Living in a world gone mad

In whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Let’s begin by praising God this morning that He is sovereign and in control of everything that happens. In today’s culture of fear mongering, we often lose sight of His sovereignty and don’t know how to live in a way that glorifies Him.  Between the homosexual agenda, rampant Islamophobia and the vilification of Christians, it’s easy to get confused about the “right” thing to do. Threats to our religious freedom and accusations about our faith and motives have a paralyzing effect. How do we stand in such times without offending and how do we love in a culture that has redefined love to mean permission and advocacy?

When I moved to Romania, I learned that many nations have battled with these questions before us.  In 1995 my theoretical questions of being a Christian in an openly hostile environment took on flesh and blood as I befriended people who had lived through years of repression and persecution because of their faith. Surprisingly there were two distinct groups of survivors. One group had openly opposed the government and the religious suppression—blatantly breaking laws and challenging restrictions. The other stayed under the radar and worked within safe boundaries—not abandoning faith but not making themselves targets.

Unfortunately, these two groups had not worked in tandem and tended to point the finger and accuse the other of recklessness or compromise, respectively. Who was right? I didn’t have the answer and I still don’t, but I’ve learned a few things along the way.  I hope sharing them will encourage you a bit this week to focus on the right things and to live boldly and free of fear for God’s glory.

1.     Remember this is not a battle for America, nor is it a battle over Israel, defeating Islam or wiping out homosexuality—it’s a battle for God’s glory as revealed in Jesus. Cultures will come and go. Acts 17:26 says that God made the nations, determined their appointed times and their boundaries. And he did it all so that man would seek God. America’s future is already written. We are witnesses to God’s determined plan and we can trust Him so…

2.     Don’t live in fear. Watching too much news can scare the bee-jeebers out of you and get your focus off of God’s sovereignty. The Bible clearly says where things are headed and they will get worse before the get better. Don’t fret over it, but prepare your heart and focus on what’s important. We KNOW the future, both good and bad, so we can relax and watch God work for His glory and our good.

3.     Seek intimacy with Him over comfort and material security . Often times, the reason our anxiety level rises is because we are scared of losing things that are precious to us. But all we have is a gift from God and we musn’t hold on to them so tightly that we forget to hold on to Him. He never changes, he is eternal, and he will never be defeated so when we put our affections completely on Him, we can be truly secure.  We are not living for the American dream, but for the Kingdom of God.

4.     Don’t hope in a political solution. This is not going to end well on earth. Will it be unpleasant for us? Probably. But God is good and sufficient and won’t abandon His people. Jesus came to bring personal salvation from sin, not political salvation through policy or privilege. Don’t hope in a new President or despair because of our present one. God is sovereign.

5.     Seek opportunity to share Christ before seeking opportunity to make a statement. What we believe is meaningless if we aren’t offering hope to a broken world. So don’t just fight for the right to publically confess Christ, publically confess Christ!

6.     Be bold about the WHOLE Gospel. Don’t be afraid to share the Gospel in its entirety, because that’s the only Gospel that matters. Sharing God’s love isn’t enough, nor is sharing God’s hatred of sin. The message of the Gospel is powerful and changes lives, but it must be about Jesus, it must call out sin, it must demand repentance and faith, it must be about dying to self and living for Christ, it must credit our salvation to Jesus’ blood and righteousness and not our works. Jesus is THE ONLY way. Yes! This will offend people and Yes! It’s intolerant, but watered down, its nothing more than an inspiring story and has no power. 

Does all this mean you should not bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple? I have no idea. Should we have the right to refuse? Yes, I think so. But as a believer, our rights as an American citizen are not really the point. Glorifying God in this world is. Do you bake the cake and share the Gospel? Maybe. Do you deny the request and share the Gospel? Maybe. Do you listen to the Holy Spirit at work in you and follow His lead? Absolutely.

I challenge you this week to spend as much time reading God’s word, praying over it, and listening to the Holy Spirit as you do watching news programs and reading articles on social media. Saturate your mind with God’s perspective or you will be drawn into despair and confusion in a world gone mad.

Help me Lord to trust you in these crazy times and to not fret as it leads to evil doing. (Psalm 37:8). Help me to glorify God in all that I do (1 Cor 10:31). Thank you that you established the times and boundaries of all the nations for the purpose of helping people seek after you (Acts 17:26).  Help us to go boldly and make make disciples, confident that you are with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Praying for you,

Karen

Christmas, Kids Coming and Going, A New Year Begins

Waaaaayyyyy past due for an update. I have no excuse. So let's move on.

David and Lauren were here for a month over Christmas and I soaked up every minute I had with them. It wasn't enough but I'm grateful they are both doing well and following God as they head back for another semester. Our home is more quiet now, much more orderly, and ever busy and full of people, but their presence is missed daily if not hourly. I am so thankful, however, that God has filled my heart with peace in their departure. I am looking forward to seeing what He has in store for them in the year to come.

Slowly but surely we are crawling into 2012. January always seems to go by in slow motion after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Years. We started the birthdays off with a bang as David--our baby David--turned 21. We watched home movies and watched him grow up again. He's come a long way since crawling up on my hospital bed when Jessica was born and asking, "does she have eyes?" I mean, he still has his moments, but for the most part he's witty, intelligent and handsome. :)

I'm next in the birthday line-up. And that's all I have to say about that.

Our lives are full right now with all that God has brought into our lives. Andrew is playing basketball and loving it. He's also playing the djembe for chapel at school. Jess is helping to lead worship at chapel and her youth group through singing, piano and guitar. She is also very busy practicing for the school's drama production "Bye Bye Birdie."

