Nate saw Elmo from the car window and shouted hello to him - so Elmo came over to say hi.
There is perhaps nothing more disenchanting than seeing Elmo standing on the side of the road counting his wad of cash!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Only In Hollywood
Nate's latest interest is Star Wars, ever since he saw Darth Vader sword fighting with some Jedi masters at Disneyland. So he was excited to take meet Darth Vader on Hollywood Blvd.
Nate saw Elmo from the car window and shouted hello to him - so Elmo came over to say hi.
There is perhaps nothing more disenchanting than seeing Elmo standing on the side of the road counting his wad of cash!
Nate saw Elmo from the car window and shouted hello to him - so Elmo came over to say hi.
There is perhaps nothing more disenchanting than seeing Elmo standing on the side of the road counting his wad of cash!
Simply Christian
I am currently studying the Reformation in my seminary studies, and the other day I read this quote from Martin Luther:
"I ask that men make no reference to my name; let them call themselves Christians, not Lutherans. What is Luther? After all the teaching is not mine [John 7: 16]. Neither was I crucified for anyone [1 Corinthians 1: 13]. St Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3, would not allow the Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I – poor stinking maggot-fodder that I am – come to have men call the children of Christ by my wretched name? Not so, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names and call ourselves Christians, after him whose teaching we hold." (LW 45: 70–1)
Amen to that Dr. Luther.
"I ask that men make no reference to my name; let them call themselves Christians, not Lutherans. What is Luther? After all the teaching is not mine [John 7: 16]. Neither was I crucified for anyone [1 Corinthians 1: 13]. St Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3, would not allow the Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I – poor stinking maggot-fodder that I am – come to have men call the children of Christ by my wretched name? Not so, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names and call ourselves Christians, after him whose teaching we hold." (LW 45: 70–1)
Amen to that Dr. Luther.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Golgota Eger Video
The church in Eger made this video for us, and played it after church our last Sunday in Eger. It is made up of pictures from the almost 7 years that we lived in Eger. Check it out:
Az egri gyüli készítette ezt a videót, és lejátszották gyüli után az Istentisztelet után amikor elbúcsúztunk tőlük. Fényképekből áll, amik az elmúlt 7 év alatt készültek.
Az egri gyüli készítette ezt a videót, és lejátszották gyüli után az Istentisztelet után amikor elbúcsúztunk tőlük. Fényképekből áll, amik az elmúlt 7 év alatt készültek.
Golgota Eger from Nick Cady on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Ending Where We Started
Monday night as we packed our bags to fly out early Tuesday mornin and leave our beloved Eger, we ate dinner with the Poczok family - a family who attend our church and live very close to where we did.
It was a very fitting way to end our time in Eger, because it was at there house that we started out when we first started coming to Eger.
Before we moved to Eger, for about a year or so, we took te train up from Debrecen to meet with some people and hold Bible studies. But since we weren't yet married at the time, Rosemary and I had to find separate places to sleep. I always used to sleep at the house of a family from the Baptist church and Rosemary would stay with the Poczok family.
Their daughter Judit was the first person in the church in Eger, and we spent a lot of time with their family over the years. Kati néni was always ready to help us no matter what we needed. She cooked for us, she watched our kids and played with them, and generally just loved us, and we loved her.
Sitting in their house 8 years after we first started coming to Eger, on our last night in Hungary was surreal, but a very fitting end to a very blessed era of our lives.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Búcsú Üzenet
Üdv Amerikából!
Hétfőn, mielőtt elindultunk, lehetőségem volt az áhítatot tartani az Irányjelző (határontúl: Pestindex) című műsorban a Golgota Rádión.
A Németh Laci arra kért, hogy egy búcsú üzenetet mondjam a magyar keresztényeknek mint egy leköszönő misszionárius és lelkipásztor aki 10 évig szolgált Magyarországon.
Ez az az üzenet:
Hétfőn, mielőtt elindultunk, lehetőségem volt az áhítatot tartani az Irányjelző (határontúl: Pestindex) című műsorban a Golgota Rádión.
A Németh Laci arra kért, hogy egy búcsú üzenetet mondjam a magyar keresztényeknek mint egy leköszönő misszionárius és lelkipásztor aki 10 évig szolgált Magyarországon.
Ez az az üzenet:
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Theological Statements by Nate
Looking up at the sky the other night, Nate tells me:
"The moon is in the sky. That means that all the people in heaven are sleeping."
"God is so big, so he always has to sleep outside."
"The moon is in the sky. That means that all the people in heaven are sleeping."
"God is so big, so he always has to sleep outside."
For Sale: Dobó István Laktanya
Do you happen to be in the market for a used Hungarian army base? Because there is one for sale in Eger.
Eger used to have a pretty large military community. When we moved to Eger in 2005 the army base was functioning and full of soldiers, and since we lived near to it, we often got to watch the army marching band march and play on our street right in front of our house. We loved it so much. Even a member of our church here was a soldier stationed at this base.
But times change. Hungary has no need for a large army, which is a good thing, and the military has been cut back in the national budget.
But seeing a military base with a for sale sign on it is a strange sight nonetheless.
Eger used to have a pretty large military community. When we moved to Eger in 2005 the army base was functioning and full of soldiers, and since we lived near to it, we often got to watch the army marching band march and play on our street right in front of our house. We loved it so much. Even a member of our church here was a soldier stationed at this base.
But times change. Hungary has no need for a large army, which is a good thing, and the military has been cut back in the national budget.
But seeing a military base with a for sale sign on it is a strange sight nonetheless.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Moving Day
Today was moving day!
Early this morning we started the day with packing up some of the kids toys which they didn't want to be put into the container, then I took Nate to óvoda, and by the time I got back home the movers were here.
The truck in front of our house in Eger - ours is the top floor.
Isaac was a big help today. While we ran around and packed he played "dolly house" for hours with Felicia :)
Nate had a great time with the movers. He followed them around talking to them in Hungarian, trying to help them as much as he could. It was cute. He loves tools and big projects.
