Chapter 2 the harvey family
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- REFUGEE AND RELIEF WORK
- 25 YEARS IN AUSTRIA
- GREECE
- A HISTORICAL EVENT
- A CENTURY BEHIND
- RESEARCHING POTENTIAL MISSIONFIELDS
WHAT TO DO?Although literature and material assistance was certainly needed in Eastern Europe, I did not believe that these represented the most urgent needs. Bibles and Christian literature could now be printed by Eastern Europeans in their own countries at a fraction of what it would have cost to print in the West. Former publishers of Communist propaganda were crying for work! Western Europeans were providing material aid and expertise needed to rebuild the economy. Bible Schools and Seminaries were needed in Eastern Europe, but these institutions produce church leaders and the few existing churches were not crying for pastors. The greatest need was for missionaries who could proclaim the gospel in Eastern European languages and teach nationals to do the same. In my opinion, the most urgent need was for effective witnesses. The gospel of Jesus Christ needed to be shared personally with as many people as possible. It needed to be understood by those who grew up under Communism. At first glance, one might conclude that westerners should provide salaries for national Christians, who wouldn't need to learn the language or culture. They could live on a small income. I have often run across men from India and other nations who traveled from church to church collecting money for national workers, using the above argumentation. They say, "We can support a dozen pastors and missionaries for what it costs to support just one American missionary." Although the idea sounds logical, it has seldom worked well, and it definitely would not have worked well in Eastern Europe. During 40 years of Communism, all Christians belonged to one of two camps. They were either "legal" churches which agreed not to witness in exchange for a certain amount of freedom, or they went underground and lost touch with the masses. Many of the latter still lived in fear of reprisal, but most had become spiritually isolated from the masses. They lived apart, looked and acted differently and didn't know how to relate the gospel in a "secular" language. They had become like the Amish in America. They were hardly able to communicate the gospel to a generation which grew up in an atheistic society. Christians from the "registered churches" were largely incapable of sharing Christ even if they recognized a need. Materialism and worldliness soon flooded these churches. As a result, Christians became even more separated than under Communism! What was needed most in Eastern European countries, was dedicated and spiritually mature missionaries who could show them how to witness. The gap between Americans and Eastern Europeans was not as great as one might think. Many Eastern Europeans dreamed of migrating to America and were infatuated with anything American. Few believed the Communist anti-American propaganda. After the Iron Curtain disintegrated, book tables in the market places sold Bibles and Playboy magazines next to each other and some bought both! Unfortunately, not much has been accomplished in bringing the gospel to Eastern Europe. Few Americans responded to the call. Such missionaries needed to be willing to accept a lower standard of living, learn another language well enough to communicate and disciple national Christians. By discipling, I mean to teach by example, not just with words. Missionaries produce missionaries; workers produce workers; witnesses produce witnesses! Missionaries are "cross cultural disciplers." This is precisely what was needed, but few responded. REFUGEE AND RELIEF WORKAnother fantastic opportunity that we had in Austria was evangelism and discipleship training among refugees and displaced persons. During the 80s and 90s, the neutral country of Austria operated several refugee camps for displaced persons from Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Balkans. Refugees were not allowed to hold jobs, but certain politicians found that they could get votes by propagating the danger of Austrians losing their jobs to foreigners. They claimed that refugees were costing taxpayers a lot of money, but the opposite was true. The United Nations underwrote the cost of these refugee camps and some Austrian hotel owners chose to house refugees all year rather than taking in tourists for a couple of months. After several years, the UN even paid for the renovation of their hotels. In 1995, anti-foreign sentiment was running high and the radical Austrian Freedom Party, led by Jörg Haider, was steadily gaining strength with it's anti-foreigner agenda. The radical Russian nationalist, Vladimir Shirinowsky, was not allowed to enter Germany and France, but he was readily granted permission to visit his "good friends" in Austria, the Haider family. Haider was also the honored guest of Sadaam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi on several occasions. People known to be friendly to refugees soon became targets of letter bomb attacks. The Mayor of Vienna lost his hand and nearly his life