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Andris and Angie Bartos |
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Issue 14, Fall 2006 |
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Praise and Prayer
How to support the ministry
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Our Furlough Trail... right: Our view of Benjamin from the road.
His plea: "Get me out of this car seat!" One thing is for sure – furlough has changed forever… or at least for the foreseeable future. Spending 10 weeks traveling 11 states, sleeping in a different place every few days is completely different with an infant. We have tested poor Benjamin’s patience, and he has proved worthy to the task. He has survived and even remained pleasant throughout our travels. We thank you for all of your prayers! Regardless of what the word implies, furlough has never been a vacation. But the precious people that we meet with and stay with along the way make it a pleasant experience. Usually our furloughs mostly consist of reporting to those churches and individuals who support our ministry through their prayers and finances. This year, however, due to our growing family and the tax situation in Hungary, we are required to raise quite a bit more financial support in order to remain on the field.
Turmoil in Hungary...October 23, 2006 marked the 50th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet rule. What should have been a day to celebrate freedom and remember those who gave their lives to attain it, turned violent in the midst of the political turmoil plaguing the country. The political crisis began on September 17, when a recording of the Prime Minister surfaced in which he admitted to habitually lying to the Hungarian people concerning the economic state, and to having accomplished nothing besides being re-elected in his four years in office. Protests turned violent and riots followed, in which protesters vandalized the State television building, burned cars and smashed windows. Protests have been ongoing since that day, as citizens demand the resignation of the Prime Minister. October 23rd saw violence on the streets again as police resorted to rubber bullets and tear gas to dissolve crowds. The situation climaxed when demonstrators seized a soviet tank that was on display for the commemorations and drove it at police.  right: Violence in Budapest
In the timing of God, our Bible School open air teams were on the streets of Budapest from Wednesday through Saturday, as our Director, Al Konya reports: One of our open air locations was Blaha Lujza Square, the very place where on the previous night a serious confrontation took place between protesters and police. Far from being threatened or put into danger, we found people more open to the Gospel than perhaps at any time since our ministry in Hungary began. We found many Hungarians to be troubled, angry, confused, concerned, afraid, and looking for answers. What a blessing it was to share the answer in Christ! In all, more than 3000 people received tracts. God also gave us several hundred opportunities to personally share the Gospel, even with some of the protesters. Eighteen people made open decisions to trust Christ. A particularly moving account involved a middle-aged man at Moszkva (Moscow) Square. He is a stone mason by trade, who moved to Budapest from Transylvania four years ago with his wife and five children. Two years ago he came home from work to find the lifeless body of his 13-year-son lying in his room. He had committed suicide. Overwhelmed with guilt and grief, the man left his wife and family. He sent home his paychecks to provide regularly for them, but he could not bring himself to return home. Instead, he wandered the streets of Budapest after work, tears streaming down his cheeks, mourning his precious son until he fell asleep on the street. He silently sat down next to one of our staff members, who was sharing the Gospel with another man at the time. Noticing his tears, the staff member began to talk to him as well. After a long conversation, the man trusted Christ as his Savior. He smiled for the first time in two years! He also decided to return to his family and tell them the good news. How true it is that the Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation." Pray for Hungary during what some have termed Hungary's darkest hour since 1956, and for the thousands of people who heard the Gospel this week. |
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We are so thankful for all of the families and congregations who sacrificially give to make it possible for us to minister in Hungary. At this point our deficit has shrunk to less than $500/month. It sounds like a huge amount, but we have seen God supply so much more, and we are confident that He will continue to provide. If we receive commitments to cover this deficit soon, we can plan to return to the ministry in late November. We covet your prayers to this end.