Author: LS

It seems like we tend to freeze frame so  much of our lives.  My picture of America was stuck in the previous condition I left it in.  Sadly, life doesn’t work that way…things change and they change very rapidly!  In addition, my lenses have expanded and grown.  I don’t see certain things the way I used to and it is easy to get a bit of reverse culture shock going.

Walmart is overwhelmingly massive.  All I wanted was one tube of toothpaste…it was nearly paralyzing to realize that there was an entire aisle devoted to the sale of toothpaste.  Breakfast portions at Cracker Barrell are designed to make certain that you avoid famine…for the next several years.  I think one of the dinner plate sized pancakes was plenty, but 3…and drowned in whip cream and butter!!  Serve up a heart attack on a king sized platter!  Everyone talks to you, even if they have never set eyes on you before.  And while everyone asks how you are, most of them are not really interested in the answer.

Yet, despite that, it has been refreshing to see how many of you have developed a heart for Hungary!  To hear your interest and see the insightful questions you ask is incredibly encouraging!  It is amazing to hear how God has given you a passion for a country that you have, often, never stepped foot in (of course I would love to see that changed!).  Thank you for your prayers, your support, your partnership, and your friendship!

Check it out!  All the fun of a month packed into a 10 minute video!  Grab the popcorn and soda!!

https://lukeys87.wistia.com/projects/00g6ris2z0

Just before heading west to visit the USA once more, I had the chance to travel to Pécs.  Pécs is located along the southern border of Hungary and is one of the older cities.  You can still see ruins of a church that was built around the 3rd century.

Over 3 days I had the chance to speak in English classes and to host an outreach event.  We had more than 15 students come out to join us for an awesome night!  Once more I saw tremendous potential and many, many open doors.  As in every city I visit, the most often asked question was, “When are you coming back?”  Join me in praying for this special city and that God will give us wisdom for how to more effectively reach out to the countryside this upcoming academic year!

In case you haven’t heard, I will be back on US soil during the months of May and June.  I would really love the opportunity to sit down and catch up with you!!  I am very curious to hear about your past to years and want to know what God has been doing in and through you!  I also want to have the chance to simply visit and deepen our friendship!

Could you help me with this?  I want to be effective with my time and yours, but I don’t know your schedule.  Could you take a second, look ahead, and send me some potential dates to get together with you?  I really want to make this happen!!

I will be in Alabama: May 4th through 28th

I will be in Missouri: May 28th through June 12th

And I will have a day to kill in Atlanta on June 15th (from about 9am until 7pm).

Please shoot me an e-mail, give me a call, or leave me a comment!  I can’t wait to visit with you!!

Yes, it has finally appeared on the internet!!  You can now catch up on what happened this past month!  Take a second, give it a read, and pass the link on to someone you know!!

Prayer Letter 46 (April)

As you may know, this past Sunday Hungary had its elections.  While I am not terribly political (even in America), in light of recent events within the Hungarian government, I was quite interested in the results.  The jury (at this point) is still out on whether the current government retook a 2/3 majority or if they will be one seat short, but it appears that very little has changed politically (although that one seat might prove to be very critical).  I certainly am far from an expert when it comes to Hungarian politics…only recently did I come to understand that there are some 18 political parties here.  But, I have found a few interesting news articles published in the New York Times and the Washington Post.  Of course, they are certainly being told from a slant…the truth is the unbiased writing is impossible to achieve.  However, from what I understand these articles are about as close to accurate as one would hope they could be.  If you have a few minutes, I think it will give you a better insight into Hungary and might help you understand the challenges both politically and spiritually for the future.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-viktor-orbans-victory-means-for-hungary-and-the-west/2014/04/07/a4ab440c-bb87-11e3-96ae-f2c36d2b1245_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/business/international/the-village-stadium-a-symbol-of-power-for-hungarys-premier.html?_r=0

If you haven’t yet seen it, I have added a new section on quotes I have found encouraging 🙂  Check it out!  I hope to add to it as I get the chance to work through different books.  Hopefully you will find that as encouraging and helpful as I have…and it will give me a way to remember these influential things I am reading 🙂

Also, we are running super short on Americans this year for SpeakOut 😦  We really need more help!  If we don’t get more, we are going to need to close registrations early and not allow the camp to be 100% full.  We really don’t want to see that happen (especially since we are already over 1/3 full!).  If you know of someone who would be willing to pray through coming, please let me know!!

Break out the popcorn!!  Here is the next big screen takeover!  Take a few minutes (a little more than 7 to be exact) to watch and please share!

http://lukeys87.wistia.com/projects/p43zh4pqap

If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, read the latest, greatest news of how God is at work here!  And please pray about coming to join us!!!  We need YOUR help!

Prayer Letter 45 (March)

Another video classic joins the ranks!!  Check it out!  It is a bit longer…a tad over 10 minutes…but I hope you will find it worth the time investment!

http://lukeys87.wistia.com/medias/q97ues7s8n