March 2012

EASTER PUPPET DAY 8

GYÖNGYÖSOROSZI

Today we only had one show in the town of Gyöngyösoroszi just on the outskirts of the city of Gyöngyös.

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Above: Having some fun with some of the older kids before the show. We prayed this morning that God would help us connect with some of the potential trouble makers before the show. We’ve found that if we’re intentional in showing love and interacting with them before the show, in most cases they don’t act so rebelliously in the midst of the show distracting the younger kids. God made it easy to get them laughing as we interacted with them and they ended up helping with singing and were attentive throughout the show.

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Above: Eniko proclaiming the Gospel after the show. Here she holds up a drawing of a dark wall that represents sin that separates us from God. Eniko shared this morning that she felt much better yesterday after your prayers.

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Above: Traveling back home in brisk windy weather.

With only one show today, the team will be able to get some needed today and tomorrow. On Sunday we will be holding a puppet show in the neighboring town of Rozsaszentmarton where we have initiated a church plant.

Unlike other towns, we had to do the show outside of the school since they have repeatedly rejected our offer to come. Our teammate Erika was practically verbally abused on the phone when she called a few years ago asking if there was an opportunity for us to bring our show to the school. From what we understand, this rejection is related to disapproval of the puppet show’s non-profit organization’s support of the Jews in Hungary and also the town’s rejection of any faith teaching that is not directly form the Catholic Church.

God has opened up a door to Rozsaszentmarton than only He could open. Dezso, the elder we sent out to lead a team in planting a church in Rozsaszentmarton went to speak with the person in charge of the local community center to ask if we would be able to rent it. The man then asked, “Rent it for what?” Dezso was hesitant for a moment knowing the animosity often found for anything outside of the Catholic Church. Dezso said, “For a puppet show.” The man replied, “But where is this Puppet Show coming from?” Dezso with a bit of anxiety but also a bit of confidence because he had prayed about this meeting responded, “From the Baptist church in Petofibanya.” The man gazed at Dezso for a moment which seemed like an eternity. Then he said, “I teach at a Baptist school in Hatvan!” Tamás who accompanied Dezso blurted out in awe, “Praise God!” The man then worked out a way for us to rent the community center for this Sunday. This will be one of our first family outreaches in this community and we are hoping that many of our kids’ classmates from Rozsaszentmarton will attend with their parents.

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for our show in Rozsaszentmarton, for connections with new families that the church plant can follow up with.

• Please pray for a great day of rest for the team on Saturday and also for recovery from sickness for Allen and Ziva.
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EASTER PUPPET DAY 7

JOBBÁGYI

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Above: Victor greeting us as we set up for our first show today. Victor and his family have been attending our church for the past year after Victor’s mother heard about us at work through Dezso.

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Above: Unfortunately, things started breaking today in our first show. First a knob from our large speaker broke off, then one of the kids holding the red eggs dropped it on the floor cracking the plastic casing and finally part of our stage frame cracked while packing. While Eszti was carrying some heavy gear out to the car, she didn’t see one of the steps and slipped off almost turning her ankle (like her husband just did a few days ago). Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt. Erika and Eniko made some quick repairs after the show to our equipment and thankfully everything was ready to go for our next show.

SZURDOKPUSPOKI

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Above: Miki had to call this teen up front after he was continuing to distract others in the back row. In most of the schools the older teens don’t attend because the show isn’t geared toward them. This was a tough show for us because of the teens, many of whom heckled and distracted others throughout the show. Thankfully, the smaller kids were so far up front that most of them were able to pay attention despite the interruptions.

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PÁSZTÓ

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Above: Pásztó is the special needs school where our teammate Erika used to work. Erika was greeted by teachers she had developed relationships with and of course many kids who remembered her as one of their favorite teachers.

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Above: The young boy sitting on the teachers lap ran up and began hitting some of the puppets at the beginning of our show (he did the same thing last year). Thankfully, this teacher grabbed him and he quickly calmed down. Other than that incident, the kids payed close attention and enjoyed the show.

