Salt and Light - March 26

Greetings from Debrecen,

"Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing." Ps. 34:10 

So thankful for God's provision and His promises. Thankful for you all and your prayers for us and the work that God is doing in Debrecen. This week while the girls and I were at a coffee shop, I was walking over to the table where there was some uneven tile and I fell on my knee. Afterward it really hurt and I prayed and asked the Lord to heal me, hoping I didn't do any damage to my back or leg. After a while the pain went away and I continued to check my knee even the day after for some sort of bruise but there wasn't any bruise or anything. I am so thankful that God healed it.

We will hopefully get internet on Wednesday! Yeah! And our telephones are in the process. Life just takes longer here.

Please pray:

• God would continue to soften the hearts of a friend and her boyfriend, and that we would not miss any opportunities that God gives us to share about Christ. 
• As we were driving with one of our students by the University we were in the middle of a bunch of student apartments and we were dreaming about the idea of having a place where students could gather or come to so they can hang out and have opportunities to hear about the Lord. Pray that if this is a part of God's plan that He would prepare the place. 
• A young lady, "N," who was in our Bible study last year, that she would continue to follow after the Lord and to make wise choices. She is the only believer in her family so pray that they will have the faith to believe in Jesus. 
•  God would give Darrel the ability to speak and understand Hungarian as he studies this week.
•  A hunger and thirst among university students to know God.  

Thank you so much!

One of His servants,
Kimberly  

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Family and Friends,

God continues to remind me that He is directing our paths and He is in charge of arranging divine appointments. It is amazing to me how our paths cross with other people's and how statistically impossible it would be unless God arranged it. The girls and I were on our way to the mall and while we were walking to the train station we met a neighborhood friend "M" who many of you have prayed for and God continues to work in her life. Also when we finally arrived at the train station to get on a tram, we entered the tram and were looking for a place to validate our tickets when we met another dear friend "Z" who was only in town for a short time. Many of you have also prayed for her as well. Wow! God is amazing.

This week Darrel has been meeting with a language teacher/partner and continues to progress with language and culture and just going out and talking with people. We are thankful for how God has sent just the right person to help and encourage him.  I attended a Hungarian women's conference this Saturday and listened, worshiped, and spoke a little in Hungarian with some ladies who were kind and patient. I could see how God was giving me the ability to understand, and I am so thankful.

After church, we ventured out to a new Middle Eastern restaurant that started while we were gone and met one of the chefs who was from Jordan. As Arabic music/videos were playing, we sat down to eat, prayed, and enjoyed our meal. I will just say that they have the best hummus!

Students keep asking us when we will do Bible study, coffee house, etc. but we continue to learn language and wait upon the Lord. It would be easy to just jump in there and do things, but we really want to follow the Lord's leading and to walk in the paths that He has prepared for us. We are thankful for every seed we get to plant and every person we get to encourage in the Lord.

I Cor. 3:6 (Paul) "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

Ps. 127:1 "Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain."

Please continue to pray for:

• "M," that God would give us more time to continue our conversation with her about spiritual things and that she would see her need for God.
• "Z" as she prepares to be married, finishes school, and works, that God would continue to stir in her heart His desires.
• There seems to be a growing Middle Eastern population in Debrecen, pray that God would soften their hearts.
• God would continue to arrange our meetings with students and that we would obey His Spirit as He directs our paths each day.
• Our priority would be to know Jesus better each day and to balance our language studies and ministry.
• Our girls would see how God is providing for their needs and that He would send just the right friends.

To God be the Glory,
Kimberly

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen,

It has been fun to see people and to hear about what God is doing in their lives and in Debrecen. Most of this week was spent doing the daily things of home school, language, living and talking with the people that God sends to us. This is where God has called us to be faithful. It was so good to see to our neighbors I. and P.  I. helped me last year with speaking Hungarian. We have prayed for them.

We also saw Alicia who is working with the Roma and a school in a near by town. So cool to see how God is using this connection with the school to make disciples and to see the beginnings of a church. She shared about the division that still exists between the Roma and Hungarians even among Christians. This morning we were at an international church where some gypsies were sharing their testimonies and music. One person gave a testimony of paying off his debts and how God has helped him, which is huge!

We had several students come to visit us and it was encouraging to hear how they are doing and the dreams that God has placed in their hearts.

Please pray:

• Keep praying for the young lady from Holland, that she would read the book of John and that she would respond to the truth.
• God would continue to give us the ability to learn Hungarian, especially for Darrel as he prepares for an exam in June.
• We would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the opportunities that He gives us to pray and share the gospel.
• Still working on the Internet and telephone issues, pray that they are resolved soon because we depend so much on the Internet for school and communication.
• That I. and P. would continue to be open as we share our lives and the gospel with them.
• God would do a supernatural work among the Hungarians and gypsies and that unbelievers would see God and put their trust in Him.

