Czech Republic
2 March 2008
IBTS
Nad Habrovkou 3
Jeneralka, CZ – 16400 Prague 6


Our dear friends and family,

Many greetings from windy Prague! Today is the second day of the “big wind” covering much of Germany and blowing right on into the Czech Republic. Maybe you have seen something about it on T.V. This windstorm was so powerful that it was given a name, “Emma.” Trees have blown down, electrical pylons have been dismantled, and general havoc has been wreaked here and there around the country. Deaths as a result of this storm have been reported. So we have stayed inside – not only because of the very strong winds, but also because of the rain they brought with them, and, with the rain, hail. It means, of course, that March has come in like a lion, at least to this part of Central Europe, and we have every good reason to expect an early, sunny and warm spring! Great!

My Russian student, Christina, is doing so well. I am very proud of her and was prepared to issue great congratulations when I saw her come forward in church today to share in the prayer time. She and Nancy stood together, so it seemed to me that they would both speak English. Although the students come from many different languages groups, English is the language of the classroom and of the church. But she spoke Russian! Nancy offered a “bidding” prayer of intersession, and with each item, Christina translated into Russian. Of course she did a very nice job with the Russian – fine. I spoke with her afterwards and told her that I had expected her to speak in English. She said, “I want to!” So I promised her (forewarned might be a better word here) that I would be sure to include her in the scripture or prayer in English on April 20. That is my day to lead the services.

Christina has been a very interesting student. She is a dedicated grammarian, and very conscientious. However much homework I give her, she does it all and does it very well. She is always prepared, and these days she is ready to talk in English about everyday subjects like childcare and cooking and fashion. She is a typical Russian Baptist. She wears no make-up or jewelry except for a simple gold chain with a cross. She has long, wavy dark hair that she always wears pulled back in a ponytail. Her ears are pierced, but she said she doesn’t like earrings, and besides, her husband doesn’t think they are nice. But she does wear fashionable clothing; by fashionable I am referring to fashion of in the youth culture today all over the world – that means jeans and tee shirts with a “hoodie.” On Sundays she wears a skirt.

Christina’s husband Sergei is also a very good student. He has been studying as a CAT (Certificate of Applied Theology), but has also been admitted into the Magister’s program, so he has to work doubly hard and is studying both Hebrew with Lydia and Greek with Roger in the early morning, pre-chapel hours. Roger says he is always well prepared with his reading. They manage their little 3-yr old daughter very well, although I have to say she is also well cared for by the other Russian students here whom she refers to in Russian as “Auntie” and “Uncle.” Sergei is one of the very few students on campus without his own computer. But he manages pretty well with the machines in the library. And he has a memory stick that he makes good use of. Even without his own computer, he is very computer-savvy. Tall and handsome with a ready smile, Sergei is learning a lot – not only from the classroom. I think even some of his rather old-fashioned ideas about the roles of men and women may be about to change. Last week I told Christina that Roger and I have a “contract.” Our contract is that if I cook, he washes up. In mock-shock she replied that she would try to get Sergei to sign such a contract, but she didn’t have high expectations that he would agree.

Anna, the Polish student, took her first part of the Cambridge First Certificate Exam yesterday. She’ll do the second half next week. I talked with her when she got back to campus yesterday, and she sounded o.k. about it. But she won’t get her results until some time in May.

What can I say; this multi-cultural experience has been a special blessing for me. I would not have expected to be able to touch lives in this way and to make lasting friendships with people who will be ministers in Baptist churches in Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia and several other countries throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Roger will have a busy week next week. He’s teaching missiology and Greek. The following week will be even busier. I believe he is enjoying himself. He is responsible for encouraging the CAT students who will be leading in chapel two by two over the remaining weeks of the semester. Some of them are ready and excited and prepared to be creative. Others are nervous and worried about their presentations and English scripture reading. We invited them to just come and sit down and chat with us about what they’re going to do. And as per Keith’s explicit instructions, whatever they do, they must keep it exactly within the 15 minutes allotted for them. That means no commentary. Reading the scripture, singing a song, and praying will take all the time

The Rector, Keith Jones, is away this week because he is on the planning committee for the meeting of the Baptist World Alliance, which will be held in Hawaii in two years’ time. He’s in Hawaii!! Pro-rector, Parush Parushev, is also away this week because he is teaching at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Seminary (our old stomping ground) for two weeks. How we would love to have gone with him to Sofia! But the president of that institution has invited Roger to speak at the graduation ceremony in November, so there is the possibility that we will be able to go back to Bulgaria at least one more time. The young pastor and PhD student from Armenia, who is president of the Baptist seminary there, Asatur, also invited Roger to teach The Synoptic Gospels and John for two weeks in the second half of October, so the plan will be for the two of us to meet up in Sofia for a few days at the time of the seminary graduation. We are just hoping the plan will work. I suppose some of you are aware of the political unrest that is taking place at the moment in Armenia. What a troubled nation – a nation with a long troubled history! But it is a nation where our Lord is mightily at work, and this young pastor and seminary president is serving with his family as the heart and hands of God in Armenia.

If you are keeping up with international news, you are aware that today, March 2, is the day of elections in Russia. In a country with 11 time zones, the results will come in pretty slowly, but I suppose in this case, with these candidates, there will be no surprises. The Russians here are convinced that Putin’s successor will be the man that Putin himself has handpicked. We’ll see.

Our touring of the town and country where we live now is on hold because of the weather. The Livelys tell us the Zoo is nice and the huge park surrounding the castle. They really enjoy long walks around the city. They say Prague is the only city they know of where, if you get lost, it’s o.k. because anywhere you go you find something very interesting. We will resume our visit of the sights when the weather improves.

Until then,
God bless you!

With love,
Janice and Roger