“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Wonderful Counselor.
Mighty God.
Everlasting Father.
Prince of Peace.
Such hope wrapped up in these words, in these titles of Jesus! I pray this week as you celebrate Christmas, that it will be a strengthening, joyous time of reflection on the tremendous love of God, who took on flesh, coming in the form of a humble baby, and made a way that we could have restored relationship with God. As I ponder these things, I want to say thank you for the ways you have supported and encouraged and partnered in the gospel, that more may know this wondrous love of God and receive the greatest gift of all.
General Update
I returned to Hungary at the beginning of November and after ten days in official post-travel quarantine, was able to jump back into much of life and ministry here. Things have looked a bit different due to covid restrictions, the main thing being that our church is only able to have online services right now. Thankfully we are still able to meet in smaller groups, and I am super grateful for our Monday night girl’s bible study and the one-on-one times I am able to have with girls. I have also been able to have girls over Sunday mornings to watch our online church service together, and that has been a great blessing!
Though I wasn’t able to return to the kindergarten to teach my class there, the Lord provided new teaching opportunities for me. I have taken on a few students for private English lessons, which is a new challenge for me! I appreciate the opportunity to teach English and the way it has given a way to connect with more Hungarians outside of the church.
This week approaching Christmas is a busy one! Since we are unable to have our usual Christmas service together, we have been putting together cookie packages to take and deliver as a little gift to our church members and others, like those who had been coming to the Lighthouse outreach events before the restrictions started in November. More than just giving cookies, it is an opportunity to take time to connect face to face with people, talk with them, pray for them, and let them know that they are seen and cared for even amidst this time when we are more isolated from one another. Pray for those we connect with, that they will be encouraged and strengthened. And for those we will visit who do not yet know Jesus, pray that this will be a fruitful opportunity to share the love Jesus and good news of all that God has done for them!
Health Update
I thank God for the strides that I was able to make with health during my time in the states. I saw a lot of improvement and my health became more stabilized. I ask continued prayer for this area of health. Upon returning to Hungary, I quickly had old symptoms return and it has been apparent that something in my living environment is affecting me. In light of this, the next step I see to take is trying to make some practical changes. It seems possible that my current mattress could be toxic to me, so I am looking into purchasing a new mattress. It’s all a bit of a guessing game to figure out what the source could be, so I ask prayer for wisdom and strength to make the decisions and changes.
No matter the season or circumstance, He remains Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. May you know deep comfort and joy in the Lord this week and in the weeks and months to come. You are wondrously loved!
Merry Christmas!!!
Love, Brenna