He is sad about leaving and doesn't like saying farewell, but he is excited about going to Colorado.
We still have a few days left here in Eger, but without any furniture or dishes we are having fun camping out in our empty apartment.
Early this morning we started the day with packing up some of the kids toys which they didn't want to be put into the container, then I took Nate to óvoda, and by the time I got back home the movers were here.
The truck in front of our house in Eger - ours is the top floor.
Isaac was a big help today. While we ran around and packed he played "dolly house" for hours with Felicia :)
Nate had a great time with the movers. He followed them around talking to them in Hungarian, trying to help them as much as he could. It was cute. He loves tools and big projects.
He is sad about leaving and doesn't like saying farewell, but he is excited about going to Colorado.
We still have a few days left here in Eger, but without any furniture or dishes we are having fun camping out in our empty apartment.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Packing Our Bags
Tomorrow is moving day!
We weighed our options and decided to go with an international relocation service that some friends of ours used when they moved back to the States from Debrecen. It's not cheap, but since we don't plan on moving continents again for a long while, we decided that it is worth it. The kids get to keep all of their toys and even their furniture, which we trust will make the transition easier on them and give them a sense of continuity in their lives.
And one of the biggest benefits is that we don't have to pack ANYTHING except what we take with us on the plane - in fact, we are not even ALLOWED to pack anything because the customs require details lists, and the company told us we are not allowed to pack any of our own stuff - we have to let them do it all. We can watch. We are totally ok with that :)
People keep asking us how the packing is going, and the truth is that it is not - we have just been living life as usual except for selling a few things. It has taken a huge stress off of the move and made it possible for us to just focus on our family and the church here.
Today we told the kids to pack their carry on luggage for the plane. Here are some pictures and a video:
We weighed our options and decided to go with an international relocation service that some friends of ours used when they moved back to the States from Debrecen. It's not cheap, but since we don't plan on moving continents again for a long while, we decided that it is worth it. The kids get to keep all of their toys and even their furniture, which we trust will make the transition easier on them and give them a sense of continuity in their lives.
And one of the biggest benefits is that we don't have to pack ANYTHING except what we take with us on the plane - in fact, we are not even ALLOWED to pack anything because the customs require details lists, and the company told us we are not allowed to pack any of our own stuff - we have to let them do it all. We can watch. We are totally ok with that :)
People keep asking us how the packing is going, and the truth is that it is not - we have just been living life as usual except for selling a few things. It has taken a huge stress off of the move and made it possible for us to just focus on our family and the church here.
Today we told the kids to pack their carry on luggage for the plane. Here are some pictures and a video:
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A Word of Advice for Missionaries
This past Friday I was invited to give a lecture at the Eszterházy Károly Főiskola - the local college here in Eger - on the topic of how I, as a foreigner, see Hungary, Hungarians and Hungarian culture.
It was a really great experience; the lecture went well, and the reaction I got from the students was a pleasant surprise. I got to tell them about the Lord quite a bit and tell them why I came to Hungary: because, above all, I believe that the ultimate need of the Hungarian people is that they would be born again and come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. After I said this, 3 people thanked me out loud for coming to Hungary and serving them and their nation. All I could do was give glory to God.
There were 100 or more people who attended the lecture, some of whom I had met before at the college and in town. One woman said that she has multiple friends who attend our church, and that she thinks very highly of us.
Another comment I got at the end of the lecture was from an older woman who thanked me with tears in her eyes, and said that she had never heard a foreigner say so many positive things about Hungary.
Actually, not everything I said in the lecture about Hungary was positive, but I made sure to make it balanced and make my critiques respectfully.
One thing I have learned over the 10 years that I have been here - and something I would say as advice for anyone who wants to be a missionary in another country is this: If you often talk negatively about the culture or the country you are serving in, you are shooting yourself in the foot (magad alatt vágod a fát). If you are always deriding the culture or the country you are serving in, you will limit yourself from being heard. If you offend people by sharing your opinions about their home country without discretion, you will end up alienated and alone - with other ex-patriots as your main companions.
I have seen this happen before. Someone comes from abroad, assuming that the way things are done in their country is the right way - and when they encounter something different in the foreign culture they automatically judge it as inferior to the way things work where they are from.
If it would stop there it might not be such a big problem - but when they start talking about it, even if they don't realize it, they wind up offending local people - who understandably think to themselves (and often say amongst themselves): "We didn't ask you to come here. YOU chose to come here. If you don't like it, no one is making you stay. Go ahead and leave!"
The thing in Hungary - and I'm sure it is true elsewhere - is that Hungarian people themselves say a lot of negative things about their own culture and nation; but foreigners should understand that this doesn't mean that they too are entitled to criticize the country and its culture. Kind of like in a family - I can say whatever negative things I want about my family, because they are MY family - but YOU better not say anything bad about them, or else!
And for someone who comes to serve as a missionary, this should be emphasized all the more. Because our calling is to become all things to all people, so that some might be saved (1.Cor 9:19-23)
I know that I made this mistake at times during my time in Hungary - and that is all the more reason why I think this is advice that people who feel called to foreign missions need to hear: if you are not careful to use discretion in what you say about their nation or culture, you will offend people and you will limit yourself from being heard when it comes to talking about the Gospel.
Missionaries should be people who cross cultures for the sake of the Gospel and engage cultures with the Gospel. Culture is central to what we do. We should be sensitive to the people we go to serve - becoming all things to all people, so that by all means possible some might be saved.
It was a really great experience; the lecture went well, and the reaction I got from the students was a pleasant surprise. I got to tell them about the Lord quite a bit and tell them why I came to Hungary: because, above all, I believe that the ultimate need of the Hungarian people is that they would be born again and come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. After I said this, 3 people thanked me out loud for coming to Hungary and serving them and their nation. All I could do was give glory to God.
There were 100 or more people who attended the lecture, some of whom I had met before at the college and in town. One woman said that she has multiple friends who attend our church, and that she thinks very highly of us.
Another comment I got at the end of the lecture was from an older woman who thanked me with tears in her eyes, and said that she had never heard a foreigner say so many positive things about Hungary.
