Warsaw Weekend Conference: Ron Bailey

I am in Poland for a long weekend and if I come to mind I would value your prayer. I have conference meetings on Friday to Sunday and local church meetings on Monday and Tuesday. 9 meetings in all and the gaps in between usually filled with 'petanias' - Polish for question! I leave early Friday am and return Wednesday DV.

Any chance in getting the digital recordings afterwards on SI? [grin]grin grin :-D

I will keep you in prayer! That is a long weekend- but filled with Petunias! :-P May the Lord be with you and equip you with all the stamina you need. In His love, Chanin

I am in Poland for a long weekend and if I come to mind I would value your prayerWill be in agreement with you Bro. Ron. God Bless,-Robert

Go well, Mr Bailey.I just had a thought, if you are using an interpreter your meetings are going to be twice as long. Do you have enough time? :-P There may be no time left for 'petanias'.Enough of that, I am sure you have mountains of stuff to give them, so may God give you discernment as to what is needed in that part of the vineyard.blessing you,

May Holy Spirit use you mightily in His lifting up of the Lamb ... AmenGod's blessings!Br. R

We love you Ron! God bless your trip to Poland. Greg brought up a good idea...hopefully you can share your 'Lekcjas' on SI.MC

:-x do you know Polish? Every sentence takes twice as long to interpret, and because I am conscious that I am preaching through interpreter the sentences usually carry one idea. If you subsequently remove the Polish bit it sounds pretty odd. I know I have tried it!Thanks everyone for your support.

Hi all from Warsaw.Just checking in. The meetings are going well. Spent about 9 hours in meetings today! My interpreter is looking a little worn! I will get some audio files and let you have them. We had a men's meeting this morning which I think could be helpful to many. More later. Thanks for your prayer and your love.

Hi Ron,So good to hear from you and you have been in prayers as always. Wondering how you ...'read' the feedback from those listening, beyond the body language. Prayer as well towards your interpreter and all there, Can't wait to hear more!

Hi MIkeJust a quick note. Faces are pretty much the same all over and you can see it you have folk's attention. Occasionally you see a 'glow' as something goes home! Usually people try to talk to me afterwards bringing their own interpretets with them! These interpreters are a mixed bunch and sometimes it is amusing to get into a really complicated discussion when the interpreter is struggling.Sunday's meetings went well and people seem very receptive. I have lots of friends here now so they will tell me how they think.An early start tomorrow and then a meeting tomorrow night about 200 km from here.. More when I get back. Thanks for all your support SIers!

Just read this thread so I'll start praying for you and your meetings starting tonight (Sunday evening 9pm EST) God Bless. Bro. Daryl

Well, thank you all who prayed. The trip went well with smooth journeys. Perhaps a word or two about Poland first... On two separate historic occasions, as far as I can recall, Poland has been 'gifted' to the Virgin Mary. It was the clash of totalitarian communism and totalitarian catholicism which provided part the background for the later development of evangelicals in Poland. The communist authorities were more lenient than in most other communist countries. Simply because they saw the evangelicals as a tool with which to beat the catholics. Having said that they were great privations in Poland and Christians were constantly harassed by government who wanted to know every detail of church life. During the communist era I had an interested conversation with a pentecostal pastor. He remarked that 'we have more liberty under communism than we would ever have under catholicism; and 'solidarity' is catholic. These were the comments of the day. As it happened Poland's solidarity movement like its leader was seen to be good at protest but very feeble at putting something in its place. Last year Poland became part of the European Union with lots of celebrations and flag waving. One year later enthusiasm seems to be waning.One of the most striking things in pre-free Poland was the abiding presence of World War II. This was partly a communist propaganda ploy, after all Hitler was a capitalist. According to the communist propaganda the communists had 'liberated' Poland from the grip of the capitalists and their films of the liberation of Auschwitz were all on this theme. The extermination camps were maintained as war memorials to the liberating Red Army. Poland has suffered centuries of foreign oppression.A couple of years into free-Poland I travelled down a main highway which presented a graphic illustration of the battle for the heart of Poland. A huge catholic church had erected an enormous statue of Christ with arms outstretched to gather in Poland. Immediately opposite, on the other side of the highway, a huge Ronald MacDonald beamed back at the outreaching Christ. Between them the traffic of Poland sped with cursory glances at each. Poland has been locked in a battle between aggressive medieval catholicism and western commercialism since the fall of communism. Drugs and pornography flooded the streets in the post communist era and the battle for the soul of the young generation goes on.Polish catholicism, in the main, is unlike catholicism anywhere else. It is medieval. The last Pope, a Pole, returned with a vengeance to the worship of Mary and the absolute supremacy of the Papacy. Some modern Polish catholics think he has set back the Roman Catholic church 200 years. But the countryside is very traditional catholic. The main part of Poland is a vast plain given over to the country and agriculture. This was part of its attraction to Hitler who saw it a his 'bread basket' complete with 'Slavs" to work it for him. It is poignant that the word Slav derives from the word 'slaves'. The farmsteads are usually set back a hundred yards or so from the roadside but almost every turn-off has its own Mary shrine bedecked with flowers and trailing ribbons. This is no catholicism as you have ever seen it in the USA; this is country-bred, priest fearing, paganism under a catholic skin.The evangelical church in Poland has many expressions. As in much of ex-communist Europe the saints who suffered the persecutions are handing things on to a generation well versed in project management and there are constant eruptions as splintered groups take to the law courts over possession of the buildings. The charismatics have added to this mix with a froth and bubble that has the older generation suspicious and the younger generation open mouthed in wonder. There have been some expressions of catholicism and a return to the bible in catholic groups but the pattern is usually that the local hierarchy 'approve' the venture but insist that a priest join them. Whatever the direction the groups move in the ultimate call will be to final obedience to the mother church and hence the priest.The churches that I visit are a tiny section of all this, and I have no doubt that many genuinely love the Lord in Poland. I will let you digest this background and then say more about my own tiny additions to the mix.

Ron, thanks for that, hope to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Do you see any evidence of a sweeping charismatic movement there , somewhat like what happened in the US even amoung the RC's in America???

Thanks Ron,Also looking forward to more on this. Had never heard anything of the sort of recent history like this. Sounds very oppressive, spiritually. Very much appreciated.