Uszka Level One Inste Graduation

Both of us spoke this weekend in different villages.  Saturday was a ladies' meeting in the Open Bible Church in Ibrány.  Nancy was invited to speak and Roxi Szabó agreed to interpret for her.  Roxi's mom Judit and one of Roxi's friends came with us to the meeting.  Mike came along as chauffeur. 

Judit and the young ladies from Ibrány leading worship

The meeting started out small, with maybe a dozen ladies present, but filled up quickly after the service started.  A group from the neighboring village of Gávavencsellő arrived, but the ladies from Kemecse sent a message saying that they did not have a ride to the service.  We were all pleasantly surprised when they arrived about 15 minutes later. One of the pastors from Debrecen "just happened" to be visiting the Kemecse church that afternoon and gave them a ride.

We were all happily surprised to see the Kemecse ladies walk in the door.

Judit was asked to lead in a couple of worship songs and then Nancy spoke on what it means for a woman to live like Jesus lived.  Following the service, we enjoyed snacks and a wonderful time of encouraging and visiting with each other.

Nancy and Roxi

Sunday afternoon Mike spoke at the Level One Inste graduation at Uszka.  Six of us squeezed into Pastor Misi's car for the two-hour drive to the village.  We enjoyed awesome worship and Mike preached on the importance of a disciple being in a close relationship with Jesus.  Seven of the eight graduates were present to receive their certificates and the entire church rejoiced in their completing the courses.

One of the four graduates on the worship team

Uszka graduates and Mike

We were treated to delicious stuffed cabbage followed by a sumptuous strawberry dessert as Mike and the four interested students discussed what going on to Level Two Inste would involve.  We congratulated the students once again before we made the trip back to Debrecen.

We love our Hungarian friends are are so pleased to see them grow in the Lord.

Good Food!

 Yesterday after church, everyone was invited to stay for lunch.  Stew was prepared in the church's courtyard in a traditional bogrács (kettle) over an open wood fire. 

The three cooks.  It was windy!

We enjoyed standing around and talking with one another while the food finished cooking.

Enjoying the meal together

 We were encouraged to stay as long as we could and enjoy the delicious food and wonderful fellowship.

Some of the youth enjoyed a game of Uno.

Kemecse Level One Inste Graduation

Saturday was the graduation celebration for the Level One Inste graduates.  We were invited to the service and Mike preached.  Each of the five graduates gave a testimony of how God helped them through the courses, how they encouraged each other and learned from the Word of God. It took them three years to finish the four semesters, but they persisted and completed the courses!  It was not easy for them--during the three years, two babies were born to the students, and one student graduated from the university. What a joy it is to see how these students have grown in the Lord! This is why we are in Hungary, to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Anyák Napja

Some of the children anxiously awaiting their turn to recite their poems.

Yesterday, the first Sunday in May, was Anyák Napja (Mother's Day) in Hungary.  The children gave a short program in the church service, reciting poems they had memorized to honor their mothers.  It is always so sweet to watch them do their best and to see their mothers beam with pride.  The children then gave their mothers paper flowers they had made for them.  After service every mother and grandmother present received a lovely rose. 

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day in the US.  Happy Mother's Day to Kate, Nadine and Mandy (the mothers of our grandchildren) and to all the mothers out there!

Kris Beaird Is a Trouper!

We really enjoyed having Jim and Kris Beaird as the guest speakers for the Hungarian Inste Conference.  They gave and gave of themselves not only at the Conference but at other church services, too.

One story of their visit must be told.  They left Florida on Wednesday and were scheduled to arrive at the Budapest airport on Thursday morning.  However, due to mechanical problems with an airplane, their itinerary was changed and they were diverted to Rome instead of going through Frankfurt.  That change added several hours to their trip and they arrived in Budapest late Thursday afternoon.  They arrived, but Kris's suitcase did not.  They were both exhausted, but after a little something to eat, Kris decided that she needed to go shopping.  She was scheduled to speak Friday evening at a Women's Conference and at one break-out session on Saturday.  She was promised that her missing bag would be delivered to her in Debrecen sometime Saturday.  The problem was that the only clothes she had with her were the casual ones she had worn on the plane.  So, we stopped at Tesco (similar to WalMart) and Kris found an outfit to wear complete with shoes.  She also picked up some pajamas and a couple of other necessary items.

Kris Beaird speaking at the Women's Conference

Friday evening and Saturday she looked great and even made a joke about "having" to go shopping and about wearing the "souvenirs" she had bought in Hungary.  The ladies loved her.  Not once did she complain about her missing bag, but she was very glad to have it back so she could wear the clothes she had planned to wear to church on Sunday.

God bless you, Kris!  You're a trouper!

Great Inste Conference!

Last weekend's Inste Conference was the best one yet.  In fact, it was a great weekend filled with wonderful people, powerful services and the presence of God.

Friday evening was a Ladies Conference at Life Church.  Ladies from several denominations and different cities joined with the Life Church ladies to seek God and learn about defining moments in a woman's life.  There was a poignant film clip followed by a powerful testimony about life's turning points.  Then Kris Beaird preached about defining moments from the book of Ruth with illustrations from her own life.  The service ended with several coming forward for prayer.

Praying for the Inste graduates

Saturday was a full day of seminars with the emphasis on developing healthy spiritual habits.  Dr. Jim Beaird shared from the Bible and from his own experience and concentrated on the habits of listening to God, taking times of rest, seeking out mentors and building strategies.  The session right after lunch was devoted to encouraging the use of Inste to develop disciples and leaders in churches and in recognizing those who have finished Level 1 Inste. Many people expressed how the conference impacted them and how they will put the things they learned into practice.

We want to thank the Élet Gyülekezet (Life Church) for the generous use of their new facilities, the Salvation Army for cooking the delicious lunch,  Éva and Tamás for interpreting, and the Life Church worship team for leading us in worship.  And we express a special thanks to Jim and Kris Beaird for coming all the way from Florida to minister.  Thank you to all of you who prayed for this conference.  God is good!