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It was a tough day with more distractions than past days, which makes the teaching time more difficult for Eniko. However, even with the distractions and the equipment that broke, God was gracious in equipping us to continue using this show to proclaim His good news.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Our youngest, Ziva, is sick and sounding congested. She slept well last night and we ask for prayer for her healing and that she may be protected from croup.

• Allen has a head cold, please pray for healing.

• The team is feeling a bit worn down as we pass the halfway mark. Please pray that we would be refreshed in our spirit and that God would bless us with physical strength.

• Please continue to pray that God would protect the time from distractions when the Gospel is proclaimed in the puppet show itself and when Eniko teaches after the show.

Thank you for continuing to support us through prayer!
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EASTER PUPPET DAY 6

SZIRÁK

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Above: Szirák’s school is full of Romani kids who are widely despised in Hungary. We have had some tough experiences at this school in the past as some of the kids went overboard causing distractions. This morning God was really at work. He allowed Miki and Erika to connect with some of the kids before the show and Miki sang a few Romani style worship songs.

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Above: This is one of the kids we had to discipline the last time we were here, but he was one of the first to greet us this morning. All of the kids did an excellent job paying attention to the puppet show, the teaching and were involved in singing.

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Above: Some of the lyrics for this year’s song: It’s a historical fact that Jesus lived in this world, but so many have just recently understood, but they aren’t interested in the point. But He didn’t just come, He died for us, He was raised from the dead so that we could have eternal life. Jesus is King, He has all power to make us soar in freedom.

After the show a teacher asked where she could find the lyrics and shared how much she enjoyed singing. Praise God for the proclamation of the gospel through song as well as the teaching time after each puppet show.

BÉR

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Above: Kids from the Bér preschool peeking out as we pull up and begin unpacking.

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Today, our sixth day, marks the midpoint of this year’s Easter Puppet Outreach. Today was another example of how God is at work, protecting us, causing all the equipment to work well and helping the message of the Gospel be clearly presented through songs, the puppet show, the teaching time and the materials we distribute afterwards. We are experiencing the answers to your prayers! Thank you for standing with us in this ministry.

Praise God that the team remains healthy and God continues to provide strength. Tomorrow we have three shows instead of the normal two. This can be physically draining and we ask for prayer!
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EASTER PUPPET DAY 5

ZAGYVASZANTO MIDDLE SCHOOL

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Above: It’s great to see familiar faces in these different towns like Réka. Réka is the daughter of one of Sharon’s friends Klári that she initially met through our English Bible Studies years ago. Klári has been such a help to our family, even coming over to help clean when Ziva was born. We’re very thankful for her friendship.

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Above: Eniko keeping the kids in suspense to find out what is in each of the eggs and how each symbol tells an important part of the Easter story.

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Above: Not only do we give evangelistic gift packets to each child, but we also have a special gift packet for the teachers as well. What a great opportunity to pass on the Gospel not only through the puppet show and teaching, but in written form as well. We continue to be in need of support for the 1,600 gift packets we have purchased. Each is a little over 55 cents bringing the total to close to $900 we hope to raise. If you would like to give toward these evangelistic gift packets that we hand deliver in each of our puppet shows, please contact us for more information.

LORINCI PRESCHOOL

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Above: When we come to this preschool, we praise God for power. More than once, we have come here only to find out that there was a power outage because of construction or other reasons. But today, all was well which helped our puppet show and it’s message to be heard loud and clear.

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Above: One of the kids goofing around with her friend just before the show.

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Above: Thankfully Eszti (above) had no fever this morning and was able to serve full of strength this morning. Thank you for praying for her! Unfortunately, Eszti’s little brother Gyozo who lives with Eszti’s family came down with a very high fever last night and continues today. Also as I wrote about yesterday, Eszti’s husband Peti suffered a sprained ankle last night at volleyball. Needless to say, Eszti has her hands full at home. Please continue to pray for her and her family through this intense time of ministry.

