Sent Friday, July 11, 2008  1:04 AM

Sent Tuesday, May 13, 2008  10:01 PM

Eastern Hungary Prayer Update

A big thank you to those of you who are taking part this month in 31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary.  We’re very excited to report that there has been a major answer to prayer already—Alexandra (see day 26 on the prayer calendar) has accepted Christ as her Savior!  Please continue to pray for her as she will be returning to her home country very soon.  Pray that she will continue to grow her in her faith and that the Lord will guide her to a good church when she arrives back home.  

Earlier we had agreed to help the small church in Hajduszoboszlo with an outreach English camp during the week of June 23.  We were already short on workers for it and needed more help, and since then there has been a new development that will keep Holly busy during that time.  We’ve contacted a church in the States and asked if they can come work with us, but we don’t know yet if they’ll be able to.  The time is very short for planning and preparation. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the U.S. church in deciding if they can be involved, and for us and the Hungarian church as we make preparations here.  

If you have not gotten involved in the month of prayer yet, it’s not too late—download the prayer calendar at www.hope4ehu.com <http://www.hope4ehu.com/> .  

Thank you for praying!  

Sent Friday, April 25, 2008  9:43 PM

Eastern Hungary News Update -- Spring 2008

Dear Family, Friends, and Prayer Partners,

Thank you all very much for your continued prayer support.  Your prayers mean a lot to us and it is very comforting knowing that many people around the world are praying for us and the work in eastern Hungary.

In our last newsletter we asked you to pray about two volunteer teams coming in March.  The first team came from the University of Arkansas through Baptist Collegiate Ministries.  The students came as part of a culture exchange program and had the awesome opportunity to speak in several of the English classes on campus to tell about life in America.  It went so well that we are talking with the professors about making it an annual event.  The students also had a time each evening to meet at a local coffee shop to really get to know each other and begin to share on a deeper level.  This was a great boost to our new student ministry.  For updates on how student work is going you can visit the blog of our student coordinator Holly McMickle at http://hollyshungary.blogspot.com/.

The second team came from the Baptist church in Rosebud, Arkansas.   All of our plans totally fell apart and the team boarded the plane not knowing exactly what they would be doing.  Praise God that He puts together all the right pieces at the right time.  Easter Sunday we went to the little Baptist church in Puspokladany where the team held a children’s program.  It was an awesome time reconnecting with the church, and the team did a wonderful job.  Carolyn and I were able to talk to the pastor and elder about this summer and began making plans to work together.

The next day the team held an informal Bible club type meeting at our friend’s house in Balmazujvaros where we want to plant a church.  Because of this we had the opportunity for an in-depth spiritual discussion with a young father who had brought his son to the event. The team also went to Nadudvar to visit the pottery shop and to prayer walk.  This team ended up in all three places where we have focused, ongoing work.  They were also able to meet with the Budapest team to discuss the plans for their summer trip to help in the city.

Our summer plans continue to morph.  Every time we think we have details together, they change on us again.  We like to have plans in place before our April newsletter when the prayer guide goes out, but this year plans are still very much up in the air.  Hungarian churches we work with are waiting on replies from other people as we await confirmation of cancellation from teams we think are no longer coming.  It is going to be interesting to see how it all comes together.

This will be our first summer in four years not to have American students working with us as summer interns.  We will not be without a helper, however.  A young Gypsy believer who is being trained as a church planter is scheduled to come and work beside us for two months.  This is an exciting answer to prayer.  For several years we have been frustrated with not being able to get help reaching the Roma (proper term for Gypsy) population.  The Hungarian and Roma cultures are extremely different, and it takes special training and insight to plant churches among the Roma.  We have contacted organization after organization asking for help, but they were already all too overloaded.

For several years now the International Mission Board has had a program to train and send Roma from Romania to Roma communities in surrounding countries.  This is the first year they have had a Hungarian-speaker being trained.  We will work together as a team.  When we have outreach projects he will make a special effort to connect with the Roma who attend.  Once he has a group established we will help find a sponsoring church to help oversee the growth of the new church start.  Be praying as he goes to the orientation the last week of May.  Also pray for his travels and work here in Hungary.

