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My Missions Field: Permissive PragueBy Dana Vannoy When we think of the “mission field,” we usually
associate it with grass huts in Africa or rice fields in the Orient.
It is most often associated with poverty-stricken people who have never
heard the Gospel. And many times,
this image is true. As a missionary
kid, I grew up in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Both were countries with
extreme poverty and, of course, have always been the first to come to my mind at
the mention of missions. I certainly had never given too much thought to the
cobblestone streets of ancient Prague. However,
while living here for the past six weeks, I have experienced a different kind of
mission field. The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague is a beautiful city full of European culture and history. Although certainly not within the economic status of the U.S., the Czech people are not consumed by poverty, and most live very well. There has been a great deal of Western influence here, so Prague is also a very modern city. To say that the Czech people enjoy an open society would be an understatement. Every kind of perversion imaginable is openly displayed here. This is most likely due to recent events in their history. After being occupied by Nazi Germany for six years during World War II, the country was then under Communist rule for forty years. So after the fall of Communism in 1989, the Czechs have taken to indulging in their newly found freedom. This has led many of them into an openly permissive society. For their commercial and advertising industry, there are no laws of censorship. Pornography is everywhere. There is a large number of homosexuals, and it is not uncommon to see groups of transvestites in any part of the city. Establishments of ill repute seem to darken almost every street. Alcoholic beverages are sold at every establishment, including such places as McDonald’s or KFC. And the list goes on. I have come to the conclusion, in just a short time, that there are very few limits here. Unfortunately, where they do decide to set limits is with God - they do not like to submit to spiritual authority. A large percentage of the Czechs are atheists. Many of them are into New Age or mysticism of some sort. And while there are those who call themselves Catholics or even Christians, many of them do not attend a church. Because of this, many churches here only have one service a month. Others have home settings so people will not feel like they are at church. (I think they want to shield themselves from as much conviction as possible.) Sadly, many of them are completely bound by the sinful way of life that permeates this city. Thus, I have found myself right in the middle of what is definitely a “mission field.” Prague is a city full of people that need truth, and the power of the Holy Ghost in their lives. Please keep the work here in your prayers. The missionaries, Rev. Roger Buckland and his wife started the church here more than six years ago. Please help me pray that God will give them souls for their labor. ninetyandnine.com © 2002, Dana Vannoy --------- Dana
Vannoy is on the AIM (Associates In Missions) program with the
United Pentecostal Church International. She
plans to write more about her experiences in the Czech Republic since she will
be living here for the next eight months. |
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