Eszti said that while walking her child home from preschool today, she began a conversation with another mother from the same preschool. The mother shared how much her child enjoyed the puppet show and how her daughter sang the song she learned for her family and in stores along with the motions! The song that we sang in her preschool is simply the Gospel message. Praise God that it remained in that child’s heart and mind and that she shared it with others.

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LORINCI MIDDLE SCHOOL

Because of a complaint of one of the parents a few years ago regarding our puppet show, for a time we were not invited back to the middle school in Lorinci. God allowed us to return once again, but with the condition that we don’t distribute the evangelistic packets that we did in the past. We’re saddened by this restriction, but thankful for the continued opportunity to teach after our show. We are often invited to serve in events in this neighboring town and have kids that have attended our VBS from Lorinci in the past. So even though one avenue of sowing seeds was closed, others remain open by God’s grace.

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Above: The eggs with different symbols inside have been very effective at keeping the kids attention and helping them remember the important parts of the Easter Story. It is very encouraging to hear the kids give the answers after each show when Eniko reviews and holds up each symbol asking what they represent. It is also encouraging to hear kids respond to Miki when he asks what is Easter about. Of course we hear murmurs of bunnies and eggs, but there are more and more schools where we hear, “It’s about Jesus being raised from the dead!”

The puppet show continues to go well and the team is also doing well. We praise God that no one on the team is sick and each one is doing a great job serving in their various responsibilities. The kids, even when in larger groups, have payed attention to the show and the teaching time and they have all enjoyed learning and singing with us. We praise God for His continued help in this ministry and we continue to ask for you to pray for us.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please pray that each team member would have sufficient rest for a new day of ministry tomorrow.
• Please pray for Eszti’s husband Peti and her little brother Gyozo’s healing.
• Please pray for protection for the team members from sickness, and that we would have the strength we need to serve.
• Please continue to pray that God would protect our children in this time of ministry.
• Please continue to pray that the children would understand the Gospel and that the seeds being planted would bear fruit in their lives and their families lives.
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EASTER PUPPET DAY 4

SELYP PRESCHOOL

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Above L to R: Eszti, Eniko, Miki and Erika. The team singing “He died on the cross for me.” The preschool kids in Selyp did a great job following the motions and singing. Two of Eszti’s four kids attend this preschool which is just a few blocks away from her house.

Because we use some of the same audio equipment in our worship service, in the midst of repacking we forgot our main extension cord. I only noticed once we were practically all set up and the kids were shuffling in. Once again, by God’s grace today’s show was just a few minutes away from our hometown and I was able to get the cord in time for the show without any problems.

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After the show, the headmaster made sure to thank us and also invited us back for Christmas. Praise God for this open door in a town that we hope to plant a church in the future!

SELYP MIDDLE SCHOOL

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Above: The builk of our stage, lighting and puppets piled in the foyer of Selyp’s middle school. When we arrived, it turned out that there was a miscommunication (or no communication at all) and they didn’t know we were coming. This has happened to us plenty of times before and God worked it out so that we were still able to perform.

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Above: Here’s another one of Eszti’s four kids, Szabi who attends this school.

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Thank you for your continued prayer support! Today went well and we were encouraged as the kids were able to tell Eniko what the symbols meant after her teaching time. The Gospel is being proclaimed!

Tomorrow we have a tougher schedule as we will be performing in three schools rather than two. We appreciate your prayers for strength.

Tonight at our community volleyball sport outreach, Peti (Eszti’s husband) hurt his ankle. I took him to the hospital and after x-rays, it turns out to be a sprain. Please pray for Peti who will be going to work tomorrow with a sprained ankle.

