Larsons in Hungary

"Goodbye, Hungary" - Note from Elysia.

2008-06-27T05:36:00.004+02:00

June 10th we boarded an airplane early in the morning from Budapest headed for America. We packed all our belongings, storing some of them at the Bible College, and carrying some with us. We said goodbye to all our friends at the Bible College, and now we are in America. We are hoping that this furlough in America will only be temporary, long enough to get Elysia treated and healed, and then we plan to move to Ukraine to minister from that country. Our two years in Hungary were such a blessed time. We will miss the people we met there, as well as all of the little things that left an imprint in our hearts.

These verses come to mind as we consider the temporary nature of our lives, and the hope of Jesus' glorious coming and our abode in heaven. Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.....

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13

For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrew 13:14-15

For now, this will officially end our blog: Larsons In Hungary. Please go to our new blog: hope4ukraine.blogspot.com to keep up with what is going on in our lives. Thank you for following our story over these last two years. It has been a good two years. God bless you.

Love, Ethan, Elysia, Gretchen, Peter John, Elizabeth, and Amy Larson

Last Week of School

2008-06-07T12:22:00.003+02:00

Gretchen with Miss Jeni on the Last Day of School

Peter John at the school Pool Party

Hannah and Lizzy having Tea together

Gretchen and some Friends at the Tea Party

Gretchen's last day of school was on Friday. She has had an amazing two years with Miss Jeni Elson and her lovely classmates. I am so proud of her, and eternally grateful for God's richest blessings through the education she has had here. To celebrate the last day of school, we hosted a TEA PARTY for Gretchen's friends and their siblings, their mothers, and a couple of her teachers. We had a GREAT time together with fun and fellowship. It was also such a special way to say goodbye to some friends before leaving Hungary.

Amy Eating Rice Porridge

2008-06-07T12:05:00.002+02:00

Tuesday I had to have a radioisotope exam on my kidneys, so that meant I was "nuclear" for 24 hours. I could not nurse the baby or hold the kids during that period. Amy pretty much refused to drink from the bottle except when she was extremely hungry or thirsty. But we did manage to feed her some rice porridge that we made. She chowed that down like she hadn't eaten in days. She is such a strong baby. We are so happy for how God has blessed us.

Video for Gretchen's Ballet Recital

2008-05-14T15:14:00.003+02:00

Here is a You Tube link to Gretchen's Ballet Recital if you would like to watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MONfU-XCQZA
It is titled "Elea's Ballet Recital - May 2008."
This is mostly for the grandparents and relatives, but feel free to watch!

Gretchen's Ballet Recital

2008-05-13T16:26:00.006+02:00

One of the Bible College students, Kayla, studied ballet until she was 16 years old. After she became a Christian she didn't know how she might use her talent for the Lord. She decided this semester to teach the young girls on campus some ballet and put together a program for the parents and friends. Another student, Travis, sewed all of the costumes. Yesterday was the recital, and it brought tears to my eyes. They were "forest fairies" and danced to a beautiful instrumental song. What a stunning performance!

Cute Kids

2008-05-03T18:20:00.003+02:00

Amy, Peter & Lizzy (with her new haircut).

Amy showing off her big smile and dimples.

Rapeseed flowers in bloom.

Gretchen's ballet class. One of the students, Kayla, is her teacher. Gretchen is the one dancing in pink at ballet class.

Note from Amy, age 3 months

2008-04-08T14:17:00.004+02:00

This is why I am now sleeping through the night:

Self-Sufficiency by Elysia

2008-04-08T13:37:00.002+02:00

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

One of the most difficult habits to break in life is the pride of self-sufficiency. We want to do things ourselves--it starts with the little two-year-old. We praise them for growing and doing things by themselves, which is necessary in order to grow up, but when they really need help, they fight and struggle and say "I want to DO it by my-SELF!" Adults are no different, really.

It can be very painful for an accomplished young woman or man to be sick or injured, and to be told they must lie down and be waited upon for their basic needs. I can tell you all about how that pride looks because I have been bedridden on three occasions for a long period of time. Because of pride, I would put myself and my unborn baby at risk simply because I would not accept help at times when it was needed.

When you live in another country, for the first few months you become like a helpless toddler. You can only say a few words in the language, you need help to find and buy everything, you need help to get work done on your house, you must depend on others for transportation and for help with your medical needs. It can cause a lot of anxiety and can hurt your pride. That is a good place to be because through this process of becoming dependent upon God and others for everything, God begins to pull the deep roots of pride and self-sufficiency out of your heart.

A quote from Thomas Erskine:

Humility is but another name for the spirit of dependence. It is the realization of our true condition before God. The world's humility is mere diffidence or fear or affectation; but real humility is truth and confidence and assured hope; for the truly humble heart recognizes itself as a receiver, and feels content to be so. It hears its Lord telling it to open its mouth wide, and it knows that grace will assuredly be given and that abundantly.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10

New Blog for Ukraine...

2008-03-31T16:35:00.002+02:00

We have begun a new blog to help with our correspondence about our move and future life in Ukraine. You may view it here: hope4ukraine.blogspot.com This blog will eventually replace our "Larsons in Hungary" blog since we will no longer be in Hungary. This is all God willing, of course. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Happy Birthday, Betsy!

2008-03-29T15:38:00.004+01:00

Here is a tribute to our little goddaughter, Elisabeth Holzner, who is turning two years old today. Betsy lives in Chad, Africa with her mom and dad (Elysia's sister and bro-in-law), little sister, and two older brothers. They have recently returned to N'Djamena after being evacuated to Cameroon last month due to instability and war in Chad. They are staying put in the capital city for now.

Vajta Village Outreach

2008-03-29T13:56:00.003+01:00

Those of you from the Priluki days know Bogdan from our church there in Priluki, Ukraine. He has been a student here at the Bible College this semester. It has been great to have him here....and great for the Kingdom of God. Yesterday, some of the Bible College Students and a few staff put on a wonderful event for the children here in the village of Vajta. I am guessing between 30-40 kids came with many mothers too. Bogdan played guitar and sang in Hungarian, and a Hungarian student, Daniel, did an amazing job leading the event. It was a great time with fun music, a people "train", musical chairs, two wonderful Gospel skits, and a message about God's forgiveness. They finished the event with more games for the kids. My three kids and the baby joined in the fun.

Pedaling Peter John!

2008-03-27T08:27:00.004+01:00

Peter hopped on a friend's bike the other day...and just rode off...no training wheels, no falls, he just started riding a bike. His bike loving father is still in awe and chased his son around with a video camera yesterday.

He is kind of a speed freak (not sure where he got that gene) so pray. By the way, when I caught up with him at the bottom of the hill he asked me, "where are the brakes Dad?"

Christ Is Risen!

2008-03-23T09:08:00.001+01:00

He is risen indeed!

He Leadeth Me

2008-03-15T13:27:00.002+01:00

Many of you who have received our recent newsletter know that we have begun praying about returning to Ukraine to work with the people there spreading the Gospel and making disciples. Ethan spent last week in four cities talking with friends and meeting with pastors in Ukraine for a two-day pastors' meeting. He also ministered in both Priluki and Chernigov by preaching during their Sunday services.

Matthew 9:36-38 But when [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

In order to prepare for ministry in Ukraine, we would like to spend 1-2 years in a city where we may learn the language and gather a team of fellow missionaries to work with us. Then we would like to move to another city to begin the work of church planting. Ternopil is a possible city that we are praying about. As you can see from the map, it is smack dab in the center of western Ukraine, and it is easily accessible to most of the major cities in western Ukraine (within 2-4 hours of each major city). George and Sharon Markey moved to Ternopil last fall along with a small team of missionaries to establish a Bible-teaching church. We are praying about also working in western Ukraine, so this is an exciting possibility for entry into this country. Working in the west would require that we study the Ukrainian language (as opposed to studying Russian) since western Ukraine speaks mainly Ukrainian. There are still many people in Europe and the former Soviet Union who have not heard the Gospel and become disciples of Jesus. We are shodding our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. So, we are praying, and open to God's further leading into this part of the world.

Smilin' and Cooin'

2008-03-15T13:14:00.008+01:00

We have been having a lot of fun with baby Amy. What a great age! She still sleeps a lot, but she has some great times of alertness when we can make silly faces at her and give her lots of kisses.

Amy Joy - 2 Months Old!

2008-03-09T22:42:00.004+01:00

Don't Leave Home Without It

2008-03-01T14:05:00.005+01:00

If you are ever in the hospital in Hungary, don't forget to bring a few things from home. Being in the hospital with Amy twice recently (4 days when she was born and 5 days this week with pneumonia) was a good reminder that things are not the same here as where we are from. Here is a list of things to bring:

toilet paper
tissues
towels
clothing
pajamas
slippers & robe
your own silverware and mug/glass
napkins
bottled water
nutritious food (especially if you need fiber in your diet and if you don't want to lose too much weight from the small offerings) -- Breakfast in the hospital consists of 2 white rolls, margarine and either honey or a piece of bologna. Tea is provided if you want it. Lunch is a bowl of soup and some dish such as noodles (or rice) and meat or some cheese rolls. A piece of fruit is provided for lunch. Dinner is the smallest meal with one white roll and either a cup of yoghurt or processed cheese. Once they gave me a cup of canned pork liver paste to go with the roll.
clothing and receiving blankets for the baby
diapers
baby soap
wash cloth
towel for the baby
diaper ointment
wet wipes
your own personal toiletries, soap, and shampoo
If you just gave birth, don't forget to bring your own sanitary pads and pain relievers, etc..
books
iPod
pen & paper
alarm clock
nail clipper
any medical records or papers needed
passport and/or birth certificate
cash

If you are ever hospitalized in Ukraine or the former Soviet countries, don't forget to bring your own hypodermic needles (or else they will use a used one), a clean cup for urine samples (or else they will use a mayonnaise jar), and all medicines (including i.v. meds) which must be purchased from the pharmacy.

In the end, God is good and has helped us thusfar.

Amy Hospitalized

2008-03-01T13:33:00.002+01:00

Amy was hospitalized on Monday due to pneumonia in her left lung. Elysia was there with her the whole time. Praise the Lord, we were allowed to leave yesterday (Friday) administering oral antibiotics rather than the i.v. antibiotics used in the hospital. She is definitely improving, but is not 100% well yet. We will continue the antibiotics for five days and will also need to take her back to the hospital Monday for an exam and x-ray. Please pray for her complete recovery. She is still suffering from a cold that started the whole thing so pray for the nose drainage and cough to be healed, thus helping prevent further complications.

Meanwhile, Ethan held down the fort with the other three kids, while teaching and sharing at Men's Devotions on Friday morning. The kids were all sick as well. Lizzy: cough. Peter John: ear infection. Gretchen: bronchitis. We all had influenza about three weeks ago which led to these other complications. CRAZY! I am sure the Devil has been having a hay day. But, God has given us such calm spirits through the whole process. He is triumphant and we pray will be glorified in and through this trial. We appreciate your prayers.

