Jill's Jots

2012-01-18T15:31:00.000+01:00

Teaching English

2011-09-13T12:48:00.000+02:00

Summer is always a convenient time to branch out of my “Bible Institute Bubble” and minister in new and exciting ways. This summer I volunteered as an English teacher in two of our Word of Life Camps. I spent one week in the Czech Republic WOL camp and one week in our very own Hungary camp. What a great experience! While I do not necessarily feel like I have the gift of teaching, I had a great time getting to know the kiddos and serving the Lord!

The Czech Republic camp was a bit of an adventure, in more ways than one. First of all, I had to get there by public transportation. Paul drove me to Budapest where I boarded a bus that took me and a couple other WOL’ers directly to Brno, Czech, close to where the camp was held. It was such an experience to be in a foreign country, not knowing the language or my surroundings. I felt like a new missionary, all over again! The camp went well. We had about 10 campers who took English lessons, and by the end of the week, they were reading Shakespeare in English (just kidding). The most awesome part of the week was the fact that 12 campers got saved! Praise the Lord! They tell me that Czech Republic is one of the most difficult countries in all of Europe to reach with the Gospel. In fact, less than 0.05% are born-again Christians. It was so exciting to see the campers go forward at the camp fire and make a decision to trust Christ. What a blessing to witness it all! Another exciting aspect of the week was the fact that one of the campers decided to come to the Bible Institute! She was a camper who rededicated her life to Christ the week before and had a strong desire to grow spiritually and get grounded in the Word. She made friends with one of our current Czech students and he encouraged her to apply for the Bible Institute. She is coming as a student in September!

At the end of my week in the Czech Republic, I boarded the same bus and headed home to Hungary. I had one day to recover, and the next day I began teaching English in our own WOL Hungary camp. This week I was terrified… I was teaching teenagers! Teenagers?! Will they think I’m lame and boring? Will they make fun of me? Funny how those old insecurities from high school days seem to creep up when you least expect it. The Lord blessed me with a teaching partner, so together we were able to think of some fun and interesting lesson plans for an older group of campers. Surprisingly, I think I enjoyed my week of teenagers over the younger campers. In the end, several of them invited me to be their “friend” on Facebook, so I guess I wasn’t too lame.

It was fun to minister in a new way, and stretch myself like never before. The Lord certainly likes to put us in uncomfortable situations for a reason… what a blessing it is to see young campers hear the Gospel for the first time and get saved! One of the pastors who taught this summer in Hungary said that he recently held a baptism, and at least half of the church members being baptized had gotten saved at Word of Life Camp. That’s what it’s all about!

Castle Renovations!

2011-07-25T14:31:00.000+02:00

Many of you are aware that our Bible Institute is located on a beautiful 77-acre castle property. While we are incredibly blessed to have such a treasured, historic, and beautiful castle, it is gigantic responsibility. It takes a lot of work, time, and money to keep up a 116-year-old castle. Word of Life Hungary is undergoing a huge renovation of several aspects to the castle, including many of the guest rooms, the glass atrium, and most recently, the hardwood floors. The Hungarian government will only allow certified restorationists to complete many of these renovation projects, however, we were able to save Word of Life about $2,500 by tearing up the old hardwood floors ourselves. Several of the WOL Hungary staff got involved with this effort, including Paul and I. As missionaries, we wear many hats: counselor, teacher, administrator, cook, chauffeur, etc. Never in my life did I think to add demolisher to the list! But now I can!

Check out these before and after pictures...

The gold ballroom before the demolition.

As you can see, these floors have been through a lot!

Isn't he a cutie?!

Underneath the hardwood was a layer of subfloor.

The castle floors as they stand today. Not bad for a day's work!

After tearing up the subfloor near the castle stairs, we found out that there was absolutely no base holding this gigantic staircase! The stairs were simply resting on the dirt beneath and the hardwood on top. It’s amazing that they never collapsed! The guys got busy setting a brick base below the stairs so they would have some kind of support in the meantime. God has been so good to protect us all these years. Can you imagine if they had buckled?!

Please pray for WOL Hungary as we follow God’s leading on many of these restoration ventures. Pray that the Lord would provide the necessary funds from supporters and government grants. Pray that we can be a testimony of Christ’s love to the many workers involved in the restoration process. And pray that when it’s all said and done, we can give God the glory for a job well done, and a facility that can be used as a means by which to spread the Gospel through our many visitors, campers, and students.

In Loving Memory of Gramps

2011-07-25T12:14:00.000+02:00

Grandpa during his college days.

Philip A. Prebeck, better known as my Gramps, passed away on July 8th, 2011 at the age of 85. Grandpa was the most loving man I ever knew. He always had a smile on his face a hug to give. He was a devoted Christian, a loving husband and father, and the most wonderful Grandpa ever! I will miss him dearly, but it is such a comfort to know he is resting in the arms of our loving Savior.

Grandpa, pictured as a baby below, has 100% Hungarian blood. His grandfather and father immigrated to the US from Hungary in 1896.

Me and Gramps during our furlough last summer.

Imagine what $5 can do…

2011-06-24T02:12:00.000+02:00

Imagine what $5 can do… In today’s world, $5 may not seem like a lot of money, but

what if we told you that for just $5 a month, you can revolutionize a young person’s life

for the glory of God? Many of the students who would like to attend WOL Hungary

Bible Institute cannot afford to do so because they are from low-income countries in

WOLH Bible Institute Class of 2011

Eastern and Central Europe. It is our desire to give every young person the opportunity

to study God’s Word, regardless of his or her financial situation. WOLH Bible Institute is

looking for 600 people who will faithfully give $5 each month towards the student

scholarship fund. This new scholarship program is called the “Solid Foundation Scholarship Fund”. Will you join with us as we train young men and women from all over Europe for a lifetime of ministry? If 600 people are willing to give $5 for 12 months, we can help over 14 students study the Word of God at the Bible Institute in Hungary. It truly is an investment in eternity! Please take a moment to read over the Solid Foundation website at: www.solidfoundation.info

End of the Year Excitement!

2011-06-22T01:35:00.000+02:00

It’s hard to believe that another school year has passed. Where did the time go?! 34 wonderful Bible Institute students received diplomas this year at yet another emotional and exciting graduation ceremony. It’s so exciting to think about the ways God will use each of these students in the future for His glory! Many of them will go on to become pastors, teachers, and missionaries, spreading the Gospel across the world. What a privilege it is to have even a small impact on their lives.

The end of the school year is always busy with last minute get-togethers and student activities. Pictured above you can see a group picture of students during our class trip. We spent the day in a Budapest park, where we played sports, sang together, and had a picnic. Afterwards, we all boarded a boat and took a trip down the Danube River. It was a great time of fellowship and many memories were made.

Gourmet Gals

Ever wondered what Hungarian food was like? I can tell you it is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Some of the Hungarian gals and I got together before the end of the school year to learn how to make paprika chicken and pogácsa, a traditional flakey biscuit. We had a great time learning cooking techniques from each other, and we had an even better time eating! Don’t worry, poor Paul didn’t go hungry.

Paul, enjoying the fruits of our labor too :)

Enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Mmmm... paprika chicken and pogácsa!

First Trip to the Opera

2011-03-18T15:29:00.014+01:00

Two weeks ago, Paul and I had the exciting opportunity to attend the opera for the very first time in Budapest! Now, I know what you are thinking... "Paul and Jill? Attending the opera? I didn't know they were so cultured," If that was the first thought that popped into your head, don't feel bad, because you're right! Paul and I are your typical corn-dog eatin', dollar store shoppin', Survivor watchin' Hoosiers, but once in a while, it's nice to have an excuse to dress up and pretend to be someone we're not!

Our wonderful guest teacher for the week, Dr. Daniel Anderson, President of Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia, and his dear wife, Rosealie, were very interested in attending a performance during their trip to Hungary. Mrs. Anderson is an accomplished musician and was quite aware that Budapest is famous for its music. So after taking our guests sightseeing in Budapest, we ended a perfect history-infused day with a trip to the Opera House.

Paul and I outside the Opera House __________________ Paul with Dr. & Mrs. Anderson

The Hungarian State Opera House was amazing! Of course, I had seen the outside of the Opera House many times, during our trips to Budapest, but up until now, I have never been inside. I cannot believe what I was missing out on! The whole building was incredibly elaborate: marble staircases, golden walls, and hand-painted murals. This is the kind of stuff you only see in movies! Construction of the Opera House took nine years, with its grand opening in September of 1884. The auditorium holds 1,261 seats, and I think almost all of them were taken.

We saw the production, Don Pasquale, an Italian opera filled with love, lies, and comedy. Of course, it was difficult for me to understand every detail because the opera was in Italian, with subtitles shooting across a screen in Hungarian, but I got the gist of the story. It was more interesting for me to appreciate the music, scenery, and talent of the opera performers. All of the actors were Hungarian, yet they spoke and sang Italian fluently. They were all exceptional performers and had an incredible amount of stamina to sing for such lengths and with such gusto. I was truly amazed.

Our trip to the Hungarian State Opera House was a great cultural experience. We learned some more about Hungarian history and what the opera was all about. It's so neat to see these little blessings that the Lord brings into our lives; opportunities that we would never have outside of our regular lives, but blessings that the Lord gives because he loves us! How truly blessed we are!

Bible Club Pizza Party!

2011-03-18T13:46:00.007+01:00

What do you get when you combine games, a movie, and free pizza? A day full of fun! Just ask the 42 people who attended the second-annual Bible Club pizza party! Saturday, March 12th was a big day for the Bible Club, as we had been preparing this evangelistic event for quite some time. We passed out flyers to the club kids, their friends, and many children in Tóalmás. 39 children and 3 adults/parents attended the party, many of which had never been to the castle or the Bible Club before. What a blessing it was to see so many new faces!

The weather that day was absolutely perfect, so we were able to play many games outdoors. After a short song time, Varga Istvan, a Hungarian staff member, presented the Gospel. We were to watch The Prince of Egypt later that afternoon, so Istvan incorporated the story into his presentation. He talked about the many plagues that came upon Egypt because of their sin, and how God protected the Israelites. He explained that we are all sinners, in need of a perfect Savior. Istvan presented the Gospel in a clear and concise manor, and in the end, 23 children raised their hands that they had asked the Lord into their hearts during his closing prayer! Wow! It was SO exciting! After the prayer, we split the 23 children into small groups and discussed the decision they had just made. It was so wonderful to see the Lord work in the hearts of these little ones!

Of course, we couldn't have a pizza party without indulging in lots of pizza, 18 pies to be exact! The kids enjoyed every last crumb as they engrossed themselves into the big screen movie. What a great day! Please pray that many of these children come back for the weekly Bible Club, which meets in our home on Friday afternoons. We want to encourage them in the Lord!

Just another day in Vienna...

2011-02-12T11:58:00.011+01:00

Isn't it amazing that the Lord knows exactly what we need, even when we are not sure ourselves? The Lord sent a little encouragement our way, just a couple of weeks ago when Dan and Shirley Carfrey came to visit. The Carfrey's are long-time friends on Paul's side of the family, so much so that they are also considered his godparents. Paul invited Dr. Carfrey, a professor at Appalachian Bible College, to come teach our Bible Institute students the book of Hebrews. The students greatly enjoyed Dr. Carfrey's teaching, and Shirley was a blessing to everyone she met! It was so nice to spend time with the Carfrey's. The Lord used that week in our lives to refresh our hearts and encourage our souls.

The Carfrey's wanted to take full advantage of their time in Europe, so during their stay we took a weekend and whisked off the Vienna! That's the great thing about Europe; traveling from country to country is only a short trip away! We had a great time in Austria, pretending to be cultured Americans (okay, we did revert back to eating at McDonalds... but just once), as we appreciated the architecture, history, and ambience of this remarkable city. I hope you enjoy some pictures of our weekend trip!

We ate breakfast at a quaint coffee shop down the street from our hotel.
That crossaint, next to Paul, was the most beautiful pastry I ever ate!

Schönbrunn Palace, summer home to the royal Habsburg family (far left).
Paul and I in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral (middle).
St. Stephen's Cathedral. in the daylight (far right).

Naschmkt... my new favorite place!

As I was looking through the Vienna tourist brochures in our hotel room, I came across an advertisement for Naschmkt. The brochure said this open air food market was just down the corner from our hotel, so being the adventurous tourist that I am, I decided to check it out! The plan was for us to leave our hotel somewhat early the next morning, so I knew I would have to wake up early if I wanted to get a piece of this cultural experience. I got directions from the front desk and found my way to this wonderful beauty in the middle of Vienna!

Naschmkt is a one-mile stretch of fruit and vegetable stands, cheese, cured meat, spices, tea, honey, candy, and many more homemade delicacies. It was such a neat experience. I could have browsed the market all day long!

I love looking at all the different kinds of cheese. I wanted to try each one!

Many of the stands were selling spices. It was surprising
to see the great variety. A rainbow of flavors!

Lots and lots of olives.

Homemade candy and bread. I felt bad for the workers; it was pretty cold that day.

If any of our friends out there would like to experience Europe for themselves, stop on by! We'd love to show you our ministry in Hungary and take you to the market!

Missions Conference 2011

2011-02-12T11:33:00.007+01:00

January 21-23rd marked the 15th annual WOL Hungary Missions Conference. This year’s theme was entitled For the Least of These, with an emphasis on reaching lost people in urban settings with the Gospel of Christ. Cities are growing at a rapid rate. In fact, it is estimated that by the year 2050, over 70 percent of the earth’s population will live in urban areas.

Our guest speaker for this year’s conference was Tom Mahairas, President and Founder of CityVision in New York City. Pastor Mahairas has traveled the globe, preaching the Gospel in cities, and inspiring others to do the same. He himself was saved out of an inner-city lifestyle, filled with drugs and alcohol. During the conference, Pastor Mahairas challenged our students to serve the Lord with their whole heart. In fact, many decided to step forward and dedicate their lives to the mission field!

