Magyar Mullets October 06 Newsletter

Magyar Mullets´ Newsletter 06-10Hungary,
October 2006
Dear Family and Friends,
Wintertime greetings from Budapest! I’ll put the best news first. God is still moving in the hearts of people. The last Sunday of October we visited an evangelical church in the city of Veszprém just north of Lake Balaton. Although the rest of us had never met, our pastor and theirs had met on a train, it seemed like a big family gathering. We worshipped God together, shared a meal in an elder’s home, and later met in an apartment for a congregational meeting to discuss their joining the Hungarian Evangelical Church. We very much enjoyed the fellowship we have with them in Christ.

The first week of October I found myself in Manhattan, KS as the best man in Allyn Weddle’s wedding. He and his older brother Eric spent several winters in Budapest laboring alongside us. They eventually brought their respective fiance’s to meet us. Ministering in Hungary was the occasion God used to introduce us and to knit our hearts together. Taking part in Allyn’s wedding was another precious memory the Lord added to me.

Thanksgiving in October was afforded to us by our Canadian co-workers. Shaun and Sondi Carlaw, (directors of the English Outreach program at the ministry center), threw a big Thanksgiving celebration for all our English students and their families. We all pitched in to provide turkeys, traditional dishes, desserts, and decorations. It was a wonderful occasion to express gratitude to God for our salvation and proclaim it to others. Pray for our students to take hold of the gift of salvation freely offered to them.

The last weekend in October the men and boys on our team went camping. We camped overnight in a national park an hour north of Budapest and the conditions were perfect. We’ll have to make it a yearly tradition.

Now, what seems to be the bad news: after four long years of legal battle over the occupation of half our ground floor by the heating company, we lost in the appellate court. We own the premises, but they can occupy and use them for nothing. Having won the lawsuit in May and waiting for the heating company’s final appeal October 26th to conclude the matter, this came as shocking news to everyone—even the winners. In the appeal the court made reference to a Municipality decree from 1967 that stated free right of utilization for central heating services. Although these are just offices for the heating company, the ruling stands. I have to believe this is the will of the Lord concerning us and the building He entrusted to us for a time. There are plenty of other things on which to concentrate our efforts now.

There have been very sad situations for leaders in our churches lately. Please pray for God’s mercy and protection over His flock. Just when we’re beginning to see evidence of new church plants and desires expressed to plant new churches, it seems the wolves attack the shepherds of the flock. One man asked me if I’d seen a lot of this kind of thing, because he hadn’t. I told him you see a lot more on the battlefield than you do from a lawn chair. We have to remind ourselves that we’re on the battlefield. Great fear of God needs to seize the whole church. We covet your prayers.
In Christ,Brad, for all of us