Annie Get Your Gun

2008-02-19T15:25:00.003+01:00

New Semester In Swing update by Elysia

2008-02-14T11:20:00.014+01:00

Students arrived the beginning of February from many countries this semester: Hungary, Serbia, Pakistan, Finland, United Kingdom, United States, Cuba, Germany, Austria, Canada, Ukraine, Romania, and Ethiopia. What an opportunity! They will be studying from God's Word in English and Hungarian (for the Hungarian students). Here are the classes offered this semester: Revelation, Minor Prophets, Principles of Missions, I Corinthians (Hungarian), Daniel (Hungarian), Hebrews, Mark, James, Church History, 1&2 Thessalonians, Philippians, and Apologetics. Phew! Quite a lot of offerings this semester. Ethan is teaching the Apologetics course. His emphasis will be on presenting a Christian world view in contrast to other world views.

We are recovering from the "flu" - influenza - with coughing, aches, and fevers. Fortunately Amy hasn't gotten it too badly. She seems to just have a stuffy nose and not to be feeling too well. The rest of us are still getting over it.

Gretchen is doing well in school this semester. She is so bright! It is exciting to see her reading and beginning to enjoy it. She will even read to the other kids at home sometimes. Lately she has begun reading her Bible to the delight of her parents. The highlight of her days seems to be playing with her friends. She has also become quite a creative seamstress, craft queen, and "let's pretend" player.

Peter John is doing well and growing tall! He has been learning to read at home. Our friend, Koren recommended a book called Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons. It has been working well for us and is very simple. It is hard for him to sit still sometimes, but you can see the pride on his face when he reads words. His favorite pastimes are: playing with ropes and hooks, jumping around and general acrobatics, riding scooters with Gretchen, and doing "boy stuff" with Daddy. Lately he has developed a strong interest in learning to play the violin. We bought him a violin at a garage sale last summer for Elysia to teach him on. It is still too large for him, so yesterday we had fun making one out of cardboard for him to pretend on!

Elizabeth (Lizzy) is 2 1/2 years old now. She is an amazing communicator! She loves to talk and ask questions. Her favorite thing to do is read books with any adult (or a reading child) who is willing to sit with her and read. Her favorite books lately have been: Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel, Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth, Mouse Tales and Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel, Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She has had many other favorites over the past months. Our friend, Mary, says that Lizzy reminds her of an old lady. She is just so honest and loves to talk. She is a joy!

Amy turned one month last Saturday and is growing beautifully. She is beginning to sleep a bit longer between feedings at night which helps Elysia a lot. I feel badly when I have to let her cry temporarily while helping the other kids. I just make sure she is in a safe spot while I attend to other things. It is quite a balancing act having four (but I felt that way when we had two...any time there is more than one it is a balancing act!), but I am really happy to have this sweet little addition to our family. She is beautiful, and gives us all joy.

Amy - one month old

2008-02-14T10:33:00.002+01:00

Sis is Safe

2008-02-14T09:22:00.002+01:00

My sister and family were evacuated by MAF airplane to Cameroon last Thursday, Feb. 7. Thanks for praying! They will stay until it is safe to go home. Until then, Marcos will work on his translation work from their current location.

Pray For Chad

2008-02-03T16:38:00.000+01:00

Please pray for my sister and her family, missionaries in Chad, Africa. One of the poorest countries in the world, Chad is in the middle of a conflict between the president of Chad and rebel forces of three rebel groups. The main area of fighting is in the capital. Fortunately, Kirsten and her family live outside of the capital, but their home is on a main road leading from Sudan to N'Djamena, the path the rebels have taken to attack the capital. Praise the Lord, they have so far been untouched and are staying put for now. Please pray for this country and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Here is an informative article from the BBC: Chad capital hit by new fighting.

Ukraine: Eastern Europe's Evangelical Hub

2008-01-30T11:34:00.000+01:00

This article from Christianity Today was sent to me by a friend. Check it out it is really exciting and stirs our heart for the potential of ministry in this country we love so much. Who could imagine the impact of Ukraine on the former Soviet Union! Please Pray for God to use Ukraine as a light to these nations!

New Pix of Amy and the Family

2008-01-24T14:58:00.001+01:00

We took Grandma Frank to visit Gretchen's 1st Grade class.

Granny (Elysia's grandmother) came with Elysia's parents to visit us in Hungary. At age 75, it was her first trip overseas.

Amy was two weeks old yesterday.

Grandpa Frank with Lizzy and Amy.

Such soft skin!

Peter John, Grandpa Frank, Lizzy & Grandma Frank enjoying a traditional Hungarian dinner. All nine of us went to a local home for a meal. As her home business, Irenka Neni will prepare a traditional meal from scratch and serve it in her sun-room/dining room. We all really enjoyed the meal and our time together.

Elysia's grandma and her parents left early this morning to return to the U.S. We enjoyed two wonderful weeks together! We already miss them so much.

The Larson Family Six!

2008-01-23T21:30:00.001+01:00

Baby Is Here!

2008-01-14T13:00:00.000+01:00

Amy Joy Larson was born January 9, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. She weighed 3.57 kilograms and was 55 cm. long. God was in control of every detail! The labor was 4 1/2 hours long, and all was well.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it...

...Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Psalm 139:1-6, 16

Bible College & Family News

2008-01-02T10:32:00.000+01:00

Not much is new here. We are still awaiting the arrival of our baby girl. Elysia is 38 weeks pregnant so hopefully the baby will come soon. Elysia's parents and grandmother are planning on coming to Hungary to see us for two weeks January 11-24. We are looking forward to that.

The Bible College is currently on break until the beginning of February when classes will begin again. A few people have stayed here over the break--seven families and a few of the single interns and our staff nurse. Thank goodness our staff nurse Agi is here, because she has agreed to go to the hospital when Elysia goes into labor to help with the Hungarian translation. The winter conferences will begin again January 14 so all the staff is expected to arrive back by the 12th. Gretchen's school starts again January 14.

In the meantime, we are enjoying the quiet time for reading and time with our kids. They are really enjoying the snow and have played outside every day either sledding or building things with the snow. I truly am a Minnesota girl at heart because I TRULY appreciate snow and cold (at least enough for the snow to stay on the ground). The snow covers the dirty, black mud, it refreshes the earth with much-needed moisture, and it makes a great reason for the kids to play outside (they really need the exercise and play-time). So, praise the Lord for all His great blessings and faithfulness.

Happy New Year to you all. Here is a great New Year's Bible message about conflict in relationships (offenses, forgiveness, etc.) from Jon Courson. Go to www.joncourson.com and click on the recent message from Dec. 30 to listen. Our Pastor Bob in Boise also gave a great message about goals in the new year. You can hear that at www.ccboise.org. Click on multimedia, then sermons. The title from Dec. 30 is called "Goals that Lead to your Destiny." God bless you all.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!

2007-12-29T15:34:00.001+01:00

Beautiful Gretchen with two missing teeth!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T13:22:00.000+01:00

View From Our Home Today

2007-12-16T15:35:00.000+01:00

Ode on Christ's Nativity

2007-12-13T14:47:00.000+01:00

That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty
Wherewith He wont at Heaven's high council-table
To sit the midst of Trinal unity,
He laid aside; and here with us to be,
Forsook the courts of everlasting day
And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

--John Milton in "Ode on Christ's Nativity." (taken from Royal Insignia by E. & L. Harvey, copyright 1992, 1997 edition, Harvey Christian Publishers, pg. 62)

Holiday Cheer

2007-12-10T18:09:00.000+01:00

Thank Heaven for Christmas!

Magnify the Lord: An antidote to covetousness by Elysia

2007-12-08T10:30:00.000+01:00

Psalm 34:8-10
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Ethan has often said to me and to others, "If kids will taste the Lord and see that He is good early on in their lives, they are spoiled for anything else." A simple hymn says it in another way,

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
--Isaac Watts, "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"

Everything pales in comparison to our Lord Jesus Christ who is our sufficiency and our true source of satisfaction. Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35 Human nature, though, looks at the world around and longs for the insufficient goods it "gives". God knew what He was doing when He forbade covetousness in the Ten Commandments. Sadly, this commandment is often ignored and forgotten. It is not hard for us to condemn stealing or adultery, but covetousness? What does that really mean anyway?

Human pride makes way for covetousness. When I was in elementary school, I had two very difficult academic years. In third grade, kids began to single me out in their teasing. Fourth grade was the worst! I was one of the three or four uncool kids who was singled out and judged, teased, and left out. This was the same year of the Cabbage Patch Kids craze! The pain of being teased was so deep that I wanted anything to be able to defend myself and prove that I was worthy of the other kids' friendship. My mind and heart longed for a Cabbage Patch Kid doll. I was convinced that if I had that doll, other kids would somehow accept me. My gracious mom bought a beautiful handmade version of a CPK doll. I was so proud of that doll. But, even with the doll, I did not feel satisfied or suddenly "cool." Every year of school only increased this drive to be accepted. In fifth grade, I began to become interested in popular music. In sixth grade, my interest in the music and dance increased. In seventh grade, I decided to begin swearing in order to be cool. My attitude was so foul, especially against my parents. When I was in eighth grade, I lied about something to a teacher in order to be approved by him. How my pride and covetousness and fear of man were growing! Thank God, He gripped my heart at the age of thirteen. I attended a retreat for my church youth group when God spoke to me about giving my whole life to Him. I felt a deep conviction for the attitude of my heart and knew that I needed to repent and give my heart to the Lord. Since I was a child, I always believed in Jesus, but the sins of my heart kept me from walking in His light. When I surrendered to Jesus at the age of thirteen, everything changed. But pride and the fear of man continued to rear its ugly head.

To magnify is to make something bigger in our eyes. Now we know that God is already big, and He is much bigger than what we acknowledge Him to be in our own lives. But to magnify Him in our life is to set Him in the forefront of our hearts and minds and give Him the glory that is due Him. The Miriam-Webster online definition for the word magnify is "1 a: extol, laud b: to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect 2 a: to increase in significance : intensify". When God is magnified in our life above everything else, our pride, our desire for the things of this world, and the magnitute of our problems decrease in comparison to the greatness of God.

In sixth grade, I had a friend named Jenny who truly magnified God in her life. I wish so badly I could see her again, but sadly I have lost contact completely. Jenny lived in North Minneapolis, but my home and school were in South Minneapolis. Because Minneapolis had a desegregated school system, children from the north part of the city where more minorities lived were bused to the schools in the south end of the city. In this way, the schools were able to ensure a more diverse population in the schools. One day Jenny missed her bus and since her home was so far away, she was stuck. She lived with only her dad and brother (her parents were divorced), and unfortunately her dad had to work and couldn't pick her up. She came to stay with my family that night. I loved having her at my house. Jenny was a Christian just like we were in my family, and she was so good and gracious. I remember she borrowed some clothes from my sister to wear the next day at school.