This year’s Faith Promise Offering was extra special, because it was given to David and Felicia Lee, graduates of our Bible Institute in Hungary! The Lee’s now work with street children in Bucharest, Romania. It is their hearts’ desire to see many Romanian street children saved from the dangerous temptations of the world, and offer them hope in Jesus Christ. Originally, the Faith Promise goal was to raise $8,000 to send 30 of these street children to summer Bible camp. However, our conference audience of about 120 people were so touched by the Lee’s and their ministry, that almost $18,000 was pledged! Our audience exceeded the Faith Promise goal by 202%! It is such a blessing to think about how God will use these funds to bless the Lee’s and their ministry in Romania.

Another exciting aspect of this year’s conference was our online audience. For the first time ever, the Missions Conference was able to be viewed around the world through a live internet stream. Throughout the course of the weekend, over 250 family, friends, and alumni shared in the conference online. From the messages given, to the fellowship shared, the 2011 Missions Conference was truly a weekend to be remembered!

The Missions Conference videos and recorded meetings can be viewed at:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wolh-missions-conference

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T18:30:00.005+01:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all the way from Hungary! My oh my, what a crazy holiday season it has been! Christmas is always an exciting time for the ministry because it provides "excuses" by which to share the Gospel. There is no better time to tell about the gift of salvation than at Christmas! The fact that Jesus Christ left heaven to come as a humble baby in order to save the world from its sin... how exciting! Jesus is most definately the reason for the season!

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!

Autumn in Hungary

2010-11-04T17:52:00.005+01:00

Come one, come all, and get a taste of what life is like at Word of Life Hungary! October at the Bible Institute means one thing: it’s time to rake some leaves! Not just some, but thousands, probably millions of leaves! With a campus that stretches for seventy-seven acres, you can be certain that there are a lot of leaves to rake. Every October, our students and staff get-together and devote one entire morning to raking-up the property. We did just that this past Friday, working hard as though working for the Lord, not for men! We had fun, singing together, jumping in the leaves, and enjoying each others company. It was a lot of hard work, but in the end, we got a lot accomplished and had a good night’s sleep! Make sure to check out the pictures below to see all the fun we had!

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. There’s just something that rubs me the wrong way with the whole concept of celebrating evil. Call me old fashioned, but I think it is a shame that America makes such a big deal out of a horrible holiday. In Hungary, they do not celebrate Halloween, but rather “Halottak Napja” or Day of the Dead. Originating from the Catholic religion, this holiday is meant to commemorate martyrs of the faith, and remember loved ones who have passed away. November 1st is a national holiday, meaning that all businesses and stores must be closed. However, the cemeteries are packed, as relatives visit their loved ones’ graves and adorn them with flowers and candles. Unfortunately, many believe that if they pray hard enough, the candle’s smoke will carry their loved one’s spirit to heaven. They are praying for the dead’s salvation. What a tremendously sad and hopeless prayer that so many Hungarians believe! Hungary needs hope! Praise the Lord that we can have true hope in Jesus Christ and his blood. It is a message of hope that must be shared with Hungarians who are searching for true peace in all the wrong places.

We were recently blessed to have a visit from the Apostle John! That’s right, John of Zebedee, straight from the New Testament! Paul (my husband, not the Apostle) has been teaching a sermon series in chapel called “Fellowship with the Almighty: the Richest Privilege of a Believer”. It was a three part series in which he took us through the book of I John, explaining John’s special relationship with Jesus and how we too can have that same fellowship. For the last part of his series, Paul decided to dress up as John himself. Boy, were the students surprised! Paul did a monologue as the Apostle John, and his experiences with Jesus. He expressed the great joy we can all have with true fellowship in Christ and the great suffering that sin brings. It was a great way to wrap-up the series and personalize the message. What a creative husband I have! Don’t worry, I got in on the creativity too… his costume was made from our living room drapes and duct tape!

Life in Hungary sure brings a lot of special opportunities our way. We consider it a great privilege to be serving with Word of Life and we are loving every minute of it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-10-10T14:23:00.006+02:00

Now that I am a "working woman", I have come to really appreciate my weekends. Weekends are my time to sleep-in a little, catch up on chores around the house, and enjoy some downtime. One of my new favorite weekend activities is experimenting with new recipes! While we were in the States this past summer, Paul and I were able to visit my favorite restaurant, Panera Bread. During one of our visits, Paul ordered the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which ended up being his new favorite food. So, being the wonderful wife I am, I attempted to copycat the recipe this past weekend. While it wasn't exactly the same as Panera's, it was definately a hit with the hubby! Check out what I did...

Ingredients:

4 tbps. vegetable oil
salt and pepper
3 chicken legs (you can use breasts too)
3 small onions
1 anaheim chile pepper (use 2 peppers for an even spicier soup)
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbsp. cumin
1 1/2 tbsp. oregano
3/4 tbsp. paprika
10 roma tomatoes
water
1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
5 chicken buillion cubes
2 c. frozen corn kernals
tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheese

Step 1: In a dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Salt and pepper chicken legs and brown on both sides (approximately 2 minutes on each side). Remove chicken and reduce heat to medium.

Step 2: Finely dice garlic cloves and chile pepper, with seeds removed. Medium dice onion.

Step 3: Brown diced onion in dutch oven until translucent. Then add garlic, chile pepper, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Saute 3-4 minutes.

Step 4: While the vegetables are sauting, remove the skin from the roma tomatoes. This can be done by cutting an "x" shape in the bottom of the tomato and then boiling it for 3 minutes. The skin will fall right off.

Step 5: When the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skin and nose. Gently crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or your clean hands.

Step 6: After the vegetables have sauted with the spices, replace the chicken legs to the dutch oven. Turn stovetop to high heat. Cover the pot with enough water to top the chicken legs by 1 inch. Add the chicken buillion cubes and the crushed tomatoes. Simmer 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the tomatoes have thickened. Do not allow the soup to boil.

Step 7: Remove the chicken legs and set aside until cool to the touch. When you are able, shred the chicken and return it to the pot, along with the frozen corn. Bring the soup back up to temperature.

To serve: place a handful of tortilla strips in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle soup on top and serve with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Bible Club Harvest Party

2010-10-10T13:32:00.006+02:00

The Tóalmási Biblia Klub has officially begun! On Friday, October 8th, we held our first club meeting of the school year. It was a Fall Harvest Party, complete with scarecrows, pumpkins, hay bales, and leaves. We prayed hard and promoted as best we could, and in the end, 21 children throughout the village attended the party. Of the 21, there were at least six who had never been to the club before. Please pray for us this year as we minister to the village of Tóalmás through the Bible Club. Here is a list of prayer requests:

That many new children would attend the Club.
That many children would be saved.
That the children would get excited about the Bible and spiritual growth.
That we can find enough leaders who are able to share the Bible story once a month.
That the parents of these children would come to church.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We are excited for the new Club season ahead. Please take some time to enjoy these pictures from our Harvest Party!

"Dress up like a scarecrow" relay race!

Prizes!

Pumpkin cookies!

Potato sack races!

Another School Year Begins!

2010-09-22T14:50:00.010+02:00

We’re alive! We officially survived furlough! After spending 92 days living out of a suitcase, traveling over 13,000 miles, and visiting 18 churches, Paul and I are very glad to be back home in Hungary. Our summer furlough was a great time of catching up with supporters, family, and friends, but it was also incredibly busy. Needless to say, our post-furlough, crazy lives seem to have gotten even crazier. The day we flew in to Budapest, we hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since!

After arriving back in Hungary, we had just one week before the opening weekend of the Bible Institute. Paul got busy right away, preparing his staff of deans, interns, and administrators for the busy year ahead, while I got ready for student registration. On September 10th, the opening weekend of the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute began. This year we have 38 wonderful students, from 12 different countries! One of the most exciting aspects of our Bible Institute is the unity we all have in Christ, despite the vast cultural diversity amongst our students. Already, these young people are beginning to form friendships that will last a lifetime.

Our guest speaker for the opening weekend of the Bible Institute was none other than Pastor Chuck Coleman, of the Community Church of Columbus. He and a team of four members from his church joined us for the weekend ceremonies. Pastor Chuck did a wonderful job of challenging our students for the year ahead. He encouraged them to take their studies in the Word this year very seriously, to get involved with ministry as much as possible, and to be open to discipleship and Christian fellowship. The students were definitely amped-up for the exciting year ahead!

The team from CCC also spent the week ministering throughout Hungary and helping us on campus with various work projects. We traveled to a gypsy church, an orphanage, and a public school, where the team lead kids’ Bible programs and taught English. The CCC team also graciously installed insulation in our castle’s roof, so we can be nice and warm for the cold winter ahead. We were all amazed at how much work they could accomplish in just one week! What a blessing they were, not only to us, but to our entire staff and student body!

After the first week of school, our entire staff and student population, as well as the team from CCC, traveled on a bus together to evangelize on the streets of Budapest. The very first course the students are taught at the Bible Institute is called Personal Evangelism, and right away they are challenged to put it into practice. The students did a great job sharing the Gospel on the streets, and they were very bold in their faith. Praise the Lord, at least 30 people accepted the Lord as a result of the Open Air Evangelism conducted just this past Thursday and Friday!
What an exciting start to the 2010-2011 school year of the WOL Hungary Bible Institute. We have a great group of students, a motivated staff, and exciting year ahead to study God’s Word and serve the Lord together!

P.S. because I am finally done with school, I can work fulltime and have an official title: “Admissions Coordinator” and “Financial Aid Assistant”. I even get my own desk! I feel so grown up!

I'm in Love!

2010-08-18T12:10:00.014+02:00

Zip your lips and don't tell Paul... I'm in love! On August 9th our newest, most favorite neice, Sylvie Marie Hurst, entered the world! Now, I am usually not much of a "kid person", believe it or not. But this little baby has grabbed a hold of my heart and wrapped it around her little finger! Sylvie is the most beautiful, most precious, and most adorable little being I have ever met. Perhaps I am biased, since her mother is my twin sister, but you have to agree, she is a looker! God has truly blessed Paul and I with a wonderful family, who we have greatly enjoyed this summer. Little Sylvie is making it hard to say goodbye!

Paul and I have had quite a summer, traveling from church to church, planning a funeral and a baby shower, graduating college, promoting a cookbook, meeting our niece, and meeting with supporters; all the while, keeping up with work back in Hungary! We have met many wonderful people, and we have been reminded of the great team God has given us back in the States. We are incredibly grateful for each and every one of our supporters, whether they give financially or through prayer. Although our furlough has been long, we have truly been blessed through each contact and meeting. On Monday, August 23rd, Paul and I will say goodbye to our family in Indiana and fly down to Dallas, Texas, where we will meet with supporters for a week. Then it is back home to Hungary! I can't wait!

All together we will have traveled to 18 different churches and seven different states this summer. We have met with many wonderful people and have truly been blessed by each one. Below are some photos of our summer adventures!

My graduation party

The Amish auction in Pennsylvania

Visiting with friends and supporters

The Bible Club craft supplies drive, held at the Bible Church of Columbus

Testing my first real Philly cheesesteak

Summer 2010

2010-07-09T13:52:00.010+02:00

It has been an emotional and exhausting three weeks since I last wrote. As many of you know, Paul's father, Franklin E. Weaver passed away on June 29th, after battling several health problems over the past three months. Frank was a generous and very kind man. He would do anything for his boys, and he loved the Lord dearly. He served in the army as a chaplain's assistant for 21 years, sang regularly in the church choir, and devoted himself to his family. While we are saddened that Dad will not be with us to see his future grandchildren (in the very distant future!), we are blessed to know he was a believer and is finally resting in the arms of his loving Savior.

Frank's funeral was a wonderful tribute to a loving man and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Reverened Jerry Day Sr. conducted the funeral services in which he shared the Gospel loud and clear; it was one of Frank's requests. His three sons, Paul (33), Eric (37), and Keith (35), lead the guests in a rendition of a hymn that Frank wrote called "Trusting in Him". It was truly a touching moment. Frank was laid to rest in Kokomo, IN with an honorary military 21-gun salute. I feel honored to have known Frank Weaver, and even more blessed to have married his wonderful son.

Amongst visiting Dad in the hospital and planning for his funeral, Paul and I continued to have several furloughing obligations. We have traveled far and wide to excite people about missions, and update congregations on what God is doing in Hungary (above is a picture of Paul presenting our ministry with Word of Life). We are continually encouraged as we travel to churches and meet with individuals. It is always exciting to hear that people are praying for us and are excited about God's work in Hungary. I myself have had a couple of unique opportunities to share, independently of Paul. One of these meetings involved a VBS, in which I shared with the children about missions in general and how they can be missionaries themselves. Some of the cute questions that were asked included: "What kind of animals do you have in Hungary?" "How many people have you saved" and "Are there any princesses in your castle?". My prayer is that these sweet children left that night with a greater understanding of missions and the love of Christ.

Please pray with us as we continue our summer-long furlough. We are currently in Clarks Summit, PA in the midst of a month-long road trip covering Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. We have several meetings and engagements along the way, and many miles to travel. Please pray that the Lord gives us safety, endurance, and smiling faces. Maybe we will see some of you along the way!

Start Your Engines....

2010-06-14T00:10:00.016+02:00

Phew! What a hectic few days it has been! Last Friday, Paul and I left Word of Life New York in order to officially begin our "tour of churches" on our summer furlough. The plan was to fly from Albany, NY to Detroit, MI that morning and then fly out of Detroit to Indianapolis, IN that afternoon. Unfortunately, our flight to Indianapolis was canceled, so on Friday night, Paul and I found ourselves in a line of about 300 angry people, all trying to rebook flights. After finally securing plane tickets for Saturday morning, we headed to a hotel and ordered-in pizza. It was actually kind of a fun night! I'll tell ya' one thing - the life of a missionary is never boring!

