Thank you for praying for Jean. The news after her surgery this morning was very good. The “lesion” that they removed was not malignant. They did minimal invasive surgery, so the prospects for a quick recovery are also good.
We are grateful to the Lord for his mercy.
Jean is scheduled to have surgery to have a growth removed from her right lung on Tuesday, November 25. Your prayers for her would be appreciated.
Jean had her PET-CT scan in Budapest yesterday. The doctor who did the test was puzzled. He classified the results as “weak positive.” He is unsure of what we should do next. I took the disk with the scans in to the doctor in Pecs this morning. She has tentatively scheduled surgery for November 28 if it is needed. Please pray that God will give the doctors wisdom about what to do.
Jean has an appointment for a PET-CT scan in Budapest for Wednesday, November 19. The results of the scan will determine whether or not she needs surgery at this time. If surgery proves necessary, it is scheduled for this Friday, November 21. We would all appreciate your prayers about this matter.
We just came home from the first night of our missions conference. Both the size and the spirit of a crowd were good. On international night we encourage people to wear clothing from other nations. Here are some pictures from tonight. Click to enlarge.
On October 19, exactly one year after holding their first Bible study in Nagykanizsa, Gedeon Olah performed the first baptisms for Lighthouse Baptist Church. We were able to attend. Here are some pictures from that memorable night. (On October 26, the church held its first Lord’s Supper). Click to enlarge.
Four candidates for baptism.
Witnesses to the baptism.
All the tests Jean has taken so far have been negative. The next step is a PET-scan, which must be done in Budapest. That will determine whether or not she needs surgery. Please pray that she will be able to get on the schedule soon.
Jean had her bronchioscope test today. Though the test was a real trial in itself, the results could not have been better. The doctor believes the spot is an infamation from an infection and nothing more serious. He took three samples for a biopsy, just in case. Your continued prayers would be appreciated. We will update you as soon as we know more, possibly as early as Wednesday.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us to “Trust in the Lord . . . and lean not unto thine own understanding.” What does it mean to lean on your own understanding? We can lean on a wall or on another person, but if we try to lean on ourselves, we shall only fall over.
Some years ago I read the following story about the great test pilot Church Yeager. He was flying a prototype jet airplane that was the fastest ever built. Two previous pilots had flown the same kind of plane. Both were killed when the plane stopped responding to the controls. Yeager’s plane also crashed for the same reason, and he barely escaped with his life.
The investigation of the crashes eventually found a simple explanation for the control failure. According to the blueprints, a mechanic was to install a small bolt in a very awkward position. The mechanic who installed the bolt realized that if he reversed the orientation of the bolt, he could install it much more easily. Either way the bolt served its function.
While the plane was on the ground, all systems of the plane worked properly, but once the pilot demanded the plane to make the kind of maneuvers that it was designed for, a control cable caught on the threaded end of the bolt and the controls stopped responding. Had the mechanic installed the bolt according to the plans, the problem would never have occurred. The mechanic leaned on his own understanding, ignoring the design. As a result, three very expensive airplanes crashed and two lives were lost. Had he understood the consequences of his decision, he would never have made it.
Life is much more complicated than the construction of an airplane. Only the Designer understands how all the parts of it fit together. He gave us a set of instructions called the Bible. We can choose to modify His plans and make adjustments that seem to make our lives easier and happier, but we do not understand the consequences of our decisions. Only when we take knowledge of Him by reading and carrying out the instructions (verse 6) will He make our way straight, because we will be following His direction for our paths.
Dear Praying Friends,
Bence’s story was almost too good to be true. He had become disenchanted with his parent’s religion as he grew up. They had gone to a Baptist Union church that has since closed its doors. Now Bence attends the University of Pecs. Having taken the time to think about his relationship to God, he prayed on his own to receive Christ as Savior.
He now feels the need to follow the Lord in baptism. Where should he turn? Where do young people his age normally turn when they want to know something? The internet! Bence found Bible Baptist Church of Pecs on the web at www.bibliabaptista.hu. He visited and liked what he saw and heard. He asked to be baptized. All seemed to be going well except for one thing: his family has become charismatic and Bence believes in divine healing and speaking in tongues. A long talk with Jim Knies and a long letter from yours truly were of no avail. He still likes us, but cannot go along with our position on the sign gifts. Pray for Bence. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.
We are more apt to share our victories with you than our frustrations. God is good. He gives us much encouragement to balance out the disappointments. Praise God with us for the following encouragements:
I am about to take make my seventh journey to Romania to teach New Testament Greek. The trip takes about 11 to 12 hours each way, including car travel and transfer layovers. Is it worthwhile? Lio Mischie seems to think so. He put off surgery for one week, electing to live with the pain a little longer, so that he would miss a minimum number of class sessions.
As part of a university class, Zoli Kiss was assigned to give a talk on the first century church. He spoke about sin, the atonement of Christ and His resurrection as part of the talk. Students were allowed to ask questions afterward. As you can imagine, several expressed skepticism about some of what Zoli said. Zoli’s teacher intervened in the discussion to defend him. Imagine that happening in a state university in the United States.
Eva Jambor received her master’s degree in biology last July. Job prospects for her are not very good with only a master’s. She had the opportunity for a fellowship grant that would allow her to study and earn a doctor’s degree in Italy. This foreign degree would have looked very good on her resume, but she turned it down, because she is concerned about what would happen to her spiritual life in Italy. Instead, she has accepted a fellowship to work on her doctorate here in Pecs, so that she can continue to be active in our church.
Our young people have recently begun work on our Christmas program, which includes some very challenging music. Recently they successfully sight-read through the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. Without accompaniment. How many church teen groups do you know of that could pull that off? (Excuse me for bragging.)
On October 11 we attended the first baptismal service of the Olah’s new church plant in Nagykanizsa. Four believers followed the Lord in baptism. I wish all of you could have been there. I hope to be able to post some pictures of this event on our web site soon.
Today the students taking the Bible Institute class on Acts passed their final exam. Classes are now over until January. Please pray that God will guide us as to the future of this very important ministry.
Please pray for our annual missions conference which begins on Saturday November 8, and goes through Wednesday the 12th. We look forward to the ministry of Pastor Mark Booth, of Calvary Baptist Church, Charlotte, Michigan. Also participating will be our own missionaries, the Olah family, and the Erwin Andrasiks, a Hungarian family who are planting a church north of Budapest. Friday through Sunday, November 14-16, the Olahs plan to have an evangelistic outreach in Nagykanizsa, with Jim Knies peaching.
We also want to request special prayer for Mrs. Potter. A CT scan of her lungs taken last fall showed some small spots, half the size of a grain of rice, that did not show up on X-rays. The doctors believed that these spots were harmless, but advised continued monitoring. Recently she had another follow-up scan. This time, a new spot appeared that is 17 millimeters in size. The doctors expressed concern over this development and ordered a series of tests. The last of this series is scheduled for Monday, November 3. We ask you to pray that the doctors will correctly identify what is going on and that God will guide them as to what treatment, if any, is needed.
We are thankful that we are in God’s hands and that we can count on you to uphold us before the throne of grace.
Yours for Hungary hearts,
David Potter
PS—If you have not visited our web site recently, please do so. Just go to http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on “Our Journal.”