Thank you for your prayers!

One of God's servants,
Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen,

We are thankful for a full week and it is exciting to see how God is working. Last week we attended a lecture at the University where a scientific scholar spoke on bridging the gap between science and the Bible. He did a great job explaining the Gospel and showing how modern science affirms many things in the Bible. The room was full and the students were attentive.

We also had our friend from Israel over along with her boyfriend and another friend. It was so much fun reconnecting with them and seeing more of an openness in their hearts. God is working in their hearts.

Also just yesterday we met a young lady from Holland is such a random way through a friend who we were able to share about God and give her the book of John. We asked her if she had any spiritual beliefs and she said that she did not have any and never was able to read past the beginning chapters of the Bible. Meeting her and talking with her was such a reminder of the divine appointments that God has planned.

We were encouraged by our Hungarian church this morning in their desire to do evangelism and discipleship and how we can help them.

Please continue to pray:

• Wisdom and patience with the logistics of registration, language lessons, Internet and telephones. God would work out the details of how to accomplish these things.
• God's timing as we continue to reconnect with people that we would encourage those we are able to see this week.
• God would give us favor in the lives of students and the ability to speak Hungarian.
• Our daughters would have the courage to do the hard things and that they would see how God is helping them.
• Our friend K who used to be a student and is now working, that he would see his need for God.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

One of God's servants,
Kimberly

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen,

So glad to arrive safely in Debrecen with all our luggage and our dog. We have been unpacking and reorienting ourselves to the Hungarian culture. We were even able try doing school for a couple of days but it is more challenging with jetlag.

God continues to remind us that He is in charge of placing us in the right place at the right time. We had two occasions where He made this clear to us. While we were still in Bonham, at the last moment we decided to meet some friends at an "In and Out Burger" in Allen, Texas and as we entered the restaurant we saw some other missionaries who used to serve in Hungary, now in the states and they were visiting their son and family and didn't even live in Allen. The second example was a dear friend that we met at a store in Debrecen. He said that he had not been to that store in one year and decided to pick something up and we were able to see him. I don't believe in coincidences but am now even more convinced that God is Sovereign. On top of all this, Arianna was at chapel at DBU and one of the speakers canceled out at the last moment and he was replaced by one of the leaders of Hungarian Baptist Aid. She was so encouraged to hear Hungarian and to make that connection.

So as we have been reconnecting with our friends and people who we were blessed to invest our lives, we know that God has been growing them. We are still in this process but so far it has been fun to hear what God is doing in their lives. Being away and then returning helps us see the changes more clearly.

Please continue to pray for us:

• God would grant us favor in the lives of Hungarians and students as we reconnect and meet new people.
• Our girls will be able to connect quickly and make new friends.
• Wisdom as we see God at work and the things that He wants us to be involved in.
• God would give us the ability to learn Hungarian in such a way that He gets all the glory. We want to communicate the gospel in the best way possible.
• Arianna would continue to be encouraged and God would heal her from some sickness that she has been experiencing.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

One of God's servants,
Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Texas!

We have been saying good-bye and preparing to leave. We were blessed to have Arianna with us this weekend and bestowed upon her our minivan. We are thankful that she is where God wants her to be and we are where God wants us to be as well, but it doesn't mean that it is easy or comfortable. Now is the time for the final packing and weighing which can be stressful. Our dog is booked on the plane with time at the pet lounge in Frankfort. We will arrive in Debrecen on Sunday. We anticipate God’s amazing work and look forward to what He has planned.

Please pray:

• Safe travel to Debrecen and God’s strength and peace as we make this journey.
• God would continue to give Arianna direction and safety.
• This time of reorientation and that we would keep our eyes on Jesus.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

I will write when we are able to re-establish Internet connection in Debrecen.  

One of His servants,
Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Texas,

God is the one who orders our footsteps in the direction and path that He desires. It is encouraging to realize how Big our God is compared to everything else. Our departure date is February 18th arriving in Debrecen on the 19th. We continue on our journey back to Hungary, getting the last things done. We are thankful that we will be returning to the same house that we left in Debrecen that contains our stuff. I wanted to share an update with my sister and her son Ezra. They have been released to the Ronald McDonald house. Here is her blog where you can keep updated and pray for them. www.prayersforezra.com. Thank you for praying for them and the challenges that they face each day.

Please pray:

• We will be faithful with the divine appointments God gives us.
• The students as they have finished up exams and take the time to rest that they would realize that there has to be a God.
• Courage for those who are believers to share their faith with their lost friends.
• God would give us favor with the students and the University.
• God would surround Arianna with people who will love her and encourage her especially the days following our departure.

Thank you so much for praying for us!

One of His servants,
Kimberly Hathcock