sunday evening English Club for kids has grown enormously over the past months. We now have about 30 kids every week, 25 of whom are not believers or from believing families. Radek and Pepa continue to come, and Radek brings his sister Sara now. Last week he brought another friend, Thomas. It has really been awesome to see God at work int his group. Every week, they hear the gospel and are finding out this year what Christmas really is about. Please pray for our upcoming program next week, December 16. The parents will attend a very Chrsit-centered presentation.
We have also begun teaching English to adults. We have about 5-7 students each week. They are not believers either. Our prayer is that we will develop relationships with them and be able to share Christ. After Christmas we will offer a continuation of class based on scripture, for any who are interested. Please pray for there to be some who will want to learn more about our faith in this format.

Preston has also seen some very exciting things happen lately. On his last trip to the States for a mobilization meeting in Nashville, he was able to sit beside a lady on the plane that was clearly ready to hear the Gospel. She read Preston's bible all through the flight and before they said good-bye she had become a believer. It was so exciting for Preston, and it happened on his birthday.

He was also in a meeting recently in Romania that was very exciting. The Romanian church leaders have really caught a vision for evanglizing Europe. He was able to meet with many pasotrs and talk about their vision and future plans. Many of those he met with were former students. He will return in January to do some teaching there--in Romanian. Pray for his language abilities to flourish during this time. It's tough to keep Czech words out of his vocab when speaking Romanian.

Thank you for supporting us with your prayers. We love you all--Merry Christmas.

Musical Ministry

Our media team has been busy lately doing coverage on different types of music ministries. In August, Jeni Varnadeau and band came to Prague. Jeni is a christian artist who sang at the Southern Baptist Convention and has about 6 albums out. She is helping us promote volunteer missions for teens. She came here to shoot a music video that will be used for this promotion. It was a new experience to help shoot a music video--a lot of work goes into just one video. David and Lauren enjoyed helping with photography and gophering. We used several locations around Prague including our terrace and rooftop access for some shots.

Me interviewing Rory, keyboard player and Jeni's husband

David at work

Jeni and the band

Last week I was in Moscow for another media team project. There is a team of our missionaries there that work within the Arts community of the city to reach people for Christ. They brought in a Jazz band from the States along with some swing dance teachers. We are helping to promote the team in an effort to build prayer support and mobilize volunteers to come and help. The week was exhausting, but very good. The band was wonderful-believers from all over the States who were truly incredible musicians. Great contacts were made with key people in the Moscow Arts Community. Several people commented on how they could tell there was something different about the group, how the seemed to "have a light inside that shines out of them." Of course we were quick to point out that this was Jesus. Please pray for the Moscow Arts team as they continue to reach out to a key segment of society. For more information, check out their website at http://www.moscowartsteam.com/

Me with videographer Adam Covington and friend Tiffany Lorey

Budicek (Booty Check)

This is the way we began each day at camp last month. The word means "wake up" and it was accompanied by either a shofar or a trumpet each morning at 7am. After exercises and clean up we were treated to a piece of bread with ham on it which amounted to breakfast and then the day really got going. English classes, sports, afternoon hikes and games in the woods. My favorite part was the evening campfires. One night we roasted sausages, another night marshmallows. We took cold swims in the pools filled with lake water, learned to make hot-air balloons, put on skits for the kids and told them about Jesus. All in all it was a wonderful week--a little less ambiance than we city-folk are used to but it was fun and we really bonded with the kids and adults at the camp. David and Lauren were a huge help and they also made friends, used their Czech skills and had a great time. Jess and Andrew had a blast after getting over the first few days of home-sickness (they were at the camp for 2 weeks, we came only for the 2nd week). We praise God for a great time and for evidence that the 40 plus kids there drew closer to the Lord during the week. Thank you for praying.

The campsite

Our little house

Pres and I relaxing

David pitching

Darin's baseball team