Preston is loving his job as Theological Education Consultant for Europe. He has visited some great schools throughout the continent over the past semester. He is advising, helping to place faculty and teaching. He is also working on writing some curriculum. I continue to write for our European Media team and have done some other free lance writing for bible studies and devotionals.

Locally, our English class is still meeting every Tuesday. We have just begun to plan our camp for this summer. The best news is that we started doing a Bible discussion every other Tuesday and although most don't come, a few do and they are definitely searching. I'm excited to see that God is continuing to draw these people. Please pray for us as we work with this group. They have become good friends. We are expecting a group of about 60 for camp this summer. Pray for God to prepare their hearts.

I have resumed teaching the high school girls from our International Youth Group. They are a great group of ladies. I have 7 Americans, I Ukrainian, 2 Czechs, and 1 Serbian. Please pray for them as they navigate the difficult waters of being TCK's, being believers in a very secular place, being teenagers!

I will try to update you more regularly this year. Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Heaven is for real

I just finished reading the book Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. Fascinating story. And what I love about it is that this kid is confirming so many things we already know to be true--biblical truths that we believe by faith, but he saw with his eyes. And he's staying true to the facts. Jesus is the only way. God is three in one. Our loved ones are waiting for us. Jesus has wounds on his hands and feet. I don't know how to explain what happened to this little guy, but do I think its possible he went and sat on Jesus' lap? Absolutely. And reading the book has reminded me of all I have to look forward to when I get my turn on Jesus' lap. I can't wait to see my dad and my grandmom and even a baby brother or sister I never met. Heaven is a real place for real people.

That reminder also encourages me in our work as missionaries. Our mission to tell others about Christ isn't just a battle of opinions. I'm not just playing my role in "he said, she said" about world religions, defending my heritage and my church. I'm offering a choice between life and death--one that is real and lasting. I found the contrast interesting that in this little boys experience in heaven, he didn't see everyone from his family and Jesus didn't tell him that all are welcome. This is in contrast to Rob Bell's new book Love Wins, which wrongly teaches that everybody is going to heaven, regardless of their relationship with Christ, our Savior. As we continue to share Christ with Czechs, our prayer is that many will be saved. The reminder of the reality of heaven has made our mission all the more urgent.

Please pray for our English students. We are planning a family camp for this summer and expect about 40 people. Preston and I have never planned one of these ourselves so please pray as we recruit volunteers, put together a program and work out the details. This group continues to meet weekly where we often throw out spiritual topics to discuss. There is really very little interest on their part. Please pray for them to be hungry spiritually. During our camp, I want to share the message of Christ clearly and we are praying that they will be ready to respond at that time. In fact, God has led me to pray for each one of our regular students by name every day. If you feel led, please join me in this. Their names are: Jan, Ladya, Eva, Ivana, Renata, Martin, Petr, Dasa, Dominika, Robert, Lenka, Ladya (another one), Ana. I would covet your intercession on their behalf.

Also continue to pray for Lubos as Preston disciples him. He is seeing an amazing ministry begin through teaching boxing. It has been his dream to do that full time, professionally and is now working on gathering start up money for a gym. Please pray for him as he trusts God to provide for his needs and his future. Pray, too, for his testimony as he shares Christ with these men.

Preston is making great progress in contacting and assessing needs of seminaries in Europe. He has been teaching at a couple of those schools and helping put together some modular programs. Please continue to pray for the seminary in Serbia, Czech, Germany and Ukraine.

I have taken on some new writing responsibilities and ask for your prayers as I balance my time between that, family and local ministry. The youth ministry we are involved in , Youth Praha, is going very well. God is at work among these kids and its a blessing to see.

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us. We love you.

Sharing with friends

Kristyna is a 16-year old girl that has been coming to English club for several years. She is a new Christian. I was chatting with her on Facebook the other night and this is what she said.

"Something very strange but very encouraging happened yesterday. I was chatting with my best friend, who had started to believe in God at camp, and then I felt something inside and I knew that God wants me to tell my friends about Him. So this week I have told a lot of my friends about God and Jesus. I have never told them before. It is exciting. I am very glad he is showing me His love and mercy."

Isn't that precious?! It is so exciting that God is speaking not only to her but through her. She came over today and we talked and prayed for her friends. Since sharing her faith, she has found two of her classmates who also believe in God and are trying to follow Him. She was very encouraged!

We had our first English class last night and had 6 people come. We used Matthew 1 as our text and talked about many things from there, i.e. genealogy, dreams. There were no real spiritual questions or discussions. Please pray for this group.

Bridge Community, our church planting effort, is going pretty well. We had several visitors last Sunday! Please pray for more to come and for those who come to really hear. Pray especially for a young man named Tonda.

My Jr. high girls bible study is great. Precious girls! I met with my student helper today and our time together was really nice. Please pray for her. Her name is Joana. Pray that she will grow spiritually and continue to seek God in her life.

We are having lots of new people at Youth Praha, including some Czech kids from camp this summer. Kristyna is also going to come this week. Please pray for her and a boy named Andrew, who has also visited (his parents are in our English class).

Thank you so much for your prayers. I will keep you posted.

Did you Feel that?

Steve and Lubos baptize Lubos' mother, Sonya

Zdenka came to Bridge Community for the first time last night. She is a friend of Sonya. After the service Zdenka turned to Sonya and asked, "did you feel that?" Sonya asked her what she was talking about and Zdenka said that it was like the preacher was talking only to her. "That's God drawing you to Himself," Sonya said.

