We had a great day today. Dave & Gretchen Freeman showed us around the heart of Budapest. We started in Hero’s Square and then moved west toward the Danube River. The most sobering portion of the day was touring the House of Terror which tells the story of Hungarian oppression under Communism.
From there we walked to the Budapest Cathedral, across the chain bridge, and then to John and Vicki Moore’s apartment for dinner with the Pastor Imre and his wife, Maria of the Budapest Nazarene Church. This is an amazing city with a rich past and a very promising future. So many incredible buildings are being re-done. This can easily become one of the world’s most beautiful cities!
We leave Hungary with a deep interest in the country and its people. We feel that we have made so many new friends. The people of Foldes were so good to us and we pray that God will bless their ministry in the days ahead. It was such a privilege to accompany the District Team to Romania. The work of Veritas and the ministry center there is truly incredible.
I will pray often for Olympia and Chobe. They are my first real example of the “person of peace” that Jesus talks about in Luke 10 and Matthew 10. I hope that we can work with the Hungarian District to reach out to these ethnic Hungarians that my world knows so little about. They are truly open to the Gospel. They feel that no one cares but I hope that God will use us to change that feeling.
We fly out in a few hours but I’m so grateful for this life-changing experience. I will see you on Sunday at Highland. I’m so grateful to Eric for preaching this Sunday.
Pastor John
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Just a quick entry today! On Tuesday we went to the River Bend area and crossed over into Slovakia. Again, our passports were not stamped, so you’ll just have to believe the pictures. We stopped at the National Cathedral of Hungary where the first Christian King of Hungary was crowned.
Yesterday, we went to Vienna where we saw Burger King, McDonalds, and of course Starbucks. I spent some of my first Euros. Sincerely, this is an amazing city with history everywhere. The most impressive was the press of people from many different countries.
We are just about to leave to walk around the core of the city of Budapest. Actually, we’ll be on the Pest side of the river. Listen to the local knowledge just flow through my computer. This trip has taught me just how historically illiterate I really am.
If only I could do High School again. I would really listen this time… yeah right!
We fly home tomorrow!
Pastor John
Yesterday, we went to Vienna where we saw Burger King, McDonalds, and of course Starbucks. I spent some of my first Euros. Sincerely, this is an amazing city with history everywhere. The most impressive was the press of people from many different countries.
We are just about to leave to walk around the core of the city of Budapest. Actually, we’ll be on the Pest side of the river. Listen to the local knowledge just flow through my computer. This trip has taught me just how historically illiterate I really am.
If only I could do High School again. I would really listen this time… yeah right!
We fly home tomorrow!
Pastor John
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I’m looking out the window at a grey and rainy day in Budapest. We came back here on Sunday afternoon because John Moore and David Freeman are having trouble securing a visa for the next year. They had no choice but to leave the group and return to attend to the problem in person.
We decided to spring for staying in the Hilton. We are paying less than it would cost to stay down around Ontario Airport. Our view includes the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Parliament Building, the Basilica, and several miles of the Danube River. The Buda Palace is just out of my view to the right or south.
We struck out on our own most of yesterday. Would you believe Burger King for only 3,700 Florins? When we travel, we dive deep into the local culture! Last night, John and Vicki drove us around to some incredible sights and then we ate dinner at the Trophy restaurant.
After that we went down on the Pest side of the river where I was able to get some great picture of the city lights. There is a monument there to the Jews who were drowned in the river in WWII. This is a land of amazing recent and ancient history.
Just to catch you up on our weekend… on Saturday we went back to the village of Olympia and Chobe. The Hungarian team led music, did a puppet show, and helped the children color handouts that dealt with their Bible story.
This was my first opportunity to see the Evangicube in action. The children grasped the story of salvation very quickly. One 13 year old boy repeated the story perfectly with the use of the cube. Once again I saw the great value of something I did not understand at first. That seems to be a theme of my life. God must get a kick out of me!
On Sunday, I spoke on “What God Thinks of You,” in the Sighisoara Church. It was build around the story of Zacchaeus. I thought it would be an encouragement to Olympia and Chobe. I was surprised to also find a medical team from Washington State, Nazarenes from Sheffield, England, people from Northern Ireland, and teachers from the Veritas Center. All good speakers must know their audience. I didn’t!
In that service we sang in English, Hungarian, and Romanian. Prayers were offered in three languages. The women from our Hungarian Team sang two songs and I was translated in Romanian. The whole experience was blessing. This was the 11th year for the doctor leading the medical team to come to this area. They assured me that there was room for Southern Californians to join their team.
