Field Personnel Entertainment

Hungary is not a very attractive place in the winter. The days are short on daylight, drab, gray and wet. On just such a day, while visiting Glen and Clista Adkins in Pecs, we laughed and relaxed at the Pecs Marzipan Museum! Calling it a museum is being generous since it is really no more than a store lined with display racks. However, the displays were awesome! A life size Elvis all from marzipan! Models of the cathedrals of Pecs and Budapest. A desert scene. Models of Disney characters. Furniture with elaborate embroidery designs - all from marzipan! It was a delightful way to spend 30 minutes. Fun in Pecs.

Sneak Peek at the Gandhi School Choir

Double click on this web address for U-Tube to get a sneak peek at the Gandhi School Choir. CBF's newest staff person, Glen Adkins, is ministering among the students with music. Despite only having met a few times before Christmas, the group has a beautiful sound. Please pray for this ministry - Ask God to bring the students to the class, give Glen ideas and patience, and that through it all His name would be praised.

**If for some reason the video doesn't come up when you double click - go to youtube.com and put Gandhi Choir in the search box. It will appear then for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVtWwoxCycY

Happy Birthday Jesus in Csobanka!

What better way to celebrate Christmas than with a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party?!?! After lighting the Advent candles and listening to a sermon on Christmas gifts, we celebrated the greatest gift of all - God's Son! Ralph and I came prepared with a car load of balloons, horns, hats, drinks, yummy food, and a tray of cupcakes that spelled out "Boldog Szuletesnapot Jezuska". The children and adults donned the party hats and munched down on the food. It was a great time.

Once the party was winding down we sent the children out and brought in boxes sent by some of our partnering churches (see below). The parents could pick out gloves, hats, socks, toothbrushes, and toothpaste to take home for Christmas presents for their children. After all had gotten what they needed we sent the remaining items with a Hungarian friend who ministers at an orphanage near his home. (The children's homes here are filled with Roma kids who have very little hope of getting a gift on Christmas.)

The day before a Hungarian partner had brought a puppet show to Csobanka and invited the children to come. They were to hand out the Christmas child boxes provided through Samaritan's Purse. (We know many churches in the US that support this ministry) It was a wonderful experience. The children were excited, the parents pleased, and the workers relieved. We were unsure how many kids would come so it was difficult to estimate the number of Christmas boxes needed. God is in control - how could we doubt? There were 50 boxes and... exactly 50 children!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas in Szatmercseke.

In Hungary it is a Christmas tradition that Baby Jesus and his angels bring the Christmas gifts - not a jolly, fat man dressed in a red suit. Angels come in many forms and this year in the village of Szatmercseke they were named Ralph and Tivadar, who came in a Skoda car (no sleigh) loaded down with Christmas boxes and bags. They were not alone. Other angels assisting were the members of Westwood Baptist Church in Cary; WMU ladies with Felicity Gordan at Parkway Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC; the children of Northside Baptist Church in Bernie, MO, (Tammy's childhood church); and members in Meridan, MS at Grace Fellowship Church - who all contributed with different items for the bags. We were overflowing with hats, gloves, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other hygiene items! The adults received gifts too thanks to the Wrights at Grace Fellowship who sent lots of candy canes.

The children were excited to get their boxes/bags and have something special of their own. We also stuffed inside a little toy, a notebook, crayons, cookies, and an orange. The celebration was more special because a truckload of furniture, donated to the Roma mission, also arrived this very day. Several families were able to take home badly needed items to use for their families.

Thanks to all who contributed. Christmas Joy was spread by Jesus and His Angels...