Prior to starting our summer work we want to again cover the area with prayer.  This will be our sixth annual 31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary .  The format is similar to last year’s calendar but with a theme for each day of the week and then a specific topic within that theme for the day of the month.  The calendars are available in hard copy or on the web at www.hope4ehu.com.  Please feel free to copy these and distribute them to everyone who will pray with us during this special season of prayer.  It can be used as a companion to the countrywide prayer guide that is also available in print or electronic versions.

In addition to praying through the calendar we need to ask you to pray for us also.  We are going through very difficult times with our health situation.  Carolyn had to have a hysterectomy on March 31 to remove an extremely fast-growing fibroid and cysts.  In fact we wrote the first rough draft of the prayer calendar in her hospital room while they were prepping her for surgery.  Gary, along with other health problems, has re-injured his back and has difficulty walking or driving.  An MRI was performed but the doctor is yet to make a recommendation as to what to do.  No matter what, outside of a miracle, there is not going to be a quick solution to the problem.  In the past we have experienced both miraculous healing and the sustaining grace of God to see us through.  Whichever He chooses, praise be to His marvelous name!

A quick recap of the prayer requests:

31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary in May

Healing for Gary and Carolyn

Plans for summer projects

Student ministry follow-up

Roma church planting intern

Thank you again for your prayers and support.  Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.  We are also eager to pray with you about matters affecting your life.  It has brought us great joy to be able to lift many of you up as you have done for us.

In His Love,

Gary for the Eastern Hungary Team

Field address: 
Gary and Carolyn Miller
Bem Ter 8, fsz. 3
4026 Debrecen
Hungary

Email address:  gcmiller@pobox.com
Website:  http://www.hope4ehu.com/

Sent Saturday, February 16, 2008  8:23 PM

Eastern Hungary News Update -- Winter 2008

Dear Family, Friends, and Prayer Partners,

Things are happening in eastern Hungary !  Thank you so much for the extra prayers and support for us over the past couple of very busy months.  We want you to know that we appreciate each one of the encouraging emails, cards, packages, etc., even if we haven’t had time to personally reply to all of you yet.  Also a big thank you to those of you who support missions around the world through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  That, along with Southern Baptist Cooperative Program funds, make it possible for us to live and minister here in Hungary .

Praise the Lord, special gifts from two different churches provided plenty of Bibles for the Scripture distribution project at the Christmas booth during the month of December. About 800 were given away!  Because we were able to purchase more Bibles than we had originally estimated, we will have enough left to allow us to plan a similar project in another town near here.  It’s so wonderful that we’ll have Bibles on hand to use over the coming months, especially since 2008 is the Year of the Bible in Hungary and many people are showing new interest.  [See photos of this winter’s projects at http://www.hope4ehu.com/photo_album/2007dec/index.html] <http://www.hope4ehu.com/photo_album/2007dec/index.html%5D>

In addition to giving away Bibles at the Christmas booth, Visual Bible Book of Matthew DVD’s were distributed to people who signed up to join a small group to discuss the DVD content (a word-for-word dramatization from the Bible).  We have trained leaders, and fifteen small groups are beginning to meet all over the Debrecen area.  Please pray that the Lord will guide the conversations to His glory and that hearts will be turned to Him.

A student mission team from LeTourneau University in Longview , Texas was here from December 28 through January 6.   They did an outreach project to university students by hosting a week-long coffee house in one of the international dorms here over the holiday/exam time.  In addition to sharing fun times and coffee, there was the opportunity for some deep conversations and for the student volunteers to give testimony cards to those who were interested.  Eastern Hungary Journeyman Holly McMickle has also been busy doing student outreach on a one-to-one basis, and has already begun a small-group Bible study with several of her new friends.  See her blog at http://hollyshungary.blogspot.com/ <http://hollyshungary.blogspot.com/> .

We have been asked to share a special prayer request with you all.  An organizer of the 2005 Linda Dillow women’s conference in Hungary said that they are praying and trying to re-connect with the ladies who participated.  They want to form a network that will pray for the men and husbands of Hungary , and hope to hold a men’s conference.  They realize that men must be reached in order for families and marriages to be strengthened. Please join them in praying for the husbands and fathers of Hungary .

Please pray regarding two short-term mission teams that will be coming over Spring Break.  One will be coming the week before Easter, the other will arrive the day the first one leaves and will be here over the holiday.  Please ask for wisdom in planning and that the Lord will use these teams to His glory.