when one of the bombs exploded. A TV reporter who appealed to Austrians to donate relief goods was also seriously injured. Another well known victim of a lethal bomb was the Director of "Caritas," the Roman Catholic Relief Organization. Six Gypsies were killed at a bus stop when a pipe bomb was detonated. We were especially cautious when opening mail in those days. Besides being foreigners ourselves, we were very involved in refugee ministry. We had ministries in refugee camps and did translation and mediation for foreigners who couldn't speak German. We collected and shipped 25-30 truckloads of relief goods to needy people in former Communist nations of Eastern European. My name and address was on the customs declarations of these shipments. Realizing that we could be on a hit list, any letter of questionable shape or origin was suspect. In 1997, police made a routine traffic stop in Southern Austria. The driver just happened to be the much sought after letter bomber. Thinking that this could be the end of his freedom, he tossed a pipe bomb at the officer. It exploded prematurely and the terrorist lost both arms. The policeman was also seriously injured. Many refugees from Africa and the Balkans had been through the most excruciating circumstances that one could imagine. Mothers watched the brutal slaughter of their infants after which they themselves were repeatedly raped by the ruthless murderers. Men told of terrible torture in filthy confinement and showed us their scars. Refugees had little or nothing to do in the camps. Being removed from their normal environment caused them to be more open to new ideas. Many were even seeking answers to questions about the purpose of life. Not a few refugees were Muslims. Evangelism among Bosnian Muslims was difficult. The Serbs claimed to be Orthodox Christians, yet they perpetrated atrocities against Muslims, called "ethnic cleansing." The Lord worked in spite of such obstacles, and not a few Muslim refugees found forgiveness and inner peace in Christ. One reason they received us was because they were aware of the dangers we faced when attempting to help them. On the other hand, many had experienced cold rejection and mistreatment by fellow Muslims. Some asked why Allah allowed their suffering and why fellow Muslims in other lands had not come to their aid. These people discovered that there are different kinds of Christians just as there are also different varieties of Muslims. Some Christians really did care, but not many Muslims! The warm reception of the Muslim refugees took us completely by surprise. We had children's programs with crafts, singing, games, skits and treats. They had few belongings, and we found the kids very innovative in fabricating toys and games. After I showed the boys how to make water rockets with plastic Coke bottles, a cork and football pump, they became instant disciples, hanging onto every word and deed. The children of school age were required to attend public school, so they soon picked up the German language. Most refugee children became good students and one boy from Iran was the top student in his class the very first year! Because refugees from many nationalities lived in the camp, the children soon learned each other's languages. When older people couldn't communicate with us, one of the kids would offer to translate. I took two pairs of kid's boxing gloves (mentioned in Chapter 20) and taught boys how to box according to rules. When a kid broke the rules or lost his temper, I would remove the gloves and give them to the next boy. The children were better behaved than many Austrians we had taught. In one large refugee camp there were about fifty children, but many teenagers and even adults showed up for our programs. When we headed for the car, refugees always waved goodbye and begged us to return. We discovered vast differences in the attitudes of refugees from different nations. Some from African countries were very adept at getting what they wanted. One could never tell if the stories they told were fabricated or genuine. Even some who professed to be Christians and wanted to help lead services turned out to be fakes. We found ways to test people. Among other things, their reaction to uncomfortable circumstances or false accusations gave clues. The Nenovs had good educations and worked for the Bulgarian government until their conversion to Christ around 1980. When they refused to bow to some demands of Communist leaders, they were released from their jobs. They fled to Austria and spent some time in refugee camps. Their gifts, experience, educational background and fluency in German were soon recognized, and they obtained visas and work permits. In 1983, Nenovs moved to Ried, a city just north of us. Because ours was the nearest gospel-preaching church, they began attending our services. They had a burden to start a church in Ried, so students and staff from the Bible Institute conducted Bible studies in the Nenov's home. Soon, Mr. Nenov was leading the Bible studies himself. The following year, we conducted evangelistic meetings in Ried. Several accepted Christ and the Nenovs decided that it was time to add