Recently, two team members visited a brothel where they expected to meet some of the women they had encountered on their first visit. However, none of these were there; instead they met a completely different group of working women.  As they talked to each one, interestingly, all except one said they believed in God, were from church backgrounds, and were very open to talking about Him. This was an unusual experience as the team often meets many atheists. “It was the first time that I have met only one woman who is an atheist during outreach, in six and a half years of going out to women working in the sex trade!” said one team member.

The self-professed atheist woman was Slovakian and had lost both of her parents at a very young age. Growing up with a godfather she described as ‘not good’, had made life very difficult. Later, in London, while working in the sex industry, she had learnt English, which made it easier for the two team members to communicate with her that evening. They also listened as she told them how her previous boyfriend had died the year before, on Valentine's day, and how difficult this had been for her.

Other woman did profess belief in God, and some attended church. However as one said: “I go there for excursion and prayer; there are many beautiful churches here”, the team wondered whether her interest was more about sightseeing the church buildings, as although she called herself Orthodox she was happy to visit any church. When younger, she would have loved to study tourism and photography, but her visa-related issues had stopped her following her dream and had led her into the sex industry.  She, and many of the women asked for prayer, which the team was more than happy to do.

The team also met a lovely Nigerian woman where belief in God had not stopped her from believing that a promise she had made to the woman who brought her to Europe, could not be broken. This had made it easy for her to have been trafficked, as she could not find other
practical steps to pay back the money. “Although we directly offered her practical help, she told us the only help we could give her was to pray,” said one of the team members, sadly. “She seemed very broken, and angry, as well as fearful,” reflected the team member, wistfully.

The following week, the team held a FREEDOM Arts & Crafts evening to which 18 people came to do needle felting and make tea coasters as gifts for the women in brothels.  “We look forward to giving these out to the women as a token of our friendship and a small expression of God’s love for them,” they said afterwards.  Small acts of love expressing the much greater reality: that God cares for each one.

We recently visited a small brothel in an area away from the centre of town. Cameras placed outside the locked front door would pick up sight of customers arriving, prompting the DJ to turn up the music. This would signal to the ladies to quickly remove their blankets (or whatever else they might be doing), tidy themselves up, perhaps rearranging their hair a little before the customers were let in.

When we entered, three ladies were relaxing on couches, one curled up under a blanket, as they did when between customers.  Although the brothel was empty and the ladies were lounging around, somewhat bored, it was [and is] a great time for us to chat with them.
One of the ladies we spoke to had a Muslim boyfriend living in France, whom she met at the brothel - he was a customer. We had an interesting conversation with this lady, who was Czech, about her perceptions of ‘church’. Her belief was that churches were very political places, that they did bad things and that she did not trust the church. “God lives within me, and I do not need the church,” she stated. Our Czech team member explained to her that church was helpful for learning more about God, and to help us not to have to walk with God alone but to have company on the journey to encourage us. She seemed open to hear this.

Another lady in the brothel was Ukrainian. A Catholic team member tried to speak with her, but as she was clearly on drugs and her Czech was not very good, conversation was difficult. While we were there, some customers arrived, the music was turned up, and it was evidently time for the ladies to get to ‘work’, so we left.

We were thankful to have had some time to chat with the ladies, and had been able to hand out the book ‘Nadeje’ (in English ‘hope’) - the true story of a Czech woman that was trafficked to Holland.  Our prayer is that each lady who got this book will read it, and will be encouraged by the testimony contained within the book, and will realise that they too can get out of a life of prostitution. We also pray that the ladies would have hope that is not deferred but would lead to concrete steps for them to find life with Jesus, and a better path for their lives.

As we left another brothel later on, we passed a group of Asian customers, about 10 men. One started rubbing a team member’s shoulder suggestively in passing -it was sexual harassment. She chose to completely ignore him and not acknowledge any awareness of his action. It was an unpleasant ending to the evening; however, the evening was a positive experience and God really touched the hearts of a number of the ladies.  It did, however, serve as a reminder that the ministry is engaged in a spiritual battle with spiritual consequences that stand for eternity.

One such woman, Anne, met the team and over time told them her story.  Anne had lived in Italy for five years, where she had been working in prostitution, under the control of her pimp, who had begun the relationship as her Romanian ‘boyfriend’. She told them that, despite the situation being very difficult, and made her cry every day, she felt that she loved him too much, and psychologically could not bring herself to leave him. The only reason she was able to finally leave him at the end of five long and hard years, was because God gave her the strength to do so. “I know it is God who helped me get out of my pimp’s control,” she said softly.

Anne has continued to work in prostitution because that is all she knows, and she is used to the work.  However, these days, she keeps her own money and does not have any further involvement with a pimp. “I do know that I need God just to be able to live each day, and that God is everything,” she said. Anne told the team she often senses bad spiritual presences in the brothel, and that she knows there is evil spiritually on the fourth floor of the brothel where she works, sensing it as a tangible presence or demonic spirit. “I have noticed that every brothel I have ever worked in carries this same sense of evil,” she said.  The team told her she could always pray for God's protection every single day, and that because Jesus lives in her, wherever she goes, she takes His presence and power with her.  “You can ask Him for help any time,” they said.  Anne asked the team to pray with her, particularly to ask Him to protect her against evil; and they all enjoyed a wonderful time praying together.