After flying into Indy on Saturday morning, Paul and I headed straight to the hospital where Paul's father is receiving treatment. He has had some serious health problems for about two months now and is having a difficult time recovering. Please keep Frank Weaver in your prayers as you think of him. We then rushed down to Columbus, Indiana where my twin sister, Jane (the pregnant girl in the black dress), had her first baby shower. It was held at one of our supporting churches, so it was exciting to visit with old friends and see some familiar faces. I truly feel blessed that I could be with Jane on a very special day. She is my best friend, and I know she will make a wonderful mother. Saturday night was Jane's husband's birthday party at his favorite Mexican restaurant, which was also a great time of fun and fellowship.

We spent the night at my mother's house in Columbus and got up early on Sunday morning to pack up and head to our first ministry presentation of the summer at Fellowship Bible Church in Noblesville, Indiana. Paul shared about the Bible Institute and our ministry in Hungary. He was also given the opportunity to preach. I am always so proud of my dear husband when we make presentations at churches. He is a professional and passionate communicator (plus, he's pretty cute too!). Afterwards, we went out to lunch with the pastor and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hardison. It was a nice day, and we left very encouraged from the congregation.

There are many more churches and presentations ahead. Please pray for us as we share about God's amazing work in Hungary - pray 1) that the Lord provides supporters for our ministry and for the Bible Institute Scholarship Program 2) for safety as we travel 3) for endurance during a busy summer 4) that we can be an encouragement to people we meet.

It's Summer Time!

2010-06-09T17:08:00.019+02:00

It’s hard to believe the summer is here already! Paul and I are currently in the United States, gearing up for our first real furlough together. We have been very busy during these past few weeks, wrapping up details at the Bible Institute, organizing the graduation ceremony, conducting our final Bible Club before summer, and preparing for furlough. But, as we all know, God is good! And although we will miss our dear Hungarian home, we are excited for a wonderful summer of support raising and sharing about the ministry all across the United States. Please take a moment to read about what we have been up-to in the ministry, and our plans this summer.

Graduation at the Bible Institute

Another school year has come and gone. This year we had the privilege of having thirty-one students from nine different countries study at our Bible Institute. It was Paul’s first full year serving as the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute Director, and what a year it has been! There were many obstacles, discoveries, and blessings along the way, but God has proven himself faithful. It was a great year for Paul. We are convinced that the greatest years for the Bible Institute lie ahead!

On May 29th the graduating class of 2010 participated in the 15th graduation ceremony of the WOL Hungary Bible Institute. The program was a wonderful reminder of God’s provision in the past and for the future. It was sad to see many of our students graduate and leave, but we know that God has great plans for each of their lives. Many students will go back to their home countries, sharing the Gospel to their own people, and winning souls for Christ. What an exciting ministry in which we are truly blessed!

Summer Furlough

Three days after graduation, we packed up our stuff and headed to the States for furlough. Our first stop was Word of Life International headquarters in Schroon Lake, New York. We are blessed to have participated in the annual Missionary in Training Conference held at headquarters each year. This week we are catching up with old friends and meeting new missionary candidates, who are excited to begin serving the Lord. MIT has been a week of encouragement in the Word and fellowship with dear friends. Paul was even blessed to have shared about God’s work in Hungary at one of the main meetings. Some of the key leaders throughout Word of Life's history were present at the meeting, such as George Theis, Paul Bubar, Don Lough, Kris Stout, Mike Calhoon, Dave Robertson, and various WOL directors from around the world. It was exciting to update these wonderful men and women of faith about God's work in Hungary, and we truly feel blessed to have been in Schroon Lake this week.

Please pray with us as we begin our long summer furlough. Presently we are scheduled to visit with sixteen churches, several Bible studies, and many one-on-one meetings this summer. Please pray that the Lord gives us energy and passion as we share about our work with Word of Life Hungary. One of our main goals for this furlough is to raise scholarship funds for our Hungarian students. There are many young people who want to study at our Bible Institute, but simply do not have the financial means to do so. Please pray that the Lord places this burden on people's hearts as we share our ministry's needs this summer.

Below is our summer furlough schedule. Please take a moment to check-it-out and see if we will be in an area near you. We would love to get together and catch-up! Also, check us out on Facebook. You can find my status under "Jill Weaver" where I will be giving frequent updates on our ministry and furlough.

Praising and Promoting'

2010-05-17T14:53:00.016+02:00

Wow! What a whirlwind these spring months have been! Aside from our regular activities, the Lord has blessed Paul and I with many opportunities to promote the Bible Institute in youth groups and churches. A team from the BI has been on the road nearly every weekend this spring, sharing about the Bible School and encouraging young people. Recently, Paul and I shared in a former graduate's youth group in the village of Soltvadkert. We took a team of Word-of-Lifer's to excite the young people and encourage them in the Lord. Paul shared an uplifting message, one of our interns led the worship time, and another intern led a game. There were about 25 young people in attendance, and many left excited about the Lord and hopefully considering Bible School!

Soltvadkert is home to one of Hungary's most famous pastry shops, so of course, we took time on the way home to stop-in!

Just yesterday Paul and I traveled to the village of Kiskunhalas to share in an "All-English Church Service". The church has been conducting monthly English services as an outreach to their community. Their hope is that Believers and non-Believers who are interested in improving their English skills will come, and hear the Gospel.
It is awesome to see the unique ministry opportunities that the Lord places in our laps... opportunities we would never think of ourselves, but what a blessing they are! To the side you can see the impressive flyer that the church made for Paul's presentation.

Paul shared about "What Makes Christianity Unique". He compared and contrasted several world religions and clearly demonstrated why Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Several of the people in attendance were not Believers, and many had questions for Paul afterwards. It was so exciting!

Another very recent and very exciting event in our little lives was the 20th anniversary of Word of Life Hungary. Staff, students, and many guests from all over the world came to WOL Hungary this past weekend to celebrate our history and look forward to the future. It was an all-weekend celebration filled with thanksgiving, fellowship, praise, and food! We were encouraged in the Word by Paul Bubar, Géza Bácsi, Don Lough, and Alex Konya. They shared about the beginnngs of WOL Hungary and the amazing provision of God in its development. What an amazing story! God has done incredible things through WOL Hungary in the past twenty years, and I am so excited to see what He will do in the next twenty! I am still amazed that Paul and I get to wake up everyday and serve with an awesome team of people, in a beautiful country, with an almighty God! In the picture above you can see some of the leaders who played key roles in the foundation of Word of Life Hungary. Here they are praying to re-dedicate the ministry to the Lord.

Although all of these recent events are very exciting, the most exciting event in my own life is that I am finished with school! That's right...this past Friday I completed my final test and handed in my very last research paper! I am a college graduate of Liberty University, and I AM TIRED!

Fudraising and Evangelism

2010-03-15T13:50:00.015+01:00

Look out world! In just a few short months you will be able to purchase the one and only A Taste of Hungary: The Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute Cookbook! This very special cookbook is a fundraiser that Paul and I are using to raise money for the WOL Hungary BI Scholarship Fund. This summer, as we travel from church to church during our furlough in the States, we will promote the cookbook in hopes of raising awareness about the Scholarship Fund. The cookbook will consist of traditional Hungarian recipes and recipes from our staff here at WOL. It will also have several pages about the history of WOL Hungary and information about the Scholarship Fund. I found a publication company that was willing to help us compile the recipes and informational pages into a professional cookbook. If we receive enough donations through the 200 books this summer, we will have enough proceeds to fully support one Hungarian during their year at Bible Institute! Our real prayer is that the cookbook will be an informational tool that will excite people about supporting an individual BI student themselves. Perhaps a Sunday school class or small group will want to help just one young person monthly as they study God's Word and prepare to go into the ministry themselves. Almost every week we hear of a young person who desperately wants to come to Bible school, but simply does not have the financial means to do so. How awesome it would be to give every young person the opportunity to study God's Word at WOL, no matter what their financial position. Please pray with us that the Lord will use this cookbook fundraiser in amazing ways this summer. Perhaps it will be through you!

God is doing an awesome work through our little Bible Club on Jókai Utca Street! We have had an average of 12-15 children coming every Friday to play games, sing songs, and learn from God's Word. Recently we held an outreach pizza party through which the children could invited their friends. Thirty-five children attended the free pizza party and movie event! It was incredible! We were not expecting such a large turnout, but the Lord had other plans. The children greatly enjoyed the pizza, movie, and games, but the most exciting event of the night was the Gospel presentation. All thirty-five children heard about God's plan of salvation, and fifteen chose to accept the Lord into their hearts! How exciting! I truly think it was one of the highlights of my life! God has chosen us to be vessels for His work. He has great plans for each of these children, and I am so excited to be a part of it! Please pray for each of these little hearts as they choose to walk with the Lord daily.

Eight more weeks and I will be a college graduate! For the past year I have been a full-time student with Liberty University's online Distance Learning Program. It has been a difficult and very long year of studying, but soon it will all be worth it! I cannot wait until next year when I can begin participating in the ministry even more and helping Paul in the office.

We will be leaving for the States on furlough just a few days after the Bible Institute's graduation ceremony on May 28th. Perhaps your church is interested in hearing about the great things God is doing at Word of Life Hungary. If you would like us to share with your congregation or your small group, please let us know. We would love to encourage you through our ministry.

Following in His Footsteps

2010-01-28T08:36:00.007+01:00

Sziasztok mindenkinek! Hello to everyone! Wow... it's shameful to see how long it's been since my last blog update! So sorry to all our faithful followers. It is safe to say that Paul and I have had many adventures since my last post; too many to share in one update, but I will do my best to fill you in!

The Bible Club has been doing very well since we started last October. We have had an average of 10-12 kids in attendence at our home every Friday afternoon. If I were to count all the different children who have come, the number would be around 20, half of which are not regular church-goers. It is always exciting to see a new little face in one of our meetings! One of our goals as leaders is to get the kids excited about studying God's Word and memorizing Scripture. It is so exciting to see the kids recite their memory verse every week and show us their quiet time/devotional journal. On the wall is a sticker chart with every child's name. Each child can earn points for the week as they learn their verses, do their quiet time, go to church, and invite friends to club. At the end of the year, there will be rewards according to the points they earn. The kids are very excited about this system, as I'm sure you can imagine! Below are some pictures from one of our clubs near Christmas time. The kids are crafting "Christmas shoes". It is Hungarian tradition where candy is left in the shoes of good little boys and girls. What fun!

Amongst other adventures, Paul and I have had the wonderful opportunity of ministering in several Hungarian churches. One of the most exciting was our trip to the largest Baptist church in Hungary, located in Debrecen. There Paul was able to preach the morning and evening service and encourage the congregation. We also got to know the senior pastor, Lajos (pictured below to the left of Paul). He is a very busy man, pastoring a large church and working full time as the librarian of the Reformed Seminary. It was good to build relations with him and be able to share our ministry with his congregation. A whole group from Word of Life came with us to promote the Bible Institute to the young people. Below are a few pictures of our trip, including the seminary and library where Lajos works.

The latest big event with Word of Life Hungary was our annual Missions Conference, held just last weekend. This year the focus was on South Korea. Did you know that other than the United States, South Korea sends out the most missionaries every year, over 1,000! Many South Koreans are leaving their home to serve the Lord everyday, but most are not adequetly trained in the Scriptures. Word of Life Korea is helping to change all that. This September, WOL Korea will open their very first Bible Institute in Asia! Construction is beginning in March, and with it comes many expenses. This year, our Missions Conference helped to raise money for one of the dormatories that will be built. During the conference we were encouraged by Chris Stout, the International Missions Director of Word of Life. He and his wife, Debbie, flew all the way from New York to share in our conference. We were challenged to dream big, and not let our insecurities and comforts keep us from serving the Lord. It was a great weekend, and much of the credit goes to my wonderful husband who coordinated the whole conference. I think he's still recovering!

As you can see, we have been busy. But God is SO SO good and we will keep pressing on to the next adventure!

Join the Club!

2009-11-01T19:12:00.010+01:00

Just thought you may enjoy seeing a few pictures from our first Toalmasi Biblia Klub! Eight special children attended our club, including two from our own neighborhood. We had fun making paperbag puppets, playing with the handbells, watching a puppet show, and hearing from God's Word. The club will continue to be held in our home every Friday.

At 3pm on Friday, I heard a little tap, tap, tap on our door. It was this little guy, Zsolti (holding the lion puppet, below). He had read the sign in our front yard and thought the club had already started! I told him sweetly that the club would be at 4:30, and to come back then. He was very happy and ended up bringing his sister as well. What a sweetheart!

God certainly has plans for this little club. Please pray with us as He uses the Toalmasi Biblia Klub to reach the children of our village with the Gospel of Christ. Please pray that the children are excited to come to club every week, that they stay faithful, and that they will invite their friends to come as well. But most importantly, please pray that these children come to a saving knowledge of Christ and a desire to know Him better each day.

Opening Meeting for the Bible Club: 5 Days in Counting!

2009-10-25T07:49:00.016+01:00

It's hard to believe that in only five days, our dining room will be filled up with neighborhood children. In five days, our entryway will be turned into a puppet stage. In five days, the children in our neighborhood may hear the Gospel for the very first time. In five days the official Tóalmási Biblia Klub begins! We are SO excited to see what God is going to do! Our plan: most of the children in our little village have not grown up in Christian homes. In fact, they may not even have one Bible available to them in their home. Our desire is to get these kids excited about God and His Word. We want to share with them all of the exciting Bible stories, miracles, and promises that we were so priveleged to grow up with in a Christian home. But most importantly, we want these children to come to faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him as their savior.

