Trip to Budapest!

Budapest, Hungary
Sept. 2008
Modern Building Downtown
The "Walking Street"
Very European!
See the difference where renovation is being done!
This along a side street...no matter where you go in Budapest, you'll find this wonderful archtecture!

Budapest, Hungary

Sept. 2008
One of the many beautiful buildings!
Along the Danube!
The River Danube

Sept. 2008
Parliament Building, Budapest

This is only a very small portion of the building!The other side, and each of the four sides are just as exquisitely beautiful!!

Greetings from Krakow,

May the Lord Bless you as you praise Him in all things! The past few weeks have been very hectic, to say the least. We have been in a virtual whirlwind of activity. Expecting things to slow a bit, we made our long put-off trip to Budapest for some medical work-up. Little did we know that our one week trip would turn into three weeks! Had we known, we would have made sure the potato and onion bin was emptied out!!!

You know though, that even the little things turn out ok. When we arrived back at the apartment-the veggies were still alive and well....no rotten veggies to be found!

Ok, now for the trip itself and to update you on the medical tests, etc. We left Krakow on August the 31st, on the night train to Budapest. The trip was un-eventful, and we were even able to sleep a little on the way down. We arrived at Kelety Station at about 0830 and were met by Glen Borders.

Glen took us to the Eden House, where we were met by his wife, Cile. As we were settled into our room, Cele took us to buy a few groceries for our 'weeks' stay.

This was on Sunday morning. On Sunday evening we attended the church service at Eden House. The music (led by Robert Rierson) was beautiful. The message given by Alvin Doyle was also a wonderful message from the Gospel of John.

Monday morning was our 41st anniversary. 41 years...wow! 41 years...wow!

It seems only yesterday, that Allan and I met, and just days ago since we held our precious Lora and Michael for the first time. Time truly does have a way of slipping away. God has so richly blessed us, that words fail me in trying to thank Him enough.

We had so many tests and labs drawn, that all I can tell you is that most things were good, some unchanged, and some new things going on.I know that most of you want to know about our health, so here's the brief summary:

Allan is now on blood pressure medication.Our doctor told us that he can only have kielbasa once a month for dessert! He must watch his salt (he's been told that by R.N. Weaver for years!!), yet she says that I may have his salt, because I need sodium.

He had to be fit for orthotics for his heel pain-we are calling this "transfer technique" it transfers his pain from his heels to his arches!!

He also needs to use lotion for severely dry skin...can you believe she recommended MY favorite-if he can get it (Hmmmmmm, maybe I can sell him some of mine-ha-ha!)- Jergens!!! A couple of his labs were abnormal, but then he is 61 now. Anyway, he seems to be in pretty good health for a kielbasa, salt, fat, buttery pop corn, ice cream,Frito-loving guy!

As for myself: my colonoscopy showed the (known ) collagenous and lymphocytic colitis with inflammation. There is a new thing, though-an ulcer in my stomach, which will be treated with antibiotics and prevacid for a couple of months, then re-evaluated in four months (H. Pylori +).

After avoiding anti-cholesterol meds for all my years.....I now must take meds for high cholesterol! Now, isn't this just life; I am long term vegetarian, no meat/dairy (but an occasional egg or cheese-rarely), and he eats every fat-laden thing he can find..and I have genetically high cholesterol, and now have to take meds for it. My doctor said, "you have done everything humanly possible and you have done all the right things, and I'm so sorry, but you must do this now." Ok. I am.

My Ophthalmology exam for Glaucoma (since 1999) was also not as good as I had hoped- pressure high in both eyes. He was amazed at my good vision though. He did write an Rx for reading glasses (he doesn't seem to think Wal Mart glasses are as good, for some reason!). Anyway, I will need an additional eye med added to my current med.

My stress test was abnormal-and still not determined as to why this is so. They did a Coronary PET scan, in which the results were good. PTL for that, as we have a strong cardiac history in my family.

Now for that beautiful city; Budapest! We were able to see a lot of the city between appointments, labs, etc.

Budapest is divided by the Blue Danube River. What an enchanting city! The architecture is awesome. The detailed beauty of each building seems more delightful than the one we saw before it. The old Parliament building was one of the most beautiful man-made creations I've seen anywhere. God has certainly blessed man with an incredible gift for design, detail, and craftsmanship! We took a lot of pictures during our time there, and I hope some of them will give you an idea of how lovely this city really is.