Please pray for Eszti as well who felt feverish tonight. We hope to serve the entire puppet outreach with healthy bodies. We appreciate your prayers.
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EASTER PUPPET DAY 3

HERÉD

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Above: Heréd has been in the mix of schools we have visited from the first days of doing puppet ministry. We’re thankful for the warm reception we receive every year and for doors God has opened in the past to allow us to do more children’s outreach in this town. Heréd continues to be on our ‘radar’ for future church planting.

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Above: After being greeted, we were quickly offered coffee… very very dark coffee.

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Above: Eszti having some fun with Kira before the show. Kira is a bit itchy because of the rash that has covered her body, but she is doing well.

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Above: There is so much of a contrast of participation in songs from school to school. The kids in Heréd always give their all when they sing and fully participate in all the motions.

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Above: By God’s grace, Eniko continues to do a great job sharing the gospel after the puppet show. It’s ver encouraging to see this gift God has given her flourish as she serves on this year’s puppet team.

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GYÖNGYÖS COMMUNITY CENTER

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Above: The recently renovated square in front of Gyöngyös’ community center. Before God confirmed our calling to Petofibánya, Gyöngyös was one of the places we considered moving to for church planting.

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Above: Peti joining our team today offering a helping hand.

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Above: Something I rarely see in Hungary. An older man smiling.

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Above: A little pillow fight between the father and son at the end of the puppet show.

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Above: Eniko cracking open the egg containing a cross, using it illustrate the truths of the gospel.

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Above: Teammate Erika catches up with a co-worker she used to work with who responded to an invitation to come today. Praise God for this connection!

We are thankful for God’s continued provision of strength and protection of our team in this time as we seek to proclaim the Gospel through this puppet show. We value your prayers and are encouraged to know you are standing with us in this intense time of ministry.

For those praying for Erika’s grandmother, it seems as if she had a stroke. Erika was able to speak with her and she is now stable and hoping for recovery. Apparently, she was reading a devotional when she felt the stroke come on. She was able to call for her neighbor who quickly called for help. The doctors said that she is in good shape because of the quick response. She shared with Erika that she is trusting in God through this time. Please pray for complete recovery and healing.

Kira continues to be covered with a rash, but it is more of an annoyance than anything. She’s up and running, laughing and joined us at both our puppet shows today. Please continue to pray for complete healing.

As far as the puppet show and the teaching afterwards, things are going very well. We haven’t had any technical problems (there are many things that can go wrong in the show) and all the puppeteers are healthy. Please pray for a refreshing night’s rest and for renewal as we worship together on Sunday and begin puppets again early Monday morning. Thank you for your prayers!

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Above: Ziva getting cuter every day.

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EASTER PUPPETS DAY 2

EGYHÁZASDENGELEG

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Above: Preschoolers from Egyházasdengeleg hiking to the local middle school to see today’s Easter puppet show.

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Above: Eszti serving with joy.

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Above: The suffering of Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sins displayed through shadow puppets.

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Above: Eniko showing a picture of the empty tomb and sharing the good news that Jesus was raised from the dead! Eniko’s teaching time went much better today as the kids in both schools were very attentive. One of the issues yesterday was teaching in a gym with terrible acoustics where the hum and echo of kids talking made it difficult for anyone to pay attention. Praise God for how well it went today!

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Above: What we always hope for… open doors to share the Gospel with teachers. Miki was able to connect with Bori after the puppet show. They have been in contact over the years through email and Bori told Miki how she continues to read the various links he sends her about seeking God.

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Above: Jennifer joined us today with her son Justin. We first got to know Jennifer through inviting her to volleyball. She later began attending Bible studies at Miki’s house and has begun visiting our worship service on Sunday.

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Above: Erika and Timi who also joined us today.

HÉHALOM

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Above: Our next stop was in the small town of Héhalom.

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Above: Amazing! Being able to raise a cross in these public school and proclaim that Jesus Christ died for our sins!

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We thank God for the beautiful weather that makes it easy to travel, pack and unpack at each of the schools. We praise Him for the open doors to proclaim His good news, to help these kids see the truth of why we celebrate Easter. We praise Him for the unity of this wonderful team, each one serving with joy and for the glory of Jesus Christ. We praise Him for the health of each team member. We thank you all for your continued prayer support!