Sonya is a new believer. She came to Christ last year through the testimony of her son, Lubos. She's been telling Zdenka about her new relationship with Christ and gave her a bible, which Zdenka is faithfully reading. Please pray for her as God draws her. Pray for her to respond and not push away. Pray for Sonya's consistent testimony.

Lubos is a fairly new believer as well. Preston is discipling him. He is faithful to come several times a week to our home where he and Pres talk about scripture and work on memory verses. Pray for him as he continues to grow in his faith.

Bridge Community is the church plant we are working with. It is headed up by the leaders of the Prague team, Steve and April Brown. Lauren and I are leading music on Sunday nights and Preston is preaching every other week. We have a young Czech couple who is working with this effort as well, Martin and Tereza. Please pray for them as Martin is beginning to preach some and they are key to helping us reach the Czechs in Prague. Pray for them to be continually drawn to God. They have such sweet spirits, are newlyweds, are seeking to follow God. Martin is a seminary student.

Thank you for your prayers. I will keep you updated.

God's Working--quick update

Summer is winding down for us--just one more week until school starts! It's been a long one for us since we got out of American schools in May. The kids are ready to see all their friends and teachers again.

The last 6 weeks have been really busy and very blessed. God is working in Czech and we can see a difference in the spiritual atmosphere here. I've been collecting information for articles from all the different teams in Czech about their camps this summer and I'm amazed at how many people are coming to Christ. Our Ms all over the country are excited and encouraged. If you would like to read more about God's work in Europe, click here.

You have prayed in the past for a friend named Dereje. He is very close to baptism and is seeking our our fellowship since we've returned. He is married to an unbeliever and it is hard at home right now because of his faith. Please pray for him and for our time with his family.

You prayed in the past for a young girl named Kristyna. She became a believer recently. She is noticing how her friends are not interested in God. Please pray for her continued growth, as well as for her sister Kayja.

At our family camp this year, we continued to build relationships with 5 families. Lauren was able to share quite a bit with a teenager named Ondrej (Andrew). He is interested in coming to Youth Praha (an international youth group) this year. Pray for him to follow through. I also will continue to meet with Dasa once a week. She has not yet made a decision for Christ. Please pray for God to draw her. We're excited about taking over the English class with these families. As we plan and prepare for the year, pray for us to know how much spiritual content to put into our lessons and that our conversations on Mondays will be redemptive.

We had some friends over this past week and they brought a man they met in the park with them. He was from Texas. We shared Christ with him and he is spiritually open. Please pray for David. He invited Preston to come play basketball with a group of men every week. Its a great opportunity! We've invited him to Bridge, the church plant we are working with. Pray that he will respond.

Youth Praha will start soon and I will be discipling a young girl named Joanna as well as leading the Jr. High girls. Joanna is thinking about helping me lead but is hesitant to take on the responsibility. Please pray for her to listen to God's voice and be obedient.

In addition to God working in Czech, we've seen him doing some great things in other places as well. Preston and I have been to a meeting in Germany, planning some training events for our missionaries and we've been to Serbia and Romania talking to theological institutions about how we can help them reach their own people. Both trips were wonderful and God opened doors. We're excited to see what he's going to do. Preston will return to Serbia in October to teach Hermeneutics to the first 2o students at the seminary. He also has bible schools to visit in Ukraine, Spain and Germany.

That's a quick update of what we've seen God doing here. We so appreciate your prayers.

We're Home

We are finally back in Prague. It feels so good to be home. Our year in America was truly blessed. Absolutely no complaints. But now we're back with our stuff, and we can finally relax. We pretty much had to move back into our apartment because most of our stuff had been put in storage in our attic. We had a busy week getting our home set up and getting phones and public transportation passes. We have been blessed by many friends helping us out and cooking for us. Things are getting back to "normal" now and it really feels like we never left.

Our time in the States was full. Some highlights were:

*Preston loved teaching at Louisiana College all year. Being back in the classroom was great and he was able to impact many young minds.

*The kids all did remarkably well--God blessed them all with friends, good grades and a sense of His presence next to them as they experienced new things and turned to Him when things got tough.

*Great time with family--We were about 2 hours from Preston's mom during the school year and got to spend 2 months with my family as well as some holidays. We celebrated Preston's mom's 85th birthday before leaving and still managed to leave everyone in good health.

*David had a good first year of college and was able to get a job over the summer. He's living with Preston's sister and her husband in Kingwood, Texas. The job pays very well, and he's been able to save up some money for a trip home to Prague for Lauren's graduation. He will head back to school in Virginia in about a month.

*We were able to re-connect with several friends we haven't seen in years. It was such a blessing to us to catch up and see how God has been working in their lives. Thank you to those of you who made the effort to come and see us or welcome us into your home.

Now that we're back, we're eager to see what God has for this phase of our life and work. Preston is beginning his new position as Theological Education Consultant for Europe. Please pray for him as he evaluates current teaching institutions and programs as well as places that need new work, and determines how we can partner and help in each of those.

I will continue to write for teams working in Europe and will help get their stories out to supporting churches via internet and special projects.

Lauren will begin her Senior year in September. We will be applying and preparing for college. She will join David at Liberty next fall. Jessica will be a Freshman in high school and Andrew will begin 6th grade. They are all really excited about returning to CISP. (Christian International School of Prague).

