Category: Blog (Page 1 of 13)

Here is an update as well as (between the lines) prayer topics.

Reaching Out – Ministry Highways
Recently we realized that we are sharing the Gospel mainly with girls, through our music ministry and English camps. Girls are more interested in joining these programs than guys. So, we have been thinking about how to reach more boys. Now a sport ministry called EDGE has been developed. Last Saturday we organized the first EDGE Floorball tournament.  Our edge director, Ed Rumbold, did great job with his team and it was very encouraging to share from the Scripture with so many young men and FEW girls.

Our colleague Lenka Simockova is pregnant. What a joy!!!! It’s a great way to expand His kingdom. Lenka leads the EXIT Tour ministry, which is doing four weeks of EXIT Tours this Fall. Please pray we would be able to continue sharing the Good News with high-schoolers. Why? Please take a minute to watch Nina’s story – http://www.hrubo.tckompas.sk//video. Last week I participated in the EXIT tour in the town of Dolny Kubín. I did my seminar on unemployment prevention. I love to doing that.

In these days some of our Kompas staff have just returned from a USA trip to recruit US local church teams and interns. We need more mission teams for summer camps. Last summer we did fourteen camps with twelve mission teams. And this year even more Slovak churches are interested in doing camps. Would your church mission team or a potential intern like to join us this summer? Please just let me know. I’ll be happy to send you all the information.

Training of Leaders
On November the thirteenth, Josiah Venture finally got the building permit to build the new Conference center in the Czech Republic. The neighbors surrounding the property now have fourteen days to appeal.  Would you be in earnest prayer during this time for protection, favor and wisdom. We are asking God to hold them back from taking any steps to block us. This next week will be VERY important.

Last week, Eva and I served at the KPM 25plus conference. This was a brand new conference for young leaders who are older than twenty five years old. We had a great time with that group; most of whom have finished their university and are now at work. We had many opportunities to mentor people and help them move forward in their lives.

We have three new national staff members. Timo Mahrik – operational director, Simona Sabova – School of Leaders/Training Conference assistant and Milos Myjavec – EXIT Tour technician. They have all joined us since September 2018. As a result, our Kompas team is stronger! I am convinced that our staff is the most precious gift we have here at Kompas.

Last October we kicked off  the new School of Leaders year with twenty one students. This is the largest class in several years. The reason we took more is that in October 2019 we would like to start a new training program for full time workers in Christian ministry. Please pray with us for the financial support that needs to be raised for the next school year.

Update About the Hrubos
We praise the Lord for being healthy and strong. Recently we were waiting for our daughter’s biopsy results. Finally, there was good ending – there is no reason for concern.  In these days we feel like we are more busy than usual, as the Kompas ministry grows. Eva is especially busy with the Kompas accommodations and she will need an assistant soon. But we still like and love each other amid the stress. Usually I start my EXIT tour lecture in the schools by saying that Eva is like wine. The older the better. And it is the truth!

I still play ice hockey twice a week and I feel pretty good about it. We try not to hurt each other. No hard hits. Finally I can compete with big guys, because I don’t need a big body for success.

Moving situation
There has been some slight progress in our apartment moving situation. In the Fall, we signed a contract to build a small duplex with a small garden. Last week we signed the contract to sell our current flat. It was not an easy process, but the Lord did a miracle. A friend of ours would like to buy it, and she already paid the deposit! But if we want to move to the new row house we contracted, another miracle is needed. Our bank changed their policy and decided not to give us the needed loan. When we learned about it in the beginning, it looked really bad, because we had already paid the deposit for the new house they are building and we did not want to lose it. But then a family member promised to help us with the needed amount under one condition – no interest! Isn’t it great? Well, we still need to improvise and to be creative, because our relative will not provide the full amount. But at least we will have a place to move. The house should be done in March of next year.

Spiritually I feel like I still love to share the Gospel and spend time with non-church people. I recently challenged our Kompas restaurant tenant to do a four part evangelistic study called LOOK. Please pray he and his wife would agree and start in January.

Local firm outreach (IMMI)
I love to do short Bible devotions with the employees of a local manufacturing firm during their lunch hour. It is very exciting to be with them, to talk, listen and learn. We do that every week during the afternoon shift. It is something like a small group (about 10 workers are present). I love it.

In these few lines I would like to briefly describe our year 2017.

In the beginning of the year I faced a challenge to accept, or not to accept a job position of general manager in one local Zilina company, which happens to be one of our TCK partner/supporters. But in the end, God’s will was for me to continue in the Kompas ministry. However, the Lord used this challenge to start a process of significant structural changes in TCK. After 10 years, we feel like I needed to change my job focus from executive director to a presidential role. It means that I will work more on vision casting, public representation of the organization, support raising for the national ministry of Kompas and relationships with the local church partners. Plus, I will be more involved in Josiah Venture on an international level. The change process should be completed by the end of 2018, when a new TCK operational leader will be in training.

In January we opened a new 24 hour online prayer watch. I’ve gained a new impulse to move forward in my prayer life through this new interactive tool. Our personal and current prayer needs are regularly shared there, as well as our fellow JV missionaries around Central Europe. I would love for each of you to join our prayer movement at least once, to experience it personally. Your personal hour can be booked online at https://www.josiahventure.com/pray/

Our daughter Michaela graduated with her masters degree last summer. She now teaches at a local basic school. We are proud parents, she is doing well and she loves teaching although it is a challenge. Her husband Marian is the senior pastor of our mother church and he is a great husband. Daniela continues her masters study in marketing (2 more years). We are pleased to see how she is overcoming life’s hurdles and is prospering spiritually.

We are in the second year our local church plant called “Beyond the church”. There are a lot of opportunities to serve spiritual seekers who normally would not come to a traditional Christian service. I also joined the national Church planting team. Our vision is in 10 years to see 10 new local churches, 10 new missional communities (MC) and 10 potential MC leaders. I was also part of the SOMA church planting school as well as the Church planter’s assessment training.

In the Fall we signed a house contract to build a small duplex with a small garden. It should be finished at the end of 2018. It seems that our dream will come true after eight years of seeking a solution for a bigger living room (our church community’s big need). We can’t wait for a change in spite of the debt.

This year Evka and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. Marriage exceeds my expectations and I need to say, that I praise the Lord for that day before the wedding altar. Our relationship is in a great condition to know each other deeper in spiritual growth as well as in a deeper celebration of our Lord. We are grateful to the Lord for our physical, emotional and spiritual health.

We thank you for your friendship and partnership, as we seek to raise up this young generation of Slovaks through Training Center Kompas.

We finished our EXIT Tour at Zilina & Ruzomberok. To serve to the students is my the most exciting ministry activity.

But sometimes it is embarrassed one. For example – a girl came to us after our lecture about the healthy family. She cried a lot and said: “My parents just have divorced”. These are the moments when we have no idea how to respond.

Later her class teacher told us that there are 22 students in her classroom and only 3 of them are not from a divorced family. What a sad reality.

When we do not know how to respond we just pray!

Few members from our team (Peter, Hudson and Drahos) went with our Sound/Lights/Video equipment, in two vans, to help with Nick Vujicic events in Slovenia. Nick is serving since today till the end of the week at the schools (bullying prevention).

Our dream is to organize a prevention and evangelism event with Nick in our country too one day.

Can you pray for all organization team, for the protection and wisdom during the event?
Thank you

It was such a joy to spend last week together with our TCK team, coworkers and many others/youth workers from JV family, seeking God on behalf of His movement in Central and Eastern Europe! What a privilege!

If you are interested in further study in this area of movements. I want to make you aware of three opportunities:
1) If you’d like to listen to the Moravian tour, or any of the talks from the conference, they are being uploaded on Sound Cloud. You can currently find the Moravian tour by searching for “Josiah Venture” on Sound Cloud. Also, be sure to check back on the Josiah Venture site for all of the talks, which will be uploaded soon: https://www.josiahventure.com/media/
2) If you’re interested in reading more about the Moravians, let me recommend two free resources. For a quick study, read the Christian History Magazine about Zinzendorf and the Moravians here: https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/issue/zinzendorf-and-the-moravians/. For more information, download J.E. Hutton’s great book in a variety of formats: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2099.

Let me share smth about our busy summer. Read further…

Michael’s wedding day knocks on the doors (August 23rd). The wedding dress arrived from China, after 3 months, today, but it is not right size. We have a lot of “fun” at home. Michaela needs to fix one more exam to finish her second year at the college and then she can fully focus on the wedding/flat/new living preparation. Two weeks ago Michaela graduated from our/TCK School of the Leaders. It is the joy to see the way she follows Jesus.

Daniela graduated from the high school last month. She applied for two universities – in Trnava and Prešov. Empty nest is becoming the reality for us, the parents. Daniela is TCKompas English camps intern now. The internship program takes three months and we are glad that she can learn about life, different culture, herself and the Lord so much in these days. We/TCK will organize ten evangelistic English and two FUSION camps for 14 Slovak local churches this summer.

There are some challenges I need to face this summer too. I am supposed to be electric guitar teacher at Bratislava and Senec Fusion camp. Unfortunately not too much time to practice the playing now. Then, I will serve at the second term of English camp with our new partnering local church from Trencin. New church, new team, new non-church students. Moreover I have struggled with my computer last weeks, after it’s logic board had to be exchanged twice. Currently I am back working with the desktop computer, after so many years. Not too much flexibility any more, but I have more free time when I am at home.
Eva with ABIGAIL team organized National conference for the woman last weekend. Over 120 ladies came to be inspired, to learn and experience His presence. It was very busy and tiring season for her in spite of the fact that she experiences His goodness, care and presence.