Actually, not everything I said in the lecture about Hungary was positive, but I made sure to make it balanced and make my critiques respectfully.
One thing I have learned over the 10 years that I have been here - and something I would say as advice for anyone who wants to be a missionary in another country is this: If you often talk negatively about the culture or the country you are serving in, you are shooting yourself in the foot (magad alatt vágod a fát). If you are always deriding the culture or the country you are serving in, you will limit yourself from being heard. If you offend people by sharing your opinions about their home country without discretion, you will end up alienated and alone - with other ex-patriots as your main companions.
I have seen this happen before. Someone comes from abroad, assuming that the way things are done in their country is the right way - and when they encounter something different in the foreign culture they automatically judge it as inferior to the way things work where they are from.
If it would stop there it might not be such a big problem - but when they start talking about it, even if they don't realize it, they wind up offending local people - who understandably think to themselves (and often say amongst themselves): "We didn't ask you to come here. YOU chose to come here. If you don't like it, no one is making you stay. Go ahead and leave!"
The thing in Hungary - and I'm sure it is true elsewhere - is that Hungarian people themselves say a lot of negative things about their own culture and nation; but foreigners should understand that this doesn't mean that they too are entitled to criticize the country and its culture. Kind of like in a family - I can say whatever negative things I want about my family, because they are MY family - but YOU better not say anything bad about them, or else!
And for someone who comes to serve as a missionary, this should be emphasized all the more. Because our calling is to become all things to all people, so that some might be saved (1.Cor 9:19-23)
I know that I made this mistake at times during my time in Hungary - and that is all the more reason why I think this is advice that people who feel called to foreign missions need to hear: if you are not careful to use discretion in what you say about their nation or culture, you will offend people and you will limit yourself from being heard when it comes to talking about the Gospel.
Missionaries should be people who cross cultures for the sake of the Gospel and engage cultures with the Gospel. Culture is central to what we do. We should be sensitive to the people we go to serve - becoming all things to all people, so that by all means possible some might be saved.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Counting Down our Days in Eger
As of today, we have one more week here in Eger before we fly out.
Things are never going to be the same :)
We have loved living in Eger. It is a great place to live, and God has blessed us so much here.
This past weekend we had a very nice visit from Németh Laci and his family from Budapest. Laci is the pastor of the Calvary Chapel in South Budapest (Golgota Dél-Pest).
We went to the Eger Castle with them - one of Nate's favorite places. They even have a playground up on top.
I remember going up to this castle back in 2003 with my pastor to pray over the city of Eger, as we sought God's will about planting a church in the city.
When we first moved to Eger we spent a lot of time at the castle, but for the last few years we haven't gone there very often.
I guess its pretty easy to take it for granted that there is a thousand year old castle in the center of town when you see it every day for 7 years :)
There are no Rocky Mountains in Hungary - and there are no medieval castles in Colorado. C'est la vie :)
Here are some pictures:
Things are never going to be the same :)
We have loved living in Eger. It is a great place to live, and God has blessed us so much here.
This past weekend we had a very nice visit from Németh Laci and his family from Budapest. Laci is the pastor of the Calvary Chapel in South Budapest (Golgota Dél-Pest).
We went to the Eger Castle with them - one of Nate's favorite places. They even have a playground up on top.
I remember going up to this castle back in 2003 with my pastor to pray over the city of Eger, as we sought God's will about planting a church in the city.
When we first moved to Eger we spent a lot of time at the castle, but for the last few years we haven't gone there very often.
I guess its pretty easy to take it for granted that there is a thousand year old castle in the center of town when you see it every day for 7 years :)
There are no Rocky Mountains in Hungary - and there are no medieval castles in Colorado. C'est la vie :)
Here are some pictures:
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saying Goodbye
These past few weeks since we announced that we are leaving Hungary and moving to Colorado have been filled with a lot of emotional goodbyes. Even people we don't meet with that often, saying goodbye is hard, because we have memories with them, and we don't know when we will meet again.
The first big goodbyes were in Debrecen, where they had a going away party for us. We really love those people, and even though we left Debrecen 7 years ago, we have been able to keep in touch and visit pretty often.
The Calvary Chapel in Debrecen is a blessed ministry that is really characterized by good fruit. If you look at the fruit of that ministry you can see that truly the Spirit of God is at work there, drawing people to Jesus and building them up in their most holy faith. As I told the church there - I came to Debrecen as a kid, and left as a pastor :).
This past weekend we went to Baja to see our friends Csicsó and Detti. Csicsó pastors the Calvary Chapel in Baja and has a great heart for the people. It was good to see good fruit coming out of that fellowship as well. I got to preach there on Thursday night - which very well might be the last time for me preaching in Hungarian for some time... I really enjoy preaching in the rich Hungarian language, and it is something I will miss.
On Saturday, when we got back from Baja, we said goodbye to our dear friend Judit - the first person who got saved through our ministry in Eger. She was the first person in the church, and God used her gift of evangelism to bring many others as well. Her whole family has been in our church, and we are going to miss them a lot. Judit has been living in England for the last few years, but she came home in part to say goodbye to us.
Yesterday we went up to Budapest to say goodbye to some friends there. We said goodbye to our dear friend Ocean, whom we've known since our time in Debrecen. He used to live in the church building there and even supported us financially from his meager salary to travel up to Eger when we started the Bible studies here in 2004.
We then went to the Budapest Calvary Chapel, and Pastor Phil prayed for us at both services. It is great to be a part of the work that God is doing through Calvary Chapel in Hungary, and we hope to continue to be involved in it in some capacity even from the States.
We still have a few more goodbyes to say before we go. They are not easy, but we are thankful that God has given us so many close friendships and such deep fellowship with people here.
The first big goodbyes were in Debrecen, where they had a going away party for us. We really love those people, and even though we left Debrecen 7 years ago, we have been able to keep in touch and visit pretty often.
