Slovakia
You may remember that Jana and I went to the Czech Republic a few years ago to help establish a Student Venture ministry in the city of Prague. It was on our second trip there that we were convinced that God was calling us to help reach high school and middle school students in Slovakia (formerly Czechoslovakia). We have now been given the OK to go to Kosice (pronounced kosheetsay), the 2nd largest city in the country. I went there in January to help set up the schools we would speak in and to make preparations for our team to go in April.

Our team consists of 17 in all, as we will be joining with a group from Orlando, Florida. We will be speaking to thousands of students in six schools the first two weeks of April. These teens will then be invited to our nightly outreaches. Pray that hundreds would come out to hear the gospel as it is presented in a culturally relevant way. Most of these students have never heard how to personally receive Christ and have seen only the ”religion” of their country. This “get to heaven by your works philosophy” has only driven young people away and is very unappealing.

Jana’s Great Grandparents were born in Lastomir, Slovakia, a small village 40 miles from Kosice. We are praying that we will be able to expose the entire village to the Jesus film the first week we arrive. What a privilege for us to again help a country launch an effective ministry to its teenagers. One of the greatest benefits to a mission’s trip like this is that we and our disciples come home with a renewed vision of how we can and must reach North Florida.