Nagy Mama & Much More!!

"Everyone has a unique role to fill in the world and is important in some respect. Everyone, including and perhaps especially you, is indispensable." - Nathaniel Hathorne

S.M.I.L.E - Sending. Many. Illuminous. Laughs. Everywhere.

While traveling into Budapest bright and early on Sunday mornings to Sunday School, we always tend to stop at McDonald's to get a hot cup of coffee! Three weeks ago as we walked through the door, I noticed an elderly lady working there. I gave her a smile and a wave and went along my business. As we grabbed a sit, this same lady passed by and I gave her a smile once again, and she ended up coming up to me! She gave me a HUG! =0 Wow this was a shock for me... since in Hungarian culture, people are not fond of giving hugs to strangers. As she was speaking with me, I grabbed a couple of words, but she definitely thought I was Hungarian. She was very sweet and was calling me like one of her grandchildren. She told us to call her "Nagy Mama" which means grandma in Hungarian. Before leaving I gave her a track that had the gospel in it. This last week a couple of us missed the train and to get out of the rain we waited in the same McDonald's. Nagy Mama was there and she was so happy! She talked with me about her family, life, and she gave us chocolates and balloons! We decided to make Nagy Mama a Valentines Day card and give it to her the next week! She absolutely loved it and hopefully we made an impact in her life! I just thought this was a cool story and wanted to share it with you. ** Just a smile can make someones day, sharing the love of the father in you can be something so simple. And well worth giving out! So take the time to give a cheerful smile to someone everyday! (ACTIONS speak louder than WORDS)**
Well well, I have had a pretty busy couple of weeks! Last week there was a conference held here for the "Winter Camp." There was alot of youth from the summer camps! I was asked to share at one of the seminars. I shared the difference of American culture in dating and the Hungarian culture. The conference was about Love. and how precious our heart is to the Lord. We need to rely on the Love of the Father because He will be the only one to satisfy us completely!
The Lord has been teaching me alot the past couple weeks! One of them is "Taking responsibility for my own Actions and reactions." Let me share this story with you. Monday our religions class went to Budapest together to see the Jewish Synagogue! Which is the second largest in the World! It was really amazing to see. We were there most of the day and came back late. Mondays are the days where I can rest and get all the homework that I need done. When we came back I was feeling sick, and not wanting to do my work. I even found out I had to lead girls devo's that night in my room! I had no time! My attitude was not the best, yet I still proceeded to make something of the devos. We are going through a book together called "Lies that Women believe" and yup surly as I opened the book this topic came up like a bullet. It hit me like a rock! so many times I blame my attitude on people or things. I can act this way because I don't "feel good" or this "person" is giving me a bad attitude and so I can be this way. BUT NO!! that is such a wrong Idea! It is a CHOICE! We can choose the way we are going to act. This is something that we all struggle with. It's hard sometimes to have a good attitude when everything around you seems to crash. But the beauty is that we can ask for help, and God will strengthen us. In the moment we feel discouraged we can have hope that God will help us if we just call on Him! And we always have the ability to choose our actions!
Another lesson to be learned...
God see it all. He sees our sin. He sees our wounds and the ways we have mishandled our hearts. He sees our lack of trust in him and our longing to trust him more. He is well-acquainted with our fallen nature. And amid all our messiness God says to us. "you are lovely. Do not hide your face from me. Come to me. I love you. Let me heal you." There is hope. Whether or not you feel it. It is there as surely as the sunrise. There is hope. There is healing. There is Life. For you. For me. For all of us. To have a life that Jesus invites us into and wants us to have requires something of us every single day and in many moments throughout each day. We have to choose him. Return our hearts to Him. We have to answer His invitation.
-- So... REST is good. and my body definitely needed it. I caught the flew this week and was put away from others in my own room so others don't get sick. I spent all Friday in this room. I had lots of time to think, to pray, and to read. I spent alot of time talking with the Lord and renewing my heart. I read a book called "Your Captivating Heart" by Stasi Eldredge. It's very encouraging and motivating.
PRAYERS!! ~
* Thank you so much for your prayers for my ministry! Sunday school has been going alot better the past two weeks! We had some trouble with one of the children as some of you know. We think there may be some problems at his home, but things are getting better now! Please keep praying for me as I teach them God's word! I will give you a couple names to pray for. Gary, Zach, and Sammi.
* Pray for Nagy Mama! and that I will have more opportunities to share God's love with others.
* Pray for God to heal me and others to feel better as the flu is going around.
* Pray that I will give my all in my classes and learn alot!!
* That i will be an encourager and an influence to the girls in my room and people on campus. =) =)
Last note...
Remember ladies... Jesus is our Prince. He rides along on his white horse and wants to rescue us and swept us off our feet. He loves us with all He has. He gives us many comforts like Sunrises, the sound of the oceans waves, the sweet kiss of the breeze against your cheeks. He Loves you, and he thinks that you are WORTH it. You are desirable, and perfectly made. He thinks you are beautiful and wants you to know it!!
"My Lover spoke and said to me,
'Arise, my darling,
My beautiful one, and come with me!"