The Calvary Chapel in Debrecen is a blessed ministry that is really characterized by good fruit. If you look at the fruit of that ministry you can see that truly the Spirit of God is at work there, drawing people to Jesus and building them up in their most holy faith. As I told the church there - I came to Debrecen as a kid, and left as a pastor :).
This past weekend we went to Baja to see our friends Csicsó and Detti. Csicsó pastors the Calvary Chapel in Baja and has a great heart for the people. It was good to see good fruit coming out of that fellowship as well. I got to preach there on Thursday night - which very well might be the last time for me preaching in Hungarian for some time... I really enjoy preaching in the rich Hungarian language, and it is something I will miss.
On Saturday, when we got back from Baja, we said goodbye to our dear friend Judit - the first person who got saved through our ministry in Eger. She was the first person in the church, and God used her gift of evangelism to bring many others as well. Her whole family has been in our church, and we are going to miss them a lot. Judit has been living in England for the last few years, but she came home in part to say goodbye to us.
Yesterday we went up to Budapest to say goodbye to some friends there. We said goodbye to our dear friend Ocean, whom we've known since our time in Debrecen. He used to live in the church building there and even supported us financially from his meager salary to travel up to Eger when we started the Bible studies here in 2004.
We then went to the Budapest Calvary Chapel, and Pastor Phil prayed for us at both services. It is great to be a part of the work that God is doing through Calvary Chapel in Hungary, and we hope to continue to be involved in it in some capacity even from the States.
We still have a few more goodbyes to say before we go. They are not easy, but we are thankful that God has given us so many close friendships and such deep fellowship with people here.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Religious Toleration
From Timothy Keller:
Theological tolerance of all religions is absolutely impossible for anybody.
If you say: "You mustn't try to convert people to your religion," as if your religion is superior, what you are really saying is: "I want you to abandon your inferior view of religious truth and take my superior view".
You are essentially saying that your view of religious truth (that all religious truths are relative) is superior to my view of religious truth (that some religious truths are absolute).
You are doing the very thing you say that I shouldn't do.
Everyone has faith commitments. Believing that someone else's faith is wrong is itself a faith commitment.
You are saying - "My view of religion is superior to your view of religion".
Therefore, to say that all religions are relative is a faith commitment - that is a religion, and it is now vying with the other ones, AND is vying for superiority.
To say that you can't judge between religions is to judge between religions. To say that you can't determine between right and wrong beliefs is to determine right and wrong beliefs.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Farsang 2012 - Updated
Farsang is the Hungarian version of Carnival or Mardi Gras, and for kids it is a great time of dressing up and having a party - kind of like Halloween in America, just without all the candy and threatening neighbors that you will play a trick on them if they don't give you a treat.
Nate loves Farsang, and last year he had a great time at his óvoda performance. This year parents were not invited, but the kids still had a party at school.
Nate dressed up as Lightning McQueen, and Rosemary did a great job fixing him up with some face paint.
Here are some pictures the teachers took at óvoda - they had a full Hungarian folk band!
Nate loves Farsang, and last year he had a great time at his óvoda performance. This year parents were not invited, but the kids still had a party at school.
Nate dressed up as Lightning McQueen, and Rosemary did a great job fixing him up with some face paint.
Here are some pictures the teachers took at óvoda - they had a full Hungarian folk band!
Ballet at the Opera House
As we are getting closer to the day when we will leave Hungary, we have a list of things to do before we leave.
For years I have been promising to take Rosemary to a ballet. Realizing that time is running out, and also because Rosemary's birthday is on Thursday, I finally took her to the ballet last night in Budapest.
The national ballet performs in the Hungarian State Opera House - a building that I have always wanted to see.
It was a great experience. Here are some pictures:
For years I have been promising to take Rosemary to a ballet. Realizing that time is running out, and also because Rosemary's birthday is on Thursday, I finally took her to the ballet last night in Budapest.
The national ballet performs in the Hungarian State Opera House - a building that I have always wanted to see.
It was a great experience. Here are some pictures:
Monday, February 13, 2012
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Originally uploaded by nickandrosemary
I took this photo in Český Krumlov, Czech Republic quite a few years ago. I always thought it was a good photo and it was even my desktop background for some time, but it never got many views on Flickr - until a couple days ago when someone put it up on their Tumblr.
Since then it has been viewed a lot and been favourited by some. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is viral, but it is cool to see how fast things can spread on the web.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Farewell Dear Dacia
In June 2010 we bought our first new car - a 7 seater Dacia Logan MCV.
Today we said goodbye to our dear car, which we loved very much. It really was a great car. We had hoped to take it with us to the US, but it would have been too complicated.
The car sold very quickly - within only a few days of us putting it up online, and amazingly, we actually got more for it than we had hoped :) God is good, and he keeps using things like this to confirm that our move to Colorado really is His leading.
Farewell Dear Dacia! You will be missed.
Today we said goodbye to our dear car, which we loved very much. It really was a great car. We had hoped to take it with us to the US, but it would have been too complicated.
The car sold very quickly - within only a few days of us putting it up online, and amazingly, we actually got more for it than we had hoped :) God is good, and he keeps using things like this to confirm that our move to Colorado really is His leading.
Farewell Dear Dacia! You will be missed.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Big Day
Yesterday was a pretty significant day in my life for 3 reasons:
On JANUARY 22, 2002 I arrived in Hungary on a train from Germany with the plan that I would stay here for 8 or 9 months. The Lord had other plans, he just wanted to get me here first before showing me what those plans were :-)
On JANUARY 22, 2010 our daughter Felicia was born. She was severely asphyxiated at birth and had to be removed with an emergency c-section. The doctors determined that she had suffered brain damage, and told us to pray for a miracle, because that is what it would take for this little girl to get better, but they told us not to expect that she would ever be 100%. We didn't know if she would survive for hours, much less days, but yesterday, by the grace of God she turned 2 years old, and she TOTALLY healthy. She is smart and cute and ahead of the curve developmentally - a true miracle, all to the glory of God. A testimony to His kindness and grace.