church services. There is a vibrant church in Ried today, but the Nenovs returned to their native Bulgaria to start churches. They also founded a literature ministry, a mission and even a Bible Institute that is training Bulgarians for ministry! Refugees from Iran, Albania, Africa and other countries that were closed to the gospel have been converted and discipled through our mission's refugee ministries. Where relative peace has been restored in their homelands, some return to share their new faith with fellow countrymen. VISASTourists have always been quite welcome, for Austria thrives on tourism. Anyone can visit for up to three months without obtaining a visa, but obtaining a visa was becoming very difficult during our last decade in Austria. Fortunately, we had gotten permanent visas earlier, but new missionaries and even short-term workers were finding it difficult to obtain visas. When many European countries formed the European Union, an entirely new situation developed. Instead of border controls between nations, only the outer borders were protected. Because that outer border was considered the common border of many nations, foreigners seeking to enter for longer periods faced new restrictions and qualifications. Our GMU co-workers, Frank and Gwen Wiebe, could write a book about their problems with visas. The Wiebes served as missionaries in Austria for about ten years and then moved to Germany, where they served another ten years. When they decided to move back to Austria, they were told that they must get a visa before moving their belongings. They provided birth certificates, passports, employment documents and medical insurance vouchers to the Austrian Consulate in Germany. The Consulate forwarded everything to the Austrian Province of Styria, where they planned to relocate. After several weeks, the Wiebes called to see why their visas had not yet been granted. When they finally reached the proper office, the official said that he had not opened the envelope containing their application. He assured them that the papers would soon be processed and sent to Vienna, after which they would be sent to Munich where they could be picked up. Frank tried to explain that their case was urgent. It would soon be Christmas; the rental contract on their apartment in Germany had expired and all their belongings were packed and ready to move. They were required to send their Canadian passports with their visa application, but needed them in order to drive to Austria and prepare their new apartment for occupancy. The official agreed to mail the passports back and told them to apply for the visa in Munich. Time passed and no passports arrived. They finally called again and the official said that they had been mailed. Frank asked, "To what address?" After checking, he said that they were sent by registered mail to the post office in Liezen, Austria, where they planned to live! The official realized his mistake and said, "Don't worry, the post office returns unclaimed mail in three weeks. When they return, we will send them to your address in Germany." When Wiebes finally got the visas, they were only good for six months and half that time had already expired! They had to begin the application process for renewals almost as soon as they received the visas! 25 YEARS IN AUSTRIAOn July 24, 1989, we invited friends and fellow workers to help us celebrate a quarter of a century in Austria. We grilled and enjoyed good food and fellowship in our back yard with about fifty persons. After 25 years of missionary work, during which we often had no vacation time whatsoever, we decided to accept the invitation of GMU missionaries in Greece to visit them and stay in a little cottage near the Golf of Corinth. Since it took three days to get there and another three days for the return trip, we took a whole month off for the trip. GREECEWe departed on August 21st and returned on September 20th. For someone who lives in cold, damp Austria and suffers from rheumatism, Greece is a welcome change of climate! Even in the night, the temperatures stayed in the eighties. One morning, Verna went into a butcher's shop and asked for lamb chops. The butcher didn't know English, so Verna imitated the sound of a sheep. That worked very well and the friendly butcher pointed at several trays of meat, repeating "baaaa" several times. By this time all the customers were laughing so hard, their sides probably ached. We were infatuated with the Greek cuisine and Verna bought a cookbook written in English. It was titled, "Cooking in Greece." A visitor saw the cookbook on our bookshelf and thought the title was misspelled! Early in our vacation, I was getting into our little sailboat and cut my foot on a sharp object in the water. I didn't feel much, but after climbing into the boat, I wondered why the water looked red. When I looked down, I realized that the boat was also turning red. It was a nasty cut, so Verna took me to the next town to find a hospital. The receptionist copied my name from the passport and led me to a doctor's office. The Doctor spoke perfect English and while sewing up the wound, he chatted away about his visits to