Some time later after Jenny stayed at my house, she invited me for a sleep-over at her house. I remember walking in to her house and being struck by its simplicity. Their house was very bare with only an old couch and a wooden chair in the living room. The hardwood floors and walls were plain with no carpets and chipped paint and plaster. Upstairs she took me to her room. A small closet-like room with a mattress on the floor. On the walls she had put up some posters of her favorite Christian singers. Her favorite was Steve Green. She enjoyed listening to a Christian radio station, and didn't seem to have any interest in the popular music that I was interested in. That night we stayed at the house of some friends from their church. I was impressed that despite her apparent "lack" in material things, her heart was content in God and her relationship with Him. She was full of joy and never seemed to need the approval of others in order to be happy. She simply was happy. What a memorable impression she left!

Perhaps we have not even realized that we are living in doubt and fear, lusting after what others have, comparing ourselves to them. There are many people who truly do love God and are serving Him, but they constantly complain about what they don't have, or that they "can't afford that." True, they may not be able to afford that thing or that activity, but do our words and attitudes lift our hearts up to God and glorify Him with thanks and praise, or do we exhibit dissatisfaction and discontentment? I have been discontent at times in my life and have showed it to others. Meanwhile, as I am complaining in my heart about what I do not have, there are people living in much more difficult financial situations who are in poverty and "lack" but who do not lack anything because their eyes are on Jesus.

Magnify God, not your financial situation.

Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of
the things he possesses.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Ps.16:5-6 O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

I recently read a biography of Oswald Chambers. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers made a pact to never complain to others and say "We can't afford that." Instead, they agreed to always bring their needs before the Lord in prayer and accept without complaining whatever God willed for them to have. Often God provided for them in gracious and miraculous ways! We should not draw attention to ourselves by claiming that we “can’t afford this or that” with a long, downturned face. If God has not given us the means for what we want or we think we need, we should pray and ask God for His will. And if it is not His will, we should simply acknowledge we will not be doing something or buying something without complaining or making God look bad through our excuses. (On a side note, those who are reading this may be wives whose husbands provide for the family. Wives should know that our attitudes of discontentment reflect poorly on our husband's selfless service for the family. Our attitudes could really make him feel badly about his ability to provide for the family!) We ought to accept that God has given us exactly what is good for us. “those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” We should be thankful in everything. This attitude of contentment and thankfulness magnifies God, not our situation.

Beware of the messages in the world that we heed – feelings that we have to have things in order to live or measure up to the world’s standards. Beware of what you heed to on television, the radio, or in magazines or catalogs. Beware of being sucked into buying things at the front of the store. These shelves are set up to entice you to buy impulsively. Beware of your own heart of discontentment. I began to be aware of the impulsive "need" to buy things about four or five years ago when we watched a documentary about marketing to children. I was shocked to hear about the marketing schemes being used today to draw children and influence their attitudes and beliefs. I was even more shocked by the real effect the marketing had on the lives of children and families. You can read about the research and interviews in the documentary or watch it online at PBS.org. I have included the links here:
PBS Frontline report --research and interviews on the marketing of teenagers:“Merchants of Cool”
PBS advice for parents of teenagers in response to research,
for parents of preschoolers,
for parents of gradeschool children, and
for parents of pre-teens.

May we set our eyes upon Jesus, not upon the things of this world that are temporary and passing! May we truly be able to say that our treasure is in heaven. When our trust is in God, He provides all we need and we have no lack. When our house catches on fire, when something breaks, when something is stolen, when we have to move and give up things that are cluttering our life, when we are asked to give something away to someone in need, or when we are asked to give things up in order to do what God is calling us to do, then we can face these hardships and/or changes with joy, peace, and contentment. When our kids feel they do not measure up to what is cool at school, we can teach them these truths and magnify God by pointing to our Good Shepherd who gives us everything we need. When our hearts are set upon seeking God and His Kingdom first, He will take care of the rest. "Therefore do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33

Jesus Loves Me/ABCs

2007-12-05T19:42:00.000+01:00

Lizzy has really taken to singing....not a big surprise in the Larson family. Enjoy!

Baby News

2007-12-02T10:47:00.000+01:00

Friday I went to the doctor in Szekesfehervar (try to pronounce that Hungarian city!) where we are planning to deliver our baby. He is the doctor I have seen since the beginning. Good news! He said the baby is nice and large (between 2.5 and 3.0 kilos) and in two weeks I may begin to get up from bedrest. My other body signs and symptoms are good and pretty normal. Praise the Lord. She is not due until January, but I will be free to be up for Christmas! My kids are very happy and of course, Ethan too. Here is a picture of the progress:

Created To Worship

2007-12-02T10:35:00.000+01:00

Today I listened to a sermon online that truly stirred me up and directed my focus onto God today. In the sermon, the pastor, Jon Courson, spoke about the power and necessity of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. If you have the time, I want to encourage you to also listen. It is only 45 minutes long. Go to Searchlight with Jon Courson and click on the recent teaching from 11-25-07 called Why We Worship based on Psalm 47. By the way, I listened to the Psalm 46 sermon last week and it was also very relevant and helpful in my life. God bless you today.
--Elysia

Give Thanks

2007-11-22T11:21:00.000+01:00

Dear Family and Friends:

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We love you and will miss you this day. Have fun and take a moment to praise and thank God for everything He has given to us.
Lots of Love,
Elysia and family

Does this really help? by Elysia

2007-11-13T21:03:00.000+01:00

I have been thinking and praying about love a lot lately, especially in regard to my marriage. After devouring five books on the subject of love, marriage, or being a wife in the last few months, I have had a lot to meditate on. The most blatant question that has come to my mind is this: When I do something that I think is expressing love to my beloved, is it really interpreted in that way by the beloved? When I think I am bending over backwards to help my beloved, is it really helping?

My close friend, Tracy just started a blog (www.tlgroves.blogspot.com). One of her posts muses on the idea of how we often can view something through our own eyes (one frame of reference), but the reality of the thing is completely different than how we view it. It must take some humility to be able to admit that one's own perceptions are false, and that I am in need of a change of perspective or a change of mind in order to see the truth. I believe it takes God's Spirit to illuminate what is fuzzy in my own mind and give me the mind of Christ. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 Lord, empty me of my "self" and fill me with Your light and Your love and Your truth, for the sake of my beloved.

On the practical level, I think this means willing to die to my own ideas and to the things that I feel I personally have the capability of expressing love in. If I love in the way I think I am personally capable of loving, this is very limiting. If the only love that comes out of me is limited to my personal "skills" or "interests" or "personality" then I am not walking in the potential of God's fullness. He alone is able to love in such a way that goes beyond our limited and frail human love. And yet, He makes it possible for us to also express love in HIS WAY (Agape love) by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in every believer's heart. I was once again surprised and in awe of God's love a few weeks back when I read Jesus' words in Luke 7:27-36

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."

I have realized lately how much I have limited my love for others. There is always some fear or discomfort that holds me back from truly loving someone with God's agape love. Through this God has comforted me with His words, "Perfect love casts out all fear." 1 John 4:18 and in the same verse, "But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." He has also said in His beautiful word, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 Rather than loving someone in my default way that I feel comfortable with, I am challenged to pray and find out what that person needs in order to be loved. Ultimately that person needs God's love, but He has given us the challenge to love as He loved. In this way, God's love is flowing through our lives and into their hearts. There are a million ways this love can be expressed, but we must find out the ways that truly bring God's love to that person. Lord, give us eyes to see and a heart that can discern what your poor children need of Your love. Let us not pat ourselves on the back for doing what we think is so great or noble or loving, when really it is empty of Your perfect love. Fill us with Your perfect love so that the glory will go to You. We are earthen vessels, fragile and plain. Fill us with the light of Your Spirit and show us the hard truth, and give us the power in Your Spirit to be merciful and full of love, just as You are.

Better

2007-11-10T09:11:00.000+01:00

We are all much better....thanks for your prayers! We all ended up with the flu, but by yesterday evening were much improved. Everyone still looks very pale, but I am hoping that will improve too, since today is PJ's birthday!

Nem Tul Jol - "Not Too Well" But Rejoicing in the Lord

2007-11-07T20:50:00.000+01:00

This poor campus has been hit hard the last two weeks with illnesses. Upon the students' return from their 10-day mission outreaches, many students were very tired and complaining of colds. Then last weekend the stomache flu hit. Many of the children on campus are sick and now the Bible College students are also suffering from the stomache flu. Our own Gretchen and Peter John have been sick for two days. Now this afternoon our Lizzy and Ethan both began the vomit comet routine. They are camped out in the living room so that Ethan can help Lizzy. It is sort of a shock for a poor two-year-old. I wish I could help, but I am helpless too, being on bedrest. So, our whole family is in bed. Pray for us!

Tomorrow the staff and Bible College students are planning a day of prayer and fasting. It couldn't have come at a better time! This is the one power we have in whatever circumstances that come: we have a powerful God who hears and answers our prayers according to His good will. He supplies His Holy Spirit for our help and comfort and power. Thank you, God, for your presence with us tonight. Thank you for the peace that only You can give. Thank you that you are ruling and reigning. May You be lifted up and glorified in our hearts tonight. "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and they are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Halfway Mark

2007-10-28T09:31:00.000+01:00

Please pray for us. We are halfway through these months of bedrest until our baby will be born. This is the hard time of daily living and waiting. Thank you.

Civil War Epitaph

2007-10-23T21:43:00.000+02:00

I heard this quote on NPR a few years ago during a radio show about Abraham Lincoln and the civil war. Sadly, I was never able to find it again to write it down. A few days ago, though, I heard a pastor quote this. It was originally found in the vest pocket of a slain confederate soldier after the Battle at Gettysburg. --Elysia

"Lord, I asked for strength that I might achieve but you made me weak that I might obey. I asked for health that I might do great things but you gave me grace that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy but you gave me poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men but you gave me weakness that I might feel a need for you. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life but you gave me life that I might enjoy all things. I received nothing I asked for
but you gave me everything I hoped for."

The doctor peeked and said....

2007-10-17T12:53:00.000+02:00

"What do you think it is? A boy or girl?" I said, "I don't know....a boy?" He said, "Look here" while he was performing an ultrasound. I asked him, "Lany vagy fiu?" which means in Hungarian, "Boy or girl?" He said, "It's a girl." Once he showed me what exactly I was looking at, it was indisputably a girl. So, now we know, and we are very excited. I am 26 weeks pregnant so the baby is still small, but the doctor says I look pretty good. I am still stable but need to continue on bedrest. When I got home from the hospital late in the afternoon yesterday I was telling Peter John that we were going to have a girl. He seemed disappointed. Gretchen, on the other hand, was very excited. This morning when they prayed at our devotion time, Gretchen said to God, "Thank you that we found out we are going to have a girl." When it was Peter John's turn to pray, he said, "I pray that the next baby we have will be a boy." I think in the end none of us will be disappointed to meet this new little one.

