NEW ENGLISH PROGRAMS

Over the past few years our team ceased doing English ministry as we had to transition to more time devoted to discipling young believers in their faith. As a result, there are now a core group of Hungarians that are equipped to serve in their giftings with us as we transition back to a season of more evangelism.

One of the tools that God has led us to use is English classes. We have found that trust is directly connected to a Hungarian’s ability to begin listening and engaging with the message we preach. Trust is built over time as students see that we love them as friends. As we live before them, seeking to bless them through these English programs we want them to see Jesus in us as well as hear about Jesus through us.

Just a few weeks ago we launched two English classes for kids in Petofibanya’s public school and also one class for adults in the neighboring village of Rozsaszentmarton.





Above: A few shots from our English program just launched in the neighboring village of Rozsaszentmarton where we are planting a church.



Above: The intermediate level class. Bence (blue pullover) attended our English Camp in the summer. Since then we haven’t had contact with him until starting our English program in Rozsaszentmarton. Now both he and his mother (our town’s mail carrier) are attending.



Above: Bence’s mother (maroon sweater) attending the beginner level class.



Above: We also meet with Bence’s sister (far left) at the new English class we are teaching in the elementary school in Petofibanya! We’re so thankful to have opportunity to build relationships with entire families through our English programs. As we interact with them and pray for them, we look forward to God opening up opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.



Above: Teammate Roger teaching our new English class in Petofibanya’s Elementary School.

SHARING THE GOSPEL IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOL

Another opportunity God has given to us is to teach “Homeroom Hour” for various grades in Petofibanya’s public school. We are given freedom to teach on any subject and in most cases the teacher also stays in the room to hear what we present. In November, we brought a message about the danger in rejecting Christianity before investigating it themselves.





Above: We set up a game where two groups would lead a teammate blindfolded to obtain anything sitting on the shelf in the front of the room. There were two beautifully wrapped boxes that would appear to offer something great. To the side of the boxes was a crumpled up piece of paper that appeared to be worthless. As expected, both teams grabbed the wrapped boxes. To their surprise and disappointment, opening the boxes revealed that they were worthless. With that we were able to talk about how people go through life hoping in things that look so exciting and full of hope, but in the end lead to emptiness.



Above: After leading the kids back to the shelf in the front of the room, I pointed out that there was another object that appeared worthless. Inside a crumpled up tissue was a small decorative scroll with a message informing the finder that they were entitled to a bag of candy. With this object lesson we were able to talk about how people often disregard Jesus as boring, lying, or irrelavant because of a lack of investigation. But if they were to truly investigate, they would find a treasure in Jesus that is greater than all treasures. Can you imagine that being talked about in a public school in the US! What an amazing opportunity that God has provided.

SUNDAY WORSHIP

Above: Peti who was saved a few years ago on one of our hiking outings is now in his fourth and final year of theological studies. I meet with Peti weekly and am very thankful for God’s work in his life. Peti along with Gabi (another young man close to finishing theological training) are given opportunity to preach every other week in our worship service and every week they facilitate a house group. “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)



Above: Peti’s wife Eszti teaches in our children’s ministry in Petofibanya and in our church plant in Rozsaszentmarton.





Above: Erika teaching Sunday School. As you can see, kids make up a large part of our congregation.



Above: Roger teaching the pre-teens that have grown in number over the years. Three of them were baptized this year!



Above: Timi giving testimony to how God has helped her to be free of destructive anger and bitterness toward others. The room that we have been renting for years is very tight and we’re thankful for the possibility of transitioning our meeting place to the public school in Petofibanya.



Above: Moni and Attila. Moni was saved through Eniko who was saved at our English Camp. Attila was saved through the testimony of his brother Gabi (Eniko’s husband). Both Moni and Attila have begun attending classes on the foundations of our faith in preparation for baptism.

Happy Birthday Ziva!

Above: Wow, that was fast. Our little Ziva turned 1 on November 20th.

