Poland: What a ministry privilege!

Wow! What a great week we had in Poland! While our other 4 kids went to their own conference in Slovakia, we went further north. EB, Quentin, our good friend and Atlantan Brent Harrison and I went to our Polish ministry’s Christmas student conference. It was held in the mountains of southern Poland. It was truly one of the great ministry experiences of my life.

I can still remember Billy Graham speaking on Matthew 9:37 (“the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few”) at a Christmas conference I attended in 1983 as a college student. God used his talk to change the direction of my life. What a privilege to be before a group of Polish students a generation later to communicate the same Biblical truths. Poland is a very conservative, God-fearing country. But personal knowledge of God (John 17:3) is very rare in Poland with less than 1% of the population being evangelical. There are more Jehovah Witnesses than Baptists in Poland.

Over the course of 4 days I spoke 4 times to the main session and helped lead two other seminars. The theme of the week was STEWARDSHIP. I used the Christmas story (Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2:1-19) and examined different characters to highlight different aspects of stewardship. I was able to dig deep into the Biblical story of Christmas, which is surprisingly unknown among European young people. I did this as I was teaching on four aspects of stewardship: stewardship of God’s gift to us (baby Jesus), relationships (Joseph), money (the Magi) and our very lives (The Great Commission). By week’s end I was emotionally spent but what a great way to pour out yourself!

The talks and seminars generated small group and one on one discussions. Here Brent continues answering questions after our “men only” seminar. EB is counseling a Polish college student who attended our relationship seminar.

The young man in the middle, Raphael, came to Christ at our “American Café” outreach that I participated in a year and a half ago in Krakow. Rafael gave his testimony at this Christmas conference. Another girl also gave her testimony (not pictured here) who came to Christ after my talk on the first night about the meaning of Jesus coming to earth as a baby.

We gave each student at the conference a copy of John Piper’s book, “Don’t Waste Your Life.”

The students expressed their appreciation to us with this gift of a Polish ceramic tray.

The cold Polish countryside.

On October 1st, the city of Krakow, Poland, changed...

when 100,000 students entered the city overnight as the school year began.

And a small group of Christians, armed with the gospel and led by the Spirit, were waiting for them…

The first “Harvest Poland Project,” patterned after Hungary’s “Bringing in the Hungarian Harvest Project (BHHP),” partnered with the Krakow campus ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Our group from America ranged in age from high school to retired. They included a church group from Greensville, SC, and others who came from Orlando, Atlanta, Denver and even Asia. Joining us were the campus staff and key students of our Krakow Campus Crusade ministry. Together we did creative outreaches with the goal to present culturally relevant presentations of the gospel to the college students of Krakow.

The most successful outreach we had was the “American Café.” We rented a party room on campus and using American candy, coffee (Starbucks!), music, photos, college and pro t-shirts and ball caps, we turned the room into a slice of Americana. The students poured in and it was easy to begin gospel conversations in this coffee shop atmosphere.

Here I am with two brothers, John (left), and Kris (right) who came to our American Cafe. Kris made a decision to place his faith in Jesus Christ during our time together in Krakow.

At the American Café, I met with two brothers, John and Kris. John had placed his faith in Jesus Christ through a Catholic renewal movement led by a monk (!) and was familiar with our ministry in Krakow. He wanted his older brother to hear the gospel and brought him to the American Café. I had the privilege to share the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross with Kris.

After sharing Christ with him, I invited Kris to respond personally by faith to Christ’s payment of our sin penalty. I told him, “Merely reciting a prayer doesn’t make anyone a Christian. But if this prayer (pointing to the one in the back of the “Four Spiritual Laws” booklet) expresses the desire of your heart, then I encourage you to use that prayer to express your new-found faith to Jesus. Kris, does this prayer express the desire of your heart?”

Kris answered a succinct, “Yes.” “Then why don’t you communicate this prayer back to the Lord?” I encouraged. And right there, in a room crowded with people and music thumping, Kris surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. What a moment!

Kris and I met the next day, my final day in Krakow, and we talked through Ephesians 2:8-9 and 1 John 5:11-13. When Kris realized that salvation was by faith in the Son of God, a free gift from God and not a result of works, I could see the light go on in his spirit. His posture straightened up and tears welled up in his eyes. .

