An Open Letter from Ron and Robin

06.21.2004

Hello! Greetings from western Hungary in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Grace and peace to you!

We have a lot to say, but we'll keep this brief!

First, you sent us an excellent team! Jay & Dianne, Wayne & Kathy, Wil & Melissa, Jacob, Elizabeth and Ben each did an outstanding job; you should be very pleased with how they represented Arapahoe Road in service for our Lord Jesus Christ! Here is what we observed of the team:

a.. A commitment to prayer; prayer during all occasions for the Hungarians, the culture, an effective witness for Christ and the expansion of His kingdom in Hungary!
b.. Hearts of love and servanthood expressed in all that they said and did among the Hungarians
c.. Jacob and Ben sharing their testimonies with groups of young people after softball games
d.. Kathy walking over to onlookers to speak with them and offer them a New Testament
e.. Elizabeth befriending and talking with other young ladies at the church youth's tea house
f.. Wayne's friendly smile while playing softball and conversing with young people at the tea house
g.. Dianne building relationships and sharing at study breaks on the university campus
h.. Wil followed up on Esther's progress in the Lord and encouraging the youth
i.. Lee tirelessly playing softball, encouraging Hungarians learning the sport and then rushing to the tea house to play guitar and build relationships for Christ
j.. Melissa's singing during worship at church and at the tea houses and her commitment to prayer
k.. Jay handing out tracts in front of the church during the tea house and sharing the Gospel with two young men under a tree during a Saturday picnic

They started up early every morning with breakfast and a time for worship and devotion as a team. Afterwards, they walked fifteen minutes into town to prayer walk for an hour and a half. After lunch, the team hosted a study break for university students consisting of English conversation practice & a technical gadget corner at the student center and softball in a nearby park. In the evenings, the team would meet at the church for a youth tea house where they would meet and converse with young people, sing praise songs, and share their testimonies.

For Larry, Melinda and Stacy, the ARBC team enabled them to enlarge their network of relationships and effectively share the Gospel with students and young people through establishing relationships, sharing personal testimonies, and distributing Billy Graham's Steps to Peace with God tracts and New Testaments. Essentially, they used creative means to build bridges that Larry, Melinda and Stacy can now use for further witness opportunities and personal follow-up! It was wonderful to see and hear team members, especially Lee at the end of tea houses, point to the Ewing's and Stacy and say: "If you want to know more about Jesus and how He changes lives, come to their Bible study group that meets every Tuesday evening . . . !" Or "if you'll give us your phone number or email address, Larry, Melinda and/or Stacy will contact you!"

Second, thank you for your prayers and making it possible for this team to come! Ever since the team arrived, they have told us repeatedly how you covered the cost for this mission trip! You set a new record for Lottie Moon, you exceeded the Annie Armstrong goal and you provided for the finances of the ARBC mission team! Your generosity is a testimony of where your heart is and who is your Lord! Praise be to His wonderful, precious Name!

Third, we want to thank you for the care packages of goodies that you purchased and sent for our family, Larry and Melinda Ewing and for Stacy Cogdill! Again, we are deeply touched by your love, thoughtfulness and generosity! When you can't locally obtain Betty Crocker cake mixes or frostings or Martha White's muffin mixes or imitation vanilla flavoring or miniature marshmallows, etc., it speaks volumes to us when someone takes the time to get it sent our way! At our home, it was Christmas in June! We are so grateful for your kind consideration and generosity toward us!

The Lord bless our church! You are so good to us! While the team was here, we had the joyful privilege of saying: "That's our church! These people are from our home church in Colorado!" Again, may the Lord richly bless you in Christ!

Sincerely,
Ron and Robin

Posted by at 11:20 AM