The Lord is inviting you, you have the invitation... all you have to say is YES.

<3 Missions Inspires <3

Here are just some quotes that have been inspiring me lately! <3

"Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions" -- Roderick Davis

"If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" -- Nina Gunter

"Christ wants not nibblers of the possible, but grabbers of the impossible." -- C.T. Studd

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God" -- William Carey

"The Great Commission1 is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed" -- Hudson Taylor

The past couple weeks,we had a class over Missions!!!Now we are just starting a class on World Religions, about how we can share our faith with other religions, while getting to know what they believe!
I wrote a paper about a famous missionary to Africa. Her name was Mary Slessor! Her story is filled with passion and desire for the Lord! She did some amazing things in her life! I really encourage you if your looking for a good book, to read about her or any missionary stories! She has inspired me in so many ways!
My heart burns with the desire to understand the word and to express it to others in action! I pray that I can persuade others to do the same as well!
We have also started up this week doing "Prayer Groups" We do this every Wednesday. The group I chose to be in was the 10/40 Window group! This is the area of the world where there is the most unreached people. This group excites me alot, because I love to learn and hear about whats going on in other cultures and how we can pray for them! During this time, one person will present a country and what the major issues are. We will try and get hold of missionaries that are actually working there, and pray for them and their ministry. Now the 10/40 window is one of the dangerous parts of the world for Christians. There is much persecution going on! So each week I will let you know what country we are praying for and a tid bit of information going on around in the spiritual world!

This past weekend I brought 5 girls with me to the christian coffee house ministry on Friday night! it was a huge success and made out to be a great night! I was able to share with them the ministries I have put myself in, and to meet Eva a girl I've been discipline. We stayed the night at my friend Eva's house! It was so awesome how she let all of us stay there, even though it was very tight. We had a chance to pray all together before going to bed.
I pray that a couple of the girls I brought will want to evangelize on Friday nights at t coffee house more!
Eva's friends have been asking me to come back to their school in Mondays and teach English! It is a little difficult for me sometimes, with my work ministry, and school work... but please pray that I will have the time and energy to go there! I absolutely love going there, and think that it is a great opportunity to reach out to her high school friends. Her faith teacher even said that they might have a class trip to our school at Word of Life! How awesome would that be!! Please pray for them and that God will work through me when I see them!

SuMmEr - FuTuRe PlAnS aNd IdEaS!

After graduating in May. I plan on flying back to good ole Michigan! I will be doing my 8 weeks of ministry. Planning on at least 6 weeks at camp Ao-wa-kiya. There are several of friends I might help at their church or other ministries I am looking into, like, Woman At Risk. I would love to start an evangelism group, where we would put our faith into action! Teach youth how to share their testimony and street evangelism, or there is so much need in Grand Rapids, like reach to the urban, homeless, youth, and much more. My plans so far are to take communication classes at CC or some other ones of interest. I am applying for a couple bible school's to finish a degree, and praying about biblical counseling or teaching in missions!

PRAYERS!!!
* My ministry and that God would continue to work in my heart and the hearts of the people I will come encounter with!
* For my tuition. I am short on 4 months, and need about 1,000$ or more to still pay for. If you are encouraged at all by the ministry i am doing here, i would please ask for your support in even 10 dollars a month! You can send it to my home address or get special bank envelopes that goes right to my tuition fund account!!
* Please pray for my health, as many people here are getting sick.
* Pray that emotionally and physically I can continue to strive each day with a good heart and high spirit!!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and seeing whats happening in my life!!
Peace&Love in Christ alone!!
<3 amanda joy