Summer plans are coming along.  We again hope to have several bicycle teams travel through- out eastern Hungary meeting new people and sharing the Good News of Jesus.  These groups keep pushing the boundaries of ministry out even further.  It is our hope that we can continue increasing the effectiveness of these teams as each year we build upon previous successes and learn from our mistakes.

Before summer kicks off we will again lift up the entire region before the throne during our 31 days of prayer for eastern Hungary in May.  We are already working on getting the prayer calendar together and would like to get 50 more prayer partners to join with us this year.  That will raise the total to 700 people and groups standing with us in prayer.  If you know someone who might like be a partner with us in prayer please tell them about our ministry and pass along our contact information.  We greatly appreciate your help in this.  It is one way that you can participate in the work here.

Thank you again for praying for us and the people of Hungary .

God bless,

Carolyn for the IMB Eastern Hungary Team

Sent Saturday, December 1, 2007  12:01 AM

Dear Prayer Partners,
 
Thank you in advance for lifting up these Eastern Hungary prayer requests and for rejoicing with us over the answered prayers.
 
1. Praise the Lord, everything went smoothly when Gary went last Thursday to sign the contract with the city for the Christmas booth.
 
2. BUT-when he got the actual contract he found out that the Christmas
market begins on Dec. 1 instead of the 3rd, as it had said on the internet!  Now we are really hopping, trying to get everything ready in time.  Please pray for all the preparations and for peace for us in the midst of it all.
 
3. So far we only have one national believer who has volunteered to help us in the booth.  PTL for this one, but we need many more so that we will be able to run the booth, distribute the Bibles, and talk to people over the course of the 23-day project.

4. At this point we are still an estimated 1400 Bibles short of what we believe we will need.  Please pray that we will have enough for all of the people who want one.

5. Pray that the Bibles that are given away will be read, and that many people will come to Christ.

6.  Pray for new small groups to be formed from the project, as well new believers for the existing churches.

7. Pray for good leaders for these groups.

8. Gary talked to someone at the university, and we're going next week to see if the location is good that we are looking at for the mission group from LeTourneau University.  Pray for wisdom for us as we make the decision, and that it will be within budget.

9. Pray for the international students that the LeTourneau group will be ministering to (Dec. 28 - Jan. 6.)

10.  Please pray for Holly, that the Lord will give her discernment and steadfastness; regarding her work, pray that students' ears will be open to the truth and that she will proclaim it boldly, that many will come to know Him.

11. Gary and Carolyn appreciate your prayers as they face the first Christmas away from their children.
 
As always, we thank you so much for your prayer support.

Sent Tuesday, November 20, 2007  9:58 PM

Dear Prayer Partners,

 This Thanksgiving holiday we are very thankful for all of you who continue to lift up the work here in eastern Hungary.

There are several urgent matters of prayer this month.

1.  Gary signs the contract with the city for the Christmas booth on Thursday the 22nd (Thanksgiving).  Pray all will go well and that he will find grace in the eyes of the organizers.

2.      Pray for volunteers to man the booth.  It runs every day from December 3-23.

3.  Praise the Lord, some churches have expressed interest in helping provide Bibles for the project; please continue to pray, though, because at this point we are an estimated 1400 Bibles short of what we believe we will need.

4.  Pray that the Bibles that are given away will be read.

5. Pray for new small groups to be formed from the project, as well new believers for the existing churches.

6.  Pray for good leaders for these groups.

7.  We cannot rent the location we had planned for the group from LeTourneau University in December.  Pray we will find the right place for the right price.

8.  Pray for the international students that the LeTourneau group will be ministering to.  

9.  Please pray for Holly as she is beginning to make contacts with the many students here in Debrecen.

10.  Please pray for Gary and Carolyn as they face the first Christmas away from their children.  Amongst the busyness there is the ever-present feeling of separation from family.  That has always been one of the hardest parts of serving overseas, but now it is even more difficult without being able to get together for the Holidays.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayer support.  It means the world to us.

In His Love,

Sent Sunday, November 4, 2007  10:15 PM

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you all so much for your continued prayer support.  It is the constant strengthening from God that keeps us going through all of the ups and downs of mission life.  We have so many updates and prayer requests to pass on to you that we are putting them in a brief list for your convenience, with details below for those who have time to read more.

Praises/Prayer Requests:

* PTL for the follow up done with the help of the Mills team; pray that friendships and seeds will grow.

