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

Menedék Alopitvany

Missions Conference
(Nahum 1:7) " The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
This weekend we had a missions conference with a missions organization called Menedék. It means "House of refuge". This ministry's focus is to help homeless people start their lives over again with Jesus Christ. They have done many amazing things. They started in 1984. During this time Communism was the reigningng force. Communisms view on mothers was that they were fit and able bodies for the work force, so that was what they did. The children no longer had a family to go home to after school, Communism was their parents. So the children quit going home and began sleeping on the streets and making gangs of clubs comprising all the other kids that did not want to go to their empty homes. This is when the church decided that they needed to do something about this. The saw the need and started a "tea club" than it just shot out from there. Later they began a home for boys, they started taking in children, and finding homes outside of Budapest for the boys who were stuck in gangs. They soon made a home for girls, and started feeding the homeless on the street. The Lord had provided for them in many ways to start this ministry, and has even provided a place to start the first christian elementary school. (very small) they began a music school, and have housed over 40 families at one time. Each having to take in 5 extra children to take care of.
In Budapest alone, there are over 1,500 homeless people. Wow this was a very sad conference, but made me realize how Great out God is! It did not shock me however the many stories and testimonies we heard, because I have seen alot on the streets of Budapest. The Lord has done so much throughout this ministry! It is so encouraging and awesome that the Lord is working in these peoples lives.
Matthew 25:40 "The king will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me!"
How do we deal with those we are suffering? Who are sick or do not have a place to stay? This gives us insight of the Lord's heart. May we help those in need, let us love others as Christ loves them. See others as Christ sees them!

The Lord has really been working in my heart the past couple of days, and I'v seen many things in my heart that I need to change. I have many battles that I need to fight, and sins that have unveiled. I'm learning that each day we are fighting these battles. The question is... how are you going to do it? We can never do it alone, and how many times is our perseverance and striving pleasing to the Lord?
Pray for me as the Lord is teaching me new things, and that I can personally apply them to my life!

This week we are going through the book of John! Today we had three hours of this class, and only got through the first chapter!! Wow! and it was so good! I have already learned so much! I can't wait to see what else will happen!

PRAYERS!
Please keep praying for my tuition. I have four more months to pay for!! Yeaah!
Please pray for my ministry. My Sunday school kids that they behave well, and that Chaz and I will be effective and that God will work through us! Also pray for this weekend! I am bringing 6 girls from school with me to the coffee house to show them the ministry that is going on there!! Pray that the Lord will keep us safe as we travel!

John 1:29 - "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

1st week back

" The Scriptures were not given for our information, but for our transformation." - D.L Moody


This past week we had a class over Ephesians with Pastor Phil Moser! I enjoyed this class so much! We learned about how our spiritual lives should not be unchanged. What our purpose is, and our opportunities in unity, ministry, change, communication, our walk, relationships, and our battle.

~ The points that encouraged me the most in this course was how God has redeemed us. From all our sin. Jesus said that He has set us free!! 2:15 "by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations." We shouldn't hold onto our past "If Only's..." or our Futures "what if's!" I tend to do that alot. When we do think of those things, it is hard for us to disciple others, because we are too focused on ourselves. Another huge point that I enjoyed was how Ephesians shows our purpose, the reason God made us! It is absolutely beautiful!
Ephesians 3:10-22 " His intent was that now, through the church. the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
God created us so that we can experience and see His Great power and love, being like Christ. Wow it's so amazing to think that everything God has done and done through us and in us is for His own glory.
Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!"
I wish I could write to you everything that encouraged me in this book, however I can't write you the whole book. So I just encourage YOU to read it for yourself!! I love how it teaches us also how to live our life worthy of our calling!

We have been taking a class on Evolution!! Wow when we first came into the class,
I felt like it was almost impossible to evangelize to someone who believed in evolution. Well NOT anymore! I am writing a paper on this topic and I can't wait to share it with all of you!! If you ever have any questions on this topic or are confused pleased ask!! It's just soooo incredible once you HEAR the whole story and see the HUGE picture of this topic. Did you know that almost every single scientist today believes that Darwinism is not correct, and as hard as they have try to understand the creation of this world and the most intimate detail, once they get closer and closer to figure something out. They get more and more amazed with how much detail and knowledge is in a single cell!! More and more scientist are coming to the idea that an inteligent designer must exist. Ahh ok I will leave the rest for my paper! but i will make sure to past it on here next week!! I have to go finish writing it first!! That was just a little preview!