Semester Happenings

2007-10-11T09:06:00.000+02:00

Ethan is busy at work studying, teaching his class on Romans, and overseeing the campus grounds and maintenance. The students and interns are a sweet group this semester. They are generally very serious and we are seeing God at work in their lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." We are seeing that work of training and teaching and correcting and even rebuking the students through their studies of God's Word. I am continually inspired by the lives of these students and their hunger for God. As we have been praying for the upcoming mission trips the students will be taking, we have seen the students seeking God and His holy work in their lives. They are expecting great things for the trips coming up later in October.

Since I am confined to the house because of bedrest, the students have come to me this semester rather than me going to them. They have come for Mission Prayer Meeting on Tuesday evenings, for the opportunity just to visit and talk, but mostly to help with the cleaning while I am down. I have been so humbling and inspiring to receive all of their help, company, and prayers. Tamara has been a great blessing with the kids, as well. We have a lot to be thankful for.

One Day At A Time While On Bedrest

2007-10-03T18:34:00.000+02:00

I have definitely had a few days where I have felt restless lying down while the world goes on around me. This restlessness has not been the norm, though. God has really given me a peace now and a real contentment during this period of waiting for our baby to arrive. In fact, now that we seem to have consistent help from others, I have begun to actually enjoy this time. I have had time to read, cross-stitch, write letters, read to my kids, pray about many things, and most recently, learn to crochet and cross-stitch! I have a lot to be thankful for, especially for the extra time to pray and lift people up to the Lord.

Last week our family friend, Connie, came from Minnesota to help us out. She has been a great blessing to our kids. She smiles and laughs a lot, but is firm with the kids. What a great combination! The kids have already done some baking and crafts with her, and many books have been read to Lizzy! Connie brought me a beginner's crochet kit with an instruction book. The same week a visiting missionary brought me some yarn and knitting needles and taught me how to knit. The yarn crafts have been pretty addicting....I have really enjoyed it. Ethan has been a little happier because now that Connie is here, he has had more time to prepare for his class and attend meetings with people. Managing the home and kids above and beyond his regular responsibilities has been overwhelming and quite tiring for him. We are very thankful for Connie's presence here. Another friend from the Bible College has also been helping us 3 1/2 mornings per week. Tamara is a great joy to have here, and I have been so blessed to get to know her better. She is a missionary to Hungary and her Hungarian husband has been attending the Bible College. They are expecting their first baby, also in January. After this semester they will be moving on to another city to serve the Lord. I will surely miss her. She has been such a light in my life. I would have never had the privilege of being with some of these people had this bedrest never occurred. I have been rejoicing and praising God for everything He gives even in difficulties.

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Psalm 68:19

Kid Stuff

2007-09-14T09:59:00.000+02:00

Tuesday was Lizzy's birthday. She turned two years old! Her birthday will always be a reminder to us of how God kept her in her mother's womb and brought her into this world healthy and mature. She has been a true gift to us. Now we are again waiting for another baby to come into this world. At times my heart is anxious or afraid for this baby, but I must remember God's faithfulness, and I choose to trust in Him for everything. Cares and anxieties must be overcome by trusting in God's will and bringing everything to Him in prayer.

Lizzy's birthday was fun despite the fact that Mommy was pretty uninvolved with the preparations. Ethan wrapped all the presents and our friend, Tamara made a delicious chocolate cake. Gretchen and Peter John helped hang some balloons and a sign. A few came to celebrate with us. A good time was had by all.

Gretchen has been in school for two weeks now. Her teacher says she is doing great and has had a good attitude. Praise the Lord. Two days ago Gretchen lost a second tooth! This time she was able to catch it and put it under her pillow. She was rewarded with candy from the "tooth fairy" this morning.

Peter John is a bundle of energy. He is never afraid to ask questions. His current interests include running and landing on the couch in an upside down position, looking at pictures of volcanoes in the National Geographic magazine, learning about rocket and space shuttle launches on "You Tube" with Daddy, and outer space.

Aren't kids amazing?

Mighty to Save by Elysia

2007-09-06T12:40:00.000+02:00

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
Psalm 24:8

I love how little kids think about God. We teach them that God is greater than anything and anyone in the world, that He is strong and mighty, and that He created everything. Because of their faith, they immediately grasp the truth of these concepts and they begin to imagine and compare God to everything. The other day, I was telling my son that we are not strong enough to move something that he really wanted moved (I forget now what that was). He replied by saying, "God can move it!" He was right. God is not only strong enough to move physical things in this world, but He is strong enough to move our hearts, to save and deliver us, and to bring our restless hearts to peace.

This morning I read some words from Jesus about His heart towards the people He has created. Recorded in Matthew 23, Jesus laments over the city of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” It is so sad to me that our loving God was ready and willing Himself to save people in Jerusalem, but because they were not willing to come to Him in faith, they remained in their broken, sinful states.

Likewise, for the people of Judah, God was prepared to help them face their enemies, but because they were unwilling to turn to God in faith, they plunged further into the depths of war:

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time. 2 Chronicles 16:7-10

Not only was God prepared to help them, but He was longing to help them. He was looking to show Himself strong, because He is mighty and strong to save. He was also looking to help them because He loved them, and as their Father, He wanted them to trust in Him.

When will we begin to trust in God? He has proven His love, His might, and His great power to bring peace to our hearts. He is our King of Glory. Let us worship Him and turn to Him with every care.

Bedrest

2007-09-03T12:27:00.001+02:00

This week I am in my 21st week of pregnancy. We are more than halfway there till this baby arrives. For most normal pregancies 4 more months does not seem very long. Now that I have to lie down and be dependant on other people to care for the home and the kids, four months is going to be a long time. This is the third time I have needed bedrest during pregnancy. I am glad that I learned a few lessons last time, so that I will not need to go through those wrestlings again. The biggest comfort for me is that I can trust God. I must trust God, or I will become consumed with "Why?" and will begin to feel sorry for myself. God has given me so much comfort in His eternal word. C.H. Spurgeon wrote in his devotional "Evening By Evening" some great words on trusting God and His word:

"Redemption is a solid basis for confidence...Past deliverences encourage our strong pleas for present assistance. What the Lord has done in the past, He will do again, for He does not change. He is faithful to His promises and gracious to His saints. He will not turn away from His people."

God is faithful. I have been praying each morning that God would provide for our needs each day as I am lying down. Ethan begins teaching on Wednesday, so studying and preparing for that is our foremost need at the moment. We need help with Lizzy and Peter John while Ethan does his work. Gretchen began school today, so she will be taken care of for most of the day. But, God has given us help for the little ones too. The wife of one of the students will be helping us in the mornings as a nanny during the week. A friend from America is also considering coming out for a few weeks to help us. God knows what is needed, and I am praying and trusting Him.

A great lesson is also found in realizing our worth in the eyes of God. Our worth as human beings is not dependant upon how productive or useful or even good we are. Though our society may oppose this fact, I know that we are worth much despite how many or few tasks we are able to perform each day. A child who is handicapped and unable to function in the world without major assistance is still very unique and special in God's eyes. The same is true for a person confined to their bed either through sickness or paralysis or during the time before death. The same is true for me during this time. In addition, this period of bedrest is actually producing much. It is making a way for our baby to be born healthy and mature. It is also giving me extra time to read and pray, precious commodities for a mother with small children. These are times to see our children become more independant and productive themselves. Because I am unable to do very much for them, they are learning to do some things by themselves. That is a precious gift to them.

So, I am thankful for the blessings God gives us even in difficult circumstances. He is always there, ready to provide comfort and answers to our prayers. Glory to God.

Larson Family Photo

2007-08-23T21:01:00.000+02:00

Ethan, Elysia, Lizzy (with Daddy), Gretchen, Peter John

America Update

2007-08-20T15:43:00.000+02:00

I wanted to share with you some fabulous pictures from our short furlough to America. We spent most of our time in Minnesota with our parents. The kids loved hanging out with their grandparents and other relatives. What a great blessing! We also drove to Boise, Idaho to see the people in our home church. We were once again blessed by the love and support showed by all. They put Ethan right to work while were there and he was asked to fill in for a speaker at a conference who became sick at the last minute. Along with two other pastors in a panel, they shared on two separate topics during the conference related to Mormonism and Biblical Christianity. We also spent time meeting old and new friends from the church. We love our church there in Boise and miss it while we are away. It is good to be back home in Hungary, but we are certainly grateful for a wonderful five weeks in America with family and friends.

Fun on Spitzer Lake in Minnesota:

Ethan's family gathered together at Inspiration Point Bible Camp for a small reunion. David and Claire and Andrew were not able to make it, but we had a good time, though we missed them.

Later that week, Peter John and cousin Timmy went on a trip to the "Turtle Mountains" in ND with Grandpa Larson and Ethan. They had a blast at the cabin riding ATVs and canoeing.

While the boys were in ND, the girls went to see Grandma and Grandpa Frank. Here is Gretchen and Lizzy with Grandma at the Ottertail County Fair in Minnesota. Gretchen was thrilled to ride the Ferris Wheel and other rides for the first time.

The kids went to Uncle Jeremy's church softball game. What a great American experience!

Grandpa Frank has been working hard building an addition on their home. My parents take care of elderly people in their home who require medical assistance. They are building this addition to accomodate their clients' needs and comforts. What a great ministry to reach out to elders so they do not have to be in a nursing home.

A highlight of our trip was Ethan's 40th birthday! Here he is with our beautiful children.

A Minnesota summer would not be complete without fishing. Peter John with Grandpa Larson.

Yellowstone rocks! On the way back from Boise, we drove through Yellowstone National Park. What an amazing place put together by our wonderful Creator. All glory to Him!

Popcorn

2007-07-23T22:01:00.000+02:00

Gretchen had a box of popcorn at a Laura Ingalls Wilder play she attended with her grandparents. All of a sudden she told me, "Mom, my tooth is gone!" The tooth fell out while eating popcorn, and we never recovered the lost tooth! I guess a tooth feels a bit like a kernel of popcorn. It was a painless experience, and she looks great!

A Loose Tooth

2007-07-08T16:16:00.001+02:00

Wow! Our oldest daughter has a loose tooth! Here is Gretchen at six years of age showing her precious loose tooth. We will keep you updated on the progress!

Coming to America

2007-07-08T16:12:00.000+02:00

We will be leaving for America this Tuesday, July 10 and plan to be in Fergus Falls, Minnesota from July 10-30. We will be driving to Boise, Idaho and will stay from July 31-August 5. Then we will drive back and be in Minnesota from August 8-15. We hope to see lots of friends while we are there! Please let us know if you are interested in getting together while we are in town!