As the OM team continues to share and show God’s heart for women like Anne, they are able to discover that He does not see them as other than precious and special, no matter their circumstances. Their stories are a humble acknowledgement of His remarkable gift to a hurting world.

Tschechien wird als dritt-schlimmster Sklavenstaat Europas bezeichnet. OM-Mitarbeiterin Natascha Shoultz schildert, wie sie seit fünf Jahren Jesu Liebe an Frauen in Prostitution in Prag weitergibt. Sie betont, dass die Verantwortung, den Unterdrückten zu Gerechtigkeit zu verhelfen, ein Auftrag ist, der allen Christen gegeben ist – Gott ruft seine Kinder zu ihm zusammen, um den Versklavten Freiheit zu bringen.

„Ich erinnere mich, wie ich einmal in einem Nachtklub saß und mit zwei Rumäninnen sprach, die schätzungsweise 30 Jahre alt waren. Sie waren sehr hübsch, sprachen etwas Englisch und schienen intelligent zu sein. Ich fragte sie, was sie an ihren freien Tagen machen würden. Sie antworteten, dass sie sieben Tage die Woche arbeiten und daher keinen freien Tag hätten. In der Hoffnung, sie auch mal außerhalb des Nachtklubs zu treffen und an der frischen Luft spazieren zu gehen, um vertraulicher zu reden, fragte ich sie nach ihren Arbeitsstunden. Sie erwiderten, sie arbeiteten täglich die gesamte Nacht bis etwa sechs Uhr morgens. Danach würden sie ins Bett gehen und den ganzen Tag bis zum Abend schlafen. Wenn sie dann wach wären, fingen sie an, sich langsam auf eine weitere Nacht vorzubereiten, in der sie wieder strippen würden – vor Kunden, die sie auslachen, belästigen und verspotten. Die beiden Frauen prostituieren ihre Körper die gesamte Nacht über, an so viele Kunden wie möglich.

Freier Wille?

Als ich der trostlosen Beschreibung ihrer Leben lauschte, dachte ich, dass es für einen Menschen doch unmöglich sei, sieben Tage die Woche ununterbrochen ohne freien Tag zu arbeiten. Prostitution ist eine emotional extrem herausfordernde und eine potenziell verheerende Form der Beschäftigung. Ich konnte mir nicht vorstellen, in welchem Seelenzustand die Frauen sind. Ich fragte sie, wie lange sie dies schon tun und ihre Antwort schockierte mich: Zwölf Jahre! Sie erzählten mir, dass sie es aus freiem Willen tun würden und diese Form des Daseins so gewählt hätten.

Freier Wille? Diese Frage drängte sich mir auf. Ob ich glauben sollte, dass diese Frauen freiwillig sieben Tage die Woche, zwölf Jahre lang, ohne Ferien arbeiten würden? Für mich erschien dies unwahrscheinlich. Die Hoffnungslosigkeit und die tiefe Leere in ihren Augen deuteten eher darauf hin, dass sie sich dieses Leben nicht selbst ausgesucht hatten.

Diese beiden Rumäninnen sprachen etwas Englisch, aber viele der Frauen, die wir in den Bordellen treffen, sprechen weder Englisch noch Tschechisch. Weitere Fragen stellten sich mir: Wie schafft es eine Frau, die weder Englisch noch Tschechisch spricht, nach Tschechien zu kommen? Und wie findet sie eine Arbeit in einem Nachtklub und erhält dazu das benötigte Visum und alle Papiere, um legal arbeiten zu können? Ich denke, dass das ganz einfach ist, wenn man die Hilfe von jemand hat, der sich in der tschechischen Sexindustrie auskennt. Ich bin der Meinung, dass in den meisten dieser Fälle ein Zuhälter involviert ist und im schlimmsten Fall Menschenhändler.

Traurige Realität

Viele Menschen sind sich nicht bewusst, dass die moderne Sklaverei immer noch existiert. Sie ist in vielen Ländern der Welt, darunter auch Tschechien, traurige Realität. Tatsächlich ist Tschechien, laut eines Artikels der „Prague Post“ von 2013, der dritt-schlimmste Sklavenstaat in Europa – nach Albanien und Montenegro. Der veröffentlichte Artikel überraschte viele, aber es gibt auch Grund zur Vorsicht, wenn es um Statistiken über Menschenhandel geht, weil es so viele unterschiedliche Wege gibt, um Statistiken zu erstellen und zu analysieren. Dennoch ist sicher, dass es ein ernsthaftes Problem mit Prostitution und Menschenhandel in Tschechien gibt. Aufgrund vieler Hunderte Gespräche mit verschiedenen Frauen, mit denen ich in den vergangenen Jahren zusammengearbeitet habe, bin ich zur Überzeugung gekommen, dass viele Frauen Opfer von Menschenhandel sind.

