An old monastery is breathing in new life. Spiderwebs were removed, a classroom set up. With the donations of lots of furniture and equipment from the „Lighthouse“ in Germany, we turned the „Riverhouse“ into a temporary, cozy home. Cheb – the once infamous city in the Czech border region – becomes the meeting point for the nations.
February 1st, 11 students arrived from all corners of the earth: Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, USA, South-Africa and Australia. With further staff from Brazil, Columbia and Serbia, we represent nine different nations. The school is run in English and Czech – but you can also listen to German, Ukrainian, Spanish or South African prayers through the walls of the former monastery.
The first two months of the DTS (Discipleship Training School) went by so fast! Every day is filled with prayer times, lectures, music, outreaches and practical work.That the school is happening, is to me a huge miracle and confirmation of God‘s grace and guidance. Six months ago, I was with only one other staff member in Cheb and we had no place where the students would live. It‘s exiting and a privilege to participate, when God is doing new things. For years, I keep reminding myself of one verse, that God has been writing on my heart:
,And the things you have heard me say in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
people who will also be qualified to teach others.‘
2 Tim 2:2
When I imagine, that each one of the students will start new things after this DTS, and that some of the students will go again into other nations, I‘ll know, that all the effort and also difficult times of the last years, have been worth it.
The theme „to be a light in the darkness“, has been leading us through the school. With a small team of students and staff we were able to visit some brothels. On the International day of women we brought to the ladies some gifts and could build further trust to them. In one of the brothels we were received very openly. The bar-lady explained to the boss that she knows us and encouraged us to stay, even though there were some customers sitting around. At the end we had such a warm good-bye and they invited us to come during the next holiday again!
Besides the lectures during the week, we are also organizing once a week an „open evening“ for people from the local community. During the first evening I was amazed, how many people showed up from all over the place: from the Roma-church, the Baptist youth, christians and open-minded people from other churches and groups.
I love it, when people are gathering from different cultures, ethnic groups, languages and generations, to worship JESUS together. Because he said, that he is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.
At the end of April the students will go in two different teams to Bosnia and Serbia/Romania/Turkey for a two-month outreach.
Thank-you for praying for us during this first DTS in Cheb, Czech Republic.
-Doris Rabus and Cheb DTS
