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

Christmas 2010

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

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

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

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:

1. That many new children would attend the Club.
2. That many children would be saved.
3. That the children would get excited about the Bible and spiritual growth.
4. That we can find enough leaders who are able to share the Bible story once a month.
5. 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!

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!

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