Dedina

Sometimes I forget my roots. Coming back home after living the busy and bustling life in big, bad Bratislava was a bit of a pleasant shock. For starters I realize that I come from cowboy country. In about 5 minutes in most directions I can find fields, sheep, orchards, or horses. Essentially I come from the village, but never realized it. The other day I told Gabie I was going to “the city” to do some shopping. Gabe quickly replied - “what city?”

I guess there is more to a true city then shopping centers, Wall-mart and strip malls. Yet, like I said all of this was a pleasant shock. It’s nice to be in cowboy country for a change.

global warming?

I know some people, like my Brit coworkers, who enjoy talking about the weather. For me it always seemed to be the thing you bring up to brush over uncomfortable silence in a conversation with strangers. If you are reading this, probably you are not a stranger and for once I am excited to report to you my metrological findings.

If you have been following along with us in our adventures you know that we are not in freezing Slovakia at the moment, but is sunny, southern California right now spending the holidays with family and friends here. Unfortunately, California has not been sunny or warm since we arrived. It's actually been cold, raining, freezing, dark, and even snowy! This is for sure not the California I was dreaming about in overcast Bratislava! What do we blame this on - global warming turned bad, El Nino, the Artic Norse gods having a temper tantrum?

Yet, despite the fact we have be living the popsicle life here it is still nice. Home is home. And every time I visit I see with new eyes the beauty of God's Creation here. It's very different than the CE zone I'm come accustomed to, but it is awesome is a rugged, raw kind of way.

Here are some pics of our snow adventures. Although it would be great to go surfing, possibly snowboarding would be a better choice.

Christmas po slovensky

The California Christmas mood for sure has got it's own style. But, to be honest Christmas Slovak style still has my heart. It's simply fun, 'real', tasty, and somehow still authentic despite pressures to be commercial. There is still a sense of wintry magic in the air not snuffed out by political correctness, marketing thugs, or hyper-me.me.me. Now mind you it's not perfect, but it's a step in a more 'silent night-esque' direction to the whole Christmas experience.

One of the best features of Christmas in the city is the Christmas Market. The sights, smells, tastes, and vibe is great. It's pretty cool to have what feels like 1/2 of the city packed into the Old Town to celebrate. You run into everyone... one year we even bumped into President Gasporovich(!) Anyway, if you have never experienced the Bratislava Christmas market you got to get down there....

the Christmas Market My frozen treasures Daddi-O, Jana, and the gang The boys hanging out with Mikulas (like Santa)


Santa's SuperStars

Falling Stars

I've been asked by many - "how is the 'world wide economic crisis' touching Slovakia?" Well, we are feeling it, but I don't think in the same way as all of you in the States. Presently I'm blogging from raining and cold California. I had hoped to be blogging from sunny & warm California..but that is another story. Anyways, the media here and word on the street has a lot to do with the economic crunch. Fact? Fiction? Urban legend? I have no idea. Anyways, in Slovakia it is being felt, but I don't believe it is pressing as strongly upon the minds and hearts of people here (...there). I read a recent report by Forbes which could explain why... read, get informed, enjoy....

Slovakia: Fastest-Growing E.U. Economy Slowing Down
Oxford Analytica, 12.16.08, 06:00 AM EST

Economic reforms and European Union membership have generated an investment boom in Slovakia's manufacturing, construction and service sectors. Gross domestic product growth peaked at 10.4% in 2007 as new automobile and electronic plants started full-scale production.

However, Slovakia's performance is tied closely to E.U. demand for its exports, and the slowdown in E.U. growth is starting to be felt in Slovakia. The Statistical Office reported GDP growth in the third quarter slowing to 7% year-on-year after 9.3% and 7.6% in the first and second quarters, respectively. The government estimates that the economy will grow by 4.7% in 2009, with export growth slowing from 10% in 2008 to 5.9%. Recent data do not yet fully reflect the impact of the crisis, and some fear that growth could slow below 4%.

Prime Minister Robert Fico argues that higher domestic consumption will help Slovakia get through the crisis and perhaps reverse disturbing trends in employment. Accordingly, the government has drafted a package of new economic measures to stimulate demand. These include completing a nuclear power station on the Bohunice site and using public-private partnerships to build new roads and expand Bratislava's Stefanik airport. The government also seeks to reform the labor market and provide loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, Standard & Poor's 500 and Moody's have upgraded Slovakia's sovereign rating from A to A+. They cite Slovakia's modest debt burden, investment-oriented policies and the switch to the euro in January 2009.