America and Austria. Once the bandage was on, I expected to be presented with a bill, but this was not the case. The receptionist said that all Greeks had free government medical care. It would cost more to hire people to do the paperwork than to give tourists free care. Besides, the tourist industry is a great source of income! I assume that, without a paper trail, there are no lawsuits! For the remainder of our stay, Verna had to do the driving and I couldn't go in the water. I always had to work when sick or injured, but having fun seemed to be against the rules! Not knowing what to do with my time, I decided to paint the cottage where we were staying. It was a flimsy construction of steel tubular frame covered on the outside with flake-board. The roof was of corrugated metal and the floor a concrete slab. Our missionary friend (Greek born) inherited the property from his grandmother and materials for the cottage cost him less than $1,000. Several minor earthquakes "rattled our cage" while we were there and we were glad that there wasn't much substance to the cottage, which threatened to fall on our heads. Verna wanted to see the Parthenon in Athens so badly that she agreed to drive us there. Considering the way Greeks drive, this was no small feat. We saw many accidents during our short stay, some of them resulting in deaths. A truck and car collided near where we were staying and the drivers spent the next five hours arguing over who was at fault. Meanwhile the road was blocked for all traffic. Public busses stopped in the center of expressways to pick up or discharge passengers and we often saw people standing in the middle of the highway with suitcases, waiting for a bus. One never knew where a defective car might be stranded along the road. Drivers made no attempt to mark the hindrance or to warn oncoming motorists, even in a hidden curve of the passing lane. While waiting for the ferry to Italy, we were parked near an intersection for half an hour and counted the cars which ran a red traffic light. One in three cars never stopped! It was hot and traffic was heavy, but Verna managed to get us to Athens safely. Near the railroad station, we asked a taxi driver how to get to the Parthenon. He knew English and replied, "Follow me!" Two tourists had just boarded his taxi and Verna followed him on the wildest ride she has ever taken. In Athens, it doesn't seem to matter if your brakes don't work, but you do need a horn. Once at the entrance of the Parthenon, we found a parking spot and headed for the ticket office. The people who had ridden in the taxi were also in line, which didn't seem to be moving at all. The hot sun beat down on our heads and many were complaining. Finally, the line began to move, slowly at first and then very rapidly. As we looked ahead, we could see the reason. Many who had been standing in line were now returning. We asked a couple speaking German what was up and they said, "They are on strike. The Parthenon is closed to visitors." When we reached the parking area, we saw the same taxi driver arriving with another fare. Since he knew English, I said that the workers were all on strike and the Parthenon was closed to visitors. He smiled and said, "Yes, I know, but taxi drivers aren't!" Because electronic devices were horribly expensive in Greece, we purchased a TV in Austria and took it as a gift for our hosts. They were elated, but said that they couldn't use it for a while. The publicly owned television station was on strike! Actually, the television was not completely shut down. The stations went on the air at news time, but instead of news, they showed Parliament debates of politicians. Afterward, a list of interesting films and programs scheduled for that evening were listed. Then a commentator informed everyone that they were on strike and were shutting down the station. They remained on strike the entire duration of our stay, so we didn't realize that the rest of Europe was being turned upside down! A HISTORICAL EVENTWhile we were enjoying sunshine on the Gulf of Corinth, eating delicious Greek food, and visiting the ancient ruins of Delphi and Corinth, Central Europe had changed drastically. The Iron Curtain which separated Eastern and Western Europe was dismantled and Eastern Europeans began pouring over the borders into Germany and Austria to get a first hand glimpse of the West and freedom. Souvenir hunters began chipping away at the Berlin Wall and newspapers around the world were full of this news. We were totally unaware of such happenings. A CENTURY BEHINDEastern European Christians who had prayed long for freedom of religion, finally saw their prayers answered in the final months of 1989. Within a few short weeks, nearly all the Communist powers had lost their hold on the populace. Some believers rejoiced and began to rebuild the churches which had been demolished by atheist dictators. But for many Christians, this long awaited moment was seen as an opportunity to migrate to the West and seek security and affluence. Few Czechs left their country. They chose rather to stay and rebuild the nation. In Romania it was a mixed reaction. Romanian Christians who