One of my most memorable times in Budapest was at the Budapest International Fellowship Church. The pastor spoke one day of the praise and worship of our God. As I had just begun reading a book by Tommy Tenney called "Finding Favor With the King" (highly recommend it, too!!)I was very interested in this particular message. As I listened to this parallel to the book I was reading, I began to think about what he was saying.

The pastor was talking about God inhabiting our praise and worship. Just as the book was talking about how much God loves our worship, and how He responds to our worship far more than anything else we can do. This message made an impact on my thinking. Many times we hear pastors preach about our sort of making God out to be our "demands of needs and wants" supplier. To be honest, it's so good to know that our Father really does care about every small and great detail of our daily life. Yet as parents, we know how special it is to be appreciated and loved, and obeyed.

How often we'd love to have our children (at any age) tell us how much they love and appreciate us, and to not only speak the words, but to show us through their actions! Just as we feel taken for granted and not appreciated at times, so does our Father!

Can you imagine that He would just love for us to come before Him just to worship and adore, praise, thank, and glorify Him without a long list of do's and dont's! How often do we do that? I have decided to make it a point to NOT ask for things every time I come before Him. I have usually used the ACTS form of prayer in the past (A for Adoration, C for confession, T for thanksgiving, S for supplication), but I am re-thinking my prayer life!

Adoration, Adoration, Adoration!

I will always continue my supplication and intercessory prayer, of course! I am a committed prayer-walking warrior. I am a committed down on my knees and flat on my face prayer warrior. I awaken in the early morning hours, and I am and have been for years, and worship God with adoration and praise-before I even get out of bed warrior......but I want a new level of closeness with my Lord. I want Him to inhabit my praise and worship! I want Him to whisper things to me and tell me things that are "great and mighty" (Jer. 33:3).I want to dwell in his secret place (Ps.91:1).

I am telling you all of this because I desire that you will pray for me, as I have such a desire that God will hear me when I call, that He will tell me what He wants me to do/know/see/understand and learn from Him and His Word!

There is a desire that God has placed in my heart, for America, for Poland, and for China, as well as many other places....a desire to see these countries united in a common goal- God first in their governments and people and churches...to know WHO Jesus is! I also have come to love and have a very deep burden for the Hungarians during our three week visit there. They, too, have been victims of WWII and the dictatorship of Communism. They too, need to know God and His free gift of mercy and grace, His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!

I am praying about some things that I feel certain that God is wanting me to do. I have been asked by a Great Commission Church here to speak one Sunday, and share my testimony. I am thinking that God is leading me to also share Prayer-Walking for this city, with this church. Please be praying for me about this!

Another prayer request is that (last year I did the children's Christmas play), this year I am hoping to do a drama with the teens...please pray about this.

Back home, Jim is away again, so Lora an the boys are working toward getting homework, chores, etc. all taken care of. Jim is working very hard and is tired. Michael is happy in his new apartment in his city. He's in language school, and staying very busy. Ryan is hoping to come to see us and now he has yet another delay: he has injured his knee and is having physical therapy-so please pray for him, for healing...14 is too young for bad knees! Ian is getting good grades and very proud of that! (so are we!!). Zane is in "Top Dog" at school and hopes to win a trip to Traverse City this year. Ryan is in swimming, soccer, and Civil Air Patrol...so he really needs his knees! Lora is doing some ladies book studies and one of them is with my niece, Betty Sue (online). Pray for these precious souls, along with us! Thank you so much for these prayers for our family!!

In summary, we have had teams here all summer. The Clear Vision Drama Team, Hilton Head S.C. Team, IWC, Summer missionaries (Kate and Stacy), a team of football coaches, Hixon Church from Tn., Women of Hope with Paula Hemphill, Harvest Baptist Church, Sally Klein O'Connor, and numerous others. God has richly blessed the International Fellowship with wonderful, spirit-filled messages and music, testimonies, those who came to faith in Christ (and planning baptisms), services for the children, new people coming (so that we'll need a new building!), and just so many blessings altogether!

He has blessed the prayer -walking trips, the day camps, the over night camps, sports, English classes, Bible studies in homes, coffee house ministry, and we have all grown in our personal walk through the willingness to obey Him. Pray that we all keep the team spirit, through coming changes with the company, over the next few months. God is working and we need to be listening to where, when and how, so that we are in His will and not our own!

Please write to us and let us know how we can pray for you! Thank you all once again for your faithful prayers!! May God bless you, so that you may bless others, so that HIS name may be glorified in all the earth!

The Fishermensline

Matt. 4:19

I Th. 5:16-17

Eph. 4:30

Sue and Allan in Krakow