Letters from Poland

July 18, 2004

We first thank the Lord for making His plans for our family, to allow me to make this teaching visit. Already there is a heart-warming development. The plan had been for two dear friends (Paul and Valentine) to meet me at the airport in Warsaw, and make sure that I got on the correct train to Wroclaw. I asked them if they would like to join me on the 5-hour train ride (so as to maximize our fellowship time), and they not only said, yes, but they changed their schedule and decided to DRIVE me to Wroclaw. I am writing this email from their flat in south Warsaw.

Paul is pastor to a young church, and Vale oversees a ministry to women in this church, as well as organizes conferences for women from the greater Warsaw area. Vale was one of our very first students in Poland. She is a nurse by training, and has just completed her masters degree in theology this past year. I am so pleased that we can travel together. Please pray for our conversations, and for safety on the road. Also, I did not get much sleep on the plane, so a good night sleep tonight would be very helpful for the start of the conference.

Specifically, the first Covenant Family conference begins late after noon Monday. There will be full content lectures... and some application/discussion sessions. The participants will be leaders, counselors, pastors, medical professionals, but also the broader community of believers... So we pray for the truth and vitality of the Biblical narrative to hit the mark in each man's and woman's heart.

I am also blessed to stay with Adam and Mira Otremba, whom some of you met on their visit to SFC two summers ago. Adam and Mira are committed to a ministry of healing and restoration for pastors and their spouses... throughout the county of Poland. Their home holds many warm, encouraging memories. And I hope to spend time with their adult sons, and their wives... as they are involved in a new church in Poznan... reaching the younger generation with the Gospel.

Poznan has a population of over 800,000, but only 1,000 or so active evangelical Christians... it is a economically vital city, very connected with the economy of German cities... and the Covenant family history will hopefully give them a foundation for helping this younger generation to understand where they have been, how much God cares about their relationships, and where He would lead them.

As I was preparing for this presentation, I was welling up with emotion once again about the relevance of the account to my own life and family. I know that I will cry at times while teaching. But I ask you friend at SFC (who have shared in some of these tear-fests) to ask the Spirit to guide my mind and my heart. I don't want to overwhelm these people here with my own emotion. I hope to write you more each day. Please remind my friends at SFC that they can follow this prayer trail on the website for SFC (that is, IF you can find out from someone at SFC how to get these on the website). Thanks again, Jeff. I know that these prayers are vital to my strength and clarity.

Also, Jeff, could you let those interested in writing that they can reach me this week primarily through the email address of Krzysztof Pawlusiow... a back up would be through the address Adam Otremba. These are their addresses: Chris Pawlusiow: krzysztof_pawlusiow@poczta.onet.pl Adam Otremba: yfcpl@rubikon.net.pl

God bless you all, Jim

July 19, 2004

Dear friends,

God certainly blessed my first days here. My trip from Warsaw to Wroclaw with Paul and Valentine was delightful. We ate at a very popular new restaurant along the highway. The drive was during some sultry weather, we managed to talk the entire 6 hours (not surprising for me). Then we had a wonderful meal at Adam's and Mira's home... typical late start... 10pm... I was so happy inside seeing the faces of these six dear friends... Adam, Mira... Krystof, Mela... Paul, Valentine... all at one table... enjoying Mira's tasty mushroom crepes... fruit juice... and a good desert wine. We finished around midnight (which was 3pm, California time, for me)... My prayers for sleep were answered in two shifts... first about five hours... then fell back asleep until 1pm! I was one tired guy, but never expected to get around 12 hours of sleep.

Our meals at Adam's and Mira's are summer fare... out on the front patio... under the bountiful grape vine... with the smoke of barbeque. And very healthy meals... at least three different veggies to choose from... I feel like I'm eating Polish Atkins... There was a very good first night turnout... even though the entire team of leaders for the SLOT festival have already left Wroclaw for the countryside festival. This is a bit of a disappointment for me, because that group would have really benefited. But the main purpose of this first conference is to produce a good quality, thorough presentation on CD along with the outline. And that is being accomplished.

