Winckles Family Update

Winckles Family Update: Thanksgiving 2019

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord! 

Psalm 117:1-2

Greetings once again from Budapest, Hungary! As we approach Thanksgiving we thank God for how he is working in lives in Hungary and throughout Europe. We’d like to share with you some highlights from 2019 in thanks for your ongoing partnership in ministry.

“Redemption” by János

Many of you may remember the story of János, the homeless man who has led a tragic life damaged by his alcoholism. He is now participating in a residential rehabilitation program and has been alcohol free for almost three years! He credits his turn around to the transformation that Christ has made in his life, and his painting (at right) represents his life before and after Christ. Prints of his painting are available to order at www.zazzle.com Search for “redemption hungary”. We are thankful for the continued transformation of János’ life.

The Budapest Ministry Center

The Budapest Ministry Center is home to the Budapest Free Methodist Church and also hosts a number of community-related programs and outreach events. In the spring we found it necessary to replace the roof of this 125-year-old building. This was a costly undertaking that necessitated raising additional funds in order to complete the work. We are thankful that this was accomplished.

Family

This summer we received the good news that our youngest son, Peter, is engaged to be married! We really love his fiancée, Rachel, and we look forward to celebrating with them next June in Madison, Wisconsin. Our oldest son, Andrew, and his wife Christy are kept busy with our grandchildren, Goldie and William. Goldie is active in dance, choir, and drama whereas William plays the cello and is active in sports. It is always a joy to be able to visit with them in Adrian, Michigan.

 General Conference 2019

One of the highlights of the summer was attending General Conference in Orlando, Florida. While there we were able to connect with many friends and share about the ministries in Europe. We were happy that Pastor Péter was able to attend as well and meet in person many people who contribute to his support and to the ministries in Hungary through the Hungary CPD account. It was also at General Conference that the Free Methodist Timeline game that Larry developed premiered. Enclosed with this letter is one of the cards from the game, showing a particular person, place, or event from Free Methodist or Methodist history. The game is available for purchase at www.freemethodistbooks.com  Scroll down on the page and you will find a link to the game.

Other Events

Many guests passed through Hungary in September and October. It was a blessing to show them the Budapest Ministry Center and to tell them about the work here in Hungary. We are grateful that Pastor Eric Perry from Michigan and Dr. Mitch and Lynn Sue Pierce from New York were able to help with two very special events in September.

Gulyás cookout: First, we hosted a gulyás bean soup cookout at the homeless shelter where János lives. At the cookout János organized other men from the shelter to help with the cooking, Pastors Péter and Eric played the mandolin and guitar and sang, and they both gave short testimonies. About 30 people from the shelter participated.

Installation Service: On September 22 we held an installation service for the new leaders of the Budapest Free Methodist Church, led by Mitch Pierce. Péter Tóth was installed as the pastor and Zsuzsa Mecséri-McNamara was installed as the part-time assistant pastor. It was a privilege to turn over the leadership of the church to Hungarians who are called and well-prepared to serve.

Pastor Péter continues to use his musical talents to reach out to the community around the Budapest Ministry Center. This fall he not only is teaching three faith classes at a local pre-school, but he is also leading a weekly folk music class for mothers and their young children. Now when these children see him somewhere around town they all run up to him and greet him as Péter bácsi (Uncle Péter)! Péter is supported through the Hungary CPD fund. Donations to this fund may be made at https://give.fmcusa.org/hungary

Pastor Zsuzsa is working to complete her degree in social work, as well as coordinating the Set Free Movement in Hungary. In September we traveled together to Bulgaria for the dedication of the St. John’s Home, a safe house for young women who are at risk of being trafficked. The home is part of the Set Free – Bulgaria ministries. Zsuzsa is supported through gifts made to the Hungary Set Free Coordinator EMP. Donations may be made at https://give.fmcusa.org/donation/hungary-set-free-coordinator

Hungary Church Retreat: In early October we hosted a Hungary Church Retreat at Lake Balaton. People from the Budapest and Győr churches gathered together for this weekend of teaching, fellowship, relaxation, and fun. We’re thankful that Pastor Keith Simpson from the Holland, Ohio Free Methodist Church and Marcie and Clive Potts from England served with us.

Prayer Opportunities

The three biggest challenges that we have faced this year are with our family, personnel, finances.

Family: Our aging parents have come to the point where they need some extra assistance. Pray that we might have wisdom as we try to encourage, counsel, and support from afar.

Personnel: We need people to help with children’s ministries, outreach and evangelism, English ministries, web and technical development, and more! Pray for people called to serve alongside us in Budapest.

Finances: Contributions to both the Winckles Missionary Support Account (Winckles MSA) and the Hungary Church Planting and Development account (Hungary CPD) are in decline. This is due to several of our supporting churches having been closed and other churches redirecting their giving. The Hungary CPD, in particular, is experiencing a funding crisis! We are thankful that our home church in Holland, Ohio shares this concern with us and has issued a challenge grant to other churches. They will match dollar for dollar donations made to the Hungary CPD made by other churches, up to an overall total of $7500!  If your church would like to take up this offer, please contact Pastor Keith Simpson at [email protected] or at 419-865-4640. You can make your donation online at https://give.fmcusa.org/hungary  Pray that many churches would accept this challenge grant and that the need would be met in full.

Our partners

We are grateful for the many people who prayer regularly for us and for the ministries in Hungary. Prayer is essential! We are also grateful for those who partner with us financially, and for those who come and help serve. We look forward to our partnership with you continuing in the coming year. Our support page is https://give.fmcusa.org/winckles

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving, a hope-filled Advent season, and a joyous Christmas! May you sense God’s presence and guidance each day!

With thankful hearts,

Larry and Katie Winckles

Serving in Europe with Free Methodist World Missions

[email protected]

 

Write [email protected] and ask to be added to our weekly prayer email list.

 

An Urgent Appeal

URGENT APPEAL FROM THE WINCKLES IN HUNGARY

Dear friends and faithful supporters,

We are happy to announce the next step in the development of the Free Methodist Church in Budapest! On Sunday, September 22 Péter Tóth will be installed as pastor of the Budapest Free Methodist Church and Zsuzsa Mecséri-McNamara will be installed as the assistant pastor. Péter was ordained in 2015 and Zsuzsa became a Conference Ministerial Candidate in 2017. This is cause for great rejoicing, as we see Hungarians, who are trained and prepared, step into leadership of the church. This has been our dream from the beginning.

In addition to their pastoral responsibilities, both Péter and Zsuzsa have responsibilities on a Hungary-wide level. Péter serves as the administrator of the Bread of Life Foundation, which is the Free Methodist Mission’s legal identity in Hungary. Zsuzsa serves as the coordinator of the Hungarian Set Free Movement. They are both committed to using their gifts in serving God and advancing His Kingdom.

We want to see the Free Methodist work in Hungary continue to grow and flourish.

But we are facing a potential crisis. 

Support for the Hungary Church Planting and Development account (Hungary CPD, formerly known as the Hungary CSA) has dropped off to the point that we are anticipating a $15,000 shortfall by the end of this year. There are several reasons for this.

1. Some churches that faithfully supported us and the work in Hungary were closed during the past year.
2. Some individuals who were faithful supporters of us and the work in Hungary passed away during the past year.
3. Some churches have had financial difficulties of their own and have not been able to meet their pledges of support.
4. Some churches have revised their missions priorities and have eliminated their support of us and the work in Hungary.

We want to see the following vital ministries continue:

• The day to day operation of the Budapest Ministry Center, which includes community-based ministries for all age levels as well as providing space for the Budapest Free Methodist Church.
• The operation of the Bread of Life Foundation, which provides legal cover for our work in Budapest, Győr, and throughout Hungary. This includes support for Péter.
• The continued operation and growth of the Hungarian Set Free Movement. This includes support for Zsuzsa’s part-time employment as coordinator.

We are sending out this Hungary SOS because we need your help!

If you don’t yet support the Hungary CPD (CSA), would you consider making a pledge of support?

If you do support the Hungary CPD (CSA), would you consider increasing your support or making a special gift/offering to help meet the funding need?

Whether or not you support the Hungary CPD (CSA), would you join with us in prayer that this funding need would be met? And would you perhaps encourage other individuals and churches to join in supporting the work of the Free Methodist Church in Hungary?

Donations and pledges of support for the Hungary Church Planting and Development Account (Hungary CPD) may be made online at https://fmwm.org/hungary/ 

Donations may be mailed to Free Methodist World Missions, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214. Be sure to specify Hungary CPD.