We are leaving for English Camp on Saturday. This is a family camp. There will be a total of 40 people including Czechs and volunteers. None of the Czech families know the Lord. We will have conversation classes every morning, group activities in the afternoon and a time of singing/bible study in the evening. Please pray for God to work in the hearts of these folks. They have been part of a weekly English club for a few years and have been exposed many times to the truths of scripture. (Preston and I plan to take over this club in the fall so pray for good friendships to develop.) Lauren will be leading music and teaching pre-schoolers. Jessica and Andrew will be helping in their "classes" as the native English speakers. Preston and I will both be leading small groups.

We have also begun working with a new group here in Prague called Bridge Community, an evangelism church planting effort begun by our Prague team. God has just provided a perfect location for us to meet and has given the team here a great vision for reaching people with the Gospel in a way that is culturally relevant. Please pray for the team and for us as we find ways to intentionally form relationships with Czechs and introduce them to the claims of Christ.

In August Preston and I are taking a trip to Serbia to see what is happening there at a local seminary. The same week Lauren, jessi and andrew are going to an MK (Missionary Kid) camp. Please pray for the camp leaders to challenge and encourage the kids in their walks with the Lord and for Lauren and other seniors who will be serving as counselors.

Thank you for your prayers.

An Overdue Update

Well, it's been way too long and for that I apologize. Life in America has kept us just a little busy, but that's no excuse. Now that we've passed Christmas, it seems like no time until we return to Prague. There are mixed feeling all through our house about that. We all miss it, but we have also enjoyed being here. I'm continually amazed at God's provision for us. He has provided cars, friends, ministry opportunities, time with family, and much more. At ever turn, we have met unexpected needs and never, have we come up short. We've seen with stark clarity how God does indeed go before us and give us everything we need, and much that just makes us happy.

The kids have done beautifully at their appointed schools. All have made friends, received honors and enjoyed themselves. Highlights for them: David ended his first semester with a 3.6 and is going to Ethiopia on a mission trip in March; Lauren was the mvp of her soccer team, taking them to play-offs for the first time; Jessica made it into the Honor's choir at her school, and was asked to try out for a special workshop by her ballet teacher; Andrew played football and his team won the league's Super Bowl.

More importantly all the kids have continued in their spiritual maturity. They have been given multiple opportunities to share Christ with the kids around them and, even better, they've taken these opportunities! That's been the most rewarding thing to me--to watch them growing and obeying and learning what it means to be a follower of Christ in a different context. Pres and I realized that a year in a new place could bring all sorts of challenges and hardship, as well as blessings. We weren't exactly sure what to expect, although we felt sure of God's leading us here. We've been so pleased to see them flourish here.

That's not to say there haven't been rough patches too. Loneliness, missing Prague, missing David, feeling like they don't belong, trying to fit what they know of following Christ into this context of public school and kids who say they are Christians but don't live like it. These things have brought heartache and tears from time to time, but God has been faithful to meet us in our moments of need. Thank you all for your prayers.I know they have helped sustain us.

Preston loves being back in the classroom. He taught New Testament and Missions last semester and is teaching 2 hours of New Testament and Preaching this semester. I have just begun discipling a lovely young lady whose husband works at the college and with her, have gotten involved in a bible study for college students. Both of these are huge answers to prayer as I have been asking God to open a door for me to get involved in some girls' lives since arriving here and now he has.

We've also had some much needed time with our families. Spending holidays with them was really great this year. We haven't done that in a long time. We've also been really blessed by seeing old friends during our travels.

When we left Prague, IMB was undergoing a paradigm shift, so some of our time here as been spent learning about our "new and improved" jobs once we return. We're getting excited about what God has in store for us. Pres will be the European Theological Education Consultant and I will continue on the media team as lead writer and liason to the Roma people. For now we will continue on in Prague, though eventually we may move to another location in Europe.

There's lots of good news out of Prague too. In our absence lots of new folks have moved in and some have started a church there called "Bridge Community." God has faithfully brought people and some have become believers. Our friend Lubos was able to see his mom come to Christ and she was baptized recently. The new wave of missionaries there are settling in and finding their own niches of ministry. There have been some exciting things happening among the Russians of Prague as well as in the Roma ministry.

There are some that you prayed for from last year, specifically Dasa and Coral, who have not taken the next step and are complacent in their search for truth. Please continue to pray for these two. We've continued to talk, but only sometimes about spiritual things.

We've still got lots of travels yet to do this year and maybe we'll get to see many of you! I'll try to keep you updated more faithfully.

A New Adventure

We've been back in the States for over a month now. It's been a little crazy to say the least. We've gotten two cars, one driver's license, 1 kid ready for college, 3 enrolled and started in public school, spoken in 5 churches, toured South Ga., visited with lifelong friends and made new ones, spent 3 days on the beach, re-acquired a bit of a Southern accent, and been absolutely amazed at God's provision for us--from providing a driver's ed teacher to giving us money to pay for a new transmission, God has met us at every turn and poured out from his abundance. We are so grateful.

This year holds many unknowns. The kids are in public school in Louisiana--a far cry from the small MK school they are used to. They're excited about the challenges, but a little nervous as well. The first day went well and all three met friendlykids who welcomed them. Whew! Andrew will play football this year, Lauren will be involved in drama and will play soccer, Jessie is in concert choir.

David goes off to college next week. We learned that his roommate is Stephen from Maryland. We've been praying for him and for a good friendship between them. He's gotten outfitted with every electronic gadget known to man--macbook, ipod touch, printer, phone...the works. He received a scholarship to pay for books--the only thing that wasn't covered from the scholarship he is already on. God's provision.

