church news
- last weekend we hosted a 1 day "winter conference" where we invited the Southern Budapest Calvary & a fellowship from Kiskunmajsa which is seeking to affiliate with Calvary here in Hungary. our theme was the role & the mission of the church in the modern world. many people expressed that they left encouraged and challenged.
- we continue to be blessed my our "multi-national" worship team on Sunday mornings. Our worship team is made up of 1 Hungarian, 1 Romanian, 3 Nigerians & 2 Indians, it's a real reflection of our church & our city, as Szeged is filled with many students from all over the world who come here to study or do research. It's a blessing that they are singing in Hungarian & English, so everyone who joins us on Sundays can worship Jesus.
- also our small group Bible study continues to be a blessing to those who attend on Friday nights as they have the opportunity to open up to each other a lot more.
- in the midst of the current world economic crisis, we've started a food pantry at our church to help those in need with some food basics. this ministry is just getting off the ground but we hope that it will be an effective way to help minister to practical needs people have as many people are losing their jobs or taking a drastic cut in pay.
- because many people's work situation has changed, the giving in our church has dropped drastically, to the point where we are praying about where Jesus would lead us. I recently talked with our church landlord and in principle he's agreed to a $130 reduction in rent. there are still a couple of details that we need to work out. we've been in our current facility for almost 8 years and he really doesn't want to lose us especially in this economy. In spite of this "good news" with him, we are still going to be looking and praying if there might not be a better place for the church to meet. so please join us in prayer about this situation.
- the elders & I have been meeting every Monday morning for prayer and it's been good for all involved as we get more time to seek Jesus' heart for the church.
- in today's local paper I read an article that the wait lists for parents to get their kids into a pre-school is over 18 months in some places but with an average of about 12 months. there is a great need for pre-schools here in Szeged & this is something we still want to do, so we will be pursuing this opportunity in the future, even though last year the city said they don't have a place for us to operate a pre-school, we're gonna keep seeking, keep asking, and keep knocking & see what Jesus does!
family news
- yesterday (March 5th) Zara turned 6 months old. it's amazing how time has flown! she brings so much joy to our lives every single day & we are so thankful that so many of you prayed for her over the years.
- late winter, early spring celebrates 2 milestones for me (Kyle), February 21st was my 15 year anniversary here in Hungary (I thought I was only coming for 1 year but God had different plans) and April celebrates my 10 year anniversary as the pastor of CC Szeged. I know I haven't done everything right, but Jesus has been so gracious to us & the church over the years. I think the thing that blesses me the most is that now in Hungary there are 2 Calvary Chapels that are being pastored by men who came out of CC Szeged. We are humbled and honored that Jesus would use us in His church to bless & build up His people. We look forward to whatever Jesus has for us in the future.
- Odi recently restarted the women's fellowship, with more of an emphasis on fellowship, prayer & sharing life together.
- again, the economic crisis has hit us very hard as far as our support goes. so please pray that the Lord would either raise more support for us or provide more opportunities for work. For those interested in supporting us financially, there is a link on our blog (www.kyleodi.blogspot.com) where you can give a tax deductible donation through Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. you just need to scroll down on the drop down tab to find my name and fill out the rest.
prayer requests
- for continued wisdom for Kyle to lead the church.
- for Jesus' direction in where we should go as a church, if we should even go at all.
- for open doors to open & operate a pre-school here in Szeged.
- for financial provision for both the church & us personally.
- for continued strength & health in our family.
for Jesus' fame,
kyle, odi & zara
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