Foundations Conference & VBS

2007-07-08T15:34:00.000+02:00

The work of this place changes according to the season. During the school year we are focused on the Bible College and all that involves: teaching, discipling, caring for people, etc. Now that summer is here, this facility is used for conferences. We host mainly groups from Hungary, but also host missionary conferences such as Wycliffe and Operation Mobilization. One of the highlights of the summer season is the Foundations Conference. We have missionaries and church leaders from all the Calvary Chapel associated ministries in Eastern Europe who come. This year we had 470 people here including our own staff June 18-23. It was a blast! We were fed by great Bible teaching from Bob Caldwell (our own pastor from Boise), Bill Gallatin, Brian Brodersen, and Tom Stipe. The missionaries and national church leaders also had many opportunities for fellowship, prayer, and relaxation. The highlight for the kids was VBS!
A children's ministry team from a church in California came all the way over to Hungary to lead a great Vacation Bible School program for all the missionary kids. They also had an amazing team of servants taking care of the babies in the nursery. What a blessing. The photos of Gretchen in her class were sent to us by one of Gretchen's teachers. The highlight of Gretchen's week was being able to see Josie Claycamp, her missionary friend from Ukraine. Here they are lounging at the pool:

I have heard it said that missionaries maintain a very a tight-knit community of long-term friends. My sister and her husband are missionaries in Chad, Africa where there are fewer than 200 missionaries in the entire country. There are no western missionaries in the town where they live so they cherish the friends they have made who live in other cities in Chad. I must say, after moving around a bit over the past few years, I truly cherish my old friends. We are still new here in Vajta, so we have not developed any close friends yet. I truly feel this lack sometimes and long for the day when we will be able to say we have good friends here. Until then, we serve people however we can and pray for love for others. I often pray in the mornings for the Lord to show me the opportunities He has for the day to serve Him. Sometimes that means serving in very practical ways, other times it involves dealing with more personal/spiritual ministry, but I want to be available in whatever way I can for the Lord's kingdom. The Foundations Conference was refreshing because we were able to see some familiar faces from Boise, Brian and Cynthia Fouts, who are missionaries in Romania, as well as seeing Pastor Bob. We were also able to spend a bit of time with some newer friends from Ukraine, the Claycamps as our kids are so close in age. Patrick and Ivetka Higgins, some newer friends from Slovakia were also here with their two boys. Peter John enjoyed hanging out with their son, Gabriel, who is around PJ's age. We saw Cara Denney, a friend from Ukraine who is now serving in Prague. I always love seeing Cara because her spiritual ways of looking at things along with her talkative nature always spurs me on to greater faith. I am so thankful for all these friends.

Another Foundations Conferencee highlight was having a Ukrainian team of people from Kyiv here. The new pastor, Alyosha came along with about 30 other people. We had the privilege of hosting one of the couples in our home. The conference was so packed we all opened our homes and pull-out couches for guests. Vika and Vadym spoke little English so we had another opportunity to practice our Russian. It was a lot of fun and they were a very sweet couple. I was so encouraged to see the faith, love, and hope practiced in the lives of the Ukrainian team from Kyiv. That church is rocking! I was able to lead a small group of young women during the women's session. They were all Russian/Ukrainian speaking and were in my group. One of the girls helped translate for me when it was necessary (which was quite often). We prayed together and encouraged one another. What a blessing! Whenever I am with Ukrainians I am always reminded to keep a heavenly perspective rather than being earthly-minded. These people endure so many hardships compared to my life, and yet they have such a beautiful faith. One of the girls who was in my group is only 18 years old, yet she faces more in her young life than I will ever have to face. She has 9 brothers and sisters, but her parents are on the verge of a divorce. She and Her sister are the oldest, so they take care of the other children, sometimes trying to scrap together enough money for food because her parents are in and out of the house. She also goes to a university and has gotten very high marks. She is exemplary. She goes to church and has such a faith and trust in God despite her family's problems. God, give me such a faith and positive attitude!

God blessed everyone with a great conference! Praise and glory to God!

Ukraine Update - April 2007 by Elysia

2007-06-09T09:39:00.000+02:00

April 20 - 30 our family left the college during the 10-day Outreach Week to spend time in Ukraine visiting our friends in Priluki and Chernigov. Here we are in June and I still have not reported on our trip. Right after we got back from Ukraine we were very busy with the final weeks of school and then graduation May 15th. I will just say that our time in Ukraine was very very good. We were able to see almost everyone we wanted to see, as well as to spend time with them. God opened doors for us to encourage, disciple, and preach the Gospel.
The first six days were spent in Chernigov where some of our missionary friends live: Tracy Groves and Conor & Koren McNamee and their two kids, as well as Chris Zurbach and Reenie McNamee, and Jake and Anya Knotts. We stayed with Tracy and really enjoyed our time of fellowship with her. Tracy and I have been close friends since we attended college together and were both in the Music Education program together. God's Spirit has always kept us together as friends and has allowed us to cross paths over and over again. Being a part of her ministry was a blessing, and on Saturday I was able to go with her to the mental hospital outside of Chernigov. Tracy goes to Halavin twice a week to minister to the kids in the children's ward of the hospital. That Saturday we were blessed to have some other people from the church who were able to help out with the Bible lesson and the craft for the kids. I enjoyed just being there with the kids and helping with the craft. Towards the end, God gave me the opportunity to spend time with a girl named Valya who is autistic. We read through a Christian Russian alphabet book and talked about some of the pictures which were primarily Bible stories. By God's grace, my Russian seemed to flood back to me and communication was not difficult. Praise the Lord. I was so very thankful to simply be there and be a part of what God is doing at that hospital through Tracy and others.

While I was ministering at Halavin, Ethan and Peter John went with Conor, Gavin, and Jake to help dig a garden for Jake's elderly neighbor. It was a cold, windy day, but Ethan said PJ did not complain because he was plenty busy playing in the dirt. Here is a picture from that day: We had such a wonderful time with the McNamee family and there kids. Gavin and Emma were close with our kids when we lived in Priluki, and it was such a blessing to be back with them. Gretchen and Lizzy spent the morning with Koren and Emma that day. They had fun dressing up together! We also enjoyed lots of time with Chris and Reenie. We were able to see their new apartment in Chernigov. It was so great to see how God has used those two young ladies up in Chernigov. They both seem to be really thriving. Praise the Lord.

The highlight of our week was the big barbeque on Tuesday where many many missionaries came from all over to be together. We all gathered at the McNamee's house and the kids played while the adults talked and laughed. What an amazing time! We had twenty adults and fifteen kids there! We were especially thankful to be able to spend some time with our friends Danny and Anneliese Foote who are missionaries in Kaharlyk. They are special to us since we served together in Priluki. The highlight of Gretchen's time was meeting a new friend named Josie Claycamp. Josie's family are missionaries in Kaharlyk also. We had a lot of fun with them and their four kids. This family reminds us a lot of our first year or two in Ukraine...they have experienced a lot of the same difficulties we went through, but their hearts remain steadfast and they continue to persevere.

Sunday and Wednesday we were able to attend the church in Chernigov (Christian Bible Church) where the missionaries are serving. Ethan preached on Wednesday night and shared from Romans 5. It was really encouraging to see growth in the people at the church since we were there last as well as to see more people coming to know the Lord and attending the church. The church is meeting on Sundays at a Museum now to accomodate larger numbers.

The second half of our trip was spent in Priluki where we lived from 2004-2006. We stayed with Vlad, the pastor and his wife, Zhanna in their home. Here they are in their kitchen: They bought a house last year and have been doing some work on it. They are both very busy with their jobs: Vlad is working in a window business and Zhanna is working as an English translator. They are expecting their first baby in August so they are nervous and excited about that. We had a privilege of spending time at the church on Thursday and Sunday were we say many friends and had many opportunities to talk with people. On Friday, Vlad had a bonfire at his house so that people could stop by to be together and see us. Saturday was filled with seeing some of our special friends, Tanya, Igor & Sveta, and Max & Tanya and Max's parents. We got to meet Sveta's new baby Miroslav.

We had an amazing time at Max's dacha (cabin) with his wife Tanya, who is expecting a baby in July, and his wonderful parents. It was "Kid Heaven" at the dacha because they got to ride Max's motorcycle, eat barbequed chicken, and climb all over his Soviet 4-wheel drive truck. It was a blast for us all and a great time to enjoy Christian fellowship and love. We were so blessed to see God working in people's lives and providing for them. Many of the men in the church are currently working at jobs. Praise the Lord! In the past many have been unemployed. Even Volodya was working part time as a gardener. He has been very poor and unemployed for a long time. Ethan had some great talks with Vlad, the pastor and was able to encourage him in his ministry. On Sunday Ethan preached at the church on I Peter 1. He was able to pray with some men and women in the church afterwards. We were so blessed to be there! Returning to Priluki has also opened some doors for Ethan to visit again in order to teach and encourage the congregation there. We love them and pray for them, and hope that opportunities will remain for a close relationship with the church there. I will close with a picture of Ethan with his friend Alyosha. Alyosha is one of the elders in the church and is doing really well with business and family life. Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!

Wanna Come to Hungary?

2007-04-14T15:21:00.000+02:00

I hope these pictures from yesterday will make everyone want to come to Europe for a mission trip! JK. We have been loving the upper 60s/lower 70s weather this week.

A Living God by Elysia

2007-04-13T14:01:00.000+02:00

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." John 6:68-69 The following is a story about how God is a living God. He is not distant and uninvolved in humanity. He is working things together according to His will.

This morning during our prayer time with the Bible College students, one of the girls in my prayer group told a beautiful story about how God is working things all together in her life. Rachel and another student, Renee, are going to be leading a 10-day outreach trip to Kaposvar, Hungary beginning next Thursday. While praying and planning for the trip, God led her to some verses in I Corinthians 13 about love. She was impressed by the message of love and has been praying God would use her group to love the people in Kaposvar and truly express Christ's love to the people there. Renee, the other leader, was also praying independently, and she had the same impression: their time in Kaposvar will be focused on Christ's love.

In order to prepare for their trip, Rachel contacted one of the missionaries there asking about the details of their trip. She knew that one of their jobs while in Kaposvar will be to help plan and serve at a Women's meeting where refreshments will be served. When the missionary wrote back, she explained to Rachel and Renee the theme of the Women's tea. In God's sovereignty, the theme was Love based on verses found in I Corinthians 13 and in I John. The Bible is a vast book with many themes! But God showed each of these women who are seeking Him His message for their time there. When we seek God, and when we go and pray to Him, He answers! He is living.

Please be praying for the upcoming outreach trips April 19-29. Students will be going all over the world to many places with the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 10:12

2007-04-08T15:24:00.000+02:00

"For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."