Ein Leben der Misshandlung

An einem Abend saß ich in einem Nachtklub-Zimmer auf dem Bett einer nigerianischen Frau, die ich gut kenne. Ich hörte eine Geschichte, die für mich schwierig zu begreifen war. Sie erzählte von einer ihrer Kolleginnen im Nachtklub, die Ärger mit einem Kunden bekommen hatte. Der Kunde wollte, nachdem er Sex mit ihr hatte, nicht zahlen. Obendrauf stahl er ihr das Geld, das sie von ihren vorherigen Kunden bekommen hatte – insgesamt über 100 Euro. In ihrer Verzweiflung, wieder ihr Geld zu bekommen, schnappte die Frau sich das Handy des Kunden und meinte, dass sie es ihm erst wiedergeben würde, wenn er ihr das Geld gäbe. Der Kunde begann, sie brutal zu verprügeln. Blutüberströmt rannte sie weg und flüchtete in ein geeignetes Versteck im Bordell.

Der Kunde, ein Tscheche, ging und kam mit der Polizei wieder, doch sie konnten die Frau nicht finden. Die beiden gingen wieder, aber ein paar Stunden später kam der Polizist wieder und forderte von der Frau 200 Euro „Entschädigung“. Der Tage endete für die Frau damit, dass sie über 100 Euro ihrer Kunden plus 200 Euro an den Polizisten verloren hatte. Außerdem konnte sie, aufgrund der Schwere ihrer körperlichen Verletzungen eine Woche lang nicht arbeiten.

Die Nigerianerin, die mir diese Geschichte erzählte, wechselte plötzlich das Thema und fragte mich, ob ich in Zukunft Kinder haben wolle. Der plötzliche Themenwechsel überraschte mich, aber ich ging darauf ein und antwortete ihr. Sie schaute mir traurig in die Augen und erzählte, dass sie sechsmal zur Abtreibung gezwungen wurde. Sie meinte, sie träume davon, Kinder zu haben und einer ihrer größten Wünsche sei es, Mutter zu sein. Wenn ich so etwas höre, ist es für mich umso schwerer zu glauben, dass irgendeine Frau sich dieses Leben aussucht.

Gefangen und hoffnungslos

Von vielen Tschechen, mit denen ich in Kontakt bin, werde ich immer wieder gefragt, wieso diese Frauen nicht einfach gehen. Doch, ich kann nicht für die Frauen sprechen und ich zögere, die Situationen der Frauen zu verallgemeinern, denn jede einzelne Frau hat ihre eigene Geschichte. Ich habe festgestellt, dass sogar im selben Nachtklub die Geschichten der dort arbeitenden Frauen sehr unterschiedlich und vielseitig sind.

Manche Frauen haben Zuhälter, andere nicht. Jede Frau hat einen anderen „Vertrag“ mit denen, die sie in die Sexindustrie gebracht haben. Manche haben sogar keinen Vertrag und hoffen nur zu überleben. Andere glauben, dass sie das aus Liebe machen – oft haben die festen Freunde ihre Freundinnen in die Sexindustrie gebracht. Es gibt ein paar wenige Studentinnen, die beispielsweise versuchen Geld für Bücher zu sparen, sie machen aber die Minderheit aus. Die meisten Frauen in den Bordellen sind die, die am Ende ihrer Möglichkeiten sind und die in einem überwältigenden Gefühl der Hoffnungslosigkeit gefangen sind.

Verantwortung, zu Gerechtigkeit zu verhelfen

Es herrscht Zerbrochenheit und Dunkelheit in der Sexindustrie und Jesus hat uns berufen, ein Licht zu sein. Diejenigen, die an die Sexindustrie gebunden sind, tragen schwere Fesseln, manche psychologisch manche sogar körperlich.

Jesus sagt in Lukas 4,18: „Der Geist des Herrn ruht auf mir, denn er hat mich gesalbt, um den Armen die gute Botschaft zu verkünden. Er hat mich gesandt, Gefangenen zu verkünden, dass sie freigelassen werden, Blinden, dass sie sehen werden, Unterdrückten, dass sie befreit werden“.

Gott hat seine Kinder berufen, Teil seines Werkes zu sein, um den Gefangenen Freiheit zu verkündigen. Als Christen fühlen wir uns oft sicherer, wenn wir nicht in die Bordelle oder an andere dunkle Orte gehen. Wir fürchten die Dunkelheit und die Verunreinigung, die sie mit sich bringt. Manche von uns sind schon zu beschäftigt mit dem Alltag und wir haben nicht die Zeit, um Nachtklubs zu besuchen oder uns anderweitig einzusetzen. Wir denken, dass Gott andere Menschen beruft und dass die Aufgabe, die Opfer von Menschenhandel zu erreichen gut ist, aber vielleicht nicht etwas, für das wir uns gut ausgerüstet oder geleitet fühlen, um uns dagegen zu engagieren.

Doch ich bin der Meinung, dass die Verantwortung, den Unterdrückten zu Gerechtigkeit zu verhelfen, ein Auftrag ist, der für jeden Christen gilt. In Micha 6,8 fleht die Bibel die Kinder Gottes an: „Es wurde dir, Mensch, doch schon längst gesagt, was gut ist und wie Gott möchte, dass du leben sollst. Er fordert von euch nichts anderes, als dass ihr euch an das Recht haltet, liebevoll und barmherzig miteinander umgeht und demütig vor Gott euer Leben führt.“

Wie nehmen wir diese Verantwortung an?

