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Our StoryJosh and Marie met in the Czech Republic on a short term mission trip in 2012. Marie was in the Czech Republic translating for the Americans from Josh's church. Marie got "coincidentally" placed in Josh's English class. They didn't talk much during the mission trip until the last day. On the last day, Josh found out Marie went to school in Tennessee, while he went to school at Southern Seminary in Kentucky. There was another coincidence! While Josh and Marie began to talk over Skype and when he visited her at Union University, they soon found out they had the same love for God and were very like-minded on what the Bible teaches on many topics. Josh then moved down to Jackson, TN, to pursue Marie's heart, and very soon after, they got engaged. Josh proposed on the same old historic bridge (from the 13th century) that he and Marie had their first Bible study on. Josh got permission to propose to Marie by asking her father through Google Translate. The summary of Josh and Marie's relationship is one of God's sovereign hand placing them in each other's lives. They fell in love, and the rest is history. They have been blessed with three wonderful kids named Jonah, Roman, and Emma. Roman and Emma are twins. When the Ehlers first moved to Czechia, Josh tried to learn the language faster than the kids, but in the end, the kids won the battle. In their home, they speak both Czech and English, but out in public, they speak Czech together as a family.
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Who influenced you both to overseas missions?
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There have definitely been those who have fanned the flame of our hearts for missions. People like John Piper (his book, "Let the Nations be Glad" and his sermons at the Passion Conference) and David Platt (his book, "Radical" and all his sermons that always find a way to come back to missions). But the greatest influencer in our life to overseas missions is simply the Bible. Matt. 28:18-20, Mk. 16:15, Matt. 24:14, Acts 1:8, Rev. 5:9 and on and on talk about our responsibility to proclaim the gospel to ALL nations. So Marie and I saw that her country was 0.7% Christian and we said, "This nation is lost and needs the gospel."
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Why go to the
Czech Republic? |
We are not going to the Czech Republic because Marie wants to live in her home country. We are going to the Czech Republic because it is a nation with less than 1% of Christians and is currently over 70% atheist. It is a country that has very few gospel-centered and mission-minded churches. There is an overwhelming need for church planters in Europe and so many people have ignored this great continent because they think it is "reached." Marie knows the language and culture and Josh is committed to learning the language with the hope of discipling young men to be the next generation of pastors in the Czech Republic.
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Do you have a sending church or sending agency?
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,We have both! We are convinced that missionaries must be sent by a local church. We will be sent out just like Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church of Ephesus in Acts 13. Our sending church is called Pleasant Valley Community Church. It is a Southern Baptist church in the Harbor Network. We love our church! We also have a sending agency, Shepherd's Staff, that helps us with health insurance, retirement, and all things administrative. Below is a link to learn more about our sending agency called Shepherd's Staff Missions Facilitators, Inc.
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