Weekly Update
Monday, July 19, 2010
SUMMER HEAT
After the busyness of weeks leading up to VBS and the intensity of VBS itself, we always take the following week off as a team. Since our car was in need of an inspection, we were stuck at home most of the week.
Above: Ellie having fun in something dad threw together from stuff in the basement for splashing in the shade. Last week, temperatures were consistently in the upper nineties and this was about the only way to keep the kids cool throughout the day.
Above: Even though the World Cup is over, Ben often convinces the girls to play as their favorite teams in the Cup.
Above: A bit of relief, as a summer storm rolls through Petőfiábánya and cools down temperatures.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Above: Miki leading our worship service on Sunday.
Above: Hugi wishing Anna happy birthday after service. I praise God when surveying the faces in our church. God has drawn people from all different ages and produced unity through His Spirit in us. One visitor, Csaba, who has attended over the past month commented on how our members love one another and how that deeply struck him and drew him back week after week.
Jesus prayed for us thousands of years ago an effective prayer: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.“
The unity that God is creating in our church is an answer to His prayer, a result of His work and it is very evident to those (like Csaba) who visit our church for the first time. Csaba continues to struggle in his life and is definitely seeking answers and help. Please pray for God to deliver him from the destructive life of sin and to cause Csaba to be born again to a new life and new hope in Christ.
Above: Alina (L) and our Kira (R). As part of worship service, we broke up into pairs and were encouraged to pray for one another. Miki also encouraged the kids to do the same. After finishing up my time praying for another member, and heading back to the front, I saw Kira and Alina with heads bowed holding one another shoulders and praying for one another. Afterwards, Kira ran up to me and said, “Dad, dad, Alina prayed for God to heal my heat rash and I prayed for her boo boo on her nose.” What a joy to see these little ones in communion with God and practicing Christian fellowship with one another.
Answer to prayer
Last week I shared a prayer request for getting our car inspected and papers in order without all the red tape. Praise God the whole process was smooth! On Friday I received the papers necessary to proceed to get the car inspected. I was able to wait in line at a local shop and within a few hours the work was done. The office I then needed to go to was already closed (Friday), so I waited until today (Monday) and brought in my papers. I found out that I needed to schedule an appointment, but the worker was helpful and asked for me to return later int he afternoon. I was given various instructions on what needed to be done before returning and once I came back, I had new papers, new license plates... all in one day... amazing in Hungary. Thank you for your prayers, God graciously answered.
After the busyness of weeks leading up to VBS and the intensity of VBS itself, we always take the following week off as a team. Since our car was in need of an inspection, we were stuck at home most of the week.
Above: Ellie having fun in something dad threw together from stuff in the basement for splashing in the shade. Last week, temperatures were consistently in the upper nineties and this was about the only way to keep the kids cool throughout the day.
Above: Even though the World Cup is over, Ben often convinces the girls to play as their favorite teams in the Cup.
Above: A bit of relief, as a summer storm rolls through Petőfiábánya and cools down temperatures.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Above: Miki leading our worship service on Sunday.
Above: Hugi wishing Anna happy birthday after service. I praise God when surveying the faces in our church. God has drawn people from all different ages and produced unity through His Spirit in us. One visitor, Csaba, who has attended over the past month commented on how our members love one another and how that deeply struck him and drew him back week after week.
Jesus prayed for us thousands of years ago an effective prayer: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.“
The unity that God is creating in our church is an answer to His prayer, a result of His work and it is very evident to those (like Csaba) who visit our church for the first time. Csaba continues to struggle in his life and is definitely seeking answers and help. Please pray for God to deliver him from the destructive life of sin and to cause Csaba to be born again to a new life and new hope in Christ.
Above: Alina (L) and our Kira (R). As part of worship service, we broke up into pairs and were encouraged to pray for one another. Miki also encouraged the kids to do the same. After finishing up my time praying for another member, and heading back to the front, I saw Kira and Alina with heads bowed holding one another shoulders and praying for one another. Afterwards, Kira ran up to me and said, “Dad, dad, Alina prayed for God to heal my heat rash and I prayed for her boo boo on her nose.” What a joy to see these little ones in communion with God and practicing Christian fellowship with one another.
Answer to prayer
Last week I shared a prayer request for getting our car inspected and papers in order without all the red tape. Praise God the whole process was smooth! On Friday I received the papers necessary to proceed to get the car inspected. I was able to wait in line at a local shop and within a few hours the work was done. The office I then needed to go to was already closed (Friday), so I waited until today (Monday) and brought in my papers. I found out that I needed to schedule an appointment, but the worker was helpful and asked for me to return later int he afternoon. I was given various instructions on what needed to be done before returning and once I came back, I had new papers, new license plates... all in one day... amazing in Hungary. Thank you for your prayers, God graciously answered.