On JANUARY 22, 2012 we ordained Hernádi Jani as a pastor, a fulfillment of the vision that God gave us when we moved to Eger 7 years ago of planting a church and raising up local leaders, and eventually a Hungarian pastor whom we could hand the church over to when the Lord would lead us on to the next place. Jani will take over the church when we move to Colorado in March, and we are excited to see all the good things God will do through this church in the future.
January 22 is a day we will never forget.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Change - Változás
(Magyar verzióért tekerd lejjebb)
There are some pretty significant changes going on right now with our family and ministry that we would like you all to know about.
In March, Rosemary and I and our kids, including Balázs, are moving to Colorado, where I am going to pastor White Fields Community Church in Longmont - where our friend Pete Nelson is currently pastoring.
We will fly out on March 6 to San Diego and spend 2 weeks in Southern California before driving out to Colorado. Our first Sunday at White Fields will be March 25.
I have been serving in Hungary for 10 years now, Rosemary for 13. We love Hungary and the work that God is doing through Calvary Chapel here, and it is very hard for us to leave.
This all may seem sudden to some of you, but it has been in the works for about a year and a half. We have waited until now, because we didn't want to leave until the ministry here was at a place where we could hand it over and until Jani was ready to step in as pastor.
We are not leaving because anything is wrong - in fact things are going really well in our ministry here and in our family, and we are making these changes simply because we believe that this is God's will and direction for our lives and for the churches involved. When we moved to Eger 7 years ago, our vision was to raise up leaders and eventually raise up a Hungarian pastor that we could hand the church over to. We are sad to leave Hungary, but at the same time, we are excited and looking forward to all the God has in store in the future for our family, for the church in Eger and for White Fields church in Longmont.
The ministry of the church here will continue on. God has blessed this church with a lot of committed and gifted people who want to serve the Lord with their lives. English Camp will continue - we already have the dates for it: July 9-14 - and Lord willing, I plan to be here for it this July, hopefully leading a team from White Fields to serve.
We would be happy to answer any questions that you might have!
A közeljövőben néhány jelentős változás történik Egerben - a családunk életében és a szolgálatban egyaránt. Most vasárnap, január 22-én, lelkipásztorrá fogjuk avatni a gyülekezetünk egyik elöljáróját, Hernádi Jánost, és nem sokkal azután ő fogja átvenni tőlem az egri és a hevesi gyülekezetek vezetését.
Márciusban pedig Coloradóba fogunk költözni Rosemaryvel és a gyerekekkel (természetesen Balázst is beleértve), ahol a White Fields Community Church gyülekezetének a lelkipásztora leszek, Longmont városában - ez az a gyülekezet ahol Pete Nelson lelkipásztor barátunk jelenleg szolgál.
Március 6-án indul a gépünk, először San Diego-ba megyünk, és ott leszünk 2 hétig Dél-Kaliforniában mielőtt továbbautózunk Coloradóba. Március 25. lesz az első vasárnapunk a White Fields-ben.
Én most már 10 éve szolgálok Magyarországon, Rosemary pedig 13 éve. Nagyon szeretjük Magyarországot, és szeretjük azt a munkát amit az Úr végez a Golgota által, így nagyon nehéz elmennünk innen.
Lehet, hogy néhányotok számára, ez elég hirtelennek tűnik, pedig már másfél éve folyamatban van. Azért vártunk eddig, mert nem akartunk elmenni, amíg a szolgálat nem volt olyan helyzetben, hogy át tudjuk adni, és amíg Jani nem volt felkészülve hogy fel tudja vállalni a pásztori szolgálatot.
Nem azért megyünk, mert valami baj van; igazából, nagyon jól megy minden a családunkban is meg a gyülekezetben is. Egyszerűen azért megyünk, mert hiszük, hogy ez az Isten akarata és irányítása az életünkre és az érintett gyülekezet számára is. Amikor ide költöztünk Egerbe 7 évvel ezelőtt, az volt a tervünk, hogy alapítsunk egy gyülekezetet és neveljük fel helyi vezetőket, idővel pedig egy lelkipásztort is, akinek majd átadhatjuk a szolgálatot. Ez a vizió beteljesült, és ezért örvendezünk! Szomorú dolog nekünk innen elmenni, de ugyanakkor izgalmas is, és várjuk mind azt a jót, amit az Úr tartogat a mi családunknak, az egri Golgotának és a longmonti White Fields gyülekezetnek.
A gyülekezet szolgálata ugyanúgy folytatódni fog. Az Úr nagyon megáldotta ezt a gyülekezetet sok elkötelezett és tehetséges emberrel, akik az Urat szeretnék szolgálni az életükkel. Az Angol Tábor is ugyanúgy folytatódni fog - az időpont is megvan már: 2012. július 9-14 - és ha az Úr is azt akarja, én is jövök a táborba, remélhetőleg egy szolgáló csapattal a White Fields gyüliből.
Kedves magyar barátaink, nagyon fogtok hiányozni! Továbbra is fogunk imádkozni az itteni misszióért, és vissza fogunk járni amennyit csak tudunk. Kérlek benneteket, hogy szeressétek és támogassátok Janit és Tündét, úgy ahogy minket is szerettetek és támogattatok!
Ha esetleg vannak kérdéseid, szívesen válaszolunk!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Most Popular Posts of 2011
I read somewhere that 2011 was the year in which nothing major happened. I'm not sure that was the case for us - but it was a year characterized by moving forward in what we were already doing. And it was GOOD.
Here are my most popular posts from 2011:
Here are my most popular posts from 2011:
Friday, December 30, 2011
Skiing in Bánkút
Hungary is famous for a lot of things: Music, food, thermal baths, wine, and many other things.
One thing Hungary is not famous for? - Skiing.
I have been snowboarding twice in Hungary - one of them was today, when I took Rosemary, Nate and Felicia to Bánkút ski area in the Bükk mountains, mostly to let Nate try out skiing.
A few years ago I went snowboarding on the highest peak in Hungary, Kékes tető (1014 m/ 3330 ft). It wasn't so great.
