Our Email Update - May

Dear Friends:

We have big news to share with you--John has been accepted into Wheaton's M. A. program in Evangelism and Leadership on a full-ride scholarship!! Even better, it is a program specifically tailored for people in full-time ministry, allowing him to take classes while we are back in the U.S. on home ministry assignment while completing the other courses from Hungary. Here is what this program will mean for our family and ministry over the next year.

Summer/Fall of 2009

With the exception of a few extra trips to the swimming pool (summer started really early this year!), the only major adjustment we might need to make to our summer plans has to do with the church we attend. The pastor and elder board approached John about stepping-in as the interim pastor for a couple months while the normal Hungarian pastor is on a short sabbatical. We need to make a decision this week, so we would appreciate your prayers regarding whether this is something he should take on.

Then later this fall, John will spend his evenings reading and doing advanced coursework while preparing to fly back for an intense two weeks of classes in Wheaton at the end of October.

Home Ministry Assignment

It is hard to believe that we have been in Hungary almost three years already! Time has flown by and we are due for our first home ministry assignment (furlough), so we are planning on flying back to the U.S. for six months, starting around Christmas-time and lasting until summer 2010. Because of John's classes, we will be based in Wheaton, but will also use this time to visit family, friends, supporters, and give reports to our supporting churches. And after forty years in the desert, John will accept any/all invitations to go golfing! :-)

This will be our first furlough--something that is both exciting but also scary when we think through the logistics. We are hoping to find a finished basement in Wheaton that we can rent out, as well as to buy a cheap, reliable used car. Please join us in prayer about our furlough and if you have any creative ideas, we would love to hear them.

With our love,

John & Zsofi