Weekly Update
Thursday, July 15, 2010
THE DAY AFTER VBS
Above: Hugi, Marika, Kira, Ellie, Anna, Lidi and Betti joining arms as we prepare to sing a favorite worship song from our VBS camp that is based on Isaiah 43:1: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Marika (above pink shirt) was not originally ‘signed up’ to help in our VBS because of responsibilities of caring for her daughter and husband at home. Marika, full of joy, gave testimony of how God called her out to serve in our VBS the past week and provided the necessary strength and help that both her daughter (who suffers from schizophrenia) and elderly husband needed. Marika had seen the pictures of our camp in previous years but commented that it is completely different being there and seeing the amazing work that God is doing. We were very thankful for her sacrificial help in the kitchen the entire week which freed up others to spend more time with the kids.
Above: Brenda, Eszti and teenager Eszti who was part of the teen group in our VBS. This is the first time that Eszti has attended our worship service, however she practically knows all of our church members through various outreaches she has been attending throughout the year. Teenager Eszti has formed a bond to Eszti (long time member of our church and mother of 4). who has been able to share various truths about salvation and a living relationship with Jesus Christ over the past few months with her. Because of responsibilities at home teenager Eszti may not be able to attend church on a regular basis, but she is definitely seeking ways to be in fellowship and learn more about Jesus. Praise God for his work in her life.
Sunday Baptism/foundations of our faith class
I continue to meet with three teens, Ricsi, Erik and Roland who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ this past month to teach them about foundations of our faith and baptism. We have gone through basic truths about prayer, and how to read God’s word in order to be led by Him, to worship Him through it and to be spiritually nourished by it. Some of them have begun to journal their times in the Word and it is exciting to see God’s Spirit giving them understanding about this new hope they have entered into through Jesus Christ. This past Sunday we began studying justification by faith in Christ and our lack of ability to earn God’s acceptance through our own merits, ‘good’ works and our own strength.
VBS FILMS
If you missed following our blog over the past few weeks, here are some films that I made for parents who had kids in our VBS.
You can see the rest of the VBS day films on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/babymerce
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Just before VBS we had our very important car papers taken away by police on a random stop. The short story is that the car’s inspection was overdue (oops) and the police are legally bound to confiscate the papers . We are now waiting to receive a temporary permit to take the vehicle to be inspected and then fill out a bunch of other paper work to be able to drive the vehicle again. Please pray that all the red tape would become no tape and that we could finish this process successfully.
• English camp is just around the corner (15 days away!). This is an exciting summer ministry that takes a lot of preliminary work to make happen. Please pray for wisdom for all aspects of planning and for God even now to be preparing the teens and young adults’ hearts to hear and understand His gospel of hope.
Thanks for standing with us in prayer and for supporting us through your encouragement!
Above: Hugi, Marika, Kira, Ellie, Anna, Lidi and Betti joining arms as we prepare to sing a favorite worship song from our VBS camp that is based on Isaiah 43:1: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Marika (above pink shirt) was not originally ‘signed up’ to help in our VBS because of responsibilities of caring for her daughter and husband at home. Marika, full of joy, gave testimony of how God called her out to serve in our VBS the past week and provided the necessary strength and help that both her daughter (who suffers from schizophrenia) and elderly husband needed. Marika had seen the pictures of our camp in previous years but commented that it is completely different being there and seeing the amazing work that God is doing. We were very thankful for her sacrificial help in the kitchen the entire week which freed up others to spend more time with the kids.
Above: Brenda, Eszti and teenager Eszti who was part of the teen group in our VBS. This is the first time that Eszti has attended our worship service, however she practically knows all of our church members through various outreaches she has been attending throughout the year. Teenager Eszti has formed a bond to Eszti (long time member of our church and mother of 4). who has been able to share various truths about salvation and a living relationship with Jesus Christ over the past few months with her. Because of responsibilities at home teenager Eszti may not be able to attend church on a regular basis, but she is definitely seeking ways to be in fellowship and learn more about Jesus. Praise God for his work in her life.
Sunday Baptism/foundations of our faith class
I continue to meet with three teens, Ricsi, Erik and Roland who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ this past month to teach them about foundations of our faith and baptism. We have gone through basic truths about prayer, and how to read God’s word in order to be led by Him, to worship Him through it and to be spiritually nourished by it. Some of them have begun to journal their times in the Word and it is exciting to see God’s Spirit giving them understanding about this new hope they have entered into through Jesus Christ. This past Sunday we began studying justification by faith in Christ and our lack of ability to earn God’s acceptance through our own merits, ‘good’ works and our own strength.
VBS FILMS
If you missed following our blog over the past few weeks, here are some films that I made for parents who had kids in our VBS.
You can see the rest of the VBS day films on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/babymerce
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Just before VBS we had our very important car papers taken away by police on a random stop. The short story is that the car’s inspection was overdue (oops) and the police are legally bound to confiscate the papers . We are now waiting to receive a temporary permit to take the vehicle to be inspected and then fill out a bunch of other paper work to be able to drive the vehicle again. Please pray that all the red tape would become no tape and that we could finish this process successfully.
• English camp is just around the corner (15 days away!). This is an exciting summer ministry that takes a lot of preliminary work to make happen. Please pray for wisdom for all aspects of planning and for God even now to be preparing the teens and young adults’ hearts to hear and understand His gospel of hope.
Thanks for standing with us in prayer and for supporting us through your encouragement!