If you are currently supporting us through the Winckles Missionary Support Account, thanks so much! We are also facing challenges in meeting our annual funding goal, due to the same reasons as listed above. We need your continued support!

Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

In His Service,

Larry and Katie Winckles

Free Methodist World Missions

Budapest, Hungary

Personnel Change - Set Free Hungary

**** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ****

Budapest, Hungary

ILDIKÓ KÓBER TAKES NEW POSITION

 

Ildikó Kóber, the Coordinator of the Set Free Movement in Hungary, has recently taken a new, full-time position as the International Coordinator of the Pentecostal Charitable Services (Pünkösdi Szeretetszolgálat), headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. She completed her full-time work for the Set Free Movement in Hungary on December 31, 2018.

 

We are thankful for the almost three years of leadership that Ildikó has given to the development of Set Free networks, not only in Hungary but also in other parts of Europe. Fortunately, Ildikó has agreed to stay on in an advisory capacity as a new Coordinator for the Set Free Movement is being raised up. She will continue to maintain connections in the Set Free network and will continue to speak, as opportunities arise, on behalf of the movement against human trafficking and forced labor.

 

Please be assured that we are committed to the mission and vision of the Set Free Movement. We are in the process of finalizing arrangements for a new Set Free Movement Coordinator, and we hope to be able to make an announcement regarding this in the near future.

 

The Free Methodist Mission in Hungary, the Hungarian Bread of Life Foundation (Élet Kenyere Alapítvány), and the Hungarian Set Free Movement would all appreciate your prayers as we go through this time of transition. Your ongoing support for this work is essential.

 

Please direct any questions to: 

Larry Winckles

Europe Area Administrator

Free Methodist World Missions

Budapest, Hungary

2018 So Far...

Thanksgiving 2018

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 106:1

Perhaps you’ve seen the cartoon that supposedly depicts a heavenly prayer sorting department. There are two incoming trays on a desk, one labeled “please” that is stacked high with papers and the other labeled “thank-you” containing only a few papers. Why is it that it seems harder to thank God for his many blessing and easier to make requests of God?

In this update we’d like to focus on thanking God for how he has worked in our lives and in the ministries in Hungary and Europe over the past year. We are thankful for your partnership and invite you to rejoice with us! (NOTE: You may download this entire report in pdf format by clicking the following link:  Download our Thanksgiving Letter 2018.)

40 years and counting!

This year we celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. It was on a snowy December day in 1978 that family and friends gathered at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church for our wedding celebration. We feel blessed that our love for one another has grown stronger each year and that we are able to serve together in ministry. It seems unbelievable that 40 years have passed by so quickly.

A full-time pastor

In April Péter Tóth began working full-time as co-pastor of the Budapest Free Methodist Church and Office Manager of the Bread of Life Foundation. He had previously served as Assistant Pastor while working full-time at a secular job. Now he is able to engage fully in the  ministries of the church and foundation, and has more time to devote to his family as well. He has particularly excelled in pastoral care and is always looking for new ways to engage with our community. Donations made to the Hungary Country Support Account help make this possible. https://give.fmcusa.org/hungary

 

The Budapest Ministry Center

The Budapest Ministry Center is home to the Budapest Free Methodist Church and also hosts a number of community-related programs and outreach events. This year the church celebrated Éva’s baptism, gave thanks for János’ successful participation in a rehabilitation program, and enjoyed a weekend retreat hosted jointly with the Győr FMC. The Ministry Center is in use every day of the week with community programs that include a ladies’ discussion group, a German language discussion group, kindergarten readiness classes, a folk music class, an English class, reading groups, and a 12-step recovery group.

The growth of the Set Free Movement

As a follow-up to last November’s successful Freedom Forum, a concentrated training for people interested in becoming active in the abolitionist movement was held in cooperation with Hope 61. Ildikó Kóber, our Hungarian Set Free Coordinator, has received many new speaking opportunities. This year she has provided in-service training for school teachers, awareness training for a family association, meetings with at-risk youth, developed connections with state-run children’s homes, and more. Another Freedom Forum is scheduled to take place on November 24, this time with a focus on children at risk. In order for Ildikó to be able to continue this important work, she also needs ministry partners. You can make a pledge of support for Ildikó at https://give.fmcusa.org/donation/hungary-set-free-coordinator

Visitors from abroad

We’ve also been blessed by a number of visitors who have come to either serve on a short-term basis or explore the possibility of serving longer-term in Hungary. We are thankful for the ministries of Pastor Drew Price from Oregon, Pastor Eric and Kari Perry from Michigan, and Angelo Dispenza from New York. We are also grateful that Chadwick and Sarah Anderson from Illinois have responded to the call to serve in Hungary and are in the process of seeking funding support and prayer partners for their ministry, which will hopefully begin sometime in mid-2019. You can find out more about their journey of faith at https://andersonfamily6.com/

Ministry abroad

As a part of Larry’s role as Europe Area Administrator he often travels to other European countries where the Free Methodist Church is working. This year’s travels included trips to Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom and involved pastoral education planning, an ordination service, community church planting training, affiliation meetings, leadership meetings, and more. We are thankful for the way that men and women throughout the continent are responding to God’s call to ministry, and for your partnership with us that makes this important equipping and leadership development work possible. Our support page is https://give.fmcusa.org/winckles

Our partners

We are grateful for the many people who prayer regularly for us and for the ministries in Hungary. Prayer is essential! We are also grateful for those who partner with us financially, and for those who come and help serve. We look forward to our partnership with you continuing in the coming year.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving, a hope-filled Advent season, and a joyous Christmas! May you sense God’s presence and guidance each day!

With thankful hearts,

Larry and Katie Winckles

Serving in Budapest, Hungary

with Free Methodist World Missions

Garden Concert

Our second annual garden concert took place at the Budapest Ministry Center on Saturday. We were happy to welcome the SzeRBuSz zenekar (band) back as the sole performing group. Péter is an occasional member of the group, as his busy schedule permits. We welcomed many friends to the concert and enjoyed the excellent music and great fellowship.

 

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Introduction to Wesleyan Theology

We welcomed six local ministerial candidates back to Budapest this week for them to take another required course. This time we offered "An Introduction to Wesleyan Theology" taught by Free Methodist elder and OMS missionary John Fraser. Participating in the class were Arthur Laws, who ministers in Murcia, Spain; Spencer Ball, who ministers in Arad, Romania; Ildikó Kóber and Zsuzsi McNamara, who minister in Hungary; and Gillian Myers and Fevronia Tsagkalidou, who minister in Thessaloniki, Greece. Also attending were Arthur's wife, Marge and Gillian's husband, Peter. The group was very happy to be back together again, and they all were challenged by John's teaching. 

During the course of the week the group also had opportunities to relax and have a bit of fun together. One highlight for many people was the game night that Larry organized.

Excursion to the Budapest Hills

Each month in the summer we try to plan a special weekend excursion for the church. In June we planned an excursion to the Budapest Hills, including the Erzsébet Lookout Tower and the Normafa recreation area. The weather was gorgeous, and we enjoyed a good time walking and talking together. The excursion ended everyone sampling some delicious rétes (strudel) and lángos (fried dough) with sour cream and grated cheese! According to many, it is the best lángos in the world!

 

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Spring Arbor Cross Cultural Team

Every second year Rob and Fran Kingsley bring a group of students from Spring Arbor University to Poland and Hungary on a cross-cultural experience. As a part of each trip they visit the Budapest Ministry Center for a cultural and historical presentation and they also attend the Sunday morning worship service of the Budapest Free Methodist Church. This year there was quite a large group -- sixteen students and two leaders.

One highlight of their visit was a retrospective presentation given by Júlia and Ildikó. The ladies spoke about their experiences in growing up in Hungary during the Communist years, one in a Christian home and one not. They also sang some of the old propaganda songs from that era.

Ladies Creative Afternoon

A Spring event that the ladies always look forward to is the Ladies Creative Afternoon. This year Manna was to have been the featured speaker, but unfortunately she became ill earlier in the week and was unable to participate. Katie filled in with a devotional message and Judit, Júlia, and Ildikó helped out with the preparations, organization, making sandwiches, and supervision of the day's events. About 25 women and girls turned out for the event, which had Easter cookie decoration as its featured creative project. Katie baked 150 cutout cookies prior to the event and everyone had fun being creative with decorating them. Some people did so quickly, while others took their time and worked on fine details. All in all it was a very enjoyable afternoon for everyone involved.

Here is a small gallery of photos from the event.