Als Erstes möchte ich vorschlagen, dass jeder in seinem Einflussbereich Aufmerksamkeit auf dieses wichtige Thema lenkt. Wir alle haben Freunde und Menschen um uns herum. Wäre es möglich, dass wir anfangen, die Botschaft von dem, was in den Nachtklubs passiert, an die weiterzugeben, die wir kennen? Wäre es möglich, dass die christlichen Männer sich verpflichten, niemals einen Stripklub oder ein Bordell zu besuchen, weil wir keinen Anteil an der Ausbeutung anderer Menschen haben wollen? Wäre es möglich, dass wir uns zur Reinheit in unseren Leben verpflichten und somit für die Welt ein Beispiel setzen? Das sind alles Möglichkeiten für erste Schritte, um gegen die zerstörerische Maschine der Sexindustrie anzukämpfen. Weitere Schritte könnten sein, dass wir uns aktiv gegen Menschenhandel einsetzen und dafür auch geschult werden.

Die Frage, die man sich als Christ stellen sollte, ist, ob es ein Werk der Gerechtigkeit und Freundlichkeit ist, wenn wir es erlauben, dass die Sexindustrie und ihre Ausbeutung von Leben weiter bestehen. Die Frauen in den Nachtklubs haben keine Plattform, von der aus sie ihre Verzweiflung und ihre Traurigkeit über die Ungerechtigkeiten, denen sie ausgesetzt sind, zum Ausdruck bringen können. Sprüche 31,8-9 sagt uns: „Hilf dem, der sich selbst nicht helfen kann; schaffe denen Recht, die für sich alleine dastehen. Ja, hilf den Armen und Elenden und sorge dafür, dass sie zu ihrem Recht kommen.“ Ist es wirklich der Wille Gottes für uns, dass wir in Angesicht des Missbrauchs und der Ausbeutungen von Frauen und Männern, die jeden Tag in unseren Ländern stattfinden, schweigen?

I remember sitting in a night club talking to two Romanian women who looked close to 30. They were very beautiful, spoke some English, and seemed intelligent. I asked them what they do on their off days, and they told me that they work seven days a week and don’t have an off day. I asked about their working hours, with the hopes that we could meet outside of the night club and go for a walk together sometime in the fresh air and talk with more privacy.

They shared that they work every day throughout the night until around 6:00 am. After that, they go to bed and sleep the whole day until the evening. Then they wake up and slowly start getting ready for another night of strip dancing in front of customers who laugh, tease, and taunt them; prostituting their bodies all night long to as many customers as possible.

As I listened to this bleak description of their lives, I thought it impossible that any human person could survive working seven days a week continuously with no off days. Prostitution is an extremely emotionally challenging and potentially devastating form of employment, and I could not imagine what state of mind these women must be in. I asked them how long they have been doing this, and the answer staggered me: twelve years! They told me they do it by their own free will and choice.

Free will?

The question in my mind was whether I could believe that these women were really choosing to work seven days a week, for twelve years, with no holiday. To me, it did not seem likely. The look of hopelessness and deep emptiness in their eyes convinced me that they have not chosen this life for themselves. These two Romanian women spoke some English, but many of the ladies we meet in the brothels speak no English or Czech.

Further questions arose in my mind, such as how does a woman who speaks no English or Czech manage to travel to the Czech Republic, secure employment at a night club, and the relevant visa and papers necessary to work legally? I do not think this would be easily possible without the help of someone who is familiar with the Czech Republic’s sex industry. It is my belief that in most of these situations there is a pimp involved, and in more dire cases a trafficker.

Many people are not aware that modern day slavery still exists. It exists in many countries all around the world, including the Czech Republic. In fact, according to an article published in 2013 by the Prague Post, the Czech Republic is Europe's third-worst slave state - after Albania and Montenegro. The article surprised many people, and there is reason for caution when it comes to statistics in the area of human trafficking as there are so many different ways of compiling and analysing statistics. The sad reality, however, is that there is a very serious problem with prostitution and human trafficking in the Czech Republic. Through hundreds of conversations with different women, over the past five years of working in the Czech Republic in this field, I have come to believe that many women have been trafficked.

A Life of abuse

One evening I was sitting in a night club bedroom, on the bed of a Nigerian woman that I know well, and listening to a story that I was finding increasingly difficult to comprehend. She shared that one of her colleagues in the night club had run into trouble with a customer. The customer refused to pay her after he had sex with her, and he also stole the money she had received from her previous customer. The total sum amounted to over 100 EUR.

Desperate to get her money, the woman grabbed the customer's cell phone and told him she refused to give it back until he handed over her money. The customer began beating her very badly, and with blood everywhere, she ran away and escaped to a suitable hiding place in the brothel.

The customer, who was Czech, left and came back with a police officer but they could not locate the woman. They finally left, but the police officer returned a few hours later, and demanded that she pay him nearly 200 EUR 'compensation'. The woman ended her day having lost over 100 EUR to the customer, nearly 200 EUR to the police officer, and could not work for a week due to the intensity of her physical injuries.

The Nigerian lady who was telling me this story, very suddenly changed topics and asked me if I plan to have children in the future. I was surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation but accepted it, and replied. She looked sadly into my eyes and told me that she has had six forced abortions. She said she dreams of having children, and one of her greatest desires is to be a mother. Hearing stories like this makes it very difficult for me to believe that any woman would choose this life for herself.