* Holly McMickle is here and the Lord has provided a great apartment!

* Christmas booth, Dec. 3-23. Pray that permission will be given by the city, and for local church volunteers to man it.

* Please pray that the Lord will provide Bibles to give away at the booth.

* PTL for increased interest here in the Bible and in spiritual matters.

* Pray for local believers to be trained to lead small groups to discuss the Gospel of Matthew DVD, leading to new church plants.

* A team from LeTourneau University will be coming December 28 - January 6 to minister to international students.

More details:

We continue going back to visit people we met during our summer outreach program and are so thankful to see more and more people seriously considering the eternal implications to their temporal decisions.  We are far from seeing the Great Awakening that we are praying for, but we are seeing progress in small steps.

During October Markley and Bobbie Mills from Arkansas came and we were able to go back to Puspokladany and reconnect with people we met during the baseball camp a year and half ago.  Some of the people connected to the school where the camp was held had retired or changed jobs due to restructuring the school system.  The Mills' presence gave us a "legitimate" reason to search for the people without appearing to "pursue" them.  We actually went to people we know with a picture and asked, "Do you know this person?"  Through strings of connections, by the end of the second day we had visited with every single person we were looking for and had taken them a small gift from the team.   Please pray that these new friendships and the seeds that were sown will continue to grow.

Also in October our new teammate Holly McMickle arrived and began studying Hungarian and making friends at the university.  She has already been such a blessing, and seems a perfect match for the job.  She is currently staying with us until her apartment opens up.  We had asked everyone to pray for an apartment for Holly.  Well, the Lord answered those prayers and the prayers of a Christian couple that is going to work in London for two years.  They had been praying that God would send someone they could trust to rent their apartment while they are gone.  I had no idea that they were leaving the country when I called the wife of the couple to see if she was interested in part-time work making phone calls and setting up appointments for Holly to look at places.  When I described what we were looking for, I described their apartment.  The only appointment she had to make was asking what time we wanted to come see the place.  It was perfect!  Exactly what we were looking for, and within budget. Holly moves in November 12.

There are a number of new prayer requests we would like to share with you.  First is the booth during the annual Christmas Market December 3-23.  For several years we have wanted to rent a booth during the huge Christmas Open Market to be able to share Christ with many people who will never come to a church-related event.  In the past the city has not allowed us and we had to go to other places, but we have applied again this year for here in Debrecen.  Please pray that the city will grant permission to rent the booth this year and that local churches will provide volunteers to man the booth.

We do not plan to sell items in the booth, but rather to give out several different translations of the Bible.  2008 has been declared the Year of the Bible in Hungary, with the motto "Happy is he who reads..." from Revelation 1:3.  We want to give a Bible to everyone who signs a commitment card pledging to read through the Bible in one year.  The problem is we do not have enough Bibles.  Our Mission Board provided $5000 for Bibles this year for our team alone.  We have used over half of that already just since June.  The other two teams in Hungary have used their Bible funds as well.  Please pray that God will provide copies of His word for this project.  This request is not meant to be a veiled request for funds but a genuine prayer request that God will provide what is needed.  Our leadership is working hard to provide what we need, but we are also asking for divine intervention.

The need for Bibles leads us to a praise.  Three years ago no one in Hungary seemed interested in a Bible or New Testament.  But there has been a definite change in attitude.  One team gave out over 1200 New Testaments in one week at a university.  A German team came, providing another 1000 New testaments which they gave out in another town.  A new interest in spiritual matters has arisen and the people seem hungry for God's word.

Another urgent request is for finding and training new small group leaders.  In addition to providing a platform for scripture distribution, the Christmas booth will serve to help launch new small groups for church plants.  We have 500 DVDs of the Visual Bible's Gospel of Matthew that will be provided to people who will come to a discussion group.  The project will function like a book club, only using a DVD version of The Book.  The dialog in the film is word for word from the Bible, but is also acted out.  Each time the group meets they will discuss the assigned section of the DVD.  If we have a 20% success rate, over the next three months we will launch 10 new groups of 10 in a number of different towns.   Many different churches will need to provide small group leaders trained in a totally different type of ministry than they have used before.  Pray that God will raise up strong teachable believers to lead these discussions.