Make no bones about it - Bible clubs are effective! In fact, there is a family of 3 girls and 2 boys who used to attend a Bible club in Tóalmás about 10 years ago. They had a difficult home life, and were able to find some peace by attending the weekly club meeting. All five children were saved through the club and are now living out their Christian faith daily. In fact, two of the sisters graduated from our Bible Institute, and one sister even works for Word of Life!

Although we are entirely excited about the beginning of Club, we really need your prayers. Satan will do anything and everything to hinder God's work in these children's hearts. Please pray that the Lord is preparing these children to hear the Gospel; that they would be receptive to the message, and come to know Him. Please pray that you will give us clarity in our presentation and loving hearts towards these children. And finally, please pray that they will come back! We will be having the Club every Friday afternoon, and we want the children to bring their friends so more can come to know the Lord!

Amongst other things, we have stayed pretty cotton-pickn' busy! To the left is a picture of four good-looking Dallas Theological Seminary Alumni. In fact, the man on the left is the Professor of Missions from DTS. Walt Baker and his wife were on the mission field in Haiti for 11 years. Since then he has taught Missions at DTS. The Bakers were taking an extended ministry trip to visit various former graduates throughout Europe. What a blessing for us! The man in the middle is Ronnie Stevens, the pastor of the International Church in Budapest, and to his left is Laci Kadar, one of our teachers here at WOL. We had a mini Dallas reunion lunch in our home while the Bakers were in town.

Three weeks ago we were blessed to have Dr. Carlos Pinto, from WOL Brazil, come and teach Dispensationalism to our students. I invited his wife, Artemis, to come to our home and speak to our staff ladies about the godly wisdom and knowldege she has gained from raising a family on the mission field. It was a blessed time, and I really think all our ladies left the evening encouraged in the Lord. Above are some pictures of our fellowship.

Please pray for us as we continue to balance a life of ministry and relationships. Paul is constantly having to prioritize his time for the day. There are just not enough worker bees in the hive! But God is good and He has truly blessed us with a wonderful ministry and life. Until next time... sziazstok!

Don't forget to check out my new pole for ya'll on the left side of this website!

Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute Class of 2009-2010!

2009-09-15T18:16:00.009+02:00

The notebooks are printed, the pencils are sharpened, and the desks are arranged…. That’s right! The 2009-2010 Word of Life Bible Institute school year has begun! Last weekend the official opening orientation of our Bible School began in full swing. Thirty-one students from 8 different countries have come to WOL Hungary to dive into a year of 24/7 Bible study, Christian fellowship, and training for the ministry. This is Paul’s first official year as Director of the Bible Institute, and although he was overwhelmed at times, he did an amazing job organizing the orientations, preparing for classes, and meeting new students. He even preached twice over the weekend! Words cannot express the pride I have for my husband or the joy in my heart for the amazing things I know God will do this year. Though we have a smaller class than usual, I truly believe the Lord is going to use each and every student for His glory! Each one is special and the Lord has an amazing plan for their lives.

The topic of the opening weekend was “Discipleship”. The focus was to encourage the students for the year ahead; to prepare their hearts for God’s working, and to remind them to stay faithful in their walk with the Lord. This year Paul is implementing a new discipleship program between the staff and students. Each staff member will take 2-3 students under his or her wing and encourage them throughout the school year. There will be a Bible study that we go through together, and times of prayer and conversation. I’m really excited to see the ways God will use our leaders to encourage the students.

Pictured below are five our Hungarian female students from last year, plus our Dean of Women on the far left. How exciting it is to know that each of these women have been trained in God's Word and are going out to reach others for Christ! The Bible School ministry is so unique because it has a ripple effect. The students are trained in the Word, and then through them, others are saved and discipled. Awesome!

This first week of Bible school deals strictly with personal evangelism. The students are learning how to share the Gospel and their testimonies in a clear, concise, and exciting manner. On Thursday and Friday, each and every staff member and student will all hop on a bus, travel to Budapest, and hit the streets to evangelize! Please pray for this exciting event. I am certain several of the students are nervous about street evangelism, just as I am. But once you realize the Man you are sharing about, all fears go out the window! Please pray that our student’s hearts will be sensitive to the spirit and that God would be preparing people to receive the Gospel!

Paul and I were able to take a two-day vacation this summer to Lake Heviz. It is a famous mineral lake in Western Hungary. We enjoyed getting out for a couple days and feeling like tourists! Here we are, relaxing at a coffee shop near out hotel. Now it’s back to work!

Please pray for Paul as he prepares to teach Biblical Theology next week. He has a lot on his plate this year, but I know that he is the right man for the job. With the Lord’s grace, he will do amazing things for the glory of God.

And as for my garden… I think she has finally called it kaputs for the year. I was able to can 7 jars of salsa, 10 jars of tomato soup, and 12 jars of pasta sauce, not to mention the entire drawer full of green beans and zucchini we’ve got stashed away in the freezer. I think “we done pretty gud”. I went to the garden nursery today… oh man, I wanted everything in that place. It’s so hard for me not to overdo it! I’m really trying to wait to landscape until we put up a fence next spring. That is, if we have the funds to do it. Until then, I’ll just have to stick with my maters and greenbeans!

Preserving and Preparing

2009-08-17T08:57:00.015+02:00

It's that time of year again! Tomatoes are in season and our garden is working overtime. I think I had 23 tomato plants this year! Unfortunately, a few were destroyed by a terrible windstorm about a month ago, but the survivers stood strong and are producing like crazy.

I thought maybe you would like to see a pictorial of one of my maniac canning sessions. Last week I canned 16 jars of homemade pasta sauce to have on hand for the year. A 24 oz jar of marinara sauce costs about $3 here in Hungary. According to my calculations, I probably saved around $40 doing the work myself. Maybe I should convince Paul to add that $40 to my allowance!

Step 1: Remove the skin from the tomatoes. I did this by making an "x" with a paring knife on the bottom of each tomato. I boiled the tomatoes in hot water for about 3 minutes. The skin falls right off!

Step 2: Chop onions and garlic. I am proud to present my brand new food processer! Wow! I love this machine! It chopped up thoses onions and garlic in no time! I can't believe I've been living my whole life without this beauty. I am so Amish!

Step 3: In a dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Then I added the tomatoes (which I had pureed earlier in the food processor), basil, oregano, salt, and peppper. Allow to simmer until sauce is reduced and thick, about 1 hour.

Step 4: Get canning! I was so incredibly blessed to receive this beautiful pressure cooker/canner from a wonderful supporter earlier this year. Mary Moffitt is a dear friend who told knows my domestic desires and asked if I would like to have her pressure canner. I jumped on the opportunity, and now here it is, all the way in Hungary! Thank you so much, Mary! Maybe I should give you my saved $40!

All in all, it took me about 5 hours to prepare and can 16 jars of sauce. It was a long morning, but it will be well worth the investment on a night when I don't feel like cooking, or an unexpected guest drops by. I hope to also can some tomato soup and salsa later next week.

There are still plenty of tomatoes in my garden. Come on by and get ya some!

Ministry Update

I suppose I should also talk a little bit about our ministry, since that's why we are here! Paul and I have spent the entire summer settling into our new home and learning Hungarian. It has been a very tiring but encouraging three months. The Lord has really blessed us by making it possible to buy a home in Tóalmás, and by opening up our brains to be able to learn Hungarian. We are understanding more and more everyday. And although we cannot speak anywhere near fluently, God has given us a peace. I used to stress and be hard on myself for not speaking better by now, but the Lord has shown me and Paul that we need to work hard, do our best, and seek to please the Him first. That's all we can do. Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages in the world, but God is showing us that through Him, all things are possible!

Please pray for us as another Bible school year is quickly approaching. Opening weekend is September 11th! Paul is very busy preparing for his first full year as Bible School Director. He has to organize guest teachers, prepare the classroom, keep in touch with students, get offices ready, and many many other tasks. Please pray that he does not get overwhelmed and is able to devote enough time to each responsibility.

Meanwhile, I have stepped into the Admissions department until an intern comes to take my place sometime in September. I have been busy processing applications, writing emails to students, and organizing Visa information. I had no idea this job is so involved. Next week I start my online courses with Liberty University. Please pray that I do not get overwhelmed either!

The 2009-2010 Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute school year is sure to be one of change, excitement, and anticipation. Our greatest desire is to train as many young people as possible to know God's Word and to serve Him faithfully. Please pray with us for these incoming students. God is going to do a great work in them this year!

Blueberries and Buddies!

2009-07-30T04:59:00.007+02:00

Blueberries: a true taste of summer. Nothing can quite compare to the mouthwatering taste of fresh blueberry pie, or homemade blueberry muffins. They are truly little gems of perfection. Eventually I would like to raise my own blueberry bushes right here in Hungary so we can have goodies all year long. Recently, I ran across the website for the U.S. Highbush Berry Council. Over the years, the highbush blueberry has been cultivated into one of the juiciest and healthiest berries available. While reading the website, I noticed that they had posted a blueberry recipe contest. First prize: $1000! The rules were to create any original recipe using blueberries as the main ingredient and to post your recipe with a picture on your blog. So here I go... my entry for the U.S. Highbush Berry Council's Blogger Blueberry Recipe Contest... Blueberry White Chocolate Souffle! Wish me luck!

Blueberry White Chocolate Soufflé

Sauce:
3 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ½ C sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp corn starch

Soufflé:
½ C sugar + more for dusting soufflé ramekins and tops
6 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp cream of tarter
3 oz. white chocolate chopped very finely

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 4 cup-sized ramekins with real butter and then coat all sides with sugar.
Combine all the ingredients for the blueberry sauce in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook on medium-low until blueberries have burst and sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cool to room temperature. Reserve ½ C of the sauce for garnish later.

In a glass or metal bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tarter. While beating whites with a hand mixer, slowly add ½ C sugar. Beat until whites are at the soft-peak stage.

Slowly fold blueberry sauce into egg white mixture until the two are thoroughly combined. Carefully fold in the white chocolate.

Evenly distribute soufflé mix into four ramekins and sprinkle tops with sugar to form a crispy crust.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until soufflé has risen and the tops are a golden brown.

Serve immediately with reserved blueberry sauce and powdered sugar. Enjoy!

One of the most rewarding blessings about serving with Word of Life Hungary is the opportunity to see graduates of our Bible School at work in their own ministries. We have graduates all over the world, serving the Lord in many different capacities. Some are pastors, some are Christian school teachers, and some are on the mission field themselves. Recently we were blessed to have three of our WOL Hungary Alumni from Romania come for a visit, David and Felicia Lee (pictured far left), and Niko along with his wife Marta (far right).

David Lee and his wife Felicia both attended our Bible School about five years ago. David is from Ohio and Felicia is Romanian. They fell in love during Bible School, got married, had twin boys, and have been raising support ever since to return to Romania as missionaries. Their true passion is for the street children of Bucharest, Romania. Many are orphans or runaways from abusive homes. Unfortunately, many of these poor chidren turn to gangs to find acceptance and a family, which eventually leads to drug and alcohol abusive. David and Felicia have officially been back to Romania for three months now. They have raised support, packed up thier lives, and are living in the center of their mission field and in the center of God's will. Everyday, David heads to the streets in search of these street children. He shares with them the love of God and the hope they can have in a savior. He builds relationships with these children and offers them the medical help they may need. Though it is very difficult to break through the emotional and spiritual walls these street children have built over the years, David and Felicia are continuing to walk in faith and follow God's will for thier lives. We are so proud to call them graduates, but even more importantly, our friends.

Link to the Lee's website: http://www.4theleastofthese.com/news%20page.htm

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2009-07-12T16:56:00.008+02:00

Everyone knows that a new house brings about new responsibilities... grass to cut, walls to paint, and neighbors to meet. But the biggest responsibility of all is, of course, decorating! I have been doing my best to use my time wisely, inbetween studying and language school, to add a woman's touch to our little home. Pictured to the side are some of the pillows I sewed recently. I love to sew, so any excuse I get to whip out the machine is gladly welcomed! Total cost for eight brand new pillows, $10! Of course, it helps when you have old pillows you can rip apart and steal the stuffing from, and old placemats and tablecloths to use as fabric. Honestly, I really am that cheap!

Also pictured is a little skirt I sewed to cover up our microwave. Two large drawers were originally positioned in this nook, but I found them very difficult to pull in and out. They were more of a headache than a space saver, so I decided to yank them out completely and create extra counter space by hiding the microwave within the cabinets. I hope to sew some window treatments later this month to match the fabric.

Amongst other projects, Paul is busy painting the sunroom, hanging pictures, and changing light switches. He's become quite the handy man! I'm so proud of him.

Camp is in full swing at Word of Life Hungary. About 100 kids and teenagers have attended camp every week since it began back in June. Each night, the campers hear the Word of God and his amazing love for them. This is no small thing; many of these young people have never heard from the Bible at all, much less the Gospel. Paul and I have attended the "salvation meeting" every Tuesday night since camp began. It is SO exciting to see kids from all over Hungary make a decision for Christ and to be devoted to Him. Praise God for his amazing gift of salvation and the opportunity to share it daily! Pictured below are enthusiastic campers singing the "Word of Life Theme Song."

Esther Dixon Siebenmark

February 3, 1915 - July 1st 2009

Finally, I wanted to pay tribute to my wonderful grandmother who passed away just a few weeks ago. Esther Siebenmark was a remarkable woman, who dearly loved her family and the Lord. I can remember spending many afternoons at Grandma's house, playing the back yard or in the basement. She didn't have many toys, but somehow we always found something to do. Whether it was painting ceramics, learning to sew, or just watching Disney Channel, we always had a good time at Grandma's house. And she always had chocolate chip cookies and Mt. Dew...with a straw, of course!