Even Ted Nugent dropped by our American Café in Krakow for a brief cameo. I asked him if I could jam with him on stage but he said he regretfully left his guitar back in Michigan.

“But it takes more faith to embrace your atheism than to believe in my God.” Here I am sharing the gospel with two Polish students at the American Café. I had the impression that the one on the left wanted to argue more than discuss. He really was a nice guy and you can tell God is working on Him; after all he came that night wanting to talk about the Lord!

After my conversation with John and Kris ended and they left, I stood alone in the corner thrilled but emotionally exhausted. I didn’t have the energy to speak another word. Then my attention was called to two guys who had just walked in and were standing nervously all alone. I knew what the Lord wanted me to do.

I introduced myself to the guys and immediately one said, “What is the topic of discussion tonight?” “Anything you want to talk about,” I said. “Can we talk about God?” he asked. He immediately launched and began his series of arguments as to why he did not believe in God.

Patiently I responded with what I hope were satisfactory answers to his arguments while conceding that it is impossible to be 100% absolutely sure about God. “But it takes more faith to embrace your atheism than to believe in my God.” I also asked him why he was so intent on fighting against the God who loves him, created him and gave himself up for him. (Its one thing to speak of God’s love to the genuine seeker. Yet I have learned to confront and challenge, even with my tone of voice, those who unashamedly reject God.)

The American Café was closing but our conversation was still going strong. “Shall we go to another place and keep talking?” I asked, having gained a second wind. They declined but we exchanged emails. I think he wanted to argue more than discuss. But that is okay. It was a great evening. At least 3 people that night gave their lives to the Lord at the American Café!

Here I am (left) with Dr. Bill Weathers of Greenville, South Carolina (far right). Between us are some of the leaders of our Polish Campus Crusade ministry. Robert Kowalsky, Polish Director of Development (left), Mariusz Kwapisz, Country Director of Poland (middle), and Marek Wyrzykowski, one of Campus Crusade’s Eastern European Regional Directors (right). All of them are great guys and a pleasure to work with.

One of the obstacles our ministry in Poland faces is trust. Since we are not part of the 95% Catholic super majority (even though we work with Bible-believing elements within the Catholic church), many people assume right away that we are a cult. So we must work harder to earn trust and credibility. ** Speaking of cults, Jehovah Witnesses are the second largest “Christian” denomination in Poland, greatly outnumbering Baptist, of whom there are only 5000-6000 in the whole country.**At the American Café, us visiting Americans thought it would be great if the room was full of American in their 20s who could connect even better with the Polish college students. But our Polish staff said that while all ages are needed to share Christ in Krakow, a room full of gray heads (like me!) was good because Polish students do not know anyone who is older who has a vibrant faith in God. This current generation of Polish college students is the first to not be influenced by atheistic Communism.

In spite of its troubled history, Krakow is a beautiful city! Here is a pic from the old town square on a crisp sunny fall day.

Our work that week generated many conversations where students heard clear presentations of the gospel. Between all the outreaches we did, over 5000 received personal invitations to learn about a relationship with Christ; many responded back with an interest to know more. Our Krakow campus ministry will be doing the follow up. Thank you for praying. Please pray for the follow up of Kris and others with whom we made contact. And please plan on joining us next year!

Equipping Laborers in Poland and Czech

It was a privilege to have at least some of my family with me while I traveled. Here we are (sans Elizabeth, Benjamin and Savannah who were all in their first week of school) enjoying the crisp air and green hills of eastern Czech while at a conference where I was asked to teach.

EB and I just returned from a week of ministry in Poland and the Czech Republic. It was a blessing to not travel alone but have EB, Rebekah and Quentin with me. I wish you could have met who we met, seen what we saw and experienced what we experienced.

Our first stop was in southern Poland for Campus Crusade’s Polish staff conference with 100 Polish missionaries. It was so encouraging to hear how the Lord is using this select group of Poles. EB and I both observed how the Polish people are more like Americans than most of the ethnic groups we have worked with in Eastern Europe. We found the Poles to have an American-like sense of humor, to be gregarious, optimistic, and hard working.

Saying "thanks" after the Polish ministry of Campus Crusade honored EB and me for our work on their behalf.

