Where to begin?! My last few weeks home were filled with so many sweet moments with people. It was not easy to leave so many that I love, yet I left encouraged and strengthened by the abundance of love,  care, and prayer that I received from friends and family at home as well as from afar. I thank God for all of you!

Over a week has passed since I arrived in Hungary.  That God has gone before and prepared the way has been continually evident. Day after day I have sat in awe over it all! Even now there are unknowns that remain and new things  much bigger than me on the horizon, yet I rest assured knowing that God will continue to go before and prepare the way. His continual promise in recent weeks has been “not by [human] might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.”  I can rest in this, that it depends on God.

Monday we began working on my residence permit process, not expecting to have everything taken care of that same day. By God’s grace, it was. We are still amazed by this. God provided just the right people to help us properly apply for a work visa and truly, without their help, it would have been nearly impossible to have everything we needed. If my application is accepted, it will allow for some great opportunities that I could not otherwise have.

Leah and I were able to sit down on Tuesday and talk more about how the summer and fall will look. There is so much that could be done! Just Monday, there were thirty international students waiting ahead of us in the visa office–students from Mongolia, Syria, the list goes on… Leah and I were both hit anew with the tremendous opportunity in front of us here to reach the nations, to share the love of God with these students, many of whom come from areas where they are not free to hear the gospel. We are dreaming of ways to get connected at the University and engage more with students than we are already.  Please pray for us in this, that God would lead us in the ways He wants us to go.  Pray that these students will encounter the God who loves them and gave His life for them.

One of my main roles this Summer and continuing into the Fall, will be investing in the young women in the church. This is a dream come true for me, as I have long dreamed of having the time and ability to invest deeply  in young women and point them to Jesus. There are young women in the church who are hungry for the things of God and there is tremendous opportunity to come alongside them and go deeper with them. I am excited!

Tuesday I took a bus to Veszprém to visit my sister Kecia. I enjoyed the 3 hr 20 min bus ride as it meant I got to soak in the beautiful Hungarian countryside on my way! It’s extra special having a sister on this side of the pond  and we have been enjoying a few days together.  Tomorrow I will head to Budapest as my four-week language intensive course begins on Monday (June 4). I’m thankful for this opportunity to press into language learning and excited (as well as a bit nervous) to jump in!

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Pray for fruitful language study, for the ability to understand and comprehend Hungarian, and for patience as I learn! 🙂
• Pray that I can find out which students will remain over the summer so that I can connect with them. Pray that I will be able to build relationships with these women and that God will be known and loved.
• Csebény, a village about an hour outside of Pécs, where a new body of believers is growing. God has been working in this village, a place where there are many who have never heard of Jesus. The Stanzel’s and others from the church have made frequent visits to the village to build relationship with and study the Bible with them, as there are new believers there who are hungry for the things of God and have had no church or person there to teach them. They are hungry to learn more of God and want to meet regularly, but their previous meeting place is no longer an option.  Pray for a meeting place that will be a healthy spot for these new believers to meet.
• Praise God for His abundant faithfulness, provision, preparation, and favor!

Together in Christ,

Brenna