Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Family and Friends,

We are grateful for the time Dr. Ard and his daughter Anna spent with us in Debrecen this past week. God did give them divine appointments and some great conversations with students. God is at work in the lives of students who are coming to Bible study, and they are growing and serving. We had the opportunity to go to Darrel's class and meet some of his students, they are so precious, please pray for them. So thankful for the conversations that we had with them and the opportunity to be a light. 

Coffee house went great with many students coming, including one of Darrel's former students. Several people had a great discussion with him. God is using this in so many ways. So thankful for God's creativity and how he orchestrates the events in our lives to work together for His Kingdom.

Please pray:

• God would draw people, especially lost people, to the Intensive English classes that will start on Monday. Today people will have the opportunity to sign up as well. We are excited about how God will use this to reach people who are lost and to open the eyes of the church to how they can reach out to the lost in Debrecen.
• The young people coming on Monday night would continue to desire to know Jesus more and more and to be a light where God has placed them in school and at work. God would give them boldness to share about Him.
• Our focus would be on Jesus, totally. Many of our colleagues will be finalizing their decision to leave or stay with IMB this week. Pray that they would discern God's voice in this area and that His peace will remain in their hearts in the coming days. FYI - Darrel and I were not offered the VRI because of age, so we plan on continuing with our plans for STAS in January. It is hard to say goodbye to people who have become like family to us.
• God would continue to stir in the hearts of Darrel's students a curiosity about Him and desire to know more about Jesus.
• Pray for Darrel's former student who knows a lot about his own faith but is willing to learn and talk about Christianity as well.
• Update on the refugees in this part of the world. They are closing the refugee center in Debrecen and moving them away from the bigger cities. There are mostly men, several from Iran, who are left. Several of these men have become Christians recently. There is also talk about a big group coming through Romania but we will see what happens. This border does not have a fence as of yet. Please pray for the refugees, discernment for the government to see who really is a refugee, terrorist, or someone just taking advantage of the situation. There is no easy solution. There are several groups assisting and ministering to the refugees so pray that they will have opportunities to share their faith.
• Jesus would be lifted up during the Saturday evening English worship this week. We are excited about being able to meet on campus.

Thank you for praying for Hungary!

Blessings,

Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen!

So thankful for today and God's faithfulness. We are so excited about how God will work through Darrel's class. He had a great first meeting. I will wait another week before assigning students for prayer until the class list is final.

We are thankful for the things God is doing on Monday nights. Darrel's class especially has a mix of non-Christians and new believers. J. is really coming along. Keep praying because there are others who need to know Jesus. We were on campus Wednesday walking and praying and asking God for conversations. It is very interesting as we walked around we saw so many different kinds of people from many different places. This week we found out that there has been a building purchased near campus for the purpose of functioning as a mosque. We see a lot of M students.

Please continue to pray:

• God will continue to send those who He wants to be a part of the class and that there will be opportunities to talk after class.
• Monday night, that God would give us wisdom as we teach and disciple the young people who come.
• Our desire is to be a good steward of the time God gives us with the students who come into our lives. We would encourage, teach and equip them for the things that God has planned for their lives.
• All the M students who are on campus, that the witness of Christians would be strong and that believers would have the boldness to share there faith.
• Please keep praying about the refugee situation in Hungary and throughout Europe. God would give the leaders wisdom and that the refugees would have the opportunity to hear the gospel and experience His love.

Thank you so much for praying,
Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen,

We are thankful to be here in Hungary at this time working with students. Darrel's class will start this Wednesday! If you would like to pray for one student for this first semester let me know and in the next couple of weeks when we get the final class list I will send you their name. We are excited about seeing how God will work in their lives this semester. We continue with school and we are expecting my mom and her husband to visit us. We are very excited. Darrel preached this morning at an international church and did a wonderful job challenging the students. As you have probably heard in the news that the refugee crisis continues and intensifies. There is not easy solution.

