Thanksgiving 2017

Once again this year we invited some Hungarian friends to join us to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Since our church home group meets on Thursdays, we invited them, along with one of our neighbors, to a Thanksgiving meal. There is no Thanksgiving holiday in Hungary, so it was fun to share our American traditions with our friends.

 We began the evening with a song of giving thanks to God.

For our meal, we enjoyed turkey breast (more available here than whole turkeys), stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (not always available in the store but we found some this time), cranberry sauce (Nancy brought back a couple of cans last time we were in the US), three-bean salad (a family favorite), corn, tomatoes, apple pie and pumpkin bars (made from cooked, mashed Hubbard squash).  Our neighbor Éva brought her tasty stuffed cabbage rolls as an alternative for those who didn't want to try American food.  Except for one of the children, everyone liked the traditional Thanksgiving food.

 Before dessert, we discussed what the Bible says about giving thanks and each one shared a couple of things they were thankful for.  It was a poignant time, since one of our guests had just recently lost her husband, but her faith in the Lord remains strong and she was able to thank the Lord even in her difficult situation.

 The teenagers and children enjoyed some games while the adults had some good conversation.  All in all, it was a good Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for our Hungarian friends who helped us celebrate and we are especially thankful for our Lord Jesus Christ who gives eternal life to all who put their trust in him.

Nagyhalász

Yesterday we were privileged to attend the worship service of the Pentecostal Church in Nagyhalász, about one hour north of Debrecen.  This church has a brand new Inste group and Mike was invited to speak.

Worship was enthusiastic and heart-felt.

Pastor  Imre Jónás welcomed us warmly

Our newest Inste board member, Vince Varga came with us and greeted the congregation

Misha Tovtin, another Inste board member translated for Mike as he preached.

At the end of the service, the new Inste students came forward and were prayed for.

Following the service, Mike talked with the new Inste group leader, giving him some training and encouragement.  It was a joy to be with the brothers and sisters in Nagyhalász and we pray the Lord will bless the church and help the Inste students to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.

Gherla Weekend

This past weekend we were in Gherla, Romania again and God was faithful to minister to many people there.

This picture was taken at the beginning of the teaching.  Several others came a bit later.

 Saturday evening Mike taught on submitting to authorities, how leaders are to be servants, and how each one in the church is to serve the others.  The teaching was well received and appreciated.

Sunday morning Mike preached on the fear of God. At the end of the service, a young man made a commitment to follow Jesus, and those who had needs were prayed for by others around them as an act of service.

Sunday was also church leader Simi Hosu's birthday.  The congregation sang a happy birthday song to him and after the service, we invited Simi and his family out to dinner.  Imagine Nancy's embarrassment when the waitress said she could not take a credit card and Nancy did not have enough cash!  May God bless Gabi for paying for our meal!

As always, we enjoyed being with our friends in the Gherla Open Bible Church.  They always shower us with so much love.  May the Lord help them to grow in strength, power and numbers!

News from the Internet

One thing we thank God for this Thanksgiving is being able to receive news from the US at the same time that it is broadcast in the US through the internet and often through radio or television.  As few as twenty years ago news from the US was only available through television or radio and fifty years before that only through newspapers.  Modern communication has made our life in a foreign country much more connected to our home country.

Sometimes the news from America is good, sometimes it is not.  But another thing we thank God for is our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Hungary who care about us and are concerned for us when bad things happen in the US.  They may not have the same deep feelings that our fellow Americans do, but they do have compassion for us.  So this Wednesday at prayer meeting, we will be praying for those killed at the church in Texas yesterday.  It will be so wonderful to hear our Hungarian church family pray for America with us. 

We are praying for you, Texas!  We are praying for you, America!