Monday, December 31, 2012

Boxes to go....

 Well, the time is drawing closer to leaving! We just took up most of the stuff to ship off to the field today. There will be a few more things, but most of what we own that is left is right there. From nearly 2500 SF house to this... and we are SO excited!!

 If you told us five years ago that we would be excited to get rid of almost everything we owned and leave everything behind, I think I personally would have fainted.  Yet, when Christ is the One leading your heart, your life, your view on how to impact the world, it is tremendously motivating.  Yes, I suppose we could take less than this, and may end up doing so, but as it is we won't fill the 190 cubic foot container completely.

  How about you? Who is leading your heart? Where does He want to take you, if you are only willing? It may not be as drastic as moving around the world - it may only be walking out your front door to greet a new neighbor down the street.  Would you be willing to take a chance? He is the Great Gentleman, if you will only let Him.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Soon...

  Wow - nearly a month from now we will be hearing Hungarian 24/7!  We are looking forward to learning this most difficult language so we can understand the people's thoughts as well as their hearts.

  How will they relate to us? Will  they want to? Will we be just "those rude Americans - just like in the movies", or will they think we are "those dumb Americans - just like in the movies"?

  Our goal is to be "those Americans - they aren't like what we have heard of or seen before! "  How? Well, we want to get to know Hungarians as people, as neighbors, as mothers, fathers, people with joys and sorrows. Maybe they have had a bad day at work, or a really great day at the market. Maybe they have decided that there cannot be a God, since they have never known a nice gesture that didn't have a price tag of some kind attached to it, or that God doesn't have time for them, so they don't want time for God.  Maybe they have never even heard of God.

  Well, soon we will find out. Soon we will be able to share our discoveries with you. As always, we covet your prayers and support.

  Merry CHRISTmas - though we have to confess, we haven't thought much about Christmas in the western sense of the word - our nation has been blessed with SO much.

  We are celebrating the simplicity of Christmas - Jesus, our Savior was born to this fallen world.  Come! See! The joy of knowing Him and loving Him, accepting Him in your heart. Jesus doesn't demand that we clean up our life before we come to him.  He knows we are incapable of doing that. He asks that we confess our wrong doing and trust in His ability to form us into the likeness of His only son Jesus.  The cost is high, but the reward is far greater. Ask Him. The King of Kings is waiting for you to do so. He is right there, loving you as you are. Just ask and be free.

Friday, December 14, 2012

...And NOW to FURTHER downsize!!



    God is SO good! He has allowed us to stay at a friend's place during this interim before leaving and after selling our home. A further blessing is that many of you have offered a room or part of your home to us & we feel SO blessed. Thank you, Thank you, Thank You!

   So, here we are - further eliminating "stuff" out of our lives. We thought we had everything fairly pared down, until we moved!  Papers are the bane of our existence, I think!  We all ready have shredded a 55gal container of papers just since moving a week ago. More to come, oh joy!

  We were at Bible Study last night & they were talking about meeting during the holidays. I looked at my calendar to see if there would be a conflict - and there is only two weeks till Christmas!(approximately)  Where did the time go? Then I thought, "Oh wow! That means we get to leave sooner! Hooray!

   Sometimes it feels like we are Joseph and Mary as we embark on this journey with not a lot of accoutrements (for Americans).  We have been discovering the freedom this allows to be more and more unencumbered.  Jesus came down from Heaven FOR US - imagine what He could have brought with Him, yet chose not to. Yes, some women would argue that He was a man, and they tend to travel more lightly. When I try to wrap my mind around the thought of the GLORY of Heaven, and the SPLENDOR of lights, colors, voices, JOY of those there, and the WORSHIP that continuously goes on - then I am reminded of the sacrifice Jesus chose to make for our sakes in coming as a humble king to this earth. This earth is just a minute detail of beauty compared to the majesty of Heaven. Maybe that was a greater sacrifice than even the cross?

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Shadow of His Wings

   I worked my way through college with various jobs. One occupation that isn't my gifting is waitressing! However, for 5 months, customers and I endured. I loved the people, and I tried my hardest, but I think it is truly a gifting to be a competent and effortless server in restaurants.

  Well, one afternoon before I went into work for the closing shift, I was reading His word and soaking up the lovely summer sunshine. I came across the verse in Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of thy wings" and I remember thinking, "Wow, what do you mean by that, Lord? Would you teach me?"  Then a few hours later I needed to leave on my bike for work.

