September 7, 2024
STATESBORO, Ga. — “What are you guys doing here?” It was a question the Baptist Collegiate Ministry Send Me Now team from Georgia heard repeatedly during their time in the city of Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. It was a query which opened doors for sharing the gospel on their ten-day journey in June.
The typically self-reliant and confident young Czechs, ages 16-23, which were the focus of the team, didn’t believe they had any needs the BCM team could meet. The BCM team wanted to introduce them to the Savior everyone needs whether they know it or not!
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Czech Republic has developed one of the highest educational and economic standards of living in the world. Team leader Chris Bryan, campus minister at Georgia Southern, explained the young people knew their history, which included governments that had ruled by religious oppression, followed by the occupation of the Nazis and the Soviet Union. Today, the younger generation feels they are no longer under the bondage of religious oppression, fascism, and communism and are “a free people to choose for themselves.”
Unfortunately, while rejecting their history of oppression, they have rejected religion. According to their 2011 census, only 12 percent of the country identifies as “Christian,” which includes about 3 percent who fall into the category which would include evangelicals. Atheists account for 30 percent of the population making them the third highest percentage in the world behind China and Japan. The remaining 45 percent did not respond to survey questions regarding religion.
Bryan said, “They were not necessarily anti-religion, and most of the people I conversed with would probably best be described as agnostics,” not even sure if God exists.
The team was hosted by International Mission Board missionaries and Alabama natives, Philip and Eva Bone. The Bone family served Grace Baptist Church in Covington, Ga., where Philip was pastor for 18 years, and have been serving in the Czech Republic for two. During the BCM team’s orientation, Eva compared their work to the Parable of the Sower. She said, “Sowing the gospel seed here at times seems like sowing seeds on concrete. But concrete has cracks, and some seeds can sprout and take root even in those difficult places.”
The eight-member team represented Georgia Southern University, Georgia Tech, Middle Georgia, Kennesaw State University, Young Harris College, and Georgia College & State University. Each team member prepared cultural presentations which the local school system allowed them to present in high school classes. After each presentation, the classes broke into smaller discussion groups to allow the students to ask questions.
This provided an opportunity for invitations for more conversations after school and in the evenings through a ministry called “The Hub.” The Hub provides a place where students are invited to engage in cultural experiences such as making an American banana split or to participate in “candy wars,” a competition between Czech and American candies. It also offers the opportunity for students to improve their conversational English skills. It is relational bridge building, providing opportunities to share the gospel.
A worship service is conducted each evening. Bryan explained most people stayed for the worship. During the services, BCM team members shared music and their personal testimonies of how God is at work in their lives. Typically, 15 to 20 people stay for worship, occasionally 25, but during the week attendance increased. At one service there were 65, which was the largest number they had ever experienced.
Bryan shared, that by the end of their time, the Czech students began asking different questions. One asked, “There is something different about you and your group. Can you tell me what it is?”
Another young 21-year-old student, an atheist said, “I’ve come here a couple of years. But when you were singing that song, for the first time ever I started to like it... to listen to the words.”
Several young men, who identified as agnostics, expressed what can be described as the Holy Spirit stirring in their hearts. One said, “It sounds like God has changed your life, but I’m not there yet.” Another shared, “I feel like there is a presence in my life when you are here... Can we talk more about what that means?”
IMB missionary Philip Bone shared, “Our entire team was blessed during the time that we shared with Chris Bryan and the university students. They were an incredible answer to prayer, and they were granted open access to have conversations with Czech students in several public high schools... the relationships that the team made with our local students was a huge blessing. We are disciplining new students as a result of their work here in the Czech Republic. I cannot overstate what a huge impact this team made in such a short time. Mission trips work!”
Team member Erica Rowland, a junior at Georgia College and State University reflected, “This trip taught me a lot about having sheer dependence on the Lord and trusting that He will provide in every way. It also taught me the importance of building deep, personal relationships with both believers and nonbelievers. It left me in awe of how the Lord can use those relationships within even such a short period of time to plant seeds and show His love in us and through us, especially in a place where people haven’t even had the opportunity to hear the gospel and are openly against it. His grace was more than sufficient on this trip, and it was such a blessing to be able to serve Him in this way!”
Bryan said one of the biggest take-aways for him was rooted in the concept of sowing seeds on concrete. "Nothing was done in vain," he said, "It all had a purpose. Seeing God at work, knowing it was God breaking down barriers and walls.”
God was working and seed was faithfully sowed. Since returning from their June journey, Bryan shared the following. “An update and praise... Eva Bone reached out to me and told me one of the guys that we invited to some of our ministry events and invested in while we were there has become a Christian! His name is Vojta.”
Vojta means “joy in battle.” Joy in a battle, like sowing seed on concrete, is discovering the unexpected where it is least expected.
“What are you guys doing here?” Discovering Vojta, joy in the battle as God works to transform lives in unexpected places.
