This… This is Aglow

In the year 1995, leaders from Aglow Headquarters traveled across the Atlantic to attend the Czech Aglow National Conference as well as visit Aglow Austria. In a post-trip letter, Kay Rogers (former Chief of Strategic Services), serving in her previous role, at that time as Managing Director of Ministry Services, shared about the trip experience and the work of the Holy Spirit in these two nations.

Not only is this letter an incredible window into Aglow’s past, but it is an astonishing testimony of how the Lord moved in Aglow across the globe at a time before Google Maps, digital boarding passes, tap to pay with credit cards, Google Translate and cell phones in pockets to quickly search time and currency differences. As Aglow’s current International Field Director, I am astounded and amazed at the courage and bravery of these Aglow leaders from the past and all the work they did following the heart of Jesus to bring connection and relationship across the world. Only God could be the author of such a story of a ministry spanning around the globe over (almost) 60 years!

I don’t know about you, but as I read this story there was a fresh fire stirring in my spirit as I imagined this journey and all that the Lord did through all of these women (and men) in 1995 and I thought, “This…This is Aglow.”

After you read this story, would you please lift in prayer the Aglow women and men in the Czech Republic and Austria and join me in praying over these two great and beautiful nations. As Kay describes their time in Austria and the Czech Republic in 1995, let us revive the prayers that they declared in the cities and towns over 31 years ago.

April 1995

“Dobrey Den!” That is “Good Morning,” in the Czech language.

What a wonderful time we had in the Czech Republic and in Austria. How we wished all of you could have been with us as we fell in love with the Czech and Austrian Aglow women. We can’t wait to get together in August so we can share our pictures and all of our stories with each one of you. There would not be enough paper and words to express how our hearts were touched by the women; our vision expanded for the role of women and Aglow in the lives of women the world over; and our gratitude to God first and to Jane and Elaine [former Aglow President/CEO and International Field Director] second for this opportunity to travel with them to see Aglow in action.

The adventure began on Tuesday, March 14, as we left our respective homes and flew to either Chicago or Atlanta and then to Zurich. Connie had the wrenching experience of arriving at the Atlanta airport to discover her passport was still at home. This caused her to miss the Tuesday flight to Zurich, but she joined us in Prague a day later – making the whole long journey alone.

The five of us arrived in Zurich within a few minutes of each other. With a five-hour layover, we decided to take the Bahn (train) from the airport into Zurich, and thus began the adventure repeated many times of changing US dollars into the local currency, deciphering cryptic signs in languages foreign to us, figuring out time schedules in the European 24 hour time (“what time is 17:30?”), and enjoying the local sights, shops, food, and people.

We praise God that someone speaking English met us in Prague, traveled with us to the conference city of Nymburk, and met us in Innsbruck. Larry and Janice met us at the Prague airport and then took us to the hotel. Larry is an American pastor of a church in Prague and Janice is the President of the Czech Aglow National Committee. Jane and Elaine had arrived a few hours earlier and we joined them for dinner at the Hotel President. The Hotel President is in the Jewish section of the city, on the bank of the Moldav River, with a gorgeous view of the Prague Castle on a hill across the river.

Thursday was spent sightseeing in Prague, a lovely medieval city of Cobblestones, castles, cathedrals, open air shopping stalls and posh crystal shops. We walked miles and miles.

On Friday, we took the train to Nymburk. Praise God for Larry and Jarmilla, an English-speaking Czech student who served as translator at the conference, who shepherded their little flock of bewildered “English speakers” through the intricacies of the Czech train system. At the train station we were joined by two additional American women and two English women who were workshop leaders, and another young American working with an outreach ministry to the Czech university students. We were now a total of 14 women and Larry on the train. We were grateful that Janice had taken our suitcases in the car and we only had our hand luggage to deal with.

The Czech Aglow National Conference was wonderful. The women were shy at the beginning, but open and hungry for more of God; more of the Holy Spirit. The conference weekend passed entirely too quickly. You will have to wait until we are all together in August to hear of the friendships formed, the prayers prayed and answered, the tears cried, the love poured out, the lives changed and the memories made, as God’s sovereignty moved during the conference. By the end of the conference, we were all one in the Lord, just as the conference theme “Otce Sjednot Nas” (“Father Make Us One”) had requested.

The Czech worship team was very anointed and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. During the closing session, Jane issued an invitation for them to come bless the international conference attendees this November in Long Beach, California, with their wonderful Slavic praise and worship…It will be exciting to see how that comes about.

After another day of sightseeing back in Prague, we left on Tuesday, March 21^st, for Innsbruck, Austria. Jane and Elaine felt that our time in Austria was strategic. Aglow in Austria has struggled for years to become strong and healthy. We were met at the airport by Rosemarie, the head of the Aglow National Committee of Austria. The rest of that day and the next we prepared ourselves and the territory for what the Lord wanted to do in Austria.

On Wednesday, we fanned out in groups of two or three over the city, pulling down strongholds, going to the city gates and the high places, soaking them and the people in prayer. We met Rosemarie in the evening for a prayer meeting. An all-day meeting was planned for Thursday. The meeting began late and in confusion, and we prayed and prayed. By the end of the day there were breakthroughs…Austria has a long way to go [but] Aglow will flourish. Please remember Austria in your prayers.

On Friday we made our sad departure from Austria and from Jane and Elaine. The eight of us traveled from Innsbruck to Zurich together. In Zurich jane and Elaine went on to Budapest, Hungary. Connie and Ferm went to Atlanta, and Kay, Jean, Diane and Christy went to Chicago. As the Tyrolean Airlines plane lifted off from the Innsbruck airport, each of us knew that although the trip was ending, the insights into the international workings of Aglow and the deeper understanding of the needs of the women on the international field would stay with us forever. Our lives have been deepened and forever changed, and we are richer for the experience.

So now we long for August to come so we can be together with the entire committee to relive our experiences with you. We also look forward to the next trip, as Jane and Elaine expressed over and over how wonderful it was to travel with a team to pray, minister, and support them as they sought the Lord for each specific ministry and speaking detail related to each country and leader. We will do this again. We know it and so do they.

I could go on much longer, but it’s time to close for now. Thank you for all your prayers, love, and hard work. Jesus is Lord! Lord of the Earth! Lord of Aglow! Praise His name!

Love in Him,
Kay Rogers