Pres is preparing for his classes. He'll be teaching NT Survey and Missiology at Louisiana College. He begins around the 25th. He can't wait to get back into the classroom.

My work with the media team continues. I'll be lead writer for the Europe team as well as special liason for the Roma people. This summer has been free, but I'll get back to work once we get settled in La. Pres and I will also be ministering to the students at LC, endeavoring to instill in them a hunger for God's word and a love of missions. We'll also be speaking in churches across the South. I will be at a global missions conf. in California as well as doing some Women's conferences in Georgia.

We're excited about all that God is doing and has done and will do. Thank you for praying for us. I look forward to seeing many of you in the months to come.

A Bright January

Not in the way you might think. The sun hasn't been overly cooperative this winter, but the dark, cold days don't seem so bad when we're watching God at work around us. Of course, i wish i could report dozens coming to Christ and new bible studies springing up in our neighbors' homes, but that's just not reality in Europe. However, last Friday at the gym with Dasa, we had this conversation:

Dasa: David is learning about prayer in his new school (Catholic). The teachers told him that he had to say certain words when he prayed, and he had to pray at certain times, and if he breaks the rules God won't listen to him.

Me: Really? What do you think about that?

Dasa: I don't think that's the way God is. I think He will hear us whenever we talk to Him.

Woo-hoo! She is starting to get it. Every time we see each other, she brings up spiritual matters. She is reading the bible and is understanding it for the first time. Her atheistic background gives her a fresh view on what she learns--meaning, she seems to be able to see wrong teaching such as that on prayer above. It is a joy to watch and share with her. Dasa and Petr also visited the international church one Sunday. They really enjoyed it. It was quite a different experience for them. They've only ever been to a Catholic service so this one, with 20 different nationalities, music ranging from praise and worship to the doxology, and and family atmosphere was really strange to them. But they liked it and plan to come back!

In English classes, the group remains faithful and as we plow through John, the questions from Dereje, especially are fun to answer. He understands so little and is like a curious child. We love it. He has asked us to join his family for dinner one evening. We look forward to meeting his wife (who is an atheist). Dereje is also coming to church and bringing his kids.

Andrew and Jessica continue to meet with Gabi's daughters, Tereza and Camille, for English time (they do stuff like sledding, going to the park, playing games together). I hope to get together with Gabi for coffee soon.

Girl's bible study is going very well. We are talking about purity for the next 6 weeks or so. The group remains consistent and eager to learn. Coral has had visa problems and has been stuck in California, but will be back with us soon.

So as far as ministry local ministry goes, God is at work and we are excited to be a part of what He is doing. Of course we have our official work for the region as well, and this is the busiest month of the year for Preston. This week we have our first termer's conference followed by three weeks of training for our strategy coordinators from across CEE (Central and Eastern Europe). Preston is juggling schedules, teaching, logistics, volunteers, and more. We love the activities of February, but we covet your prayers to protect from illness and fatigue. This is a critical time of training for our missionaries and what happens here in the next month will profoundly affect their ministries. I also speak a few times at Ebenezer and spend time nurturing and encouraging the visiting Missionaries, as well as play hostess to lots of visiting speakers and volunteers. Please pray for our family as we juggle through this crazy month.

David had a birthday since the new year started. He's officially an adult now. Strange for me, but good for him. We are finalizing our plans for stateside and do plan to be there for a year. We will be Missionaries in Residence (MIRs) at Louisiana College for the 09-10 school year. David will be living in the dorms there and the other kids will be in the local school system. We are getting very excited about our year in the land of Walmart, Target and Chic-fil-A, but are a bit apprehensive about leaving all that God is doing here and our friends/church family. Please pray for us as the details get ironed out and we prepare to leave. We are especially concerned about what will happen to our apartment while we are gone. We really want to keep it and are praying that it will work out. Our ministry is here in this neighborhood and we don't want to start from scratch when we return. I am also working on calendering for our year at home. If you would like to plan a time for us to come to your church, or help you promote missions in some way, and haven't already contacted me, please do so that I can try to work that in. I can't promise, but I will try.

We praise God that we have a home in Georgia and one in Louisiana where we will be living during the year. We do not, however, have a car yet. Please pray for God's provision--this is especially important since we will have two new drivers in our family (aghhhh--come to think of it, maybe you should pray for that too!).

Thank you all for interceding for us. I love hearing from you all when you write. We love you all.

Karen

"For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness." Psalm 18:28

Prayer Request for Preston

Preston will be teaching next week at the new Baptist Seminary in the Czech Republic. He will spend the week dissecting the theology of Paul. Please pray for him as he continues to prepare and for the time in the classroom. Pray for good rapport with the students and for hearts to be teachable and eager to fellowship.

Great Updates

my high school girls

Its been an amazing fall so far and God is definitely answering your many prayers on our behalf. I am utterly amazed at the way He is at work in the Czech people. We are seeing a responsiveness we've never seen before. Here's an update:

*Adult English classes--we've had 5 consistent students and they are hungry to understand the Word of God. One student specifically asked if we could begin reading the Bible together. We began in John's Gospel. One man, Dereje, was quick to say that he didn't understand anything about the context because he's never read the Bible before. He began asking questions, "who was John the Baptist", what is difference between the New and Old Testaments, What does it mean that Jesus was in the beginning with God? The best part was that the other students joined in explaining the parts they understood. One student even suggested if he wanted to learn more, he should watch the Jesus film. It was a great night. Since then Dereje has accepted a bible and agreed to begin reading on his own. He continues to be faithful and left one night, telling people on the way out that he was excited to begin studying the Bible. Also, two of the students from last year (Susan and Susan) who were so full of questions have returned in the last 2 weeks.

