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)