Critics have argued that Slovakia is needlessly surrendering control over monetary policy and setting itself up for high inflation due to the switch-over. However, the timing for euro adoption now looks fortunate:

--The drive for the euro has meant long-term fiscal frugality and restrained the spending desires of Slovakia's left-leaning government.

--Slovakia's relatively low fiscal deficit of 2.25% of GDP in 2008 has reduced its need to borrow during the global financial crisis.

Mantra

Does advertising have a negative affect on children....or just an annoying one?

Does the aroma of Christ smell like turkey?

So, have you finished off last weeks Turkey yet? We just did with a bit of help from our friends. And we had a lot of them... since we don't have family close here in Bratislava, Thanksgiving day celebrations are usually a collective community affair - i.e. everyone we know drifts into our home throughout the day for some herb-roasted Turkey, Awesome Apple & Sausage stuffing, creamy mash potatoes, and the rest of those mouth watering treats....hmmmm.... can't we have Thanksgiving again this weekend???

All in all it was a blast. All of us from the Sunday worship service invited non-believing friends (or Christians who don't have a church home) to come and share this time with us. We figure this is a great way to introduce those around us to the church and let them enter deeper into our lives in a natural, tasty way. I believe we will see the fruits of this evening (and others like it) as we simply love one another, be up front about where that love comes from, and be open to what the Spirit would like to do in each of our individual lives (in His way, on His timeframe).

Our guest list as like looking at a U.N. line up (actually one of them works for the U.N.!). We had Americans, Slovaks, French, Japanese, Malaysians, and even our neighbor from Madagascar! It was a fun, eclectic, zany group... and then you add in all the kids and it's a recipe for a fun, but crazy night! At least it wasn't Hanukah... I couldn't survive 7 nights of that! Too much of a good thing.

Aside from the fabulous food, fun fellowship, and crazy kids, we were also able to share in a bit of worship, speak about thankfulness from the Word, and had our friend Eva* share about her recent experiences in China. Please keep our new friends and neighbors in your prayers. That they would get to know Jesus (or grow deeper in Him) and that the Lord would build up our little group in His time and in His way.











*( Eva, pictured above, is an answer to our prayers. She was able to go to China to take in the Word and is now able to speak in many churches about her experiences. The result is that many other young Slovaks are catching the vision for missions! )

Sushi, Salsa, & Saints.

Last year St.Martin came on his horse right on time, which is a Slovak way of saying it snowed on November 11th. Why? Well, simply it just tends to be the day that we get our first bit of snow of the winter. An odd fact, but true. This year he was a bit late. Apparently, he took the scenic route. He must have hitched a ride with our friends, Frank & Suzie, who dropped in from Olztyn, Poland. It didn't drop powder until they got here on their journey down to Italy. So who is Martin, Frank, & Suzie....just hold onto your horses and you will find out.

Well, it turns out that St.Martin was a real person. He was a Roman solider turned Christian and was known for his kindness to children and the poor. One of the legends is that during a particularly harsh winter he cut his cloak in half and gave it to a beggar, which saved the man's life. He later reported having a dream where Jesus came to him wearing the half cloak. True? Myth? Legend? We will never know. But, either way it serves to illustrate the truth of Jesus' words - "Then the righteous will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungary and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stanger and invite you in? or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prision and go visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the lest of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " (Mt. 25:37-40)

We could use more St.Martin's in this world.

Another legend of St.Martin is that he once lost a donkey and so the children of the town searched the streets with candles and lamps looking for the lost beast. Apparently, the poor animal is still lost. This year the boys were invited to a St.Martin's parade which started on the castle hill here in Bratislava, making it way down to a local German school for traditional sweets & cakes. And ,yes, there was fire, a white stallion, and lots of sugar! To say the least they enjoyed themselves.

