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O.M. Mission Workers
Stephen, Varya, Benjamin and Toby
Brandon
Serving God’s Kingdom through serving O.M.
missionaries around the world with information and communications
technology |
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June
2009 We've made yet another international
move, this time back to Steve's home country of New Zealand.
Benjamin is in Year 3 at school, Toby has started Kindergarten,
Varya is doing voluntary Mental Health / Social Work
work.
Internet work for Operation Mobilisation continues from
the other side of the world though! There is a huge amount
going on, from Facebook pages for Operation Mobilisation,
to various OM web sites, and the crucial OM intranet system
that Steve is in charge of.
Please pray for this vital aspect of OM's communication
and technical work. We covet your prayers!
October
2005 After almost two years as full-time Christian
workers in the Czech Republic, this part
of our story is unexpectedly coming to an end. On October
20th we returned to the United Kingdom; we’re on
sabbatical here until January 2006, after which time we
will remain in the UK for the foreseeable future.
For the time being, we've stopped developing
and maintaining this site. We've stopped writing our diary,
but trust that the experiences we wrote about over our time
in the Czech Republic and re-entry into Scottish/UK culture
may amuse you, entertain you, educate you, and perhaps inspire
you into Christian missions or support for churches in the
Czech Republic. |
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Highlights
of 2008? |
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October-December
The long trip to New Zealand. After many months of planning
and preparation, then new house found on the internet,
the visas, full medicals, insurance, house removals, travel,
week in Canada with friends, Disneyland, time spent staying
with other family members in New Zealand, we finally made
it to our new house in Wanganui!
Summer in New Zealand is lovely - not too hot, good BBQ
weather etc. It's just a bit weird having a summer Christmas!
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Highlights
of 2006? |
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26 Dec 2005:
Toby Born
(ok that’s 2005, but only just!) Our second little miracle
arrived in a hurry the day after Christmas, but since then
he’s been the most laid-back baby imaginable!
Benji and Toby are already best of friends, and we love to see
their mutual love and admiration! Praise the Lord for a
quick labour (1hr 11min) and for being able to deliver
him in an English-speaking environment. |
July: 1st visit
back to Czech, plus English Camp
We had been cautious about our first visit back to the Czech
Republic after our rather hurried departure last October. In
the event we had none of the negative emotions we had anticipated.
It felt like we had never been away - our Czech language was
fairly fluent, we loved every bit of it. English camp was awesome
as always, and we came away feeling that a part of our hearts
will always remain in the Czech Republic, even if we’re not
able to live there again. |
Choirs
Steve has started singing again in earnest: first with the
Thomas Coates Memorial Choir in Paisley, then with the
nearby Kilbarchan Singers. A HUGE highlight was being part
of a massed choir singing in the Albert Hall in London
as part of the BBC Proms season, singing in Orlando Gough’s
"We Turned on the Light" in August. |
Benjamin Starts
School
Benji turned 5 in June so started the new term of school at
the end of August. For all the changes his life has undergone
in his 5 years, we are thrilled and overwhelmed at how easily
he has adapted to school here. He has quickly made friends,
his reading has come on in leaps and bounds, and he’s also
going to tennis and swimming lessons. What a boy. |
Web Work
Stephen works for OM’s International Coordinating
Team. Working closely with the IT department and the International
Communications team, he combines skills in web design, programming,
communications and IT. Current challenges include designing
and programming on-line Credit Card giving for/to OM world-wide,
and major updates to OM’s international and internal
web sites. Short term mission
trips and mission
IT jobs are
available on the OM International web site. |
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Highlights
of 2005? |
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July 2-9 : Teen Street Central
Europe
“The Event” for Christian Youth in Central and Eastern Europe, held
in our city in the Czech Republic! We helped with preparation
and audio visuals for this event: www.teenstreet.cz |
July: English
Camp
As a way of reaching out to ordinary Czechs, and kicking
off new friendships, the English Summer Camps can’t
be beaten. This was our 3rd camp, and already we have
made a number of non-Christian friends through this and other
past camps. |
English Teaching
Varya was one of two teachers running OM Czech’s English
school. There are two semesters per year, and about 50 students
attend each. This is a great way to reach out to our community,
and maintain close contact with students. |
Many Short Term
Missions
Varya was OM Czech’s Short Term Missions coordinator.
She has been busy organising quite a number of missions groups
from around the world who have come to the Czech Republic
in 2005. |
Graphic
Designer
Stephen’s main job: to produce leaflets, fliers and
all kinds of promotional material. Plus the OM Czech web
site. Plus CDROMs. Etc. He was also part of the music
team in our Czech church, and helped to organise combined
church worship evenings. A major highlight was producing
a worship CD, “Smim ti rikat” with the music team. |
  
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What
does OM do in the Czech Republic? |
(OM is
the missions organisation we work for) |
Supports
and resources local churches, with workers, expertise,
training, premises, literature, short term missions teams,
Alpha courses etc. |
Runs English
Classes for Czechs (ECC)
Runs twice-monthly English Bible Meetings (EBM) |
Presents
programmes on world mission and evangelism to
Czech churches, youth groups and Bible colleges
Supports Czech nationals on the mission
field around the world |
Runs Teen
Street Central Europe (new this year — see
above)
Supports church-planting initiatives around
the Czech Republic |
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Who are
we? |
Stephen
Brandon is a New Zealander — Varya is
a Scot — Benjamin (5) and Toby (b. Dec 2005),
our sons, are …
half of each!
- Before January 2004, we lived in Neilston, a
wonderful village near Glasgow, Scotland.
- Between January 2004 and October 2005 we
lived and worked in Ceske Budejovice, in the Czech Republic.
- From January 2006, and continuing for the next
one or two years Stephen is working on OM’s web sites and
other IT and communications work, while Varya spends more
time looking after Benjamin and Toby.
- From December 2008 we're back living in New Zealand.
Stephen retains his role in OM as International Web Manager,
attached to the International Coordinating Team in Carlisle,
England. Due to the time zones (about 12 hours difference
between New Zealand and England) he's sometime working
crazy hours.
We are a family who are crazy enough to follow, when we
feel that God calls us to do something. So far this has led
us to the Czech Republic back to Scotland, then on to New
Zealand. But who knows where this will all end up?
Committed to church life, other Christians, and Christian
missions (particularly in Central/Eastern Europe), we want
to motivate others into giving of their time and energy to
serve God and help others. |
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Why these
pages? |
We’re
a family with a mission. After some 8 years in Scotland we
felt that God was moving us on to work in the Czech Republic,
helping Czech Christians and Czech churches to be more effective
in sharing God’s love.
We joined Operation
Mobilisation, a worldwide Christian Missions organisation,
which has a team in the Czech Republic (OM
Czech Republic web site — now in English!) as
well as in over 60 other countries in the world.
“In the Army, it takes 9 support and logistics
staff for every soldier in the field”. We are
aware of the importance of our support team and want to
keep communication lines open. We want (and need) to keep
friends, family and supporters up to date with our plans,
thoughts and feelings. Christian mission is a team effort.
We need you.
Please
check back regularly to see what we’ve
been up to, and to check out additions to the photo
gallery!
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