Grandma was the most patient person I have ever known. She truly had a heart of gold. I will never forget her telling me, "Never say you 'hate' anyone. It is okay to dislike a person, but we should never hate anyone." Her wisdom and purity will forever be imbedded in my heart. She was so very generous. Grandma would do anything for you, and help you in anyway she could. I feel so lucky to have had such a godly and special woman as my grandmother. The Lord truly blessed me with her love. And although I could not leave Hungary to attend her funeral, I am at peace knowing that she is finally in the arms of her loving savior.

Here is the link if you would like to read Grandma's obituary http://www.knappjohnson.com/

New House + New Teacher = Busy Weavers!

2009-06-28T17:14:00.013+02:00

Sziasztok mindenkinek! It has been about 3 months since my last post! No...we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. We have just been incredibly busy - which really isn't anything new, but it's my only excuse:) That, and our camera broke, so I couldn't post any pictures. But now we have a used camera, so I am forced to keep blogging away!

A LOT has happened since March (my last post). The most exciting news is that I graduated from Bible School! That's right, I am an official 2nd year graduate of Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute. But please don't get into a theological debate with me; that's why I married Paul! I am so excited to be done with Bible School and to begin serving the Lord full time! I am not 100% certain which department of the ministry I will be serving in next year, but I am sure, whatever it is, the Lord will use it for His glory!

Paul was of course nervous and excited to lead his first graduation ceremony as Director of the Bible Institute. The program went off without a hitch as many proud parents watched their sons and daughters receive recognition for two years studying God's Word. If you would like to watch the graduation ceremony for yourself on video, you can view it by clicking on this link:
www.weaverwebpage.org/Videos2.html

Only five days after graduation, Paul and I moved to our new home (pictured above). Talk about a busy time! Looking back now, I literally don't know how we survived graduation, packing up the house, and moving, all within one week. I think I am getting old :(

The previous owners of our new home are no other than Dave and Karen James, former Director of the Bible Institute. You can read about their new and exciting ministry in one of my previous blogs. Paul and I had no plans to move from our cute, one bedroom, Hungarian cottage, but the Lord masterfully worked all the details together for us to be able to own a home after only one year living in Hungary. Guess we are here for good! Not to mention, it was a huge load off the James' back as well. Since then, we have painted the walls laid some new tile, and added the Weaver touch to the house. Pictured to the left is Paul painting the front of our house. There is still lots to do, but we are punching out the projects one by one. I am determined to be super organized in the house, no matter what. (you can tell I don't have kids, right?) I've spent hours organizing tools, office supplies, cleaning stuff, clothes, etc. into clear containers, and next week I plan to use my nifty label maker to mark each one. My prized label maker was a gift from Paul for our 2nd anniversary. He knows me too well!

Other than working on the house this summer, a seemingly endless project, Paul and I are continuing to go to language school 9 hours a week. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we drive into Budapest to meet with our private tutor, Virág (her and I are pictured above). We met Virág last summer during our group studies in the university. She is very professional and qualified. We are continuously encouraged after each lesson. It seems like the flood gates have finally opened up and Hungarian is beginning to make some sense. Just today I listened to the whole sermon at church in Hungarian and understood about 70%. God is really using this summer and this teacher to push us towards our goal of fluency. We want to serve the Lord with all our hearts here in Hungary, and part of that is learning the language of the natives. Though it may seem impossible and overwhelming, God and his grace is showing us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. One day I will be able to write to you and tell you that Paul has preached his first sermon in Hungarian and I am having Bible study with the neighbors. Thank you Lord!

And just because I couldn't resist, I posted a picture of half of my new garden at the new house. I tried to keep it small this year because of the little time we have available. We have three kinds of tomatoes, green pepper plants, squash, and eggplant. Earlier in the season we had lettuce and peas, and yesterday I planted green beans! Stop on by anytime and pick yourself some!

Faithful Servants of the Lord

2009-03-10T15:10:00.004+01:00

The past few weeks have been full of excitement and encouragement here at Word of Life Hungary. We were recently blessed to have the great Jimmy DeYoung come and teach the books of Ezekiel and Daniel to our students. Wow! What a great couple of weeks that was! Dr. DeYoung is an amazing teacher who is passionate about Eschatology. I can definately say that he truly encouraged us in the Lord as we wait for the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Dr. DeYoung led us through the prophecies and promises of these two books, he helped us realize that the return of the Lord is sooner than we think. Our understanding of biblical prophecy and End Times should spark our desire to tell everyone the Gospel. Christ died for our sins and will return again! Thanks be to God!

Paul and I had Dr. DeYoung and his lovely wife, Judy, for dinner one night last week. The men enjoyed talking theology while I got to learn a little more from Judy about their experiences in the ministry. The DeYoung's have traveled all over the world, sharing the Good News and teaching the prophetic literature of the Bible. They have met with several historical and political figures. They moved to Jerusalem in 1991 as "journalists," a.k.a. undercover missionaries. During their 12 year stay in Israel, Dr. DeYoung started a Bible preaching church in Jerusalem, named the Assembly at Jerusalem. The church has grown ever since and is a tremendous witness to the Jewish people. Actually, two members from his church have attended our school here in Hungary!

Today the DeYoungs live in Jerusalem three months out of the year. The rest of their time is spent at their home in Chatanooga, Tennessee, or traveling around the world, sharing the message of Jesus Christ. One thing is for sure, the Lord has gifted Dr. DeYoung with a passion to tell everyone about the soon return of Christ!

Here is the link to Dr. DeYoung's ministry for more information: http://jimmydeyoung.com/

Not only did we get the pleasure of learning from Dr. DeYoung last week, but this week, Dr. Tom Constable from Dallas Theological Seminary is here! Dr. Constable is the Department Chair and Senior Professor of the Bible Exposition Department at the Seminary. Over their many years of service, Dr. Constable and his wife, Mary, have planted a church in Plano, Texas, ministered in 36 countries, and written and contributed to many books. Dr. Constable has also written a commentary on every single book of the Bible! But of course he is most well known for having mentored Paul through his internship process at Dallas :). This amazing man has accomplished so much, yet he is so humble. In fact, I don't think I have ever met a more humble and gracious servant of the Lord. What an amazing testimony!

The Constables brought along two other couples from their home church in Texas. During this week they will be doing so much needed work on the grounds as well as some other odd jobs. Yesterday Paul and I took the whole gang into Budapest to do some sightseeing. Above is a picture of us with Tom and Mary Constable at Hero's Square. It was a fun day of fellowship and adventure, and of course, shopping! There were four ladies around, what did you expect?!

God has truly blessed us here at Word of Life Hungary with many amazing men of faith. These teachers have devoted themselves to to the study of His Word and the proclomation of His promises. At the end of two years, our students will be able to return to their home countries to teach and preach the Lord Jesus Christ, where perhaps there are little to no Believers. Because of these faithful teachers and servants of the Lord, the Gospel is being spread to the uttermost parts of the Earth. To God be the glory!

Shalom and Our New Home!

2009-02-16T22:36:00.011+01:00

Hey everybody! You gotta check out this video of our new house. As mentioned in my last post, Paul and I bought the James' home when they left. Right now, one of the married couples who attend our Bible School is staying in the home with their three children. As you can imagine, they need it a lot more than we do! Once they graduate at the end of May, Paul and I will move into our very first home, at least one that we own :)

We were there last Saturday, testing out paint colors and making sure the married couple was all moved in and settled. If you're curious, you can click on the arrow below and see a virtual tour of our new place!

Well, yesterday marked a milestone for us. The Weaver team has been in Hungary officially for one whole year! That's right, on February 17, 2008, Paul and Jill Weaver stepped off their tiny airplane and stepped into the Promise Land! All joking aside, it has been one incredible year. We have seen God's blessings again and again, and we feel like we're just beginning. The time has gone incredibly fast, and it's so exciting to think about what the Lord will do in the future. To God be the glory!

Last Monday, all 28 second year students of the Bible Institute (along with some staff and, of course, us) loaded up on a huge tour bus and headed towards Budapest. Our destination: the Jewish Synagogue. Paul is teaching a course entitled World Religions right now in class, so this field trip was meant to personalize and bring to life the true essense of the Jewish faith. The Great Synagogue of Dohany Street in Budapest is particularly interesting. With a seating capacity of 2, 964 seats, it is the second largest in the world, next to New York City. It is modeled after the Byzantine style, with some elements of Gothic. When completed in 1859, the style was quite controversal, as some Jewish people felt the synagogue looked too Catholic and even Islamic. During WWI, the synagogue was an internment camp for the Jews. Over 2,000 Jewish bodies are buried in the courtyard, all with the death date of 1944 or 1945.

Our tour guide was an ethnic Jewish Hungarian. He said there are around 100,000 Jewish people presently living in Hungary; most live in Budapest. He said in a good service, 50 people attend that huge synagogue. Just 50! What struck me the most was the fact that when we asked our guide questions about the Messiah, or the Old Testament, he became very uncomfortable. He did not want to talk about the Bible. In fact, at one point, he actually said, "I am not so religious. I go to the synagogue on the high holidays." I couldn't help but think that he is so lost. He knows all of the Jewish history. He works for the synagogue. One would think he would have his life figured out, but even he is not convinced in "religion." When you think of it, please pray for this man. Maybe some of our questions fueled his thinking that there is more than rituals to God.

Things are cold and snowy here in Hungary. In fact, I just took this picture of the castle yesterday morning. I hope you are all staying warm and have visions of spring in your spirit! Until then, enjoy some Starbucks for me! Thanks for reading :)

Missions Conference 2009!

2009-01-29T19:47:00.010+01:00

Praise the Lord for the start of a great New Year in Hungary! Us Weaver folk are looking towards 2009 as an exciting 365 days, full of changes, challenges, and blessing. We are waiting in anticipation for the extraordinary things God has in store for our marriage, life, and ministry this coming year.

This past weekend was the annual missions conference here at Word of Life Hungary. Every year, one ministry is chosen from places all over the world. The entire weekend is then devoted to promoting the ministry, encouraging the leadership, and exciting people about missions! It is not uncommon to see many of our past graduates attend the weekend's festivities along with many other guests, who come to hear the Word and be encouraged. The missions conference is always such an exciting time.

This year, the ministry chosen was from our home country of Hungary! Menedek Alapitvany (Refuge Center) has been active since 1986 and is a ministry devoted to helping the poor, homeless, and needy (Menedek's choir is pictured above). They are a refuge center for those who have no other place to go. Mothers who have abusive husbands, chidren who are kicked out of their homes, and men who want to have victory over alcoholism; these are just a few of the amazing testimonies we heard this past weekend. Menedek has taken in hundreds of downtrotten Hungarians and has shown them the true love of Christ. By giving these people a roof over their heads and food to eat, Menedek has been able to share the Gospel with hundreds! So many have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior through this wonderful ministry. It is so true when the Bible describes true religion in James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Over the weekend, we were challenged to not only encourage Menedek as a ministry, but to renew our own hearts in our walk with the Lord. Probably the most precious key I took away from the conference was the need for me have a heart that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, I already have the Holy Spirit living inside of me, but how often do I actually listen to Him? How often do I just do my own thing and ignore the many people I pass everyday who need Jesus? Even to just say a word of encouragement to someone who needs a boost - this is what Jesus did. He spent his 33 years on earth living to save people, not to please himself. Boy, I have such a long ways to go.

At the end of the missions conference we all took a "Faith Promise" - promising to give a certain amount of money to Menedek by the end of the school year. The goal was set high, $10,000 to be exact. I was actually a little nervous that our group would be able to do it. Anticipating rose as our President read the final "Faith Promise" amount. Our little missions conference of no more than 150 people promised to give over $10,300 to Menedek! Praise the Lord!

Below is the link to Menedek Alapitvany if you are interestedin their ministry. I noticed they have an English option on the website :) http://www.menedekalapitvany.hu/index.php

Here's a couple pictures of my sweetie, Paul, teaching his seminar at the conference, entitled "Choosing a Mission Board." He challenged future missionaries to take a good look at a ministry before deciding to jump in. It is SO important to know a ministry's doctrinal statement, its leadership, and its main focus before anyone decides to commit to fulltime Christian work. He did a great job, of course!

Well, our dear friends and fearless leaders, Dave and Karen James, will be leaving Hungary for good next week, on February 2nd. They will be starting a new ministry back in the States, called Alliance for Biblical Integrity (for more information, check out my previous post or go to http://www.biblicalintegrity.org/). Our prayers are definately with them as they make this gigantic transition. They are most definately following God's will, but I am sure they are going to miss their friends and home in Hungary!

And here's some more big news...We are buying the James' home! This is SUCH a huge responsibility! It's like we're adults or something! Anyway... we won't actually be moving into the house until the first of June because another family who attends the Bible School needs a place to stay. So we will continue to rent our little Hungarian cottage, and move into our own real, genuine home in the summer. Life just keeps getting busier and busier, but God just keeps bringing the blessings! Stay tuned to future blogs for pictures and "before & afters."

And, for my closing paragraph, I need some advice... I try and I try to be a good little missionary, but the worldly side of me just can't seem to die. I have to admit that I am a faithful viewer of the Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart Living shows online. It is SO awesome! I can jump online anytime I want and watch clips of my favorite shows at the click of a button. It is definately my guilty pleasure ( how pathetic, huh). Anyway, this is my deal; Rachael Ray is having a contest called "So You Think You Can Cook?" Basically, I would need to enter a video, showing Rachael why I think I can cook and why she should have me on her show. Six people are then chosen, and we would all compete to be the last chef standing. I think I'd win a trip to Italy and some cooking supplies or something. My main reason for doing it is the glory, of course! We have an intern here this year whose specialty is video editing and I think we could do a really great job. I have a poll set up on the margin of my blog where you can let me know if you think this is a good idea or a waste of my time. Don't worry, I won't get my feelings hurt!