Even though Poland has upwards of 95% Catholic Church-goers, it is still predominately a secular society. Consider this quote I found recently in a publication from “Pioneers,” a missions agency like Campus Crusade: “As a percentage of population, there are fewer evangelical Christians in Poland than there are in Saudi Arabia—four times fewer! Roughly 90 percent of the counties in this country of 38 million have no evangelical church of any kind.”

On a free day, EB and I toured Krakow, the site of an outreach we are doing in early October with some American Christians. We visited the location of the WWII Jewish ghetto, where Hitler corralled all the Jews in Krakow before shipping them off to death camps. How do you explain the heaviness and hurt you feel while standing on the site where such evil happened?

This was the gathering place in Krakow's Jewish ghetto before the Jews were put on trains bound for the concentration camps during Hitler's reign. Today the square remains clear except for some vacant wooden chairs as an artistic way to say, "Everyone is gone; the ghetto has been emptied." I felt as if I was treading on a thin crust covering a worm hole from hell that regurgitated indescribable evil during World War II.

A short distance from the Jewish ghetto train station in Krakow is Oscar Schindler's factory, the subject of Steven Speilberg's movie.

On Monday we traveled a short distance across the Czech border to a beautiful retreat site in the extreme eastern reach of Czech. The location was high up in some rolling hills looking down on valleys with horses, farm houses, small villages, gurgling streams, fresh, clean air and green (even in August!) pastures and fields. It was picturesque! We spent a day with the staff of a Czech evangelical ministry called KVZ, the abbreviation translates loosely as “Christian and Education Outreach.” I taught on proper attitudes and Biblical basis for support raising. (Another ministry passionate for Jesus Christ but with great financial needs.)

For breakfast we were served cucumbers and hotdogs. For dinner one night we ate strawberry jam-filled potatoes with chocolate sauce and whipped cream!

EB and I really enjoyed our time with these 25 Czech brothers and sisters in Christ, all of whom share Jesus on campuses in the most atheistic country in Europe. 81% of Czechs do not believe in God, according to a recent study done by Pew Research. In terms of belief in God, in the spiritually dark continent of Europe, Czech is the darkest place of all.

While we split up to pray in small groups with our Czech brothers and sisters in Christ, I did notice a difference in style in our small group between Americans and Czechs. Which pair of feet above belongs to EB?

It must be noted, however, that while larger percentages of “deists” exists in other European countries, the percentage of evangelical believers across Czech, Poland, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, and other Eastern European countries, is lower than in many Middle Eastern countries. All the same, why are there more hard-line atheists in Czech than in the other countries of Europe? EB and I posed this question over lunch to Dave Patty, the American director of Josiah Ventures in Eastern Europe, whose facility hosted the conference in Czech at which I spoke. Dave explained why there are so many atheists in Czech.

Me, on the left standing, addressing 25 Czech missionaries, along with my translator, Josef Pavlinak, the director of KVZ ministries.

To quote Dave loosely, the Protestant Reformation actually began in what is now the Czech Republic under the leadership of Jan Huss 100 years before Luther. Yet the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, who claimed those lands at that time, was militantly Catholic and demanded that all the “Hussites” either flee or return to the Catholic Church. For those that did neither, they were imprisoned or even killed, including Huss who was burned at the stake as a heretic by the Catholic Church in 1415. (It must be noted that in 1999 Pope John Paul II expressed "deep regret for the cruel death inflicted" on Huss and suggested an inquiry as to whether Huss might be cleared of heresy.)

Mandatory membership in the Catholic Church continued for hundreds of years until the late 1800s and for 40 years there was religious freedom among the Czech people. Then came Hitler followed by two generations of atheistic Communism. Religious freedom returned to the Czech people with the fall of Communism but the Czechs have chosen to stay away from their churches.

However, God has not forgotten the Czech or the Polish people. He has raised up Spirit-led, forward-thinking laborers for both countries. God in His mercy continues to reveal Himself to these people who have ignored Him. Yet isn’t that what God is doing for the ENTIRE human race?

Warsaw's Tragic History & the Death of the European Enlightenment

I was caught off guard with how modern Warsaw is. Plenty of reminders that I was in Eastern Europe (including cold and grey winter weather) yet Warsaw has skyscrapers that Budapest doesn't have.

