October-November 2014

We had a Harvest Party at GGIS instead of a Halloween party. It was a great time of fellowship with the students and families at school. I was the MC as I usually am at school events, and I also called for the barn dance and led a camp fire. I had fun and went home and immediately fell asleep that night. I like that we can take a "worldly" event like Halloween and still have fun. I think that was a big thing for the students as well. We don't need to celebrate the death or horror or anything like that but we can still get together and enjoy ourselves.

As you may know I am a youth leader here as well as working in the school. We have a Bible Study every Friday night and events every other Saturday. I realized at a recent event that I am doing the exact same thing I was when I was in the US. When I was in Bible College in Baltimore a group of us had a sports club in a local neighborhood. We would round up the kids every Saturday and play football and preach a short message. Here, we round up all the kids and play games, go somewhere or just relax and preach a short message. It's very similar. Many of the students at GGIS aren't saved but they come to the events and hear the Word. Many of the kids at sports club weren't saved either but they certainly had the opportunity every Saturday. I laughed a little as I thought of this the other day. Sometimes it's easy to think that the "real" missionaries are the ones on the other side of the ocean, they’re the ones you don't see every day but in reality, we are missionaries wherever we go. I had the same ministry opportunities in the US that I do here. The cultures may be different but people are really the same. God loves them and that's why we do what we do. You are a missionary as much as I am!


I have been sick recently. I must have picked up a stomach virus somewhere (and have since spread it throughout the school). I even missed a day of work. I am feeling much better now but please keep me in your prayers as I think my body is still recovering.

Sorry this is a shorter newsletter than normal, I must have lost a week somewhere. Haha

I will leave you with a thought from a recent church service entitled “What is Man?” Pastor Kende, the head Pastor here in Budapest, taught on this theme two weeks ago and it has really stuck with me. We are like diamonds to God. A diamond is valuable in itself, not because of what it can do, though it is useful. We are valuable to God, not because of what we do but simply because He has called us valuable and paid the ultimate price for us. I love this simple yet profound thought. I am valuable, no matter what I do God has placed an extraordinary value on me.

I love you all, thank you for your continued support! Jon