We are meeting in one of the refurbished lecture halls of the seminary... situated in the middle of Sand Island... a prime piece of property on the Odra River... old, old buildings... flanked by branches of the river... We finished the first generation tonight... tomorrow we ask for prayers for clarity and a good pace... since we need to finish 2nd and 3rd generations... and get well into the fourth generation. The audience is split 50/50 as to who can come early afternoon or only for the evening... so we will expand some sections early... and move a more brisk pace in the evening. I hope for a great discussion tomorrow as they will come with their own versions of "promised land turning to dust" and "powerful Egypt's" that we fear...

I feel healthy, reasonably rested, and blessed by the company of good people. I pray for another good night sleep... and more progress in my body shifting to the new schedule... tomorrow will be 7 hours of teaching... tonight was only 4. I have already had several discussions about the real picture of counseling in Poland... and the varying degrees of reception or rejection within the larger church bodies... it seems that many of our "graduates"... our friends here... are doing very meaningful ministry in the families and marriages in their communities... although the acceptation among many leaders is still slow in coming. However, the crises are mounting, and the problems are becoming impossible to ignore... so our friends here believe that God has positioned them to respond as the needs become greater.

I pray for my family back at home... please pray for good quality times for each of as, as all four of us are in different places with different people for the next 8 days. Apparently I brought the summer weather with me... it is warm... more muggy than home... like the Midwest would be... but not too many mosquitoes... I smell more tasty food being prepared... and we will discuss tonight's teaching with two young German women who are also guests of Adam and Mira... they came to the presentation, and have many thoughts and questions... By the way, I only cried aloud once tonight... it was about God's reminder to Abraham that He had brought Abraham "from Ur of the Chaldeans"... evidence to us that God goes way back in our histories... and knows where He is taking us.

Hope this email finds you in good health and peace of spirit... and that you will be blessed by the reminder that God's people are living out His kingdom calling in many ways all around His world.

Jim

July 20, 2004

Friends, thank you for your prayers.

I had a less than stellar night sleep last night. If you think of it when you wake up this morning, please pray for my energy to be sustained throughout the day. I have 7 hours of teaching, starting at noon... with a two hour dinner break in between. We will try to move smoothly through the 2nd and 3rd generations... as I said last night. Also I hear that they expect this day to be very, very hot. so I am dressing down... Hawaiian shirt, sandals... I think that the seminary building is pretty cool... old, thick walls... and a courtyard onto which those old leaded glass windows open... in fact in reminds me inside somewhat of the chapel at church... just a little longer... taller ceilings... thank you for your continued prayers for my health... I don't feel even a hint of a cold or anything else so far. I pray for an open, honest dialogue with the folks early this afternoon... I hope this will be a story that helps them see their own stories in a different light...

I'll try to write you all soon...

Jim

July 21, 2004

Keep praying. God is answering.

We had a longer day. but a very inspiring and encouraging day. We saw a lot of new faces. Had a very honest dialogue about the application of these issues to the Polish culture at this point in time. As we discussed who the "powerful Egyptians" are that we fear, these new friends shared that it is very, very common for employers to "mob"... belittle, accuse, threaten, and extort their employees, because the unemployment rate is so high... the threat of losing their job prevents employees from standing up for themselves. In many cases it also leads to employees following their managers directives, even if those directives are unethical... the fear is so great. These people really picked up on Abraham's mentality that "there is no fear of God in this place"... but they said they are encouraged to take their fears directly to God and to ask for courage to do what is right.

We also discussed the "promised land turning to famine"... and discovered that the most common areas are depression, unemployment or poverty, long-term illness, and the disillusionment of marriages that have turned into empty, bitter, lonely dessert experiences. They also responded with many nodding heads to my sharing that such disillusionment can happen in the church... because of church politics. people can be crushed and disheartened... and turn entirely away from ministry or active witnessing to their faith.

We finished the second and third generations... and are primed for a blast of overview tomorrow... it is also clear that we must save enough time to really discuss God's Intended Design for respectful relationship between male and female... please pray for clarity and wise use of time... and heartfelt discussing of these issues.