Also please pray for the team from LeTourneau University that will be coming December 28 - January 6 to minister to international students who cannot go home for Christmas.  There are still many details to work out for this team, but we are excited for the opportunity to provide friendship to these students while they are away from their families.  Specifics to pray about regarding this team are their funding to come, safe travel, a meeting place for evening events, and for divine appointments as they go out and try develop friendships.

Again we thank you so much for your prayers.  We also want to stand together with you in prayer, so send us any requests you have.  It truly is a privilege to lift one another up to the throne of the Almighty.  We always stop and pray for each request as soon as we receive it.

Love in Christ,

Sent Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:40 PM

Dear Family, Friends and Prayer Partners,

            Wow!  It was a wild and wonderful summer in eastern Hungary and we are so grateful for all of your prayers and support over these very busy months.  The 31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary during May was a great way to start off.  Many people shared with us that they faithfully prayed for each of the cities listed and were asking God to move in the hearts of the people.  Those days of prayer helped prepare the soil for the planting to come.

            Our four summer interns did a wonderful job.  One was not able to come as planned, but each that could come served whole-heartedly, putting all of their energy into the work for the sake of the Gospel.  They spent many days prayer walking and meeting new people in cities where we are trying to plant churches.  Together we prayer walked every street of three cities, praying that God would draw the people to Himself. 

            In the town of Balmazujvaros, where there is not an evangelical church, we partnered with a Christian family to hold a goulash cookout to provide a relaxed atmosphere where we could spend time getting to know people and share the Gospel.  Our friend invited many lost people and some people from the church where they attend in a city 15 miles away.  During the course of the evening one of the ladies prayed to give her life to Jesus Christ.  She will be discipled through the church where our friend is a member. 

            In the city of Nadudvar we had been prayer walking asking God to bring us in contact with those people He was already preparing to receive the Gospel.  We often call these "divine appointments," because God is the only one who brings all the right people together at the right time in the right place.  After several days of prayer walking without any results, I (Gary) prayed, "Lord, we've been praying for divine appointments, so where are they?"  Just as I finished that prayer a man behind me called out to me.  I couldn't understand what he said, so I went back and began talking to him.  In the meantime, two of our interns came along and we talked with the family for two hours.  They are very open and have invited Carolyn and me back to visit them again.  It is the first time I have prayed for divine appointments and had someone chase me down the street.

            In the town of Puspokladany we partnered with the local non-denominational church of 8 people and a Baptist church about 10 miles away from there to hold another evangelistic cookout.  Many people came and everyone had a wonderful time.  As we got to know each other we were able to share how Jesus makes a difference in our lives.  No one accepted Christ that evening, but it was the first contact that many had had with the church.  This opened the door, and some people have come to other events because of the contact made during the dinner.

            The September spotlight story on the Heart for Hungary website is about our summer goulash evangelism.  You can read more about it at http://www.teamhungary.com/spotlight.html.

            Volunteers also helped the Hajduszoboszlo Baptist Church with an English camp.  It was a busy week of grammar, vocabulary, Bible stories, songs and crafts.  Most of the 45 children who attended were not affiliated with the church.  The camp provided an opportunity for the church to meet a need in the community and share the love of Christ at the same time.  The church is continuing contact with all who came to the camp.

             The summer finished off with a team from Crossgate Baptist Church in Hot Springs , Arkansas, which came to combine fun and service by bicycling into nine different cities and towns.  They were looking at places for possible future projects and at the same time sharing Christ with those they met.  The tour helped extend the reach of our ministry area, as they were able to make several new contacts in these towns; now we are following up with cards and letters.  Please pray that God will continue working in the lives of these people, and that planted seeds will grow.

            We are very excited that a new teammate is coming.  Holly McMickle will be joining us on the field the middle part of October.  Her focus will be student evangelism.  But she will not stop with reaching students for Christ, she will mentor them to become effective carriers of the Gospel after they leave school and start their careers.  You can read a short bio about Holly on our website at http://www.hope4ehu.com/team.html.  Please pray for Holly and her family as she finishes her training in the States and packs up to move overseas.  Also pray that she will not have a problem getting a visa to come.

            The week before Holly arrives we will sponsor a teacher information exchange.  Bobbie Mills from Arkansas will be coming with her husband Markley from October 5-12 to dialog with Hungarian teachers about how schools can share information to better prepare students for the future.  Please pray for the Mills as they travel and that this opportunity will open doors for a positive relationship with the schools here in Hungary.