It is blessing for us to have you as the part of our support team.

Have a great summer filled by His presence

2 Opportunities to support/join. Do that with joy!

1. OUR NEW CHURCH PLANT
After sending out by our mother church, we (7 families = 4 core team + 4 families) have started new church plant in September 2016. The name of the church plant is: ZA Kostolom – Beyond the Church. Evangelical Alliance offered us a 1:2 matching grant during next three years under the condition that the gifts from the members of our church will not be counted. We would love to use this opportunity in full range, but we need to raise up USD 2.300 per a year.

Would you be willing to support our new church plant through:
Support Our Church Plant through JV – Advance
Financial gifts will be used to support our pastor Jan Mahrik as well as our church mission to reach out new non-church people with the Gospel.
Thank you a lot!

2. My colleague Darina – New Christmas CD
Darina recorded her new Christmas CD. I’m super proud of all people involved in the process! Our Fusion students were involved too. Ivo, who became believer through Fusion ministry/tool, sings a duet with Darina, Jano Bracinik is playing the piano in Silent night song, Gavin plays the drums in Tisko spim etc….

I believe you will enjoy the music. You can listen to it by clicking at the picture above.
Darina still needs to cover CD Recording STUDIO expenses. You can download the music and if you would enjoy it, you can support the project.
Christmas CD Free download: https://soundcloud.com/darina-mala/sets/caro-vianoc

After 86 years, 8 months and 15 days we said our last good bye to Eva’s father.

He was great man of faith. When the communists put him in prison (in 1985) for his faith, one of his colleague, a pastor said: “He did not need to be so stubborn!” And this was the great thing about him. He knew to Whom he had believed. And Christ shined in his life. “Jail would be a great lesson for every pastor…” he said, after they released him from prison.

He was a great man who looked into the future. His college classmates called him “the Lion”. He was respectable and sober minded. He established the Evangelical alliance in Slovakia (which he led for a few years), and also the Prayer Brotherhood and Prayer Fellowship. He led a prison ministry and he served sick people in the hospitals. He was not afraid to work hard on the spiritual field as well as the church building. He believed that suffering for Christ is the highest honor from God.

We have lost a great example, a man of faith, a man with Christ’s mission. But we know that it is just for a while. And actually, I received the best gift from him – in his daughter. What a blessing!

During the EXIT Tour I used to give a lecture: “Prevention against the unemployment”. I lead the topic for the high-school students towards being successful in their professional life. How can we be successful? How is the success defined? Malcolm Gladwell defines it as a combination of talent, diligence and opportunity. Ease equation: SUCCESS=TALENT+DILIGENCE+OPPORTUNITY

Talent is something we are born with, something what (after we will develop it) will help us to be unique. But to know how to use the talent we need a diligence effort. Man need approximately 10,000 hours of exercise, practice, training to get its talent to the point of mastering it. This time is too long to be able to start and catch it up during the adult life (if we neglected it before). This summer I started to learn to play the drums. It is clear to me, though I have a talent, I will never catch up with those who started as teenagers. Simply, I am not able (and cannot and even I do not want to) find as much time to practice as the masters did. Moreover success is not even ensured by this second precondition. To gain the success we need to have an opportunity to show our talent with our diligence. If there is no opportunity the success will never come.

This summer I got an opportunity to think about the success more closely. Maybe you know it, when “bad luck” is sticking to your heels. I do not know why the bad circumstances love to meet each other in one time. One week they piled up. I had to pay a lot for my teeth, I was at a camp and my colleague from a partner organization called me to solve a problem and get to solve it right a way. The same day I got the evaluation from the European Leadership Forum where I have got the lowest evaluation for my teaching (compared to other colleagues from the teaching team). That was something new for me because I am not aware I would ever be mediocre in anything, and not to be the worst. The same week I was at camp. Not much was expected from me. I taught two girls how to play electric guitar. Their hands touched a guitar for the first time in their life. Moreover one of them was not willing to give up her long nails. I did not any progress. Then, I was supposed to translate one talk from English, but my colleague told me he had found someone else… The whole time I felt like leaving for pension from my job, you love. Everyone respects you and you can get a “Rolex watch” (or very expensive one) as a goodbye gift, but you know, that your time is at the end! You are not needed anymore.

Although it was pretty unpleasant experience, I know that it was really good one to start to think about: “What is the real success for a man?” And what if someone does not have a talent or has a problem to be diligent or will not get the opportunity? I thought a lot about my identity in Christ, that we are talking so much in our Christian circles. And right there, I have partly understood the teaching about the success. The success is ensured just and only by Him and in Him. I am talking about the success that is not connected with the fact – what we know or what we can do. But it is connected with His indescribable grace and acceptance. That is what I consider the real success is – to belong to Him!
Phf