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Volume 2, Issue 2
This newsletter is in two sections - the first is the bit I wrote for the website, before I had the whole newsletter finished, just so there would be something on the website. It's not all in the finished newsletter, and when updating the site, I didn't want to just erase it all - so that's the first section, in larger print. What follows it is the full-fledged newsletter, a paper version of which was mailed to everyone. Hope this isn't too confusing! Summer in Szeged Summer came early here, right along with the month of May - and then we had spring again for most of June, and more rain than they've had here in June in years and years! Thankfully the last week has brought back some nice summer weather, warm but not yet too hot. We've also discovered that our apartment really does stay amazingly cool, even when it's hot outside - thanks to the two feet of brick exterior walls. Summer, and spring, mean that people spend all sorts of time outside, just walking around town, sitting around water fountains and eating the yummy (and cheap) Hungarian ice cream. Having children who also love the water fountains and ice cream, we've had many opportunities to make casual acquaintances. We are very busy, despite what sitting by water fountains and eating ice cream sounds like! Norbi has worship practice twice a week - Wed. morning and Sat. morning. Kirsi, our dear Finnish friend and violinist, went home to Finland the first week of May. We miss her terribly, but know God has amazing plans for her and the talents He's given her. She's e-mailing and keeping in touch, and is already deep into youth ministry in Finland. As Kirsi left the worship team, Noémi joined it. Noémi was attending CC Budapest while going to school up there, but lives in a village near to Szeged, and is now a great addition to our fellowship. She's been helping with worship in Budapest for some time, and asked right away about helping here. Norbi was thrilled to have a female singer, something especially nice on those songs with the pretty girl echoes. But even as we're enjoying welcoming Noémi onto the worship team, we may have to say 'farewell' to her soon - as she has a chance to move to the U.S. through her job. Pray that if that is God's will for her it would all happen smoothly. She too will be missed. Norbi has also been having lots of fun figuring out all sorts of tax laws and official financial papers as CC Szeged became a legal church recognized by the Hungarian government back in April. This means tax benefits and much more credibility in the community. It has also meant a lot of head scratching by Kyle, Laci and Norbi as they've had to learn the ins and outs of 'APEC' (the Hungarian IRS). Norbi has a great head for finances, and is one of those odd people who actually enjoy doing their tax returns - but the Hungarian system is totally different that the American, and the guys have wisely seen their need for, and hired, a church accountant. We're all still learning Hungarian (well, except for Norbi, who pretty well knew it by age three or so) , but have added a helpful game we've been doing together for the last month or so - 'the word of the day'. Since we began this game at the dinner table, we started with all the eating utensils (glass, plate, bowl, spoon, etc...) but have moved on to game words (cards, dice, turn - we play a lot of board games with the boys, Monopoly Jr. is the current favorite) and now outdoor words (river, tree, sky, etc...). It's helping us all, and everyone wants to know the word of the day correctly and 'win' - even Anna often repeats the words after the boys do. Yes, Anna and talking - that's another major newsworthy event. It seems that in the matter of one month - May, Anna was talking - just like that, boom - she speaks! Oh, she was using words and phrases before, but now, she's jabbering in total sentences and surprising everyone daily with words and expressions she uses. I can't help but see it as a 'girl thing' - both boys were much slower talkers, not unusually so - I just don't recall such a rapid speech boom. Both boys are still in preschool - they'll only have the month of August off. But as they have such fun, and don't know about summer vacation yet, they haven't complained. And it's really better for them to have as much of the Hungarian immersion as possible. They have commented on some of their class-mates being gone - but at least half, if not more, of the class will also be staying through July - though there was all the official end of school activities in late May, with class pictures (see the boys' pages under Pictures) and a field trip. They are finally learning class-mates' names - Joshi did so much faster than Josiah. And Norbi witnessed quite an amazing event one day several weeks ago when dropping just Josiah off at school, Joshi stayed home sick. Joshi's teacher asked Josiah, in Hungarian, if Joshi was coming to school that day. Josiah listened to her, and then answered, "Nem" - Hungarian for 'no'! We really think both boys are understanding a lot more than they realize they are. But, boy, was that exchange with Joshi's teacher encouraging! The last update will be about our backyard - which is looking great! The grass has grown in beautifully, and it is being greatly enjoyed. The first church BBQ is planned for Sat. July 7th - that's a real basic reason we so wanted a yard. We still have some landscaping dreams, but are going slowly and really enjoying the new world of gardening. Check out the pictures of our fixed up backyard. We're so enjoying our own bit of 'outside', and hope all of you can also enjoy some 'outside' this summer. It's such a great time for good Christian fellowship. The church here is really growing in numbers lately - seems each week there are one or two new faces - so we're all looking forward to the chance to get to know the new people better, and enjoy hanging out with the other dear brothers and sisters we're growing to love more and more. May God bless you all this summer, and may any extra free time some of you may have, be spent to the Glory of the Lord!