In my room we are starting a study on "every women's battles." We have only gotten through the first chapter, but already it has made an impact on me. I'm excited to see more of the "lies" us women believe.

This week we are also having a course on "time management" and what we are planning for our future... It seems all common sense. It has truly made me sit down and think about what I want to see accomplished in my life, and where I want to be in 5 years. I have plenty of goals and I am willing to share them with you!! If not, hopefully you will SEE them when i get home!! =D


**Prayer**
I am praying for more support! I need to pay for 4 more months of bible school. So far the Lord has provided for my stay, and it has been very beneficial!
I ask if you would like to support me, please consider even just 10 dollars a month. Please keep me in your prayers!
Pray as well for my health and to trust in Him!

Love in Christ.

This past week i have been reading the book of 1 John. It focuses on warnings against false teachers, God's love, and how to love others. This week while reading through this scripture and having several thoughts pass through my mind. My eyes always lead me to the perfect Love and sacrifice of Christ. It reminds me of how beautiful God's love is and the gift that he freely gave to us. How important it is to feed our spirit with righteous things and to continue our walk with Christ everyday so that we will not be ashamed on the day of judgment. That we can stand with confidence knowing Christ has taken our place. As Christians we have the love of God in us. So we should share this love with others and with our brothers in Christ.
(4:16) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
I notice that it is so easy for us to try and rely on other things or people for that Love. Only in Christ can we find that perfect love.
(4:18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
This week I have been realizing how much I do fear. When I do fear I notice that my heart isn't right with God, and I am not fully trusting in Him. I can find my self struggling in areas that I try to fix on my own. That's when life seems to be unclear, but when I hand them to the Lord. He suddenly unveils my eyes to see the perfect picture! There is no reason to fear because the Lord Holds EVERYTHING in his hands. When I act as a child without fear my life becomes more clear. The Lord has done so much already in my life! and i see the blessings that He gives when you just trust and rely on Him!
(5:14-15) This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.

CLEANING DAY/TRASH STORY!
While I was staying at my Friend Eva's flat, we decided to have a little cleaning day to finally get rid of things that needed to leave! It was funny! we had piles of shoe boxes and trash stacked high. John was taking the trash down three flights of stairs to the huge trash bin. The second time he came up, he grabbed me to come with him! I was a bit confused but he told me that I had to see something... We brought a "track" with us. (a track is a booklet that has the gospel in it in Hungarian. We use these when we go out street evangelising!) So he brought me down to the huge trash bin for all the flats. I noticed a family digging through the trash. The mom pulled out half a lemon and gave it to her son to eat. He ate the whole thing! my heart sank to my stomach. I mean we see so many homeless people on the street here in Budapest, and as I have been living here for a month, I really experienced the pain. We approached them, and her son seemed almost frightened, knowing that what he was doing prolly wasn't right. John spoke to her, and shared with her the gospel and how we wanted to help them. How we are praying for them! The lady understood us and was so thankful!! She rejoiced and said that she believed in God! She also told us how she had another son upstairs. We helped them out and went back to Evi's flat.
This break had made me realize to be content. It opened my eyes to see that the MOST important thing in our lives should be the ones we LOVE. We shouldn't think about the "things" we have. Who cares? things are just things... I'm sure you could live without having a car or warm water for a day. Reminds me of (1John.2:17)I realized how blessed I am, growing up without having these kind of experiences of having less than we should. I am even more thankful that I have now, and have seen the reality of what most of how the World lives. There is no reason to expect to have the things you have. Shouldn't we focus on People more than ourselves? What happened to the Care of the World? It breaks my heart to realize how selfish I have been. I took me a long time to get to this point of being content. I pray that I can continue to say this.

