January Update

Happy new year everyone! I hope you are ready for another year. I know I am. These past two months have really flown by. I last wrote before my trip home for Christmas, and so much has happened since then. I really hope I can fit it all in here. First, for those of you whom I was unable to see before I returned to Eger, I am really sorry. I tried to make sure I had enough time for everyone, but things got crazy and I ran out of time. While I can't meet with you now, I will be more then happy to set up a phone call with anyone who wants one. I just need to know some times and a phone number and I will let you know when I can make it. Also, next year, I will begin scheduling time for people much earlier so as to avoid this happening again.

The trip home was a real blessing. It was encouraging to see the few people I did and hear how God is moving in so many new ways. I was even able to meet my awesome new nephew; Ashley James Evans (or AJ for short.) He is definitely a keeper. I think he took a liking to me too. Every time he saw me, he smiled. Well, he either liked me or he was pooping every time he saw me. I prefer to think the first option is the right one. While great, the trip was over all too soon and now I am back on the battlefield, working for the Lord. It is a little sad to be so far from my friends and family, but I am truly enjoying the work here in Eger.

One sad thing is I returned to find my bike vandalized and broken. Nick and I think someone tried to steal it and kicked it a few times when they couldn't. It didn't cost me too much to repair it but it was still a little discouraging. Also, I was “blessed” with a bad cold two days before I left, so arriving in Eger was a very painful experience. I am ok now though and I am back to full health again. Also, winter has definitely come back with a vengeance this past week. I saw my first snow fall, (while helping someone move into a new apartment,) and I felt like a kid because of how excited it made me feel. It's absolutely beautiful when it snows here. Everything looks so nice and clean. I have to admit though, with the snow comes a lot of problems like wet clothes, cold houses, and higher gas bills. This I could do without.

While I was in the States, some great things have happened here in Eger. For one, our translator's brother, Jani, has had a “conversion experience” as he calls it. Since then, he is excited about church, God, and the Word. Before, we could barely convince him to come to church at all, but now he is here every Sunday and has even begun singing with the worship team. It's great news for me because him and I both have a history in the performing arts and he was really excited about the fact that I used to perform in musicals. I think this will be a great chance for me to disciple him and help him in his first steps as a born-again be-liever. Also, it is a blessing for me to have a native speaking singer now on the team to help me with my pronunciation and with learning new songs.

Some other good news is that the church has remained strong and continues to grow. We now have more older ladies and some more men attending the services. We have a new young couple that have just started to attend and seem to enjoy the fellowship. We also have a new guy in the church, (also named Jani,) who is an avid outdoors enthusiast and has been taking Nick and I on some serious mountain bike rides. He is really excited about the church and constantly wants to spend time with us. It's awesome to see someone so excited about the Lord, not to mention a specific answer to my previous prayer requests for more guys in the church. Lastly, this weekend, we will have our church retreat and we are over-booked! We only have space for 25 people and 28 are coming! The church is really excited about spending time together and hanging out. God has truly blessed us with a great fellowship and a blessed body of believers.

So this next year is off to a great start and I can't wait to see all that God has planned for it. I hope I can make more regular updates soon and keep you all informed with what is going on. If you have questions or concerns, don't hesitate to write and let me know. I may not be able to answer or respond right away, but I would really like to keep in contact with you all.

Oh, and one last thing. San Jose has agreed to continue handling my support, so for those of you who are interested in either continuing or beginning to support the work out here in Eger, please send any checks to the address listed on the back page. I really appreciate all of you who are a part of this ministry with me, in what ever capacity, and I pray God blesses and rewards you according to your faithfulness. Until next time, God bless!