Have you ever read this Bible verse before? A friend read this verse at a women's meeting last week. She observed that women often compare themselves with others. The point was that this comparing of ourselves is not wise. Comparing ourselves will never end! We will always find someone who is different, "better or worse" than us. This thinking is futile. Just some food for thought.

Resurrection

2007-04-08T13:42:00.000+02:00

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen...Truly He is Risen! The angel said to the women at Jesus' tomb, "He is not here, but is risen!"
We spent the morning worshipping the Lord together with other believers at Calvary Chapel Sarbogard where Andrew McCall is the pastor. Andrew and Dori are doing well. They are getting close to being able to move into their house in Sarbogard. Dori is expecting a baby in July. They are so excited! They continue to walk in faith and share the Gospel in Hungary.

A Hidden Work by Elysia

2007-04-08T13:00:00.000+02:00

Since coming to the Bible College last May, God has been doing a lot in my heart through the people here. The greatest work thusfar has been a transformation in my view of myself and others. The life at the Bible College is very communal. Though the staff each has individual apartments, we see each other and the students quite often either at the cafeteria, meetings, the playground, and other public places. This constant state of being together really brings a lot of things to the surface. Most of it is the yucky stuff that has been hidden and needs to be removed. This is a tool God uses to refine us. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 But being with others also builds us up. When we seek God, we find Him. He opens up the spiritual in our lives. By His grace, He is able to do so much in our lives, as long as we are humble enough to receive that deep work.

Since coming here God has been confronting me with the insecurities in my heart regarding my relationships with other people. In the past, I was so foolish to be controlled by how I felt others viewed me. I made so many decisions based upon my insecurities. This is a hindrance to ministry. "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." Proverbs 29:25 "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 If one is more concerned about pleasing people around them than pleasing God, this is elevating others above God and is a form of idolatry. Rather than walking in the Spirit and allowing Him to work through me to minister to others, often I have allowed my false feelings to rule my decisions. In my case, this meant withdrawing or avoiding speaking to others, even when my words or service could have helped or encouraged or spiritually spoken to someone. The ability for God's Spirit to minister to others is not dependant upon us and our weaknesses. By God's grace, He works even through weak people like us. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Cor. 4:7). God is not limited by us, only we limit ourselves to ourselves.

We can also quench the work of God's Spirit by our attitudes towards others. If God can use us by His grace, can't He show that same measure of grace to others? When we are critical or unforgiving towards others, in our minds, we are limiting the work that God can do in and through other people. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.'" Romans 15:1-3 Sometimes limiting others means simply being unwilling to believe God can use someone with a different personality that us. A person's way of doing things can even offend us (when really there is nothing wrong with them in God's eyes). "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Romans 12:3-5 We actually NEED each other, especially in our differences. This is a great gift that God has given us within the Body of Christ. Ethan and I along with all the other staff here are working every day with a great variety of personalities, cultural backgrounds (and sometimes different languages), and even variations in personal and family decisions. We must trust God that His grace is sufficient for all these differences. His standard is for unity, and where there is unity, the Lord commands a blessing (Psalm 133).

God is doing a deep work in my heart as we continue to follow the Lord in His calling for our lives. It is ironic...so often when we are in the "ministry" we find that we are so deeply ministered TO personally. God is faithful. His desire is towards us, and He is ever concerned for our relationship with Him.

Bratislava Trip

2007-04-07T14:04:00.000+02:00

Last weekend we traveled with our kids and two friends to the neighboring country of Slovakia. During a mission conference a few summers ago we met a family who was ministering in Slovakia. Patrick and Ivetka have two boys younger than Peter John, so the kids loved playing together all weekend. We enjoyed a few walks to nearby parks and a long walk through the historical district of Bratislava. No matter where we go in Eastern Europe, we continually see the effects of the iron curtain as is obviously evidenced in the architecture, infrastructure, and the culture. We also see some modern changes since the fall of communism over fifteen years ago. I (Elysia) especially enjoyed returning to Bratislava after visiting only once. The Concordia Choir (my college choir) sang in Bratislava at the Radio building in 1996. We also toured throughout Eastern and Central Europe on our choir tour. I have seen a lot of changes since then, and I especially enjoy really "being" in a city rather than just passing through on a music tour. We have the opportunity to see people more and enjoy their culture more. The highlight of our weekend was helping in the church on Sunday morning. Ethan preached at the service and I helped Ivetka with Sunday school. We were very blessed to be able to take part and help in this way.

Patrick is currently pastoring a small international church in the middle of the city. People who come are able to gather together and worship, though they come from different places in the world. There is so much potential in this city to share the Gospel. There are university students who come from places as far as central Asia to study in Slovakia. The language in Slovakia is Slavic and very similar to other languages such as Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, etc. We had a lot of fun identifying all the cognates with the Russian and Ukrainian language. It was especially fun to have Tracy Groves with us visiting from Ukraine. She is fluent in Russian and speaks some Ukrainian. She was able to decifer a lot of the language! Once again we were excited for and impressed by the great open door for the Gospel in this part of the world. Patrick and Ivetka shared their desire to see other people join them in ministry in this city. There is so much potential.

Our Students

2007-03-11T16:01:00.000+01:00

The reason we are here is for the students. Their commitment to the Lord and to seeking Him is a true inspiration. We also have an outstanding group of interns who help "run the place." They work SO hard organizing the students in their different areas of work, whether in housekeeping, the library, the coffee shop, or in the many other areas of the campus. They are also working hard preparing for their internship class each week. These students and interns are also so needy for encouragement and discipleship. Many are very open to the Lord during this time of their lives, so they are willing to receive spiritual food with mouths wide open
Ps. 81:10
"I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it."
We pray for opportunities to speak with and pray with the students. Sometimes they come to our home and other times we stop and talk outside or in the cafeteria. Yesterday we had Ashley (from CC Treasure Valley in ID) over to play her flute while Andras (Hungarian missionary and a great pianist) accompanied on piano. The piano has been a great enjoyable addition to our lives. Opportunities come weekly to pray with students during specially planned prayer times and simply after a Spirit-led conversation. God has been so faithful to lead us. "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." 2 Cor. 2:14

Ethan Arrives Home Today...

2007-02-26T15:17:00.000+01:00

A country in the middle of Asia next to China and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan is situated in the middle of nowhere, it seems! It is a high elevation country with many mountains. This is a picture of Bishkek from the wikipedia website. Ethan said the city reminds him of Denver in geography, but the culture is very different from the West. Here are some excerpts from a letter Ethan sent me February 19th:

We had a really great day today and God blessed so much! The Church is really great and I had no idea how international it was. There was no majority group. A bunch of Indian medical students, Kyrgez, A Chinese American family, Ukbeks, a few Tajiks, Ukrianians, a few Americans and some Chinese.

I spoke on 1 Peter Ch 1 and the ressurection power, our living hope and the comfort we have knowing that God holds us by his power. I know God used it, people were very encouraged. The church is in a kind of bar/theater that is attached to an American-ish resturant owned by an Englishman who rents it out to the church. It is a pretty cool location and has its own entrance. So it works so nice for a church. We were afraid there would not be so many people but they showed up and we had a great time of worship and the word. I am also going to teach on Wednesday as well.....

.....Wow. It is really hard to describe how crazy this place is. Every one speaks Russian, but they are soooo Asian looking, I expect Chinese or something. It is pretty grungy, more than Priluki. Of course everything is so soviet that is looks familiar. CRAZY the uniformity of the former soviet union. The buildings, the store fronts. It has the same "new" little businesses sandwiched into the building fronts like in Ukraine and on the whole is totally familiar looking. But like I said it is more grungy and broken. And because of the climate is dry it all has this dusty western movie town meets broken post soviet concrete mess. Think of the broken down towns in Ukraine minus the green. If you hadn't been to another Russian/Ukrainian place and just got off the plane here I don't know what could prepare you. …oh ya, and tonight I was listening to a muslim call for prayer from a nearby mosque….it has expanded my definition of "juxtaposition."

Anyway this is quite the strategic place for the kingdom of God. SO many different countries and cultures can be reached from here it is amazing. Wow, what will God do here?
____________________________________
The rest of Ethan's trip went really well too. It sounds like God really blessed his time with the church and the other missionaries who came to help out. He also had some blessed time alone with the Lord. He arrives back home tonight around dinner time. Thank you for all your prayers!

More cute pictures...

2007-02-21T21:02:00.000+01:00

Gretchen, PJ, and Lizzy are all doing well. They have finally recovered from a bad cough. I think the flu is going around the world. Everyone I talk to in Minnesota, Idaho, Ukraine, and Hungary seems to be sick! The kids are much better though. Here's a pic from last week.They are still smiling even though they are feeling rotten! Praise the Lord!

Ethan off to Kyrgyzstan and other news...

2007-02-15T15:15:00.001+01:00

It has been quite an eventful week. Full of sadness and gladness. You may have heard that my sister, Kirsten who is a missionary in Chad, Africa, came down with a bad case of malaria and went into pre-term labor last week. God answered many prayers and was able to stop the contractions and evacuate her and the family to Paris, France. After more prayer and the doctor's approval, she was able to go to America yesterday along with the rest of her family. She will be able to have the baby there. What an amazing course of events!

Another evacuation took place last week. An acquaintance of ours, George Markey, was a missionary in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan along with his wife, and two daughters and their husbands. On January 25, George became very sick and the doctors discovered his pancreas was dying. He nearly died in the hospital, but the doctor was able to save him. After about a week, he was able to be evacuated by private medical jet to America. Two days ago, he passed away in Indiana. His wife, Pam was in Indiana with him. George and Pam have 9 children. Most of their children are missionaries or pastors or in ministry work. They will all go to America to be with their mother and for the funeral. George was a blessing to the Kingdom of God and will be greatly missed.

George was the founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Kyiv in Ukraine. He was the first missionary from Calvary Chapel to go out to Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union. Last year, he handed off the church to a Ukrainian pastor so they could join the work in Kyrgyzstan. It was a beautiful transition. They had been in Kyiv for 14 years. You can read more about George and the work in Kyrgyzstan at the website www.ccmcentralasia.org . On a side note, George's family was a help to us when I was hospitalized in Kyiv last year. Now we are going to be able to serve them....

Yesterday, Ethan was asked to go to Kyrgyzstan in order to preach and lead the church there for about a week and a half until the missionaries can return. He will be leaving on Friday and returning Monday, February 26. While he is away, one of the other pastors will be covering Ethan's Hebrews class. We trust in God's leading to send Ethan to the believers in Bishkek to minister to them. What a blessing that Ethan already has a foundation in the Russian language (a major language used in Krygystan) and speak basic conversational Russian. Please pray for this time of ministry. This church will be needing much comfort and direction while Ethan is there. There is currently a great open door in Kyrgyzstan. The country has a Muslim majority, however, with the fall of communism and new freedoms, they are still relatively open right now. I believe Satan will do all he can to prevent the Good News from reaching the people. So, pray for Ethan's protection and for the church there. Also, fortunately, Marilyn Gibbs will be there to help as well. Marilyn is a friend of ours and currently a missionary in Ukraine. She came out to Bishkek to help the family during this crisis.

