Prague: Day One

Day One

Today has been quite a day. Our travels here took some 27 hours due to layovers, delays and having to do an emergency landing in Berlin. We finally arrived here in Prague at 4pm yesterday. As we grabbed our bags we made our way through customs and there met our dear friends and church planters here Craig and Sara Springer. A couple who came to faith in their teens at Willow through Student Impact, joined the 3 year internship, then followed God to do the un-thinkable; plant a church in arguably the most lost city on the Planet. Craig said that “the Czech Republic is known as a spiritually desolate place. It is considered one of the most secular and atheistic countries in the world. A recent Euro-Barometer survey identified that only 19% of Czechs believe God even exists. More Czechs believe in UFO’s than in God and that less than .5 percent would consider themselves Christian”.

This morning we had some flex time so I threw on the running shoes and went for a run to get a feel for the context in which we would be serving for the next 8 days. Running through these streets was incredible, the trams running to my left and right, the stunning architecture and age of the buildings that date back to the 1100’s, it was incredible. I ran through the city park and began to make my way back to the stellar hostel we’re staying in and in the distance saw a billboard that consisted of only three letters. Those being “PRE”.

Now for most of you that means absolutely nothing but for me and those of you who have seen “without limits” it means everything. I first saw this movie that tells the life story of the legendary and arguably greatest American long distance runner of all time named Steve Prefontaine. Steve known of as yes “PRE” ran unlike any other of his time because when he stepped on the track he ran to win, so much so that he never embraced the idea of pacing himself. As hard as his coach at the University of Oregon tried, he could never convince Pre to start slow and work to 100%, on the contrary from start to finish Pre ran full out.

As I ran I reflected on that mindset, and was reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:24 that say’s “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win”! When you stop and think about it, the mindset behind the race set’s everything, the pace, the training, and the commitment to not stop no matter the pain or discouragement. God has been teaching me about this verse that its really not about winning, for his love is unchangeable, its really about how I run the race, and when I run to win I’m willing to surrender everything to him, follow him not matter the cost, and make decisions like Craig and Sara in moving to a city like this for the single purpose of making Christ known among the Czech people.

How about you? How hard are you training? Are you running to just finish, or like Paul, and Pre I might add running to win!

The Kingdom is at hand.

It’s time to lace ‘em up!!

Please continue praying for us, God has been opening doors to scatter His love with quite a few people in just one day. Tomorrow we'll be meeting the Gypsy children and will begin some of our construction on the park.

Your prayers a making a difference!!

Jon