Well, this year Martin didn't come on time. But a few weeks later our friends Frank & Suzie brought the snow from Poland with them. F+S are Calvary Chapel missionaries serving in Poland, but now in route to Italy were they will be ministering in the CC Bible school there. Anyways, they spent some time with us two weeks ago over the weekend. It was a nice time of joking around, snowball fights, and hearing about what God is doing in their lives!Frank also taught on Psalms 20 for our Sunday service and did a great job. BTW - Franks' last name is Gonzalez... and yes, he is Mexican-American....so we had him teach us how to make a big Spanish dinner...it was Bueno! Plus, Kieko decided to bring some awesome sushi....strange mix with Mexican...but somehow it worked out and was great!

REmix: pregnant with expectation?

Have you ever been pregnant with expectation? You get to that point where you are about to burst with excitement. The anticipation is reaching intolerable levels. And then it happens. Not the “It” you expected, but the other unwelcomed ‘it‘.... more tortuous waiting. That’s when you start questioning everything. Do dreams really take this long to be birthed? How much longer is this going to take?!


I suppose that this was how Mary felt in part. Childhood dreams of her ‘prince charming’ and a whirlwind romance shattered on the rocks by an intruding angel named Gabriel. Now she’s destined to a life of suspicious purity (1st century tabloid material) and in danger of a potential stoning of biblical proportions unless something happens. Yet somehow she is ‘most blessed amongst all women’. Strange. Then comes that night when “It” happens- the stable, the smells, the screaming, serenading angels, and disruptive shepherd’s... all a woman hopes for...right? But, HE is so beautiful. This baby is no longer “It,” but He, the Emmanuel, God-with-us. His name is Jesus. And it is somehow in an unexpected, magical way. . . good.

Mary wasn’t the only one pregnant with expectation. Her nation, her tribe, her family was on pins and needles. Imagine being “Gods-People” who had been promised that one day ‘It’ would happen. For 2,000 years you have been waiting for an illusive gift-wrapped surprise visit from God. Through prophets and mad-men hints of what this ‘It’ will be, do, and bring haunt their dreams and legends. Parents pass the stories down from generation to generation knowing that “It” will land in their children’s lap one day. Then one day Emmanuel shows up. God incognito. The Word made flesh and dwelt among us. And “It” doesn’t quite look like ‘it.’ This wasn’t the Advent we waited for. This Jesus doesn’t fit our imagination. He’s just a baby. He doesn’t look like a Hero. And we begin to question.... everything.

A Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

on the tree

Slay the Dragon

Remember our Beowulf entry? Well, finally my students finished their dramatic adaptation. It was hilarious... these kids are so silly! Enjoy...

Little Indians

Venite adoremus Dominum

Living in an old town you start to rub shoulders with a lot of old things. But at the same time life is busy here, so sometimes these old things simply get pushed out of your consciousness. Yet, one thing I almost always notice is a stone carving of an angle above the church on SNP square. For some reason it always catches my attention. Inscribed beneath the heavenly gaze is inscribed - “Venite adoremus Dominum “ What this meant is Greek to me...well actually it’s Latin... but whatever. It’s a mystery, but one worth figuring out.

Google is my number one tool for solving the deep mysteries of the universe... well, some of them... Anyways, “Venite adoremus Dominum” is a Latin phrase meaning, "come, let us adore the Lord". I like that. What a perfect motto to have for the gathering of those who love Jesus - “let us adore.” It’s not “let us have fun” or be “entertained” or “self-fulfilled” or another of a dozen unspoken mottos in many of the modern churches. Simply said, the majority of the hip & relevant aims of the church today are simply ones that revolve around one of the most personal & dangerous words in the world - “me”. And for some reason I have the funny feeling that this is simply not the way of Jesus. Yes, we do benefit from being part of the Body, the Bride, the Church....but the direction of our attention and gaze is to be on Jesus.

One surprising occurrence of “Venite adoremus Dominum” was right under my nose all the time...at least one month out of the year. V.A.D. is another title for a song we all know well - “Joy to the World.” Although this song is traditionally a Christmas song (and its hard for me to get beyond that...), I believe it could/should be sung more often. Take a second and hum it in your head. What is it about? A Savior coming and all of Creation breaking out in joyous adoration of Jesus! Isn’t that Good News?! What an anthem to shout out!

