A Gift of Food And The Promise Of Hope Through Jesus Christ

Most of us can go into the pantry and select from a variety of choices for our next meal. Not so for our Gypsy brothers and sisters. Poverty is a way of life and the next meal is not always a sure thing.

God once again moved hearts to partner with us to provide a variety of food staples, cleaning products, and a treat or two for the families who attend the Gypsy church in Hajduboszormeny. Saturday, December 22nd, a team of volunteers had the privilege of being the Lord's helpers and seeing the joy on their faces when we brought large bags of much needed and appreciated food.

As we were invited into each home, we were once again struck by the poverty we encountered. For some, whole families live in one small room which serves as kitchen, living room, and sleeping room. At one home, there was only one bed for 4 small children and the mother and father. In another home, their two small rooms both had dirt floors. Hygiene is nearly non-existent since it is necessary to walk to the community well and haul their water home and cleaning products are definitely a luxury.

Leaving bags of food, cleaning products, toothpaste and toothbrushes along with sharing a prayer of thanksgiving to God filled us, the volunteers, with a heart of gratitude. Gratitude for being allowed to be a part of His ministry and gratitude that our small congregation once again, saw how much the Lord loves them and was showing it through His provision for them.

Hope for the unsaved was high as Pastor Dani prayed and offered words of encouragement with each family we visited. At one home an unsaved family member sheds tears of gratitude for God's goodness towards her family.

For all those who have joined us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Boszormeny and provided financial support so that the ministry among the Roma people could continue, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We pray the Lord has added another jewel to your crown in heaven.

God Always Knows Best

Often we read in the Word that man's plans are not always God's plan. Once again we were reminded of this truth last night at the Gypsy Church. Thinking we were going to have a rather "intimate" gathering of our church family for our Christmas service, we were overwhelmed at the number of people waiting for us when we arrived.

Our plan was to have a small bonfire where our "little" family would gather around and sing worship songs and have a short message from Pastor Dani. Without a doubt, the gathering around the campfire was an overwhelming success and even more people were able to hear the message of Jesus! Just like God had planned!!!

We saw many new faces, both adults and children. God is working in the little Gypsy village, continually drawing new people to hear the truth of Jesus' love for them.

God must have been preparing us for this large event, even without our realizing it. While shopping for cookies and treats to share after the bonfire, I purchase more than I would have normally. It was a blessing to be able to share this little "gift" of sweets and hot tea with our new friends.

Later, our core church group motioned me to come inside...once inside I was surprised by a birthday celebration (my birthday is Dec. 21st). Another definition of joy is watching the faces of each child who came forward with a little treat for me. They were so excited and happy to be able to share something with another. As for me, I had to keep blowing my nose and joked that my tears were coming out my nose!

God has truly blessed us to be a part of His work among the Gypsy people. Year after year, God has grown our love and devotion to our brothers and sisters in the village. Our prayer is that one day, every single person living in the village will be a follower of Jesus Christ.

One Definition of Joy

Yesterday I discovered another definition for joy, i.e., watching little boys from the orphanage in Miskolc learn to make gingerbread cookies and one little girl who showed us her skill at making cut-out Christmas cookies that competed with the speed of sound.




As the children rolled out the dough and began cutting out the shapes, it was such a joyous moment for me. It took me back to the days when my own daughter Cheryl was first learning to cook and bake. There is something so satisfying in creating, be it food or a work of art. Maybe you will recall the time you created a "special masterpiece" you wanted your parents to display or if it was food, wanted them to taste, waiting expectantly for their smile of approval.

We are the creation of our heavenly Father, who looks at us through a Father's loving eyes, waiting expectantly for us to "taste" His love and accept the truth of His perfect gift, Jesus. What a joy it is for the Father when we finally accept the gift He so lovingly offers us.

Please pray for our little kids in Miskolc, that the truth of Jesus love for them would become real and a precious gift they willingly receive.

Blessings to All

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Mikulas Comes to Hajduboszormeny!