Many words of thanks and blessing from these men and women. There are at least ten professionals or minister/missionaries that will be able to use this story as a resource almost immediately in their various callings. And Krzysztof is making CD available right away. Today was weather from Memphis or New Orleans in mid-august... probably over 90 degrees and unbelievably muggy. I was sweating two or three times... but just realized that it would eventually cool off... don't know what to wear tomorrow... already used by Hawaiian shirt and sandals...

Thanks for your continued support and prayers. I hope this email brings you encouragement and inspiration... God's Spirit is surely blessing this conference.

In His name... trusting His timing and purposes.

Jim

August 1, 2004

dear friends,

just a short note to let you know that I arrived safely in New York, JFK, and then again at SFO. I apologize for the updates disappearing. I had no access to email at the hotel where the conference was... and no time to go elsewhere by the end of the days...

I want to write you much more detail, but here is a just a bit of the wonderful last three days... we had fifty or so "advanced" students... people who had already completed 75 hours of basic counselor training over the past three years... the great news was that this was a totally new network... spearheaded by a dynamic couple from the south of Poland (where we were for this conference)... Henryk and Alina Wieja... not only did we complete another good CD as a resource for further study, but we also had many hours to discuss how to further cooperate with them to advance the ministry of quality marriage and family counseling...

Two wonderful personal surprises: the first day in Wisla... in the mountains... near the river... I was talking with a few new faces at lunch... and in the background I heard the voice of a dear friend from Warsaw... our very first cluster of students from 1998... the voice was Ania Sinton... and she made the trip for this conference... but Krzysztof kept this a secret... so I would be surprised... and surprised I was... Ania and her husband have been living and ministering in Moscow for the past three years... and I was blessed with the chance to talk at length two or three times with her... about various relational dynamics... especially relationships within the leadership networks in church missions and ministries... she has a great sense of humor and a passion for people to resolve matters in a respectful manner that glorifies God and prevents undue damage to the hearts and souls of those trying to minister alongside each other... after the conference, we were being given a tour of the foundation headquarters by Henryk and Alina... and we were told that an American team was coming to help with the "English" week of camp for high school/college students in the mountains nearby... I thought, "that's cool"... then that very team of young adults came up the stairs... and who came through the door, but Pam Strasser and Jenny Nickel (from SFC)... they are currently working with the young, singles group from Menlo Park Pres. church... and they were in Wisla for the camp... I could not believe what a small world God's world is... it turns out that m.p.p.c. has been a partner to the foundation for many years... and that Henryk and Alina have been to Menlo Park more than once... not only that but the son, Paul, will be visiting Stanford medical school Aug. 15 through Sept. 15... and their daughter Esther is a third year student at Azusa Pacific down south... anyway, the possibilities for further cooperation seem quite open, and unlimited... we must see how the lord leads us...

Also was blessed by Krzysztof and Mela being able to drive us from city to city in their first car ever... a 2-liter Toyota Carina... I will send another recap email to let you know more about the responses to the content of the conferences... and the foundation that we were able to establish...

Thank you each and all once again for faithful prayers... it was an inspiring time... diving into God's word and then determining the application to their culture in Poland. we are off to three days of camping as a family... with a few other families... so I won't get the next email off to you until the end of the week.

God is alive and working profoundly all around this world... it is a privilege to be part of His family... and to partner in whatever ministries that He has prepared and called us to.

Jim

August 8, 2004

Hello, friends,

Sorry for the delay in reporting back to you. This is the first of two more emails, so that you can get a sense of the many things the Lord has been accomplishing with these counseling networks in Poland.

