Summary of 2017

Hi my friends,

I have uploaded a video summary of 2017. Please click here to watch.

This is a retrospective video, I looked back with thankful heart what the Lord has done in me, through me, through us.
Right now I am looking forward to see what the Lord is going to do in me, through me, through us in the new year.

"Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart." (Psalm 5,3b The Passion Translation)

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R!

Summary of the Summer 2017

The Summer is almost gone. This was hot, with some heatwaves but I really like sunshine and hot wind, when the temperature is around 100.4 Fahrenheit (in the shade... ;-) I am blessed, could use the time wisely, could serve in many different places, sharing love and the Gospel, encouraging the disheartened, bringing hope to the hopeless.

In the beginning of Summer with my friends I visited Gypsy communities in countryside in two different places. It was the time of building relationship, we shared food, clothes, and the Gospel.

This young guy was very open to hear about Jesus.

                   
  


         

If you enlarge this picture, you can see a kid around 2 years in front of the house. A whole family lives in the ruined house in terrible surroundings.

After that I went to the Northern-East Hungary, close to the Ukraine border. (520 miles from Budapest).This was my second visit there, knowing better the people, could speak more about the hope and different solutions not like prostitution. These people live in such a deep poverty, I could take a walk just with my Gypsy familiar who is the leader of the Gypsy community. I did not dare to take pictures of the real misery.I could share the Good News at the Catholic Residential Home. Around 50 elderly men, women were sitting in the big hall, most of them in wheel chair and listening my testimony, how God provided me in the midst of hardship.

Cultural introduction to an American university group


How did we live during the communist time? (I was wearing my original student uniform)





This was my original pioneer uniform with the decorations and the mandatory salute (Pioneer Organization was the child organization of the Communist Party.)















Local Ministerial Candidate Course (Introduction Wesleyan Theology) International course with American, British, Greek participants. The teacher is Canadian.

Sensitivity training to the Christian mental health professionals with 21 participants.

They were very active, open, interested, worked in groups, and expressed their desire to continue the training in the Fall.

I got to know people who are working with prostitutes, with refugees. These contacts brought me more new contacts, so I could successfully extend my network. One of them helped me to go to my next ministry place, the youth’s Correctional Institute and Central Special Children's Home.

This was an evangelistic camp to 64 young girls (14-18 years), many of them were prostitutes, some of them already have child.

The three main activities of the institution: the reformatory education, the pre-trial detention of juvenile offenders (stealing, robbery, grievous bodily injury) and the special children's home care.

The camp was about sport, handcraft, personal talk, and I also could speak about human trafficking, the loverboys, and warned them the traps, the danger, spoke about misbelieves of prostitution, and our real identity.

                  

After this camp I went to countryside to an orphanage camp. We played with the 11 kids, loved them, every day was a playful English lesson, handcraft, sport, Bible story, songs.

                    

Awaking Europe Conference in Prague (Czech Republic)
40 nations, 10.000 people including around 150 Hungarians

                                                                                    EUROPE SHALL BE SAVED!

                                                                                  We prayed for the revival in Hungary

I could introduce my Malagasy friend, who is a missionary in Hungary to an other Malagasy who has been living here for 38 years, getting married with a Hungarian women. It was a real joy for both, and their joy made me happy too.

In the end of Summer I could spend couple days at the lake Balaton with my friends. It was a really blessed time full of joy, fun, fellowship, morning devotions, Bible reading, prayer time. We had every reason to rejoice in Christ our Savior.

Right now I am ready to go to Michigan, to New York State, to Indianapolis to the Set Free Conferences. You can follow my American ministry on my blog.

Thanks all of you for supporting me in prayers and in many different ways.

Hope more of you see you soon!

Serving the Kingdom of God in Portugal

Serving the Kingdom of God in Budapest the Lord has given me an opportunity to travel to Lisbon, join to Cindi and Eduardo Angelo's ministry for a week.

They have been missionaries there since 1999, planting some Free Methodist Churches.

On 26th of February I could speak about Set Free Movement and about our real identity what is rooted in Christ. Each of us are broken, suffering from some kind of bondages: mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Only Christ can set us free.

Teaching on the same topic to different audience.
The people were really opened, they had lots of question, many of them know someone who was trapped or trafficked. The problem is real and relevant. We have to open the eyes of society. Every country has to face this problem.

                                                                                             We prayed for the nations.

Greetings from Budapest Free Methodist Church to an other Portuguese Free Methodist Church.
It was a blessing to me get to know these churches and feel the warmly welcome, enjoy their hospitality. I really felt that we are brothers and sisters for long time.

Sharing food, clothes and the Gospel to the homeless
at the Lisbon train station.

                                                                                                                                                             

I can not speak Portuguese therefore I was very happy when we met with a 20 years old Scottish guy who is travelling in Europe with his guitar seeking something, seeking himself. He was really opened when we spoke about Jesus. We prayed for him, pastor Eduardo prayed for him, and he invited Jesus into his heart as personal Savior.

It was a significant moment in my life because I have never met someone who was so opened to the Gospel like this young guy.
Since that time  I am praying for him to be rooted in Christ.

