My very dear friends,
Last month, anticipating our trip to Slovakia, I asked you to “ask God to grant us warm meetings with old friends, and warm words to encourage them.” He heard you. We were in country nine days. We had 24 meetings. We shared meals with one or two at a time. We hiked with groups through the forest. We sat on the old couch that we hauled from Austin to Slovakia in 2007, now in its new home, the living room of the pastor in Nitra. But though we admired the snow-draped Tatras as we whizzed past at 130 kph, there was no time for tourism. We went from warm meeting to warm meeting to warm meeting. Then we collapsed into our seats on the plane home.
God heard you. God answered you. And God went beyond what I asked: we met displaced Ukrainians being hosted by our Slovak churches and we met new Slovaks who have come to Paradox in the year since we left. The congregation we worshiped with in Bratislava last Sunday had its familiar core, but that core, like a seed planted in rich soil and well fed, had deepened its roots and flowered and born fruit. Thank God with us.
And Tomáš said he missed me.
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Before our Slovakia friendship tour, we spent a week in Crete for our quadrennial Area Retreat for MTW missionaries in Europe. It was exactly what a retreat should be: refreshing. The deep blue Aegean and golden-crowned Helios did their part; but it was the old friends, the fellowship, the common prayers and songs, the testimonies and the word of God that the Spirit most used to refresh us. Again, thank God with us.
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I mentioned last month that tomorrow (May 1st) I’ll begin a Leave of Absence (LOA) in order to devote a few months to writing. During my LOA our MTW support account will be frozen—nothing in, nothing out. Seeing that Frosty Day approaching, I went on a Luke 16:9 spending spree the past two weeks, plundering my support account to stock the libraries of our Slovak partners. As I’ve told you before, one of my greatest earthly pleasures is to buy books—even (if not especially) books for other people. And in this case the beneficiaries are not only the pastors and pastoral interns who will delight to see those packages on their doorsteps, but Christ’s lambs who will be fed by their teaching.
Again, thank God with us: for his lordly largesse in enriching the supporters who filled the coffers for the sake of the Slovak church.
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Though I’ll focus on writing during my LOA, I’ll continue to lead the monthly theological reading group with Slovaks (I already ordered the books for next fall 😊) and meet with Slovak pastors and interns online for mutual encouragement.
I haven’t decided yet whether to continue this newsletter. I suppose that should depend on whether I have something to say. We will see….
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As we close this phase of our work, please remember that we thank God and you for your prayers, support, and notes of encouragement these many years. We have not been alone.
Now may our Holy Father grant to you more love and encouragement and hope and strength than you ever thought possible, by his Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ and his church.
Kris (for Paula, whose broken wrist is healing nicely, thanks be to God)
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