Please not that this newsletter has been sent to a number of churches that support us. The newsletter itself has been slightly modified for the internet.
Dear Friends,
A big Hello! from Győr, Hungary. After an unusually warm Autumn, the weather has recently turned very cold and we expect to see snow soon. We have really enjoyed this wonderful weather and are already looking forward to Spring 2019.
We are so pleased to report that ministry in Győr has grown incredibly well this last year and we are seeing so much fruit! Our many years of faithfulness and hardwork are being blessed by the Lord! Our local church has grown, as have all the related ministry programs. We have more and more people coming to worship regularly and they are also bringing friends and family with them. MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers) is growing significantly, with up to ten young mums present on each occassion. The ladies coffee morning has had as many as twelve women present when they meet and is helping to bring women closer to God and to have a place where they can discuss significant issues in their lives. We now have two Bible study groups, one in English and one in Hungarian and are grateful that God is raising up local leaders who are taking responsibility to lead. Our high school program has as many as twenty five teenagers coming together! We also continue our ministry in the orphanage and had a great VBS there in July. We also continue to offer counselling for those experiencing marriage difficulties and for others who are struggling with problems, such as mental health issues. I am pleased to report that one couple I counselled with this year have experienced the healing power of Christ and are living in marriage together rather than in divorce! God is good! Please pray for wisdom and strenght as we meet and counsel people who are stuggling in life.
I was blessed to travel this year. Although I didn’t make it to Ireland (which I am sad about), I did make it to England. I was pleased to play a part in encouraging a partnership between Garstang Free Methodist Church and our work in Ukraine. The church in Garstang is helping to financially and prayerfully support this ministry in Rivne, Ukraine, which involves alcohol and drug rehabilitation. Contact me if you would like to know more!
I also traveled to Romania with a mission team from the Győr church we lead. Five of us worked with the homeless and the poorest of the poor. We peeled vegetables, played games with kids, did handcrafts and offered medical care. Our church raised money and we were able to stock the shelves and freezer of the ministry centre for a whole month. We also saw the need for a new washing machine (the old one was falling apart) and our local church (along with a sister church in Spain), have raised the funds to buy a new washing machine. Other travels included preaching and teaching in Belgium, studying church planting in Greece and education and leadership meetings in Spain.
We also continue to be very involved in figthing human-traffiking. We were involved in rescusing a young woman we know from a dangerous situation in Greece back in April. It was complex, with numerous people involved, including the Greek police, the Hungarian embassy in Greece and others. After a short stay in hospital in Greece she was returned to Hungary, where both Kathy and I visited her and her infant child. We prayed with her, gave her advice and promised to help her as we could. She promptly went back into a former dangerous and unhealthy relationship. Much of ministry is discouraging and frustrating. Pray with us for this young woman ‘L’.
Support is becoming an issue for us. Unfortunately I just received an e-mail from a wonderful pastor who is leading a church that has been one of our main supporting contributors. The church has run into a difficult financial situation and therefore has decided to stop supporting us. We absolutely understand that finances are often a difficult area for many churches, however, without your support this work will struggle to carry on. Don’t misunderstand, we are in no immediate danger of stopping this ministry, but if we lost another large supporter it would have a significant impact on our ability to serve. Would you or your church be willing to commit to us? Perhaps you know of someone seeking a way of supporting God’s work? If so, let them know about our ministry.
Our three daughters are all well. All three are in University now. Csilla is studying social education and is due to receieve her degree in May of 2019. Zsuzsi is also studying social education and separately she is studying theology for a second degree. Katica started studying physiotherapy in September. Both Csilla and Zsuzsi live at home but Katica has moved to Pécs in the south of Hungary (about a four hour drive) and we miss seeing her every day! Zsuzsi is engaged and her wedding is scheduled for April 13th of 2019. She is engaged to Zsolt Mecséri, a wonderful young man who came to Christ through our ministry in Győr. Zsolt recently finished his University degree and is an engineer.
We are grateful that you are our partners in this ministry and without your prayer and financial support, none of this would be possible. Please feel free to write to us, ask us more questions and send us encouraging notes We enjoy hearing from you!
Enjoy some photos from ministry this past year$