Please pray:

• Darrel's class on Wednesday, that God will bring the students He wants in the class. Darrel will communicate clearly and the students will feel the freedom to participate in the discussions. He will be a light and that the conversations will continue after class.
• Wisdom and discernment for the government officials working with the refugees. Also for the best way believers can offer practical and spiritual help to the immigrants.
• Students who came to church this morning would see themselves as missionaries where God has placed them among other students. They would be bold and ready to share their faith.
• IMB missionaries who will have the opportunity to take an early retirement in the next few months, that God would speak to them clearly and that He would give them peace. Also for everyone else who is waiting on God, to discern what His plans are for their lives. We are all praying and asking God for what He wants us to do.
• J. continues to come to Bible study and is still very open to God. Pray that what ever is stopping him from fully trusting in Jesus will be removed.
• D. continues to call from his home country and will be back with his father at the end of this month. Pray that God would give him the ability to understand and believe in Jesus. Only God can do that!!!
• While Darrel teaches at the university, the girls and I will be on campus, pray that God would give us divine appointments to share the gospel.
• God would give us the ability to learn and speak Hungarian as we meet with teachers this week and prepare for an exam in December.
• I need wisdom as I teach my daughters that God would direct my words so that they bring clarity where there is confusion and encouragement when they are discouraged.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Blessings,
Kimberly Hathcock

Brown family newsletter August 2015

Dear Friends and Family,

We are witnessing one of the largest refugee movements Europe has seen since World War II. Governments and politicians are seeking solutions to this crisis, but there is no agreement as to what should be done beyond providing humanitarian assistance and granting asylum. As you have probably seen in the media, Hungary is in the eye of the storm as they attempt to secure their border with Serbia and register all immigrants entering the European Union, which is understood in the Schengen Agreement.

While governments and politicians work through issues and solutions, there are ordinary citizens -- especially believers and churches -- who are greeting refugees as they enter cities and congregate at transit service centers, train stations and parks with bottles of water, food, toiletries, medical services, clothes, diapers, etc.

If anyone is interested in serving and caring for refugees coming through Budapest, we’ll be glad to talk and explore ways to serve. Gary Miller, our team strategy leader, can also be contacted; Gary has contacts with various groups and agencies working with refugees coming through Hungary. Contact Gary through the contact form on the Heart for Hungary webpage. 

Baptist Global Response is helping refugees displaced by the Syria conflict; you can learn more at: https://gobgr.org/news/news_detail/help-and-hope-for-syrian-refugees

Please pray for the refugee crisis, for European governments and peoples to respond with compassion and understanding. Pray for wisdom and discernment in knowing the best ways to help asylum seekers and how to resolve the causes of this massive migration.

Moreover, this is a huge opportunity for the gospel to be shared among people who may not have had access to it before. Pray that churches and believers will lovingly serve and care for refugees in the name of Christ and intentionally, boldly, clearly tell the gospel and invite refugees to believe, repent and follow Jesus.

Attached is our family’s newsletter for August. (Download here.) Please forward and share with your church, Sunday school class, Bible study and missions group and others.

As always, we are grateful for your prayers and the faithful support Southern Baptist churches give to the Cooperative Program and generous gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. You make it possible for us to serve as Christ’s ambassadors here.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. I Peter 1:2

Ron and Robin

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen!

Thankful for this week and how God provides. Our hearts remain open to what God's future plans are for us. We trust in the One who knows everything. We are thanking God for a wonderful service yesterday when we had our once a month English worship. God's Word is powerful and encouraging. Darrel continues to talk with D. about spiritual things and just last week he was able to see the connection between our prayers and a situation that was resolved. Yeah! The students are making their way back to Debrecen and will start classes in the following weeks. The refugee situation has become a big issue among Hungarians and seems to be the topic of many discussions. There are so many people coming at once that the system is overwhelmed and many people are fearful. Our company is considering the best way to help out.

Please continue to pray:

• For the many students who will be returning to Debrecen, that they will connect with other believers, and that those who are not believers would have hearts that are open to hearing the good news. Especially praying for those who are coming from countries that do not have many opportunities to hear the truth.
• That D. would continue to be open and that we would see God's hand in his life. That he would choose to be a believer.
• That God would give us divine appointments as we meet students.  We live in a typical college town so in the summer it seems empty, but when the students come back you can notice a difference in the amount of people who live here.
• Pray for us and other m's who need wisdom and clear direction from God.
• Wisdom for those who are working with the refugees, that God would help them to know the best way to help, and that they would be open and have the opportunity to hear about Jesus.