*Gabriela--this woman was one of my (Karen) students from last year, went to extra legnths to contact me personally so that we could continue "talking" like we did before. We met for coffee and talked in depth about where she was spiritually. She is not ready yet to accept Christ, but we continue to see each other weekly as Jessica is meeting with her daughter to help her with English. We have developed a nice friendship.

*Dasa and Petr--This couple from English camp have pursued a friendship with us. Dasa and I have been getting together weekly to go to her gym. We never see each other when she doesn't ask spiritual questions. She's reading through scripture and we discuss it over lunch. Our families have gotten together a couple of times as well. They are interested in visiting our international service at church. Petr considers himself a follower of Jesus now, Dasa is still uncertain.

*High school girls bible study has been an absolute pleasure. The group of 15 is consistent and searching for answers. Most are believers, some more firmly grounded than others, but one girl is not yet a believer and is quite honest about that. She asks great questions and has told me personally that she feels God drawing her. It's scary for her because her parents and her whole culture (she's from California) is anti-christian. She's truly having to count the cost. She hasn't told me that she's committed her life to Christ yet, but I do see changes in her countenance.

*After 2 years of trying to reach out to my neighbor, there has been a breakthrough. Twice in the past few weeks she has been crying in the hallway. Both times, either Preston or I was there and we were able to talk to her and comfort her. She hugged us both times and thanked us. It has really opened up the door for a friendship. She is elderly and very forgetful, so its kind of hard to continue conversations with her. But we are reaching out to her through and she is receiving it.

*Lubos continues to be a pleasure. He and Preston meet as often as possible, though his work schedule has been a problem lately. He's growing. Preston is considering inviting some others to join them--Petr, Dereje, and a new believer from Int.' church.

*Krystina is doing well and has continued to English Club. She has also visited church a few times with her father, Honza, who attends the adult English class. Pepa, unfortunately, has been scarce.

*The kids have all become pro-active in seeking out personal ways for God to use them. Its been so exciting to see. David has begun playing the guitarand helps lead worship at chapel and youth group. He continues to minister to the homeless in the square, although they are not an easy group to get to know, nor are they grateful. Lauren is playing drums regularly now in a worship band, youth group, chapel and in church. Jess is singing at chapel and church. They are all seeking to bring their friends to Christ. Jess is tutoring Gabriela's daughter in English which gives her opportunity to share with her. Lauren has been a big part of bringing the unbeliever at bible study (Coral) to the place she finds herself. Andrew is faithful to come to Czech church with us and participate in Sunday school and English Club to help reach out to the Czech kids around him. As grateful as we are to see how God is using the kids, its an even great blessing to see how he's at work in their personal lives. There is no greater joy.

*Last but not least, we have been asked to stay in Prague and continue in the roles (though there will be some changes) we currently serving in. We are very excited about this. We will have some new people coming here and some of our friends will be re-locating, so the changes affect us in many ways. As the new organization becomes clearer, we are excited about what God is doing.

So, there's an update...lots of reasons to praise God and lots of reasons to thank you, our prayer warriors. Please don't stop!! God is definitely doing something in the Czech Republic! We are not the only ones seeing responses. Many of our colleagues are seeing the same thing happen in their midst. One family is discipling 4 new believers and preparing them for baptism. Another girl has just given Mere Christianity to a friend and she is devouring it--after a year of witness and testimony to which she was unresponsive. Our (missionaries) kids are growing and owning their own faith, praying for kids at school and actively sharing Christ. These are exciting days!!

A New School Year

School is going in full swing now and so are ministry opportunities for all of us. I love the freshness of these new beginnings. God has brought so many opportunities to our family to share the love of Christ with those around us. Please be in prayer for God to be glorified through these.

English Club--Our family had a great time at English Camp in August. Eight kids from English Club came and had a wonderful time. Pepa and Krystina seemed to bond with the church kids and counselors alike. They were both at club this past Sunday for the first meeting, excited to be together again. We have new leadership this year. Please pray for David and Lauren and Jessica as they help translate and serve during this weekly ministry.

High School Girls--I have begun teaching the HS girls Bible study for the kid's international youth group. I've got about 20 girls. They are precious. They range from Mks to totally secular. There are such needs there as many are questioning their relationship with God and how to live for Christ. Several of the girls are not yet believers but are searching. Please pray for them to seek for truth with all their hearts and for me to be a good guide in leading them to it.

Adult English Classes--Preston and I both started teaching English again this past Sunday night to the parents of the English club kids. We had 5 students. All but one were returning from last year. Please pray for more to come and for these relationships lead to opportunities to share the Gospel.

Lubos--Preston is discipling a young Czech man who is a new believer. He is precious and fun to teach because he is so excited to learn. He has been spending Thursday nights with our family at dinner and then studying the Word with Preston. Jiri, our Czech friend is also joining them when he can. There is another new believer that they are going to invite to join the group. Please pray for this to be a good time of discipling and for God to bring others to join the group.

Worship Team--Both David and Lauren have taken on roles this year of being on the worship team at their youth group, church and in chapel services. David is singing and playing guitar, Lauren is playing the drums. Please pray for them to be good leaders for their peers and to stay consistent in their times with the Lord so that their worship truly comes from the heart.