I spent the first hour today in Bánkút teaching Nate how to ski, and then I decided to buy a lift ticket and take a few runs myself.
There was actually much more snow there than I expected, considering that it is not far from Eger, and in Eger there is no snow at all.
Nonetheless, I kind of felt like I was snowboarding on frozen grass. There wasn't much of a base, to say the least.
But, there are a few positive things I would have to say about Bánkút:
So, I thought up a few possible slogans for Bánkút:
One thing Hungary is not famous for? - Skiing.
I have been snowboarding twice in Hungary - one of them was today, when I took Rosemary, Nate and Felicia to Bánkút ski area in the Bükk mountains, mostly to let Nate try out skiing.
A few years ago I went snowboarding on the highest peak in Hungary, Kékes tető (1014 m/ 3330 ft). It wasn't so great.
I spent the first hour today in Bánkút teaching Nate how to ski, and then I decided to buy a lift ticket and take a few runs myself.
There was actually much more snow there than I expected, considering that it is not far from Eger, and in Eger there is no snow at all.
Nonetheless, I kind of felt like I was snowboarding on frozen grass. There wasn't much of a base, to say the least.
But, there are a few positive things I would have to say about Bánkút:
- It was CHEAP. I paid 1000 HUF (3.23 EUR) for my lift ticket - which lets me ride the lift 6 times, any time between now and when they close in March (providing that they have snow until then. They could close earlier if there is not enough snow). Also, I was able to rent skis for Nate for 1000 HUF too. That is cheap.
- It was CLOSE to Eger. It was a short 1 hour drive from our house.
- It is a great place to teach people how to ski - especially kids. If you are going to be teaching someone how to ski or snowboard, it makes a lot more sense to go to Bánkút rather than spending a lot more money on gas and lift tickets to go to bigger mountains in Slovakia or Austria, when all you really need to teach them is a minimal amount of snow and some short runs. There is nothing more frustrating than driving a long way to an awesome ski mountain, only to not be able to ski on it because you spend the whole day on the beginners' hill teaching someone the basics.
So, I thought up a few possible slogans for Bánkút:
- "Bánkút: The Most Frozen Grass in Hungary!"
- "Bánkút: Ne válaszd műsípályát - inkább gyere hozzánk és válaszd FŰsípályát!"
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Funny Guy
Nate likes to make people laugh. His main audience is his sister Felicia - who is usually pretty easy to impress and make laugh.
I have been teaching Nate to tell jokes lately. So far, he knows 3:
- "A mushroom walks into a bar and says, 'hello everybody! I'm a fungi (fun guy)!"
- "A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, 'Why the long face?'"
- "What's brown and sticky? ... A stick."
- "A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, 'Why do you have such a long head?'"
- "A crocodile walks into a bar, and the cowtender says, 'Why do you have a long face?'"
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
It's Official
Here is the blog post I wrote a little over 3 years ago, when Balázs moved in with us and we became his foster parents. nickandrosemary.blogspot.com/2008/11/ch-ch-changes
Check it out - it is a blast from the past and worth the read.
This August we began the process of adopting Balázs. We didn't tell many people about it, because we weren't sure if it would be possible, as adoption can be a complicated and sometimes long and difficult legal process.
This Monday we got the papers in the mail that our adoption of Balázs has been approved and finalized. It's official; Balázs is now our son!
Why now? There are multiple reasons. To name only a few: Balázs is 17 now, which means that it was now or never. After turning 18 a person can no longer be adopted in Hungary. Another reason is because Balázs is part of our family - our little ones don't even remember a time when Balázs wasn't around; Nate was 1 and a half when he moved in - and we want to make Balázs' place in our family official and stable, and ensure that even after he turns 18, he has a secure family background.
I must say though, that as difficult as the adoption process can be for many people, we had an amazingly smooth experience. We saw the hand of God in a lot of things along the way which were potential roadblocks to us being able to adopt Balázs at all. It was also to our benefit that we had already had Balázs as a foster child for years and the authorities knew us and saw that we had his best interest in mind, which caused them to speed up the process.
We are glad to have Balázs as an official member of our family, and we are blessed that we get to be a part of God's work in his life.
Check it out - it is a blast from the past and worth the read.
This August we began the process of adopting Balázs. We didn't tell many people about it, because we weren't sure if it would be possible, as adoption can be a complicated and sometimes long and difficult legal process.
This Monday we got the papers in the mail that our adoption of Balázs has been approved and finalized. It's official; Balázs is now our son!
Why now? There are multiple reasons. To name only a few: Balázs is 17 now, which means that it was now or never. After turning 18 a person can no longer be adopted in Hungary. Another reason is because Balázs is part of our family - our little ones don't even remember a time when Balázs wasn't around; Nate was 1 and a half when he moved in - and we want to make Balázs' place in our family official and stable, and ensure that even after he turns 18, he has a secure family background.
I must say though, that as difficult as the adoption process can be for many people, we had an amazingly smooth experience. We saw the hand of God in a lot of things along the way which were potential roadblocks to us being able to adopt Balázs at all. It was also to our benefit that we had already had Balázs as a foster child for years and the authorities knew us and saw that we had his best interest in mind, which caused them to speed up the process.
We are glad to have Balázs as an official member of our family, and we are blessed that we get to be a part of God's work in his life.
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Good Guys
Last Tuesday I got to preach about Christmas and the love of God to a group of cancer survivors and their families. This is the 3rd time I've been invited to speak to them at Christmas time, for their annual Christmas gathering, and it was a great blessing for me to get to minister to them from the Word of God and get to meet so many of them.
We don't have many older people in our church, so I enjoy getting to minister to the older generation here in Hungary from time to time.
After I preached, a man came and sat down next to me, and introduced himself as an atheist. As we got to know each other, it turned out that this man, who is now 80 years old, was a former communist leader in Eger.
He told me how he had become a Communist party member in 1948, when he was 17 yrs old. This means that he not only lived through the Stalinist era of the 50's, but that he was even part of the regime during the harshest, most repressive period of communism in Hungary. Later he became the head of the biggest factory in the region (Berva), and became an upper level party leader in Eger.