Hypocrite?
I had the privilege to stay with one of my best Hungarian friends from school over the break! We had several good conversations together and one of them was about being a hypocrite. I believe that everyone is!! It's hard to tell the truth sometimes, even when u don't realize it. I noticed that I need to start a change myself. Sometimes I just tell people what "they want to hear." And it's not what is truly on my heart. I need to start looking deeper and let my character express itself. And when i don't have an answer for someone, I should be honest and say i don't have the answer now. Being a hypocrite is... its like being a sinner. before being a christian you don't know that your a sinner. so why change. but once you are.. you start to change. but that doesn't make u a sinless person. you still will sin. once you realize that you are not totally honest. that you are a hypocrite. I believe that you can make some major changes in your thinking. and what you do and say. but that doesn't mean you wont still make mistakes even if they are smaller.
BUT their IS HOPE!! when we realize these kind of things. we can share it with others and put our focus on Christ, making ourselves more and more like him IN LOVE!! ♥

LOTS OF LEARNING AND GROWING!! Please keep me in your prayers as school is starting this week! My goals for this new year is to keep Christ as my first focus! so i can be mentally fit for my ministries! Pray for me as I disciple Evi, and others at school. That I can trust the Lord with my future plans and my needs for tuition to be payed would be met. My personal goals of being more neat and organized. Also putting the Most important things first. =)

Köszönöm!!!
Amanda Joy

"Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take....pleasures for granted."
J.I. Packer

A different Christmas <3

This Christmas is a very different Christmas of course. No running around with the family, going to see a movie at the theater on Christmas Eve. Laughing the whole ride home and being excited for all those snack and sparking wine. Playing Mexican Train till late at night and the next morning waking up to the smell Cinnamon rolls and jumping on the boys. =) nope. this Christmas was very much the opposite. It was still joyful however!
Eva her sister Reka and I arrived in their home town "Bonyhad" on Christmas Eve. We decorated the Christmas tree with those Hungarian favorite chocolate candies with the jelly in the middle... ya not my favorite but their OK! =P . Eva is allot of fun! She just turned 18 and is a senior in high school! She is a beautiful girl with a heart for the Lord! She decided that she wants to attend bible school next year even! Her dad even said he would pay for her first year! which is amazing since her dad is not a Christa in and it's very rare for parents to do that here. Praise the Lord! Well I wouldn't say that her family is Christain, her brother Mate is very strong in his faith and had brought up Eva since she was 12. They aren't sure if their brother Tomi, sister Reka, and Dad are saved, or even their grandma. So we wanted to make sure we were a good influence on them while we were there!
We had a HUGE lunch/Dinner with of course soup to start us off! with u now like the whole duck or pork in there with the bones. =) haha
Than! Eva, John, Mate and I prepared a skit for her family!! about baby Jesus in the bible! We dressed up! they loved it! we sang a couple of songs and than opened presents! It was all together a very good night!
They celebrate Christmas here as a three say holiday! So on Christmas day, they went out to see cousins and relatives! we played games and talked. It was actually very hard for me allot of the times, because i am not well in the Language and can mostly understand whats going on, but very hard to get in a conversation. So allot of the times i felt a little lonely when John wasn't there. But I did learn ALLOT of Hungarian!! =P
One night i spent almost two hours talking with her brother Tomi about why I was in Hungarian and about the Bible school! He said that He needed a change in his life, and he's thinking about going to bible school too!! It was cool talking with him and I pray that the Lord is working in his life! I also had a chance to talk with her cousin Patrica!! She told me that she believed in God and prayed to Him allot, but had allot of sin in her life. I asked her what the most important thing was in the bible... She didn't know so I explained to her the perfect gift of Christ. How He died on the Cross to forgive our sins and rising from the grave, and by believing in that He is the only way to heaven, we can be saved. We don't have to go to a Priest to have our sins forgiven, God wants a personal relationship with us. So we can just come to Him with our problems! I shared with her my testimony and How coming to bible school has really changed my life. Her mom walked in at one point of our conversation and she told her mom " Mom, please! I am learning about God! go away!" wow just about broke my heart! This girl really wanted to know the Lord more, and by the way her family life was. It looked like she didn't get it much! She said she wants to hang out with us in Budapest sometime! I told her i would get her a quiet time diary book! I felt like the Lord was using me there, maybe in ways I don't even know!