Thank you for praying!

***I am including a 40 days of prayer for European people:  Download here

Blessings,
Kimberly Hathcock

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."  I Cor. 3:6

I really like this verse because it reminds me that it is God who causes things to grow, and we are also blessed by the different people who have come and helped plant and water the seeds.  I am thankful for what God is doing in Debrecen.  We see Him at works in the lives of students. Some know Him and some are in the process. We are excited that the details of Darrel's class have been finalized and he will have the opportunity to teach again next semester. God is giving me wisdom with the girls as I teach and help them with school. We said goodbye to "K"...and so is the reality of working with students whom we get to invest in while they are here with us. May we be good stewards of our time with them.

Please continue to pray:

• Pray for us and our co-workers as we each consider what God will have us to do. Here is the link for the information - http://www.bpnews.net/45376/imb-leaders-announce-plan-to-balance-budget
• Pray that we would fully invest in the people God is sending to us this semester and keep our eye on Jesus.
• Lift up "Z," one of our students who is preparing to be a pastor and possibly start a new church. Ask that he would continue to let God direct and prepare him for leading and serving.
• The refugee situation has become more intense. Pray for the leaders of Hungary to have wisdom. Pray God would show us opportunities for service and sharing the gospel with these people as well as meeting their physical needs.
• Ask that God would already be drawing people to sign up for Darrel's class, and that hearts would be open.

Blessings,
Kimberly Hathcock

Adams' prayer update excerpts

      Perhaps you have heard on the news about the growing refugee crisis in Europe. Here in Hungary, about 1500 men, women, and children come in each day. Most of these are coming from Syria, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. They travel to Budapest, are met by government officials, and are processed. Most do not want to stay in Hungary, but want to travel to more prosperous countries such as Austria and Germany. While they are here, though, they put their blankets on the ground in the parks and train stations and wait for processing. Aid agencies, some churches, and many volunteers help provide food and other amenities. The city has cordoned off areas where these folks can shower. Mike and I were able to meet some of the refugees as we handed out bag lunches one afternoon. Nearly everyone we gave lunches to thanked us, and some even smiled.

           I pray that you lift up the refugees in Hungary to God. Pray that Christian volunteers find a way to reach out to the thousands who are now in our city.

Hathcocks' prayer update excerpts

Greetings from Debrecen.

Thanking God for His creative work in Debrecen. After talking with some students Monday night, we decided to have a movie night on Saturday. It was a great time to connect with the students! Good conversations! It has been a joy to see one of the students serve at a camp this week and how God is changing her and drawing her closer to Himself. It has been encouraging to see the sense of community that God is building among these students who have such different backgrounds. Darrel continues to talk with a group that is planning on doing a Thanksgiving dinner for students in order to have opportunities to share Christ.

Hard to believe that we will start school in about a month, so I have been preparing things for the coming year. I still get excited about starting a new school year and all the things that we get to learn about.

Please pray:

• God's priorities would become our priorities. We would be attentive to the H.S. in our daily lives and that we would be obedient to the things He tells us to do and say.
• Continued wisdom in reaching out to the students who are not believers. We would have opportunities to share our lives and our faith with them.
• There is a big refugee camp in Debrecen. Over the last few months there have been a lot of refugees. Pray for those who are working with the refugees that they would have wisdom, patience and discernment in doing the best thing for each person. You can read in the news about the different political problems that have developed. These are displaced people, many of whom need Jesus. Pray as God's Spirit leads you.
• Faithfulness in the daily things of life that need to be done.
• Darrel would be able to talk about spiritual things with "D," and that as he returns to his home country for a month that God's Spirit will continue to reveal who Jesus is to him.
• I have been meeting with a neighbor for language, Illona, and we started reading the children's Bible so I could learn some different vocabulary words -- I am praying that we will be able to talk more about spiritual things. Pray that God would give me the ability to speak Hungarian.

Thank you so much for praying for us this week.

Blessings,
Kimberly Hathcock