Entry for 4.6.07

Today was a slower day today. After breakfast, we did some maintenance work on the campgrounds and set up for the Easter weekend. Some of us took a two to three hour interval after lunch and enjoyed some recreation while others of us caught up on other obligations in our journaling and communicaiton with our families and loved ones.

The evening brought us to the TOMY Worship Center. Please recall that this was the former theater that was cleaned on Thursday. TOMY Worship Services delivered a Good Friday service which was absolutely wonderful. This was the first service held in the new worship center, and even though the building was quite cold, the service provided a wonderful message which included music, prayer, and communion. The care with which the service was conducted clearly indicated the dedication of the TOMY staff. The entire service was delivered as if it had been rehearsed for years. Although the service was delivered mostly in the polish language, it was truly a blessing for us all.

The evening was completed with fellowship between the Poland Mission Team and friends from TOMY.

Entry for 4.5.07

This morning, we loaded ourselves on the bus, dressed in our work clothes, and headed to the future TOMY Worship Center. This building a former movie theater that TOMY was able to obtain and is being renovated to provide seating for worship services. This center is quite close to the center of the city and will be available to many of the citizens of its city.

When we arrived, the building was filled with the demolition of its interior. There were piles of junk lumber and bricks located throughout the building. In addition to that, there were two movie projectors, various lighting switch boards, and other large building operation articles that had been disconnected. When we arrived, we found that all of this material was interfering with the electrical construction occurring at that time.

After a few moments, we were organized for the work at hand and dove in to it. In a matter of approximately four hours, virtually all of the rubble had been removed, the projectors and other large building operation machines had been loaded on a moving truck, and floors had been swept. When any construction crews arrive next, they will have no interference with any extraneous material within the building.

Afterward, we went to Adrian's apartment for a wonderful and satisfying lunch. There we received a message from Pastor Raphael about his promise about the TOMY Worship Center to which he wishes to be accountable. He will establish the worship center as a church from which missions will depart for other areas of Poland, areas that have not heard the true meaning of the Gospel. It would seem very important that we pray for this as its success will surly grow the kingdom of God.

After lunch, we headed to an athletic center and, with help from staff at the TOMY community center, we organized and delivered a basket ball tournament for the city of Tomaszow. When we arrived, the gymnasium was full of athletes ready to show their "stuff" and soon after we arrived and got organized, the competitions began.

During the events, pauses were provided to allow testimonies from the mission team about Jesus Christ in their lives. After all preliminary rounds of the tournament had been played, the finals were well completed with champions crowned. Then, at the end of the tournament, the championship men's open team competed against a team provided by the Poland Mission and the TOMY Center. The championship team played as true champions in this exhibition, winning 28-23.

The entire mission team had a very strenuous day today. Yet they were not hesitant, even once, in answering the calls that were sent their way. When something needed to be done, it was done. When a pile of rubble or lumber had to be moved, it was moved. When heavy equipment needed to be loaded, it was loaded.
I was so awesome to deliver on the faith the people at the TOMY Center have in us.

(See Matthew 8:5-10)

More Poland Pics

Entry for 4.4.07

The Poland trip has been totally blessed from the beginning until now. Everything has gone really well starting with the flight and all the travel. Only God could make it work so perfectly. For me, the highlights of the trip so far have been the amazing testimonies of the workers at PROeM and the TOMY Center. People like Adam who works with at risk kids whom have come from drug addiction and lots of suffering. Adam is such a cool person and his testimony is wonderful. From a life of drugs and no hope to being in Christ and being truly "born again." A group from our team had the wonderful opportunity to play these at risk kids in a soccer match on Tues. (this is the first time I have ever played a soccer match and it happens in Poland!!!) After a great time playing them, Gary gave them a new soccer ball and lots of WWJD braclets. There were probably 20 kids who came out to watch and got braclets as well. Jesus works in wonderful ways. There are so many stories to tell about how beautiful the Polish people are but this soccer match really stands out. I know we provided these kids some hope and I know it came from Jesus (the friend of sinners). (Joe Rulli)
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I'm on my third missions trip and I'm amazed at how well every new person has stepped up to the plate and taken hold of what to do with out asking why or how come ,they just say whats next and goes at it. Everyone is making such a contribution in making this a great missions trip. I know that GOD is being glorified and souls saved amen. (Bob Line)
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This is my 4th time to Poland and everytime I come I just love it it more than the year before. Although I miss my Family very much!!! I can't ignore the presance of Christ in Poland and especally with this ministry. I hope this blog sight will give everyone a glimpse of what this country is all about to and realize how important it is for our Church to continue to support this ministry. (Scott Wall)

Entry for 4.3.07

Poland has been a wonderful country for us. I have come to love Poland and the people within. The TOMY center (community outreach center) has brought us a few new visitors. We have visited a primary school, and painted a chain link fence at a middle school.

On Tuesday, our group provided a soccer team to play against some of the locals boys and young men. Bear in mind that soccer is the national sport in Poland. With the help from a couple of players from the TOMY outreach, we were able to win the game 1-0. That win was a blessing in that it gave us credibility with the players and others that came to watch. It was certain that they were measuring us "Americans" on the field of play and by the will of God, we came away with an opponent satisfied in a game well played, played hard, and played honorably. At the end of the game, we got five precious minutes to make a presentation of WWJD bracelets to all who were in attendance, provide a description of the meaning of WWJD, and pass an invitation for them to visit us at TOMY.

The week hasn't gone without troubling news. The middle school that we were going to visit tomorrow, Wednesday, has been refused our visit by the local school board. The teacher that has spent her time setting this up is in trouble and needs our prayers. Her name is Monika. She went out on a limb and set everything up, but because of the heavy and powerful presence of the Catholic church, we were declared a sect and that declareation was used as a reason reason to deny our visit.

Please pray for Monika that she has this threat removed from her, that she remain in her position, and that she has other opportunities, as God wills, to bring the word of Christ to her and the school in which she teaches.

Please refer to the book of Esther, where God does not appear even once in the book. I liken her situation to that of Mordacai as he is about to be hung by Haman after which Haman will kill the Jewish population in Persia, a country of 126 provinces (think 50 states).

Call God's attention to the way that, behind the scenes, he works. He worked to save Mordacai and the Jewish population by working through the King of Persia, the only person to whom Haman reported.

And then pray.

Because of this unexpected void in our schedules, we're not sure all that we're going to do Wednesday. This is in God's hands.

We know that we will be going to an elementary school on morning Wednesday. From there we're not sure what we'll be doing. Then at the TOMY center, there will be two testimonies from young adults in the mission team about Jesus Christ in their lives. I will speak about it for approximately fifteen minutes on what the meaning of Easter is to me. Please pray for my delivery of God's word.

Thursday we will officiate and run a basketball tournament. Afterward, we will play select all-star players from the teams that played. We pray that we are credible to them at this, too.
(John Baker)

First Days

Sixteen + hours later and the mission team from Mount Pleasant Christian arrived in Warsaw early Saturday morning our time. After a side trip to Krakow where the group visited the salt mines and Auschwitz, our group of 11 teens and 13 adults settled in at ProEM Ministries campground in Zakosciele. The week’s activities will involve school visits and service work around the Tomy Center.

Keep praying that God will give us opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ!