Dear Praying Friends,

Scaling the Himalayas is Reka’s objective.  Not the real Himalayas, but a metaphorical equivalent.  While Ami’s violin teacher compares the University of Pecs to the nearby Mecsek Hills, she calls the Liszt Academy in Budapest the highest range of mountains.  Reka passed her entrance exam and will start classes in Budapest in the fall, along with at least six others from the Arts High School in Pecs.  Reka’s specialty is music theory.  She finished third in the national high school competition last year.

Ami and Ramona Olah try to witness to their schoolmates, and Reka has been particularly receptive.  She spent some time with the Olahs in Nagykanizsa in July.  Yoli felt that Reka was near salvation at that time.  She encouraged Reka to start attending church in Pecs.  She did.  The light of the Gospel seems to be dawning on her now.  Pray for her.  She is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for the two men in our church who were without jobs.  Bela Gado will start his new job next week.  Lajos Makura has been busy with several temporary jobs.  He has some good job prospects.  Pray that he will get the one of God’s choosing.

We also ask for your prayers concerning our residence permits.  We believe that upgrading our permits will have a number of advantages that will be worth the trouble and expense.  Please pray that God will give us favor in the eyes of the Interior Ministry.

Our annual family camp will be August 10-14.  Pray for Ray and Marlene Virtue, Baptist World Mission missionaries in Germany, who will be speaking for the camp.  Pray that God will use this occasion to strengthen and encourage His people.

Please pray as we plan for the fall program of the church and the Bible Institute.  The Lord willing, we will begin classes both here in Pecs and in Romania in the September.  Pray for safe travel to and from Beius, Romania, and for Jean and Ami as I am absent.

Bela Horvath, our national pastor, would like to buy a house to accommodate his expanding family and increase his ability to entertain people at his home.  Pray that he will be able to purchase the right home and that he can find a buyer for his flat soon.

We spent a couple of days in Vienna this month.  I have posted one picture which will, I hope, be of interest because of its association with an Anabaptist hero.  Our web site has a new look.  We invite you to visit us at www.hungaryhearts.com to see pictures and get news updates between prayer letters.

We thank you again for your faithful prayers.  May God reward you.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

This month we spent a few days in Vienna.  While there, we found this plaque to the memory of Balthasar Hubmaier, an Anabaptist hero.  Here is a picture of the spot (click to enlarge).

Balthasar Hubmaier memorial

 Here is a translation of the inscription provided to me by a missionary friend:

Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier

- Was burned to death as a Baptist on March 10, 1528 in front of this shop’s door.

- Founder of religious tolerance thinking.

- Christ did not come to butcher, murder, and burn (others).

- (From: “Of Heretics and Their Burners (Persecutors)”.

- The Christians of this city.

Hubmaier’s pamphlet ended with this sentence: “Those who burn heretics are the worst heretics of all.”  The authorities in Vienna drowned his faithful wife Elizabeth in the Danube three days after his death.

As we toured the city, we heard over and over again about the greatness of the Hapsburg emperors and the many composers who resided in the city like Mozart, Beethoven and the Strausses.  Someday all of these great men will be forgotten, but Hubmaier and his wife will be eternally famous.

You have probably noticed the new look of our web page.  I want to thank Dan and Alex Beltechi and Lio Mischie for designing and implimenting the new header.  Thanks also to Tom Ferris, our faithful webmaster.

Dear Praying Friends,

Marcel and Lea live in Kocs (pronounced “coach”), a Hungarian village that has given its name to languages around the world.  Marcel is actually a Dutch citizen who resides in Hungary with his Hungarian wife and family.  Marcel and Lea came to Christ through the ministry of missionary friends of ours in their area.  In April, Lea was in the 25^th week of her pregnancy expecting their fourth child when something went wrong.  They made a quick trip to Budapest for help at a large maternity hospital and were told that there was no hope for the baby.  Many people prayed.  After two days passed and the baby had not miscarried, the doctors were amazed.  Someone pointed out that the Pecs women’s hospital is on the cutting edge in treating Lea’s condition, so off to Pecs they went.

Lea had been flat on her back here in Pecs for eight weeks.  Her husband and three other children were staying in the Knies’ home, which was available because they are on furlough.  The Makura family was watching the children a week ago Sunday when Marcel called to say that something was afoot.  The doctors took Jonatan by Caesarian section a few hours later.  The baby weighed 1.9 kilos (about 4 pounds, 3 ounces).  Marcel told us that he was grateful for the help and encouragement of all the church members here in Pecs.  In particular, he knew that the Makura family would joyfully care for his children and not consider it a burden.  He has also appreciated the pulpit ministry of the church, having attended all the services he could while he is here.  We are praying that Jonatan will be able to leave the hospital with his mother when they return to Kocs next Sunday evening.  Pray for this family. They are six out of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for Bela Horvath as he assumes the pastorate of the Pecs church.  He has spent much time during his first two months ministering to the faithful core members of the church.  He is now working on the people who are not part of the core, both members and non-members.  He continues to need your prayers as he deals with the challenges of his new responsibilities.

On June 21 Jean and I journeyed to Nagykanizsa to help the Olahs celebrate the first anniversary of the Lighthouse Baptist Church.  God is blessing their work in a wonderful way.  We thank God for the folks who have been saved and witnessed to by the Olahs.  Gedeon now has a 10 minute TV broadcast on the local station at noon every Saturday, free of charge.  Pray that God will use this opportunity to spread the gospel.

We greatly enjoyed the visit of our son, Micah, and his sweet wife Jerian during the month of June.  They were able to see the ministry here and contribute to it in music and testimonies.  Micah preached and shared insights with the teachers in the church about how to understand and present Bible stories.

At the end of their visit, Micah and Jerian accompanied Jean and me to Romania where I preached for a conference of independent Baptists at Camp of Joy, near Stei in the Transylvanian section of the country.  We renewed fellowship with old friends and met some new ones.  Jean spoke for one of the ladies’ sessions.  The conference was an encouragement to one and all.  I was also able to discuss the fall session at the Bible College in Beius.  The leadership has asked me to take a larger role in the graduate program of the school.  Please pray for God’s leading in this matter.

This month I will be preaching for two Sundays while Bela takes a short break.  In addition, I have been asked to do a workshop session for our annual Baptist World Mission European Family Retreat in France.  Your prayers for these opportunities are also appreciated.

Some have asked about Ami’s plans for the fall.  God willing, she will study violin here in Hungary and attend classes in our Bible Institute.   She auditioned for entrance into the world-famous Liszt Academy in Budapest along with 32 others and finished 10^th.  They accepted the top nine.  On Saturday she will audition for the University of Pecs.  She would appreciate your continued prayers for guidance as to her future.

Pray for Bela Gado and Lajos Makura who have both lost their jobs in the worldwide recession.  Pray for the salvation of Miklos and Zsuzsa.

Thanks again for your prayers.  We want to keep you informed of all that is going on.  I am trying to update our web site several times a month.  Please visit us often at www.hungaryhearts.com.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter