While working in the Czech we came across people with all sorts of histories. David is a great Man of God. He is married to the beautiful Hanka, who recently gave birth to their first daughter just before we arrived. David is passionate about teaching the youth in his community about God. He works to inch his way into the schools and celebrates every inch he gets by praising God. He loves to spend time with the group of students who wear all black, and have crazy hair cuts…. they remind him of himself when he was their age. David is a former Drug addict.
At the young age of 29 David knows that without the Lord he would be dead. Near overdoses, and suicidal thoughts brought him to a bridge… literally… and there he encountered God. With new revelation he sought out a pastor who had pursued him through out his time on the streets, and God began to make changes.
Martin is a Pastor. He is quite and very kind. His wife is tall and beautiful, and they have two little boys. Their church is alive, and they are seeking to awaken the youth of their city. They are reaching out to them in a way that appeals to them. They have friends who left their jobs and came from all over the Czech to support their church in their outreach week. Their church community welcomed us with open arms and felt like a second home to most of our team.
Martin was once a drug dealer. A fact that shocked me when I first heard it. His soft quiet nature did not fit the image I had in my head of what a former drug dealer would be like.
One afternoon in preparation for the week of evangelism ahead my teammate Christy and I met with David and Martin in David's flat to discuss our plans for the week. As we were sitting there, it occurred to me the power of our redeemer. Christy and I were not two world racers sitting with a drug addict and drug dealer… we were two world racers sitting with a man of God and a pastor. A less exciting title for a blog, but a more powerful reality of our God!
God is doing many works of redemption in the lives of Men in Sluknov. Above is a picture our last chuch service with the men at Teen Challenge. The people in this picture have many different stories to tell, former drug addicts, or dealers, former carpet installers or teachers, former students, or current students, but what makes this picture so awesome is that we are all the redeemed of the Lord!