THURSDAY NIGHT TEEN MINISTRY

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Above: Gabi and Gyozo thoroughly embarrassed at buying bags and bags of corn puffs for tonight’s teen meeting.

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Above L to R: Gyozo, Peti and Gyula at Thursday night’s teen meeting. Peti was just baptized this past Sunday. Both Gyozo and Gyula continue to grow in their faith, meeting with mentors in our church weekly. We praise God for raising up these young guys in Christ.

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Above: Zsofia who rededicated her life to Christ at last year’s English camp at Thursday’s meeting.

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PRAYER REQUESTS

• Ben is doing better and will be returning to school tomorrow. Thanks for praying! Please pray for Kira who has a rash all over her body (possibly from the same virus that Elianna and Sharon had). It’s not painful at all, just rashy. Please continue to pray for the children of those serving on the Puppet team.

• Erika (serving as puppeteer) got word tonight that her grandmother had a brain hemorrhage. Please pray for her.

• Please continue to pray for Eniko who is teaching after the show each day. The schools we visit tomorrow are much larger. Please pray that God would gracious capture the attention of all those who attend.
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EASTER PUPPETS DAY 1

PETOFIBANYA PRESCHOOL

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Above: Before the show, singing songs that many of the kids are already familiar with from attending Bible club and VBS. Although we were not able to teach in this preschool after the show, I think the message was very clear from the song lyrics and the puppet show itself. Jesus is risen!

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Above: Erika talking with Marika after the show, the one who taught all of our kids in preschool.

PETOFIBANYA MIDDLE SCHOOL

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Above: Kids peering out the window as we pulled up and unpacked to prepare for today’s show.

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Above: Miki leading our time of singing together. Our hometown middle school is always one of the hardest to perform in as there have been problems not only with the kids paying attention but the teachers as well. Over the past few years there has been some change for the better and I sensed God’s grace at work as the kids were engaged in today’s puppet show.

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Above: Grandma telling the story of Easter as various shadow puppets help the kids follow along.

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Above: The Risen Christ greeting Mary.

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Above: This was Eniko’s first time teaching in our puppet ministry and she did a great job! We are so thankful to see her continue to grow in her faith and use after being saved in an English camp a few years ago. Since then she has been attending Bible training in teaching kids and has taken on teaching Bible clubs in our area in a number of preschools.

Even though we thought she did great, she thought she could do better and was a bit disappointed. We would appreciate prayer for God’s peace to fill her and His strength to move her to teach with boldness.

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We praise God for a great first day! As we have so much to pack for the show, it is easy enough to forget something important. That’s just what I did this morning. As I completed setting up the lighting and the speakers and readied myself for a sound check for the puppet show, I realized I left my MP3 player at home that had the show on it. OOPS! Praise God that today’s show was in our hometown and my house was just a minute drive away. If this had been in another time, it would have delayed the show and caused problems with our schedule.

Specific Prayer Requests:

• Ben’s school called us after our first show informing us that Ben was sick and would have to return home. He is doing much better now, but please pray for complete healing and protection for the team’s children in this time. (Anna, Bence, Benjamin, Elianna, Kira, Ziva, Szabi, Alina, Darius and Elianna)

• The puppet show itself has less transitions with puppets than past shows which means the puppeteers get a bit fatigued holding up their arms for extended amounts of time (you can try holding up a book above your head on your knees for more than five minutes to know what I’m talking about). Please pray for strength for Eszti, Eniko, Miki and Erika.

• Please pray for open doors to share the Gospel with teachers who often invite us to coffee and tea after the show.
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WEEKLY UPDATE

SUNDAY BAPTISMS

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Above: Praise God that six people were baptized on Sunday publicly proclaiming their belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Márk and Béla (Left to right) are from the neighboring town of Lorinci where we hope to plant a church in the future. Néomi (front center), Marianna, Laszo and Péter their son are from the neighboring village of Rozsaszentmarton where we initiated a church plant this year. These are some of the first from that village who will form the core of the growing body in that town.

