A River Runs through It
Mission Log
" I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. " John 5: 24
Now after 30 years of evangelism and discipleship - remarkably, Poland has much fewer missionaries per person than any European country, even though Poland was the first country in Eastern Europe to have foreign missionaries living within after WW2. Foreign workers called to Poland by the Lord will still be needed to oversee certain projects which will be funded in part from the West and short-term ( six to nine months ) missions teams are still needed for outreach events like language learning, artistic expression, athletic events and scholastic meetings. Special speakers, missionaries and evangelists will always be welcomed, but the general work of teaching, training and evangelism is in the hands of the Poles.
The Poles still need our help in a “post-communist” economy which may take many more years to heal due to major advantages former communists carved out for themselves before all falling together on the count of three. Poles who preach the Good News as Good News, are faithful to God’s Word alone and proclaim assurance of salvation for every believer in the Gospel alone, will still need some worthy projects funded from the West. It is also our prayer to find and help hundreds of Polish workers and dozens of worthy projects which will help reach the entire Polish Nation with the Gospel. All the pastors we have talked to are asking for an American worker or family to live for six to nine months with them in special outreach ministry and 3500 communities in Poland still wait for an outreach station of any kind.
“ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38 & 39
We needed a miracle to go! With the funds that have already come in and those on the way, we already had the minimum of 75% to go - and as of August 18th, 100% of the entire $11,650 budget has come in. The miracle of being able to go again and to pay all our bills while in Poland has happened right before our eyes. God is behind our support and is literally providing for us on a daily basis. We flew out of Miami to Dusseldorf, Germany on Friday July 16, 2004 before we boarded the Polish Airlines in Dusseldorf for Warsaw where we landed at Noon on Saturday July 17, 2004. We flew back the same way except that we landed in Orlando. All donations coming in over the 100% will go to complete the rest of our annual budget as listed on our 2004 Budget and Giving page.
Our schedule in the summer of 2004 in Poland
( Zakopane: Campus Crusade for Christ Staff Training Conference July 17-23 ) Being at the Campus Crusade for Christ Staff Training Conference in Zakopane and speaking to all the 100 Polish staff members who minister to Thousands in all the main cities of Poland.
( Olsztyn: July 28 -30 Monika and Mirek Wierenko ) Their ministry with street kids and college students in Olsztyn has been so sucessful that the City news desk has written several articles about the work which includes giving out the Gospel and God's word. Monika was trained on full time staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and Mirek and Monika are both members of the Olsztyn Baptist Church. Monika is also Anna's sister.
( Bialystok: July 25 & 27 & 29 University Students and Baptist Church ) Meeting with the student leaders of Campus Crusade for Christ in Bialystok where we worked with them for six months three years ago and the leadership of the Bialystok Baptist Church where we will be staying.
( Pabianice: July 30 ) Meeting with Marian and Gosia Szukalski, two of the most important born again evangelical Catholics in Poland.
( Namyslow: Kanaan Pentecostal Church July 31 & August 1 ) Evangelism and Training in Lower Silesia. We are praying that hundreds will come to hear the Gospel here and that this young church would explode for the Gospel with Pastors Mariusz and Wioletta Antoszczuk.
( Kroscienko: - headquarters of the largest Roman Catholic youth movement in Europe August 3,4 & 6 ) Special meetings and invitations to meet with the leadership of the 200,000 member Roman Catholic youth movement in Kroscienko remain high on our list for prayer. They have invited us to meet with them and to celebrate our past which began with preaching the Gospel to them in 1975; As even today their official web sites refer to our first meetings almost 30 years ago where the Gospel of grace and assurance of salvation moved their hearts greatly.
( Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - Meeting with the new leaders in training ogf the Catholic Youth Movement Oasis - directed by an old friend, Andrzej Sionek on August 7 ) Lanckorona Catholic Renewal Center
( Lublin: - August 8 - 9 ) Speaking in Lublin at the Pojednanie Church on Sunday morning and later with author and Catholic Renewal Leader Darek Cupial ) Also: meeting our friends from First Alliance Church in Erie, PA as they help the Christian Fellowship Church in Lublin with Pastor John Hall and Pastor Marek Charis. We will also be meeting with Pastor Andrzej and Jola Gandecki of the Pojednanie Church.
( Konin: - August 9-10 ) The Lord had me spend a night in this city of 100,000 with no evangelical work that anyone knows of to symbolize the need to reach over 3500 communities in Polands where there is no permanent evangelical fellowship. I was able to share the Gospel with two men in Konin.