Mikulas comes to Hungary the night of December 5th, visits all the "good" children and leaves a treat in the shoes placed beside their beds before going to sleep. "Bad" children receive nothing or a twig indicating Mikulas is displeased with their behavior that year.

Well, no family left empty handed when Mikulas made his "surprise" visit to the little Gypsy Church in Boszormeny Tuesday night. Imagine our surprise when driving up to the church and spotting most of the over 120 children who heard that Mikulas might be paying a visit to the church that night.

Making room for everyone was a real struggle and ended up with people crammed into the larger meeting room, people standing in the entryway, and others who arrived late, standing outside under our newly built patio cover.

The evening started off with wonderful praise and worship music. Even those who had never visited the church were encouraged to sing as Pastor Dani shared the words and they were repeated in song.

Dani and Szundi both donned black attire with black stockings over their heads (the better to scare) and began reciting sins committed by all little children, telling them there would be no Mikulas for anyone found "guilty" of even one of these sins. Suddenly, an angel in white

appeared telling the children, wait...there is someone who paid the price for all these sins and if you believe, all of your sins will be forgiven. When asked who had paid the price, the children all chanted the name Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

By the time Mikulas arrived, the children were beside themselves with excitement. Our Mikulas this year was actually a young woman named Marti. She played her part to perfection, deep voice and all.

The looks on the littlest children's faces was a joy to behold. They were so grateful to see Mikulas, have "him" say a kind word to them, and give them a wonderful gift of goodies.

This is the 4th year a couple from our local church have put together goodie bags for the

children at the Gypsy village. We are so grateful to all who have prayed for this ministry and we seek God's guidance on how to further relationships with those who may have come for the first time.

With Thanksgiving In Our Hearts!

Dear ones,

With Thanksgiving not long behind us and Christmas just ahead, it is a perfect time to reflect on all that God has accomplished in this past year here in Eastern Europe.

We are praising God for the many new believers He has called to Himself, through sports camps, English camp, and orphan ministry this year. The ways in which God moves and the timing is always a lesson in faith for those of us working here. It was only after nearly 10 years of working with the orphans in Miskolc that we experienced the fullness of joy when the harvest was ripe at English Camp this year. If anything, it encourages us even more that it is the on-going relationship building that God can use to reach the seemingly unreachable.

In the ten years we have been a part of the ministry to the orphans of Miskolc orphanage, God has allowed us to become "surrogate parents" since moving to Hungary. We've had the joy of hosting groups of the children, usually 3 at a time, for a weekend of being served by our Debrecen church and the body of believers here. It's always fun to see the excitement on their faces when Rob, our chef, comes up with a dish they've never had before.

This year, God has opened a door for us to come alongside a brother from another church who is ministering to the orphans on our doorstep here in Debrecen. We have participated in two large group outreaches to the kids so far. It is still a case of relationship building among both the children and their caretakers. We welcome your prayers for this hopefully, on-going ministry.

Relationship building has been a big part of our ministry this year. In September, Carol once again accompanied two women to Romania who ministered to the Hungarian women in three different areas. This has been an annual outreach for 6 of the last 8 years. It is a time where the ministry focus is on encouraging Christian women and the Pastor's wives in their personal relationships and ministry.

Upcoming Ministry Opportunities

Tuesday, December 4th we will celebrate Mikulas Day at the Gypsy Church in Hajduboszormeny

Friday, December 7th there will be an evangelistic outreach and potluck dinner at the church.

Tuesday, December 11th the children at the Gypsy church will hold their annual Christmas Program.

Saturday, December 15th we will go to the orphanage in Miskolc for a day of Christmas activities, including cookie making and decorating, crafts, and music.

Saturday, December 22nd we will be distributing bags of food to our Gypsy church families.

We want to take this time to wish you all a joyous holiday filled with the many wonderful sights and sounds of the Christ-filled season.