Pray also for our family. I support Ethan in this trip 100%. We will need God's strength though during the time he is away. Currently all the kids are sick with coughs and had to be kept from school yesterday and today. Please pray for their healing, especially for Peter John who has it the worst.

We love you all. Thanks for your prayers.

Spring Semester begins!

2007-02-11T15:16:00.000+01:00

The students all arrived and began classes last week. We have over one hundred students and interns this semester from ten different countries. Praise the Lord. Ethan is teaching a class on the book of Hebrews so it will be a great opportunity to teach and minister to students. Please keep us in prayer as we minister in the coming months.

Peter John in Hungarian Preschool

2007-02-11T15:10:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday, January 31, Peter John started attending a Hungarian preschool in a nearby village called Cece (pronounced tseh-tseh). He is doing very well. The teachers are all very kind and loving. The children are also very kind and happy. Peter attends school five days a week from 9 till 12:30. I pick him up right after he has finished lunch with his class. We hope that he will begin to make sense of the language and start to speak. Here are a few pix. The picture of the lady zipping his jacket is his main teacher.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow....SNOW!

2007-01-25T11:07:00.000+01:00

It finally snowed here in Vajta! Here a a few pix from last night and today. The last one is of Lizzy and Isabelle (the little girl I have been babysitting):

Lessons Continue

2007-01-18T21:33:00.000+01:00

We are nearing the end of WEEK TWO of the three week Hungarian language course. Ethan and the other students are doing great! Thank you so much for praying. It is intense and very fast-paced, but all in all, people say it has been really good. The kids and I are doing well. Babysitting has been going great. Isabelle has been a perfect doll, and we all are getting along really well. Here are a few recent photos:
Ethan studying MAGYARUL!
Isabelle and Lizzy.
Gretchen started kindergarten again Monday.
Peter John loving the outdoors.
Isabelle.

Winter in Vajta

2007-01-18T21:26:00.000+01:00

I promised you a picture of our surroundings as soon as we bought a new digital camera. Well, the other morning, I captured a perfect picture of the sun shining through the trees around our house. The grass is green and the weather is wonderful. Rumor is that next week the temperature is supposed to drop and we are finally going to have a real winter. I will keep you posted!

Magyarul Lessons Begin

2007-01-08T16:35:00.000+01:00

Ethan started his Hungarian (Magyarul) lessons today. He will be studying for three weeks--5 days a week, 6 hours a day. I am sure at the end, his head will be exploding with Hungarian words and grammar. I wonder what it will be like for him? For the first week, a teacher named Adriana is teaching a group of beginners. Then the second week, three others will be joining the class since they are more advanced speakers. A different teacher, Agi, will teach the second and third week. Pray for all of them, if you think of it. The students are: Josh & Laura, Ethan, Tony, Tom, and Tim. The second week Heather, Phil, and Mark will all join them. Please pray for me, too. I volunteered to babysit Josh & Laura's toddler, Isabelle, for the three weeks while they are in class. It will be a great opportunity for Laura to be able to attend classes and learn the language. I am excited for the opportunity, but I will have my hands full. God is so good, and I know He will bless all of their efforts to learn Hungarian. By the way, did you know that Hungarians call their country, Magyarorszag, and a Hungarian person is called a Magyar? Their language is called Magyarul. "Hungarian" refers to their loose connection to Attila the Hun who was a part of the original conquerors from Asia who travelled to modern-day Hungary. Have a great day!

Why I Became A Missionary by Elysia

2007-01-04T14:37:00.000+01:00

I did not set out to become a missionary as a life goal when I was a child. Most of the time, I just thought about myself and not about people who were lost. I think as I grew to love the Lord more in my life though, I loved others more and more. For me, the burden for people who do not have their names written in God's book has become more and more intense throughout my life. The closer I become to people, the more this burden has exploded in my heart. I look out at people around me who are lost and my heart aches for them. Being in foreign countries only intensifies this more and more, because so many people are living without a relationship with God. When Jesus was on the earth, "He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Matthew 9:36 I know this burden for the lost can be just as strong in America. Truly everywhere we go, few have entered the narrow gate to spiritual life. But until one sees how truly rich we are in North America, we can hardly know the contrast of spiritual wealth in America versus many countries in Asia and Africa and many other places in the world. Have you ever heard of the 10/40 window ? This is a simple concept that shows the number of countries within latitude 10 degrees and 40 degrees north. Within these countries live over 80% of the poorest of the world's poor, include over 80% of those with lowest quality of life (life expectancy, infant mortality, and literacy) and include the least amount of Christian resource investment (missionaries, Bibles, etc.) (info taken from en.wikipedia.org). Can you imagine? The places in the world where people are suffering physically the most, they are also impoverished spiritually. Yet, in these places lie the least amount of Christian workers (missionaries, pastors, evangelists, helpers, etc.) per capita.

Beginning with my college years, a few events took place in my life which seared foreign missions into my heart and imagination. At a conference I attended in St. Paul, the young audience was challenged to give their lives and commit to mission work. At that time, I did not feel a "call" to missions, but I knew that I wanted to be willing to give my life to God fully, in whatever way He chose to direct me. So, with timidity, I went forward to receive prayer for this commitment. Initially, I simply made a commitment to give my talents and gifts to the Lord in whatever way He directed. Another event was an entire summer I spent living with my sister and her husband. For eight years my sister and her husband worked preparing to enter the foreign mission field. They completed their education (my brother-in-law has a master's degree in linguistics and my sister is a registered nurse), applied to a mission organization, did some theological training, and spent one year raising funds to go to Chad, Africa. The summer I lived with them in St. Paul, they were still in college, but their hearts were burning for world missions. They influenced me strongly to consider missions. After that point, I was hooked. In 1996, with three other friends, I attended the Urbana (Intervarsity Fellowship) convention where 15, 000 students gathered to learn more about missions. During that convention, I made a contact with a mission organization sending teachers to Christian International Schools. Since I was due to graduate from college with a degree in music education, I was already searching for a teaching position. Before long, I was headed to Bangkok, Thailand to work at International Community School as an art teacher. The two years I spent in Thailand were unforgettable. In a country where less than 1% is Christian, there is a huge need for people who will be a light to the beautiful people of Thailand.

The compassion for the lost has continued to grow in me. I remember seeing some statistics in a book I received at Urbana in 1996. On one side of the page, they had a small stick-man figure. This represented the number of people in America. Next to the small stick-man figure was a huge figure representing the number of Christian workers per capita. Below there was a huge stick-man figure representing the number of people in the 10/40 window. Next to this huge figure there was a tiny figure representing the number of Christian workers per capita. My heart breaks every time I think of these numbers. Everywhere we turn in America, we are exposed to a Christian witness. We have many solid Bible-teaching churches, Christian radio and television stations, Christian bookstores, Christian hospitals, Christian aid organizations, Christian foster care and adoption organizations, Christian relief organizations, and countless Christians walking everywhere being salt and light in the places where they live and work. Yet, on the other side of the world, there are thousands dying without any of these things. Even in Ukraine which is not really considered an "unreached" nation, there is a very small Christian witness. Few have really heard the Gospel preached and even fewer have a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Contrast that to Chad, where my sister and her husband are working. They are doing Bible translation in a predominantly muslim area. There is only one other missionary family in the entire city where they live. It is a very dark place with many needs physically and spiritually. Yet, people have grown to love and depend upon my sister's family. They are beginning to receive the love they have to offer. They are hungry for love. They are like sheep without a shepherd.

My husband, Ethan has had a heart for Europe for a long time. Since he moved to Idaho, he had the opportunity to participate and lead three separate mission trips to Europe, two which were in Romania. Even before we began to seek out opportunities for Ethan to teach in Europe, I began to pray that we might be able to minister overseas. God truly gave me my heart's desire, and in April 2004 we moved to Ukraine. Since then we have been redirected a bit and are currently planted in Hungary. God continues to give us opportunities to serve Him in unexpected ways. In December 2005 when we were visiting Boise, Ethan spoke at Calvary Chapel about Jesus' compassion for the lost. You can click on this link to listen to the sermon by Ethan . I think you will be as encouraged as I was as you see Jesus' heart for the lost. Our response ought to be one of willingness. Lord, how do you want me to be involved in reaching the world for Christ? I believe our first response should be to pray. Jesus said, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37-38 Will you have a heart like the prophet Isaiah who said, "Here I am! Send me."?

Photos above were taken in Chad, where Marcos and Kirsten Holzner (Elysia's sister and husband) are working.

Christmas at the Larsons

2006-12-26T15:37:00.000+01:00

No snow this year for Christmas! We have had unseasonably warm weather this year in Hungary. Occasionally it will fall below zero degrees Celcius at night, but most of the time it is about 1-3 degrees during the day making for a very warm December. I wish I could show you a picture of the green grass outside our home. Unfortunately our digital camera took a fatal spill two months ago, so we have had to make do without one for the time being. We are planning to buy a new one, so hopefully we can add photos to this blog in the near future.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve meal at our house at 3pm. Some of the folks who stayed here over the winter break joined us making it a full house. We had the privilege of hosting the Walshes along with Mark's mother visiting from England, the Martins, the Armours, and the Wilbanks'. We also had the privilege of having Jim and Margie Stewart here as guests of the Martins. We were happy to finally meet the Stewarts who are missionaries in Baja, Hungary. Jim is the pastor of a church there. We ate a delicious meal complete with turkey breast, stuffing, vegetables, and many delicious desserts from different cultures, including English Toffee Pudding, Norwegian Lefse, American Pumpkin Pie, and Hungarian Pastries and Torte. After dinner the kids put on a great Nativity play with Jim narrating. The play was Gretchen's idea. Her cousins, Erin and Rachel, would have been proud! After a lot of fun with the kids dressing up and acting out the Christmas story, we all sang Christmas carols together praising the Savior who was born in Bethlehem.

Of course, the Larson children were excited to open gifts Christmas Eve. It was a very exciting time for them all. Gretchen and Peter John get more excited every year about Christmas, now that they are old enough to know what it involves! On Monday morning, Christmas Day, we ended the festivities with a Felt Board rendition of the Christmas Story with Daddy narrating. After singing more Christmas carols, the kids were off! They played hard the rest of the day with all their new gifts. Lots of fun!

Merry Christmas to you all! Love, Elysia and the family

I Shall Not Want by Elysia

2006-12-18T07:06:00.000+01:00

We received a Christmas card from a friend that said the following words, "We pray you are blessed & refreshed by Him this holiday season! Jesus is the Reason for the Season!" How refreshing! Jesus is truly Who we celebrate when we gather every year for Christmas. Over the past couple of years, God is showing me that He, truly, is all I need. I could be hungry, tired, without friends, persecuted, without family, without physical comforts, and sick, but He will satisfy all my needs. How do I know this?

