Comin' Home

Mark and Cathy Jensen and I arrived home to Wisconsin late last night. Our "transit" was uneventful (other than some "confiscated goods" in the Amsterdam Airport ... ask me to tell the story!!). Joyce met us at the airport and transported us to Menomonie.

Honestly, we are all a little "road weary" ... but certainly not feeling like the guy in front of the National Theater in Budapest. We're holding our heads much higher!

Again, this was an incredible trip and we were able to accomplish a lot ... and much of what we did was directly related to all of your thoughts, prayers and encouragements. Without those, we truly feel like our efforts would have been significantly diminished. Thank you so much!!

So, we're on to "decompress" and make plans for whatever comes "next." Stay tuned to the blog, and check the web album link for more pictures and video.

Givin' It Up!

The last couple days have been filled with work on the Mozi Ministry Center by day and visits with great friends by evening. Rise and shine is around 6 to 6:30 AM, breakfast and morning devos are finished around 8:oo and work starts. We've done a variety of jobs, with the primary focus on the reconstruction of the kitchen.

Today (Wednesday) the team "tithed" their efforts to another missionary family who is renovating an apartment in the center of the city. John and Jofi Wilson are working to plant a church, and have purchased an apartment. Along with the help of some friends, they've done a significant amount of demolition. Our job was to haul over 100 - 50 # bags of debris down 7 flight of stairs. We figured that each person made 10 trips up and down, nearly filling a dumpster with debris.

So, whether we are laying tile, carrying debris or praying on the sidewalk, it is truly our joy to love God together, and serve Him by serving our brothers and sisters as they carry out ministry in this great city.

Thanks so much for your thoughts, prayers and encouragements during our time here. We sense the light of Christ shining through us.

Worship with the Nations!

Today (Sunday) started out with the team praying over this area of Budapest (Kelenfold) from the roof of the Olimpia Mozi Ministry Center. Standing there, you can rotate 360 degrees and see row upon row of communist style apartment buildings, housing over 100,000 people ... and all within a couple kilometers from where we stood. Keeping this in mind, along with the new metro line ending just below the entrance to the Mozi prompted us to pray for laborers for the harvest field and for the gospel to penetrate the lives of the people who live here.

Then it was our privilege to worship together with the KeGy church at the ministry center. We sang songs in Hungarian (well, we tried) and English, and heard a message from pastor Mate'. We listened to a simultaneous translation on wireless fm receivers (hearing for the "old guys!")

The next "stop" was the train station to buy tickets for public transportation around Budapest.

We rode to the base of the castle hill and then climbed up for a beautiful view of the Danube and the Pest side of the city.

Of course, a "touring trip" would not be complete without trying on a couple of Russian army hats.

It was a great "low key" day ... praying, worshiping, and enjoying one-another's company. Tomorrow we'll be hitting it hard ... and probably into the night, as we begin to put the kitchenette together.