had prayed many years for freedom, jumped at the opportunity to leave their country. Not a few Romanians fled to Austria, among them many Christians. One Romanian refugee began conducting weekly church services for fellow Romanian refugees in the town of Wolfsegg (There is also a town in Austria called Rottenegg!). It soon became the largest evangelical church in the province! Romanian church services, which often lasted 2-3 hours, sprang up in Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and other cities. Even refugees who remained in Austria and got jobs, often continued worshipping with their fellow expatriates, speaking their own language. Few adapted to Austrian culture. The region of Romania known as Transylvania is perhaps best known for Dracula and Frankenstein. Many of the citizens living in that area are German-speaking, so one might think that these would be first to migrate to Austria or Germany. Surprisingly, most Christians in Transylvania resolved to stay and rebuild. We collected materials and tools to help these Romanian Christians rebuild their churches. In other parts of Romania, churches and the general economy suffered greatly from the exodus of able-bodied and capable workers. From a letter dated August 11, 1994: Sepp, Tony, and Herman, from the church in Ampflwang, and a pastor from Attersee delivered another truckload of food, clothing and medical supplies to a children's home in Romania last week. Sepp said that road conditions have improved (only one blown tire this trip!), but there are still many other big problems. In the railway station of Bucharest, it takes more than an hour to get a train ticket. Although admission is charged to use public restrooms, toilets are filthy and seldom function. RESEARCHING POTENTIAL MISSIONFIELDSAfter the Iron Curtain between East and West Europe was dismantled, two leaders of GMU came to visit these countries on a fact-finding tour. Because I had a car, could speak a second language and was familiar with European ways, they asked me to accompany them. I discovered later that there was another reason. They planned to ask me to be responsible for any new field openings. We first visited Czechoslovakia. What an experience! The Czechs are very industrious and the nation produced much heavy armament for the Eastern bloc. The people enjoyed a standard of living above most other Communist nations, but they were extremely poor in comparison to Western Europeans. When driving through the cities, one had to drive in the center of the road to keep from running over legs of amateur mechanics, working on their battered and rusted vehicles. Many parked their old Skodas and Trabants on hillsides so they could get them started, but most Czechs rode bikes, took public transportation or walked. It was fascinating to observe the stark differences between Eastern and Western Europe. Few living Westerners could remember primitive lifestyles commonly experienced in Communist lands. We stayed in hotels where the Communist elite had previously stayed, but they lacked many amenities we are accustomed to in the west. There was a dial telephone in our room, but it was only for show. To make a call, we had to go down into the basement, give the number we wanted to call to a switchboard operator and wait until she got through. After plugging in some cables and disconnecting others for what seemed like an hour, she suddenly exclaimed, "I got it!" and handed us the phone. There was no privacy so everyone knew what we were saying. Soon after the Iron Curtain fell, entrepreneurs set up tables in the streets of every town, selling anything they brought in from the West to citizens who were unable to make the trip. I took a picture of a book table which offered all kinds of literature which had been forbidden or hard to get during the Communist era. There were Mickey Mouse comics, Playboy Magazines and Bibles lying next to each other! In the town of Husinec, birthplace of the famous reformer, John Huss, I photographed a well-worn fresco on the front of a house in the center of town which depicted Huss's martyrdom. Just below the fresco was a show window containing pornographic literature! Next to the window were posters advertising x-rated films and a night club featuring naked dancers. Huss was burned at the stake for his faith on July 6, 1415. Now, 575 years later, freedom was being celebrated by Czechs in ways that were forbidden by law under Communism! While in Prague, thieves smashed our car window in an attempt to steal the radio, but they couldn't figure out how to unlock the doors and gave up. After visiting some Czech pastors, we headed back to Austria rather than risk leaving the car on the street with a broken window. One of the pastors told us that such vandalism was uncommon under Communism. The consequences if caught were too dire! But the police and military had been serving the Communist regime, and after the fall of Communism, they lost much of their power and authority. In Romania, former members of the Securitate (secret police) nearly starved to death. These highly trained and previously privileged individuals suddenly found themselves without