   I did all right that night for a Friday night, got through "the bar rush" fine w/ no obnoxious customers. After cleaning up & prepping for the breakfast shift, I started biking home about 4am. I am singing to myself praise songs as I headed home when a convertible came up along side me filled with young men. They started hooting & hollering, I just kept biking. I took some unexpected turns, and the carload of young men just kept following me. Hmmm, not a great situation. After a few more turns, I was starting to panic and asked the Lord for some help. 

   The carload was going around the block, since a bike is a lot slower, even though I was pedaling like crazy.  Then the Lord answered my plea by saying, "turn here, go this way, ok, now stop!"
  "What do you want me to do with my bike?"  "Just leave it and stand right here by this tree"  "But Lord, I am right on the edge of the curb! The reflectors of my bike..." "STOP! Don't breathe, don't blink, don't look anywhere, just stare straight ahead." So I did, and the car turned the corner and drove right past me and my white legs, white shirt, dark shorts (I wanted to be visible, just like they teach you in school...). "Ok, now breathe" said God.  The tires on my bike were still spinning. I looked down and my toes are nearly at the curb's edge before the street. "Stop! Don't breathe, don't move, don't blink"  and I didn't for what seemed like an eternity.. though no car came by, I thought I heard someone walking or running quietly.  "Ok, now breathe" "Stop!...." and the car drove s-l-o-w-l-y past. "Ok, now breathe again."  "Can I itch my nose?" "No - don't breathe..." and someone walked by on the other side of the street.  
   When the person turned the corner, He let me breathe briefly, then I needed to stop again. Once again, the car drove slowly past & this time it was nearly against the edge of the curb! "Lord!" "It's okay, I have you my child, just think of me and don't move." Well, my eyes were somewhat downcast all ready, so I left them there - only to see the people driving by looking right past me and my white legs - and now there were only three people in the car instead of a bunch. I heard them saying, "Wow man, it was so weird - she was there pedaling, and then she wasn't there when we came back around. It's like she VANISHED!" They stopped, and spoke to a couple people coming down the alley, then the people walked on and the car drove on.
   This kept happening for what seemed like hours. I would hear the car circle further and further out, yet still be commanded at different times to stop breathing and moving. Finally, God gave me the "OK" to move away from that spot, yet He gave distinct directions as I rode home.  I could still hear the car and the young men talking as they continued to try to find me, but God was with me as I rode my bike to my doorstep. He cautioned me to bring my bike inside the door and quickly turn off the light, so I did. The car drove up our driveway, right on the other side of the door where I was standing, and then on into the alleyway & away!
   My roommates were up and frantic that I hadn't gotten home from work earlier. I was just so tired I told them I would explain when I woke up later. As I pulled down the covers to my bed and moved my Bible, my eyes fell upon the verse once more, "Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of thy wings" - and then I KNEW HE HAD! God had protected me, hiding me in the shadow of His wings, blinding my pursuers! Oh, what a good God we serve!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

"Thank you for going to the people I love"

  This phrase has been expressed tearfully many times to us by different Hungarians we have met who are believers. They have been trying to have their people see "the light of Jesus" and now have hope that others may have an effect. It reminds me of the verse when Paul was speaking to the Corinthians, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." 1 Cor.3:6.  
   This happens not only overseas, but anyplace people are. We are to speak into others' lives. You and I. Parents use the method to bring across a point to their children by having the children hear it from another person whom they respect. Leaders, officials, friends, all use different ways for some people to hear. God allows this to work in ways we cannot fathom, but it works. 
  Other Hungarians we know (who are not believers) have said, "Why go there? Just stay. There is nothing over there Americans would want to have anything to do with." God has prompted us to speak of why we are drawn to the people of Hungary. They still scoff, but we know we are compelled to go. You see, they are in the spiritual dark just like their countrymen.
   When we were in Hungary and were going to be seeing some famous places, we were warned, "Do NOT smile! The people will think you are either crazy or drunk." Then we were told it was best to not make eye contact whatsoever. We noticed as we walked down the street in Budapest the somberness of people. No Joy, no Hope, no Peace or anything of value to look forward to.  
   Then we arrived at the Barka for Sunday service - people were Smiling! They were Joyful! There was Hope in their eyes and hearts! Jesus Christ makes all the difference in people.