 

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Hungary Mission Christmas

It is our custom each year to gather together as a Hungary Mission team and celebrate Christmas together. This is also our opportunity to express our appreciation one to another. This year we gathered at the Szamos Cukrászda and enjoyed coffee, tea, and cakes together. We were happy to have both Sarolta and Márton join us this year, for the little ones are also important! Our team is comprised of Gerry and Kati from Győr, Ildikó and Júlia, Péter and Judit, and Larry and Katie. We are so thankful for the dedication of these servants of God!

Community Christmas Program at the Budapest Ministry Center

One highlight of the Advent and Christmas season is the Community Christmas Program that is held at the Budapest Ministry Center. Once again this year Judit served as the MC for the evening. Zita prepared a highlights video, looking back at the past year. Larry led Christmas carols in English and Hungarian. Péter and Zsuzsa organized the music, along with guest musicians from Vendéghang. The English class formed a choir and sang "Go, Tell It On the Mountain." We showed a video clip of the nativity story from the Visual Bible.  Ildikó shared a meaningful Christmas verse and Péter gave a wonderful message of hope, speaking about the "God of Second Chances." The program concluded with "Silent Night" sung by candlelight.

We had a full house, with standing room only. The fellowship time after the program actually lasted longer than the program itself. New connections were made and old connections were strengthened. People from the church, the English class, the recovery group, and from other programs got to know one another a bit better. We thank God for this, and for the opportunity to make His Word known!

Young Adult Group in Győr

Gerry McNamara  invited us to take part in the Thursday night meeting of the young adult group in Győr. In addition to having a Christmas gift exchange, the group was interested in learning about the board games that Larry and Mark VanValin have in development. These games are designed to support charitable organizations that we believe in. The games that Larry demonstrated were current versions of the Clear Blue card game, the Back to Eden board game, and the Busoma board game. After listening to a brief overview of each game, some of the group decided to try out the Busoma game while others were introduced to the Hungarian version of Codenames by Katie.

We had a very nice time of fellowship with the young people and Larry received some good feedback regarding the Busoma board game, which will help to make it better. Thanks!

We are still in need of a graphic designer/artist who believes in these projects. If you know of anyone who might be interested in helping us, please let us know.

Welcome Northgate!

A team of seven people from the Northgate Free Methodist Church from Batavia, New York arrived in Hungary on Saturday, coming to assist with a week-long program to be held in Győr at a children's home there. Gerry and Kati McNamara and their family are serving as their hosts for the visit. But before traveling on to Győr they spent the night in Budapest and joined in fellowship with the Budapest church on Sunday morning.

 

In order to spend some time with the team the Budapest church hosted a gulyás party after the church service. Gulyás is a hearty vegetable and meat stew or soup that is best prepared over a campfire in a large kettle, called a bogrács. For this occasion we asked our good friends, Ella and Zoli, if they would be willing to be the cooks. They readily agreed.

Júlia and Ildikó did most of the advance shopping, and assisted by Misi, they did the vegetable prep early on Sunday morning while Zoli prepared the fire and began the cooking process. By the time the Northgate team arrived at the church wonderful smells were wafting through the air!

Jake is the sole musician with the team, and he joined with Péter in leading the worship music during the service. Pastor Vern gave the morning sermon, speaking on about God's good plans and man's often selfish desires. 

We were thankful for the beautiful weather that allowed us to enjoy our lunch together on the terrace. Following hearty portions of bread and gulyás we all cooled off a bit with ice cream bars and popsicles. No one could complain of going home hungry.

"Draw Near" Women's Conference in Madrid

This week we traveled to Madrid, Spain so that Katie could participate in the "Draw Near" Women's Conference that was organized by our church in Rivas-Vaciamadrid. The conference was principally organized by our missionary colleague, Susy Fajardo. Katie was asked to be one of the conference speakers. Other presenters included Lori Glossenger from the USA and Cindi Angelo from Portugal. Anna Henry led in times of worship.

Participants in the conference were women from the Rivas, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote churches. The conference provided a rare opportunity for these women to get together without having to worry about their children and their home responsibilities. 

Because we arrived in Madrid a day early, we took the opportunity to visit downtown Madrid, along with Mark and Karen Whitlock who traveled to Spain from the USA in order to participate in the conference and in the prayer journey that took place during the following week. 

Ladies Creative Afternoon

Ladies young and old gathered today at the Budapest Ministry Center to enjoy the Ladies Creative Afternoon. The theme of the afternoon was "Seasons of Life" and Júlia and Manna organized the program and handcrafts while Katie and Ildikó organized the refreshments. One highlight of the afternoon was the informal discussions that took place in small groups following Júlia's presentation about issues that women are currently facing. 

Manna set up a craft table where the ladies could go at their leisure to make pinwheels (see above in photo with Júlia). Katie and Ildikó prepared some healthy snacks, along with some tasty baked goods.

Hungarian Set Free Movement Coordinator and Life Skills Program Director

New Bread of Life Foundation Staff Member

Budapest, Hungary – April 1, 2016 – It is with great pleasure that we announce the employment of Kóber Ildikó with t he Hungarian Bread of Life Foundation (Élet Kenyere Alapítvány).

Thanks to commitments of support from churches and individuals in the United States, Ildikó Kóber officially begins work as the Coordinator of the Hungarian Set Free Movement and as the Director of the foundation’s Life Skills Program. Prior to this time she has served as a volunteer with the foundation.

Her work will include building and strengthening connections between organizations working against human trafficking in Hungary, developing awareness and sensitivity training programs, and planning and implementing a Life Skills Program to assist individuals who are unemployed, underemployed, or at risk of being trafficked.

Ildikó Kóber is a former educator and school administrator with many years of experience. In addition, she is a local ministerial candidate in the Budapest Free Methodist Church, where she serves as an assistant pastor.

The Hungarian Bread of Life Foundation was established in 2000 as a public-service foundation with a specific directive to work with the poor, disadvantaged, and disenfranchised in Hungary. Its charter includes social, cultural, and religious activities. The foundation serves as the legal identity for the work of the Free Methodist Church in Hungary.

Contributions may be made online to support Ildikó at https://give.fmcusa.org/donation/hungary-set-free-coordinator

Life Skills Training and the Set Free Movement in Hungary

Over the past year we've been praying and planning to develop a life skills training program at the Budapest Ministry Center in conjunction with the development of the Set Free Movement in Hungary. Ildikó Kóber has the passion and vision to direct this work, and we are actively seeking churches and individuals who are willing to partner with her in ministry. This past weekend Ildikó recorded a video in which she shares some of her passion. You can watch her video below.

 

 

 

Donations to support Ildikó and the developing work in Budapest can be made directly online at https://give.fmcusa.org/donation/hungary-set-free-coordinator

 

 

The Refugee Crisis in Europe

The influx of refugees coming into Europe has drawn the attention of the world. The majority of the refugees (>50%) are fleeing from the civil war in Syria and the rise of the Islamic State. Other refugees are coming from countries that are also being torn apart by civil war or ethnic conflict, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan. The refugees initially traveled from Turkey to Greece, and then through Macedonia and Serbia, eventually arriving at the Hungarian border.

Hungary had managed to adequately manage the influx of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers until two things happened. First, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced that Germany would welcome Syrian refugees. Germany has a much stronger economy than Hungary, has more job opportunities, and is able to provide many more social benefits and much more support to refugees. The message seemed to be clear, “Come to Germany!” Second, the border controls in Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia were overwhelmed in the face of hundreds and even thousands of people attempting to cross their borders at once, trying to make their way to Germany. It was at this point that the Hungarian decided that a fence should be built along the Serbian/Hungarian border to help prevent these immigrants from entering Hungary.

The immigrants who were not in camps in Hungary began to gather at the main train stations in Budapest and in several other large cities. By the last week of August well over 3,000 people had camped out at the Keleti train station in Budapest, with smaller groups located at the other train stations and in some nearby city parks. Relief groups and concerned citizens from Hungary, as well as tourists from abroad, joined in spontaneous efforts to provide for the needs of these immigrants. Some people came just to play with the children. The Hungarian government initially wanted all of these people to register, according to EU law, but most did not want to do so for fear of being forced to remain in Hungary. They felt that there was more hope in receiving refugee status in Germany. Eventually the Hungarian government acted to transport these people to the Austrian border so that they could continue on their journey to Germany.

When the border fence was completed in early September the refugees began to travel through Serbia to Croatia and then either into Slovenia or Hungary. So Hungary is now in the process of building a fence along the Hungarian/Croatian border. Until that fence is complete, trains are stationed at the border to transport the refugees on to Austria.

