Winter Frost

Well, we haven't had snow to speak of here, but we have had early morning fog that left behind some beautiful frost the past couple of days. These pictures were taken from our back yard, but pictures really can't show how very beautifully God has painted the landscape.

Christmas Day

We had a great Christmas here yesterday. Our Christmas started Christmas Eve. Everything is closed for the holiday here starting on the 24th at 2 p.m. and continuing through the 26th. On Christmas Eve we enjoyed watching parts of familiar movies (Dennis the Menace, Sound of Music, the Muppets Christmas Carol) in Hungarian on television. Then we watched a Hungarian movie DVD that Mike received as a gift from his English/Hungarian conversation practice partner.
Christmas morning the two of us opened Christmas presents. Our family tradition is to read the Christmas story from Luke 2 before we open presents, and this year we read it in Hungarian. We relaxed and "played" with our Christmas presents, and ate a ham dinner. (Next time Nancy buys a ham, it won't be "békebeli," or "peacetime." It was what we would call old-fashioned ham and way too salty for us.) Mid-afternoon, we called two of our sons and their wives who were together for Christmas in Austin, Minnesota. We got to chat with them over the internet and saw their cute little dogs. We talked longer than we expected and so were a little late for the Christmas service at church here. The service ended with a presentation by the children-- children's Christmas programs are priceless, no matter where you are! We raced home after that and called our other son, his wife, and our grandson in Billings, Montana, again on the internet. We got to watch them open presents, and Nate was so excited, he just danced around and laughed!
We thank the Lord for a wonderful Christmas. And most of all we thank Him for His awesome gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christmas in Debrecen

All of Debrecen is decorated for Christmas. This is a view of the decorations in the new mall.

This fountain is in the city center. They've made it into a fountain of lights.


This walking street along the tram line downtown is lined with little kiosks put up just for the Christmas season. They sell all sorts of special Christmas items and food. We ate some kenyér langos from one of these vendors. It is a hot, flat bread topped with sour cream, bacon and onions. Delicious!


This is a new Christmas tree downtown. Can you believe it's artificial? The sign says, Merry Christmas, Debrecen! And we wish each of you "boldog karácsonyt!"

Nancy learns a new word

I (Nancy) learned a new word. I was at the store to buy shampoo when I noticed a word that intrigued me on a bottle of shampoo. It said"korpásodás" on it. I thought, "I know that word." I got all excited because, like so many women my age, my hair is thinning and I am always on the look out for something to help. Well, I thought, "I'm sure this word means 'bald' or 'going bald' or something like that," so I bought the shampoo. After I got home, I got out the dictionary to help me read the instructions. Right away I found that "korpás" means "dandruff." The word for "bald" is "kopasz." Well, at least I won't have dandruff!

Language-Learning Update

Lassan jön a nyelv. (The language is coming slowly.) We have finished our three-times-a-week meetings with our tutor for this semester. We really enjoyed our time with Rita, and we have shown some improvement. Even though our language acquisition is not moving as quickly as we would like, it is coming along. We've noticed some signs of progress.

-After church in Budapest last Sunday, we were able to carry on a simple conversation with our hosts about their grandchildren. We talked a little about INSTE in both Hungarian and English.
-We are noticing that when we are in Hungarian church services, we seem to be understanding more of what is being said. Details are still missing or blurry, but we can both follow along with the gyst of the message.
-Several days ago we were able to mail packages to our family for Christmas, understanding and being understood at the post office.

We have signed up for another intensive language course that starts January 11. This one will be 80 class hours in two weeks time. Our classes will start at 8:30 and finish at 5:30 Monday through Friday. Please pray for the right teachers and classmates for us and that this course will be effective in helping us make great progress toward language proficiency.
Thank you so much for praying for us. God is answering!

Tammy's "Hungarian Office"

When Tammy Swailes comes to Hungary, we meet at her "Hungarian office," that is, McDonald's. We have an actual meeting, discussing INSTE business and other matters, but we also get to enjoy better refreshments than we have at the Hungarian INSTE office (which is in our home now).

This is Mike's cappuccinno that he ordered at the McCafe section. It tastes as good as it looks.


It's a real McDonald's, too. This is the McDonald's portion of the restaurant. Nancy always orders her Coca Cola Light from here. (She doesn't like coffee.)

This is the McCafe section of the restaurant. It's a complete coffee shop. Tammy is ordering an iced coffee.

By the way, our meeting went great. It is amazing what God is doing through INSTE in Central and Eastern Europe. We serve a great God! Dicsőség az Úrnak! Praise the Lord!