Another common use of “Venite adoremus Dominum” is in the English “Book of Common Prayers“. Essentially it is a prayer adapted from Psalms 95...which by the way is all about the theme - “let us adore.” Here is part of a modern translation. You might take a moment and meditate on it. Let it guide you into adoring Him (ps. if you feel funny using a written prayer, simply open your Bible and do it that way):

“Come, let us sing to the Lord;
And shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach Him with praise and thanksgiving
And sing joyful songs to the Lord.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,
the great King above all the Gods.
He holds in His hand, the depths of the Earth,
the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea, it belongs to Him,
the dry land too, for it was formed by His hands.

Come then, let us bow down and worship,
Bending the knee before the Lord; our maker.
For He is our God, and we are His people,
The flock He shepherds.”

May “Venite adoremus Dominum” be carved into our hearts and hang above the doorway of our life.

Patrick+Ivetka November 08’ Update

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together... but let us encourage one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25a

Ahojte! It's been quite a long time since our last ministry/family/life update - so we figured it's high time to send this out. What can we say other then God alone is good, His timing is perfect, and His provision is amazing. So, let's start to bring you up to speed:

Last time we wrote we were living in Nitra, attending Mozaika church, serving in Potichu Nahlas & Skupinka, and doing a lot of commuting to Bratislava for work. All I can say is that our time in Nitra was a mixed bag of blessing, hardship, transition, healing, learning, and stretching. Our years of living, loving, and serving in Nitra have been life changing (and hopefully not just for us!). What can we say other than we love Nitra, the church there and friends of course!

Finally we have moved back to Bratislava. We thought it would happen about a year ago, but God's timing is perfect! It has been so amazing to see how God has opened the doors and provided for us in ways we can not imagine. Our two months here in Bratislava have been simply one prayer after another unfolding and revealing a new & beautiful work of the Spirit. Life here is nothing other than fast. We hit the ground running. But it's running after God- trying to keep up with what He is doing. The first weekend we got to Bratislava we began to host a Bible study in our home and it's been very interesting to see who the Spirit has been bringing to our home - old / new friends, students, co-workers, and seekers. We are confident that God has brought each one of them to us at the right time in their lives (and ours) for a specific reason. We have now hit the 2 month mark of the Sunday evening fellowship here in Bratislava. What can I say other then it’s a blessing to be a part of it and see God move in His way & His time.

Please keep us in your prayers - that the Holy Spirit would work among us, that the presence of Jesus would be felt, and that the Father would be glorified. If these things are happening then for sure the Lord will add daily those who are to be saved. Also, pray for us as a family - growth in our marriage, wisdom in our parenting, God's hand to be upon our children as they bloom.

Also, we will be back home in California over the Christmas break (Dec 12-Jan 8) to meet with family, friends, and supporters. If you are in the area we would love to meet with you. Contact us via email: ccnitra@yahoo.com or at my parents' home (951.845.3286).

Thank you all for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement. May God bless you as you walk deeper and deeper into the good things He has prepared for you.

In Jesus,

Patrick, Ivetka, Gabriel, & David


Online Donations: Account # 1175 > http://go.ccnorco.org/donate.htm

Our Sending Agencies:
Shepherd's Staff: http://www.shepsstaff.org/
Go! Ministries: http://go.ccnorco.org/

Nitra

Just a quick update on Nitra for all you Nitra-lovers.

Well there has been a bit of a population explosion in Drazovce. And no, I’m not talking about the Sony plant expansion. Last month (15.10) Silvia and Rado (and of course Hanka too!) celebrated the birth of their new twins - Andre & Margarita! In classic Radovanka style they announced the “break-through” in verse -

“expectations truly long alive came,
thundering in our being's been made.
Andrej with Margareta, jewelry fragiles,
blooming thankfully into our smiles “

We were able to visit them about two weeks ago - good healthy looking kids... and surprisingly parents as well. I know God gives us only what we can bear...hence why He didn’t send twins to us...obviously Rado & Silvia are better cut out for this whole parenting thing then us. Anyways, two regular peas in a pod.

Additionally, there are some other babies on the way - Rado & Vierka are expecting a little girl in a matter of weeks. Please keep them in prayer for good health for Vierka & baby.