Jesus said in John 4:13-14 "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." He said I will "never thirst." In Psalm 23, David writes, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Because He is my Lord, I have everything I need. "I shall not want." A few years ago a song was popular in church called "Draw Me Close." The chorus says, "You're all I want. You're all I ever needed. You're all I want. Help me know you are near." I remember singing those words and thinking to myself, "I really don't believe what I am singing. Can I really sing 'You're all I want?' There are lots of things that I want! Jesus is not the only one." Then God brought me to a place (Ukraine) where the comforts, choices, rights, physical strengths, and relationships that I had come to depend upon for my security were stripped from my life. After a long period of this testing in my life, I read these verses:
Psalm 16:5,11 "O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You."

Jesus promises that when we come to Him we will find everything we need..in Him. Does this mean that if we surrender ourselves to God that He will somehow leave us high and dry, without the physical things we need? No way! Surrender to Jesus means trusting a good God who loves His children more than we could ever know. Hebrews 13:5-6 says "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you,' So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" And Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus sustains and nourishes us. He is the All-Sufficient One. "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" John 6:35 Last night I read a great statement from Charles H. Spurgeon from his devotional "Evening By Evening." The entry was from December 17 and the verse was John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Spurgeon writes:

"He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. having made Jesus his all, he will find all in Jesus. His soul will be as a watered garden."

Is your soul a watered garden today? Psalm 92:12-15 says "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Praise the Lord, I have everything I need.

End of the Semester

2006-12-09T14:36:00.000+01:00

This upcoming week is graduation at CCBCE. The last day of classes is on Wednesday and the students will begin heading home for winter break next weekend. It has been such an honor to have been a part of the ministry here this semester and see spiritual growth take place in the students here. Last night Gretchen and I (Elysia) attended a Christmas Party for all the ladies on campus. There was a time of worship and sharing at the end of the evening. The girls' hearts were so beautiful as they shared how God has been drawing them closer to their Lord throughout their time here in Hungary. What a testimony to all of us of God's living relationship with each of His children. He is actively working in our lives through prayer, the sharp sword of His word, His sovereign will guiding our lives, the discipleship of others who lead us, and through the loving friendship of other believers. Please pray for the students as they go home for the break. Those who are continuing on with their studies will return at the beginning of February to begin the Spring Semester.

Recent Reads

2006-12-09T14:08:00.000+01:00

I (Elysia) am currently reading a book by Nancy Missler about Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." A dear lady on staff here, Gwyn, has been graciously meeting with me to discuss the book. God is already teaching me much through this opportunity. I am also reading a short biographical book by Nancy Missler called "Why Should I Be The First To Change?" I recommend both books for women, especially, as our battle is often inward, in the depths of our minds and hearts. God is so interested in our hearts, though, and wants to transform us from the inside out.

Ethan is currently reading "Never Mind The Joneses: Building Core Christian Values In A Way That Fits Your Family" by Tim Stafford. The book was a gift from his parents, and it has been thought-provoking for him. I also hope to read it soon.

Recent Photos

2006-12-04T13:24:00.000+01:00

Here are some pix of the kids from the past few months.
The first picture is from a Fall Party for the families at the Bible College. Gretchen and Peter John are on the far right:

Peter John's 4th Birthday Party:

Gretchen decorating pumpkins in kindergarten:

Thanksgiving:

Ethan & Elysia Larson and kids:

We love you! Thanks for praying for us.

Loving Others

2006-12-03T09:15:00.000+01:00

Andrew Murray writes in his book "Abide in Christ" written over 100 years ago about the love we ought to have for fellow believers. He writes: "This love of Christ's disciples to each other occupies a central position regarding their love to God and to all men. Of their love to God, whom they cannot see, it is the test. The love to one unseen may so easily be a mere sentiment, or even an imagination; in the interactions with God's children, love to God is really called into exercise and shows itself in deeds that the Father accepts as done to Himself. So alone can it be proved to be true. The love to the believers is the flower and fruit of the root, unseen in the heart, of love to God. And this fruit again becomes the seed of love to all men; in dealing with each other, believers are trained and strengthened to love their fellow-men, who are yet out of Christ, not simply with the liking that rests on points of agreement, but with the holy love that takes hold of the unworthiest and bears with the most disagreeable for Jesus' sake. It is love to each other as disciples that is ever put in the foreground as the link between love to God alone and to men in general."

Romans 15:1-7 says: "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written. 'The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.' For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be likeminded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God."

Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

Ukraine: Grass or Potatoes? by Elysia

2006-11-26T13:54:00.001+01:00

I am not sure if our choice to plant grass in our backyard in Priluki was an outright offense or a novelty to our Ukrainian neighbors. In Priluki a yard was for planting potatoes and various other winter vegetables to keep the families fed during the winter. In contrast, Americans generally cannot imagine a yard without grass for playing and barbeque grilling. Americans generally buy their vegetables from vendors or supermarkets. Americans rarely go to the lengths Ukrainians do to grow it themselves, can it or keep the vegetables in root cellars.

We tried to work in our garden the first summer we owned our house in Priluki, but the weeds were out of control. More importantly, the kids were out of control. I felt so overwhelmed by the task of keeping about a half-acre garden up. I did make the attempt though. In the end, however, my husband said we did not come to Ukraine to be farmers and the next summer the grass was planted. The Ukrainian families were so good at working together to plant, weed, and later harvest a crop. How were they able to keep the gardens up? BABUSHKA! They had grandmother who did so much of the work herself or if she was unable to work in the garden she watched the grandchildren while Mom worked in the garden. After the harvest they spent hours canning the vegetables and fruits to make compote, canned vegetables, or jams. Every year, our 77-year-old neighbor Maria kept SIX huge pallets in her root cellar full of potatoes she had grown herself with the aid of her daughter. The photo I have above shows our other next-door neighbors working together (grandma, son, daughter-in-law, and nephews) to plant the potatoes, onions, cabbages, and other vegetables for the year (notice the green grass on our side of the fence). Here is a photo of our friend Max's father lamenting to Ethan about our wasted yard space. All he could do was look at the green grass we had planted and shake his said, saying, "Potatoes. Potatoes. Potatoes." How could we explain to him how badly our kids needed to run around and how ill-equipped we were to garden vegetables on that plot?

I think that most of the folks who saw our yard probably shrugged their shoulders and maybe even laughed, but to some, I believe it was probably an offense. I didn't realize the full extent of this until just yesterday. On November 25th, Ukraine commemorated 73 years since the great famine which killed over ten million people. The Soviet Union led by Stalin, in order to enforce the collectivization of farms and the public property "rights" of the produce grown, created a terrible policy-caused famine in Ukraine. Most families were directly affected and millions were killed due to starvation and disease. Our neighbor Maria was only a little girl during that horrible time in Ukraine's history. I was reminded of my own grandmother who was a little girl during the Great Depression in America. She, too, is very careful to conserve and care for her possessions unlike many young people today in America. Perhaps some older Americans can identify with the people we met in Ukraine better than we can.

Many of the people we met in Ukraine were very concientious of the need to plant and harvest their own food. They were also very conservative saving every scrap and item they owned, using it and reusing it until it was worn out. This care and concern for their possessions in the positive could be viewed as resourcefulness. In the negative, this conservativeness could be viewed as hoarding or a deep anxiety over where the next meal was going to come from. I believe this care and concern over the need for food during the winter began long ago when this famine took place. However, this is not simply a part of the Ukrainian phyche. In fact, the need to plant and grow their own food still exists today. Most people economically still depend on this food. Most people we knew in Priluki made an average of $100 a month. In addition, food supply can be limited in the winter months with few imported foods. Priluki residents had never had bananas until about five years ago when Ukraine began importing bananas from Ecuador. Some fruits come from the middle east, but I must say the large majority of the Ukrainian diet is dependent upon the summer harvest from their own backyard. Have you ever heard of Borscht? This delicious soup is made primarily of beets and cabbage, but it also can include potatoes, beans, garlic, and small bits of pork meat. These are all vegetables our neighbors grew in their gardens! Here is a photo of my Russian teacher, Larisa, teaching me how to cook Borscht.

I am more aware now than ever of the need to really enter a culture before making huge judgements about the people. It is so important to learn about the people, about their ways, about they history, about their religion, and about them personally. I believe this understanding will put so much more compassion in our hearts for the people. Unfortunately, we were only beginning to learn some of these things when we left Ukraine, but my heart will forever be for these people. More than feeling the sadness of their past history and present difficulties, I am filled with compassion for the spiritual state of the people in Ukraine. Many, many, many people have never heard God's word preached. Many have never heard the simple gospel of Jesus spoken to them. Many do not know the simple truth: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Pray for Ukraine!

Bibliography:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061125/D8LKB9400.html "Ukraine Marks 73rd Anniversary of Famine"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor (visit this site to read facts about the famine and see photos)

Frogs & Grace by Elysia

2006-11-18T13:47:00.000+01:00

We had a great summer. I was looking over some photos we took of last summer and really remembering all the happy moments we shared as a family. I think the best word to describe the summer was GRACE. God brought us to a place where we will be able to use our individual gifts for God's Kingdom. We are so excited to be a part of what God is doing through the influence of this Center. May God be glorified! We don't deserve what God has given us, but we are so thankful for His gifts of grace. We moved from Ukraine in May, so our spring was very stressful. Yet, looking back, I see so much of God's hand strengthening us and giving us clear direction through what seemed like a very foggy experience. In contrast to our springtime experiences, the summer was so full of rest, beauty, joyful people, opportunity beyond what we could have expected, and daily dependence upon God as we entered our new life here in Hungary. Yet, in all these seasons and changes, God is revealing His constant unchanging character. He is unmoved by our circumstances and fully confident of the plan He has for us. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

The kids really grew this summer...socially, physically, and in adventures! We definitely see Peter John's viking ancestry as he explores and discovers many new things in the forests and playgrounds of the campus here. He pointed out and enjoyed catching every frog, toad, lizard, snail, and little creature he could get his hands on! After being home a lot in Ukraine with few kids to play with, our kids really grew leaps and bounds as they began to interact with other children here. Gretchen had a lot of fun during the conferences hosted here. She met many children to play with...one of her favorite little friends was Talia whose parents are missionaries in Germany. We had so much fun meeting with other missionary families and praying with them. Lizzy went through the biggest changes, perhaps, since she is so young. The most obvious change is she is now a toehead blond! Her hair completely changed from light brown to strawberry blond to blond! She had a lot of fun playing outside this summer and really enjoys all the people around her.

We experienced God's grace daily as we were challenged and blessed during the summer. "He gives more grace." James 4:6