There is no good solution to the refugee crisis in sight. The EU wants to impose mandatory quotas for receiving refugees on all of the EU members, but many member states  from central and eastern Europe oppose this idea. The Hungarian prime minister has proposed a world-wide quota system, but this has not been looked on too favorably. What really needs to happen is that the wars need to stop, so that people no longer have to fear for their own safety and that of their families.

What Can Be Done to Help?

We have received many inquiries about the immigration crisis in Hungary. People want to know what can be done to help. Some people want to send money. Others want to come to Hungary and help with relief efforts. They are looking to us for guidance. It is hard for us to give specific guidance, however, as the situation here has been changing dramatically from day to day. But here are some things that can be done:

 Pray. Download the document “10 Ways to Pray for Refugees” from the International Association for Refugees at http://www.iafr.org/toolbox/articles-handouts

Give. You can make online donations to The Bishops’ Crisis Response Fund at http://fmcusa.org/bfund/ and specify “Refugees in Europe.” We will see that the funds are used directly in refugee relief efforts in Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, and other countries in Europe.

Sponsor. It is impossible to directly help an immigrant family come to the United States, unless they are family members. Aside from that, only those refugees that have officially been granted asylum are eligible for potential relocation. Statistics show that less than one percent of refugees that are granted asylum are relocated to another country. Most stay in the country that grants them asylum. However it is possible to work with refugee relocation agencies in the United States. These agencies work to place refugee families and arrange for support services. One prominent Christian organization that does such work is Bethany Christian Services. You can find information about this organization at https://www.bethany.org/other-services/refugee-services/resettlement

15 years in Budapest

We are thankful to be back in Budapest after spending 10-1/2 weeks in the USA. There were many people here who ministered faithfully during the hot and oppressive summer months while we were gone. We are thankful for each one of them!

On Sunday, August 30 we were given a surprise reception after the church service. At first we thought it was just the people kindly welcoming us back to Budapest, but we soon found out that it was more than that. They were celebrating the fact that we had completed 15 years of ministry in Budapest. (We arrived in Budapest on August 1, 2000.) Not only did they get a cake, complete with fireworks, for us, but they also presented each of us with a gift. Katie received a dried flower wreath, in Hungarian colors and Larry received a special Simon András print.

We feel blessed to be able to serve here with these wonderful people! Thanks so much!

Europe Alive, Europe Transformed

We are happy to present a new video about some of the work of the Free Methodist Church in Europe -- Europe Alive, Europe Transformed.

The video can be watched as a single presentation or broken down into its three component parts.

Full Video - Europe Alive, Europe Transformed (11:01)

Europe Alive, Europe Transformed from Josh Fajardo on Vimeo.

 1. Introduction and Freedom from Bondage - interview with Júlia Tóth from Hungary (4:34)

Julia Toth - Freedom from Bondage from Josh Fajardo on Vimeo.

 2. Sharing Life Together - interview with Stanimir from Bulgaria (3:30)

Stanimir - Sharing Life Together from Josh Fajardo on Vimeo.

 3. Partnering for Impact - Interview with Kali Long from Greece (4:43)

Kali Long - Partnering for Impact from Josh Fajardo on Vimeo.

 

 

Southern Michigan Conference Family Camp

We were happy to take part in the Southern Michigan Conference Family Camp this year, which was held at Somerset Beach Campground in Somerset Center, Michigan from July 20 to 25. We shared the missions spotlight time with our friends and missionary colleagues, Dan and Hope Owsley, who serve in Brazil. Dan and Hope spoke during the morning missions hour on Monday and Tuesday mornings and we spoke on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. These morning sessions give us time to do some things that we can't normally do in a Sunday service. We interact more with the audience and are able to tell more stories and give more details about life and ministry in Budapest.

On Tuesday afternoon both Katie and Hope were the special speakers at the WMI Ladies Tea, held in the field house of the campground. Both ladies shared stories of having hope during difficult times and offered words of encouragement to the gathered group of women and girls.

We also were given a few minutes to share in the evening services on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Since our time was limited and we didn't want to be just another set of talking heads, we decided to involve people from some of our partner churches and invited them to play "Missions Feud," a game that we made up to help convey information about Hungarian culture and our ministry in a fun and engaging way. We recruited helpers from the Spring Arbor, Jackson, Ferndale, and Milan churches. It was a lot of fun!

We were blessed by the ministry of R. Adam Davidson, the pastor of the Portage Free Methodist Church in Portage, Michigan. Pastor Adam was the camp pastor and he gave a challenging message each evening.

Another highlight of Family Camp was reconnecting with old friends. We saw many people from our partner churches and many people who are from, or who have served in, the Monroe Free Methodist Church in Monroe, Michigan. This is the church that Larry attended while he was growing up. We also were able to spend time with our former missionary colleagues, Ron and Joann Pieper, who had served for several years in Ukraine. Ron is now the Missions Coordinator for the Southern Michigan Conference.

 

The Budapest Story Teller

Last year our colleague, Júlia Tóth, suggested that she start a series of reports about the work of Free Methodist World Missions in Budapest. Rather than being written from a missionary's perspective, they would instead be written from the perspective of a Hungarian believer. We thought it was a great idea! And so, the Budapest Story Teller monthly e-mail was born!

We've made a booklet out of the first ten stories, which you can download by clicking on the link below. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the Budapest Story Teller e-mail list.

 Download Budapest Story Teller Booklet June 2015. 

Set Free in Hungary

We welcome Rev. Kevin Austin to Budapest this weekend for a series of meetings with church and NGO leaders. Kevin is the leader of the Set Free Movement, an organization that works internationally to help bring about the end of modern slavery and human trafficking. 

On Friday morning we met with leaders of the Salvation Army, who operate a home for victims of domestic violence and have initiated work in assisting victims of human trafficking. We learned about the history of the home, the House of Light, and about the challenges that are faced in that ministry, as well as in their anti-trafficking efforts. 

A lunch meeting followed with the national leader of the Church of the Nazarene, Imre Gusztin. At that meeting we heard from Kevin Austin about the involvement of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries with the Set Free Movement and also heard about the challenges that the Nazarene churches in Hungary face in mobilizing members.

On Friday afternoon we hosted an Anti Human Trafficking Forum. Twenty-three people participated in the meeting. We were pleased with the broad range of organizations that sent representatives. Represented were the Free Methodist Church, the Hungarian Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, the Church of the Nazarene, One Mission Society, World Gospel Mission, Calvary Chapel, an NGO that works directly with prostitutes, and several other interested individuals. Kevin Austin presented information about the seriousness of the worldwide problem of human trafficking, stating that it is a $150 billion dollar industry. He also presented statistics that showed that there are an estimated 36,000 people in Hungary who are working in labor or sexual slavery.

Following Kevin's presentation there was a time of questions and answers. In addition, individuals who were already working in this area told about the challenges that they face in the ministry and shared how the other organizations could offer their support. One of the key results of the forum was that everyone expressed a desire to continue meeting together for prayer, encouragement, resourcing, and strategizing. It is hoped that perhaps these groups will organize to form a Hungarian Freedom Network.

Perhaps even more important that the forum was the time of informal conversation and networking that took place after the event. E-mail addresses were exchanged, other contact information was passed on, and future plans were discussed.

We pray that this will be the start of a Set Free movement in Hungary.

Thanks to Katie and Júlia for all their help in preparing lunch and getting ready for the afternoon event.  Thanks to Ildikó for taking part in each meeting along with Larry and Kevin.

2015 Annual Meeting of the Bread of Life Foundation Board

Each May the Board of Directors of the Hungarian Bread of Life Foundation meets to review the report and financial statements from the previous year. At last year's meeting decisions were made regarding reorganizing the board and making modifications to the foundation's charter. Even though the necessary legal documents were filed in November of 2014, we do not yet have final court approval of the changes and probably won't until sometime in the fall! So the board had to function once again according to the previous structure.

Júlia Tóth, our office administrator, did a wonderful job of putting together the annual report and its related documentation. She also had the very difficult task of working with the foundation's lawyer and accountants in order to ensure that all of the required governmental reports were in order. Each year this task seems to get more complicated! We are so thankful that Júlia is able to follow through with all of the details.

Board members present were Larry, Júlia, and Judit. Even though Jan and Zsuzsa were unable to attend, we had a quorum. Supervisory committee member present were Sándor and Tamás. We are also thankful for the willingness of these people to help direct the affairs of the foundation. This year we are especially thankful for an idea that Tamás presented, which seems likely to solve an accounting problem that our accountant had been struggling with.

