Magyar Mullets August 2008 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from the Mullets in Hungary. We have enjoyed a full month of ministry with many people in multiple endeavors. We did take time to observe the national holiday August 20th to catch the airshow in front of the Parliament building and to view the air races. It still seems like the continent takes a vacation the whole month of August: less traffic, fewer people attending worship services, businesses close for a few weeks, and everyone inquires as to vacation plans.
We took our vacation in June, so we could be on hand in August. Many times it felt like we were working shifts and the days just flew by. Here are some of the highlights:

I was privileged to preach two Sundays at the Kelenfold church working through the book of Mark, and set up for the baptism of two believers.

A good number of days were spent with others tying up loose ends at three construction sites: gathering tools, moving debris, cleaning, painting, staining, wiring, and setting up for Fall ministries.

Throughout the month Kari and I were in various ministry development meetings in the evenings with other missionaries, church members, ministry leaders, and hosted guests.

Some of us met with an engineer and architects a couple times concerning next steps and possibilities with the ministry center.

I got to help man a table one Saturday for the Hungarian Evangelical Church at an international meeting of evangelicals down near Lake Balaton. It was a spectacular event that opened my eyes to the incredible work God is doing through Hungarians across historic denominational lines.

The month wrapped up with an all day training in the Alpha course, an evangelistic outreach in the park behind the ministry center with another church, and a wonderful worship service the last day of the month with most everyone having returned from vacation.

One highlight for me was meeting a couple gypsies digging through a dumpster. I was putting debris in and they were taking it out--it's the way relationships start here sometimes. In subsequent days we talked on the phone and I asked them to help me de-clutter some rooms at the ministry center. Their motive to help was steel, aluminum, and wood. My motive was to sow the seed of the gospel in their lives. The church gave them ten dish pack boxes full of clothes. They hauled away the rest of the theater seats, scrap iron, furniture and debris. Pray with me for God to change the soil of their hearts that the seed would grow in them: One guy has God on his mind--his name is Geza. The other guy didn't talk--just listened, and his name is Jimmy.










Many blessings in laboring unto the Lord.

Love, Brad--for all of us

Nine years to the St. Stephens Day we've been in Hungary

We arrived in Hungary 9 years ago today on the national holiday commemorating the birth of the country. We were met at the airport by the country leader for the mission and our new landlord. Our first night in Hungary we spent at our landlord's house near the airport and watched fireworks on TV. There were six of us then. Our two girls have already left, but we have the two boys still: Peter, who was in third grade when we came, graduates this year. Jacob is a sophmore. We were the second family to arrive and serve with ReachGlobal in Hungary. The Hungarian Evangelical Church came into existence a year later. It's now an association of 4 churches, soon to be five. We've been witness to much that God has accomplished in Hungary and we've been blessed to complete some of the good works He planned in advance of us. I'm certain there is much more to do. There is work underway for a great ministry expansion at the Kelenföld Ministry Center. God is bringing more laborers and compelling more churches here to proclaim the gospel to more who've never heard it. Thank you for praying and giving.

Blessings in Christ,

Brad, for all of us

Magyar Mullets' July 2008 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,
Blessings to you all in Christ! July was a full month of labor unto the Lord. We were greatly blessed to labor alongside a team from Grace Community Chapel in Missouri, who supplied the teachers for our kids’ English camp. A sibling servant, Phil Harner, from Faith EFC in Kansas helped with both the kids’ and teens’ camps. During the last two weeks of July we hosted a 15-person construction team from Fullerton, California. At the same time the teen ESL camp was well staffed by teachers from Canada, England, the US, and Hungary. While the work kept us running from dawn to dusk, it was amazing to see what the Lord accomplished through hearts and hands given wholly to His purposes. The teen camp used the upstairs classrooms and lobby while the construction team started the makeover on the coffeehouse and the auditorium. I can’t imagine the difficulties we would face in these ministry endeavors without having such a great facility at our disposal. The Fullerton team also tackled other mission projects—building offices on the ground floor of the Europe Training Center, constructing a new driveway, and fixing up one of the mission houses. I’m hoping to put the Europe Training Center to greater use this fall using the Alpha Course for a church plant in that neighborhood. Thank you for supporting us and for helping us maintain facilities to share with other ministries in the advancement of the gospel in Hungary.

While we’ll be hard pressed to have everything back together in time for fall ministries, I’m confident the Lord will provide the means and the labor to make it happen. We have Isaiah and Nicole Skinner from Dubuque, Iowa, with us for a month while they’re exploring missions as a ministry and generally pitching in everywhere. Mark and Jodi Revell just arrived from First EFC, Springfield, Missouri, for a one-week visit. (First EFC tries to send a pastoral staff member once a year to one of the fields where one of their own is serving as a missionary.) They
will probably be doing a lot of praying, painting, and cleaning with us. The teachers who serve at the International Christian School are also arriving back for a new school year. There’s another church moving forward with joining the Hungarian Evangelical Church this fall. It just seems the Lord’s favor is upon us. We are occupied with gladness of heart and remain in awe of God’s work in the hearts of people.

On the family front, Whitney became engaged to Clint Teders a couple of weeks ago and they’re talking about getting married next summer while we’re back for home assignment. Kelsey is working at the Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks and loving it. Peter is working in Seattle and staying with a friend’s family. (We don’t hear too much from him.) Last week Kari, Jacob, and I got our new residence permits valid for a year. I’m so glad to be in Hungary this month for the Red Bull Air Races down on the Danube in front of the Parliament building.

Please pray for us that we will wisely navigate the challenges of working with multiple ministry venues:

As we lead a diverse team of missionaries, each needing to raise additional support to cover the effects of the exchange rate and increased operating costs.
As we share the ministry center with more and more ministries, fulfilling our desire to lock arms with more believers in Budapest and to plant new churches.
We have never been more grateful to God for His provision through you which permits us to continue serving Him in Hungary. Keep the faith—God still moves in hearts.

Brad for all of us