Each day we are fighting a battle. We are in a warfare of sin. How are we preparing ourselves in this life? Are we starving ourselves each day from our food and water? We will be weak and fall on the Battle field. Each day that we forget to feed ourselves, we are putting ourselves in dangerous situations and soon lose site and our strength! We need to be continually in the Word each day!
1 John 2:28 - "Continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."
How are we living our lives? what are we feeding ourselves?
Galatians 6:8 - For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life."
What is growing? Your flesh or your desires for the Lord? We all know what satisfies us completely! That is only Christ!
I am Learning to be joyful with whats in front of me. What ever circumstances i am in. Even though Christmas wasn't the "same" this year. I have to look at it from a different angel and say "Wow what an amazing experience I had!"

Keep me in your prayers!! and If you would like to give me something for Christmas! Please send me tuition money for School!!! Thank you so much for all your prayers and your love this Christmas!!
God Bless!!
amanda joy

Budapest!! <3

This week was beautiful! and very very busy!
There was a strike here is Budapest on the trains and some busses! even the airport!! It was a hard time to travel or get around. They were having a strick becuase its Christmas time and the workers wanted more money. The money in Hungary right now is so bad. It is worse that America. I came into Budapest Thursday from the school on Bus and it took me over 2 hours because everything was so packed with people. I stayed the night at Evi's house and than went to her High school with her Friday. I was told that I would only have twenty minutes in their Faith Class to talk about my school. Well Praise the Lord. I ended up taking the whole hour! The teacher never stopped me! I was able to share my testimony with all the students and my life now at Bible school!! They had questions for me and it went so well!! Allot of them would like to come and visit the school this year!! =D Praise the Lord!!
It's been allot of fun getting to know Evi's friends at school! I feel like I am a huge influence on them or I hope! =)

The Coffee house Friday night was packed! It was a special Christmas event where several of my friends were playing and singing Christmas carols! I ended having to help Mate and Evi work because there just wasn't enough people working! But i really love it and enjoy helping out!! It was so great to see how many people were bringing their unsaved friends! there were some deep conversations going on that night! it was exciting!

Saturday morning I went to an orphanage with ICSB "International Christian school" with the High school students, and youth group from Danube International church. They had prepared Christmas presents for each of the kids there! It was so cool to see the look on their faces!! They were all so happy to see us there! We sang several Christmas songs to them and presented the REAL most important gift of the gospel to them. Afterwards we had a couple hours to just talk and hang out with the kids. I had a chance to talk with four 15 to 18 year old. It was tough because they didn't know any English. So our conversations were short and not too deep. They were fun kids though. There are so many kids here in Budapest without parents or a family. Makes me realize how thankful I am for my Christian family i grew up in.

Saturday night was Evi's high school Christmas Party! Wow let me tell you this was way different than ones in the states would be. It was actually very sad. Evi and I went but only stayed for a little bit. Most of the kids 15-18 were drinking and doing drugs. we just came to hang out with her girlfriends which were very happy to see us! I was very heart broken to see what I saw. Made me see how so many people are caught up into what the World has to offer. IT is such a sad life to live. They are throwing their lives away... for what? nothing. it is not satisfying to them. They walk around with no hope. I just pray that Evi and I can be a light to them.

Philippians 2:13-16 had encouraged me allot
- For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, Children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that i did not run or labor for nothing.

Isaiah 60:1-3
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Sunday!! <3
Sunday School went amazing! We shared with the kids the story behind the candy cane! It's about how it relates to Christ dying on the cross for our sins! It's a very cool story, but i'll let you look it up! The bible story went well, we had hardly any kids this week however because most of the families went home to see families for Christmas. Afterwards John and I were invited over to one of my Sunday school kids house for Lunch! They were having a pancake party! and had invited several other families from the church! It was sooo cool! They were real American pancakes and they had allot of American food there! It was soo Delicious! We spent most of the day their and very much enjoyed the conversations and kids!! They gave us a little present before we left!! get this... Rootbeer!! and Mountain Dew!! and Doctor Pepper!! woowhoo cool stuff.. and way.. moving on..

I will be going to Bonhayd for Christmas with Evi and her family on Tuesday. Today... and we will be spending a week there!! It is a very small but cute village! I'm not too sure what will happen! but i will let you know!
Please keep praying for me and my time here!!

If you would like to do anything for me for Christmas all I ask is for your support for me to stay here at bible school. =) I am still low on cash to pay for my school tuition. If you feel it on your heart to give please send a letter to my parents or you can send it to my tuition fund!

köszönöm Isten Aldás

Amanda Joy Gilbert