Trapped and hopeless

Many Czech people I have met ask me why the ladies don’t just leave. I cannot speak on behalf of the women, and I am hesitant to categorise all women’s situations together, as each woman has her own personal story. I have found that even within the same night club, the stories of the women working there are vastly different and varied.

Some women have pimps, and some don’t. Each woman has a different 'contract' with those who get her into the sex industry, and some have no contract at all, just hoping to survive. Some believe they are doing this for love – sometimes boyfriends have trafficked their girlfriends. There are a few university students who are trying to save money towards schoolbooks and so on, but they are in the minority. Most of the women in the brothels are those who have reached the end of their options and are feeling trapped within an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

Responsibility for bringing justice

There is a brokenness and darkness to the sex industry, and Jesus calls us to be the light. There are heavy chains on those who are engaged in the sex industry, some are psychological and some may be physical.

In Luke 4:18 Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”.

God calls His people to join with Him in His work of bringing freedom to those who are enslaved. As Christians, we sometimes feel safer not going into brothels or dark places. We fear the darkness, and the contamination it may bring. Some of us just feel busy with day-to-day life, and don’t have time to visit night clubs or get involved. We believe that God calls different people into different areas of ministry and serving, and that the job of reaching out to victims of human trafficking is good but perhaps not something we feel equipped or led to get involved in.

I want to suggest that the responsibility for bringing justice for the oppressed is the mandate given to every Christian. In Micah 6:8 the bible implores God’s people, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

How to take on this responsibility?

I would like to suggest as a first step creating awareness within your sphere of influence on this important issue. All of us have friends and people around us. Would it be possible for us to start to share the message of what is happening in the night clubs with those we know? Would it be possible to speak the truth boldly into our societies about the injustice and exploitation taking place? Would it be possible to commit as Christian men to never visit a strip club and brothel, because we do not want to play any part in the exploitation of another human being? Would it be possible to commit to purity in our lives, and set an example of purity for the world to see? These are all possibilities for first steps to combating the destructive machine that is the sex industry. Some further steps to take may be to get involved with an anti-trafficking ministry and to get well equipped and trained.

The question that believers in Jesus need to ask themselves is whether it is an act of justice and kindness to allow the sex industry and its exploitation of lives to continue. The women in the night clubs do not have a platform from which to share their desperation and sadness over the injustices they face. Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Is it really the will of God for us, to be silent in the face of the abuse and exploitation of women and men that is taking place every day on our own soil?

For more information on how to get involved in OM's human trafficking ministry, go to www.cz.om.org or thefreedomchallenge.com.

In the beginning, the team headed to Kumasi, in the Ashanti region of South Ghana, where the OM Ghana offices are located. Following joyful greetings were a briefing on tropical diseases and an exciting journey to North Ghana on the Volta Lake. Despite the lake’s name meaning “The Lake of Return,” there was no turning back for our missionaries while their enthusiasm built with each kilometer and each village they saw.

The first temporary clinic was set up in Lolotto, where they spent a week, followed by a second week in Yagaba, near the Burkina Faso border. Many of the communities and villages they visited were Muslim.

“Each new village brought more excitement, new engagements with new people, and the gaining of trust of the leaders and people of the village,” says Pavel, the leader of the Czech team.

For the medical check-ups, the team would use an existing building in the village or simply set up under a tree. Many people came to listen to teaching about malaria, diarrhea and dental care. But the team didn't merely minister to the locals' physical bodies; they also touched their hearts with film screenings and discussions about faith, as well as games for the children, all in the local language.

A story that resonates the fuller impact is that of a young boy who had suffered an injury, which the local shaman exacerbated, resulting in the boy being confined to a wheel chair. The seat of this wheel chair had broken and caused sores on his buttocks that he was too embarrassed to discuss with people. One of the team members had developed a relationship with this young man, and through the trust of this relationship, the sores were revealed and dealt with. The team also purchased a new seat for the wheel chair to prevent this from happening again.

Relationships are not merely unidirectional, however, nor the blessings brought through them.

Daniel, one of the Czech OM team member said, “For me, the most important aspect was working as part of a team. If I had gone by myself, I would not have managed to minister as I did. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be involved in this outreach, as it opened my eyes to not only needs in the Czech Republic, but also globally.”

From these stories and many others that have come from this medical mission trip, it is clear to see that the lives of all involved were greatly touched and impacted by God. If you would like to partner with OM Czech Republic and OM Ghana, there is an opportunity to get involved as we plan to send another team to Ghana in September 2015. The purpose will be extended to also include help with construction programmes in local villages and childcare support. You can get involved through volunteering, praying or supporting this effort financially.

For more details please contact OM Czech Republic. 

Soon 70 years old, Alex Erdélyi has had a colourful life. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, but moved to his mother’s native Czechoslovakia at the age of one. The Christian family lived in Bratislava, and Alex grew up within the influence of a local Baptist church.

Life was coloured by post-WWII Communism, and young Alex was quick to learn the limitations and the oppression that came with the political regime. His father was an artist who had used his skills to create fake passports for Jews in order for them to flee war-torn Eastern Europe during WWII. With his father’s example, Alex, too, had the courage to challenge the norm. He became a smuggler.