2014 Collage

Each year we usually create a collage that shows people and events from the previous year. Here is the 2014 Collage.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

It was a glorious Easter Sunday here in Budapest! The sun was shining, there was a fresh breeze blowing, and God's people gathered together throughout the city to celebrate our risen Lord! He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

Katie served as the moderator for our service today, and she shared with the congregation one of her favorite Easter readings, written by Henri Nouwen (from Christ Our Hope: Daily Lenten Devotions, p. 31).

Jesus always speaks about hope. And this hope is different from optimism. Jesus is not an optimist. He is not a pessimist...

Being neither an optimist nor a pessimist, Jesus speaks about hope that is not based on chances that things will get better or worse. His hope is built upon the promise that, whatever happens, God will stay with us at all times, in all places. God is the God of life.

Larry and Péter served Communion and then Larry presented the Easter sermon, first reviewing the Biblical Stations of the Cross, and then going on to speak about the significance of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. Easter changes everything, and give us hope for the future. He spoke of the importance of making a decision to turn from sin and to follow Christ, and gave the opportunity for people to respond in faith.

The service concluded with an Easter blessing, written by our good friend Dan Sheffield.

Easter Sending Blessing
(Dan Sheffield)

O Lord Jesus Christ, who upon this day did conquer death and rise from the dead, and who are alive for ever more, help us never to forget your Risen Presence forever with us.

Help us to remember,

That you are with us in every time of perplexity to guide and to direct;
That you are with us in every time of sorrow to comfort and console;
That you are with us in every time of temptation to strengthen and to inspire;
That you are with us in every time of loneliness to cheer and befriend;
That you are with us even in death to bring us to the glory of your side.

We are certain that there is nothing in time or in eternity which can separate us from you;

In your presence we may meet life with courage and death without fear.

You turn our darkness into light.

We are certain that you are present with us as we leave this place and return to our homes, our families and our labours;

May we live this new life with our spouses, our children, our neighbours and our co-workers.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Christ the Lord is risen today!

Following the service everyone helped to set up the room for our Easter lunch. This year Ildikó and Judit were the organizers, but everyone brought something to share. There was plenty of good food and good fellowship around the table.

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

Frequently Asked Questions

We recently received a request from a partner church to make a video in which we answered some of their questions about life and ministry in Budapest. We thought others might appreciate seeing it, so here it is!

 

Budapest Ministry Center Project - Renovation of Cellar and Garden

The Budapest Ministry Center building as it looked in 1972, still with evidence of damages from the 1956 uprising.

 

The unfinished cellar

As many of you know, last year we were able to realize the purchase of the small apartment that is adjacent to the Budapest Ministry Center and in the same building, which was built in 1897. That apartment is now home to our assistant pastor's family - Péter, Judit, and Sarolta Tóth. What you may not know is that along with that purchase came an unfinished cellar space that is approximately 47 square meters in area (506 square feet).

It is our dream to convert this space into a multi-purpose activity room, a space that can be used for youth meetings, prayer meetings, game nights, and maybe even as a study room and computer center! This video gives a brief overview of the ministry center and shows the current raw state of the cellar.

Quite a bit of work will be needed to make this dream become a reality.

1. Floor: A concrete floor must be poured. (The current floor is dirt.)

2. Pipes and conduits: Some drain and water pipes, as well as electrical conduits must be moved closer to or within the walls in order to provide clear floor space.

3. Electrical wiring: Provision needs to be made for floor outlets and overhead lighting. A new circuit needs to be added to the electrical box to service this space.

4. Heating: Radiators must be installed, tapping in to the existing hot water heating system.

5. Walls: The walls must be plastered and painted.

6. Ceiling: A ceiling treatment must be implemented, either preserving the existing arched ceiling or installing a drop ceiling.

Part of the garden

In addition, we would like to convert the Ministry Center's undeveloped garden into useable space for outdoor meetings, gatherings, and picnics. You can see from this photo the rather wild state it is currently in.

You can help make these renovation projects a reality by making a contribution to the Budapest Ministry Center EMP. You can do this online at https://give.fmcusa.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1029. Gifts of any amount will help! We are thankful for generous donations and pledges that we have already received from Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church WMI, Coldwater Free Methodist Church, Jamestown Free Methodist Church, and the Genesis and Keystone Conferences!

Perhaps your church has an interest in sending over some skilled workers to help with this project. Please contact Larry directly to begin a discussion about this possibility.

Thanks so much for considering how you might be able to partner with us in making this dream become a reality!

2013-2014 English Class

The 2013-2014 English Class

The 2013-2014 English class comes to an end next week. We've had another successful year offering this as a community service at the 11th District Family Health Center. Katie serves as the overall director of the program. We are thankful for Manna's assistance this year in leading one of the small groups. Larry and Katie lead the other two groups.

Bread of Life Foundation

Bread of Life Board: Sándor, Zsuzsa, Tamás (advisor), Júlia, Judit, and Larry. (Jan is on the phone.)

The Bread of Life Foundation (Élet kenyere alapítvány in Hungarian) provides the legal identity for the Free Methodist Mission in Hungary. Last week the foundation's Board of Directors held its annual meeting. Excellent annual reports were received from the foundation's accountant (Erika), from the foundation's administrative assistant (Júlia), and from the foundation's secretary (Larry). It was reported that, for a number of reasons, there will be several changes made to the foundation's charter sometime this year.

Changes in the Hungarian Civil Code: On March 15 a new civil code went into effect in Hungary. Because of this certain modifications to the charter are required. In addition, the new civil code allows for the assignment of a successor founder. Previously, when the founder deceased the supervision of the foundation reverted to the courts.

Changes in the composiiton of the Board: Jan Coleman formerly served as president of the board. Her departure from Hungary left a vacancy on the board. Sándor Pál has been invited to become a board member, stepping into the role of secretary. Larry, who had been the secretary, will become the president.

Plans for the future: Last year Jerry Coleman successfully raised funds so that we could purchase the small apartment adjacent to our office space at the Budapest Ministry Center. Our assistant pastor, Péter Tóth, and his family now live there. With the purchase we also acquired a completely undeveloped cellar area. It is our dream to convert this space into a mulitpurpose activity room. We also hope to renovate the garden space adjacent to the center. At present we are looking for assistance in completing these projects.

Péter's Gift - Every Blessing is from You

At Sunday's farewell service Péter presented one of his original musical compositions as a gift to the Colemans. He set the words of the poem, "Every Blessing is From You" by Losonczi Léna to music. The poem is based on Psalm 147.

Farewell to Jan and Jerry

Yesterday we hosted a farewell service and reception for Jan and Jerry Coleman. The Colemans will be relocating to Wilmore, Kentucky where Jerry will take a position with the Francis Asbury Society. The Colemans have had 17 years of faithful service in Hungary, starting out first in the town of Győr and later moving to Budapest. Jerry has been the Europe Area Director for Free Methodist World Missions for the past 11 years.

The morning service started with a selection of the Colemans' favorite worship songs. Júlia served as the moderator for the occasion. Larry gave a brief sermon on New Beginnings, speaking on the new beginning that coming to faith in Christ brings and the new beginning that comes when people move onto different paths as they follow God's leading. Not only are the Colemans facing a new beginning, but the Budapest church and the ministries in Europe are also facing a new beginning as people take on new responsibilities and move forward with new vision.

What followed was a time of remembering. Several people were asked to share one or two stories that started out with the words, "I remember when..." Jerry and Jan first shared some of their memories and they were followed by Lynette, Eszter, Gerry, Péter, Hajnalka, Norbi, Zita, and Ákos. At the end of this time we showed two video greetings sent from abroad, from Paulo Bettiol and Marcie Huson Potts. This was a very special time of tears and laughter!

The service concluded with a time of blessing and prayer for the Colemans (including David), led by Katie, Larry, Gerry, and Péter. As a parting gift, the church gave the Colemans an original drawing by the noted Hungarian graphic artist, Simon András, of Jesus walking on the water and Peter stepping out of the boat.

After the service everyone pitched in to rearrange the room for the reception. Ladies from the church worked with Júlia and Katie to prepare the food and serve it. Thanks go out to Zita, Kriszta, Jutka, Hajnalka, Margaret, Ella and many others. Many other friends of the Colemans arrived to share this time with the Colemans. We were especially delighted those who came from afar -- Lynette from Bratislava, Eszter from Székesfehérvár, and Noémi from Sopron. It was a great reunion!

