During this time we have been staying with our good friends, Larry and Melissa, who currently live in Prague, but will be serving in Plzen starting in the spring. Yesterday Larry was invited to a meeting with the head of the Czech Baptist Union who wanted to introduce him to some Russian Baptist missionaries who will also be moving to Plzen to work with Russian-speakers in the area...so he invited me to tag along. It is hard this morning to put that experience into words, but I will try.
First, if you were a fly on the wall you would have needed several language dictionaries to keep up. The meeting was conducted in English, because that was the most common language. But it was a strange mixture of English, Czech and Russian. It was exciting for me to sit with the head of the Czech Baptist Union and hear him talk about his heart for reaching his nation and to hear how excited he is about reaching Russians as well as native Czechs. And it was invigorating to hear how God is bringing resources from around the globe to this city in Western Czech Republic to bring the gospel to the people there. In addition to the work they were involved in, God has also brought others who are working with the Roma, or gypsies in the area. And, I must admit, it was also exciting to be in Prague and speaking Russian with Baptist brothers...one of which spoke only Russian and not Czech or English.
An interesting side note. When we speak to our friends in Moscow about the time before 1990, they refer to this time as either "communism" or "when we were the USSR." But here in the Czech Republic they refer to 1990 as "the revolution" and the time before that as "under totalitarianism." It is interesting how the perspective changes as to whether you are one of the conquering or the conquered. And yet, none the less, the believers here still have a desire to see native Russians who are living in the Czech Republic come to Christ. Isn't that itself a testimony to Jesus living in us?
I may have said this in this blog before, but this seems like a good place to repeat it if I have. A funny thing has happened over the past year. When I left the States I considered myself a media producer whose job it was to assist church planters in Russia. But now, after living in Moscow for a year, making friends with Russians, and learning to speak the Russian language, I consider myself to be a church planter who uses his media skills to help reach Russian speakers. Will we always serve in Moscow? I don't know. Will we always serve in Russia? I don't really know that either. But, after yesterday morning what I can tell you is that God has given me a heart for native Russian speakers, regardless of where in the world that they live. Yes, I have become a church planter, and it is my heart's desire to see God use the Russians with whom I am able to share my faith to then go and share that Good news with their Russian friends. Of course, English will always be my first language, but when I hear Russian it speaks to my soul. Now really, who would have ever thought that would have happened this year?
We are looking forward to the rest of the weekend before our meetings start on Sunday. Today we are going on "photo safari" in this magical city and I cannot wait to share some of those images with you. Our friends from all over CEE will be arriving on Saturday evening and I can only imagine there will be lots of laughter over the next week as we share our experiences from the last year. It is my prayer that wherever in the world that you are when you read this that you have as good of friends as we have.
Blessings,
Marc
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