Text Box: The Mike Petersen family in Poland
Text Box: The Petersen Update
Text Box: Volume 9 Issue 1
March  2002
Text Box: Text Box: Thank you for your prayers and support. We couldn’t be here without you.
Text Box: Mission Board:
International Baptist 
Missions
2150 E. Southern Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85282
 480-838-5430

 

Home Church:

Temple Baptist

 Church

37253 Clinton Ave.

Dade City, FL 33525

352-567-9444

Polish address:

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Petersen

ul. Wiazowska 75b

05-420 Jozefow

POLSKA
Web Site:

http://home1.gte.net/mjpeter

Email:

mjpeter@gte.net

Text Box: Did you know?
Poland has 40 million people—about 2 million in the Warsaw area
The Tatra Mountains are at the Polish/Slovakia border. Adam Malysz (an Olympic silver and bronze medallist in ski jumping) is the popular hero from this region. Several stamps feature him.
A large group of Russian speaking people regularly travel into Poland to work (It is part of the gray market).
Poland even has a small desert.
The Baltic Sea is just to the north of Poland. Sweden and Norway are north of the Baltic Sea.
Poland has borders with Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia (Kalingrad).
Poland is 95%+ Catholic.  
Nuns and priests teach Catholicism in the public schools.
Many new supermarkets have opened in the last 8 years. These are mostly

¨         French, British and German—Geant, HIT, Carrefore, REAL, Auchan.

¨         20 years ago people still used black and white photography

¨         Poland has an 18%+ unemployment rate.

¨         Television (state controlled) periodically does reports on “cults”.  People commonly call Baptists a “cult” and are afraid of us.     

¨         Alcoholism is the number one social problem in Poland.

¨         When you go into someone’s house, if you did not bring slippers, they will offer you some to wear while visiting.

¨         The big meal tends to be sometime in the middle of the day—anytime between 1 and 4. It is called “obiad“.

¨         We’ve had snow several times in April.

¨         Easter here is celebrated on Sunday and ALSO on “Easter Monday.” 

¨         Kids in elementary school often carry and use cell phones.

Prayer Requests:

1. Sunday morning services in Gora Kalwaria–increased attendance and outreach

2. our children as they attend Polish school (Jeremiah (13), Timothy (11), Abby (10), Lydia (7).

3. to live godly lives and know His presence

4. teaching trip in May to the Ukraine

5. the remaining $200/month support.

6. Arek to let God control his life

7. Pawel  - discouraged

8. Ania - health needs

9. salvation for the following: Daniel, Gosia, Dominka (these people come to our service “regularly“). Irena, Darek, Krzystof (sporadic attenders but we have other contact with them)

10. upcoming plans (June) with the BJU Baltic mission team

11. our foundation to be finalized (answered 3/12. It is “official!”)

12. Thurs. evening basketball in G.K. as a way to make contacts with people who are afraid of us being a cult

Praises:

1. the funds for the foundation. We received all that the lawyer estimated is needed.

2. the Lord’s financial provision so that we were able to get a water filter (people had told us we needed one for years) and a new refrigerator!

3. safe teaching trip and experience in January to the Ukraine.

4. constantly improving Polish language

5. increased tenderness in Daniel (almost 12) and seeming interest in spiritual things.

6. planned visits by Pastor and Mrs. Sweatt (Berean Baptist, GA) and Pastor Ken Woodard, (Temple Baptist, our sending church, FL) in April.

7. improvement in the kids’ Polish and good testimonies at school

Text Box: Last minuteUPDATE!