support

• PRAY for our our re-entry into UK/Scottish life. As for many returning expats (and missionaries in particular), coming “home” does not mean that it’s an easy process. We have many decisions and many adaptations to make.
• PRAY for those we have ministered to in the Czech Republic. There are several who struggle with the decision to accept Christ, and many who struggle in their faith. Please lift them up in your prayers.
• PRAY for churches in the Czech Republic. They are frequently small, often don’t have full time pastors, and all too often suffer from divisions and disunity.
• PRAY for Varya and the rest of her pregnancy. It has not been the easiest of pregnancies, and the timing of our relocation to Glasgow hasn’t made it any easier.
• PRAY that Stephen will find a good job when our sabbatical period ends in January 2006.

Like many other missions organisations, O.M. does not pay salaries. That means that we have to raise our own financial support in order to go to the Czech Republic. If we can’t continue to raise the required amount, we can’t remain on the field.

Why not? For several reasons:

• OM simply can’t afford to pay salaries for the thousands of workers world wide.
• Missions work is not a solo undertaking—it should be a team effort. If we think that we can simply go out onto the field under our own steam and “do our thing” without involving anyone else, we are mistaken. This certainly goes for prayer and logistical support, but we believe also for financial.
• If people are supporting us financially, even if with a small amount, then they are stake-holders in the work we are doing.
• For us, paid employment in the Czech Republic isn’t an option either. For some, undertaking paid employment on the mission field is a necessity (for work permit reasons), or a mission field in itself (a padre in the armed forces, for example). But for many others (like us, we think), it’s really difficult to juggle time spent doing secular work, and time spent doing what we’re really there for. If I (Stephen) was to do IT consultancy work in the Czech Republic, then if a client had a big emergency, and was paying me for support, then I would be obliged to drop everything to help. Money talks. But we think that that is too high a price to pay for the sake of being self reliant. We want to be able to be committed to the people and the country, not to doing paid work!

At the time of returning to the UK we are not looking for any increase in our sponsorship level. We are enormously grateful to our church and to our many private supporters for the money they have given, which has enabled us to stay in the Czech Republic for almost two years.

There are many Czech pastors who struggle to survive financially. With such tiny churches, low average wage in the country, and great needs in the churches, outside help is sometimes, unfortunately, the only way to survive. Please contact us if you would like to be put in touch with a church or pastor in the Czech Republic.

Likewise, Czechs wanting to enter the international mission field struggle to raise the huge amounts necessary to do so. OM Czech Republic can help to put potential sponsors in touch with Czechs led by God into missions.

Lastly, there are missionary-minded individuals and families from many different countries who would like to serve in the Czech Republic. Often, finances are one of the biggest barriers to people being able to work in the Czech Republic. Perhaps you could contact your local OM office and offer to help support someone working in Eastern/Central Europe?