            Plans are developing for a Christmas booth on the main square here in the city of Debrecen.  We have tried before to rent one of the booths during the annual Christmas market held through the month of December, but so far they have not allowed us to rent one because we are a religious organization.  We are searching for a Christian business person to partner with to rent the booth in the company's name.  We are also looking into other ways to get the true message of Christmas to the thousands that come through the market during the holiday season.

            Please be in prayer about a possible volunteer team coming from LeTourneau University in Longview , TX , over the New Year's break.  One of the students is trying to organize a team to come and reach out to international students who cannot go home for Christmas.  The team will hold a nightly coffee house to give students a safe, fun and friendly place to gather, along with someone to talk to while they are away from their families.  While meeting a need for companionship, they can share about the Faithful Companion who never leaves you or forsakes you.

            Thank you for your prayers and support.  The role of prayer supporter is a critical part of the team effort, and without you we could not be here doing what God has called us to do. 

We would love to hear from you also.  Please pass along prayer requests so that we can be prayer supporters for you.  Or just drop us a line sometime.  It is great getting news from back home, and we appreciate being updated on what is happening in your lives.

God bless,

Gary and Carolyn Miller

Sent Friday, July 13, 2007 11:35 PM

Dear Praying Friends, 

For those of you who haven’t heard, we did get the internet working in our apartment again.  Praise the Lord! 

It’s a very busy time for us right now and we’ll give a fuller update later, but please be praying for the current work in Puspokladany.   Our team has been prayer walking and talking with people there all throughout this week, and an outreach cook-out dinner is planned for tomorrow (Saturday) evening beginning at 5 PM (that’s 10 AM CST).  The event is being held in the yard of the city’s family aid center and is in partnership with the little evangelical church in town (currently 8 members.)  Because it’s a public facility we are limited to having 30 people there, so please pray that the number of people coming will not be a problem. 

Contact was made in the Gypsy community this week and a family was invited, so please also pray that racial/ethnic tensions will not be a hindrance.  We are planning a time of food, music, and casual conversation-- as the believers present interact with the lost guests, please pray that the Gospel will be shared in a non-threatening and understandable manner, and that hearts will be open to accepting the message that they hear. 

Please also pray that good relationships will be formed between the guests and the local church members, and that many will come to the special service that is planned for the following day at 3 PM.  The town of Puspokladany and its people are very much on our hearts, and we thank you for joining us in prayer for them. 

God bless, 

Carolyn for the Eastern Hungary Team

Sent Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:29 PM

Dear Prayer Partners, 

Thank you very much for praying for our time in Balmazujvaros.  During the course of the week we prayer walked every street, including the alleyways.  On Thursday we held a gulyas dinner at our friends' house -- Tibi and Marian became believers about a year ago.  Lost friends were invited, as well as some national believers.  Praise the Lord, during the course of the dinner one person accepted Christ during conversation with one of the national believers!  We are yet to form a new outreach group, but we have many open doors for future work, and we believe there will be a new Bible study group forming soon. 

This week while we are in Greece for our annual mission meeting, our summer interns are prayer walking several districts in Debrecen, trying to create open doors there for sharing the Gospel.  Next week, July 2-6, we will be prayer walking the town of Nadudvar and praying for opportunities there.  Then July 9-13 we will be repeating the process in the town of Puspokladany. 

Thank you so much for your prayers! 

Love in Christ,
Gary and Carolyn Miller

Sent Monday, June 18, 2007 11:20 PM

Hello again from Hungary. We pray that you all are doing well.  A quick update on what's happening here....first of all, prayers were answered in regard to our telephone connection at home--it was hooked up within a matter of days instead of the weeks they had warned us it might take.  We still don't have an internet connection at home yet, though, so please keep praying about that. 

All four of our interns are now here and have had their basic Hungarian lessons and introduction to the work.  Please pray for Gary, Stephen, Jennifer, Jalaine and Jessi as they travel and work this week.  Early tomorrow (Monday) morning they leave for Balmazujvaros, a town of 20,000 not far from here that has only five known believers.  Pray for divine appointments for our team as they interact with the people, make new friends, and encourage the believers that are there.  Pray especially for a Thursday evening party that we are planning to have at the home of one of the believers, who is a professional chef.  It will be an informal time of music, traditional Hungarian food, and time to chat and interact.  Our group and the local believers will be inviting lost friends to the party.  Please pray that friendships will grow and strengthen, and that this special time will allow the Gospel to be shared in a relaxed and friendly way. 

Thank you for your prayers!  We will try to keep you updated as we are able, and when we  have internet at home again we will be posting pictures on our website.

 God bless,
Carolyn for the Eastern Hungary Team

Field Address:  Gary and Carolyn Miller -- Bem Ter 8, fsz.3 -- 4026 Debrecen -- Hungary

Sent Monday, June 11, 2007 9:49 PM

Hello, 

Just a note to let you all know we arrived safely with all our bags.  But there's been a issue with communication.  Unfortunately while we were gone, there was a mix-up about some bill payments, and our phone was cut off, so we do not have phone or internet at home.  It could be a couple of weeks before it can be reconnected. Our Hungarian cell phones work but with no internet this is a real handicap in our work. 

Please pray for us that it will be reconnected as soon as possible, and that we will be able to accomplish what we need to do. Please pray for wisdom, safety and ability to communicate as we plan for the summer. 

Love in Christ 

Carolyn for the Eastern Hungary Team 

Field Address:  Gary and Carolyn Miller -- Bem Ter 8, fsz.3 -- 4026 Debrecen -- Hungary

Sent Friday, June 1, 2007 9:59 PM

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you for continuing to pray for the work in eastern Hungary.  Please pray about the plans for the summer outreach projects.  Last night about midnight, while I was praying and planning, I suddenly realized why I was having such difficulty planning - it is humanly impossible to do what I believe God is calling us to do.  That means it has to be a God thing.  He has to provide additional human resources, places to meet, and equipment.  Most of all He has to provide the divine appointments.

Carolyn and I leave the U.S. June 5 and arrive back in Hungary June 6.  Two of the summer interns arrive with us on the same flight.  Two more leave the U.S. June 11 and arrive June 12.  Projects start June 18.

Please pray for safe travel and protection while we are in route.

Please pray that the last minute details will all work out.

Please pray specifically for the outreach in the cities of Balmazujvaros, Nadudvar and Puspokladany.  They will be our main focus and are places we desire to plant new churches.

Pray that God will give us clear focus and the resources we need.

Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement.

In His Love,

Gary, for the Eastern Hungary Team

Field Address:  Gary and Carolyn Miller -- Bem Ter 8, fsz.3 -- 4026 Debrecen -- Hungary

Sent Sunday, April 29, 2007 10:53 PM

Eastern Hungary News Update

Spring 2007

 Dear Family, Friends and Prayer Partners, 

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of our Stateside Assignment.  It has been wonderful meeting so many of you again, although there are still a lot of folks we want to see before we go back.  It has also been great making new friends, both across the country and at our church here in Texas.  Cross Timber Baptist Church has been such a blessing to us, and we will miss these wonderful brothers and sisters greatly as we return to Hungary.

Thank you to each one of our committed prayer partners that has supported us through the years.  Now many more have also come alongside us to lift up the Lord's work in eastern Hungary.  It is a blessing to go back to the field with such a mighty army of intercessors under-girding the mission. 

            May marks our fifth annual "31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary."  We invite all of you to join us in this special prayer emphasis.  This year we have developed a prayer calendar highlighting strategic cities and towns.  Each of the featured places has been surveyed, and we believe that focused prayer for these key places is vital in helping to accelerate the work.  The printed calendar has information about each town on one side, with a calendar of corresponding prayer requests on the other side.  On the Eastern Hungary website there is an online version, plus downloads in both PDF and MS Word formats.  The online version, www.hope4ehu.com/maypray07.html  also has links to pictures and further information about many of the places.

            June 5 is our anticipated date to fly back to Hungary, but the Medical Department still has not fully cleared us to return. Gary has to undergo a few more tests over the next couple of weeks, but we do not believe that we will be delayed.  There is no reason to expect any problems; the doctor is just playing it safe.  Please pray that the official word will come soon.

            Summer plans are still developing.  This year the focus changes from ethnographic research to evangelism and church planting, and we believe that this will be the most challenging summer yet.  Pray for wisdom as we focus on the three or four strategic locations that we believe will yield the most for God's Kingdom. 

