End of the semester!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s that amazing time of year again. When school is passed and summer begins! Not that we are at all glad the semester is over, that means many friends and loved ones are to depart back to the states or other parts of the world. We are just excited for this next season of life.

                Jono and I will be here for the next three weeks approximately. We are going to be helping out here at the school with conferences and daily service needs until the Day of June 9^th, when we will meet Chaney in Budapest! We will be travelling with my best friend Chaney this summer via Planes, trains and automobiles all over Europe.

                Your next Question is probably “Where in Europe are you going?” I know this is the next question you would ask because 99% of the time people ask that after I tell them we are backpacking for the summer, which is great that people actually want to know! However, I always respond “Everywhere”! as we are indeed, going everywhere. We are starting in Budapest, going down to Croatia, and from there, everywhere else. We plan to do 15 countries in 5 weeks, overambitious yes? Fun, definitely Yes! We are very excited, nervous, happy, and every other emotion one could feel in these moments.

                We have been praying and asking the Lord, Jesus for direction for our lives after this. We have had a few offers in ministry, but we feel that the Lord is leading us to stay here, in Vajta. We decided to step out in faith despite the lack of funds, and now here we are, some of the next interns for the fall semester! We have been accepted into the internship program. From this we will receive the last remaining credits we need to get our bachelors, and will also be serving the students and staff as well.

                The only problem, which is really not a problem, is we are waiting on the Lord to provide the necessary funds. We feel that the Lord is leading us here and if He really is, He will provide the money. We know that He can and He will, but please pray for us as we move in this direction that the Lord would provide for us to be here and that we would have faith in him and his past faithfulness to us.

                The internship program is a 13 month commitment, and if we started in the fall we would not be finished until Next September, 2013. This is a big commitment, and truly quite sad for us and many of our family and friends. Our deepest regrets to all or family and friends that we will not be with you for a while longer, we dearly love each and every one of you! I am reminded of a verse my teacher shared with us. “Though I am absent from you in the flesh, I am with you in Spirit rejoicing to see your good order and steadfastness in Christ!”(Colossians 2:5).

                We will try to keep you updated until our departure! Please let us know if there is any way we can be praying for you all, we are with you in Spirit!

Love,

Sarah and Jono

Life as we know it...

Its been so long since we have written, I am slightly embarassed.

        We have been on our annual ten day outreach. Every semester all the students are required to go on a ten day outreach. Jono and I went to Budapest. We did many activities there such as homless ministry, street evangelism, street dramas, working the church cofee shop, and decorating the Baby room. We were super busy as a result, but at the same time we had a wonderful time.
       The plans for the baby room was to redecorate, but the church as well as the baby room is in a historicla building. So even though there were these great plans to redecorate, the city has to be ok with any updates they do. we started working cutting out shapes and sewing them on to banners, as well as making these flags that would hang from the ceiling. We worked on this every day, and we didnt even finish which is extremely vexing. It was so much work!
       A group of us each day would go to the homless shelter and serve making and serving meals. My experience there was awesome. The homeless people there are very well take care of, as this is one of 40 homless shelters there. Even though I can get by in Hungarian with a few words and phrases, it was difficult to understand the homless people. They would often start talking to me in German haha, apparently I look German. Jonathan was able to share Jesus with one of the ex convicts that was doing community service there too. Such a sweet time!
         We also had this really cool band come and stay with us in Budapest in Travis and Autumns tiny flat. There were 14 of us in total! This band, called the New Divide, travel around Europe doing free shows and telling people about Jesus. Its a super cool minsitry, one that I would love myself. And its cool beacuse they really just had the same heart we had on our ten day, to point people to Jesus.
        They did a show in Tatbanya, a small town about a half hour outside Budapest. There was a big event that day, and therefore there were many kids at the park. They did thier set a couple times, and it was amazing how well the kids responded to them. They loved them so much they got thier autographs. Then to my suprise they wanted the other Americans autographs too. I guess in Europe even the roadies are cool! It really opened up a lot of doors for us to talk to the youth there. So all in all even though I had cold showers for a week, it was a blessing to have them there with us!
      One of my most memorable moments was when the band did thier set in Budapest at the Calvary Chapel. They had an evangelistic message, and afterwards there was a frenchman who wanted to talk to someone about what was going on that night. The pastor remembered that I spoke a little French, and as a result he came and asked me to talk to him. I was scared but I was able to share the gospel with him, in French! I am not sure how well I did, but I know that the Lord can use it. I am continuing to pray for Phillipe, and if you think of it please do too. It was an amazing experience, as it was one of the first times in my life I was extremely comfortable sharing my faith, even though it should have been uncomfortable becuase my French is soooo bad!
      All in all, it was an awesome ten day outreach. I have been blessed hearing all the stories from my fellow students about how God has been working in thier lives through ten day outreach. Since we have been back, it has been nothing but homework homework homework... As there are only two weeks left in the semester! How amazing is it that it went by so increadibly fast!
      I am also organizing the Talent show this year. I have bever done anything like this, but it is really fun and I am really excited for it! Jono and one of the pastors here are going to be the M.C.'s. I hope I can post a video too for all of you to see.
    Lastly, Jonathan and I along with my best friend Chaney are working on making arrangements for this summer. As some of you might know we are backpacking all over Europe! I am so excited as this is one of my life long dreams. If you can, please respond by posting on this blog your favorite place to visit in Europe, or any reccomendations you might have. We are totally open to suggestions!

Thank you all for your love and prayer! hope to talk to you soon!
Sarah and Jono