an income and subjected to public ridicule and antipathy. The only people who showed them mercy and kindness were the Christians who had suffered most under Communism. Some of these ex-police officers became Christians, but other former members of the Securitate formed mafia-like underground organizations which are still terrorizing both their own country and other Western European nations. The day after our return from Prague, I picked up a Romanian Pastor at the train station, who wanted to visit Christian friends in Austria. He hoped to obtain financial help in rebuilding his church. I said that I needed to drive to Salzburg to get a window replaced and he seemed delighted at the prospect of seeing the city of which he heard so much. Once on the Autobahn, I drove at the legal speed of 75 mph (most drive faster!) while the Romanian clutched his seat with both hands, apparently expecting the car to take flight or blow up! Once in Salzburg, I went to the Ford agency and approached the parts window. I explained to the salesperson that I needed a left-rear-side-window for a 1985 Ford station wagon. He asked if it was tinted and what shade of tint. After looking up the part on a microfilm machine, he read the part number into a microphone. Within seconds, a young man showed up with the glass, wrapped in brown cardboard. The clerk typed the price into a computer which spit out the receipt. I then pushed my bank card into an automat and typed in my pin number to pay for the glass. The Romanian was aghast at all this -- like he had been resurrected after being dead for a century! On the way to our home, he shared his impressions in broken German. In Romania, the roads were so full of pot holes that even a fast western car could not drive over 20 or 30 mph. All those new cars in the Ford dealership were breathtaking, but what really fascinated him was how I got the exact window I needed in a matter of seconds--- and I didn't even open the package to see if I had gotten the right part! Paying for something with a plastic card was also unheard of! A Czech pastor told me that thieves ruined the front windshield of five Skodas belonging to pastors attending a pastors' conference. Four of them were shattered while attempting to remove them, but they were apparently successful getting the fifth. The thief was probably not a professional, but rather someone whose own windshield had been stolen or damaged. If you went to a Skoda dealer and asked to buy a windshield, you would have to wait months for it. The Skoda factory has since been bought by Volkswagen and their cars are now equal in quality to most western cars, but still somewhat cheaper. Shortly after our fact-finding trip, the Pastor of our home church in Elmer, New Jersey, was traveling in Czechoslovakia with another couple from the church. While touring Budweis, where Budweiser Beer originated, he met and befriended two Czechs, Daniel and Thomas, who were conducting an evangelistic street meeting. He was surprised to learn that Daniel and his wife were good friends of ours. I still have a portrait of them on my office wall. After returning to America, our pastor shared his experiences with members of the church. The church decided to invite Daniel and Thomas to visit America, even paying for their plane tickets. The men were dumbfounded by this generous gesture, and gladly accepted. They had heard much about American affluence, but never pictured believers as people of means. They were totally unprepared for the seemingly endless wealth of Christians! The church parking lot was full of the most luxurious automobiles they had ever seen. Members invited them for meals and took them to shopping malls, ocean resorts, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. They enjoyed watching the men's expressions when being shown around. Shortly after their return to Czechoslovakia, we visited our friend, Daniel and his family. I asked him to share his impressions of America. He began by saying that the exquisite homes of believers reminded him of the lifestyle of the elite Communist bosses who had ruled Czechoslovakia. Nearly everyone had at least one and usually two cars and garages to put them in. They could open and close the garage door by pressing a button, however many people left their nice cars outside and stored junk in the garage. Daniel continued, "In our country, bicycles are the main mode of transportation, but in America, people ride bikes in their bedrooms and they don't go anywhere!" One of the church members later shared another experience with us. He took the men shopping at a large shopping mall. On the way there, Daniel saw a sign on the front lawn of a house that read, "For sale by owner." He asked, "Can somebody else sell their house?" Walking through the mall, Thomas asked the church member to explain why most of the signs included the words "sale" and "off." Later, he made the same observation that my mother had made years earlier. He paused in front of a clothing store where bikinis were advertised as being "40% off." Thomas turned and said, "It looks more like 90% off!" 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