Salt and Light - April 23

Greetings from Debrecen,

Thankful for His strength and the work that He is doing in Debrecen and in the lives of students. God continues to give us favor with our friend of another religion as we enjoyed a time together of learning and sharing. Our friend from Holland came and spent Easter Sunday with us. Darrel did an awesome job preaching and clearly sharing the gospel story. We keep praying for our friend who was there and listened.

Still meeting folks we haven't seen in a while. It is interesting to me that our Indian friend who had also lived in the U.K. is living and working in Israel and curious about the places Jesus had been. What is God doing? We keep praying and trusting that He is at work.

God continues to give us favor with our church and we are open as to how God would use us. In recent days we have been becoming increasingly aware of the spiritual warfare that we see and experience here. To say that we value your prayers is an understatement because we really need them.

Continue to pray:

• That our friend's eyes and ears would be open to the witness of Jesus as he lives and works in Israel.
• God would give Darrel the ability to speak and learn Hungarian so he can pass his test in June so he will be finished with full time language school.
• Our daughters would have the faith to trust God for His provision in every area of our lives.
• For a young lady from our Bible study, that as a busy student she would carve out time to spend with God, and that she would continue to grow in her relationship with Him.
• For another friend, that God would speak to him in such a way that he knows that it is the one true God.
• That "A," who is a new believer, would grow in his relationship with God.
• A lady that we buy our eggs from who is not a believer. Darrel has had some good conversations with her.
• We would be faithful and fruitful.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

One of His servants,
Kimberly

Salt and Light - April 9

Greetings from Debrecen,

Thank you for praying! God gave Arianna wisdom in deciding where to live next semester! Also thank you for praying for the people that God brings into our lives. We know that nothing will happen in their lives without the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and ours.

We were in Budapest for a medical appointment and went shopping at a Kosher store for some items for our Seder meal this week. The Matzo crackers were in boxes almost up to the ceiling along with Passover cakes and Kosher items. We are excited about sharing this Seder meal with our friend "G."

We continue to adjust to a new normal including crazy drivers and the long wait for things like Internet and telephones along with the pound of paper week we will need for registration.

Please pray:

• Darrel will have wisdom and patience as he gathers and completes the paper work that we need for registration (documents needed so that we can legally live in Hungary.) We will probably all go to the office this week or so and turn in our documents. Pray that this will be able to be completed in a timely manner.
• Wednesday we will be with our friend "G" and her boyfriend to celebrate the Passover. Pray that we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit...and that God would use this for more conversations about spiritual things.
• Pray for God's timing with other students that we have been trying to reconnect with, that our paths would cross at just the right time.
• That Hungarian Christians would have the boldness and courage to share their faith this week with their lost family and friends.
• "K" (friend from Holland) is coming to Hungary this week. Pray for more opportunities to share with her.
• Darrel is preaching on Easter Sunday at an International church. Pray that God would speak through him and encourage others to love and follow Jesus.

One of His servants,
Kimberly Hathcock

Salt and Light - April 2

Greetings from Debrecen,

We are thankful for God's faithfulness! The weather is getting warmer and this past week we have had a lot of sunshine! As I look back this past week I am thankful for the different people that he has brought into our lives. Darrel continues to press on with the language every day and I continue to teach the girls.

Please continue to pray:

• Darrel will continue to learn and speak Hungarian so that He will do well on his exam in June.
• "J," a student finishing up school in Debrecen this year. He will be moving, so we are asking God for more opportunities to share with him.
• "M," a friend that I was able to reconnect with, that her heart would be open and that she would see her need for a savior.
• That God would encourage "K" as she prepares for a big medical exam.
• "Z," a young man that we have known for a while, that he would see Jesus as the best choice among all the other things that he has tried.
• "K," a student from Holland, that she would be open as we continue our conversations.  I am hoping for opportunities to share. She said I could pray for her about clear direction as she finishes school and decides what to do next. Pray that God would reveal this next step in such a way that she knows that it is God who has answered her prayers.
• Arianna, our daughter, that God would give her wisdom with a decision for housing next year. That He would show her where she needs to live.
• That we would be faithful stewards of the people that God sends into our lives.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

One of His servants,
Kimberly

Baker family praise report

IMB Team Budapest members Monte and April Baker share that Saturday's Turner Syndrome support group meeting was great!  Two new young ladies attended, one 20 and the other 22 years old.  A family that recently had a baby boy with autism came back again - they also have a TS girl.  Many came to the meeting and it was a real blessing.

Praise the Lord with us for how the Bakers are able to minister to these hurting families.  Pray that the Lord will provide many opportunities to share the Gospel along with medical information and loving support, and that some will soon have the desire to join together in a Bible study.

To learn more or receive prayer updates from the Bakers, contact them through the IMB Team Budapest page.

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