When we last left off, I had arrived in Wysla, in the southern Carpathian mountain range near the borders of Czech and Slovakia. The audience was about 50 advanced students, who have already completed at least 72 hours training, under the Life and Mission Foundation. This foundation is headed up by Henryk and Alina Wieja. Having already presented the Covenant family history on powerpoint, in Polish, just days earlier, Krzysztof and I were confident that we could pare a few sections down, and also expand a few ideas that did not get enough attention in Wroclaw. Again, we were blessed by Krzysztof's superb translation. As the conference unfolded, it became evident that Henryk and I have quite few points of personal history that parallel. Strong Lutheran heritage. A love of God's Word. Passion for making that Word alive and relevant to our generation. And even our areas of focus have been similar over the past 20 years. He told me that listening to the Covenant family history was a salve... a sweet confirmation of the truth that God's word provides... a confirmation which he has not experienced very often in his country. Unfortunately, a great majority of the clergy, even the young clergy, are quite strongly set AGAINST the focus on mutual respect between husband and wife, focusing instead on the hierarchy of authority (as if one could really work without the other). And Henryk himself has been accused of being a "heretic" and a "male feminist"... his wife Alina has been treated in quite a condescending manner in many settings alongside clergy... even though she and Henryk are invited specifically because of their successful teaching on family and marriage, and their healing impact on the Christian families in Poland... how ironic... but not unheard of.

Well, besides enjoying the teaching of Genesis, I soaked up the conversations with Henryk, Alina, a dear friend Ania (presently from Moscow), and about 20 new friends. We had one early morning downpour of rain that lasted about three hours... and the humidity was a problem a few times... (now I know what clothes to bring for summer teaching in Poland)... I was very impressed with the level of questions and desire to make this material practical and relevant for these leader's constituencies... many of them are pastors and wives... teachers... nurses... social workers... therapists in various clinics... quite a few have been drawn into this ministry simply because they discovered support and reasonable, Biblical direction for their OWN ministries, and now they bring in other friends and coworkers with them.

When all 13 hours of the covenant family story were covered, we had another three hours to examine God's created design for male and female... and some practical application for the principles of sacrificial love, mutual love and respect, seeking unity of the Spirit, putting the interest of others ahead of your own, and surrendering our minds the transforming work of the Holy Spirit... The question we pondered was: "These concepts sound so good... but how do we actually put them into practice?" By the end of our three days, there was a strong request for return visits, and a desire to examine in more detail God's created design... also they hope to hear the long-version (8 hours) of the Adolescent dilemma (ministering to adolescents in the early 21st century). Of course, we have to trust the Lord's timing on these matters, but this network is in a very influential position.

Just to mention a few of there committed ministries: over 250 counseling trainees in cities all over Poland. mentoring relationships available for all of these men and women... small groups meeting at least monthly... a quarterly magazine (available in all book stores in Poland), CD/DVD recording studio, full time arts/drama certificate program... elementary, middle school, high school, and college camps and year-round ministries (in conjunction with local churches)... and on top of all that, there is a somewhat free-formed congregation that meets at the foundation auditorium... a robust community of 400-500 people...

I also had the pleasure of spending three hours with a pastor (Stan Blank), whose wife was one of our first students... I have had the pleasure of conversations with them both over the past six years, and the Lord has called them to lead the first congregation that Adam Otremba has pastored 20 years ago. So they will be living in Wroclaw, and will have good support and fellowship with Adam and Mira. Also I enjoyed five or six conversations with their daughter Estella, whom I also met six years ago... who now works for the foundation... and has a heart for counseling ministry... she has learned so much since leaving home at 18 to go on three years of ministry on a mercy ship... I am very, very pleased to know that Krzysztof and I have put together a good quality resource for the Polish leaders, teachers. pastors. They now will have two CD tapes combined... along with a complete outline in power point... there will also follow a picture CDROM, that includes the diagrams from the presentation... and the foundation staff is so efficient that they had already completed the first production run before I left Wysla! Having spent three days with Henryk and Alina, their staff, and 50 of their advanced partners in this ministry... it seems that the possibilities are wide open for influencing the churches and families of Poland... it will be a great pleasure and privilege to work along side these people, as well as with the network at the Bible Institute in Warsaw.

I apologize for the length of this. I will probably send one more overview email... with some reflections on the larger picture of what is going on in Poland... thank you for your faithful prayers... they really DO have a powerful impact... it meant so much to these brothers and sisters in Christ, to know that I was being sent by a body of believers back here in California, and that more than 100 people were praying specifically for the Holy Spirit to direct and bless these teaching moments. And they sent their greetings back to you all in their thank you's to me.

God's richest blessings to you and your dearest relationships,

Jim