Lifesong

We were honored this morning to be invited to speak at Lifesong Church of the Open Bible in Des Moines, Iowa.  Pastor Mike Rasavanh (above, playing on the worship team) and the congregation welcomed us warmly and were very interested in what we had to say about what God is doing in Hungary.  We really enjoyed worshiping with this congregation.  The church was easy to find since they are located across the street from the high school Nancy graduated from some years ago.

 After the service, we were treated to a delicious potluck dinner including roast beef, being carved by Dara Rasavanh in the above picture.

 Among the delicious choices were Asian and American favorites including sticky rice with sauce, salty fish, fried rice, macaroni and cheese and cookies.

Some of the congregants are refugees from Southeast Asia.  The older ladies in the photo above do not speak English well, but they all just overflowed with the love of Jesus.

Des Moines Spanish Church of the Open Bible

Yesterday we had a wonderful time with the folks at the Spanish Open Bible Church in Des Moines.  They were very gracious to us and even those who did not speak English greeted us with affection. Beyond the fact that they are special people, one reason they welcomed us so warmly is that this is Nick and Leona Venditti's home church.  Leona is Nancy's sister, so they welcomed us as family.  But even better is that the Holy Spirit was present in the service.

The congregation meets in the First Church of the Open Bible facility.

Pastora Erlinda Moreno

Vince and Lois McCarty provided translation for us.

Thank you for letting us come and spend some time with you, friends! 

Winter/Spring Church Visit Schedule

We have received our schedule for church visits for January through the first of May.  If your church or group is not on the list and you would like us to come talk to you about what God is doing in Hungary, please send us a message.  We are available any evening for any group, however large or small.  Here is our present schedule:

Sunday, January 19  First Church HISPANIC, 2200 Beaver Ave., Des Moines IA  10:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 26  Lifesong Open Bible, 1300 Buchanan St., Des Moines, IA
Sunday, February 2  Jefferson Gospel Open Bible, 302 S. Grimmell, Jefferson, IA  10:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 9  Fort Des Moines Open Bible, 1116 Army Post Rd., Des Moines, IA  10:00 a.m.
Sunday, February 16  Experience Church, 3800 E. Douglas, Des Moines, IA   10:00 a.m.
Sunday, February 23  Grace Bible Church, 1114 South Dakota Ave., Ames, IA
Sunday, March 2  First Church of the Open Bible, 1932 Albia Rd., Ottumwa, IA  10:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 9  First Church of the Open Bible, 2200 Beaver Ave., Des Moines, IA 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, March 16  Open Bible Fellowship, 1125 SW 3rd St., Ankeny, IA  10:30 a.m.
Sunday, March 23  Open Bible Church, 928 Jefferson, Waterloo, IA
Sunday, March 30  New Life Open Bible, 23000 Highway B, Sedalia, MO  10:00 a.m.
Sunday, April 6  Journey Church, 7825 Forest Hill Rd., Loves Park, IL  10:00 a.m.
Sunday, April 13  First Church of the Open Bible, 1911 E Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA  10:30 a.m.
Sunday, April 27  First Church of the Open Bible, 3800 W Stephenson Rd., Freeport, IL  10:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 4  Open Bible Church, 1224 Hancock Dr., Boone, IA  10:00 a.m.

If you are in the area of any of these services, we invite you to stop in and see us.  We'd love to talk with you!

Southeast Nebraska Visit

Pastor Curt Rieger

St. Paul United Church of Christ in Cook, NE

 











We enjoyed visiting two churches in southeast Nebraska yesterday.  Both of these country churches are pastored by Curt and Judy Rieger, two of our long-time friends.  Even though the churches are not Open Bible, they welcomed us and listened carefully as we told what God is doing in Hungary.  Both congregations meet on Sunday morning.  Usually, the pastors must leave immediately from the first service to drive 12 miles to make it in time to the second service.  Yesterday, though, St. Paul's church met a half hour earlier than normal so that we could have some time to visit with them after their service.  We really enjoyed being with these wonderful people and being able to spend some time with Curt and Judy.  Thanks for inviting us!

Sanctuary of St. John's UCC

St. John's United Church of Christ in Talmage, NE

Nebraska this Weekend

This weekend we begin visiting churches again, talking about Hungary and what God is doing there and asking people to partner with us in prayer and finances.  We will be visiting two country churches in southeast Nebraska that are pastored by our long-time friends Curt and Judy Rieger.  We became close friends with Curt and Judy when we lived in Omaha for six months between pastorates.  They welcomed us into their church and into their hearts at that time.  Years later, the Riegers retired from the ministry.  But, God led them back to Nebraska to pastor two churches near Syracuse.  We are looking forward to renewing our friendship with the Riegers and at the same time making new friends in Nebraska.  Please pray for us for safe travel and fruitful ministry.

What's the Weather Like in Hungary?

Yesterday we heard from Misha, our assistant in Hungary who helps us with the INSTE work while we are in the US.  Misha mentioned that his daughters, ages 6 and 8 were a little worried about us when they saw on the news the report about the bitterly cold temperatures here.  They asked their dad, "Are Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy going to be okay?"  Yes, Anasztasia and Veronika, we are okay.  Thanks for thinking of us. We were careful not to stay outside in the cold and wind. We thank God the weather is warming up already.

One of the questions we are asked frequently is, "What is the weather like in Hungary?  Is it really cold and snowy like it is in Germany and Ukraine?"  The short answer is, no, it is not as cold and snowy as places further north in Europe.  But we do get snow in winter and we do have heat waves in the summer.  One way to explain what the weather is like is with average temperatures.  Here in Des Moines the average January high and low are 31 and 14 degrees.  In Debrecen, the average January high and low are 35 and 25 degrees.  It seems to us that Hungary is a little warmer in winter than Iowa is.  In summer in Des Moines, the average July high and low are 86 and 67 degrees.  In Debrecen, they are 81 and 62, not quite as hot as Iowa.  It seems to us that Debrecen is not as humid as Iowa, either.

So, we are blessed to live in a beautiful country like Hungary that has four seasons but very rarely has extreme weather like we experience here sometimes in the Midwest.

Holiday Blessings and New Year Plans

We have had a blessed holiday season.  We were able to spend Christmas week with our son Paul and his family in Austin, Minnesota.  Then today, we were able to be with Nancy's relatives in the Des Moines area to celebrate Christmas and New Year's. There is nothing more precious than being able to spend time with family. 

Our plans for the rest of the winter and early spring are shaping up.  We will be visiting churches and supporters in the Central Region, that is, Iowa and surrounding states.  If you or your church would be willing to have us come and talk with you about what God is doing in Hungary, give us a call or send us an email at mnjuntunen@gmail.com. You can also schedule a visit by calling or emailing Josh at the Open Bible Central Region office.

Wishing you all a blessed New Year!