But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a
city for them. Hebrews 11:16
When my friend Robert, a
chaplain in the prison system here, asked me to come and speak at the prison
where he works, I admit that I was a little hesitant. I'd never been to a men's
prison, and wasn't sure what to expect.
I also wasn't sure what I had to share with them, but my friend wouldn't
give up, so I agreed to go and speak at the weekly chapel service. One of the main reasons I agreed is because
of the fact that a high percentage of the prisoners are Roma and I thought it
would be a good opportunity to see how they live there.
Like most Czechs, the prisoners love
singing. In visiting with the prisoner
who led the singing (a Roma man), I found out that he came from Litomerice, the
town I lived in when I first came to the Czech Republic. We talked about our
favorite places there and some people we might both know and we both got a
little teary-eyed as we talked.
They spent the first 20 minutes of the
service singing, mostly praise songs, but also a few popular Czech songs. Then
it was my turn to share. I gave a brief testimony, and spoke about the work I
do here in the Czech Republic and then let them ask questions. Not
surprisingly, their questions were more about life in America and why I chose
to live here, but some were also interested in why I am a missionary. This gave
me the chance to share my conviction that we are all missionaries no matter
where we are. I truly believe that God
is not ashamed to be called their God and has indeed prepared a city for them.
Please pray:
- For Roma prisoners and their families in the Czech Republic. Pray that they will find hope in God's promise of a heavenly home.
- For the Prison Chaplains in the Czech Republic; this is a new concept here and the funding and other support they receive is minimal.
Rachel
Brunclikova, Czech Republic
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