‘You are a weak Christian!’

Alex made his personal commitment to Jesus at age 19 and began immediately to study the Bible as well as other Christian literature. He believed that “a burning heart wasn’t enough” but that one needed “the brain” as well. He tried to switch his major from machine building to theology, but the switch was denied by the state and he was forced to finish his studies. However, the university did not allow him to graduate.

Around the same time two British OM workers visited Alex’s church. Although associating with foreigners was forbidden, Alex invited them over to his house for lunch. He had been printing handmade tracts at home and wanted to show them to the OMers. The visitors were impressed and asked Alex if he’d be willing to receive and distribute Bibles in Czechoslovakia.

The prospect was dangerous. With smuggling and distributing came the risk of getting caught. It meant putting oneself and one’s family at risk. But at the other end of the scale were his fellow Czechoslovakians who suffered under Communism, who needed to hear about the God of Hope.

Alex agreed to “some Bibles”. “It seems you are a weak Christian!” the OMer exclaimed. “There are 15 million people in Czechoslovakia. Shouldn’t you ask for 15 million Bibles?”

A few weeks later, a group of English students arrived in Bratislava with 200 Bibles. For the next 25 years, Alex received a truck or a car load of Bibles and Christian literature on the last Friday of every month. He became known as “George”, one of OM’s main contacts in Czechoslovakia.

The cost of following Jesus

Alex got married, smuggled Bibles even on his honeymoon, and had three children with his wife Ruth. The smuggling impacted his family life even though it was rarely discussed. Alex and his wife had full-time jobs, and their children attended public schools. Every weekend Alex packed the family car full of Christian literature and the family went “camping”. The children slept on top of boxes full of illegal books.

Together they travelled even to the farthest corners of Czechoslovakia, and even abroad to other Communist nations. The books exchanged hands in dark parking lots in the middle of the night. On the way home the family briefly stopped at popular tourist attractions so that the children had something to tell their friends and relatives. The fear of getting caught was ever present.

“If you have to hide something, it becomes impossible to have a normal social life,” Alex admits. “You cannot have very close relationships with people at church or at work. You keep people at a distance. The constant stress and always being on the road certainly took a toll on my family.”

Yet God always protected the Erdélyis. Alex may have many stories to tell about his encounters with the authorities, but he was never caught. The work was done in secret, and no records were kept of Alex’s many travels. However, Alex himself estimates that, over the nearly 48 years of ministry, he has been directly involved with the publishing, printing and/or distribution of millions of books and other printed materials.

The exact number may well be very close to the 15 million that the young Alex, as a “weak Christian”, did not have the courage to ask for.

Various mission agencies display of their literature, short- and long-term mission opportunities, and items made on previous mission trips. Those attending can walk from table to table and interact with missionaries and discuss opportunities to get involved.

This year in March, Mission Weekend was held twice, in Prague and Brno, to present mission opportunities for people all over the Czech Republic.

During the event, participants gathered for times of corporate worship and teaching from God’s Word, especially on the subject of missions. Several people mentioned after the times of worship how refreshed and encouraged they felt.

During his address the speaker posed the challenge: “Mission starts next door. Have you gone to the clubs and discos in your city already?”

There seems to be a trend of thinking in the Czech Republic that missions has to involve travelling to another country, but the speaker pointed out that mission first and foremost starts with where we live now.

This has particular meaning for OM Czech Republic, which reaches out to those in sex clubs and brothels in Prague. They hope more people will see this mission possibility and get involved.

The speaker went on to state that “there will be resistance when you do mission.” But God remains sovereign and in control, and “when God puts you somewhere, then you are there” and no one can remove you from the place God intends you to be, without God’s consent. As people encounter visa challenges, spiritual opposition and financial constraints, this point can be particularly encouraging. God provides for His work; we need to “start to pray!”

Lunch times and coffee breaks facilitated social interaction and networking. In the Czech Republic, a post-communist country with one of the lowest percentages of evangelical Christians in Europe, and according to recent studies, the third-highest rate of human trafficking in Europe, OM Czech Republic sees the value in workers networking and collaborating ecumenically whenever possible.

Each year at Mission Weekend, missionaries can meet each other, pray together, hear about each other’s ministries and encourage one another. Czech believers interested in engaging in missions can use these times to learn more about mission possibilities in their “own backyard” as well as abroad.

It is OM Czech Republic’s hope that the seeds planted at Mission Weekend would flourish into tangible engagement in mission.

For more information about opportunities in Czech Republic, click here.

These are just a few reasons that asylum seekers find themselves at the Kostelec nad Orlici Residence Centre in the Czech Republic.

On a misty November day in 2013, a South African missionary serving with OM Czech Republic joined with volunteers from a Czech-language church to visit the Asylum Seekers Residence Centre and share the love of Christ with those seeking refugee status in the Czech Republic.

At the centre they met with a couple from Belarus who used to be regular members of their church back home. Since getting to the Czech Republic a few months ago, the newly-married couple has had no church to attend. They were pleased to be able to sing worship songs and pray together with the visiting volunteers.

“It was as though we had a small church service of our own, right there in the residence centre,” said Natasha Schoulz, the missionary from South Africa.

