Dear Special Friends,
One of the things we never get tired of is sitting down with the pastors of the churches we have helped to start and hearing some of the great stories of how God has moved inthese churches that we have helped start in the past fifteen years.
This happened just this morning. I picked up a Polish pastor, Wojek, from the train station here in Budapest this morning and we got to spend a couple of hours together. He was passing through to another city in Europe and had to come through Budapest.
We have worked with Wojtek for many, years as he helps to starts churches in Poland in cities and towns with few if any protestant churches. Wojtek told me that these churches are working with the schools, the mayors, and so many other groups to reach their towns for Christ.
He also told me about other towns in Poland where there are Christians but they have no church in their towns to go to. They have to take buses, trains, or drive 20 or more miles to a church, but they are ready to start a church in their own town.
He gave me a list of three cities where they are ready to start churches. They have a place to meet already, they have a person to pastor the church, they just need help to get started.
I told Wojtek we would help him with all three of these new churches this year. He was so grateful.
These kind of meetings over coffee are not that uncommon and we love them. Sometimes after we help to see a church get started, we don’t have so much contact after a few years. Key leaders in each country oversee these new churches and they are strong enough that they don’t need our input so much. We are happy about this as we can then concentrate on more new churches.
But we also love it when like this morning one of these pastors will tell us about a church we helped start maybe seven years ago that is doing great, reaching people and thriving. It is so heartwarming and humbling knowing we had something to do with this so many years ago.
Special Family News . . . This summer we will once again be spending several weeks in the USA. Ministering, relaxing and taking a vacation too. We know for sure that one of the reasons that we love serving as Missionaries for now 35 years, is that we get to go back to the US for these short breaks. It refreshes us so much. . . Plus we love just being in America, with family, friends and the food. (Mexican)
We will get to see our kids and grand-kids and that will be more than wonderful. All grandparents understand this feeling . . Even do some babysitting for our kids. Fun, Fun, Fun.
Out daughter Audrianna is going on a three-week missions trip to East Asia. We are so we are so excited for her as she is going places we have never been and very challenging! God has shown her His faithfulness and provided all the funds she needs for the trip!
USA Vacation this Summer … Brenda and I are going on a vacation in late July with just the two of us to California, maybe drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and enjoy that part of the Ameirca that we have never been too before..
But ITS STILL MAY and we have lot to do over here in Eastern Europe before we go to the US. But still, we are so excited about this summer in the USA.
Your Missionaries in Budapest, Hungary
Jim and Brenda
PS. Please prayerfully consider whether you can help with starting churches in Poland or help with a SPECIAL GIVE for our SUMMER USA VACATION.
