Urgent Prayer Request... and a video :)

I received this video in a prayer request that I'll mention later, but I wanted to share this with you as well.  This is where I found family while I was serving in Budapest, Hungary.  It's mainly in Hungarian, but the man speaking is Reverend Aaron Stevens.  He first talks about how he came to Hungary (from the US) as a teacher and fell with love with his wife, Edit.  Now he has two sons and is the pastor of this congregation.  Then it talks about the mission of the church and how one of the biggest missions is with refugees.  Two refugees are interviewed, one speaks in Arabic I believe and the other in English.  In the mix are the Communion song, bilingual puppets (the worship services took place primarily in English), and a look at our coffee/tea time after the service.  It makes me miss that place very much.

Video Here



Now, about that prayer request.  I can't say much about it here, but please be praying for the refugees that worship with St. Columba's church.  Life is not easy as a refugee in so many ways.  They have gone through trauma in their home countries, sometimes trauma in their travels as well.  When they arrive in Hungary, they don't speak the language and many don't know neither English nor German, which creates a whole new set of barriers.  They look different and Hungarians can be very racially prejudicial, which creates another issue.  Then, of course, there are the legal documents.  One error can result in deportation... and deportation means returning to the country from which they fled in the first place, where they will surely be faced with even more persecution.

We are calling for prayer over the refugees in Hungary.  God knows there are some circumstances that have called us to this urgent request.  We need prayers of safe-keeping.  We ask for prayers that immigration would have open ears to hear the stories that need to be shared.  We ask for God to continue to provide for the needs of the refugees in every single way.  Thank you.

6 months

Curious about how a couple very in love spends their 6 month anniversary?

Well, if their names are Eric and Trazy, it's going back to the location of their first date and getting their pictures taken... then getting ice cream.

Then eating ice cream in our own separate cars because we lead busy lives and that evening he had class and I had homework to do.

These are just a few of our favorites taken by my friend, Eric Stoike of "On the Run Photography" out of Allendale, MI.