Just another day in Vienna...

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

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