With deep roots in communism, atheism and heartless religion, it is always a miracle to see Hungarians saved by the grace of God. It is especially encouraging to see a household (László, Marianna and Péter) believing and being baptized together! It reminds me of Lydia in the book of Acts who was baptized along with her household (Acts 16:15).  May the Gospel continue to spread through family lines leading to entire families putting their faith in the Risen Lord! “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

I prepared a short film of the highlights below:



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Above: Last Sunday were excited to see Jennifer (left) and Timi (right) attend our worship service after attending various Bible studies and community events over the past few years. They have also begun attending a women’s Bible study that was recently launched and we praise God for baby steps they are taking by faith. Please pray for Jennifer who is originally from Germany and later moved to Hungary having to learn Hungarian. It is difficult at times for her to follow deeper conversations in Hungarian, but she does have a German Bible now and has been researching more about Jesus on the internet. Pray also for Timi and her husband János that they would fully understand the gospel and be transformed by Jesus Christ.

EASTER PUPPET OUTREACH

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Above: Eniko, Eszti and Erika prepping one of the backgrounds for this year’s puppet show.

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Even though it seems like we just wrapped up our Christmas Puppet Outreach, we’re off to 26 public schools starting Thursday for this years Easter Puppet Outreach. This door that God has continued to keep open over the past six years allows us to sow seeds of the gospel to over 1,300 kids in our county.

Every year, it is our desire to give the children a gift package which includes a CD (that includes the puppet show, music and the Gospel message) and a Christian family magazine. This gift allows the children and parents to hear the gospel repetitively at home. We hope to raise enough money again for 1400 packets. If you would like to donate toward this outreach please contact us via email.

We also hope to raise up a team of daily prayer warriors for this time. Going into public schools to share the Gospel is met with much spiritual resistance from the enemy. We praise God that every year He has responded to your prayers and blessed these outreaches. We need you again this year to fight with us in prayer. If you would like to join our daily prayer team from this Thursday March 22 to April 5th, please let us know via email.

For those of you who would like to pray as we come to mind, please check our blog for regular updates and requests during our puppet ministry.

Here are some ways you can begin praying!

Team requests:
1. Physical HEALTH and stamina for a tough schedule. (Stage setup, singing and teaching voices, puppet show)
2. Safety in traveling everyday (Allen driving most days)
3. Unity, patience, good communication among members and abiding love.
4. Protection from the enemy (The team including their families, especially their kids)
5. Restful nights of sleep.
6. Spiritual stamina. That we would be daily built up in prayer and fellowship.
7. That God would equip us to be the brilliant light of Christ in these spiritually dark areas.

The Show:
1. That all the technical elements would WORK! (lights, microphone, guitar, speaker for Puppet show, puppets)
2. That all the cars would WORK!
3. That the message of the Gospel would be delivered without distraction. (Pray especially for Eniko who will be teaching. In the past the enemy has used loud noises, accidents, technical problems, distracting kids etc.)
4. That God would bless those that come with an understanding of the Gospel and draw them to Himself.
5. That the CD's (with the Gospel and song) and the Christian family magazines that are distributed may produce fruit.

Thank all of you for joining us in this outreach!

RANDOM FAMILY PICS

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Above: Kira breaks the family record and learns how to ride a bike in three days.

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Above: Wildly enjoying the warm weather this week.

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Above: Ziva out for a stroll with mom.

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WEEKLY UPDATE

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Above: Photo of a clear but frigid day taken from just outside of Kira’s preschool. It’s hard to believe that one of first experiences in this town was over eight years ago in the yellow apartment building. It was there that we scrunched into a small room and at the time met with just a few people. Now we’re scrunching into a bigger room in the local community center that we are steadily outgrowing. Praise God for the growth He has caused over the years. He is faithful!

