http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/index.htmlLatest News!enbabymerce@mac.comCopyright 2006 Allen Mercer2012-01-25T10:26:34+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:31:19 +0100babymerce@mac.comHOME2012-01-25T10:26:34+01:00http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/446cd850c1f55ee77cd2a56964cb8d53-614.html#unique-entry-id-614http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/446cd850c1f55ee77cd2a56964cb8d53-614.html#unique-entry-id-614SUNDAY WORSHIP



Above: L to R, Marcsi (from Rozsaszentmarton), Peti (from Lorinci), Eniko (from Petofibanya), and two other members from two other villages of Apc and Zagyvaszanto. As you can see, there is a diversity of age, background and residence in the makeup of our church.

Marcsi (above left) and her husband Dezso (not pictured) will be holding church service in their home in Rozsaszentmarton this Sunday! We are excited about this church plant and ask that you please pray as Christ’s kingdom is extended into their hometown. As we approach this special day of initiating this church plant there has been plenty of spiritual attack. Please pray especially for Dezso who is leading this church plant and for his family.

Peti (above center) is also called into church planting and we are waiting for God’s timing in initiating a house church in his hometown of Lorinci. Unfortunately, Peti just found out that his current residence is in danger of being taken away because of the incredible debt incurred by the owner (not Peti’s debt but the owners debt that allows them to live there). This was very disheartening and a source of worry as Peti has a wife and four kids to provide for. Peti is learning to trust God as HIs provider and to depend on Him to replace fear with His presence and HIs peace. Please pray for Peti, his wife Eszti, their four children and Eszti’s little brother who lives with them. Peti, Eszti and Gyozo are faithful members in our church who continually show fruit in their lives. Pray that God would provide a solution to this threatening situation.

Eniko (above right) is a growing young believer who was saved at a previous English Camp. She is now newly wed to Gabi and very involved in children’s ministry in our church and in the local schools in our area. She is halfway through an extension course on children’s ministry and would appreciate your prayers for her growth and a strong foundational first year of marriage.




Above: A son and mother visiting from the town of Jászfényszaru where we have begun teaching and training on the subject of church planting. Gyula far right (grey sweater) continues to grow in his faith and is taking steps of obedience in following His Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Mal 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…” Gyula’s father struggles with alcohol and depression. Gyula Sr. shared with some in our church that he just doesn’t understand the Bible which led Peti and Miki to ask Gyula Jr. to begin visiting his father and explaining God’s word to him. This was not an easy step for Gyula Jr. who now lives in a separate house with his mother after an ugly separation. It would take forgiveness and love to initiate this type of conversation with his dad and just this past week, Gyula by God’s grace and through God’s power took those steps. Praise God for visible fruit in those He has called out of darkness into His light.



Above: Néomi (from Rozsaszentmarton), Gyula Sr., Laci and his wife Marianna (from Rozsaszentmarton). Néomi, Laci and Marianna recently put their trust in Jesus Christ and make up some of the core group that will be attending the church plant in Rozsaszentmarton this Sunday. In the very back of the photo under the mirror are triplets that are related to Peti through his father. This is their second time attending and we ask you to pray that they would continue and be saved through the relationships God has put in their lives to lead them to His Son.

FAMILY SHOTS





Above: Family portrait, Ziva, Elianna, Kira, Sharon, Benjamin and Allen. We’re so thankful to be serving our 12th year in Hungary and are grateful for your continued encouragement through prayer and financial support.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Miki will be taking the teens and young adults to a conference this weekend. Please pray for each of them to hear a very personal message from God that they would surrender to in this new year.

• Pray for the launch of the church plant in Rozsaszentmarton this Sunday and for Dezso and his family who will be hosting worship service.

• Pray for God’s provision for Peti and Eszti’s family and for specific direction related to housing.

• Pray for Gabi and Eniko for healthy foundations to be built in their first year of marriage. Pray for Gabi who continues to attend theological training and is seeking direction from God as to where he is called. Pray for Eniko as she continues training in Children’s ministry and seeks new opportunities in the surrounding public schools to start Bible clubs.]]>babymerce@mac.comHOME2012-01-18T20:34:52+01:00http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/c22b6a654bdc7085d69f7927b6045493-613.html#unique-entry-id-613http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/c22b6a654bdc7085d69f7927b6045493-613.html#unique-entry-id-613



Above: Some photos of the “majority” in our family. Funny that my mother always wanted a girl, but got three boys. Now she has granddaughters galore.







Above: Sharon’s friend Klari who had been a constant help leading up to Ziva’s birth came to visit and hold Ziva for the first time. Klari stopped over again today and dropped off some homemade Hungarian sausage - what kindness! Klári has a daughter that also has celiac disease and Sharon and Klári often exchange recipes. We’re so thankful for her friendship.



