I just returned from a two week mission trip to the Czech Republic. This is a country rich in history including Catholic monarchs, Protestant persecution, Nazi occupation, Soviet invasion, Communist oppression and now freedom.

Tucked away in the Czech countryside is the village of Brniste. Here a Baptist church is reaching out to its surrounding villages with the message of Jesus' love and salvation. Not only that, but among their many outreach programs is the opportunity to learn English.

This July, the church invited families to join them in the Krokonose mountains near the border of Poland, for a week of English lessons, fellowship and fun. Many of these people were not Christians so we had the opportunity for evangelism. Each day we taught English for two and a half hours in the morning then spent the rest of the day hiking, playing games and demonstrating Jesus' love through our actions.

It was an awesome experience. Through an interpreter, I had the opportunity to talk about my faith, my family, my church, children, marriage and Christianity. I also had the privlege of preaching in their church the Sunday before I left for Prague.

I learned many thing about their culture, their customs, their food, and they learned that I like to hug. And eventually, they learned to hug back!

In the end, eventhough I spoke no Czech and they spoke no English, (well perhaps they spoke a bit more  than when they first arrived) we discovered we shared a common language; that of love - God's love, which enables us to cross all barriers if we open ourselves up to its amazing power.

What began with anxiety and apprehension ended wih tears and fond-farewells...and HUGS! 

This summer, besides the Olympics, China will be hosting a five week program for college students called "Camp China". Teams of 8-9 students will each have their own classroom of about twenty children and teach them English.

The best part is that one of our own, Larissa Spitzer, daughter of our Sr. Regional Pastor, Dr. Lee Spitzer, has felt the Lord calling her to China and has answered the call. This is not a first for Larissa. During spring break she volunteered as a short-term missionary in Brazil, where she taught English there also.

Because the program begins next month, Larissa has been diligently trying to raise the $4000.00 needed to get to China. More than anything, Larissa covets your prayer. However, if you feel led to support her financially, it would be greatly appreciated. As she begins this next journey in her life and steps out in faith, let it be with the ABCNJ family behind her.

For furher information please contact me or the ABCNJ office.

     Last week nine members from Living Word Baptist Church in Toms River gathered with over 150 people from across the nation to take part in the 2008 "Blitz Build" in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For the second time, National Ministries joined with Habitat for Humanity in building homes for families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

     For three weeks volunteers poured foundations, framed houses, installed insulation, hung siding, nailed molding and trim, sawed, painted, sweated like crazy, trudged through the rain and mud, all the while demonstrating the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way to folks they never met, yet who would soon become like family. We lisened to their stories of heartbreak and loss and felt their pain; still raw after nearly three years.

    Shortly after the hurricanes hit, many people who lived through those storms wrote down their feelings.  One person wrote this:

"I know there are people out there who think that hope is lost. They think that the world is coming to an end, and it might be. But my message for these people would be to hang on. Tie a knot in your soul and hang on! God can fix anything. He is the Alpha and the Omega! The funny thing about hope is that you determine yourself whether it lives or dies. Let it live again!"

     For a brief three weeks hope was alive again in the hearts, souls and faces of the people we were helping, and that hope transcended to the rest of us. I witnessed true "koinonia", a genuine fellowship, a genuine sharing, a genuine concern for one another regardless of race, age, sex or abilities. It made me believe that nothing is impossible with God! And I thought... so this must be what Jesus intended His new Kingdom to be like .

IT WAS AWESOME!

The Margate Community Church (ABC and UCC) is currently in New Orleans.

 A team of about 20 volunteers will spend the week in the 9th district rebuilding homes. This is their third year in this effort, each year taking them further into the rebuilding process. While there, they stay in local UCC churches, sleeping on air mattresses and cooking their own meals.

We look forward to hearing about their trip when they return. Please pray that God will keep them healthy and strong so that they can complete their jobs and be a witness for Jesus Christ in that community.