The volunteers also spent time talking to three African men, from the Congo and Cameroon, who shared about the difficulties they had experienced in their home countries, and how they had a background of faith and relationship with Jesus Christ but were feeling discouraged due to the current circumstances they found themselves in.

There was an encouraging time of prayer together, led by one of the asylum seekers from the Congo, where both the volunteers as well as the asylum seekers joined together in seeking God’s face.

“Sometimes the most important thing needed is just to be a presence [of Christ] within the residence centre, encouraging those who are losing their hope,” Natasha said. 

Please pray for God's work through OM in the Czech Republic and visit their news page. 

One of OM Czech Republic's missionaries went to her home country, South Africa, over the summer and to lead two awareness seminars concerning human trafficking, as well as a training seminar for those engaged in ministry to victims of human trafficking.

These seminars took place at the ABSA bank head office in Johannesburg, to youth at Eldorado Apostolic Faith Mission, a church located in an area known for its high levels of gang violence and drug abuse, and at the multicultural London Road Church, near the former Alexander “township” where prostitution is rife.

The awareness raising and training seminars presented an excellent opportunity to not only share about the tactics traffickers use to lure victims, but also the street work that this OM missionary is engaged in related to anti-trafficking in Czech Republic. She shared insights gained through this ministry, which may be of benefit to those engaging in similar ministry in South Africa, highlighting the necessity for relationship-building among street workers and those enslaved by the sex industry, as well as the power of intercession and prayer ministry.

Each seminar was tailored to the specific audience, and the requirements given by the South African organisers of each seminar. At ABSA bank head office, being a secular corporation, no overtly Christian dialogue was permitted, bringing the focus of the presentation onto sharing statistics and data related to anti-trafficking in both the Czech Republic and South Africa.

As bankers from various ethnic, religious, and cultural groups were present, it was a wonderful opportunity to reach a wide range of influential people who have a wide and varied scope of influence. Many were moved by the seminar and discussed how they planned to engage in awareness campaigning of their own within their spheres of influence.

At Eldorado Apostolic Faith Mission, the seminar was geared to 50 teenagers, who, living in an area strongly influenced by gangs, are those who are most vulnerable to the coercion tactics of traffickers. Here the seminar was presented as a dialogue and discussion time, with the youth sharing their experiences of drug abuse and trafficking within their area, and our missionary adding to their stories with some concrete details about the coercive tactics employed by gangs focused on trafficking.

The training seminar at the London Road Church was attended by representatives from four different churches as well as one NGO called “Awakened.” Part of this seminar was sharing information regarding resources and training manuals that are used in the European context to train those wishing to engage in anti-trafficking ministry.

The South Africans present at this training seminar felt that there is a great need for further training in South Africa, and were interested in hearing how training is done in Europe and which resources best meet the needs of such training.

The time in South Africa highlighted the need for cooperation and information sharing among missionaries and field workers in various countries engaged in anti-trafficking efforts. It became all the more clear that due to the international border-crossing nature of the trafficking industry, those engaged in ministry to combat trafficking need to network, resource share and work together across borders, to bring God’s light and love to those ensnared by the global sex industry.

As one South African ex-law enforcement man told this OM missionary, “We need to use traffickers' own strategies - we need to network the way they network.”

International prayer support is greatly cherished too, as those working in these ministries realise that ultimately anti-trafficking is a spiritual battle fought on our knees. 

He observed that Czech people have a cultural love of art. He decided holding an art event would be a creative way to engage Czech people.

Pastor Oleg contacted OM Czech Republic two years ago about such an event, and OM Czech Republic contacted OM Arts. A team of artists was sent to the Czech Republic in September 2012, and again this year in September 2013.

Sitting together in tents outside a major shopping centre in the Czech Republic, this year's artists worked on their art, creating pieces which they hoped would spark interest and conversation. In the afternoons they hosted free workshops, which passers-by could participate in. Ladies from the Russian language church came each day, bringing free coffee and tea for both the artists and the passers-by, as well as delicious, hot crepes.

People stopped by for the free hot drinks and crepes, and then begin looking around, often becoming interested in the art. This interest in the art sparked conversations, which the artists hoped would open the discussion to share the gospel message. The types of art varied, including quilting, jewellery-making, sculpting and painting.

One of the artists, Amy Hill, shared that her OM Arts/Artslink team had prayed about a theme for their mission trip, and God brought to mind three distinct, yet connected, themes: return of offering, love for the Czech people and nation, and the bringing of hope where there had previously been a sense of hopelessness.

Amy felt God place the words faith, hope and love strongly on her heart, inspiring her to create three different works of art, each based on one of these words. Her painting connected with the theme of faith had many bright feathers, which is how she envisions faith, as protection (under God’s wing, metaphorically speaking), as well as bright, joyful energy. She explained that some of the feathers would not be painted, but would be left undone to indicate that faith is a journey.

"This event is so that they [Czech observers] can come and we can talk about something, it doesn’t matter what we talk about," said Pastor Oleg from the Russian-language church. "Although, eventually our session should lead us to the gospel. I was hoping that this would [be the case] and it seems it is.”

Please continue praying for OM's ministry among the Czech people. Are you an artist looking to serve God overseas? Find out more about OM Arts here.

