March update from Balázs and Leah

Our Family

This month has been a very difficult month for us but we can sit back as we reflect with joy and peace knowing that our God is a good Father, He is gracious and so faithful and blesses our lives in more ways than we can number. The delay in the newsletter and lack of photos is due to our computer dying this month. Please pray that somehow we can retrieve all of the data from the hard drive as there was many very important things including all of Ellie’s baby pictures. Please also pray that the Lord would provide a new computer as is it a great need at this time.

Praise God! We were able to get the paperwork we needed and the American Embassy granted Ellie her citizenship. She now has dual Hungarian-American citizenship. We visited Balázs’ mom and step-father this month and had a great time seeing them with her as she is the first grandchild. She is of course continuing to amaze us each day as we realize what a gift she is. One of Balázs’ brothers and sister-in-law is pregnant after trying unsuccessfully for years! Please pray that the Lord would protect her womb and the baby as she has lost three previous pregnancies.

Church

On April 15^th, the head of Calvary Chapel Reaching Europe as well as the regional overseeing pastor will be coming to Pécs to pray for us as Balázs will be taking over the church that day. Please continue to pray for us as we walk on this new path. Also please pray for the pastor and his wife as they pack and prepare for their next steps. The church has had some great times of fellowship this month at our regular potluck and at several other times of meeting.

The Lord is continuing to build friendships and offer healing to those who have been wounded before. Tracy, Leah’s former roommate in Ukraine came to visit and shared with the ladies one afternoon. All of the women were encouraged by her sharing with them and enjoyed the time together.

The college group continues to be a huge joy for us as we see these students desiring to be in fellowship and to study the Word together. Please pray for Balázs and Leah as they individually disciple these students to be ull of wisdom and love. Pray for Balázs as he teaches this group.

We really see a need to have another building to meet in as the toddlers and babies have no where to be during service causing the parents to have to watch them in the halls and miss the studies every week. Please pray for God to provide a place for us to use for church that meets the needs of the body. We also would like to see the church burdened with hearts to pray both individually and corporately at our weekly prayer meetings. Please pray that God would move hearts to pray for each other and beyond.

Outreach

This month Balázs continued ministering at the prison. He is weekly burdened by the depravity of the youth there as well as their seemingly hopeless situations. Please pray for these boys to find hope in our Savior and for Balázs as he tries to show them the way to Him. We were asked to share our testimonies at a coffee shop this month in a sort of forum type setting. We were blessed to see people so attentive and stay after to talk with us. The night was made into a DVD which is now being distributed in Hungary for free! Please pray that God would use this for His glory.

We had an outreach team come from the bible college in Vajta this past weekend and were very blessed to have five Hungarians and two Americans stay with our church body. The team helped in practical ministry as well as building up and encouraging our church as we spent a great deal of time together. What a true blessing the greater body of Christ is!

Other

Balázs continues to lead worship a couple of nights a week and is working with other musicians to raise them up to lead as well. Please pray that God would stir up these people as well as the church as a whole in worship and praise. We and the elders in the church have a vision for pouring our lives into the lives of those in our church, discipling them and allowing them to then disciple others. Please pray for wisdom, direction, and most importantly the Holy Spirit to fill us as we see to do this.

Balázs continues to be challenged as he teaches at the Catholic school weekly. He has a great time but desires to remain faithful in preparation for this time each week. Please pray for his faithfulness. God has been faithful to provide a teacher who can meet weekly with Leah for Hungarian lessons. Please pray that this time would be fruitful, for the Holy Spirit to enable Leah to learn quickly, and for her to be faithful to study and use what she learns.