John just returned from a life changing trip to lead an event in Slovakia and Warsaw, Poland. We're excited to share this with you, to give you a bigger piece of the picture of how God is working through this message. Check out the video below showing how John worked through a translator in Slovakia - amazing. Here's is a bit of what John shared with the Ransomed Heart Intercession Team:
I’m not even sure where to begin this story. Maybe 1950, when the communist regime arrested 877 priests in one night, in what was then Czechoslovakia. They were taken to a monastery turned prison camp, many of them tortured. Imprisoned for years. This was the monastery Luke and I stayed in during our time there. Maybe the story begins with a visionary Polish priest who in the 60s and 70s took teenagers into the woods (to hide from the secret police) and teach them the Christian faith. One of those teens was the man who organized my coming to Slovakia. Or maybe it begins with Sacred Romance being translated into Slovak ten years ago. Maybe it is all part of the same story.
Our trip was incredible in every way. God was so faithful. The meetings were packed and people so excited to come. We had no idea how deeply this message has been embraced there (and in Poland). Wild at Heart and Captivating have been number one for five years in a row.
I’m so tired as I write this, trying to recall the amazing stories. The hundreds of reports of changed lives; the Catholic fellowships using our materials (we knew hardly any about this); the many tears at the conference. (One man told me he wept nearly the entire day.) Missionaries reporting taking this even further into Moldova, Austria, Germany, the Ukraine…it is just incredible.
It was a tough assignment, speaking through a translator, pausing after every sentence or two; tough to read spiritually how deep and far we could go. But Jesus had plans. O man did he have plans. After the all-day conference on Thursday, I was being driven back late at night to the monastery; the driver turned and said to me, “Did you know Slovakia is called ‘the Heart of Europe?’” Jesus took us to the heart of Europe. And what happened there was as deep as anything we’ve seen here at our retreats. Then we went up to Warsaw, and it was just as remarkable. Saved lives, saved marriages, hearts rescued left and right, people so anxious just to say, “thank you, thank you.” I am practically speechless.
Please also visit our facebook page to view a few of the photos John took.