As many of you know we were attending a new church plant, Mozaika, in Nitra. What can I say other than it’s a great church and God’s hand is for sure upon Pastor Miro and his wife Marta, and the team. It was so good to be apart of that fellowship for us personally. And I’m so glad to see God using Mozaika to bring to fulfillment many of the visions and desires that He put on our heart. In the beginning of September Mozaika had it’s first official Sunday morning service (usually it was on Sunday evenings). The next week they were kicked out of the facility they were renting - a classic church planting tale in Nitra. Yet, God is winning, the church is growing, and I believe many in Nitra will come to know Jesus through this ministry. Please keep Mozaika church, Pastor Miro, Marta and the ministry team in your prayers as they lovingly and with power further the Good News in Nitra.

Lastly, Potichu Nahlas has started up again this academic year. For those of you who don’t remember - PN is a student outreach ministry that was established last year. We were asked to help out with it this year again, but turned down the offer. It was clear to me that our time of leading ministry in Nitra had come to an end (at least for now...who knows what God will do?!) Actually, the team doesn’t need us and that has been proven by the fruit of the last few meetings. Actually, this years PN is way better then last years from what I hear. Please keep Betka, Christina, Matt, Amber and the rest of the PN team in your prayers as they seek to impact the student community for Christ in Nitra.

Ok.... sighing out with love for Nitra!

free to come

"...there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" Rom 8:1

Do I really believe this?
Do I live a confident life?
or is it condemned?
.... and if it is by whom?

It seems like this theme comes up over and over in Scripture. It's probably because we think that this whole Jesus thing has to be more complicated then it looks. There must be a trick, a gimmick, some fine print. But there isn't.

There is no Divine finger pointing at you. Jesus didn't come to throw stones, but to save, redeem, restore (JN 3:18). To mend and straighten us who are bent and broken on this thing called life.

In fact, we are told to come confidently to Jesus. When St. John, one of Jesus' best friends, spoke of this he used the Greek word for confidence that meant - "free, fearless, & cheerful courage." What a way to approach God!

So, ask yourself - are you running away from God or to Him? Run and run confidently in the greek-est way you can!

FellowshipSlavia

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together... but let us encourage one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25a

We have now hit the 2 month mark of the Sunday evening fellowship here in Bratislava. What can I say other then it’s a blessing to be a part of it and see God move in His way & His time. The foundation of the group has been prayer. Our two months here in Bratislava have been simply one prayer after another unfolding and revealing a new & beautiful work of the Spirit. The little group that meets in our home is great and we know that God has brought each one of them to us at the right time for a specific reason. And although it might be great to grow, I’m glad we are small enough to really know one another, serve one another and push each other further into Christ.

The motto of the group has been Acts 2:42 -”They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” It’s a simple model, but a blessed one. Very balanced. It’s so freeing to remove all the fluff from Christianity and simply meet Jesus and walk in His ways. And you know, He really does honor it. It’s a joy to be apart of His work, done His way. We have been going through the little letter of 1 John...it’s like dynamite - packed full of explosive truths on the way of Jesus! Then you add a time of simply adoring Jesus, serving each other in prayer, and taking the bread + the wine...it’s perfect. Just to top things off we share a meal together afterwards and keep the house open for as long as people want to stay. It’s a sweet time of fellowship and living out our faith in the community of believers (and sometimes even seekers). If you are in Bratislava come join us - every Sunday at 3pm.
Please keep us in your prayers - that the Holy Spirit would work among us, that the presence of Jesus would be felt, and that the Father would be glorified. If these things are happening then for sure the Lord will add daily those who are to be saved.

Bang!

It's amazing the innate magnetism boys have towards instruments of war. Every stick, toilet paper roll, pencil, clothes hanger, paperclip, toy car -you name it- can be magically transformed into a weapon of nuclear proportions. Pick up any item and just add boyish imagination and BANG.... bring it on brother! So, when they see the "real thing" there is no stopping them. We were recently in Nitra visiting a friend Martin. Martin is just a oversized boy. He has his toys..but they are real. So, the boys jumped on it - a rifle with a sniper sight! As cool as it looks, it's still just a muzzle loader. Laws are very strict here in Slovakia concerning bearing arms. But, one shot rifles like Martians are considered simply for sport. Either way, the guys didn't care. Just add a bit of imagination and sound effects and you have got yourself a machine gun...or a bazooka!