Ippistle 11

Dear Friends and Family,

We continue to enjoy this place in the world where God has placed us. Budapest has had a wonderful, warm and sunny spring. The lilacs outside our windows and everywhere else in Hungary are in full bloom, and each afternoon we have been able to enjoy the open windows and balcony door. The sound of children, playing in the playgrounds surrounding our apartment is always pleasant for us to hear.

By now you may know that we have officially committed to staying here for another year. Jack’s colleagues are happy to know that he will be around next year. His constancy and dedication to the job are very much appreciated. Even the students have expressed their pleasure in knowing he will be back at Trefort. Cindy’s work partners are also looking forward to another year of her presence in the office. They also rely on Cindy for her organizational skills and friendship.

God has truly blessed us with faithful partners who have supported and encouraged us. Many of you knew at the outset we were planning on a two-year commitment, and you pledged accordingly. We are deeply thankful for your monthly gifts. Now, as we anticipate another year of work here in Budapest, we hope that we can count on your renewed support both in prayer and in donations. We understand the difficult economic climate that affects all of us. We also are confident that God is still in control and will provide what is needed. Donations can be sent to TeachOverseas.org, 444 East Huntington Drive, Suite 200, Arcadia, CA 91006. Remember to put our account number (208020) on your check. You can also set up other payment options by going to the website (this is the easiest method): www.teachoverseas.org

We are excited to be coming ”home” for a couple of months this summer and hope to have a time to share more personally about our work here. Pray for our time in the States to be a good time of recreation in preparation for our return. Part of our time will be spent in Pasadena to help with training new ESI teachers. We have agreed to a leadership role as part of the Hungary team for next year and will also be getting a new teammate, since Scott is not returning. Pray that we will work as well with our new teammate as we have with Scott.

Ben and Stacie Post are moving on to other things and will no longer be renting/caring for our house. So pray that we will find the right persons to live in our house this coming year. (If you know of someone that would be interested, please let us know.)

Last month Cindy was able to participate in the Pannonia interviews in Sárospatak. Pannonia is the organization through which Orsi came to us. The purpose of this organization is to bring young people from Hungary to the U.S. to be a part of a Christian home, church, and school, with the hope of transforming their lives. They then return to Hungary and affect their own home, church, and school. We have met many of the students who have been a part of this program and they all testify to the difference it has made in their lives. Two new students have been chosen to come to West Michigan from Sárospatak for the 2009-2010 school year. Now the Pannonia board is looking for families in West Michigan to host a student for the school year. If you think God could use you in this way, please contact us and we will connect you with Pannonia. Your life will never be the same!

While we are talking about Pannonia, we have to mention how wonderful it has been to see the spiritual growth in Orsi and her husband Zoli. It has been such a blessing for us to continue to be spiritual parents to them. Pray for them, as Orsi is now applying to work in a special needs camp for the summer (in the U.S.!) She is going to school to be a conductive therapist (a teacher who uses special techniques developed in Hungary to train children who have cerebral palsy).

As we come to the end of our first year here, there is much to be thankful for. We have enjoyed good health; neither of us has missed any work because of illness. We are thankful for the wonderful relationships we have developed with so many people here. It is obvious to us that God has put each person in our lives for a reason. God has developed our gift of hospitality in showing us that inviting others to our flat can be an effective tool in touching lives. We have come to understand that God can effectively use something that we enjoy doing; it does not always have to be a sacrifice. We have learned that the hope that God has given us can be shared in many different ways. It is easy to be discouraged and frustrated here because of all the hopelessness. Please pray that we can be real encouragers and that God will continue to use us to be able to build on the relationships that were started this first year.

This is longer than usual, but we have so much to tell. Thanks for reading. We really value our relationship with you.

Áldás és békesség! Blessing and peace!

Cindy and Jack