From Uncertainty to Belief: Jan’s Story
Jan seemed to enjoy the weekly dinners around Jay and Nancy Matsingers’ table as they led a small gathering through an Alpha Course. Together with the others in the group, the blond-haired young professional expressed curiosity about the gospel and the Bible’s teachings. He was a quiet sort, but that didn’t keep him from participating in the conversation and asking lots of questions.
On the last night of the course, Jan informed Jay and Nancy that he would not be returning. “I just have too many doubts,” he said. “I still have so many questions, and I’m not sure these meetings can answer them for me.”
Sorry to see Jan go, Jay and Nancy determined to keep praying for him while reaching out to invite him to various events and meetings. They didn’t want to force the issue but wanted Jan to know they cared about him and hadn’t forgotten him. Jan came once for dinner after that, but soon dropped out of sight completely.
When a Life Change Brings Ministry Changes
A few years later, the pandemic forced the Matsingers to make a decision about retirement. Covid already required them to conduct Bible studies and discipleship meetings on Zoom; now they realised they might as well continue their ministry as associates of Greater Europe Mission from their home in Florida. Once the pandemic lessened in severity and travel restrictions eased, they began to travel to Prague once or twice a year to meet in person with those whom they were discipling.
In August of 2023, Jay and Nancy reached back out to old contacts, some of whom, like Jan, they hadn’t seen in many years. To their surprise, Jan showed up to meet them in a café. He sat down, ordered a coffee, and stayed to talk for two hours.
“I’ve been investigating the Christian faith on my own, but I’m still not sure about Jesus,” he said. “I still have lots of doubts I’m wrestling with.”
“Just keep seeking the truth,” Jay said.
A Life Changed from the Inside Out
The next time they visited Prague, half a year later, Jay and Nancy once again reached out to Jan. This time, when he walked into the café, they could see immediately that something had changed.
“Jan had always looked a little lost,” says Nancy. “Now, for the first time, we saw joy radiating from him. We had never seen him like that!”
Once again, Jan sat down with the Matsingers and ordered a coffee. This time, however, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a New Testament. “I’ve been reading this,” he said. “I believe in Jesus now.”
Wanting to be sure they were hearing Jan right, Jay asked, “You mean, you have put your trust in Jesus for salvation?”
“Yes.”
“You’re really following Jesus?” Nancy asked.
Jan nodded.
Nancy couldn’t help but notice that Jan seemed more settled, more grown up. He was in his early 30s now, advancing in his career, and his freckled, boyish face had thinned out to reveal a more mature version of the young man she had known. She could tell by his expression that he was serious. He really had come to faith in Christ.
Connecting to the Local Church
Both Jay and Nancy had the same thought: We have to get Jan connected with other believers so he can grow in his faith. They immediately asked if he would attend the international church in Prague through which they’d first met him.
“No, that’s impossible,” he replied. “I moved away from Prague last year. I drove for three hours just to see you today!”
The Matsingers knew no one in Jan’s new town, but after their meeting with him, they quickly reached out to a network of believers through GEM, the local church, and other ministries in the Czech Republic. Soon, they had the names of two pastors and churches to pass on to Jan, who promised to get in touch with them.
“We were so thrilled to see the change in Jan. He, like so many young Czech people, was steeped in atheism from birth.”
Nancy Matsinger
“Because of the country’s communist past, it’s a different kind of atheism from what we experienced in France, where we served for 27 years,” says Nancy. “Young people in Czech are very warm and friendly, but they simply don’t know anything about the Bible or the gospel. The idea of God is utterly foreign to them. Whereas French people have some knowledge of the concept of God through Catholicism and have explored many philosophies, the Czech people are starting from ground zero. They have absorbed atheism from the atmosphere around them, and it isn’t necessarily a well-thought-out philosophical position.”
When Seeds of Love Bear Fruits of Faith
Nancy recalls, “It was such a wonderful surprise to see that Jan was no longer floundering in a sea of doubt but had come to a place of rest in Christ. Jay and I sensed instantly that he was much more grounded, more at peace.”
The Matsingers were thrilled to realize that neither a pandemic, nor their retirement, nor an international move could prevent God working in Jan’s seeking, wrestling heart.
“We just kept encouraging him to seek the truth,” says Nancy, “and we continued to pray for him and reach out to him. The Holy Spirit is the one who did the deeper work in Jan, leading him to salvation.”
If you are interested in knowing more about evangelism and discipleship in the Czech Republic, contact [email protected].
About the Author: Jenny Garrity is a Storyteller with Greater Europe Mission. Jenny and her husband Kim joined GEM in 1984. They have served in Germany, Belgium, and most recently, Greece in response to the refugee crisis.