( Ocwieka near Gasawy: - Bydgoszcz Evangelical Christian Church Camp August 10 - 12 ) Joining the Evangelical Church Family Camp for teaching and sharing the Gospel in song with Pastor Jan Tomczyk where we were the speakers for the entire week for 75 adult campers.
( Kroscienko: August 13 ) We attended a meeting of 2000 Catholic Oasis campers who met for a special Mass. We did not take part in this meeting, but had two important meetings with key lay individuals afterward.
( Krakow: Dr. Brown August 14-20 ) One of America’s greatest evangelical scholars will be with us in Poland for ministry together in five cities. Dr. Harold O. J. Brown is a former department head at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, consulting Editor of Christianity Today, and a current Professor at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.
( Palowice: Christian Free Brethren Church August 14-15 ) Pastor Marian Pawlas is the pastor of the fastest growing Brethren Church in Poland which has its roots go back to John Huss. Dr. Brown will be speaking in the morning service.
( Bielsko-Biala: First Baptist Church August 15-16 with Dr. Harold O.J. Brown ) Dr. Brown will be speaking here on Sunday In Bielsko-Biala and I will be meeting with the other board members of the Christian Education and Culture Centers to discuss future plans for reaching all of Poland by developing leadership & new local churches which start out as seeker friendly meetings centered around educational and cultural events which lead to evangelism and follow-up with Pastor Grzegorz Bednarczyk.
( Bydgoszcz: The Evangelical Christian Church - August 16-17 with Dr. Brown) . Dr. Brown will be speaking to the Christian leaders in this great Polish City with Pastor Jan Tomczyk. The director of the Evangelical Bible Seminary of Bydgoszcz will also be present to ask Dr. Brown to organize visiting professors.
( Warsaw: Evening meeting with Christian activists - August 17 ) We will spend the night in Warsaw on our way to Lublin and will meet with a group of Christians from various churches, organized by Przemek Siczek who is the director of the Contemporary Christian Music Club which helps organize concerts all over Poland . Alos present was George Bajenski of the Warsaw Christian Fellowship Church and Dariusz Brycko of Radio Mazury in Poland.
( Lublin: Pojednanie Independent Bible Church August 18-19 with Dr. Brown ), Dr. Brown will be speaking to the Christians in Lublin, organized by Pastor Andrzej Gandecki in the evening meeting and during the afternoon Darek Cupial has organized a meeting with Catholic Professors at the Catholic Univeristy in Lublin - KUL.
( Lanckorona: Catholic Renewal Center August 18-19 with Dr. Brown ) Andrzej Sionek leads this center and is a close long time freind of John Paul 2 )
( Krakow: August 20 ) Dr. Brown and his wife leave Poland from Krakow on a flight with the prayer of coming back to serve again on a longer term basis in a year from now.
( Bochnia: August 16 ) Anna will be meeting with Ania Grzybowska who has been our co-worker in Chicago as well as a supporter for years
( Jaworzno: August 22 ) The Free Christian Church of Jaworzno has invited us to speak on our last Sunday at the morning service for the main message of the day. My topic will be reaching Poland for Christ in our time and what it will take. Several Churches will cancel services to join us in this church bulding which can hold up to 500 people.
( Krakow and Warsaw: August 23 & 24 ) We will be saying our final good-byes for this year to friends in Krakow and Warsaw as well as to Anna's family. We will come back to America with the work to be done for Poland in America, which includes recruitment of workers and fund-raising.We
Costs for the entire trip - $11,650.00
1. Plane tickets for five from Orlando, Florida to Warsaw, Poland - $4900
2. Renewal of required International documents - $650
3. Transportation in Poland ( Car rental and gas ) - $2000
4. Housing, Food, Materials and other Living costs in Poland as we travel - $1850
5. Dr. Harold O. J. Brown’s air fare from Vienna to Cracow and living costs - $650
6. One months rent and utilities in Florida while we are gone and without earnings - $1500
7. Travel costs in America to the airport & back with living costs in transit - $200
In His Service Together with you, Anna and Joe Losiak
MissionPoland - P.O. Box 381 - Union Pier, MI 49129
For those wishing to join us with support, please follow the instructions given on our Current Budget Needs and Giving Report page.
Joe and Anna Losiak
MissionPoland - P.O. Box 381 - Union Pier, MI 49129