Thanks for reading and God bless!

A Year of Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T06:43:00.007+01:00

Sziasztok, from the Promise Land! Translation: Hello, from Hungary! We are busy as ever here, doing the work of the ministry for the glory of God. Paul has been busy learning the tricks of the trade for his new position as Acting Director of the Bible Institute. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's an exerpt from a previous blog I wrote, but never published:

And now for the big news... starting in February, Paul Weaver, my wonderful husband, will become the acting Director of the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute! As some of you may know, Dave James and his family will be moving back to the States in early February to begin a new ministry entitled Alliance for Biblical Inegrity. Long story short, Dave had a conversation with Jimmy DeYoung this past summer about the incredible need for churches around the country to clearly, accurately, and appropriately interpet God's word. Alliance for Biblical Integrity wants to have the most well-developed, dependable, intricate, and exhaustive website available that will help churches and Believers as they seek to accurately interpret God's Word. Eventually, Dave hopes to write some books on the subject, as well as have written programs for churches, and conferences.

Paul will be stepping into Dave's place as acting Director of the Bible Institute. They are tremendous shoes to fill, but I know that if anyone can do it, it's my dear husband! Paul has had mixed emotions about this huge transition. Of course, he is very excited and eager to get started, but he also feels incredibly humbled that God would choose him for this major role. He is nervous for the obstacles ahead, but is fully relying on the continuous grace and peace that God has given us in the past, and will continue to give us in the future.

Some of Paul's new responsibilities will include, scheduling guest lecturers to come teach at the Bible School, making the official school calendar, being the bad guy for major disciplinary circumstances, leading Bible Institute staff meetings, scheduling conference speakers, continuing to teach, and much, much more. Please, as you think of us, please pray for Paul during this transition. God has chosen him to be an incredible leader, but along with that comes much responsibility. Please pray that Paul will remain faithful and sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he strives to please the Lord in all things. Thank you for your encouragement and excitement over this big change. We are truly thankful for each and every one of you!

Amongst other busy activities, Paul and I have really been enjoying getting to know the students. We've had several "fellowships" at our home and have even had a few students for dinner. Usually there is a "fellowship" at a different staff member's home every week for the students. I think most of them come for the free food, but it's also a nice time of conversation, fun, and bonding.

This past week, I had a Pancake Party at our house, girls ONLY! Poor Paul; he looked so pitiful in our bedroom, all alone. Somehow, he survived! I think it was the pancakes that helped him along. I made over 60 pancakes, a fruit platter, and hot chocolate. It felt like IHOP. Then again, I guess it is the International House of Pancakes. Those girls totally inhaled those cakes! I was afraid we'd have a bunch of sugar rushed maniacs on hand, but somehow they were able to enjoy the Cinderella movie we watched afterwards. It truly was a fun time! Here's a pic of all 18 girls in our tiny living room! Anything for pancakes, right?!

And... I know this has nothing to do with this blog, but I gotta show off this cake I made a few weeks ago for another fellowship. This one took a lot of sugar!

Only one more week in Hungary and Paul and I will be heading back to the States for one month. Paul's older brother, Keith, will be getting married December 6th, so of course, we thought it would be nice to stay with family for the holidays. It's hard to believe that only one year ago, we were living in my Mom's basement, still raising support in the States, dreaming of the day we would finally get on the mission field. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, but we are SO glad to finally be in Hungary! God has truly blessed us in amazing ways this past year. He is amazingly faithful!

It will be sooooo nice to see everyone again and be able to spend Christmas together. I am REALLY excited to give all my family members a gigantic hug... and to eat Taco Bell ...and Wendy's ... and go to WalMart! Sometimes I feel like the wimpiest missionary ever!

Please pray for us during our travels. Although the main reason for going is for Keith's wedding, we will also be speaking to many youth groups about the Bible Institute. We want to use our time in the States for the glory of God. Paul already has about six engagements with youth groups and Christian schools to speak about Word of Life Hungary. Please, please, please pray that we get several applicants from these visits. It is extremely important that these young people have a firm foundation in Christ before they head to college or a liberal university. Paul and I genuinly feel that the time spent at our Bible Institute is the most important one to two years of a young person's life.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and save me some turkey!

Busy Little Bees

2008-10-05T06:27:00.007+02:00

There is a famous Spanish proverb that says, "The busy man is troubled but with one devil; the idol man by a thousand." (by the way, I can't read Spanish. I found it online. Ole!). There's no doubt about it, we are B-U-S-Y! School has started, Paul is teaching, I'm learning, and the oven is working overtime! I think in the past three weeks or so, I have probably baked on at least ten different occasions for something special pertaining to the ministry; everything from fellowships, to girl's devotions, to one of Paul's meetings. I think the Word of Life Bible Institute is fueled on cookies!

Paul is in the third week of his new class for the Fall, Biblical Theology. The course basically goes through the Bible, book by book, and discusses the different theological truths we learn about God, Christ, The Holy Spirit, the Church, Man, Sin, and End Times. Talk about a difficult task! My heart hurts for Paul sometimes because I know he wants to elaborate in class about a specific subject, but there is just no time! The Bible is a big book, and this is only a 30 hour class. He's done an awesome job so far keeping a balance on class discussion and his own teaching. I think the students are excited to see God's Kingdom Program clearly played out in the Word. This course helps road map the workings of God throughout history, to establish His Kingdom. Very cool! He's definitely my favorite teacher :)

Paul is also the Academic Dean at the Bible School, so he has been busy organizing academic records, talking to students about expectations, and preparing for the jam-packed year ahead. Not to mention, he is also in charge of the internship program for all of Word of Life Hungary. This year there are 12 interns who are busy helping the ministry operate and improve. Paul keeps their department heads accountable, leads meetings with the interns once a week, and is available for any questions that may come up.

This year, I will be responsible for organizing hospitality for our guest lecturers. Many of our teachers come from the States for one week intervals to teach a certain course during the school year. While they are here, the goal is to build strong relationships between our guest lecturers and staff members. One way we do this is by having the teacher in a different staff member's home for dinner each evening. It is a way to show our appreciation for their willingness to come and to get a good meal in their tired bodies! I am responsible for making a calendar each quarter, showing the guest lecturer for the week and the different homes he will be eating in. It may sound simple, but it is so not! I don't think I knew what I was getting into! I have to figure out exactly what day and time they are flying in, which staff members are available when, if the teacher is bringing his wife, and when they plan to leave. Lots of details!

Also, I am taking the second year at the Bible School, and finishing up my degree online with Liberty University. I am sooooo ready to be done with school! I don't think I'm one of those so-called "life long learners." The learning stopped for me after language school. I'm educationally pooped!

Last night, Paul and I had a few German friends from language school come over to our house for dinner and board games. They all drove in from Budapest. We showed them around the castle and grilled out on our porch. I think they really enjoyed seeing the "country side" and all the wonders of our little village. We love having the opportunity to open up our home be hospitable to others. I just don't like the cleaning up part!

Below are some pictures from open air evangelism a couple weeks ago. Paul is explaining the Gospel through a paint board. For those of you who know John Neineghbor from Columbus, he is pictured below on the right. It's exciting to be starting another school year. God is going to do amazing things through His servants at Word of Life Hungary. We are bee-ing what He wants us to bee!

Full Steam Ahead!

2008-09-13T08:48:00.010+02:00

Check out our newest video as we plow through the streets of Budapest, trying to get to language school. This ain't your typical school bus ride!

The school year has officially begun! Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute is now in session! Full steam ahead! This weekend marks the beginning of the 15th year of our Bible Institute. Fifteen years ago, two very brave men, Dave James and Alex Konya, stepped out in faith and began teaching Hungarians the Word of God. In the beginning, there were only a handful of students, and classes could be taught from our castle’s dining room! Now, this year alone, we have 52 students and 12 interns! There are 24 new, incoming students, and 28 returning, second-year students, including me! I will be completing my second year of the Bible Institute as I also continue to take classes online with Liberty University. Should make for one educational year!

Last night the entire staff and student body celebrated the beginning of a new school year with a delicious banquet. We ate, laughed, and caught up on what everyone had been doing over the past three months. It was a great encouragment to hear about the different summer ministries the students had been involved with. One thing is for sure, God is working through the WOL Bible students. The Lord has a great plan for each and every one, and it’s so exciting to see those plans being played out!

After dinner, we all headed down to the meeting room where we did some singing, had staff introductions, and opened the Word. George Theis is the guest speaker for the weekend. He is the former President of Word of Life International, taking over for Jack Wyrtzen, the founder of Word of Life. He and his wife Joan have been married for 49 years and have ministered throughout their entire married lives. They started out in the Clubs ministry with Word of Life Florida, but were then called to begin the very first overseas Word of Life in Brazil. For twenty years they served the people of Brazil, until the Lord called their family back to the States to take over for Jack Wyrtzen. It is such an awesome encouragement to see a couple who have served the Lord whole heartedly their entire lives. God truly does bless those who are faithful to Him.

The rest of this weekend will be packed with seminars, instructional meetings, orientation, and fellowship. This coming week we will start the first class of the year, entitled Street Evangelism. Sam Frey, an expert in open-air evangelism, will be our guest lecturer for the week. This guy is amazing. He travels all over the world, teaching people how to get out there and evangelize, whether it be on the street or to a stranger on the bus. At the end of this week, our students and staff will all travel into Budapest and put what we’ve learned into practice. Armed with the Word of God, a handful of tracks, and a little bit of bravery, we will spread the Good News on the streets of the city. Please pray for this amazing evangelistic opportunity!

Paul and I were busy this past week, preparing for this upcoming school year, and settling back into our humble home after being away at language school. It’s amazing how much a yard can take over in just one summer. I spent and entire day outside trying to tame Mother Nature back into shape. Luckily, our sunflowers needed no help. They have finally opened up! My wonderful Grandma Prebeck sent me some sunflower seeds back in May, so now I have a little piece of her in my own yard across the world! I was so excited, I even decorated cupcakes in a sunflower motif! Paul used them for his intern orientation this past week. He is the official Intern Coordinator for the year. There are 12 interns helping out at WOL in various departments. Each has special talents and abilities and a true desire to serve the Lord.

As we look to the year ahead, it is exciting to see what God will do. His blessings are endless for those who are willing to follow Him and remain faithful.

A Hungarian Holiday!

2008-08-25T04:32:00.008+02:00

Well, it's been another eventful, fun-filled, completely exhausting week for the Weavers! Just like always, we have been going, going, going. Last Monday, August 19th, was the first day back to language school after our nice summer break. I was so thankful to the Lord that I was ready to go back! In the beginning of the week, I was dreading it, but by the Friday before school began, I had pumped myself up mentally to get back into learning Hungarian. I do not learn very well if I am not totally and completely tuned-in to the subject being taught, so it was important that I was motivated to go back to school, or else the time could be a waste!

For the last three weeks of language school, Paul and I have decided to attend a new university all together. It is called ELTE (Please don't ask me what the acronym stands for! All I know is it is a famous Hungarian's name plus the word "egyetem" which stands for "university"). We made the decision to switch schools because our friend's wife was also attending, and she had recommended it to us. The program is thus that we attend six hours of class per day, and at the end of the school hours, we have some kind of special presentation or outing. For example, last week we took a trip to the National History Museum, and we had a guest professor come in a discuss the history of Hungary in the 20th Century. It was incredibly interesting, and that means a lot coming from me (AKA: queen of zoning-out)! This next week we will take a visit to the Opera House (I totally almost wrote "Oprah House"!), The Museum of Applied Arts, The Terror House (a museum devoted to the Holocaust in Hungary), and the same professor will return to speak about the history of Hungary from the fall of the Berlin Wall until present day. One week down, two to go!

This past Wednesday was the national holiday for Hungary which celebrates their independence. Budapest was completely packed! Paul and I headed into the city for the afternoon to check out the activities, food, and events. One of the biggest attractions for the holiday is the annual Red Bull Air Race. Professional stunt-performing pilots from all over the world compete in a race of loops, twists, turns, and obstacles, in order to receive the best time. The coolest part was that the whole show took place over the Danube River! Literally millions of people were lined up along the shore, as they watched these stunt planes complete their amazing tricks. I've provided a few pictures of the event. It was so cool to have all the ancient and beautiful Hungarian buildings in the background! Parliament is pictured at the top of my blog.

Yesterday I played "mad scientist" and attempted to propagate ivy so I can plant some in my yard this fall. I took stem cuttings from the end of the ivy growth and placed them in prepared soil. According to the Internet (and Martha Stewart) the cuttings should have rooted in 4-6 weeks, at which time I can transplant the ivy into my yard. We will see! I know you will be checking "Jill's Blog" everyday as you anxiously await the results! Until that time, thank you for your prayers and interest. We love and miss you all! Sziasztok!

P.S. Happy Anniversary Gramps and Grams! We are amazed at your commitment to eachother and to the Lord! We love you!

P.P.S. Welcome home, Dave and Karen James! You have been very much missed over the summer! We are so glad to have you back from furlough!

The Weaver Summer Low- Down

2008-08-13T18:55:00.012+02:00

Well, it is officially the last week of our break from language school, and I'm not sure I am ready to go back! There are still so many projects around the house I want to complete. Seems like there is never enough time in a day!

Starting this Monday, Paul and I will continue our intensive studies in Hungarian for three more weeks. After that, the Bible Institute will be in full gear, so language study will have to be slowed down big time. Actually, I am hoping we will be able to find an adequate tutor to help us during the week throughout the year. Learning Hungarian is my top priority right now. I don't feel like I can fully function or the Lord adequately unless I can communicate with the people! Don't get me wrong - I look at everyday as a gift from God, one that should be used to its fullest potential in that moment for the Kingdom, but I absolutely cannot wait until I can thrive in a Hungarian speaking society! I want to be able to go to the store and not be embarrassed, chat with my neighbors, and talk to my kids' doctors (when we have them, in like 20 years!).

