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.
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