Panoramic smeared folks into goblins... Worth it.

Observing Arches

Prague Castle, where the president is currently in residence.

This cathedral - inside the castle complex, and dominating it - is both beautiful and terrible, great craftsmanship and artistry used for evil ends: the damning proclamation of a false gospel.

I was surprised to see stained glass with Czech writing on it, and not just Latin.

George and the Dragon

The president speaks from this balcony, across from which looms the cathedral.

The rear of the castle

The site of the Defenestration

Statuary like this is sprinkled all across this bridge.

On the left - as in many Catholic sites, brass becomes a literal pagan touchstone.

The figures cycling through the windows are meant to be the Twelve Apostles.

The names of 27 protestant martyrs who were horribly tortured and beheaded here by the Catholic church.

These events and the 30 Years' War were used by communists to get their foot in the door, reframing the conflict as an attack on the Czech people by Christianity as a whole.

Markers for the Martyrs

A statue of Jan Hus in the same square

Lojza's church, ministry center, and current home in Kroměříž

The church graciously made English available for each song, and for the sermon notes.

Lots of Soviet Communist monuments sprinkled about. Their style makes them pretty easy to spot, even when the iconography is hidden.

The church came to this river after the service for a picnic.

But these baptisms were the real highlight, and the reason they came out here.

After surveying the surrounds today, we have ideas for where we'll head in the coming days.

My translator buddy for the day, David

Setting

Today's fishing hole was a square a couple blocks behind the hotel that we'd scouted out yesterday. Enough people congregated at various times of day to make it a prime place to start, and there were enough seating areas to make it easier to find people to converse with. Our translators from Kroměříž paired up with us for the whole day, after opening with devotional, singing, and prayer at the church.

Aleš

Quiet man; probably homeless. He didn't speak much in reply; but he did listen and seemed to answer questions we posed, if only with a nod or shake of the head. Lord willing he took the gospel to heart.

Petra Ana

Confused charismatic: she seems to have been sitting under a faith healer who swung into town. While she seemed to have a rudimentary understanding of the gospel, it was incomplete and concerning, focused more on the working of miracles than her sin and need for Christ. Les and co. ended up talking to her after for an extended period.

Dalibor

Idolatrous 'catholic': he didn't know where he is headed; but rather, he only cared that he would see his girlfriend who passed away three years ago. While we tried to take him to the law to press him on his need for salvation, he chose to end the conversation, clinging to his vain hope in his girlfriend rather than Christ.

Gejza

Knowledgable homeless man: while initially, he said he thought life would end in annihilation, as we shared the gospel with him, he began to respond with sound Scripture he had in his memory that continued the gospel. He had formerly owned a Bible, but does not any more. We were able to give him a Czech New Testament, urging him to take seriously what Scripture and Christ said about eternity, and the urgency with which we are all called to respond. Lord willing He uses the Scripture to call Gejza to Himself, illuminating it for him in a way he did not have before. I saw another team speak with him extensively later in the day.

Tomáš and Nikola

Tomáš (?) and Petra

When we approached these two and asked where they think they'd go if they died, they laughed - not because the question was unusual (which does happen), but because they'd been speaking about that very thing. They invited us to sit down and hear us out, and we were able to share the Gospel with them in full. Tomáš claimed to be a mystic who had 'seen multiple hells' and wanted to avoid them at all costs. Petra was quieter, but heard us out. We tried to make clear to them the foundational truth of Scripture to contrast their professed experiences; hopefully they do not simply add it to their curio shelf of nice beliefs.

Paček

Sofia and Barbora

Two girls in late teens, one of whom played soccer previously with one of our team members. When asked about what happens, Sofia talked of vague notions of reincarnation and karma that her friend had told her about; Barbora didn't think anything happens after death. We proceeded to give them the sure foundation of Scripture, striking a contrast between the nebulous, arbitrary standards of 'karma' and the clarity and truth of God's Word. They heard us out, and seemed to be engaged with what we said to them. Hopefully they both take it to heart.

Mom and Daughter

We were able to talk to these two for a while; at first, the daughter didn't want to consider eternity, if it was like this world is now. So we took her to Scripture and what it says about eternity, working backwards from there to where she deserved to be, and why - the Law and the Gospel. While the discussion was cut short - the mother was travel-weary - she heard the whole of what Scripture had to say. Lord willing she continues to dwell on these things, and responds to it.

? and ?

This couple sat on the bench right after the prior pair had left. They were willing to talk at first, but as we began to present the Gospel, the scoffing increased; we attempted to lay out defenses for why we believed in Scripture, it was too much for them to accept. At best, they seemed to consider the claims of Scripture to be a fairy tale. At last, they dismissed us; though they weren't rid of us that easily, as I spotted Josh talking to them but a short time later...

My translator buddy for the day, Simon

Setting

Today, we spent some time in the nearby shopping mall we'd scouted. A couple teams discovered the hard way that they don't want us using video cameras, and that they don't want us handing out tracks - they were kicked out until the following day. But we were not one of those, and were able to stick around and reach a couple younger folks before heading back to the square, where I was joined by Jožka from Ostrava as Simon departed for the day. Even though it had begun to rain lightly by that time, we were able to talk with several people who were walking on their way through the square - more than we'd been able to stop in their walk while it was dry!

David

We met this man and asked what he believes would happen when he dies. He wondered why we approached him with that question, rolling up his sleeve to show a tattoo: "I'm not afraid of death, but of what comes after." As we talked, he unfolded his life for us: a life spent in drugs and violence, where friends and family had died or abandoned him, and where he had been reduced that very day to seeking to steal, prompted by his sister. He claimed his siblings had had dreams in which his parents had visited a few years ago, but he had had no such dream, and thought he needed to correct his ways to see such a dream himself.

We unfolded the Gospel and its implications for him, pointing him to Christ and His work, the love of God for him, and his need for repentance and faith in Christ. He heard these things, and seemed to come to some understanding; he had talked to someone about Christ recently, and did not consider it coincidence. We were able to connect him with Jožka from Křestané Ostrava church, and Lord willing He reconciles him to Himself.

Matěj

A young man in his late teens; we introduced the bad news of the Gospel to him, but he was pulled away by a film in the cinema before we could share the good news. We left them with a tract in hopes that would close the loop.

Maxim

A teen who was, quiet, nervous, but engaged and answering questions. He allowed us to share the full Gospel with him.

Vojta

This was a father out walking with his family in the rain, but he took the time to speak with us. He was intellectually engaged with us as we shared the Gospel with him, following along and acknowledging the reasoning of it; but ultimately, to him, the existence and sovereignty of God was a sticking point he didn't desire to move beyond.

Alex, Andrej, and Annie

These three Romanians were blunt and to the point, and appreciated that we were straightforward with them. As we shared the Gospel with them, their joviality turned to sober consideration as they took seriously what we said to them. They noted that the Orthodox church of their country is not straightforward, talking around things, and making the Word of God complex and hard to understand. We reinforced that salvation is not by our works as the orthodox church would claim, and left them with a Bible - though they may not wholly understand Czech, hopefully at least one of them may know enough to make use of it, as I believe Annie was Czech and the other two were visiting, and she asked for the Bible when offered.

Patrik

This confused young man said a teacher of his had spoken to him regularly of reincarnation, and he had adopted it as his own personal view, despite having no evidence for such a thing. But he didn't have any idea what the standards were for reincarnation: how would he reincarnate? Why? What is the standard? What is the goal? We shared the Gospel with him, pointing to God and Christ as the standard by which we are judged, and the one life we are each given to live, and the ultimate end to which we all are headed. With that foundation laid, we turned to the sole hope we have in Christ.