Paul and I have decided to test out a new language school entirely for these last three weeks. This new class takes place in the oldest university in Budapest. It will consist of four, two-hour sessions, including grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and speaking exercises. In the afternoons, the school will have "labs" consisting of either a guest speaker or a field trip. The guest speakers will give seminars on Hungarian culture, history, and society. The field trips will be to historical Hungarian sights, such as Parliament, Castle Hill, and various museums. Should be lots of fun! I am more than certain we will be two pooped puppies by the end of the three weeks, but hopefully we will be chatting away in Hungarian!

I have spent the break cleaning, sewing, relaxing, studying, and canning! To the left, there is a picture taken of our very first harvest from the garden! Since then, I have been out every other day, picking more green beans and tomatoes. The peppers are coming in slowly, but they look awesome! It is amazing how much one can find to do around the house when you really think about it. I took time to wash all the windows and shutters, inside and out. I cleaned the whole house, top to bottom, getting rid of dust on the upper pipes, cobwebs in the rafters, and organizing "junk drawers" that everyone has, I'm sure! I also found time to complete some much needed sewing projects and little around-the-house crafts.

Probably the neatest "chore" I completed over break was canning! Tomatoes were super cheap this past week, about 100-150 Forint/kg (around $.60/kg), so I took advantage! (those older ladies in the store can get awfully pushy when it comes to cheap produce. All I can say is it's a good thing I'm a Christian!) Not to mention, we have a nice crop of maters ourselves, growing in the back yard! I canned about 17 jars of crushed tomatoes, and I tried my very first stab at salsa as well. I've made fresh salsa before, but never tried simmering it and preserving for later use. I had no idea what kind of peppers to buy at the store to give the salsa a kick, so I settled on "eros paprika" peppers. Eros means strong in Hungarian, so I figured they were at least a little spicy. I charred them in the stove and removed the skins, seeds, and veins. Luckily they were just enough heat to give my tomatoes and fiesta flavor! It will be nice to have the salsa for last minute company.

I also made some homemade peach butter from a recipe that Karen James, my friend and fellow missionary, gave me. It turned out sooooo delicious! Really easy too - just some peaches and sugar in the crockpot. This canning thing is getting better and better!

Tonight we are house sitting in the Diosd house, where we lived during language school. The family who owns the house will be returning early next week, so I have to take some time in the next couple days and clean up our scum from there home. They were very kind to let us stay here, but I think they appreciated knowing that someone was looking after their home as well. Next week, when language school starts up again, Paul and I will move to a new house in Budafolk where a staff member with Word of Life's mother lives. Her mother is on vacation for the next four weeks, so the timing worked out perfectly! Praise the Lord!

My wonderful grandparents, on my dad's side, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last weekend. Wow! 60 years! You must really get to know someone after that length of time! They are such an inspiration to me. They were not Christians until after they got married. Life has definitely brought them some difficult times, but through it all, they have relied on the Lord for wisdom and strength. I hope that when Paul and I look back at our marriage in 60 years, we can be half the couple they are. I am so glad the family and their church friends were able to get together last weekend and celebrate a truly God-honoring, faithful, and selfless marriage. I love you Gramps and Grams!

Word of Life just wrapped up its last week of summer youth camp. There were seven weeks of camp, which included volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer, and various languages. Paul and I had never been in Hungary for a summer to see what all goes on during the camping season. I have to say that it is amazing! It was awesome to see the staff playing different roles from that of the Bible School, and morphing into "camp mode." We attended a couple different meetings and activities at the camp this past week. I was so impressed! All the kids seemed to be having the time of their lives, while also learning about the Lord. This is what the ministry should look like!

Please pray for us during the rest of this last week before school, especially Paul. Not only is he the Academic Dean of the Bible school, but he has been placed as head over the internship program this year. He will be responsible for keeping around 15 interns on their toes, plus he is teaching a new class this Fall. This requires much study and organization, not to mention perseverance. On top of all this, he is expected to learn Hungarian, and be my husband! Please pray that my wonderful Paul does not burn out. He needs to be strong for me!

The Amazing Race: Paul and Jill Style!

2008-07-30T20:36:00.015+02:00

Well, once again, it's been a very busy week in the Weaver household. I hate to use the word "household" because it could mean one of several places: Budapest, Toalmas, or even on the road (we spend so much time driving now a days). In fact, in the past three days, Paul and I have set foot in four different countries! We have been to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria all within the past 72 hours!

Because we are currently in a short break from language school, and because we will have next to no time once the Bible School year starts, we decided to take advantage of our independence and see the world! (or at least a couple of neighboring countries :) Our first stop, Bratislava, Slovakia, wasn't all that exciting. Slovakia, formally a part of Czechoslovakia, has only been independent from Czech since 1993. Apart from a palace and one castle, there was not much to see there. In fact, we weren't even allowed inside the castle or palace. We took a few nice pictures from the outside and jumped in the car towards Prague.

Prague is a BEAUTIFUL city! I absolutely loved it! I could totally see myself perusing through the city streets, dining on gourmet meals, and taking yacht trips down the Danube. Of course, this is my worldly, "in your dreams" self that only lasts for a few short seconds until I realize we're living in the real world. BUT... if I ever make it big on American Idol or something, I think I will live in Prague next to the Palace District which is over 6 Km large!

Paul and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in the city. We stayed in a really nice hostel that I was able to find online for half its original price. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be. We had our own room which was pretty nice and even our own bathroom down the hall, because the rest of the rooms were vacant. The hostel even had free breakfast, consisting of authentic Czech salami, cheese, bread, and coffee! Wowzer!

By the way, (this is definitely a rabbit trail) did you know that all McDonald's in every country have a "Dollar Menu" ? Expect, it's not really a Dollar Menu because the American dollar is so weak. For example, in Vienna they had the 1 Euro Menu, but the Euro is equal to $1.57 American dollars! In Prague, there is the 17 Crowns menu, which 15 crowns is equal to $1. I just wanted to tell everyone this so their eyes are opened to the conspiracy which is McD's. What a rip off! (did I mention that they charge like 75 cents for ketchup?)

During our day in Prague, we took a tour of the Palace District, which consisted of the oldest Gothic-style church in Europe, several monuments, and of course, the castle. We were even able to spend time in the gorgeous castle garden, which I totally loved! Later in the day, we rode the "Funicular" up to the highest point in the city. The Funicular is similar to a ski lift, going up a hill, but it looks more like a trolley, and is definitely safer. The view was beautiful! Probably the coolest site in Prague is the Charles Bridge. It was the famous bridge that Tom Cruise jumped off of in Mission Impossible (at least that's what Paul tells me). It's huge and very grand, but unfortunately, I can't tell you any history about it. I was too excited about all the shopping located around it! You'd be proud though, I left Prague with just a few postcards!

One of the most exciting sites for me was the Barbie Exhibit at the Toy Museum! For those of you who don't know, I spent most of my teenage years collecting Barbie Dolls and studying collector's magazines. I was pretty much a Barbie-loving nerd and had no shame! Ever Christmas and birthday, my only request was Barbie. I think I have somewhere along 80 doll still in their boxes. They are currently sitting in my old closet in my Mom's house. Poor Barbie felt pretty ignored once I entered my senior year of high school. Instead of buying collector's magazines and memorabilia, I switched to paying for clothes, make-up, and gas to get to school. Anyway, this exhibit was pretty thrilling for me! I enjoyed seeing the classic dolls up close and in person, or should I say in plastic? I actually owned many of the newer dolls on display. It made me want to get into collecting again, but I don't think I will. My collection will probably find itself on eBay on of these days when we are back on furlough :(

On the way home, we swung by Vienna, just a half hour out of the way. We saw a couple palaces from the outside and walked the historical streets. What a beautiful city! I highly recommend it! Before leaving, Paul and I enjoyed some sweets in this totally cute cafe that was all pink! It was definitely a memory.

We are currently safe and sound, back at home now, enjoying each other and our wonderful life in Hungary. Paul will be preaching in the village church this Sunday, so he will be busy the rest of the week working on his sermon. As for me, I have to get registered for classes this Fall online with Liberty. I think I will also try to plant some cool weather crops in the garden and just see if they will come up in a couple months. Maybe some spinach or lettuce? Or maybe I will plan another trip somewhere! I think tomorrow we should go to Paris!

Nyaralunk! (We are on vacation!)

2008-07-20T18:26:00.007+02:00

Phew! What a busy week! Paul and have been studying away like good little Hungarian students. We now have a vocabulary that is probably 1200 ish words large (of course, I could be way off on that number, but it sounds good). This past week we learned how to use the possessive language, such as "Jill has a ball/Jill's ball" or "Paul is Jill's husband." We also learned how to use the superlative (I think that's the word). For those of you who have no idea what that means, it is basically a comparison term. It's easier to show you an example: good vs. better, strong vs. stronger, nice vs. nicer. So... now I can tell Paul, " My test grade is better than yours!" I won't tell you if that past statement is true or not, but I think you already know the answer :)

Friday was our last day of Hungarian class until next month. The school shuts down for three weeks in the summer to give the teachers some vacation time. I am definitely thankful to have some down time, but three weeks off also scares me a bit. I hope I don't forget everything and go back to square one! Over the three weeks I hope to go over every single thing we have learned and cement it in my head. This break couldn't have come at a better time. Information overload was just about to set in!

Paul will be very busy during the break. This coming fall, he will be teaching a brand new course at the Bible Institute entitled Biblical Theology. The course will take each book of the Bible, starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation, and look at the different theological issues that are revealed. For example, in Genesis God reveals His purpose in the creation of Man. Man was created by God to exercise His authority by ruling in God's place "as the image of God." This is evidenced in the command by God for man to rule and subdue the earth. Paul will teach this course starting the second week of Bible School, so he is working hard this summer to get it completed in time for Fall! On top of all that, he will be preaching the next three Sundays at the Toalmas Church. Plus, studying hard for Hungarian, of course!

I have several projects I hope to complete over our break as well. I want to basically wash the whole outside of the house, if that's possible! The whole thing needs to be scrubbed down and freed of cobwebs and dirt. I want to wash all the shutters and windows inside and out so our humble home will look like new. I also want to get our yard in order by doing some major weed pickn' and tilling the ground to get it ready for planting bulbs this Fall. You should see our village in the Spring. I am not exaggerating when I say that 75% of the houses have daffodils and tulips popping out of the ground! It is so beautiful! It looks like something from the movies! So, in order to be a good Hungarian, I too need to have some bulbs ready for Spring bloom too. When in Rome... It's a little hard for me, because we don't own this home, so I don't want to invest too much money or time into something that's just a rental. But at the same time, we could be here for several years (aka, until we have a baby) so it's important to take pride in our landscape. I have real problems, huh? Poor me!

I spent this afternoon expanding the garden for next spring! It used to be about 15' x 25'. Now it has increased to 25' x 25'! Plus, I'm starting a compost pile! I've been reading up on it on Better Homes and Garden's website. Sooooo cool! I didn't know it was so easy. I guess I always thought compost piles took a lot of work, but it looks like it's basically a pile of organic food waste and yard stuff all mixed together. Of course, it's a little more complicated than that, but hopefully, in time, I will have some rich compost to add to the garden. That is, if I can get Paul to build me a 3'x3' box to contain it all. Decomposing rocks my socks!

For all those who are interested, here's a few photos of the garden. Still no ripe tomatoes yet, but they are definitely getting there. I think the most exciting thing was the tiny green pepper I discovered when we got home on Friday! Gardening has totally

given me a new appreciation for God and

His creation. It is amazing! Come on over

sometime and I'll make you a salad!

Az Iskolaban... (In the School...)

2008-07-05T19:44:00.008+02:00

Well, it's been two whole weeks now since I've last written and a lot has happened! We're nowhere near fluent in the Hungarian language, but we have definitely improved. In class this past week, we learned several new verbs. Now I can tell you that I am shopping, eating, drinking, sleeping, sitting, golfing, cooking, speaking, swimming, and most importantly, doing the Salsa! Guess I could go out on the town and be alright!

In all honesty, language school has been tough, but so rewarding. It is soooooo exciting to finally be able to understand, at least a little, about all that's is going on around me. It's like the country of Hungary is filled with all these brand new opportunities, now that I can somewhat communicate!

Pictured above is a snapshot of our little Hungarian class, a picture of my hubby hard at work, and a picture of the view
from outside our classroom. In the beginning, there were six students, including Paul and I. Two decided to end their studies and one is away in Germany for the week. It is nice to have a small class, because there can be more one- on- one interaction and concentration. Our teacher's name is Dora. She is a young, energetic, Hungarian woman. She has taught at the school for four years now, and typically only teaches the lower levels. We will most likely have a different teacher for the last three weeks of class (guess that means we won't be beginners!).

Probably the neatest news over the past two weeks happened last weekend. Paul and I invited the three German students in our class out to our house in Toalmas last Saturday for a tour of the Word of Life castle and a cookout. I was actually surprised they came; it was an hour and a half car drive, but I think they had a lot of fun. Right away we walked over to the school campus and gave the group a tour of the grounds and the castle. We were able to share with them the story of how Word of Life Hungary came into existence and the cool ways God worked out the details. We also shared about the Bible School and the summer camp programs. I think they were very intrigued. They had no idea how missions worked or why we would want to come to Hungary as missionaries. It was exciting to be able to share our passion for the Lord.