His world has changed a lot since the end of communism in Hungary.
The thing that I think many people in the West don't understand about the people who were communists here in Eastern Europe, is that many of these people thought of themselves as the good guys.
They thought of themselves as those who were really compassionate and humane, who cared about creating a society where everyone was equal. They really viewed the capitalists as the bad guys who wanted to get rich by taking advantage of other people rather than creating a society characterized by equality.
They viewed themselves as morally superior to capitalists, because they believed that life is not primarily about accumulating material possessions (Jesus taught that by the way too... see Luke 12:15), and that it is better to be satisfied with having "enough" than to constantly strive for more and better material things (another Biblical concept - see 1.Tim 6:6-8)
They viewed the church as a corrupt institution, a 'good old boys club'.
They believed that certain forms of suppression of freedoms were necessary and good to protect the society they were trying to create.
This man I talked to still believed sincerely in these ideals - as did the other people we were sitting with at the table, all of whom were raised during communism. It was interesting to talk with them and hear their perspective.
The one thing I was able to tell them that I felt broke through their walls against religion was that for me Christianity is not about a church hierarchy or organization, but it is about following Jesus - his teachings and example. When I started talking about JESUS, they were captivated. Especially when I told them that many of the ideals which they believed made the 'old regime' good, were taught and exemplified by Jesus long ago.
In reality, Jesus is the revolutionary their hearts really long for. His revolution is the one that they really desire deep down - they have just been turned off from Christianity by both rhetoric and by the poor representation of Christ that some parts of the body of Christ have been guilty of throughout history.
My hope and prayer is that these people would be able to see Jesus and not the actions of men.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Kitüntetés - Award
Balázs több mint más fél éve tagja az egri polgárőrségnek.
Tegnap egy kitüntetést is kapott: Az Év Ifjú Polgárőre.
Nagyon büszkék vagyunk rád, Balázs!
Balázs has been a member of the Eger citizen's brigade - a volunteer organization that helps support the police - for about a year and a half now.
Tegnap egy kitüntetést is kapott: Az Év Ifjú Polgárőre.
Nagyon büszkék vagyunk rád, Balázs!
Balázs has been a member of the Eger citizen's brigade - a volunteer organization that helps support the police - for about a year and a half now.
Last night he got an award: Youth Guard of the Year
We're proud of you Balázs!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
New Life in Heves - Új Élet Hevesen
The Lord has really been blessing our church's ministry in the town of Heves. New people have been coming around, and people are growing under the teaching of God's Word. It is really great to see and to be a part of.
There have always been quite a few people who attended the services who were not believers, but were interested in studying the Bible. Tonight I gave people a chance to respond to the Lord, and asked if there was anyone who would like to repent of their sins, and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
I knew that at least one or two people would come forward - because I had been talking with them for weeks about it. But I was happily surprised when 7 people came forward to repent of their sins and receive God's grace, and become children of God.
Here is a picture of the 7 who received the Lord tonight:
Please continue to pray for the work that God is doing in Heves!
Az Úr nagyon megáldja a gyülekezetünk hevesi szolgálatát. Mindig vannak új arcok, és az emberek növekednek Isten Igéjének a tanítása által. Nagyon jó ezt látni, és részt venni ebben a munkában.
There have always been quite a few people who attended the services who were not believers, but were interested in studying the Bible. Tonight I gave people a chance to respond to the Lord, and asked if there was anyone who would like to repent of their sins, and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Hevesen eddig sok olyan ember is járt a gyülibe aki még nem hívő, csak érdekelte őket a Bibliatanulmányozás. Ma este lehetőséget adtam, hogy ezek az emberek válaszoljanak Isten hívására, és megkérdeztem, hogy szeretne-e valaki megtérni és befogadni az Úr Jézust mint az élete Úra és Megváltója.
I knew that at least one or two people would come forward - because I had been talking with them for weeks about it. But I was happily surprised when 7 people came forward to repent of their sins and receive God's grace, and become children of God.
Tudtam, hogy legalább egy-két ember előre fog jönni - mert néhányukkal már hetek óta beszélünk róla. De meglepődtem és örültem, amikor 7-en előre jöttek, és megbánták a bűneiket és elfogadták Isten kegyelmét, és Isten gyermekeivé lettek.
Here is a picture of the 7 who received the Lord tonight:
Itt vannak azok akik ma este megtértek Hevesen:
Please continue to pray for the work that God is doing in Heves!
Kérlek, imádkozzatok továbbra is, hogy munkálkodjon az Úr Hevesen!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Red Eye
We thought Nate had pink eye this week. He woke up in the middle of the night on Tuesday complaining that his eye hurt, and in the morning it was swollen. It got to the point that he wasn't able to open his eye all the way and he was complaining that it hurt all the time.
We took him to the doctor, who referred us to the hospital, where Nate had to see a specialist.
In the end it turned out that it was only a stye (árpa) and we were able to treat it by putting a compress on his eye.
He was pretty excited about wearing it though, and enjoyed looking like a pirate. Our friend Dani came over once, and Nate promptly called him a "dirty scallywag".
We took him to the doctor, who referred us to the hospital, where Nate had to see a specialist.
In the end it turned out that it was only a stye (árpa) and we were able to treat it by putting a compress on his eye.
He was pretty excited about wearing it though, and enjoyed looking like a pirate. Our friend Dani came over once, and Nate promptly called him a "dirty scallywag".
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Teaching Kids about the Real Saint Nicholas
December 6 is St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) Day - HU: Mikulás - in Hungary and other countries of Europe.
Nate came into our room this morning and climbed into our bed. He has been pretty excited about Mikulás - today there is a Santa coming to visit his preschool, and last night we took him to a toy store that had a Santa. Nate told him exactly what he wanted for Christmas, and even wanted to sit on his lap.
We proceeded to tell Nate the story of Santa Claus - that is, the real Saint Nicholas - who was not a mythical fat man in red clothes who rode through the skies on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, but a devout Christian man, a pastor, who was persecuted for his faith, and gained fame by his generosity to the poor and those in need.