SUNDAY WORSHIP

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Above: Tamás, one of the core members of the church plant in Rozsaszentmarton giving testimony to his least expected brother and brother’s girlfriend putting their faith in Jesus after he explained the gospel to them.

As I have explained in previous posts, we have launched a church plant in the neighboring town of Rozsaszentmarton and have also begun a small group in the town of Apc. These meetings are held every other week. On these Sundays when the church is “scattered” in multiple locations, we continue to meet in Petofibanya with a smaller number and have a worship service that is designed for more interaction with each other and with God’s word. Even with a bulk of the church spread out in different locations, sometimes the community center room we rent still fills up!

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Above: Just a few Sunday’s ago we were overjoyed with the first time visits from Roland and his girlfriend (above left). Roland knows church member Peti and called him out of the blue asking if they could come to church. Peti and I have played soccer with Roland in the past and Roland is actually Peti’s father’s new wife’s son (if that wasn’t too hard to follow). We hope that this first time visit leads to greater understanding of their need for Jesus and a restored relationship with our loving Father.

To the right of Roland, you can see some other visitors (also related to Peti). These two young men previously attended our New Year’s party and have also been visiting on Sundays.

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Above: Monika and Attila (seated far left) also visiting for the first time. God has been reaching out to them for over a year through both Eniko (seated right) and her husband Gabi. The miracle of them coming can only be understood if you know both of their personalities. They are very private people and find it very difficult to be around other people. By God’s grace, more and more people from our local body have been reaching out to them and there is a greater comfort level that has developed over the past year first through attending volleyball, and then through attending an evangelistic study at Miki’s house.

Monika has already put her faith in Jesus and is meeting with teammate Brenda for discipleship on a regular basis! We hope that Attila will soon follow in putting his faith in Jesus Christ. God’s gospel is moving with power through family lines.

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Above: This smiley character is Márk. God has been hounding Márk with his grace for over two years and after reaching a low point in his life, Márk has come to understand his need to put his faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I’m currently meeting with Márk in preparation for his baptism on the 18th of this month. Please pray for Márk’s continued spiritual growth. By the way, Márk is church member’s Peti’s brother.

VOLLEYBALL

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Above: We continue to meet once a week offering volleyball to those in the community. We’re so glad to see newcomers and get to know more people through simple recreation.

THURSDAY TEEN MEETING

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Above: Niki, Zofia, Eniko and Monika.

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Above: Gyula and his mother (who doesn’t yet believe in Christ) to his right also attending the youth group meeting. I’m very encouraged with Gyula’s growth. From a worldly perspective, you first meeting with Gyula may lead you to believe that he is simple minded, stuttering and finding it difficult to put sentences together. His father suffers from depression. His parents are separated and sometimes fall into drinking. His living situation is difficult. But one thing I have seen in Gyula is a simple faith that seeks to obey what God is revealing to Him. He stops by at random times to share what is going on in his life and shares how God is teaching him in his struggles. I find no greater joy than a new believer pointing out how God’s word brought change to how they live or how they think.
Although in appearance, Gyula seems to be the most simple minded in our church, when you get into conversations with him is one of the deepest spiritual thinkers.

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards… God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Cor 1:26, 28-29)

Please pray for Gyula and that he may have more open doors to proclaim the gospel to his mother and his father.

FAMILY STUFF

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Above: Ben was one of four students selected from his class who got to compete in a regional scholastic competition. We’re thankful for his hard work in school and for this opportunity.

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Above: Finally a warm Saturday. Let’s take a trip to the zoo!

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Above: My little gorilla girls, Elianna and Kira.

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Above: A little football fun in the soccer field just behind our house. Just for your information, in Hungarian they call soccer “football”, and football “American football.”

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Above: Ziva waiting for the day she can tackle daddy..

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Thank you all for your continued prayer and financial support! Thank you for being faithful partners in this ministry with us in Hungary!
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