The camp was well-attended this year by many enthusiastic campers. Held at a campsite located in beautiful forests next to a lake and close to a small village, the surroundings contributed to a sense of peace and tranquillity.

Those attending the camp were of different ages, occupations, and points in their spiritual journey. Some of the campers were already in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, while others remained undecided. All campers, however, appeared open to dialogue concerning faith matters and took part in most programmes, including those that involved sharing about faith.

Upon interviewing two different campers, both expressed how comfortable they felt at the camp and how much fun they were having. Highlights for them were being able to reconnect with friends, improve on their English skills and participate in skits and dramas.

Albert came this year for his fifth camp. During the last two years he changed not only from being a child to a young man, but also from being an atheist to a person in relationship with Christ. He expressed his gratitude for the spiritual discussions held at the camp.

“The Czech Republic is an atheist country, so talking about God is not so common in activities or schools,” he said. “I’m glad that somebody talked about the Christian meaning of life.”

Many Czech people seldom have the opportunity to hear about God as reflected in the Bible, and instead imagine caricatures of God perpetuated by the mass media and insensitive ways of evangelism. He felt this camp was a helpful and non-threatening place for dialogue concerning God and what relationship with God looks like in reality.

As he put it: “I had some feeling that God was there ... no manipulation, just saying we take it so, and you can take it like truth or you can dismiss it.”

Another camper expressed similar thoughts.

“It’s interesting because you really don’t hear these things,” said Dalimil, 23. “I’m not Christian, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in God—it’s complicated. I think that there is a God but that the Bible is just a book written by people and that Jesus was a man. He did good things, but only as a man. It’s nice to hear what other people think.”

The camp is filling a spiritual void, even for those who have not yet begun to walk with Christ. The non-threatening and accepting environment of the camp made campers comfortable enough to listen to each other and the facilitators of the camp, and to dialogue on spiritual matters with an open mind and heart. Christians could find encouragement for their relationship with Jesus and practise sharing their faith with others.

For most campers, this was not their first time at an OM English camp—in fact one camper was at the camp for the eleventh time. The volunteers, mostly from Canada, who came to the Czech Republic to teach English to the campers, were also mainly repeat attendees. This is a testimony to the sense of joy and fun that the camp holds each year for all those participating, irrespective of role.

Some of the more exciting activities included line dancing, swimming in the lake, playing softball, performing humorous skits and dramas, and doing traditional Czech crafts like felting. The camp was a time of fun, laughter and creativity. Sitting around the bonfire in the evening, campers engaged in informal conversations with each other, getting to know new friends and catching up with old friends.

OM designed the English camp to blend with Czech culture, from the selection of activities to the overall structure of the camp and the way the gospel was presented. The OM team knows that teaching English is still a wonderful way to reach Czech people!

For more information about what God is doing through OM in the Czech Republic, visit their news webpage.

Twenty-three people from different parts of the Czech Republic attended an OM missions weekend held at the team base in České Budějovice in late April. The weekend included vision casting and orientation for those going on short-term mission trips. OM Czech Republic is sending groups to Nepal and Moldova, and two individuals to Ukraine and Siberia. The other five participants came to get a taste of missions. OM staff led worship and a concert of prayer, and also spoke on missiology and cultural differences. They provided training on sharing the gospel and telling their testimonies, as well as shared about spiritual preparation for short-term missions.

One young woman, who was not a believer, came with a friend. During the weekend, God worked in her heart and she is now very close to trusting in Christ. Overall, the participants were extremely appreciative for the input and really benefited from the weekend. The OM team were grateful to see such excitement from Czech young people for missions, especially since about 70 per cent of the Czech people don’t believe in God. Please pray for more and more Czechs to catch the missions vision!

Three doctors and a nurse under the leadership of the OM Czech Republic Field Leader Pavel Zoul worked with local Christians and the local OM team. During their time in the capital city, the team ministered in the slums, cared for the homeless, helped people infected with HIV and met with members of local churches. 

They then spent two strenuous weeks hiking between remote villages in the mountains, where they treated minor injuries, performed medical examinations, educated villagers on basic dental care and distributed Christian literature. When presenting Jesus to the villagers, the OM team emphasised that Jesus is the only way to God, contrary to the local understanding that Jesus is just another deity amongst many.

In one village, where previously there had only been one Christian, 12 people decided to follow Christ as a result of the team's visit.

In one village, where previously there had only been one Christian, 12 people decided to follow Christ as a result of the team's visit. A new church formed, and a local pastor will follow up to disciple this group of new believers. 

The trekkers relied on prayer to help those whose conditions they could not treat with their medication. For example, in one village there was a young mother diagnosed with acute insanity. After much prayer for healing, her condition improved. She allowed the local pastor to burn her “magic talisman”. Later, the team received news that she was functioning normally.

“When meeting local Christians, we felt a mutual encouragement in faith,” reported Czech participants. The team donated record players to listen to Christian teaching. Thanks to the generosity of the Czech group, it was also possible to buy sport equipment for a children’s home.

OM Czech Republic plans to organise another trekking team in 2012 for both Czechs and Slovaks. Not only health professionals, but anyone willing to share the message of God among these people is invited. 

For more information, please contact OM Czech Republic: info.cz@om.org.