CHRISTMAS PUPPET MINISTRY STARTS SATURDAY!

Once again, we’re gearing up for our Christmas Puppet Ministry that will share the Gospel with over 1,500 kids and many teachers in Northeastern Hungary. We’re still in need of financial gifts for this ministry to buy Gospel gift packets that we distribute to teachers and children after the show. To give specifically to the puppet ministry online, go to: https://webapps.pioneers.org/DP/Give/GiftInformation
Name: Hungary Puppet Ministry (Mercer)
Acc No: 150639

We’re also hoping to raise up a group of intercessors that would pray daily for our puppet ministry. If you would like to join our prayer team from Dec 1st — Dec 22 please contact me via email: [email protected]

Above: A few weeks ago we launched three house groups spread out in three towns (Petofibanya, Lorinci and Rozsaszentmarton) that allow church members to be built up through fellowship, study God’s word and pray for one another. Two of the three groups are being lead by men we’ve been mentoring over the past few years in our church plant. I’ve been meeting with Peti (black striped shirt center) every Wednesday and enjoyed seeing him grow in His faith and walk with Jesus Christ. This Thursday house group is a great opportunity for Peti to grow in leadership having opportunity to put into practice what he is learning.



Above: Béla, who walks a few miles to our house Thursday nights, is in his seventies. In last week’s meeting he shared how thankful he was for God bringing healing to his leg that the doctors thought they would have to amputate at the knee. After being released from the hospital, Béla’s bike that he used like a walker to support his recovering leg was stolen. He said, “I ask God to bless that person who stole my bike. After the bike was gone, I really began learning to walk again.”



Above: Zsuzsa who began attuning our church after getting to know us through VBS this past summer. Zsuzsa has taken on the responsibility of caring for two young children as a single grandmother. She shared a story about how these kids love the songs they learned in VBS and in church. On a bus full of people, Zsuzsa said the kids began singing together at the top of their lungs songs to God. Hungarian buses have the same atmosphere as the library of congress…everyone is dead silent. Their singing brought smiles to some of the older women who marveled about what they were singing.

FIRST SNOW

Above: We had a few unexpected inches of snow at the end of October. The kids made the most of it before it melted away just hours later in the day.

Friday volleyball

Above: We continue to meet every friday to play volleyball with the community. This was one of the first places that Timi and Jennifer who were just baptized a few weeks ago began interacting with members of our church. Now Timi and Jennifer have invited many mothers from the community to a Bible Study and a few of them have recently made decisions to put their faith in Jesus! Please pray for all of these mothers who are meeting weekly at Miki and Erika’s house to learn more about Jesus Christ.

New ministry opportunity

Above: A recent holiday gathering in the town of Rozsaszentmarton where we are currently planting a church. This is a very spiritually needy area that needs to hear the Gospel and experience God’s love through Jesus Christ. Over the past few weeks we’ve been advertising our ESL program that we’ll be launching this Monday. It is our hope that this English program helps us to develop many new friendships in the community and allows for opportunity to share the Gospel. We would appreciate your prayers for our first meeting Monday night.

We continue to gain more information as to what opportunities we’ll have in Petofibanya’s public school after the Baptist Church of Hungary committed to taking on the school’s financial responsibility. We have had various meetings with the principal of the school and have been invited to teach various ethics classes, hold an English Club and a Royal Rangers Club for the kids every week. We have also been given permission to use their gym as a meeting place for our church on Sundays! This is great news as we have been steadily growing out of our old meeting place in the local community center. We are currently looking at what would have to be done as far as construction in order to make this move to the school happen.

Radom shots

Above: Kids hanging out just before our worship service on Sunday. Bianka (far right) has been attending over a year without her parents or anyone else coming with her.



Above: “Elso Szeretet” is the name of our church. Translation “First Love”.



Above: Elianna and Kira.



Above: Ziva showing off her white chompers.