November 1999

Dear Friends and Family,

The summer (in particular July) was quite busy, as it saw the arrival of seven Presbyterians from southwestern Pennsylvania, mostly from my presbytery, Redstone Presbytery. They came to help lead an English Bible camp—to share the gospel and help Slovak adults improve their English. This was a follow-up to the camp we had done two years earlier and again was led jointly by Slovak and American Christians.

Before the camp began, members of the Slovak and American leadership teams had the chance to spend time together. The group saw several of the sights in the Trencin and Stara Tura region, including a museum of Slovak village life. The group also saw a large nativity set carved from wood, which featured shepherds dressed like Slovak shepherds and other figures (and even buildings) representative of Slovakia and its life and culture. One aim of this time together was to show the Americans some of the sights of western Slovakia, but a greater goal was to help the team members become acquainted with each other and prepare to work together once the camp began.

Although the camp was quite similar to the camps of previous years, there was one significant difference. The Brethren Church (the Slovak partner church with which I work) decided to put on a second camp at the same time. So, there was a children's camp in one part of the facility and a camp for adults in the other part of the facility. This proved to be a creative pairing of the two camps, enabling parents to bring their children. There was also good planning and cooperation between the two camps, the highlight of which were the joint fellowship programs.

A typical day in the English Bible camp consisted of three English lessons. The first lesson was a kind of grammar lesson—teaching some of the basics of the language. The second lesson was a reading lesson, using a simple, modern translation of the Bible. (The Bibles had been supplied by Cresson and Patton Presbyterian Churches, two congregations of Redstone Presbytery.) A third lesson, which took place later in the day, was a conversation lesson. It provided more opportunities for campers to practice speaking. The Bible lessons, as well as many other features of the camp, were designed to help students learn more about God's ways, and especially about his Son, Jesus Christ.

Of course, there was time for sports. Volleyball was very popular. And campers also had the chance to try softball and even golf. These were sports the Slovaks had only seen on television, and they were interested in trying them. (Softball was a big hit with the children's camp.) Jeff Boudman, a member of Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, provided us with all the softball equipment we could use. We certainly appreciated his efforts, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm, as he and his congregation got behind this project!

There were other games too. One whole evening was dedicated to a "treasure hunt" in which campers had to decipher clues given in figures of speech, such as "in a nutshell." It required quite a bit of thinking to know where to look, but the campers were absorbed in the game seemed to enjoy it.

On other evenings we watched movies on the video player, including "Dances with Wolves." In some cases the movies served to introduce the conversation class topic for the following day.

One of the final evenings was a "gospel night." This was an opportunity to sing spiritual songs, but it was also a time for some of the Christians to give their testimony. Particularly moving was the testimony of one of the young Slovak leaders. (Such presentations were always translated into both Slovak and English.) His testimony caused some of the non-Christians to think about what it means to believe in and follow God. By the end of the camp, all had a fuller sense of what it means to have fellowship through Jesus Christ.

On the final evening, there was a celebratory banquet, with the exchange of gifts expressions of appreciation to both campers and staff. That evening, following a showing of the "Jesus film," about 15 campers expressed their faith in Jesus Christ publicly. For some, this was an affirmation of faith, for others a re-affirmation of faith. The usual distinction between Catholic and Protestant, which can be significant in Slovakia, did not seem to matter very much. Participants understood that the primary thing was faith in Jesus Christ.

Following the camp, some campers participate in the youth groups of the Trencin and Stara Tura congregations, and some occasionally come to worship. (Of course, some of the campers were part of a church prior to the camp.) A couple of women continue to have some interest in Eastern religion, but also a new openness to hearing about Jesus Christ. One of these women told me that she has so much to think about as a result of the camp! (Additionally, those who were at the camp seem to have increased interest in Bible lessons—that is, the adult English classes I teach during the school year.)

I want to thank all of you—congregations, church organizations, and individuals—who contributed so that this camp could be successful. Whether you gave materially or financially or held the camp in your prayers. . . thank you very much! You made a difference.

I would ask that you continue in your prayers. You might pray for the continuing outreach efforts of the Trencin and Stara Tura congregation and for the openness of the former campers in responding. You might pray specifically for me as I continue my work here.

Finally, please pray for the Church here in Slovakia, especially as it tries new ways of reaching out to the community—ways that were not possible before the fall of the Berlin Wall and before the "Velvet Revolution" in Czechoslovakia, which ended 40 years of Communist rule. Both of these events took place in November of 1989, ten years ago. I hope you can join me in being thankful for God's grace in bringing these events about, even as we prepare to celebrate God's greatest gift of grace, the gift of Jesus Christ, at Christmas, and as we prepare to follow his leading into the new millennium.

With Gratitude,

John Michael