Ippistle 7.1 Thanksgiving

Ippistle 7.1
November 26, 2008
Jack and Cindy Ippel



Dear family and friends,

This Thanksgiving will be our first ever living outside the United States and not sharing the holiday with family and friends. We will definitely be joining all of you in thanking our God for all of his blessings to us. You know that in our hearts we really long to be home with our families, but we also acknowledge our commitment to serving God in this place.

For us here in Budapest, tomorrow will be a normal work day. However, we look forward to sharing a Thanksgiving meal with Steve and Lidia Herrmann and their three children. Lidia actually bought a fresh turkey at the market today. Cindy is presently preparing a sweet potato casserole and a pumpkin pie. She was able to find the sweet potatoes at the “Great Market” near her work (four potatoes for ten dollars!) and a very good squash is available in the farmers’ market for making fresh pumpkin pie filling. Sorry, no pecans or marshmallows…

Last week Thursday through Saturday we enjoyed a Thanksgiving retreat with our TeachOverseas colleagues from Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Thirty-six teachers, plus two spouses and five children, gathered for meals, worship, relaxation, singing, and outdoor recreation. We appreciate the new friends we have made through the ministry of TeachOverseas.

At this time of thanksgiving, we are thankful for the generous financial support we have received from friends, family, and churches. It is quite a privilege to live in this place and have everything we need provided for. We are thankful to you for the support you have given us. At the beginning of our support raising we received many one-time gifts as well as monthly pledges. It looks as though the gifts that we receive monthly along with our church support should sustain us through this school year. We have committed to continue for an additional school year, so anything above what we need for this year will go towards our fundraising for the following year. If you would like to contribute any money toward our support please go to www.teachoverseas.org. You should be able to find information on donating there. Or, just email us if you have any questions.

We are also so very thankful for your prayers. Often we hear from those who pray for us every day. And for our part, we do try to keep you informed of our prayer needs. We both are experiencing some stresses in our work situations as well as great successes. Thanks for your prayers for our work. The relationships we are developing with colleagues and students are also growing; please pray for our Christian witness in our places of work and in the community. Now, as we move into the Christmas season, please pray for patience and endurance for us. We are so eager to be back home for two weeks. As the days grow shorter, the streets and walkways slushier, and the flu and cold bugs more rampant, we also ask for God’s protection and encouragement.

Have a happy Thanksgiving! We thank God for all of you!

In Him,

Jack and Cindy