Summer Comings and Goings Summer at Calvary Chapel Szeged always brings changes in church attendance, for the basic reason that a big majority of church members are also college students studying at the several universities here in town. As they finish their studies for the year and go home for the summer, the numbers at church will obviously lessen. At least, that’s how it’s always been for this church….until this year, or so it seems! For the past couple of months, it seems there are one or two new people at each service, with many coming back each week! It is exciting to see so many new faces, and even more exciting to realize how the growth is happening. Many of the core group we’ve had here in the church are inviting friends, neighbors, family members! It’s also exciting to see several dear old friends returning after leaving the fellowship during all those changes last year. The growth in numbers is encouraging, but also just as encouraging is the spiritual growth we’re seeing in so many in the church. God is so faithful, and we’re so blessed to be here to see this growth! So, these are the ‘comings’, but there have also been some ‘goings’. You may recall Kirsi, the sweet Finnish violin student who was a part of the worship team. In early May Kirsi returned to Finland and will be finishing her college term there next year. Her violin added so much to so many songs, but even more missed will be her sweet spirit and dear friendship. Kirsi is keeping in touch via e-mail, and has already told of some great things God is doing through her being back in Finland. We all miss her, but we know she’s right where she needs to be—following where Jesus leads her. Another ‘goings’ seems to have just been a ‘comings’ - Noémi was attending college in Budapest, and had been going to the Calvary Chapel there, but has come to CC Szeged when she’s home on vacations, as her family live in a nearby village. She came home from school in May and we welcomed her addition to the church, and to the worship team. She filled a much needed role as a female singer on the team. Her job offered her a chance to work in the U.S. with a one year work permit, and Noémi left us for Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 4th—a fitting date for moving to America. We were just getting to really know Noémi, and will miss getting to know her even better. She has a sister in Minnesota and already knows of a good Calvary Chapel in Minneapolis, so we know she’ll have a good support team. Still, saying good-bye is always bittersweet.There was another good-bye that touched our lives in June. Angela Horvath was an American missionary with the Calvary Chapel in Pécs, Hungary, in October she married a Hungarian, Arpad. Rachel was looking forward to meeting her this summer, them both being Americans married to Hungarians. We won’t get to have that conversation, at least not on this earth. The Horvaths were in a car accident on June 16th and Angela went home to be with the Lord. The CC Missionaries here in Hungary are a very close-knit extended family, it has effected everyone. Please keep Arpi Horvath in your prayers, and the young church in Pécs that Arpi is pastoring. It was odd how life and death were happening that weekend, but on June 17th Rachel became an Auntie with the birth of her first little niece, Lillian Rose Willson to proud parents Zac and Selina. It’s weird when a little brother becomes a father, and sort of hard to imagine—but by all reports, the kid once known as Zaki-boom-boom because he fell down so often and went ‘boom’, is doing a great job of fathering little Lilly—even jumping to change diapers when Selina asks! Now that big sister Rachel would love to see. And it is hard, being so far away from the new family addition, but pictures have arrived. And the new baby has rekindled our boys’ interest in flying to Maine, which they now play at often. May isn’t really considered ‘summer’, but the last ‘coming’ and ‘going’ we’d like to share about happened then. On May 10th Rachel’s grandparents, Dick and Lillian Willson a.k.a. Grandma and Papa, arrived for a three week visit. They lived very close to us in CA, and missed our kids (and us) a lot. We were so excited and happy to have them here, to get to show them Szeged and Budapest, and to just spend time with them. We were able to find a ‘Panzio’ or Bed & Breakfast sort of mini-motel just around the corner from our place. It was a very special visit and we have so many new memories with them to cherish. Backyard Joy