Thursday 10 August 2017

What a Mission!

This picture shows just some of Mission team who worked together in the communities of Akli, Uj Akli and Gjula last week. I say some because, although this likely reflects the c.75 people visiting the villages for the week, this is a partnership working together with the churches and village communities. We are serving with, not for, our brother and sisters in Christ. Those from England, Hungary and Trans-Carparthia all working together in our Lord's name.

It really has been an absolute and utter joy to serve as part of the team again this year. There has been a lot of laughter, a lot of love and life-long friendships made. I can't help but stop smiling when thinking about it. The Lord has been such a key part of it all and we must give our praise and thanks to Him.

The school ended on a high note on Friday with a party atmosphere for the children to recognise that they are invited to God's banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 22). The children got to play pass the parcel, decorate biscuits, received t-shirts with pictures of the theme of the week ('seek ye first the Kingdom of God'), were given bracelets with 'God keeps his promises' and made party hats. The whole week ended off with parade around the school grounds past the medics and some of the parents who had come to meet their children. These children have ended the week full of smiles and knowing that they themselves are loved by God and by the English week. How absolutely wonderful to be a part of.

The community team had a tough week, and mainly because of the weather. Temperatures reached a record 40 degrees and with no air conditioning or swimming pools (how pampered we are back home) there was a constant battle to keep cool and hydrated. This team have a tough job as they are visiting people in the villages and are spending most of the week walking up and down the extremely dusty and uneven roads. The roads here are mainly potholes, and that is no exaggeration. Visits to those in need bring great comfort but sharing the love of God and His message is why we are here. The community team also do a great job of coordinating other teams, providing support to the medical registration and moves, keeping the dentist functioning (thank you for providing us with an electrician this year Lord). They really knit together the individual teams.

The medical team had an excellent week. We had an unprecedented number of medical students who were all excellent. Despite volunteering and working long hours these students were enthusiastic beyond belief! To be able to help in their training brings great joy to the English team. We saw a good number of patients and it's always good to be able to go back and monitor how they are progressing from the previous year. The comment on the students also applies to the dental surgery as hampered by illness, poor electricity in Ukraine and the heat, they were blessed with a Hungarian dentist and student for the week. Praise the Lord!

Finally a big mention should go to the villages themselves. To see a group of people come together in such a team, even with language and culture barriers, is testament to the Lord's loyalty to this Mission. Our host families feed us, give us a place to stay (often giving up their beds for us) and make us such a part of their families for the week. We have also been helped by many of the locals in our teams, we could not do it without them.

As you are aware this Mission is only possible by people from volunteering from England, Hungary and Trans-Carpathia. All that is needed is a willingness to serve the Lord. It truly is my most favourite week of the year and I urge everyone and anyone to pray into whether they want to come. We will be praying that the Lord places on your heart if He wants you to come. Age and skills are not a barrier, He provides everything.

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Back safely in Budapest

Back safely from a long, rewarding, joyful week in the villages.

Off to enjoy our last morning in Budapest and will post more from the airport.

Saturday 5 August 2017

Prayer requests

Please pray for a good final Sunday here in the villages and the safe onward travel of all our translators, helpers and the English team.

This Sunday is Attila and Kristina's final Sunday in Akli church so prayers for a good sendoff for them and that the village will come together in the time as they wait for a new minister.

Finally, for the heat! It's reached record temperatures - 40 degrees in the shade - here in the villages! We'd lovely a cooler day tomorrow to travel but it's not looking likely!

Blessings to all back home.

Community team update

Yesterday was changeover day and the team turned its attention from the smaller villages of Akli Hegy, Akli and Uj Akli under record temperatures of 35 degrees.

Last night we enjoyed a folk dance evening beginning with Hungarian dancing in the refurbished clubhouse in Gjula. Windows which had been nailed into a closed position were now wide open but hardly made an impression on the temperatures generated by about 80 people or all ages dancing to a 4 piece band under instruction and demo from a Hungarian feather-hatted chap in a black shirt and waistcoat and a blonde plaited haired girl in a tea floral dress and pinafore. The dances were mainly single circles dances from different regions of Hungary and there was full participation and enjoyment and perspiration. 

The community team members met with Zoltan, the pastor, his wife Réka, and our interpreters and were broken into groups with the elders to visit 11 families with a sick person, 9 families with a joyful situation such as the birth of a new baby and 6 with a troubled situation, two of which were extremely harrowing. We remarked today how privileged we all feel to be warmly welcomed into the villagers' homes each time we enter them and how openly they share their stories, often of great hardship, loss or suffering; it is humbling but encouraging to be part of the Kingdom Family of God and to share the love of Jesus as we pray for one another together.  