Southern Michigan Annual Conference

On Thursday night and all day Friday we attended the 149th Sitting of the Southern Michigan Annual

Pastor Mark VanValin honors the Ramundos

Conference, held at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church. This year's conference had two items on its agenda of major significance. The first of these was the retirement of Superintendent Thomas and Noni Ramundo, who have dedicated 43 years of their lives to pastoral ministry in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. For the past 8 years Thomas has served as the superintendent of the Southern Michigan Conference. Along with honoring the Ramundos for their dedicated service to the conference, the conference also received its new superintendent, Superintendent Bruce and Jerilyn Rhodes. Superintendent Rhodes steps into this position following ministry in Portage and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Following numerous recognitions and honors given to this self-sacrificing couple, Superintendent Ramundo gave his final "State of the Work" report as only he could do, with numerous alliterations and rhymes. But his final point was very simple -- "Look to Jesus!"

 

The second item of significance was a report on the "Beyond All Limits" campaign, which is a conference-wide effort to completely erase a long-standing debt related to property held in Taylor, Michigan. The special core committee tasked with the management of this campaign reported that the conference churches have just crossed over the 50% mark in reaching the necessary funds. This is a remarkable achievement.

 

Bishop David Kendall addresses the conference

Bishop David Kendall presided over the conference, and he opened the business session on Friday morning with a devotional based on Luke 5, entitled "Wining and Dining with Levi and Lindsay" In his message he noted the type of people that Jesus sought out and dined with, the "wrong kind of people" like Levi, and challenged the conference to consider who the corresponding types of people might be today -- perhaps even people notoriously in the news like Lindsay Lohan. Where are the Levis and the Lindsays in our neighborhoods, where we live, and where we minister? Are we reaching out to them?

 

 

Ron Pieper reports on missions giving

Ron Pieper, former missionary to Ukraine, reported on the state of mission support from the conference. Once again the Southern Michigan Conference has led the denomination in missionary and country support. The conference churches support missionaries working in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

 

 

Our Europe Alive resource table

Interspersed between reports and other conference business were testimonies given by lay people from some of the Southern Michigan churches. We happy to have the opportunity to show one of the "Transformed Lives, Transforming Others" videos (Ildikó's story) to the conference in one of these testimony spots, during which time Larry also encouraged the churches to observe Europe Alive Sunday on July 28, or on another Sunday convenient to their church calendar. He especially highlighted countries that are already supported by some churches in Southern Michigan -- Hungary, Bulgaria, and Portugal. We were happy to hear from the pastors and delegates from several churches that they will indeed be doing so.

 

 

With Gary and Pat Cruce

During the break times we were able to have personal conversations with many pastors, delegates, and conference attenders. We enjoyed lunch on Friday with Gary and Pat Cruce, missionary colleagues who formerly served in South America and who are now serving as funding coaches for our mission. We are thankful for the wonderful friendships that we have built with many people throughout Southern Michigan, and for the partnership that we have with many of the churches. 

Break time conversations

 

Transformed Lives - Ildikó's Story

Ildikó has a remarkable testimony of her life being transformed since she started following Jesus Christ. This is just one of the stories in our Transformed Lives, Transforming Others video series. Other video testimonies from Spain, Portugal, and Hungary can be found at our Europe website at Europe-Alive.org, with more to come in the future from other countries. We will be showing Ildikó's testimony as we travel throughout Michigan and Ohio this summer. Pray for Ildikó as she begins a new journey of faith by attending discipleship training and Bible school. You can follow along with Ildikó's story by visiting her blog, in English, at growinthelord.blogspot.com

 

Miles for Missions

The Jackson Free Methodist Church is sponsoring a youth mission trip to Honduras and as a part of the fundraising for the trip they organized a Miles for Missions event. People could choose to participate in either a 4-mile run, a 2-mile run, or a 2-mile walk. A good group of runners, walkers, and supporters turned out for the race. We chose to do the 2-mile walk.

The biggest surprise of the day was that Larry came in first place for the men's 2-mile walk and Katie came in second place for the women's 2-mile walk! And we have the trophies to prove it! Anything is possible, if you choose your races wisely!

 

There was a friendly competition taking place between both Pastor Jason and Pastor Chuck and the groups that they were walking with. The photos show Pastor Chuck making a dash for the finish line and Pastor Jason celebrating coming in ahead of the group with the baby strollers!! :-)

The registration fees for the races go to help with the costs associated with the trip and to provide water filters and mosquito netting to rural familes.

Spaced along the race route wer signs giving some troubling statistics about Honduras.

• 50% of the population live below the poverty level
• 15% of the population live on less than the equivalent of $1.25 per day (that's about 285 forint, for those of you in Hungary)
• most rural areas have no access to clean drinking water
• most people living in rural areas have no protection from malaria carrying mosquitoes

In order to help with these needs, the team will be providing

• water filters for 75 families, with each filter capable of filtering up to 1,000,000 gallons of water (that's about 3.8 million liters)
• over 200 mosquito nets

It was a fun morning with a purpose! We pray that the Honduras team will have a safe and effective ministry.

We are thankful for our ministry partnership with the Jackson Free Methodist Church, and for their vision to impact the world both locally and globally!

An "uncommon" common funeral

Today Larry and János had the opportunity to participate in Zoltán's funeral. It has been almost three months since Zoltán died, but because he had no living relatives his funeral became the responsibilty of the local government. The custom is then to organize a common funeral when there are a sufficient number of such people needing burial. [In times past this would have been called a pauper's funeral.] Because of our connection with the local government and our interest in Zoltán we were invited to take part in the ceremony.

Taking part in a common funeral is not part of everyone's normal experience. Larry and János went to the cemetery today not knowing what to expect. What they found was grave that already contained the ashes of about 75 people, open and ready to receive the remains of 12 more people today. And who turned out to mourn these 12 people?

A Roman Catholic priest, who officiated the service.

Two representatives of the local government, responsible for the interrment.

Two cemetery workers, responsible for placing the remains into the grave.

A group of four people, grieving the loss of one of the women who was being buried.

János and Larry, grieving the loss of Zoltán.

So there were mourners for only two of the 12.

So what was "uncommon" about this funeral? The uncommon thing was that Larry was permitted to offer an eulogy for Zoltán. Hungarian funerals do not usually contain any specific mention of the life of the person being buried, and even less so in common funerals where most of the people have died unloved and alone.

Here is the English text of Larry's eulogy for Zoltán, which he gave in Hungarian:

 

On this sad occasion we are gathered to say farewell to people who died alone and without family. We grieve over these lives that have been lost. We will never know each person's particular story, but I 

am thankful to be able to say a few words today about my friend Zoltán. His life can serve as a representation of all of the people being interred today. I know that this isn't the custom here in Hungary, but it is our custom in America, so please bear with me.

​Zoltán was a lonely ma

n for most of his life. His father died when he was 17 and his mother died when he was 27. For almost 40 years he lived alone on Ábel Jenő street in Budapest with no other living relatives. For almost 30 years he was on medical disability, unable to work.

When I first met Zoltán he was drunk. People in our neighborhood were frightened of him. I spoke to him kindly, and he soon considered me to be his "great American friend."

Zoltán had several serious medical problems, many related to his drinking. About a year ago his doctor warned him that he must stop drinking and smoking if he wanted to live much longer. Surprisingly, Zoltán almost immediately stopped both of these habits. This was a turning point in his life.

Zoltán began attending our small church fellowship in the 11th District, and became known to the people in the church as "Zoltán bácsi."  He had a wonderful sense of humor and considered himself to be a clown. He listened intently to the weekly sermons and reflected on them throughout the week. He felt guilty over the bad things that he had done in his life, and asked God for forgiveness for them. All of his neighbors noticed a remarkable change in his life, because of the internal spiritual change that occurred.  

Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)

Zoltán lost his family four decades ago, but in the last year of his life he made peace with God and found a church family that loved and cared for him. As a result, he was also able to trust God, to trust others, and to love in return.

We were all shocked and saddened by Zoltán's sudden death in February. We miss Zoltán, but take comfort in the fact that one day we will meet again, for ours is the hope of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

 

 

 

Zoltán István László (1946-2013)

A number of years ago Larry befriended a lonely older man in the neighborhood of the Budapest Ministry Center. Zoltán often wandered the streets, talking to or yelling at no one in particular, and most people avoided him. He considered Larry his great American friend, and often asked if he could go back to America with us. 

Last spring Zoltán was hospitalized with numerous health problems, and his doctor warned him that he needed to stop drinking and smoking. Incredibly, Zoltán did just that! With his right mind restored, Zoltán began attending our church services and special events. He made many friends, and responded seriously to messages of hope, repentance, and faith. He had a great sense of humor and considered himself to be a clown.

