Paul and I were recently able to share about this gift of salvation at an English club in Budapest. The club is run by a Hungarian couple who are Believers, as well as fellow female missionary from Canada. They hold the club meetings every Tuesday evening in a local high school. About 25 adults come every week to improve their English skills, in order to better communicate in the workplace. English is a high commodity in the European business world. The first hour of the club is basic English and grammer practice, and the second hour of the club is a lecture from a "native English speaker". The trick is that the speaker is always a Christian, giving a lesson from the Bible! Only about 25% of the students are Believers, but they all stay to listen, in order to better improve their English skills. What an opportunity!
Paul was the guest lecturer for the evening of the the club's Christmas party, so he spoke on the miracle of Jesus' birth. When I looked around the room, I could tell that everyone was listening intently. In fact, the lady sitting next to me even asked if she could have his notes because she had to leave the club early! It was a very nice evening, and we were so privelegded to share about God's gift of salvation with an attentive crowd. Please remember to pray for those in the English club who are not Believers, and for the faithful servants of the Lord who teach on a weekly basis.
The Bible Club Christmas party was a smash hit! We had Christmas carols, cookies, games, crafts, and of course, the Gospel presentation. The most popular event of the night was the special gift we made for our parents. It was a brownie mix in a jar. The kids enjoyed measuring the different ingredients into a decorated jar, and afterwards, they colored, glittered, and bedazzled the gift's Christmas bag. It was a huge hit with the youngsters! Although, I don't think many of them were able to wait until Christmas morning to give it to mommy. I had several parents tell me at church the next Sunday that they really enjoyed the brownie mix! Oh well, I'm just glad they had fun!
Another exciting event with the Bible Club was our Point Contest outing to the local sweet shop. Ever since the beginning of October, the kids have been collecting "reward points" for various tasks related to the Club. They had the opportunity to collect points if they completed their Quiet Time, memorized the Bible verse, brought a friend to Club, went to church, etc. The children were told that if they collected 50 points or more by mid-December, they could earn a free trip to the cukrászda (or sweet shop/bakery/cafe) with the club leaders. This is a very exciting deal for a young person, as I'm sure you can imagine, but especially for these little village children. In the end, we had four clubbers who completed the contest, and we had a great time! I am so proud of them!
It is amazing to think back over 2010 and remember all the adventures Paul and I had: activities with Bible Club, relationships and growth in the Bible Institute, finally graduating from college, our long summer furlough, and the birth of our first baby niece. Paul and I always say, "Being a missionary may not be easy, but it is never boring!" God is SO good. He has been in the past and he will be in the future. Amen!