There are some Christians who think that Santa is evil, and that he takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. Not to mention, some would point out, that Santa is nothing more than a misspelling of SATAN, which must be why he goes around in those obnoxious red clothes: because he is from HELL and wants to take you and your kids back there with him!
This of course, is based on a sad lack of knowledge regarding the origin of Santa Claus - the name (in English) being simply a direct derivative of "Saint Nicholas".
For this reason, many Christians protest anything to do with Santa Claus, and tell their kids that Santa is not real, he is bad, and he takes away from the true meaning of Christmas, which of course is Jesus.
We don't avoid Santa Claus - we don't even want to. We see it as a great opportunity to teach our kids about a great Christian man who loved Jesus and was generous and kind because of the love of God which was in his heart. THAT is the "Christmas spirit".
We tell our kids that there are many people in the world who want to follow the example of Saint Nicholas, and that is why they will meet a Santa at their school and at the mall. And we teach our kids that we want to be like Saint Nicholas, and we are going to be generous to the poor and needy because God loved us so much that he gave us his Son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life and have a relationship with God.
The Story of the Real Saint Nicholas
The real Saint Nicholas was born in the 3rd century in the village of Patara, in what is now southern Turkey, into a wealthy family. His parents died when he was young, and he was taken in and raised by a local priest. Following Jesus' call to the Rich Young Ruler to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor", Nicholas dedicated to use his entire inheritance to assist the sick, needy and suffering.
He became a pastor, and was later made Bishop of Myra. He became famous for his generosity and love for children.
Nicholas suffered persecution and imprisonment for his Christians faith during the Great Persecution (303-311) under Roman emperor Diocletian.
He attended the Council of Nicaea (325), at which he affirmed the doctrine of the deity of Christ.
Nicholas died in 343 in Myra. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th.
Many stories are told about St. Nicholas' life and deeds. Perhaps the most famous story is one of a poor man who had three daughters who were of marrying age. Because the man was poor, he was unable to provide a dowry for his daughters, which meant that they would not be able to find a descent husband, and would either be married into further poverty or would have to become slaves. After Nicholas found out about this family's situation, he visited the family's house, leaving them 3 anonymous gifts - each time a bag of gold, which was tossed through an open window while the family was sleeping. Legend has it that the gold fell into their shoes, the reason for the tradition in Europe that St. Nicholas leaves gifts in children's shoes. Nicholas provided for these poor girls to help them break out of the cycle of poverty.
Rather than teaching your kids the common myth about Santa Claus, and rather than trying to make Christmas Santa-free, take back the true story of Saint Nicholas and take hold of this opportunity to talk about a Christian man who loved Jesus and who exemplified the true Spirit of Christ and Christmas through compassion and generosity.
We proceeded to tell Nate the story of Santa Claus - that is, the real Saint Nicholas - who was not a mythical fat man in red clothes who rode through the skies on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, but a devout Christian man, a pastor, who was persecuted for his faith, and gained fame by his generosity to the poor and those in need.
This of course, is based on a sad lack of knowledge regarding the origin of Santa Claus - the name (in English) being simply a direct derivative of "Saint Nicholas".
For this reason, many Christians protest anything to do with Santa Claus, and tell their kids that Santa is not real, he is bad, and he takes away from the true meaning of Christmas, which of course is Jesus.
We don't avoid Santa Claus - we don't even want to. We see it as a great opportunity to teach our kids about a great Christian man who loved Jesus and was generous and kind because of the love of God which was in his heart. THAT is the "Christmas spirit".
We tell our kids that there are many people in the world who want to follow the example of Saint Nicholas, and that is why they will meet a Santa at their school and at the mall. And we teach our kids that we want to be like Saint Nicholas, and we are going to be generous to the poor and needy because God loved us so much that he gave us his Son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life and have a relationship with God.
The Story of the Real Saint Nicholas
He became a pastor, and was later made Bishop of Myra. He became famous for his generosity and love for children.
He attended the Council of Nicaea (325), at which he affirmed the doctrine of the deity of Christ.
Nicholas died in 343 in Myra. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th.
Many stories are told about St. Nicholas' life and deeds. Perhaps the most famous story is one of a poor man who had three daughters who were of marrying age. Because the man was poor, he was unable to provide a dowry for his daughters, which meant that they would not be able to find a descent husband, and would either be married into further poverty or would have to become slaves. After Nicholas found out about this family's situation, he visited the family's house, leaving them 3 anonymous gifts - each time a bag of gold, which was tossed through an open window while the family was sleeping. Legend has it that the gold fell into their shoes, the reason for the tradition in Europe that St. Nicholas leaves gifts in children's shoes. Nicholas provided for these poor girls to help them break out of the cycle of poverty.
Rather than teaching your kids the common myth about Santa Claus, and rather than trying to make Christmas Santa-free, take back the true story of Saint Nicholas and take hold of this opportunity to talk about a Christian man who loved Jesus and who exemplified the true Spirit of Christ and Christmas through compassion and generosity.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Baptism
I love baptisms. And I love having the privileged of baptizing new believers, as they make a public statement that they have died to the person they used to be, and they have been born again to new life in Christ.
By God's grace, we have baptized people every year that we have been here in Eger. This year we baptized 6 new believers.
We have a good relationship with the Baptist church in Egerszólát, and they let us use their building, which has a baptismal.
We rented a bus and brought the Heves church up, so they could be with us for this event and because some of the people who were baptized were from Heves. God is doing a good work down there, and it is exciting to be a part of it.
Here are some pictures from the baptism which was on November 20.
By God's grace, we have baptized people every year that we have been here in Eger. This year we baptized 6 new believers.
We have a good relationship with the Baptist church in Egerszólát, and they let us use their building, which has a baptismal.
We rented a bus and brought the Heves church up, so they could be with us for this event and because some of the people who were baptized were from Heves. God is doing a good work down there, and it is exciting to be a part of it.
Here are some pictures from the baptism which was on November 20.
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