Weekly Update

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While many of you had already experienced blizzards and landscapes blanketed in white, we were almost all the way through winter without any snowfall...until this week. The kids rejoiced that ‘finally’ they could enjoy sledding as we had our first snowstorm and are once again getting more snowfall today.

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Above: Ziva enjoying her first experience in the snow. In her zeal she began sweeping snow back onto the previously cleared walkway. Oh well.

Thankfully the roads aren’t so terrible as to halt all of our ministries. Just last night teammate Brenda, along with Miki’s daughter Anna joined me in traveling to Bogács for our Tuesday night Bible study.

Bogács update


Just recently, Izabella’s boyfriend Süni (the father of her three kids) was released from prison. After Izabella was saved, she would tell Süni (at that time in prison) about what was happening in her life but he was not very responsive. Now that Süni is at home, he has restricted Izabella from attending our meetings which are in an adjacent house. I praise God that Izabella continues to study the word and I’m sure she is praying for a change of heart in Süni.

The first week Süni was at home, he would peak in the window and watch us from outside as we did our study. Then towards the end of our meeting, he came into the house and stayed in the adjacent room with his kids. It was clear he was trying to see what we were all about without revealing that he was really curious. The brief comments he did make on that first night were all negative and he firmly stood against anything to do with God. He was so aggressive with his words and mannerisms that I think I shocked him when I approached him before I left. I smiled and grabbed his hand and said, “I know this is all strange. I just want to introduce myself to you. I hope we can talk some other time. May God bless you.” God has been teaching me to just love as He is love. Just represent Jesus in the brief moments we have with people. Without Christ, I would have been very nervous and afraid as this man is twice my size. But with Christ, I knew that HIs light in me was greater than any darkness I may encounter.

Fast forward to this week. As is his custom, Pujka, the father of the household always greets us as we pull up saying, “God be with you.” His grandkids also run toward us embracing each of us. Katyus the mother of the household is in her normal place next to the wood burning oven and I grasp her hand and greet her. Last week Katyus had shared her struggle with depression most of her life. Tonight, she looked different. She shared later that after Brenda prayed for her last week that the next day she couldn’t stop laughing. She shared her amazement with us and Brenda encouraged her to continue praying for deliverance. Süni was also in the room. This time he was less combative as I greeted him. Although he didn’t stay for the study, he did return towards the end and sit down. This time he listened and began interacting as well. Later, Katyus whispered to us, “You see how he is changing! He is coming now!” It is amazing to see how God has blessed Katyus with transformation. When we first began our study at her house almost a year ago, she was skeptical and even opposed her daughter Izabella from getting too serious about her faith in Jesus. Now Katyus is asking that we all pray for Süni to have a change of heart and come to know God.

Katyus also came to understand after our study from the book of Acts that when we repent and believe in Jesus, we are to be baptized into Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39). I’ve encouraged both Pujka and Katyus to take this step and hope to be able to baptize them at their house in the near future.

Please pray for this household and for the Gospel to spread throughout Bogács. The Romani families are very connected and it will take God’s great power working in this household to truly set them free from the push of their culture away from God and following His Son.

APC Update


Vivi, who was previously opposed to God (even though her mother spent years praying and reaching out to her), put her trust in Jesus this past year. Tomorrow, we are planning to baptize Vivi in her home in the town of Apc. I’ve been very convicted from God’s word that baptism consistently happened at the moment of repentance. It was not restricted to those who had been tested for years. It was not associated with joining a denomination or becoming a member of a local church. People were baptized into Jesus Christ and by faith ‘put on’ Christ by being baptized (Gal 3:27). In the book of Acts, in response to the great commission of Jesus, Peter proclaims: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) There were thousands who believed what Peter was saying, so what did they do? The book of Acts tells us: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Scripture tells us they were baptized “that day.” (also please read Acts 8:12, 36; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 22:16) Peter does not tell the crowds, “The truth is, you just have to pray a prayer of faith. Baptism isn’t that important. Besides, there around 3000 of you.” No, again Scripture reveals that on the day they repented and believed, they were baptized. Why was this normal and expected by Peter, but not so normal today?

Repentance, faith and baptism were part of the Gospel message. And baptism was clearly a step of faith taken at the moment of repentance and belief in the Gospel. If we were to ask Peter, Philip, Paul or any of the disciples of Jesus Christ in Acts if baptism was important or not... I think they would be dumbfounded that a question such as that would be asked. If we asked them when we should baptize someone, I think they would all say the same thing. The day a person repents and believes the Gospel. This is the example they set for us, being led by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Are people tested and proven when they repent and believe the Gospel? Can I be sure that a person r-e-a-l-l-y believes if I follow the pattern that Peter, Paul and Philip set in the book of Acts? No. But I can be sure that the clear pattern in the New Testament revealed by the Holy Spirit is baptize those who repent and believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior. And this is the pattern that I seek to follow by faith.

So, tomorrow (Lord willing) in a small house in the town of Apc, in a bathtub I will baptize Vivi into Jesus Christ and ask that you all pray for her to know the freedom and joy of being restored to God as a beloved child through the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
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