With love and gratitude, Rob & Carol

Thanksgiving at Miskolc Orphanage

Wednesday, November 21st through Sunday, November 25th saw an outpouring of God's love through the volunteers He brought to help with the 10th Annual Thanksgiving outreach to the orphans in Miskolc.

This year God brought 32 brothers and sisters in the Lord from the American military community in Heidelberg, Germany. Many of those who came also helped with the ministry last year as well. In addition, there were at least 10-12 translators who came to help from among the Debrecen church body and Youth Group members.

It is such a joy to watch as the love of the Lord is poured out through His children, not only the adults, but the children of the volunteers who brought their families to help. It is a time when the orphans can experience what a Christian family looks like and what it means to be a part of God's family.

Besides bringing along the ingredients for a full American style Thanksgiving meal, the team of volunteers also purchased gifts for each child at the orphanage. For some, it was the very first time they had ever received something "new" and not passed down from others.

We pray that this time of sharing the love of God, hearing God's Word, and seeing how much they are welcomed to join God's family, that the children will think on those things that were shared and make a decision for Jesus Christ. For those who have already made the commitment to follow Jesus, we pray they have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a child of God.

This year we celebrated our 10th year together in Thanksgiving, watching a video of photos showing the children through the years. Many have grown and left the orphanage but quite a few returned to share in the joy of the Lord.

Thank you one and all who are so faithfully praying for our orphans in Miskolc. We pray you too are blessed to be a part of God's work here in Eastern Europe.

Warm Sweaters and Hats!

Tuesday, November 20th marked the date our Gypsy children in Hajduboszormeny received the gift of an Alpaca sweater or hat made from donated yarn and the creative hands of many Mennonite women who came together to knit the warm gifts for these most deserving children. It was an extention of God's "warm and loving embrace" through the efforts of His faithful children. Thank you dear ones for your faithfulness in praying for God's work among the Gypsy people.

MISKOLC ORPHANAGE MINISTRY

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COOKING SCHOOL/BIBLE STUDY

Last night's feast was one of my favorites; ham steaks (2) one bathed in a glaze of lemon the other a glaze of orange accompanied by freshly made cinnamon apple sauce, potatoes seasoned with basil, and a salad dressed with Dolly's mustard dressing. Yummy! I've included a couple of photos of the students and the Chef/Teacher.

Nearly a year ago, we started hosting a weekly Friday night Bible study with English speakers. After Rob returned from the States, he began holding weekly cooking classes for the students on Friday afternoons. Soon, it was decided to incorporate the two activities so now we have students coming to learn cooking techniques and the Bible study group reaps the benefits by being the "tasters" for the class. After everyone has their fill, we have our Bible study.

Right now we are studying the Book of John and just finished up Chapter 19, The Crucification of Jesus. How can you read and study such words and not be convinced of the love our Father has for us? Prayer time included many praises for what God has done for us through the Savior Jesus.

Thank you Lord for the freedom to read your Word and to meet and praise you without fear of reprisal.

Let's all remember to pray for the persecuted church and all who are in harms way because of their faith in the One True God.

THANKSGIVING ORPHANAGE MINISTRY

November 21st marks the beginning of our annual Thanksgiving outreach at the Miskolc orphanage. This year will be extra special as we celebrate our 10th year of sharing this most special observance with our kids in Miskolc.

Plans are for two teams of volunteers to come from the American military community in Heidelberg Germany and a volunteer from America will be joined by translators from the Debrecen church. There will be approximately 50 volunteers this year matching the kids almost one-to-one.

We will begin the 4 day long outreach with a Bible study Wednesday afternoon followed each day with activities and evening worship and teaching. The outreach culminates on Saturday with day-long activities, cooking of the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, followed by a program of worship, sharing the Gospel message, explaining the origin of the Thanksgiving celebration, and gift giving to all the kids.

Our personal involvement will include providing transportation to Miskolc and return, plus Carol, Russ, Luca, and Dana from Minnesota will be a part of the "advance team" preparing for the outreach.

Please, pray for us during the November 21st through 24th time frame. God calls us to be faithful in sharing His Word and in being obedient to His call. YOU too can be a part of this ministry through your faithful prayers.