A total of five summer student missionaries (interns) are coming to help.  Two interns will be returning with us on our flight; a week later two more will arrive, and then on July 1st the fifth arrives.  It is going to be wonderful working with such a large group again!  Please pray for them as they prepare--some of them are still going through the application process and raising their financial support.  Most of all, pray for their spiritual growth and strength.  We are very thankful that other short-term volunteers will also be coming to work with us this summer.  It's so exciting to see the Lord raising up people to come and minister in our area.  You can read more about our interns online at http://www.hope4ehu.com/team_2007.html.

            Please pray about the prospect of longer-term workers coming to help in the Lord's harvest.  Several people have been in contact with us about possibly joining us on the field as two-year Journeymen, and another as a career missionary.  We're very excited about the prospect of having additional team members!  May the Lord work out all the details and bring those He has prepared to come help in the work.

            Thank you for your prayers and support.  We would love to hear from you.

God bless,

Gary and Carolyn Miller

IMB Eastern Hungary Team

Field address:  Gary and Carolyn Miller  -- Bem Ter 8, fsz. 3  --  4026 Debrecen  --  Hungary

Sent Tuesday, March 13, 2006 10:27 PM

Sent Saturday, December 16, 2006 11:31 PM

Sent Thursday, October 5, 2006 10:50 PM

Dear Prayer Partners,

We have just received word that, due to a political demonstration
planned for Friday, Oct. 6 at Kossuth Ter in Budapest, many Hungarian believers
will be observing a day of prayer and fasting. They will ask God that the
demonstrations remain non-violent, that the situation in Hungary will
improve, and that God's will may be done.  They have also invited other
believers to spread the word and to join them in praying and fasting.

Thank you for helping to stand in the gap for the nation and people of
Hungary during this difficult time.

In Christ,
Carolyn Miller
Eastern Hungary Team

Sent Wednesday, September 20, 2006 8:43 PM

Dear Praying Friends,

Please pray urgently for Hungary, as the country is going through what is being called a "moral crisis."  Statements by the Prime Minister were leaked to the press Sunday, which have resulted in anti-government protests in towns across the country.  Last night what began as a mainly peaceful demonstration in Budapest turned violent; about 150 people were injured, including 102 police officers. In a statement today, the Prime Minister said that the overnight riots were "'the longest and darkest night' for the country since the end of communism in 1989."  As of this morning the crowds have dispersed, but protesters have said that they will not be satisfied until the Prime Minister resigns.  Please pray for safety and stability in the country, but most of all for the Lord to be glorified as people re-examine the governing of their nation and the basis of their way of life. As they look for something or someone to put their hope and trust in, may they turn to the One who is always true and faithful. 

We personally do not feel in danger, although we are of course avoiding problem situations as much as possible.  Gary is in Budapest for a language course now, so please do lift him and our Budapest colleagues up, for wisdom about when to not be in certain places.  The crowds that have gathered in towns outside of Budapest have been much smaller and calmer than the Budapest scenes being shown on television. Thank you for interceding!

In Christ,
Carolyn
Eastern Hungary Team

P.S. Here are some English resources that tell more about the current events:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060919/ap_on_re_eu/hungary_politics
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/world/0609/gallery.hungary/frameset.exclude.html

4026 Debrecen
Bem Ter 8, fsz.3
Hungary

gcmiller@pobox.com
www.hope4ehu.com

Sent Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:23 PM

Summer 2006

Dear Family, Friends and Prayer Warriors,

Wow! What a busy and wonderful summer this has been. Yesterday Aug 15^th the last of our volunteers left for the US. For four straight months we have had guests or volunteers here helping us. Many of you were praying for them, and God answered your prayers. If you would like to some photos of some of these projects emailed to you, please reply to Nancy at n.lucas85@sbcglobal.net, or look on our website, http://www.hope4ehu.com/.

In the Spring newsletter there were a lot of things we asked you to pray about. Here are the updates on those. The flooding in Hungary caused much damage to property but very little loss of life. Clean up and dike repairs are still going on, but it could have been so much worse. On a positive note, the flooding created an opportunity where we were able to partner with Hungarian Baptist Aid to help some of the victims. We provided and helped hand out 200 boxes of food and cleaning supplies. Each box also contained a “Jesus” film and a Bible. Please pray that the many seeds that were sown will take root in the hearts of the people.