After the tour we played volleyball on campus for an hour or so. Then we headed back to our place and had a cookout. Paul fired up the barbi with hamburgers and dogs. I had made some stuffed cheese and mushroom tomatoes, corn on the cob, and a special dip for the chips. Plus we had peach cobbler for dessert. Mmmmm. They had a real American meal! After dinner, we sat around the fire and talked about life in Germany. Paul asked several questions about the government and economy. Somehow, the conversation got swayed into talking about the Catholic church. We started talking about Martin Luther and the Reformation. To make a long story short, Paul was able to share the Gospel right then and there to these young people. It was such a blessing because the Lord prepared an open door through our conversation, so it didn't have to be awkward or pushed. No one accepted the Lord, but you could really tell that they were listening. It is so obvious that all of them are searching for something. We are praying with all our hearts that the Holy Spirit used Paul's words to impress their need for Jesus in their lives. If you think about it, please pray for Michael, Bettina, and Kata as well. The Lord has a started a great work in their hearts that needs to be filled.

And of course, I assume you are all wondering how the grand garden is doing! I finally have tiny little green tomatoes ripening away! How exciting! In fact, the tomato plants have gotten so big now that they completely toppled over, or even broke, the wooden stakes that I had secured them to, just three weeks ago! Today I had to clip them free of the stakes. I think I will just let them vine on the ground. From what I've read, it doesn't harm the plants, because it is more natural, but they will probably yield a smaller crop. My eggplant is looking rather healthy as well. I am very excited to see those babies spring up. It's not my very favorite vegetable, but I think eggplant is so cool looking. It is a very pretty specimen! Besides that, I've got some green beans coming along, a few celery plants, and about six yellow pepper plants. I think peppers can be tricky. They look okay, but could use some improvement. The problem is, I'm not really sure what to do!
It's been a busy two weeks here in Hungary. There has been lots of fellowship and lots of studying. And the Lord has been so good. I hope you've enjoyed reading the update for this week. Maybe next week I can write it in Hungarian! Sziasztok!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5,6

Happy Sunday!

2008-06-22T17:20:00.009+02:00

Ahhh, another lazy Sunday afternoon. Hah! Seems like there aren't many of those anymore! I am finally sitting down for the first time today. I have had one full day of studying, cleaning, weeding, and grocery shopping. After I update ya'll on this blog, I will make dinner and study some more!

Actually, language school is not as intense as I thought it would be. We go for a little over three hours every weekday, and homework takes a couple more hours after that. BUT... I really really really want to know this language. It's not just another "class" to complete for my degree. This is my life. Therefore, I am forcing myself to study as much as possible. I'm trying to learn fifty new words a day. If I see a word I don't know on a sign, I'll write it down. If I want to know how to say "washing machine," I'll look it up. I've heard that the Hungarian vocabulary is not as large as most languages, so that is definitely a plus. There are only so many words they have to use as a description, verb, or noun. In fact, many times when an English speaker is being translated into Hungarian, the Hungarian phrasing will be much longer than the English because it takes a lot more explanation due to their limited vocabulary. Pretty interesting!

After this week, Paul and I will have completed the first section of language school. They are split into three-week semesters. We are taking two more after this one. Hopefully all of our classmates will continue as well, but I am not so sure. I think a couple are getting pretty overwhelmed. Please pray for us, that we are good examples to them as we try to live Christ-like lives in a secular world. Sometimes it is easy to forget that the world is going to hell, when you spend most of your time on a Christian campus. Being in the city this summer has reminded me of the importance to reach our own

communities for Christ.

Hope you have a great week! Thanks for checking in!

Magyarul Tanulok! (I am learning Hungarian)

2008-06-14T10:23:00.003+02:00

Phew! What a week! Sorry it has been so long since my last post, but it seems like I have had ZERO free time this whole week! Paul and I finally started language school this past Monday. What an experience! I cannot believe how much we have learned in just five days of school! Already I feel like my eyes and ears have been opened to the Hungarian language. I understand a lot more about what is going on around me. It is truly any encouragement. Praise the Lord!

During the week, Paul and I are staying in Budapest, about thirty minutes from our language school. Of course, it is only thirty minutes by car, but when you factor in morning traffic and the crazy Hungarian drivers, it is more like and hour and a half. So, we decided to take the public transportation route, which gets us there a little faster and is less expensive than paying for gas. After a couple days of experimentation, and a lot of walking, we discovered the best route is to 1) drive by car to a nearby grocery store 2) hop on the #3 bus, which takes us to the tram 3) walk from the bus stop to the tram and hop on 4) walk from the tram stop to another bus stop and hop on 5) walk from the last bus stop to our school. All in all, the trip is about an hour and ten minutes, but it allows for some quality study time!

Our teacher is young, cute, and perky. She has taught at the school for four years now. We have a total of six people in our class, three Germans and three Americans, including us. Everyone is very nice and eager to learn Hungarian. However, Paul and I are the only ones who are intending on staying in Hungary indefinitely. The rest are students in Budapest for the next 2-3 years or they are here temporarily on a job assignment. We definitely have major motivation! In fact, Paul is expected to teach in Hungarian by September of 2009! I'm glad I am only expected to do the grocery shopping and talk to the neighbors!

This past week in school, we learned different ways of describing ourselves and other people, familiar sayings we may need (like "I only speak a little Hungarian"), and how to say where we are from. Just yesterday we started learning vocabulary for different foods and occupations.

We are currently back in Toalmas for the weekend. It is so nice to be in our home and to sleep in our own bed. Being gone for a whole week has made me realize how much God has blessed us - not only with a beautiful home and village, but with friends and colleagues who are supportive and such an encouragement.

We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we learn, grow, and study like crazy these next nine weeks. Pray that Paul and I learn as much as possible this summer and that we grow even closer to each other through this experience. Hopefully, next week I will have some pictures to show you of our home in Budapest and our school. That is, of course, if we survive another week of Nyelv Iskola!

"No more pencils, no more books..."

2008-06-03T13:35:00.008+02:00

Well, it was another beautiful and busy week here in Toalmas. Last week was officially the final week of Bible School, so naturally, Paul was busy as a bee, rushing to grade final papers, calculate GPA's, and teach the remainder of New Testament Survey. There were a couple of late nights for him as he read student papers on the topic of "Who is Melchizedek?"(I think he is a manifestation of Christ. What say you? P.S. My paper received an "A"). By the end of the week Paul was one pooped puppy, but he was still able to stand proud on stage at graduation as students received their diplomas. The Bible School now has a one-year program as well as a two-year program, so there were many more students graduating than in previous years. It was a wonderful ceremony, filled with much encouragement and praise for the Lord's blessing. Bellow are a few pictures taken from this past Saturday's Word of Life Hungary Bible School graduation 2008.

Around the House

I know in the last blog I said that I was through with cherry pickin', but the baking machine inside of me took over, and I decided that it would be fun to make a cherry pie from scratch. I have never really been a fan of canned cherry pie filling and I am not sure that I have ever had a real cherry pie before. So, on Monday I went out once again and picked more cherries to bake a pie, but I ended up picking another bucket full. This led me to the realization that we need a freezer. Our current refrigerator has a small freezer at the bottom that is the size of two crisper drawers. One entire drawer is now filled with bags of cherries and the other drawer has everything else. Unfortunately, freezers cost money, and all I have is cherries. So... if you are interested in buying some authentic Hungarian cherries, I think I can give you a deal :) All proceeds will go to the "Jill Weaver Needs a Bigger Freezer Fund." Seriously, I don't know what I'm going to do when all these veggies in the garden come up. Hopefully, by that time, canning supplies will be available in the stores so I can at least preserve the tomatoes!

I had my first harvest of peas this week. Sooooooo exciting! Normally I don't even like peas, but these were really sweet and tasty. This gardening thing is paying off!

Today Paul is working hard on writing our current newsletter and updating our website (http://www.weaverwebpage.org/). I have been working away on sewing drapes for our bedroom. Our home is fashioned in such a way that the shutters over the windows must be opened from the outside. So unless you are willing to open and shut every shutter every morning and evening, you have no privacy. Now that I have these drapes sewn, we can permanently leave the shutters open and just close the drapes at night. I will be sure to post a picture once I'm done.

Looking Ahead

Next Monday will be the very first day of language school! Part of me is so ready and the other part of me is terrified. It is supposed to be pretty intense and overwhelming. We will attend a school in Budapest for about four hours every morning, five days a week. Supposedly they give about four hours of homework as well. To save time and money, Paul and I are going to live in the city for the summer and come back home to Toalmas on the weekends. God has been so good. He supplied us with a home from a missionary couple who are going on furlow this summer. We will be house sitting for them, while experiencing city life! I think it will be a fun summer, but definitely a challenging one. Please pray for us as we experience this adventure together.

What a Week!

2008-05-27T20:57:00.005+02:00

JILL'S LIFE

My sanity has officially been consumed by cherries! I am one obsessed chick, and I really do think I have a few issues. Somehow, I got it in my head that "this is free food = get as much of it as you can." So every morning since last Friday, I have been outside with my big mop bucket and step ladder, picking the ripest specimens of the day. I do have to say that the hour or so that I have spent in the mornings picking away, has been a very nice time to meditate and pray; just me, God, and my cherries.

Pitting those cherries is another story! My wall above the kitchen sink is completely stained with splattered cherry juice! Phew, I am sooo sick of pits. It is totally the pits! I have officially picked, washed, de-stemmed, pitted, and stored four buckets of cherries, which is equal to about 100 cups of cherries! With these I made 27 jars of cherry jam (Canning was a first time experience for me. Thank you so much to Karen James for all her help and advice. P.S. I'm blaming you for any cases of Botulism). I also filled two quart size ZipLock bags with dried cherries, for baking purposes. And I froze 16 bags of pitted cherries for later use. I may pick a few more to give to students, but after this, I am done! And I don't feel guilty!

MARRIED LIFE

It is the last week of school here at Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute. My poor husband has been running around, trying to wrap up teaching, grade quizzes and homework, record grades, and hand back papers. Not to mention, he has to deal with all the sorry students who are coming to him in dismay about their grades and questions on graduation. Please pray for Paul if you think about it. He's going to need some major energy in the next few days. Maybe some cherry pie will help!

Saturday will be graduation, so all the students are bustling around about getting packed to go home, tying up loose ends, and taking pictures of friends. It's a sad, but also happy time. Tomorrow night we will go to the Al and Pam Konya's home (director of WOL Hungary) to have a mini good-bye party with the second year students and staff. It should be fun!

Paul and I will officially be starting language school after graduation, June 9th to be exact. I am so ready! I think!

FAMILY LIFE

Big congratulations to my brother, Jeff Prebeck, for graduating from the Coast Guard Academy this past weekend. Jeff, I am sooooo proud of you! You have turned out to be one extraordinary young man and I am so excited to see the way God is going to direct your exciting future!

The graduation was held on campus in New London, Connecticut. Mom, Dad, my sister Jane, and her husband all went out to see the big event, plus my aunt, Carol. It was a total bummer that we couldn't be there with them to celebrate this huge accomplishment, but, fortunately, through the wonder of technology, we were able to watch the ceremony live online! Vice President Dick Chaney was the key note speaker, and the director of National Defense was present as well. Pretty cool!

From what I hear, the whole weekend was pretty amazing. There were a bunch of events leading up to the graduation, such as a ball/dance, dinner cruise, and various award ceremonies. Jeff won the "Coaches Award" for basketball (I think he's their favorite). He had an awesome year, beating the school record for rebounds and most points scored. Way to go bro!

Gardening Adventures

2008-05-21T16:58:00.006+02:00

Oh my goodness! The cherries on our tree are almost ripe! I just realized this morning that there's only a few days until pickin' time! I'm feeling excited and overwhelmed by this at the same time, because 1) I'm going to have to get on a very large ladder to get all these cherries down 2) I need to learn how to can since our freezer is very small 3) There are going to be a lot of pits to remove! Of course, this all needs to happen within five days or so because ripe cherries only last so long. I want to preserve as many as I can because they are so delicious and, hey, this is free food!

My peas are coming in too! So exciting! This is my very first go-around at gardening, besides the one tomato plant we had on our balcony last summer. So far so good. I started tomato, pepper, and egg plant from seed indoors back in March. They were transplanted into the garden a couple weeks ago, and for the most part, they seem to be adjusting just fine. Of course, I did have some casualties along the way. Besides the seedlings, I also planted peas, onion, and green beans. God and His creation is so cool!

Becoming Hungarian

2008-05-20T18:11:00.002+02:00

Hi Everybody!

Here is my very first post for my new blog site. Hope I am doing this right! I thought I would let you know what it is like to live as a Hungarian.

Living in Toalmas, Hungary is somewhat like taking a step back in time. Life is slower and more simple, but at the same time, it can be harder and more complicated!

Hungarian people live at a slower pace, especially in the village. A majority take time to have a garden, talk with neighbors, and cook a full meal for lunch. In a world where fast food, cell phones, and instant gratification seem to rule, village life is refreshing. However, adjusting to a new culture, language, and way of life has not been without its difficulties. I have learned to be the ultimate house wife, the old fashioned way. I now use the line for the wash, instead of a clothes dryer. Most of our meals are cooked from scratch, no cream of mushroom soup or instant pancake mix! Plus, the nearest Wal-Mart type store is thirty minutes away. We have no television, and our heater is run on a wood burner (although we have radiators too). Actually, even though some tasks can be difficult, I think old fashioned living is the way to go! I fully enjoy working with my hands, whether it be cleaning, cooking, or landscaping. It only gets frustrating when time constraints are an issue. Everyday living here just seems to take longer!

All things aside, I fully believe that God has given me a very blessed life. I know the Lord has brought Paul and I to Hungary with big plans in mind, and I am so excited to see them all unfold. At the end of the day, when I lay my head down on my pillow, and think of all the blessings God has given us, I can only be filled with thanksgiving for His provision and perfect will.