Above: Kira playing with Klári’s daughter Réka.



Above: A view from our front window. After such a mild winter we have been hit with snow a few times this week.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Niki, who years ago attended some of our children’s outreach and later put her faith in Jesus Christ as a young teen, is now 18 years old. To the average family, this is a big deal and usually mom and dad would be planning a special party for their special daughter. However, Niki doesn’t come from an average family, but a broken one. Her parents are separated, and her father has no part in her life. Her mother suffers from the destructive nature of sin and doesn’t have much to give to Niki in her lost state. In the end, Niki planned her own party, decorated with help from a few others and sent out the invitations. I’m thankful that we had a good time together as Niki’s family in Christ celebrating this special day.



Above: Niki with Ziva celebrating her 18th birthday.









SUNDAY WORSHIP



Above: Reaching full capacity of our current meeting place. After launching two evangelistic house groups over the past 3 months (one in Rozsaszentmarton and one in Petofibanya), we have seen an influx of new people! It was clear that the Spirit of God was at work as all those who attend the group in Rozsaszentmarton prayed to put their faith in Jesus after a few weeks of meeting and learning about the Gospel. Rozaszentmarton is about an 8 minute drive away over a small mountain that sits behind Petofibanya. Just a few weeks from now, Dezso will be holding worship service in his house on Sunday in Rozsaszentmarton, while the rest of our church meets in Petofibanya. It is our hope that later this year we also be able to plant a church in the neighboring town of Lorinci, having a large group of believers from that area. This is such an exciting season, seeing dreams come true after years of sowing through God’s strength and by God’s grace. We praise Him for the growth that only He can bring.

VOLLEYBALL



Above: Ádám who has attended our VBS camps over the years comes to volleyball. Every Monday, we rent out the local school gym and invite the community to play volleyball. In a town with no opportunities for recreation, this has drawn out many parents and young adults who have commented that this is the highlight of their week. We’re glad to build relationships with the community through volleyball and for the small group Bible study that was launched for those who attend volleyball.





Above: Misi ready to attack. We met Misi and his wife Monika through volleyball and later they began attending a Bible study and both prayed to put their faith in Jesus. Their daughter attends the same preschool as Kira and they also have a newborn baby which helps us to relate to some of the same experiences they are going through. Please pray for them and for the large group of new believers that recently made decisions in Petofibanya and Rozsaszentmarton to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ.



Above: Ziva cuddled up with her favorite penguin. Maybe she likes it because he looks like me.



Above: Coming upstairs one night, I saw Sharon with some string and Kira excitedly saying, “Mommy is going to pull out my tooth.” The ol’ slam the door trick did not work, but it was entertaining at least. A few days later, our teammate’s daughter helped tug it out. In the past week and a half two of her teeth have fallen out. Kira also just began learning how to read. Elianna, being a great big sister, often plays teacher reading to Kira and helping Kira sound out words. Kira is also a helpful big sister to Ziva, always willing to help with diaper changing and entertaining Ziva.

Thanks for following our updates and for your constant encouragement through prayer and support of our family. ]]>babymerce@mac.comHOME2012-01-03T12:13:18+01:00http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/3be78ca419465bb08379651382d47ada-612.html#unique-entry-id-612http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/3be78ca419465bb08379651382d47ada-612.html#unique-entry-id-612




Above: At 11:50 we began praying as a large group holding hands, giving thanks to God up until midnight. Afterwards, we blessed each other and broke out the noise makers and sparklers for the kids.



Above: Eszti who recently served with us in our Christmas Puppet Ministry climbing on and leaping off her little brother Gyozo.



Above: David (right), who has been attending church regularly after English Camp this summer brought his friend Sanyi to our get together. I’m curious to know what his friend thought about what we did together in contrast to the New Year’s Parties he has attended in the past.











Above: Game time was a blast! Csaba (far left) in the above photo was invited initially to just our New Year’s Eve party by church member Peti. Csaba and Peti grew up together, then lost contact and were ‘reunited’ on Facebook. Peti has been reaching out to Csaba and after hearing that Peti was preaching on Saturday’s New Year’s Eve service, Csaba agreed to come. I’m sure it was shocking for him to see Peti preach about Christ being the center of our lives since he knew Peti before he was saved. What a testimony for Csaba to see the new Peti saved by Christ, a loving husband and father and a man passionate for Jesus Christ.



Above: Peti talking with Roland after Saturday’s worship service.

ZIVA UPDATE







Above: Winter sickness continues to make it’s rounds through our family and God has been gracious to help Ziva recover from croup and coughing and congestion. It’s been a tough few weeks for her, but she seems to be on the tail end of the worst of it. We are thankful that even through this sickness she has been able to eat and sleep well. Ziva gets cuter every day and is beginning to smile when we interact with her. Please continue to pray for her, Kira, Ben and Sharon who are all sick in various degrees.



