Monthly Archives: April 2013

Friday was another good day. My first lecture was at nine. Doing a book like Amos in 50 minutes (including translation) is a challenge. However, based on the responses, the people worked hard with us and truly profited. Seeing a young lady still quickly writing notes after it is over is an encouraging sign. After my second lecture and a quick lunch, it was time to head to the airport. I hated to miss the last part of the lectureship, but our meeting in Wichita Falls is starting on Sunday, so it was necessary for me to be back. The trip back to Prague tok several hours, but I arrived safely at about 10 PM.

Thursday morning we went to the “worship flat” to get the projector, sound equipment, song books, and Bibles. By noon we had things set up for the afternoon start. We had three lectures before supper. After we ate, we sang Russian hymns for a hour before the final lecture. Following that study we had a Q&A session. By the end of this we were worn out,but it had been good day. The approximately 50 people who had traveled from around the country to participate were very attentive and appreciative.

The brethren here put a tremendous amount of work into their lectures. On Wednesday, Johnny and I had the early part of the day to finalize our own preparations. We then spent a delightful evening with the Gentry’s. A great meal was followed by a discussion of the logistics of the lectures. Mixed delightfully into this was a great visit with the three young children. Being with a young family with small children brought back a lot of great memories and sparked some great discussions.

The trip went, and I saw Johnny Felker as soon as I arrived at the hotel. After a short break we left to meet John Gentry for supper. After a quick meal we headed to the lecture. Johnny has been doing a series on the family. As usual, he did a great job last night. After his presentation I joined him for the lengthy Q&A session. It was great to see Serghei again.

On Monday I was able to spend a few hours with Lucy. The situation with the group she is worshipping with has not improved. Thankfully her circumstances at work have improved dramatically. She was in better spirits that I have seen her in some time. During our visit we went to a coffee shop for some tea. When we finished I took our tray back up. About 20 minutes later I realized I had left my IPad on the table. When I got back to the shop, the lady was waiting for me with it in her hand.

The Saturday study was attended by folks from four churches around the country. Bad weather and illness hindered others. In the morning session we studied Hagaii while in the afternoon we looked at Jonah. Both sessions were followed by lively Q&A periods. After so many hours of teaching I was tired, but it was a wonderful tired.

Jan and I arrived back in Brno just in time to meet the Planetovi family in the mall for a snack before our assembly. The worship was well attended and joyous. The energetic discussion the lesson created was heartwarming and challenging. This visiting lasted for almost an hour before I needed to start my journey to Slovakia.

Early Sunday morning Jan picked me up for a trip to this lovely, historic town. The church there had been asking me to come for some time. It finally worked out. The origins of this work go back almost 20 years to our time in Pardubice. I was so thankful to be able to preach here.

Shortly after two of the Czechs were giving me far too much credit for my language skills, a 14 year old stood up and began to speak. He read scriptures, commented on them, and prayed. He did this in Czech while translating it into English. Would that all such humbling experiences be so joyful and encouraging.

Following our assembly, the Lustyk family invited us for lunch. Being with this godly family of five fills me with joy that I cannot well express. It was a great start to a wonderful day.

The train trip to Brno is always a pleasant experience. As the photos show, it is still winter here. Upon arrival I had a couple of hours to settle in before the lecture. The folks here did a great deal of work preparing for it. The lecture itself and the Q&A session afterwards lasted the full two hours we had the room. We had seven visitors, all of whom seemed genuinely interested. They asked questions about other study opportunities and took literature. The brethren seemed well please with the outcome. Mrs. Matousek difficult trip to be with us and was full of joy and enthusiasm and she interacted with the visitors.

After the lecture, I went with Jan to enjoy listening to his bluegrass band play at a nearby restaurant. After that I caught the end of my old football teams practice and then had a great visit with players and coaches.

My last day in Prague was a good one. I had some time to work on upcoming lessons. I also finally had the opportunity to spend a few hours visiting with Mike. His love for the brethren in Eastern Europe gives up a lot to talk about. The work is challenging, but good brethren like these find their forward.

Wednesday was a also a transitional day in my work on this trip. From Thursday, my teaching opportunities will be much more public. I’m excited about that, but am very grateful for the days I have had to spend in quiet study in the homes of a number of brethren. I believe this has been time very well spent.