Blessings,
Rob and Carol

Fall Update

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, the air is crisp, the leaves have turned golden and are gently falling, filling the yards with their beautiful blanket of color.

This year has been so completely filled with activity that is has become more difficult to update you on what is happening here, at least in a timely manner. Please don't give up on us, we covet your prayers and are grateful for your partnering with us in God's work here in Eastern Europe.

To update you on the past several months...

The Gypsy ministry in Hajduboszormeny (Boszormeny) continues to draw seekers each Tuesday night. Dani, our youth pastor in Debrecen, took over the teaching at the church when Doctor Krisztian and his wife, Betti left for Dusseldorf Germany so Krisz could complete further research and training in Dermatology. With Dani on-board as teaching leader, he has encouraged his Debrecen youth group to become a part of the ministry in Boszormeny. Each week, the young people alternate teaching responsibility for our youngest children. They have responded so well to the alternating teachers that it is an encouragement to us all.

We held a day of celebration for "Children's Day" in June. This is an annual Hungarian observance which honors Hungary's children. We started the day off by having a powerful time of worship music led by David and Csilla Muscan, Jude and Luca who inspired us all with their beautiful voices. As we were worshipping God, many people just walking past the church were drawn to come inside and see what was happening. By the end of the day, we estimated there were at least 80 villagers who attended all or part of the days events.

PRAYER REQUEST: Now that school has begun, we pray the Youth Group members will continue to have time to be a part of the ministry to the youngest children at the Gypsy Church. We also pray they will continue to be encouraged at how God is using them in this ministry.

Ministry teams galore blessed the work in and around Debrecen this summer. We had teams from the U.S. and Germany, some of whom helped with the ministry to the orphanage in Miskolc, some helped with the English Camp, another team ministered at an orphanage in the Ukraine, and still another spent a week working on restoring parts of the Gypsy church building and also building a covered patio with lights so we can hold meetings outside when the weather is good. We also had a small team from California come (for the 5th time) to minister to women in Romania and also to the church body at Boszormeny.

PRAYER REQUEST: We pray God will continue to bring teams to be a part of the work here in and around Debrecen.

English Camp was an incredible answer to 10 years of prayer for our kids at the Miskolc orphanage. We had 12 young people from Miskolc come to the camp this year and at the end of the week, most of them had accepted Christ and were baptized in the camp pool. There wasn't a dry eye among the ministry team that has been involved in ministering to these kids for the past 10 years. Some of the kids that were baptized were very young when we first started going to the orphanage weekly for Bible study, sports activities, and general friendship building. At times throughout the years, we've been discouraged because more of the kids didn't immediately accept Jesus but as God tells us "everything in it's time" and the fullness of time had come.

Russ Chun our GoodSports ministry leader now goes to Miskolc weekly on Wednesdays to hold a Bible study for the new believers. We encourage your prayers for Russ and for the little Bible study, that God would continue to encourage them to draw close to Him, their source of comfort and strength.

PRAYER REQUEST: We pray that God will continue to bring translators to help Russ with the weekly Bible study and the twice monthly outreaches at the orphanage in Miskolc.

A one-week vacation for us was squeezed in between a two week time of ministry in Romania and a team from Germany who came to minister to the Gypsy church. We had the pleasure of seeing a new part of Italy (Rimini) and spent our days just basking in the sea breezes, eating lots of pasta, reading, and taking long naps each day!

PRAYER REQUEST: We are asking God for discernment in what He wants us to do. It's not easy to say no and it comes at the price of risking burn out if we don't have wisdom from the Lord.

The guest house ministry saw it's share of visitors these past 6 months. We've had visitors from America, Hungary, and Romania. Most of our visitors are here before or after a time of ministry elsewhere. It is always a pleasure to hear of their plans, see their excitement, and finally, hear stories of how God worked during their time of ministry.

PRAYER REQUEST: We continue to need prayer for provision to keep the guest house expenses covered.