Above: Kira imitating Sharon with her version of a baby wrap.



Above: One of Ellie’s crafty gifts to Sharon at Christmas.

May Jesus Christ bless you with growing hope, a strong faith and greater intimacy with Him in the new year. We appreciate all your support, your encouragement and commitment to our family!]]>babymerce@mac.comHOME2011-12-23T22:25:46+01:00http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/af2c6b85a886264da5cdea20aa168e30-611.html#unique-entry-id-611http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/af2c6b85a886264da5cdea20aa168e30-611.html#unique-entry-id-611

Above: The kids enjoying sledding on the steep incline of our driveway. There was just enough snow to last for morning fun.



Above: Later in the afternoon our team traveled to our last show in the town of Vanyarc. In many of these smaller towns and villages, they gather together to decorate the town’s large Christmas tree. Our show was the special presentation in the community center after this event.





Above: Miki and Erika’s kids Bence and Anna helped with teaching the kids the motions to the songs.











Above: This year’s team, Roger, Miki, Eniko and Eszti. It was great to serve with each member, each having a servants heart and committed to unity in Christ. Both Eniko and Eszti said they would enjoy serving again at Easter if God provides the opportunity. We’re very thankful for their commitment to this seed sowing ministry and praise God for raising up new workers to continue proclaiming the Gospel.


2011 CHRISTMAS PUPPET MINISTRY VIDEO
Pictures are great, but maybe a little video will do a better job of displaying some of the joys of this ministry.



Thank all of you who prayed for us through this intense time of ministry. Thank those of you also who donated toward the gift magazines and CDs we were able to distribute to over 1,200 kids!

WORSHIP SERVICE



Above: We decided to hold our worship service Friday night because of Christmas falling on Sunday. We continue to run out of room in our meeting place and tonight we packed in the most people to date. It is exciting to see the growth of the church and to constantly be introducing myself to people whom others invited to church.



Above: Jennifer (left) wishing Peti’s little boy Darius happy birthday. This was Jennifer’s first time visiting our church.



Above: Dezso, who preached the gospel praying with Bruno who decided to put his faith in Jesus after the service. Bruno is the son of church member Tamás (Dezso’s neighbor).



Above: Noami (back in green) is from the town of Rozsaszentmarton and has been attending Dezso’s house group. That’s Dezso’s daughter Adrienne giving me the crossed armed look with a smirk.



Above: Ellie wins for most believable fake expression of surprise as the kids receive gifts at church.



Above: Our little Ziva continuing to bring joy to our family.
]]>babymerce@mac.comHOME2011-12-21T20:19:38+01:00http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/611293ef9785dd6ec850d4787c791162-610.html#unique-entry-id-610http://www.javajournal.mercerfamily.com/files/611293ef9785dd6ec850d4787c791162-610.html#unique-entry-id-610HÉHALOM



Above: After the Petofibanya contingent meets for prayer, we leave to pick up Eszti (above) at her house in the neighboring town of Lorinci. In the new year, we hope to plant a church just beyond those blue doors behind her. Her husband Peti has been busy over the past year, breaking down walls and renovating the entrance room as he looks forward to using it as a meeting place for the church.



Above: An elderly woman looks on from across the street as we unpack our gear and enter Héhalom’s middle school.













Above: We’re very pleased with the way this year’s presentation creatively draws the kids into the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.



Above: Eszti continues to do an excellent job in each school telling the kids about Jesus Christ who died for our sins and offers the free gift of salvation to all those who believe in Him. She quotes John 3:16 in each school, which is also quoted in the puppet show and highlights how the Bible tells the true story of the life of Jesus Christ.



Above: As we near the end of our Christmas Puppet Ministry with one show remaining tomorrow, we’re close to having distributed 2000 CD’s and magazines to kids.



Above: After the show MIki had a good conversation with Bori whom we have known for years through this ministry. Bori has often turned to Miki’s emails about the Gospel and is really seeking. Please pray for her and for this connection to bear fruit.



Above: A beautiful view as we travel from Héhalom to the town of Szurdokpüspöki.

SZURDOKPÜSPÖKI

















Above: For many of these schools, our Puppet Show is worked into the kid’s last day of school which is full of special programs. We’re so thankful to have the opportunity to give this Good News to these kids just before their winter break.



Above: After finishing today, the snow began falling and the kids began celebrating. Just maybe we will have a white Christmas.

Tomorrow we will perform our last show in the town of Vanyarc. We didn’t initially have Vanyarc on our schedule, but we were invited to their community Christmas show by the Principal of one of the schools we already performed in this year. This show will include a mini Christmas concert and parents are invited with their children. Please pray for safe travel as the roads are a bit dangerous at the moment and for God to use us to bring glory to Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for us to be healed of sickness and gain a great nights sleep tonight!
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