June 20th, 2014 by Zac

Slovak national snack – Sausage, bread and mustard

Father’s Day bike ride

Weekly Roma kids club continues

My favorite flower (Peony)

 Youth leader training school students take Systematic Theology final exam. Read the rest of this entry »

June 20th, 2014 by Zac

Kim’s blog (www.napokonkrasne.sk) still continues to grow and spread in it’s influence. The site is averaging around 4,000 visits each week (sometimes as high 15,000) and coordinates over 15 Slovak authors! Our parent organization – Josiah Venture, recently recognized Kim for her bravery and trail blazing spirit. She is in fact remarkable in her diligence to accomplish what God put in her heart. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the site, please click here and see Kim’s work. It’s all in Slovak language, but you’ll get a good feel for what is there.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

June 20th, 2014 by Zac

From time to time, objects from space surprise us and enter our earth “bubble”, like the one last February, that landed in Chelyabinsk, Russia. The object was about 15 feet wide, weighted 13,000 metric tons and was traveling at almost 60 times the speed of sound. To say the least, IT MADE QUITE AN IMPACT!

I often feel, when I’m speaking here in Slovakia, that there is one topic that creates this kind of impact on the hearts of Slovaks. I recently experienced this kind of impact from two different angles, connected to two different lives.

The first impact was with Kristian, at one youth leader training session. I was teaching on the topic of how God views us when we sin. And that he does not turn away from us when we sin, but, in Christ, he is always facing us in love.

Afterwards, Kristian approached me. And with tears in his eyes, he asked, Read the rest of this entry »

February 7th, 2014 by Zac

“Impossible” is a strong word. It doesn’t leave much room for possibilities or success or hope. “Impossible” is the feeling I (Zac) get many times when working with Roma in our community. There aren’t many examples of success and not too many models that offer hope. But God has opened new doors for us to reach into the lives of several families in our Roma community here. (If you missed how we got started in this work you can read my earlier post HERE).

For the past three month now, we have been meeting every week for Bible study and prayer in the home of one Roma family. Every week, it’s like chipping away at the rock face of a mountain. As we study verse by verse through the book of Ephesians, it’s slow progress. Crisis in the family or some misunderstanding or misfortune often overshadow our spiritual efforts . There is not enough money to buy groceries, or no wood to heat the house or the disappointment of not having work from day to day.

Then, there is the spiritual battle that rages. The husband, just recently out of prison, is constantly tempted to revert back to his old lifestyle. His brothers and sisters don’t understand his new found life in Christ. The wife mentally suffers from all these stresses (as any women would). There is marital conflict, problems with the children, and a myriad of other spiritual pressures.

But we believe the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit of God is stronger than all these! Our vision, is a group of strong Roma families that live every day by Godly values. We dream about families that have a strong positive presence and affect on the whole Roma community here.

Will you please pray with us for spiritual breakthroughs for these people. Pray for our courage, boldness and and energy to avoid compassion fatigue and encourage these needy people. Pray for a job for the husband, marriage strength and spiritual will to walk with God and not revert back to old ways of living.

Claim with us the blessings for these people that God has already prepared for those who walk with him.

February 7th, 2014 by Zac

To help train and inspire is the vision Kompas Training Center has for youth leaders in Slovakia. This year, our school of leaders accepted 16 youth leaders for the 2013/14 school year. Representing 3 Slovak denominations, these leaders have influence over several hundred students. They each will have a personal mentor and receive training in the areas of Systematic Theology, Bible study methods, youth ministry strategy, character development and more. It is a real honor to be a part of this training process for these young leaders.

February 7th, 2014 by Zac

It was so dark now at kid’s club time, and so cold, we felt like we couldn’t have club any longer outside. We had to have a place inside to meet. But where? The apartments that we had seen around were very small with very few rooms. And many places had families of 8 to 10 kids living in them. Who would have an empty room for a weekly kid’s club?

(If you missed my first post about the kid’s club, click here and read).

But God had a place prepared. There was one Gypsy couple who had been coming to our church since the husband got out of prison in October. They live in the Gypsy apartment complex where we have the kid’s club. They are dirt poor and live in an apartment with three small rooms. They have not toilet or running water in side the house.

However, there was one room that they didn’t use. It was a very small room about 8×10 feet. It was trashed and dirty and the windows were broken. When we asked if we might use it from the kid’s club, they agreed. So, we helped them repair the windows, paint the walls and put in a new floor.

The following week, we had our first club inside! It was astounding to see the difference in the behavior of the children. It was so much easier to keep order and attention as we taught the bible story and bible verses.

Each week we keep sharing the truth about God and salvation in Christ with these desperate children. It is hard to see many results from our efforts. But with 100% certainty we can say that our hearts have been softened and we have given of ourselves to serve these needy people.

To see a 3 minutes video clip of the club in our new room, click on the small picture to the right. A new tab should open for the video. There you will see Emili and Gwyneth at work in the club.

February 7th, 2014 by Zac

I was in a panic! I had just discovered an obscure mail box heading in my face book messages call “other”. When I opened it, there were all these messages that I had never seen. As I read through them to see what I had missed, most of them were not important. But then I read this message from “Kubo”.