The Lord arranged a wonderful time of refreshment for Carol who attended a Women's Conference this past weekend at the Bible College in Vajta. The topic for the conference was "Daughters of the King" and the messages reinforced the fact that we are a princess as the daughters of the King. There were 17 women from the Debrecen church able to attend and it gave us a wonderful time of deeper fellowship with one another and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

PRAISES to God for all that He has accomplished these past few months. In every case, God has enabled us to see His hand at work in the lives of those who came to minister alongside us. The Lord also encouraged those He sent, drawing us all into a deeper and closer relationship with our Savior.

We praise God for the faithful volunteers, the prayer partners who came forward to cover us in prayer, and we thank God for all those who support His work here in Hungary.

If God is working in your heart to become a part of His work here in Hungary, please drop us a line and let us know of your interest. We will be happy to connect you to the people responsible for the ministry you want to be a part of.

We can be reached at: carolgreathouse292@hotmail.com or carol@greathouse.ehc.hu

Because of Jesus...our hope is ALIVE!

Just back from Romania!

Zalau, Brasov, and Bibarcfalva Romania were once again the destinations of our team of three American women ready to be used by the Lord to encourage women into a deeper relationship with the Lord. God was gracious and allowed us to see some of what He has been doing in the lives of the women we encountered when last we visited in May of 2006.

The focus of this year's teaching was King David and the lessons for us today through the life of the man called "a man after God's own heart."

In Zalau, we were encouraged by the number of young women seeking spiritual growth and were finding it in fellowship and Bible study with others the same age. Our dear friend and pastor's wife, Evodia, once again led the team in outreaches among the women in and around the Zalau area. It was a blessing to be able to reconnect with many we've met with before and see the reality of their growth and depth of knowledge since we started these outreaches over 5 years ago. This year we were able to once again, meet with a group of pastor's wives and encourage them in their capacity as wives and leaders of the women in their congregations.

Mama, better known as Irma Pa'pai, once again opened her home, her kitchen, and her heart to us. Even though we are all about the same age, Mama takes care of us like we are her children, lavishing us with love by her servant's heart. Needless to say, it is always hard to leave this warm and nurturing place of refuge.

For the second year, we were able to visit with and minister longside Adina, also a pastor's wife, in Brasov. After our first visit, Adina reported that more women were attending the women's functions and becoming a larger part of the behind the scenes work within the church. The first group we met with were those interested in a discipling group aimed at pairing up older women with younger women. Adina took us to a village where we were able to minister to a group of handicapped people who attend the small village church.

For the second time, we were blessed to be able to stay with our friend and sister in Christ, Ili who is always so gracious to feed and house us. This year Ili was excited because their water was working so we could take showers and even do a load of laundry at the half-way point in our trip.

The next and last stop on our journey this year was in Bibarcfalva, a small village of dirt roads, hard working people, and lots of cows and goats that we watched come home each evening. It is so amazing to us city girls that each cow or goat knows which street to turn down when heading for home.

Staying in the mission house is a little like camp, with two sets of bunk beds and the question, who's on top. Once again Erzsi our beloved translator and Linda Marsic volunteered for the "honor", allowing the two Carols to have the lower bunks. Could it perhaps be a bow to our "advanced" ages??

Our hosts, Pastor Barna and his wife Leona along with their son Peter and daugher "little" Leona went out of their way to see that we were well taken care of.

This particular stop is always special for us. This year was the 5th time we have come to this little village to hold a Women's Conference which is now attended by women from all faiths and walks of life. We've been told it is unheard of for people from different faiths to meet together like this so we know our heavenly Father has orchestrated it as an example that we shouldn't be divided by denominations. It is also an example of how truly godly women can meet together with people of different ethnicity, i.e., Hungarians, Romanians, and Gypsy.

Now that our trip is over, we are praying for all the lovely people we've just met, those we've reconnected with, and those who came to know Jesus for the first time. It is our prayer in the year ahead, that God will become their closest and most trusted friend.