I have been visiting the villages over the past 13 years and have been struck this time by the large numbers of villagers now working abroad to supplement family income; no longer Budapest but other areas of Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, England, Czech Republic, and women as well as men as Hungarian passport holding citizens. There is wealth as a result, and home improvements but a considerable impact on family life. The threat of army call-up is no longer as acute, but there are fewer cows being collected each morning and market prices of tomato, cucumber and potato staples are falling. Hungarian government grants for loans on tractors and for new business such as commercial blueberry growing are trying to encourage Hungarian Ukrainians to remain in their home villages, but falling crop prices are not helping. 

Roger and I were privileged yesterday to accompany Attila on a visit to the head of the elders at Akli Hegy church. Attila and Kristina are leaving next week after 15 years' ministry in the villages for family reasons. Attila read the passage to the elders of the church in Ephesus from Acts 20 when Paul was preparing to leave for Jerusalem, to anticipate the things that could happen in his absence. His sadness at leaving, his concern for the people he was leaving behind, and his entrusting them to God were as evident in Attila's face as they were in Paul's letter. This ministry has been valued by so many and they will be sorely missed.

Jill


Thursday 3 August 2017

An update from the villages

We can't believe how time is passing so quickly here in the villages but life out here is so wonderful. 

The medical team are having long days and the queues are building now we are in Gjula. However, they are being aided by some great locals and some of the community team who are supporting and guiding the registration. 

The school is going well and there are many happy kids at the end of the day. One of the local helpers said that some of the kids spend the whole year waiting for 'English week' - wow, how can there be more of a reason to keep this mission going. The kids are learning about Jesus' parables about the kingdom of heaven and it is so joyful to hear them singing songs of seeking the kingdom of God. This afternoon the children have some free time where they get to pick from: dancing (with our very talented dance teacher, Adela); loom bands; beads; dress up; construction; painting. They just get to have fun! 

We have one of our largest community teams out here this year which means that we are able to do more home visits and provide support to the other teams. Yesterday some of the team went to the gypsy village to meet up with that community again. Last year we had a tough time when we arrived but this year God opened the path for us and we were really welcomed. The team went inside with some of the men and women and heard about how they were during the year. In addition they sang some worship songs, and it is such a blessing to see them worship God. At the same time the youth team spent an hour outside with the gypsy children. They were really engaging with us - despite the fact we had very little resources with us - musical statues with no music anyone!!

One factor which is playing its part is the weather. It is HOT! This means that we are all sleeping slightly less well, all our patience is slightly less and we are striving to keep hydrated. Please pray that although it is hot we manage to stay full of energy, patience and wisdom. We must remember that many of our host families spend many hours in the fields in this weather so we cannot complain when we get to spend time in the hot shade. These are also the host families who look after us day and night  - what a blessing they are on us all. 

Prayers would, of course, be very much appreciated. For us in this heat. For the host families who give up so much during the week to look after us so well. For Miki and Lotse who drive us between the villages  on dusty roads - Miki always has a smile on his face! For Zoltan, Réka, Attila and Kristina, who we come alongside in working with the church community here. For the medical, dental, community, school and youth teams - that we share God's love in everything we do. 


Sending our love to all back home in England (and especially to my mum on her birthday!) 

Wednesday 2 August 2017

A few photos of our time so far

A few photos: pudding; a previous visit by Andrew Howe; youth post-it note games; decorations in the school; kids waiting to start at the school; youth team having a well deserved break (note Reka, Zoltan's AMAZING wife on the left!); community team visits.

Tuesday 1 August 2017

First days in the villages

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day of church, food and set ups. We started the day in our churches in either Akli or Gjula and some of us then had some free time to relax. The medical and school set up went pretty smoothly but unfortunately we have had difficulties with the dental set up. (more on that further down). The evening was time with our families and we had a lovely evening catching up with our family and hearing their news. Our host families are such a blessing to us and look after us so well that spending time enjoying their company gives us the greatest joy. 

Today (Monday) has been the first day of school. It is going well but we have had teething issues so please pray for everything to be ironed out. As I write this though I can hear chattering and laughter from the children - playing sport inside (given the heat!) - which surely must be the reason we are here. We have over 150 children and about 19 youth today who have all heard about the Parable of the Sower.  

The medical team have also set up in Akli and have been very busy. They work long hours out here and are so devoted to their work. 

The weather is hot and is only going to get hotter so we are making sure to hydrate and keep out of the sun too much. 

Please pray for good health for the team and for us to keep well in the hot weather. Prayers would be appreciated as the dental team are having difficulty setting up, so have not yet been able to do any dental work, although we hope this is now fixed. Please pray too that our theme for the week - the kingdom of God - is shared with all. 

One quick final thing to note, it is great to see the change in the church building at Uj Akli as last year it was just a pile of bricks and it is now a proper building! What a blessing it will be on the village and we hope that it will build community. We will try and get some photos to put up.