“Hello Mr. Shepperson. Today at your lecture, when we prayed, i let God live in my heart and said to him if he can put me in the right way. Thank you. When i go to sleep tonight, i’m gonna also pray and finish what I started at the lecture and speak with God personally. But still, your lecture was some way very spiritual.  Thank you for being there.”

Kubo was a random student in a public high school classroom in central Slovakia. Kompas had organized an Exit tour in this particular city and was doing it’s Exit program in Kubo’s school that Spring day in 2012. I (Zac) was teaching my normal seminar on “healthy family” and Kubo stayed after class session to hear more about the spiritual side of marriage and family and the gospel.

The sad part about this e-mail is that IT WAS OVER ONE YEAR OLD! It had be received into this strange FB mail box for messages from people who are not your FB friends. Immediately, I was torn between excitement over a new believer in Christ, but realizing that he had no contact from me for over a year.

I immediately sent him a FB message and he responded with surprise, understanding my explanation of my delayed response. However, I was disappointed in what followed. After one and a half years, it seemed that the gospel had never taken real root in Kubo’s life. He was full of self assurance and doubt about his need for God in his life. We have had several conversations after that, but his perspective always seems the same.

Why had God let this happen to Kubo, from such a bright beginning? I can imagine that it could have been so much different with the proper follow up and care. I don’t know the answer to why this happened. But I’m still praying that the truth spoken to his heart will not be useless, but will grow and transform Kubo’s life for many years to come.

January 25th, 2014 by Zac

Kim’s bio photo for her new web site

Our kids playing with some other missionary kids on a short winter break

Our favorite stop (McD’s). The only place to get a burger!

Our Jr High youth group

Read the rest of this entry »

September 19th, 2013 by Kim

Hi Everyone, This is Kim.

I just wanted to let you know, that we launched our new blog (www.napokonkrasne.sk) on Monday and the response is stunning!

How do you measure “success” in a project like this?  Although it’s difficult to know the influence that can come from people reading our words, (that is for God to know) we can count and know the people who came to the blog.

Would you believe over 800 people were recorded as visitors to our blog just on Monday? 800 people! That number does NOT include people who returned (people were only counted once). These 800+ people made up 1812  individual visits  and viewed  6435 pages on the blog! Again, these are only stats for Monday!!!

For me, this means that in one day, 800 people read OUR WORDS (the words God gave us), and those words have the potential to change life. This gets me excited. Where else can we have such an impact for so many in such a short time?

This all gives me great confidence. Confidence that I heard God’s voice urging me to do this, and confidence that this is NEEDED here in Slovakia.

It is very hard to find the right words to describe how I am feeling: overwhelmed, joy, pleasure, glory, nervous, responsibility . . . . .

I was reading today in Daniel (Ch 9-10) where God says in visions to Daniel. “From the first day you purposed to understand and to humble yourself-your prayers were heard” and in 9:23,  “at the beginning of your petitions an answer went out. . .” It’s interesting that God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer was given long before Daniel knew the response. For me it’s the same. I believe that one year ago, God heard my prayers about this blog (and an answer went out back then) and we are seeing the answer now.

This response is both exhilarating and unanticipated. We hoped for something big, but we aren’t completely prepared for this kind of response. The trip to the US, to the blogging conference, is a really important NEXT step for us. We must now learn how to maintain and strengthen our blog.

We still need an additional $2750 to cover the cost for the 4 of us to attend this conference. Would you, your family, or small group consider making a one-time gift to help cover these remaining costs?

Click on this link to see the items still needed and to give online:

https://josiahventure.webconnex.com/sk_allume_trip

Thank you for considering an investment in this project.

And thank you for being on our team!

Kim

Now, here are some words from Maruska, one of our team leaders, on what our blog and this blogging conference means to her:

My name is Maruška and I want to say that my heart is split into two chambers. (Yes, I know it’s a biological contradiction. :)) One part is pumping for ministry, discipleship and girls in Slovakia and the second one is beating for writing. I studied literature and I love to write. Even though I have published 4 books and I write for some magazines, blogging is an absolutely new space for me. So when Kim invited me to join this vision for Slovak women and blogging, my heart was united and excited. But I understood I have to learn so much.

So going to this conference in Greenville would be just… a great investment, investment into me and other women that are so eager to learn, educate, and write, not only for a blog, but for women’s ministry in Slovakia and for continual writings…

Thank you so much for giving toward this, thinking about giving, praying for us and encouraging us…

It has a bigger impact than you think. We appreciate you and your help so much!

Maruska.

August 28th, 2013 by Zac

If I’m honest, I will admit that I really didn’t think it would get this far! Really. Not that I didn’t believe God could do it. But you know, the uncertainty of chasing a dream, questioning, “is it really from God” and all the skepticism that goes along with that kind of thinking. However, I didn’t stop praying. I didn’t stop asking you to pray with me for it. And now it is REALLY HAPPENING!

I  (Kim) want to share with you a dream God has given me for Slovakia. Many of you may have already heard about it, but it doesn’t hurt repeating it!

Last year when I was in the hospital for over 3 weeks, I stumbled on and began reading “blogs.” It was really my first experience with this kind of a blog. Until then, I only understood blogs to be like mine: I tell about all the ministry things we are doing here in Slovakia. The audience is people who support us – kind of boring, but purposeful. Read the rest of this entry »