Mikulás bacsi!

Mikulás and Krampusz handing candy to the children in the stores

It's a special day in Hungary today. Mikulás bacsi (St. Nicholas/Santa Claus) is coming to town. All the little boys and girls will put their polished boots next to the window before they go to sleep. During the night, Mikulás will come and fill their boots with candy, fruit and small gifts. That is, if they have been good! Naughty children receive a wooden spoon or a switch.
Yesterday we went to the mall where Mikulás bacsi talked to the little kids and gave them candy. We were surprised to see young ladies in sinister black costumes accompany him. We learned that these are Krampusz, kind of like elves, but these elves are the ones who leave the switches for the naughty children. We were also surprised to learn that, though Mikulás brings treats on December 6, it is Baby Jesus who brings presents on Christmas!

Chocolate Mikulás

The stores have been filled for weeks with all kinds of candy, especially chocolates, including chocolate Mikulás figures for parents to give to their little ones. Nancy loves chocolate. She was wondering if Mikulás will bring her chocolate if she puts her boots by the window tonight--does he bring treats for the young at heart, too?

Are You A New Wineskin?

Matthew 9:14-17 MKJV Then the disciples of John came to Him saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? (15) And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast. (16) No one puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the tear is made worse. (17) Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; else the wineskins burst, and the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together.

For many years I (Mike) had questions about Jesus’ response to John’s disciples in this passage. I understood what he meant about not mourning while the bridegroom was still with them, but what was all that about old garments and wineskins? I didn’t see how they fit.

Also, most of the teaching I heard from these verses stated that Jesus’ new doctrine didn’t fit in with that of the Pharisee’s, and the application had to do with programs and structures. The teacher (and I was usually one of them) would mention the need to change the way we “did church” because the times were different and we couldn’t operate under the “old wineskin” any longer. The old way of doing things was obsolete and we needed to keep up with the times.

This past week God brought me back to this passage and has caused me to see it in a different way. The new wine, of course, is the Presence of God or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that God wants to give us, but the wineskin is not a structure or program that needs to change to be able to handle the new wine. The wineskin is US! You see, God never brings revival or an outpouring of His Spirit through programs but only through people, and it is only as His people are ready to handle it will He pour out His Spirit in revival.

Let me paraphrase what I believe is happening. John’s disciples say to Jesus. “Why aren’t your disciples doing anything? Why aren’t they out there ministering like we are?” Jesus responds by saying, “There is plenty of time for ministry later. Now is the time for preparation. What I have for them is much more than what you or anyone has ever experienced before, and while I am still here, I need to make sure they are ready to handle it. I don’t want to see them break under the pressure, and I don’t want to see this move of God ruined.”

We get so caught up in the doing of ministry, but God’s focus is on the being of the minister. Before God will send His Spirit in revival (new wine) He will make sure that the vessel carrying the revival (that’s us) will be able to handle it. He will prepare the wineskin by removing all that is of self, pride, sin, jealousy, fear, self-works, etc., etc., etc. until it is transformed into a new wineskin. Then, and only then, will He put His new wine into that vessel.

Much of the time as we are praying for revival, we feel that nothing is happening. No one is being saved, miracles aren’t happening, churches aren’t growing, and we get discouraged and often quit praying. Instead, we should realize that maybe what God is doing is preparing His people before He sends the revival. God wants His people to operate in faith and be dependent on Him instead of programs; He wants a body of believers who are united and not filled with jealousy and envy; He wants a righteous and loving church, not a self-centered one. And He is patient enough to wait for as long as it takes to get the wineskin ready before He pours His wine into it so that He can preserve them both.

So, those of us who are praying for revival and the transformations of our cities, maybe we should change our focus and pray first for the transformation of the wineskins (us) so we can handle the new wine that God wants to put in us.

God make us into new wineskins!

Seminar in Ukraine

INSTE group leaders

This past weekend Mike went to Muzsaly, Ukraine and held a seminar for INSTE leaders there. Muzsaly is an ethnic Hungarian town in Ukraine just over the boarder from Hungary. They speak Hungarian as their first language, so Hungarian INSTE is what they need. Bethany Brandt started groups there when she was in Hungary. The leaders and students are excited about being able to study again. They are planning on starting about three groups this coming January. Pray for God to guide the leaders and provide finances for many of the poor in this area who want to study the Word of God.

While he was there, Mike preached in the church in Muzsaly and also in a house church in a small village nearby. It was a busy but profitable weekend.

Church in Muzsaly, Ukraine


Worship in house church in nearby village