As more love and care was given to Zoltán he flourished. People in the neighborhood began noticing the difference in his behavior. As people in the church began to get to know Zoltán, he began to share his life story with us, showing us photos of his childhood and youth. We learned that he had no living family, and in fact had lived alone in a small one-room apartment with no toilet or bathing facilities for almost 40 years. Larry and Péter took especial interest and care in him, so much so that he began calling Larry his "foster father" and Péter "Saint Peter."

Zoltán enjoyed coming to church events. He and János lit one of the Advent candles together in December. He attended the Christmas services, music night, and men's breakfast. He remembered many of the examples that Larry used in his preaching, and often called himself "Mr. Potato Head."

We also discovered that Zoltán's passion was painting. He had about 30 completed paintings, and Larry helped organize a small exhibition of his work during December and January. His self-portrait is in the picture collage above.

It was in January of this year that his health took a turn for the worse. He was hospitalized for about two weeks, but returned to his apartment in very poor health, suffering from congestive heart failure, chronic kidney failure, and fluid on the lungs (among other things). Sándor helped initiate home delivery of meals to him, and for a visiting nurse to come by three times a week. János cut and stacked firewood for him. Larry tried to help him manage his medications.

This past Sunday Zoltán was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Larry and Péter visited him there yesterday, and also spoke with his doctor, who said that his condition was quite grave. The last thing that Larry and Péter did when they left the hospital was to pray with Zoltán. They planned to go back for another visit on Thursday, but we were shocked and saddened to learn the Zoltán passed away sometime during the night last night.

We grieve over the loss of our friend Zoltán, but we are happy that in the final year of his life he finally found the loving family that he had been missing for almost all of his adult life, and that he heard and responded to the Gospel message.

Goodbye for now, Zoltán!

 

Happy Christmas from the Winckles

May you have a safe, healthy, and blessed Christmas! We are thankful for your interest, friendship, and support over the past year.

As 2012 comes to a close, we feel that we must share with you about the status of our missionary support account. As of this writing we are approximately $10,000.00 behind where we need to be in order to end the year in the black. Any year-end contributions that you might be able to make would help! You can make a donation online at https://give.fmcusa.org/winckles or you may send a check to: Free Methodist World Missions, 770 N. High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46214. Specify that your support is for the Winckles MSA. Thank you for anything that you can do!

The Third Sunday of Advent

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Joy. This morning Olga and Sanyi lit the Advent candles and gave the Advent reading.  

It is hard to think of joy today, considering the horrors that are taking place all over the world -- in Newtown, Connecticut, in Syria, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just to name a few. These tragedies serve as visible evidence that we are truly living in a broken world that is in need of healing, that is in need of true shalom. So we have all the more reason to take joy in the coming of the Healer, the Prince of Peace (Shalom), Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that our world can be restored. We have the privilege (and responsibility as believers) of taking part in that process of restoration by ordering our lives around three simple rules, based on Scripture and as first described by John Wesley -- 1. Do no harm, 2. Do good, and 3. Stay in love with God.

Larry concluded his three-part sermon series on these "Three Simple Rules" this morning by speaking on the last rule, "Stay in Love with God." How we conduct our lives on a day to day basis depends upon our own answer to Christ's question, "My dear child, do you love me?" [See Three Simple Rules That Will Change The World by Rueben P. Job]

Following the service we had our traditional church Christmas lunch. This year the main course was soup, gulyásleves prepared by Laci and lentil soup prepared by Katie. It was wonderful! After the meal the children received gifts. The adults had previously drawn names, and instead of exchanging gifts they gave one another a card with a word of encouragement, a scripture, or a blessing. Gábor had forgotten to prepare a card for Zoltán, so instead he sat in front of Zoltán, looked him in the eye, and said kind words to him. It was an incredibly touching moment.

At the end, everyone received a goody bag, featuring either Pocket Coffee or Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Péter and Judit also made some beautiful scripture cards for everyone. Everyone helped to clean up afterwards and lingered to talk.

It was a wonderful, blessed day!

Testimony Sunday

Ákos, Judit, Kriszta, Ildikó, and Beá

We had a special testimony service this morning at the Budapest Ministry Center. Instead of having the regular time of worship singing followed by a sermon, five people shared personal testimonies with worship songs interspersed between each testimony.

Beá started out by telling of her lifelong struggle to find meaning and purpose in her life. She tried many different philosophies, practices, and substances but found them all to be empty. It was only when she was at the lowest point in her life that she came to Christ in faith that her life began to be filled with joy. Beá is now enrolled in the Pentecostal Bible College here in Budapest and is studying pastoral psychology, with the hope of being able to help others in the future.

Judit shared about her own journey of faith, which viewed any church outside of the historical Hungarian churches to be sects. But has Judit met Péter (now her husband) and began to attend our fellowship, she realized that there was something different about the so-called "small churches." Not only did she find a friendly welcome and a family feeling, she also discovered the importance of having Jesus Christ at the center of your life.

Ildikó recounted how at 50 years of age she suddenly became homeless, jobless, and alone. She also began a search for God, and only encountered Him in a personal way when she was visiting her daughter in California through the testimony and life witness of her daughter's host mother. Someone in California told her about our church in Budapest, and when she returned to Hungary Ildikó sought out the church and has been attending faithfully ever since. She was baptized this past January. She brought her story up to date by sharing about the challenges that she has been recently facing, and how God has provided for her in unexpected ways.

Kriszta told how, following her baptism in September, the Lord has been speaking to her about her priorities. In October she faced a decision about whether or not to become part of a performing dance group, but she realized that if she did it would probably take over her life. Just when she was struggling with the decision she received a call from Péter, asking her to take part in the worship team that was preparing for the Wesley Theology Day (which just so happened to be on the same day as the first dance training camp). She felt that this was a clear indication of what she should be doing with her time, and so she accepted Péter's invitation and declined participation in the dance group. She hasn't regretted her decision.

Ákos told about a recent incident that occurred at the local McDonald's. He and his family were there when the restaurant was nearly empty, and yet a man come over and sat quite close to them. He thought nothing of it at the time, but suddenly and unusually, he felt prompted to check his wallet, which was in his interior coat pocket. It wasn't there! He immediately turned around and the man was behind him. Ákos didn't know what to do, as the man was very large, whereas Ákos is of a slight build. He asked for his wallet, and the man just pointed to the floor. As Ákos bent down to pick up his wallet, the man fled. Upon examining the contents, Ákos saw that nothing was missing! He gives credit to God for prompting him to look for his wallet at the same time as the man was trying to steal it.

These testimonies, as well as the songs that each person chose, were a great blessing and encouragement to everyone in the fellowship!

Wesley Theology Day - The Theology of Mission

Sándor shares his thoughts about youth as a part of the morning devotional.

Bence was the morning moderator.

The Wesleyan Alliance's annual Theology Day was held today at the Óbuda Methodist Church. The organization for the entire day was done by the so-called "youth" of the Wesleyan Alliance member organizations. The definition of youth in this context basically means anyone under 40! The key organizers were Péter (Free Methodist), Rudolf (Nazarene), Sándor (OMS International), and Bence (Hungarian Methodist).

The worship team - Rudolf, Laci, Kriszta, and Péter

Péter, Rudolf, Laci, and Kriszta comprised the worship team, and then did a wonderful job of leading meaningful interludes of praise and worship. Bence and Rudolf were the moderators, and Sándor opened with a short devotional message.

Bishop Walter Klaiber, with Pastor Frigyes Hecker as translator from German into Hungarian

This year's theme was "The Theology of Mission" and retired Methodist bishop Walter Klaiber was the main presenter. His morning session was entitled "A Winning Life" and his thesis was that before anyone could share the message of Christ they must know what it means to follow Christ personally. His message was followed by small group discussions related to the question, "What does it mean to follow Christ today?" After the small group time everyone gathered back together to hear reports and comments from each of the groups.

Rock, Paper, Scissors. Kriszta almost made it to the final round, but paper covers rock.

Following lunch Sándor led everyone in playing a massive game of Rock Paper Scissors. Everyone had to find a partner and play the simple game. Each winner had to then find another winner and play again. The losers cheered for the advancing winners. This continued throughout the room until there were only two winners left, and they played against each other to determine the champion. Everyone became involved in this simple game, and had a good time afterwards talking about the group dynamics.

Rudolf - pianist, violinist, and afternoon moderator

Rudolf is a gifted violinist, and he blessed us all with a performance of J. Raff's Cavatine.