Homeless ministry--David has begun going to the square near our house and giving food out to the homeless people there. Please pray for him to see a good response in this practical sharing of his faith and pray for the men and women he feeds to hunger for God.

School--Many new kids have come to the kids' school this year and many of those are unbelievers. All of the kids are aware that this is a mission field for them and are striving to be good examples and show Christ's love to their classmates. Lauren, esp., is befriending some new girls who are definitely not believers, ask a lot of questions and are genuinely curious about her faith. She is spending time with them and bringing them to Bible study. Please pray for her to be very strong in her faith as these girls will also seek to influence her. Pray for her to have much grace and to guard her heart. Pray also for insight and the ability to know how to reach these girls. Pray that her quiet times stay consistent and that she be ready to answer their questions with biblical responses.

Czech friends--we made many new friends this year at the family English Camp. Pray that we will be able to continue these relationships throughout the year.

We are excited about the ways God wants to use us this year. Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. Please also pray for the International Mission Board. They are making some big changes in strategy that will affect our ministries and where we live. Pray for wisdom for those in leadership and for us to have peace as we wait to hear how all of this will affect us.

We love you.

Crazy Summer

I have spent less than a week at home since the last post. The summer has been crazy, but wonderful. I will share the highpoints with you:

--Time with missionary colleagues and friends at our Annual General Meeting in Greece. Each year this is such a great time of renewal and refreshment. This year was no different! Even more fun, was watching the kids with their friends. Jessica is a blossoming teen and we barely saw her. Comparing this to a couple of years ago when she was shy and unsure of herself, just fills me with praise for God and all that He's doing in her. Andrew also played hard and constantly. He got esp. close to one young lady whom he's known since we moved to Prague, but who moved away a few years ago. She's in Bulgaria now, but, fitting with the times, they are now email buddies :)

David and Lauren also had a great time with their youth group. Although they were separate from us, we saw them at meals and at the pool and enjoyed watching them have fun.

The youth washed their senior leader's feet to show their thanks to him. Very sweet!

--Time with my sister in America. Man, I love her so much and being with her just really makes me happy. We were there for 2 weeks. We played in the lake and went to 6 flags, got to spend time with my mom and celebrated the 4th of July with fireworks. It was awesome. I didn't want to leave, but I praise God for such a great sister and the bond we share. A friend of Lauren's came to visit for a few days and this young man has become very special to our family. He came on a mission trip to Prague and we just fell in love with him. It was so good to see him. The past few months have been really pivotal in his life and walk with the Lord, and we've been able to play a part in that. Seeing him was a real joy.

Preston driving the boat

Me and my sister getting ready for dinner

Lyle and Lauren being silly

--Time with Czechs at a family English camp. We went to help our friends who were leading the camp and it was really wonderful. The best part was that all the families are from right here in our area of Prague and we made some good relationships with them that I think will continue throughout this year. A church from Washington State came to help with the camp and they were a real blessing. Everyone's English improved and they were able to see God's love through us up close. Testimonies were shared and many spiritual matters discussed with individuals. We praise God for the opportunity. It was also great to see the kids minister to the Czech kids. They really reached out and made friends and were a blessing. Jessica wrote about it on her blog if you'd like to read more. Be sure to read the comments at the bottom because she forgot to say something in the original note. Please pray esp. for Renata and Martin, Dasha and Peter, Eva, Jitka and her daughter Anna, and Gabriella and Robert-for opportunities to build friendships with them this year and for their desire to know more about Jesus.

Walking from the train station

Jessica with her "class"

--Praying for God's glory to be known through Jesus Christ over a totally Muslim village from the minaret of the town mosque. This was during our media trip to Bulgaria. We spent 6 days travelling through the Rhodopy mountains in an ancient van that I had to drive--ugh! Quite tiring, but it was worth it when the Muslim "man of peace" in one village started asking questions about Jesus while we were standing in his mosque. Pretty cool!

Praying from the Mosque

--Seeing my two teenagers come home from their Youth Retreat after truly meeting with God and sensing His hand on their lives. This is one of the best retreats they've ever been on and we praise God for the volunteers who gave so much time and money to come and bless our kids.

Lauren and her friends worshipping together

They both wrote about their time and what God did in their lives. Read Lauren's blog and David's blog to rejoice with them.

--Preston has been meeting with a young Czech man and our friend Jiri to disciple the former in his new life in Christ. It has been a blessing to get to know him and see his passion for the Lord.

--Finally getting an all clear from the doctor. My anemia seems to have cleared up, although no one is sure why. For now, and after all sorts of procedures and tests, feel sure that I'm as healthy as anyone I know! Thank you God!

In addition to all the highs so far this summer, there have been some hard things too.

--A friend and colleague who is only 49 died suddenly last week from an embolism in her both lungs. She has daughters in high school and this happened while they were away at the youth retreat. It has been hard on our whole region. Please pray for the Tarleton family as they struggle through this loss.

--We have heard from leadership in Richmond that big changes are coming in Novemeber. None of us know what will happen but feel sure that it will directly affect us on the regional level. Jerry Rankin and the trustees are still working through the details and praying for this new direction. Please be in prayer for them as they revamp strategies to be more effective in winning people to Christ. We are at peace knowing that our future and our calling are sure.

--The kids' youth director who usually comes and leads the youth retreats was in a tragic accident and is now paralyzed from the waist down. He will no longer serve as youth director but has a real peace that God is leading and guiding him through this. Please pray for Kenny and Terri Pope.

