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Pastor captures faith at work on film

By Katrina Vander Kooi
The Rev. Paul Fries, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, Luverne, is doing more than preaching this summer. One of his part-time "jobs" is to make films for missions around the world.

Each year he travels to a different country to make a video of a certain mission.

"I give them (congregations) information about what's going on in the missions," Fries said. That information, in turn, is used to promote funding for the missions.

Before Fries was a pastor, this used to be his livelihood. The camera he uses belongs to the church body, and his expenses are paid by the church. Fries volunteers his services. He films and edits the information himself and finds a volunteer to narrate it.

This year, he traveled to the Czech Republic. It was his third time visiting the country to breathe life back into the church.

Filming the mission
Fries filmed a video for a mission in the city of Plzen in the Czech Republic. The mission houses a church and a school. The school currently has about 140 students.

"They've already opened two other schools in surrounding areas," Fries said, remarking on the success of missions.

The school is kindergarten through eighth grade. "There is a self-study high school for the missionary kids," Fries said. The private school is attached to the public school. "The kids even eat in the public school cafeteria," he said.

The building used for the mission was the only building left standing after an air raid attack in World War II. "God must have had a plan for the building," Fries said.

Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has been a democratic nation since it was liberated by the Americans and the Russians in 1989. Before that, it was ruled by communists. "It is one of the wealthier communities in eastern Europe," Fries said. "Communists left them alone."

"I loved the country," Fries said. "People are very friendly." According to Fries, the citizens are very grateful to Americans for liberating their country.

"Each city has their own day when they were released," Fries said. Fries was there to celebrate Plzen's Liberation Day.

"There was a parade and American troops who were stationed in Germany were in the parade," Fries said.
"They also invite American veterans every year."

Differences around the world
The first time Fries went to the Czech Republic was in 1992, a few years after the government changed. "It was real interesting to see changes from then and now," Fries said.

"There are some good things like freedom of the press, but they are also losing some of their traditional culture," Fries said. "There is a lot of U.S. influence in the country."

Even though there is influence from the United States, the culture in the Czech Republic is still different.

"They have very heavy food," Fries said. "There is pork, potato dumplings, sauerkraut, and bread. You never leave a restaurant hungry."

Clothing is similar but not exact. "They have very similar outfits to the United States," Fries said, "but they dress more formal. Blue jeans are frowned upon by middle age or older. They are only meant for working."

The climate is mild compared to Minnesota. "In the winter, they probably get as low as 30s and 40s," Fries said.

Religion is also different in the Czech Republic. During communist rule, church services were few and far between. "People would only be told maybe a day in advance if they could have a church service," Fries said.

Because of this, officially, the Czech Republic is 98 percent atheist. Before communism, it was made up of Catholic, Lutheran, and Hussitism, a form of Protestantism.

"The older generation is less interested in the church, and the young ones are more interested," Fries said. He pointed out how that seemed to be opposite in the United States.

The mission in Plzen is one of the many efforts to breathe life back into the church.

Sightseeing
Fries stayed with missionaries, who showed him around and also took him sightseeing. Even though his guide spoke Czech, Fries wasn't worried about the language barrier. "Most people can speak English," Fries said. "They have it in school."

Fries and his guides visited three other towns in the Czech Republic, Marianske Lazne, Tlucna, and Horni Briza.

Marianske Lazne is a spa town because it has all natural spas. "It was really popular in the 18th and 19th centuries," Fries said. "It's where all the Europeans came for a health resort." Fries said that even today, the government gives citizens health prescriptions to go and stay at the spa.

Fries visits the Czech Republic every two or three years. Next year his trip will either be to Peru or Ukraine

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