Bishop Klaiber's second presentation was entitled "A Scattered Life" and was about the importance of living missionally, that is, of incorporating our faith into every aspect of our lives and into all of our relationships. This was followed by a time that was allotted for questions and

A great gathering!

answers, but Bishop Klaiber suggested that people could also share about their personal experiences of "scattered living" if they so desired. Many people did so. Bishop Klaiber never received a question to answer!

The day concluded with thanks being expressed to Bishop Klaiber and to all of those who helped in the organization and implementation of the Theology Day. Everyone left encouraged, with the feeling that the day had been enjoyable, interesting, and practical. 

Sermons from Budapest

Over the past few months Judit has been recording many of our Sunday sermons. We are hoping to make these sermons available online on a regular basis. We are currently testing the sermon.net service. Using the sermon player below, you have the opportunity to hear Stephanie Heisinger's personal testimony and Andrew Winckles' sermon on the Kingdom of God, recorded when the Holland, Ohio team was here at the end of June. The messages are in English, with Hungarian translation.

This is only a test, as at present the sermon.net player is having difficulty with the special Hungarian vowels (áéíóúöőüű). Hopefully this will be rectified and we can begin using the service on a regular basis.

For now, just click on the green play arrow on the line above Stephanie's or Andrew's name on the list below.

 

The (New) Wesleyan Alliance

The newly elected board of the Wesleyan Alliance

The Wesleyan Alliance of Hungary started with informal cooperation between Wesleyan groups working in Hungary. As we began to offer joint pastoral and lay training programs and began to co-publish Wesleyan literature, we realized that we needed to formalize our relationship in some way that would provide us with a legal identity. So the Wesleyan Church Alliance was formed, which was recognized by the Hungarian government as an alliance of churches and which carried the same legal identity as that of a church.

With the new Church Law that went into effect earlier this year, not only did many churches lose their official church status, but the law also no longer recognizes the legitimacy of church alliances. Therefore we were forced to transform ourself into a different, acceptable form. In addition, the only approved new form is a religious association, which requires a minimum of ten members. Our Wesleyan Church Alliance only had six members. 

Today we are happy to announce that the new Wesleyan Alliance association had a successful organizational meeting, with four new members joining our group. In addition to the original member organizations (The Salvation Army, the Hungarian Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, World Gospel Mission, and OMS International) we welcome two Korean Methodist church groups (the Grace Methodist Church and the Holy Gospel Foundation) as well as two Wesleyan foundations (the Nazarene Church Foundation and the Martha and Mary Foundation). Each organization will have one representative on the board of directors. István Csernák from the Hungarian Methodist Church was elected as president, Mária Gusztin of the Church of the Nazarene was elected as vice-president, Andrew Morgan of the Salvation Army was elected as secretary, and Meg Gettinger Dúl from World Gospel Mission and Larry Winckles from the Free Methodist Church were elected as members at large of the Executive Committee.

While this change has been burdensome in many ways (both in terms of time and money), we are glad that a solution has been found that not only allows for the Alliance's continued existence, but one that also allows us to involve other Wesleyan groups.

 

Back in Budapest

We arrived back in Budapest on Wednesday and have been slowly adjusting to the time difference. What's more, we got to experience the change to Daylight Savings Time twice -- once earlier in the month in the USA and today in Europe! Our internal clocks really are confused!

We enjoyed being back with the Budapest church fellowship this morning. The one thing we noticed was how much the children have grown! 

There were two guests with us today. Gerry McNamara came over from Győr and gave the morning sermon, challenging us all to do what we can to serve "the least of these." Dr. Jeff Wilson from Greenville College was also here, beginning a three-week visit to Hungary. We were blessed to hear some of his fine piano playing.

It was such a pleasant day that people stayed around afterwards for quite a long time, catching up with each other and enjoying the fellowship.

New Church Law soon to come into effect in Hungary

Churches in Hungary face an uncertain future with the new church law that is slated to go into effect on January 1, 2012. On that date over three hundred churches that had been officially registered with the government will lose their church status, with only 14 churches being able to keep their identity. These churches, with one exception, are considered Hungary's "historical" churches. These include the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformed Church, the Lutheran Church, five Orthodox Churches, the Unitarian Church, the Baptist Church, and three Jewish communities. The only "new" church to be recognized is the Faith Church, a large Pentecostal church established in 1979. The law further provides that recognition of additional churches in the future will be at the sole discretion of the Parliament, requiring a 2/3 majority vote for recognition and with no possibility of appeal.
 
The Hungarian Parliament has been urged to repeal this law, or to make extensive modifications to it, but seemingly to no avail. At present it does not seem that the affected churches will necessarily have to stop functioning, but they will no longer be able to use the term "church" and will not receive any of the benefits and protections afforded to the recognized churches. Instead, they must transform their identity into some sort of foundation, company, or other organization.
 
Prominent denominations losing their church status in Hungary include: the Assemblies of God, the Salvation Army, the Hungarian Methodist Church, the Vineyard Church, Calvary Chapel, the Church of the Nazarene, the Church of God, the Evangelical Free Church, the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship, the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and many others. Muslim, Buddhist, and congregations of other faiths will also lose their church status. Many "cult" groups are also affected, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, and the Mormons.
 
In addition, the new law prohibits the establishment of associations of churches. This means that the Wesleyan Church Alliance of Hungary must also cease to exist in its current form. 
 
The Free Methodist Church had been counseled to hold off on official registration, as rumors of these changes were circulating well in advance of the law's passage. Our work in Hungary can continue under the auspices of the presently existing Bread of Life Foundation, which provides the legal identity for the Free Methodist Mission in Hungary.

NOTE: We originally made this post in our weekly Budapest Prayer Letter, which goes out to those interested in praying faithfully for the ongoing work in Budapest, in Hungary, and throughout Europe. Please contact us if you would like to be added to the list.

Congratulations, Péter!

Two weeks ago in Madrid, Péter Tóth was received as an European Ministerial Candidate (the equivalent of a Conference Ministerial Candidate in the USA). Today was his first Sunday back at church, and just before Péter began his sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, Larry officially announced that Péter is now the Assistant Pastor of the Budapest church. Congratulations, Péter!

Men's (English) Breakfast

The fall men's breakfast was held this morning at the Budapest Ministry Center. This month the men prepared an approximation of an English cooked breakfast. (Those of you reading this from the UK can give us your opinion as to how it looks.) No, we didn't have streaky bacon or black pudding, but the basic elements were there -- a fried egg, sausage, fried mushrooms, friend tomatoes, beans, and toast with marmalade. As usual, the men were skeptical at first but soon overcame their skepticism and enjoyed the meal. Larry and Zoli were the chefs, assisted by Misi and Péter.

Following the breakfast Larry offered a short devotional based on Philippians 4:8 and asked the men to consider what they usually focused on -- the good things or the bad? This led to a discussion about how the generally pessimistic Hungarian culture makes it difficult for people to look positively toward the future. With God's help, we can choose to see the good, we can choose to focus on the positive, we can stop looking for the negative.

First Sunday Back in Budapest

Our first Sunday back in Budapest started off with a wonderful morning service. Péter and Renee Runyon led the music and Dan Runyon gave a sermon basoed on Rembrandt's painting, the Return of the Prodigal Son. We were so happy to reconnect with the dear people in our fellowship, and to meet some new people as well! The church's first volunteer missionary, Karcsi, was also back from serving in Kenya for the past seven months.

Afterwards we had a grill party. Norbi served as the grill master, but everyone helped out in some way. We were amazed at the latest innovation in grilling -- rectangular sausages that don't roll off the grill!

The Barnes Family Returns!!

We welcomed Eric, Heidi, Calvin, and Muriel Barnes back to Hungary today! The Barnes previously served in Győr from 2003 to 2005. They are returning to Hungary to teach English in Kalocsa through the Central European Teaching Program. Larry met them at the airport and was able to squeeze them and all their luggage into the mission's Volkswagen Sharan. The only problem was that Larry picked them up in a zone that was restricted to taxis and buses, so he got pulled over by the police (Beth Cullison should be familiar with this problem!). No ticket, just a warning. When Larry asked the policeman why there wasn't a pickup zone for private vehicles, the policeman shrugged his shoulders and replied, "This is Hungary! It's bad!"

 

Welcome Dan and Renee!

Our friends Dan and Renee Runyon arrived in Budapest yesterday and will be here for about ten days. Dan will be preaching the next two Sundays, and they both will be leading a relationship seminar at the Budapest Ministry Center next weekend -- watch for details!