and Barbeques The spring preparations have given way to summer joys in our little backyard. The grass has come in happily and our children play just as happily. Anna has her own little swing (see picture above), and Grandma and Papa Willson bought her a sand box during their visit in May. The boys are both enjoying baseball and badminton (minus a net, which we hope to find soon), as well as coloring at the little plastic kid-sized table we got them. And then there’s the sprinkler that does double duty as fun and refreshing and watering the grass. Norbi bought his first BBQ, and is becoming quite the BBQ king. After having Kyle & Odi and Laci & Keri over for several BBQ’s we had our first church BBQ on the first Saturday of July (photos page 2), and are looking forward to several more this summer and fall. Having a small apartment, it’s great to have room to be able to have everyone over in the backyard. We still have some gardening plans—Rachel is looking forward to getting some rose bushes for her birthday, as the attempt at growing them from roots didn’t work. We’re having fun learning as we go and are so thankful for our outdoor space. Games, ‘Tales!’ and ‘the word of the day’. July finds out boys still in preschool—happily too. School was officially over at the normal time, early in June—but we had the option of keeping our boys in school through July, with just three weeks off in August. And for this year, we went with that option, giving them as much time to learn Hungarian as possible. And there have been some encouraging signs that they are finally picking things up. Norbi was dropping Siah off one day without Joshi, who was home with a cold. Joshi’s teacher asked Josiah, in Hungarian, if Joshi would be there that day—Siah listened, and then answered, “Nem” (No) and ran off to play. Norbi was amazed. Both boys are also humming and singing more little songs—some that are finally recognizable to Norbi, and have taught Rachel how to say, “On your mark, get set, go!” in Hungarian—very useful in everyday language! Besides loving preschool, the boys, and Anna as well, are way into board and card games—many they are finally able to play on their own—but it’s much more fun to play with Mommy or Daddy. Monopoly Jr. is the favorite right now (though Norbi often refuses to play as it can go on and on and on…, or is it because both boys have beaten him too many times?!?). And giving Anna the extra game pieces usually keeps her happily thinking she’s playing too—as long as she gets a ‘turn’ now and then. It’s funny how kids do things in stages, video viewing is no exception. Our children have ’discovered’ Veggie Tales again, with Anna it is a discovery of videos in general. She demands “Tales!” first thing in the morning, with video in hand or attempting herself to turn the TV on.Anna really is growing up—we’re all amazed that she’ll be two probably by the time you read this (Aug. 3rd).. And yes, she has been acting ‘two’ for some months now—so we shouldn’t be all that surprised. We moved here with a baby, and really don’t have one anymore. She’s even begun to boss her brothers, but is also, thankfully, learning useful traits like picking up toys and ‘cleaning’ with washcloths. She’s also all girl, alright, a tomboy too, but she does love her babies and stuffed friends—so much that she needs them all ‘covered’ at bedtime—her brothers have never cared that much about their friends! She also enjoys the Lego Duplo people more the boys did, and her little doll house. The boys aren’t changing as fast as Anna, and still do much of the same play as they did months ago—the biggest change being Josiah’s deeper love of drawing. He can spend all afternoon drawing and coloring his own pictures, and goes through color pencils, crayons and markers like crazy! Joshi and Anna are more often playing together, especially while Siah draws. And Joshi is slowly learning that he CAN do things without his brother, as he usually wants to stay and play in the yard longer than Siah—and after many tears that he wanted Siah to stay out with him, is now finally happy at the sandbox on his own, or riding his bike back and forth. And more often that not, Anna will join him. Some of you have expressed concern for the children adjusting to life here—the boys especially. After eight months here (can you believe it’s been that long already!?!), we can really say that they’re doing great. The leap into all-Hungarian preschool was scary (at least for Mommy), but has gone really smoothly, with