Evangéliumi Hírnök, 1996 (88. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1996-01-01 / 1. szám
8. oldal imntWrndj 1996. január The Hunter’s Newsletter (excerpts) ... It is by His grace that we serve Him, sometimes close to the Croatian border, sometimes close to the Ukrainian border, but mostly within the Northern M ission District of Hungary. In Hungary there are still more than 21 church/mission circuits without a pastor. In these circuits there are usually 3-4 preaching points. We have had quite a few troubles concerning cars and other things recently. In November 1992 our new Volkswagen was stolen. In September 1993 driving our Peugeot, we ran into a van standing still on the highway. The Peugeot was totaled as a result of the crash, and we also both broke our left wrists. Then we spent two months in Los Angeles, and through the Lord’s grace lived through the 1994 January 17th earthquake, which was an experience that really shook us up! In spite of that, it was a very blessed two months, when we experienced the love and hospitality of our Californian brethren. Before our accident and our departure for the United States, Martha had gall stone surgery. When we returned in 1994 many new responsibilities awaited us. Of the eight church mission circuits in the Northern district, 4 were without a pastor, 22 preaching points in all. We endeavored to at least serve the Lord’s supper regularly in the Miskolc and Ózd areas. There were Sundays when we held funeral services, followed by four church services with Lord’s Supper. One month after we returned from California, we received the disturbing news that our son Frank suffered kidney failure in both kidneys. He now requires kidney dialyses three times a week. We thought that it would be necessary at least for Martha to return to the US, but felt very reassured when Frank told us to remain in our place of service, since we could not do more to help than the Lord Himself. Every Monday in Mezőkövesd we lead Bible studies, and it was our great joy to help an 18 year old young woman to know the Lord, and to watch her be baptized in the Baptist church in Szomolya. We are confident the Lord will also help others we are working with to faith in Him. Please pray for our work in these Bible Studies. It was a special blessing from God that during June John was able to baptize 11 people in the Miskolc Baptist Church. Even though this church had no pastor, through the Lord’s grace the congregation worked diligently, it’s members witnessed of their faith, the teachers taught and the Lord blessed the work with fruit. Soli Deo Gloria. During Christmas week of 1994, we again experienced an accident as our car slid on the icy road into the opposite lane of traffic. The car was quite damaged, but the Lord protected us both from harm, and we received another car from our missionary colleagues to continue the work. On Good Friday of 1995 there was beautiful sunshine in Mezőkövesd, but there was a snowstorm in the Bukk mountains. Our car slid in the storm, and crashed into a railing, but the Lord kept us from harm. With grateful hearts we said: “Look how He loves us!” The car has been repaired and we are using it again for His service. We again received bad news from the States that John’s 84 year old mother broke her hip in a fall, and was in need of being placed in a care facility. John traveled home to the US, and after much prayer was able to place his mother in a home facility directed by a Hungarian believer, where she feels very much at home, and feels the care of the believers, and the protection of God. In 1995 we traveled quite a lot... John had a blessed time this summer in Hargita Hungarian Baptist pastors and Tran - sylvanian Hungarian Baptist pastors gathered together for a conference. This was the first time John had traveled so far into Transylvania, and he was able to serve in several places in the Kolozsvár (Cluj) area. Prayer Requests: Our two 3 year terms of service are slowly drawing to a close, and we plan to return to California to retire in fall or winter of 1996, where our three children and John 's mother are eagerly awaiting our arrival. We ask you to pray for us in the following matters: In Bekolce we are building a simple church building. We thank the Southern Baptist Convention and the American Hungarian Baptist Union for their help. The church building is roofed in, but we still need some financial help to finish the project Pray for us and our son Frank that he would receive a kidney transplant soon. Pray for spiritual revival in Hungary, and for the renewal of the churches. Your fellow workers in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, John and Martha Elmer Muncsán One of our own old timers has returned to the land of his forefathers to teach lay young people the English language. Elmer Muncsán, from Allen Park, Michigan was a long time member of our Hungarian Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. Elmer volunteered his skills to the Lord and to The International Baptist Lay Academy. He went to Szigetszentmiklos, Hungary to teach young people from Central and Eastern Europe to speak the English language and prepare them for Christian service within their own countries. Elmer Muncsan with the students of the IBLA at Szigetszentmiklos This is not Elmer’s first tour as a missionary, He had before gone to Haiti where he had helped a struggling Baptist Church to train teachers, build a summer kitchen, dig a well and to do other things that needed to be done around a rural church. Elmer recently said, “Just think. Who would have thought that at age 70 1 would be starting a new career”. This however pays no earthly wages. Elmer had paid all of his own expenses. The rewards for service to Christ however surpasses any and all monetary gain here on earth. We commend Elmer Muncsán for choosing one more fonn of service in helping to build God’s kingdom in such a unique way. We wish Gods rich - est blessings upon his every endeavor. Ernest J. Kish