--The dollar has continued to plummet and is really hurting all of the Americans living overseas. Prices continue to rise with entry to the European Union and we have NO buying power. It affects everything from rent to putting food on the table. Please pray for stabilization of the dollar and for us to be wise spenders.

--There have been several heart breaking tragedies among our friends and family. Strokes, car accidents, comas, emotional problems...the list goes one. Please pray for us as we minister and help and for our hope to remain fixed on Christ as we experience what it means to live in a fallen world.

--This summer, Preston has been wearing many hats at the office since he is the one left in charge with so many away. It has been a lot of work on top of his normal responsibilities. He really needs to get a lot done in the next few weeks for an upcoming training session. Please pray for the ability to do all that God has called him to do.

Lastly, please be in prayer for some things coming up:

--English camp for kids. Our team from Georgia is going to come and we praise God for that provision. Please pray for Chris, Chris and Lyle as they come to bless the kids with music and friendship. There will be 50 children there and many of these are from unbelieving families.

--School starting. In the beginning of Sept. we will start another year. It will be David's last one. *sniff* Andrew will be in American school for the first time. Please pray for all the kids as they grow in knowledge and maturity. or the things that are coming up:

Thank you all for your faithfulness in praying for us. We love you !

First Fruits

A few weeks ago a told you about a family who was seeing great things from a home bible study in the town of Olomouc. Well, now, three from that group have asked Jesus to save them!! Woo-hoo--and there was much rejoicing! In addition, the Czech man who is helping with the study, is thinking of working full time with this group to help it become a church. We are so thrilled to see God at work among these Czech people.

A second bit of good news is that there is a guy at our church who was recently saved. He was living in America at the time and was under some good teaching. He has moved back to Prague and is so fired up for the Lord. He and our Czech friend, Jiri, and Preston are meeting once a week to study the Bible together. We are really thrilled for this opportunity. Please pray for these three and for others to join them. Pray for continued excitement on the part of Lubos and for consistency in their times together.

Our kids' English club is finished for the year. It ended pretty well--though smaller in numbers. The good news is that 8-9 of the kids have signed up for English camp this summer. This is a Christian camp and the Gospel will be shared over and over with them. We also Praise God that He has provided a team from the States to come and lead the worship for us. Please pray for them as they prepare to come. The camp is August 16-23.

Another camp that our family will be involved with is a family camp in July. We are excited that God is filling the spots for this with Czech families that are open and eager to hear more about Jesus. Please pray for the volunteers coming for the States, the two families here that are involved, and the participants who will be there.

Exams are over for the kids tomorrow and then Summer really begins. We look forward to a week in Greece and two weeks in Georgia before our camps. We love you--thank you for your prayers.

To re-read the article about the bible study group, go to http://hope4cee.org/stories/breakingconcrete/index.html

Disciple Now, English Classes and Upcoming Camps

Last weekend our kids were involved in a Disciple Now weekend. It was for the elementary students, 1-6 grades, and was hosted by a fellow missionary family in the Czech Republic. All the younger MKs spent the weekend together in Brno, playing, learning and enjoying being together. David and Lauren were asked to be helpers for the weekend. They led discussions and games. helped with the handouts and in general, tried to keep order. It was a great couple of days for all of them.

English clubs worst enemy is Spring. The Czech tradition is once the snow has melted, weekends are spent at the chata (country house). Getting back for Enlish on Sunday night is often not a priority. Thus, we have seen numbers dwindle since Easter. I have had no one in my class for 4 weeks. Preston has had 1-2 students out of 12, the kids numbers have been way down as well. It's disappointing, but not unexpected. Please continue to pray for my ladies. I felt led to be bold the last few times we were together, knowing that I may not have the chance again. I'm so glad I was. They have heard the truth now and I know they are thinking about all that we discussed. Please pray for us to see each other randomly this summer.

The good news is that from kids club, 9 have signed up for our annual English camp. This is a church-sponsored camp and normally there are about 50 kids. Not all are believers but many come from "christian" homes. Last year only 2 from our English club attended. 9 is a great number and that doesn't include our kids.

Also good is that we are still planning the program for this summer. We desperately need musicians and there are three young men from Georgia that are trying to come and help us out. We are very excited about the possibility, but the tickets aren't bought yet. Please pray for them as they plan and try to finance this trip. We don't have a great back-up plan if they don't come, so please pray for God's provision. Music is really important in this culture and it touches their hearts like nothing else.

I do ask for your prayers for our entire region right now. Our regional leader has resigned and it has really thrown all of us for a loop. We love him and support him in what He has done, but the circumstances leading to his resignation grieve us (disagreement over board policies). Please pray for us as we all consider the implications of his convictions as well as the board's policies. We all need direction in knowing how to glorify God in this situation. Also pray for us as a new RL is chosen. Who he is and how he leads will directly affect our ministry here in Prague. We aren't sure what the future holds.

Preston's trip to the States in April went very well. He really enjoyed his time with our first church. It was good to see old friends. He has no more trips planned until next fall!!! We are all excited about that.

School is winding down for the kids. Please pray for them to finish well. They have major Spring fever. We will travel to Greece in June for a week for our Annual General Meeting, and then home to visit in the States for a couple of weeks. In the end of July I have a media trip to Bulgaria. Please pray for me as we plan and prepare. We are creating media to recruit volunteers and churches to partner together in reaching the Pomak people, an unreached group of Muslims in the mountains of Bulgaria.