Teaching in the Lisbon Discipleship Training School (operated by YWAM)

While I have been in Lisbon I got an unexpected invitation to the M 3 Conference (Women Ministering Ministers) speaking about human trafficking and modern day slavery.

                                                                                           

                        

The plenty of questions from my audience confirmed me about our responsibility to do something, raising awareness, speaking up for those who can not speak for themselves.

During this week I met many great people spending great time with them, serving with them or just enjoy fellowship with them.

Long story short, this ministry was like this:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Serving the Kingdom of God in 2016

Dear friends,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In the beginning of 2017 I am reflecting on this past year and the many ways God has blessed me, used me,and carried me through challenging moments.
He is so faithful!
I am also so thankful for all your prayers, support, and encouragement.



The highlight of this year how God helped me to find my place in the ministry.
I got a job, becoming officially employed and now I have a regular income.
I always knew in complete confidence that the Lord prepared a job for me where I could best serve Him. I knew that he wanted to shape me, through the difficulties, into the servant he wanted me to become, in His time.



On April 1st, 2016 I became the coordinator of the Set Free Movement in Hungary and the director of the Life Skills program for the Bread of Life Foundation, both with operate under the umbrella of the Free Methodist Mission in Hungary. In addition, I am happy to be a local ministerial candidate in the Budapest Free Methodist Church.

Praise the Lord! He has shown His faithful love to me!
He gave me this work, and His blessings are upon it!

I share my vision of my life on the video above:


Ildikó Kóber introduces the Set Free Movement in Hungary from Larry Winckles on Vimeo.

Having a more sure financial background I could move to the other apartment. 
The church leadership organized a house blessing and my pastor blessed my new home.

"May this house be a blessing to everyone who walks through the door and be a place for fellowship and growth." 




I started my work to build and strength connections between organizations working against human trafficking in Hungary. 

I set up biweekly prayer meeting for like-minded organizations, churches, and worked together as a volunteer in the transaction of two anti-human trafficking exhibitions with Anonymous Ways Foundation.





The goal was raising awareness in the society. 
We live in the 21st century but slavery is still a reality. 
You too, COULD be a victim.
You too, CAN do something against the modern day slavery.
What happens depends on YOU!

On the occasion of the 10th EU Anti- Trafficking Day the Ministry of Interior and the Anonymous Ways Foundation organized the conference and the exhibition.

The opening of the conference

In Spring I got to know one of the political officers from the U.S.Embassy. He was the speaker of an opening of an human trafficking exhibition. One of his responsibilities is the preparation of the annual Trafficking in Persons about Hungary.

In July I conducted a 2 days sensitivity training for Gypsy girls at risk in Northern East Hungary, the poorest part of the country. Many of beautiful, poor, under-educated Gypsy girls, women aiming at escaping from poverty and discrimination, chasing better life working in the windows of Amsterdam Red Light District. They really need teaching how precious are they!

The girls and some boys between 8-18 were hungry for the Gospel. I spoke about Jesus, about His unconditional Love, told stories about His miracles, prayed for them, and we learned and sang a nice song about Jesus. After the older ones had a training, the younger ones were drawing pictures about Jesus'deeds.









I also met local and governmental Gypsy leaders, speaking about   the only solution - JESUS.

The meeting was held in the city center and also in the separated part of the city, where live the Gypsy community




Before Christmas we organized a clothing collection and sent winter clothes to the Gypsy community and over 30 families received warm clothes. Thanks for the donation of the Northern Ireland Knitting Club, our friends in Budapest, and in Northern-East Hungary for the transportation.

The sacks are waiting for the truck - my car is already not big enough

My car is totally full

I built good connection with an other Gypsy church at countryside visiting them, encouraging them, sharing my testimony. Two of them were my students at European Nazarene College where I taught Language and Written Expression this Fall as a volunteer.

In November I conducted a day of training for social workers and volunteers in Romania.

working in group

This was a really international team, attendants from Romania, Italy, Spain, USA, England, Australia, Ireland, I only was Hungarian.

In July I gave a presentation in Budapest to an American mission team on human trafficking and the Hungarian situation.








We began planning for a Set Free event to be held next September in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

The other part of my work to plan and implement a Life Skills Program to assist individuals who are unemployed, underemployed, or at risk of being trafficked.
Our new room is almost done, waiting for the official opening. Thanks for all of your support and also your physical work! Especially thanks for the hard work of Spring Arbor team and for the Hungarian volunteers. I hope we will see all of you at the official opening!
                                  BEFORE - AFTER PICTURE

     

Before launching the program we have to make new contacts with other organizations.
In Spring I attended the "Street of Opportunities" professional conference, which brought together representatives from the local government, businesses, and the civil sector in order to improve awareness and encourage cooperation.

I am introducing our program 
how do we create healing community through community-based actions, and how can we bring deep transformational change into society with our program.

We had interesting and enthusiastic discussions at the tables

The third part of my ministry is serving in my church, in Free Methodist Church Budapest. Being the local ministerial candidate, teaching in church, encouraging the fainthearted, leading worship and Bible studies.

                                  

Thank you for all your prayers, support, and encouragement. 

My prayer is that 2017 will be an amazing year as we live out the purposes God has for each of us. 

Have a blessed  New Year!

"You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance." (Psalms 65:11)