We then drove to Tsigimandru for lunch at the Nazarene Ministry Center there. A woman by the name of Magda has been instrumental in founding this work. The have a clinic, they train new and expectant mothers, and teach sewing and carpentry as vocations for villagers. They also grow flowers and vegetables for sale. Their work is impressive and something I would like to help.
Today we are headed to Danube Bend and we will see the towns of Szentendre, Visegrad and Esztergom. This will include setting our toes in the country of Slovakia. We will be seeing an area where the first Christian King of Hungary was crowned.
That is all for now. I hope our team from Highland landed safely and is recovering from the Jet lag. We missed being with them but are grateful for their willingness to allow us to take this trip. Tomorrow we are taking a quick trip to Vienna. Again… work and witness is tough but someone’s got to do it!
Pastor John
As always, keep checking the photo gallery, pictures are being added almost daily - Click Here
We decided to spring for staying in the Hilton. We are paying less than it would cost to stay down around Ontario Airport. Our view includes the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Parliament Building, the Basilica, and several miles of the Danube River. The Buda Palace is just out of my view to the right or south.
We struck out on our own most of yesterday. Would you believe Burger King for only 3,700 Florins? When we travel, we dive deep into the local culture! Last night, John and Vicki drove us around to some incredible sights and then we ate dinner at the Trophy restaurant.
After that we went down on the Pest side of the river where I was able to get some great picture of the city lights. There is a monument there to the Jews who were drowned in the river in WWII. This is a land of amazing recent and ancient history.
Just to catch you up on our weekend… on Saturday we went back to the village of Olympia and Chobe. The Hungarian team led music, did a puppet show, and helped the children color handouts that dealt with their Bible story.
This was my first opportunity to see the Evangicube in action. The children grasped the story of salvation very quickly. One 13 year old boy repeated the story perfectly with the use of the cube. Once again I saw the great value of something I did not understand at first. That seems to be a theme of my life. God must get a kick out of me!
On Sunday, I spoke on “What God Thinks of You,” in the Sighisoara Church. It was build around the story of Zacchaeus. I thought it would be an encouragement to Olympia and Chobe. I was surprised to also find a medical team from Washington State, Nazarenes from Sheffield, England, people from Northern Ireland, and teachers from the Veritas Center. All good speakers must know their audience. I didn’t!
In that service we sang in English, Hungarian, and Romanian. Prayers were offered in three languages. The women from our Hungarian Team sang two songs and I was translated in Romanian. The whole experience was blessing. This was the 11th year for the doctor leading the medical team to come to this area. They assured me that there was room for Southern Californians to join their team.
We then drove to Tsigimandru for lunch at the Nazarene Ministry Center there. A woman by the name of Magda has been instrumental in founding this work. The have a clinic, they train new and expectant mothers, and teach sewing and carpentry as vocations for villagers. They also grow flowers and vegetables for sale. Their work is impressive and something I would like to help.
Today we are headed to Danube Bend and we will see the towns of Szentendre, Visegrad and Esztergom. This will include setting our toes in the country of Slovakia. We will be seeing an area where the first Christian King of Hungary was crowned.
That is all for now. I hope our team from Highland landed safely and is recovering from the Jet lag. We missed being with them but are grateful for their willingness to allow us to take this trip. Tomorrow we are taking a quick trip to Vienna. Again… work and witness is tough but someone’s got to do it!
Pastor John
As always, keep checking the photo gallery, pictures are being added almost daily - Click Here
A newspaper article about the trip published in Hungary
Translated via Google:
Volunteer helpers from California
August 05, 2009
Earthy -- - California, the földrengéseiről known as St. Andrew törésvonal in Rancho Cucamonga near the city of Nazareth, the church received Földes twelve members, who carry out voluntary work for a week in a local sister gyülekezetnél.
Want to shape a better world through the Nazarene church in 151 countries, 18,690 of the assembly, which is determining the importance of work and communities bizonyságtevő groups, they arrive at, "said Chaplain John Watkin.
The 101-year-old church in Nazareth since the development of the township served as John Watkin ancestors. The Chaplain is also a leading group of four decades has been led by California, congregation, and take hard work and the work bizonyságtevő group.
Under the local church service home renovation and construction of an office wing tag Földes participate. The teacher in civilian life, lelkészként operating officer, and twelve hours a day, the group is not only hard physical work is undertaken, but donation may have helped the construction. The members of the group - though not professionals, but - experienced helpers, as in the past four years, the Brazilian church brethren helped építkezésében rooms.