It was July 1944. The Polish resistance, outgunned and outnumbered, was battling the Nazis for control of Warsaw. The Poles looked up and saw on the opposite side of the Vistula river, which flowed through Warsaw, the Soviet army lined up on the banks. The Poles cheered! “They have come to rescue us! They will cross over and drive out the Nazis!” But the Soviets did not cross. They stood there. Watching. And waiting. They waited until the Nazis greatly weakened themselves by pounding the Polish resistance and destroying Warsaw. Once both the Poles were decimated and the Nazis exhausted, then did the Soviet army make its move. The Nazis retreated leaving death and destruction behind. Hence, the Soviets postured themselves as the liberators of Warsaw (much like they did in Budapest). Little did the Polish people realize that they were about to be enslaved by the Soviets for the next two generations.

250,000 Poles died during World War II as the Nazis and the Soviet armies battled over Warsaw. Before the war, Warsaw had a Jewish population of 400,000. After the war, there were virtually no Jews left. During my brief tour of Warsaw, I saw a wall that marked a boundary of the former Jewish ghetto. And many of the same emotions came over me that I felt this past summer at Auschwitz: emotions of terror, disbelief and disgust mixed with anger. There is nothing left of the 400,000 Jews that lived in this city 65 years ago. (Wikipedia’s page on Warsaw is a great, quick resource about the World War II battle for Warsaw: www.wikipedia.com)

This wall in Warsaw is essentially all that is left of the Jewish ghetto built by the Nazis.

The Soviets desired to colonize and make slaves out of Poland and all of Eastern Europe. On the heels of the Jewish holocaust, the Soviets either killed or shipped to the Siberian Gulags all the intellegencia of Poland, regardless of religion. (The Soviets did this as well as in the other Eastern Europe countries). They didn’t want any skilled workers, thinkers, entrepreneurs, leaders, problem solvers, or wealthy people in any of their European colonies; all they wanted was a mindless working class of slaves that they could manipulate and extract goods from on behalf of the Soviet Union.

Like our Campus Crusade staff in Hungary, our Polish staff can all tell stories from the previous generation of relatives that simply vanished or family that were ruthlessly killed. I stayed with Robert and Beata Kowalsky, a Campus Crusade Polish staff couple with 3 beautiful young girls. Of Robert’s father’s family, only Robert’s father survived the battle of Warsaw as a 15 year old boy constantly on the move to avoid capture; the rest of his family was captured and killed. Beata’s grandfather was shipped off to Siberia because he was a blacksmith and the Soviets didn’t want him making bullets or weapons for the Polish resistance.

The Enlightenment began when on a wintery day in 1618 Rene Descartes sat next to a fire and articulated the words that not only changed Europe but world history: “I think therefore I am.” At that point an era began where the shift of authority was no longer based on the Bible and the church but based on human wisdom and reason. Man set out to build an earthly utopia that was void of God and any other authority except man himself. The Enlightenment didn’t end, I personally believe, until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1991. That symbolic act was the curtain closing on the final scene of the European Enlightenment that chronicled man’s multi-century failure to build a utopia on earth.. The harder man tries to build a man-centered Christless utopia, the more tragic are the results.

The quest for societal utopia is all but gone (albeit the Muslims today think that a world-wide society based on seventh century Arab culture is the answer). Unfortunately the vacuum left by the Enlightenment in Europe is not being filled with a return to Jesus Christ; it is being filled with Post-Modern thinking that embraces a world view that is nihilistic, fatalistic and materialistic. Shopping malls have replaced universities (which had replaced churches) as the center of society. The pursuit of materialism (i.e. the pursuit of self) is what occupies the modern European mind. The tragedies of World War II are told today by the grandparents, listened to with one ear by pre-occupied parents and pronounced boring by the children. Unfortunately, the words found posted in Auschwitz by George Santayana take on a special meaning: “The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.”

These are the Kowalsky girls. Their parents, Robert and Beata, are on our Polish Campus Crusade team. I work closely with Robert in addressing the financial needs of our Polish ministry and staff. Above, these girls are (from the left) Carolina, Victoria and Eunice.

I almost forgot! Thanks for praying for Elizabeth! Here she is flanked by her mom and grandmother in a Budapest doctor's office moments after waking up from surgery for having her wisdom teeth pulled. There were no complications and she only took pain medicine the next day.