both boys running happily into the school yard each morning, and full of tales to tell as one of us picks them up at noon. And they also have each other—something we had always known was of the Lord. We hadn’t planned on them being born so close in age, and yet we’ve always known we would return to the mission-field, and we realized after Joshua was born, that God gave us Joshi for Josiah—so they would always have a play-mate and friend, wherever God would lead us. And that has proven so very true. But we also know they need to be able to make other little friends, and in the past months our family has gotten more creative and serious in our learning of Hungarian. We now have a “word of the day” pretty much each day, or every other day—that we stress most of the day, and make a game out of it by seeing who can remember it and ‘win’ at the dinner table each night. It has taken rote memorizing and made it more fun, and challenging, as we all want to ‘win’ and know the word of the day! Rachel and the kids still have a lot more learning to do, but we’re all so happy here in our new home, and really feeling very much ‘at home’.
August 20th to the 24th is the annual Hungarian CC Conference at Csillebérc, near Budapest. It’s a great chance for the whole church to get away from the cares and distractions of the world, to be able to focus on God and His Word, and to have Christian fellowship all week. It’s also a chance to get to meet and, in many cases, see again, the other dear brothers and sisters from all around Hungary. Most of Hungary is very flat—sort of like the prairies in the mid-west, but across the Danube river, on the ‘Pest’ side of Budapest are many lovely hills and small mountains—and Csillebérc is located in those hills. It was once the communist youth camp, and is very well known to Hungarians. It will be very much like camping out, and our kids should have a blast. We also look forward to seeing the many other missionaries and friends we have here in Hungary, and to the quality time with our church, there and on the 3 hour bus ride there and back.
Praise Reports and Prayer Requests “Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise… The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:13 & 16bPraise Reports: - The Grandparents’ visit in May, everyone was healthy, traveling was safe and they’re back home safe and sound. - The church continues to learn to worship better, they’re singing more and it’s such a blessing to hear! - The boys love preschool, and Anna loves her mornings with just Mommy and Daddy. - Learning Hungarian: Rachel is able to understand more and more, it’s mostly lack of vocabulary that stops her from more understanding. The boys really seem to be grasping more than they realize at preschool. - Our backyard is such a gift from God, and He’s helped the grass to flourish. We’re blessed by a place for the kids to play, and the church is blessed with a location for fellowship and fun together. Prayer Requests: - Anna’s skin, we’ve found, is going through stages of being great, and then getting very bad again. Please keep praying for total healing, and until then, for more of the ‘being great’ stages! She now knows enough to ask for lotion when it itches her, but she also knows enough to complain about it, which can break even a tough heart. - For the Hungarian CC Conference, Aug. 20—24, for enough funds for the church to help everyone who wants to go be able to. For anointed and useful teaching and worship times. For the fellowship to be uplifting and pleasing to the Lord, and for travel mercies there and back. - Increase of financial support. - A car. Ever since Norbi was blessed with an amplifier, the church sound system, we’ve had to take a taxi to church every Sunday—as it was impossible to carry both the guitar and the amp and corral the kids plus one stroller. A car has really become a need, not just a want. And to give an idea of what we need—$3000 would buy a reliable, long-term car here. - For Rachel’s Residency Visa for long-term stay here in Hungary—for the process to go smoothly and quickly. - Learning Hungarian— there may be praise in more understanding, but this is still a very hard language—keep those prayers for this one coming! - Last, but in no ways least—please keep praying for CC Szeged to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And for Kyle as he pastors, for Norbi as he leads worship, and for the whole leadership team to have unity.
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