As the team leader with 41 years of pastoral service said they are pleased to have been so far unknown in Hungary, the unusual flat-lying area, Földes, Gábor Veres Chaplain led the congregation members testvérként accepted them. Maradandó Christmas memories are of the Alexander That's where the past and keep values of nature.
-- Péter Imre, civil tudósító- Peter Imre, civil-reporter
Original article can be seen online - click here
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Saturday, August 8
Our team from Highland left for home this morning. I’ve heard good things about their time in Budapest. This is an extremely foggy morning in Sigishoara. The visual would thrill all the “Twilight” fans out there.
Yesterday, Terry wasn’t feeling well so we stayed behind while the Hungarian team had a vey busy day. They painted at a Kindergarten, helped at a health clinic with a visiting medical team from the Northwest USA, and they saw amazing things at a ministry center that is run by Nazarenes not far from hear.
Terry and I were forced to rest in a very comfortable “villa” in the Transylvanian Alps. Work and witness is tough but somebody’s got to do it! I did manage to take pictures of every interesting view I could find in the city. Everywhere you look there is a potentially great picture.
We did eat at the café in the Veritas center that is run by the woman who owns the home were we are staying. Their building is labeled “House On The Rock” and it is home to many compassionate ministries. You can also do Master’s level work in Romanian studies. It is a great place for a college student to study abroad.
Today we will revisit the village where we went on Thursday and complete the painting at the Kindergarten. We will also visit another potential church plant. Communism has crippled this country and there are urgent ministry needs everywhere.
We may have to leave for Budapest right after I preach on Sunday. John Moore and Dave Freeman are having trouble getting their Hungarian visas for the next year. Pray that this situation will work out positively. I’ll talk to you later!
Pastor John
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS
Yesterday, Terry wasn’t feeling well so we stayed behind while the Hungarian team had a vey busy day. They painted at a Kindergarten, helped at a health clinic with a visiting medical team from the Northwest USA, and they saw amazing things at a ministry center that is run by Nazarenes not far from hear.
Terry and I were forced to rest in a very comfortable “villa” in the Transylvanian Alps. Work and witness is tough but somebody’s got to do it! I did manage to take pictures of every interesting view I could find in the city. Everywhere you look there is a potentially great picture.
We did eat at the café in the Veritas center that is run by the woman who owns the home were we are staying. Their building is labeled “House On The Rock” and it is home to many compassionate ministries. You can also do Master’s level work in Romanian studies. It is a great place for a college student to study abroad.
Today we will revisit the village where we went on Thursday and complete the painting at the Kindergarten. We will also visit another potential church plant. Communism has crippled this country and there are urgent ministry needs everywhere.
We may have to leave for Budapest right after I preach on Sunday. John Moore and Dave Freeman are having trouble getting their Hungarian visas for the next year. Pray that this situation will work out positively. I’ll talk to you later!
Pastor John
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS
Friday, August 7, 2009
More pics from Pastor John
A few more pics have been added at the end of the photo gallery.
Be sure and scroll to the end to see the new ones!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PHOTOS
Be sure and scroll to the end to see the new ones!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PHOTOS
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thursday, August 6
This is our second day in Sigishoara, a walled city in the Transylvania region of Romania. This city was founded by Germans in 1191 at the invitation of the Hungarian king. We are all staying at a house inside the walled city that was build 101 years ago.
Today we journeyed southeast to a small village in the woods where some ethnic Hungarians and Romanians have recent become believers. Our team played games, told stories, sang songs, and gave treats to the children of the area.
We had to climb a hill to find a spot clear and flat enough to play games. This village is a ready made church with people eager to know more about Jesus. Pray that God raise up leaders from the Hungarian District who will meet this immediate need!
Tonight, we walked three blocks to an ornate concert hall to hear classical music. That was a work and witness first for me. What a contrast for a day! It was high culture tonight on the same day that I visited in the in the humble home of new eager believers.
God is doing some amazing things here and I’m so thrilled to get to see it! We’ll talk again tomorrow!
Pastor John
Today we journeyed southeast to a small village in the woods where some ethnic Hungarians and Romanians have recent become believers. Our team played games, told stories, sang songs, and gave treats to the children of the area.
We had to climb a hill to find a spot clear and flat enough to play games. This village is a ready made church with people eager to know more about Jesus. Pray that God raise up leaders from the Hungarian District who will meet this immediate need!
Tonight, we walked three blocks to an ornate concert hall to hear classical music. That was a work and witness first for me. What a contrast for a day! It was high culture tonight on the same day that I visited in the in the humble home of new eager believers.
God is doing some amazing things here and I’m so thrilled to get to see it! We’ll talk again tomorrow!
Pastor John
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