Winckles Family Update

In Holland, Ohio

We spent the morning today at Holland Free Methodist Church in Holland, Ohio. The Holland church is one of our principal supporting churches, and is our home church in Ohio. This is also the church where Andrew and Christy currently attend.

We first attended the Sunday School class that Andrew and Christy teach together.  It was wonderful to see a number of young adults participating in the class, many who we taught when they were young children.

Larry and Andrew had the rare opportunity to sing together during the worship service, singing "There is a Redeemer" in both English and Hungarian. It was nice to hear the close harmony of father and son singing together.

During the service we were able to share about the ongoing church planting work in Budapest and about Larry's training work that takes place throughout Europe. Following the service we enjoyed many conversations with o ld friends, and then went out to lunch with the church's missions committee, along with Andrew, Christy, and Peter.  It was nice to be together as a church family and as a physical family.

Southern Michigan Conference Family Camp

We spent Thursday night and all day Friday at the Southern Michigan Conference Family Camp at Somerset Beach Campground in Somerset Center, Michigan. We were happy to be able to connect with many friends, supporters and colleagues. We had lunch on Friday with Burt Kettinger, Lucien and Molly Behar (former colleagues who worked in Belgium), and Ron and Joanne Pieper (former colleagues who worked in Ukraine).  We were also able to spend some time with our friends Randy and Judy Bennett and Mark and Diane Dowley.

While not originally on the schedule, Larry was asked to give the Missions Moment on Friday night.  We are thankful for the wonderful support that we receive from the Southern Michigan Conference churces.

Together in North Dakota

We left North Dakota today, but just before we headed for the airport we took a moment to get a photo of Larry with his mom and two sisters.  Everyone had a good time!

Stutsman County Fair

One of Nancy's favorite things to do in the summer is going to the county fair.  So when we found out that the Stutsman County Fair was on this week, we decided to go.  Everyone has their favorite food to get at the fair -- here are some photos of the family members with their fair favorites.

In North Dakota

We traveled to North Dakota on Thursday, taking Larry's mom and sister Nancy to visit Linda and Joel.  Nancy was a great traveler!  We were delayed for an hour in Minneapolis due to severe thunderstorms, but arrived in Fargo to find beautiful weather.  We enjoyed dinner at Up the Creek before traveling on to Jamestown, where Linda and Joel live.

Today we slept in a bit and then went to visit the National Buffalo Museum, Frontier Village, and World's Largest Buffalo (statue). 

After that, we came to the moment that Nancy had been waiting for -- her shopping spree with Katie! Nancy has lost a lot of weight recently, and her clothes are too big.  So Katie took her shopping for a new wardrobe.  She ended up with two new pairs of capris and four new shirts.  She was thrilled, to say the least!

At the Cabin - 2008

Our time in the Upper Peninsula passed by all too quickly.  We gathered together in front of the cabin this morning for our annual family photo, just prior to our departure. It was good to be together, and sad to leave.

Happy Birthday, Christy!

Christy celebrated her 25th birthday today. Andrew prepared her birthday dinner, including hand-made ravioli, grilled chicken, and a three-layer red velvet cake! It was all quite wonderful!

Big Pines

Andrew and Christy arrived on Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday we spent some time at Big Pines.  This is another place where Katie and Christy like to look for rocks. It was a beautiful day!

Kayakers

Katie and Peter enjoying some time in the kayaks.

Coffee with Peter

Peter never drank coffee until he started working the Campus Safety night shifts at Calvin College.  Now he is a coffee connoisseur.  His latest coffee is Turkish coffee, and he brought his equipment with him up to the cabin this week.  Everyone was surprised at how good it is!  It is strong and sweet, but not bitter.  You just want to be sure NOT to drain the cup! Peter now has quite a collection of coffee equipment - French press, mocha express, and now Turkish. 

Our holiday begins

We arrived back in the States on Monday afternoon and spent the day on Tuesday in Monroe at Larry's mother's house, trying to recover from jet lag.  We traveled up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Wednesday, and today we were finally able to begin to wind down and relax a bit. Her parent's cabin on Lake Superior is her favorite place to be, and the wonderfully cool weather was a very refreshing change from the high heat and humidity that we have been experiencing in Budapest in recent weeks.

Of course, one of the first things we did was visit the Point Iroquois Lighthouse.  Can you spot Katie in the picture?

Erika's Garden Party

Our friend and one of Katie's English students, Erika, has a garden party each summer.  Usually it takes place here in Budapest, but this year she and her husband decided to hold it in the small village of Gárdony, which is about 45 minutes away from Budapest.  Erika always schedules the party according to our summer schedule, so that we are certain to be able to attend.  The menu of the day included homemade paprikás krumpli cooked over a campfire (a thick stew with potatoes and various sausages with a paprika based broth), töltött palacsinta (fruit-filled crepes), and görög dinnye (watermelon).  We also got the opportunity to meet a number of Erika's friends that live outside of Budapest and who don't normally come to her parties in the city.

We've known Erika for several years, and count it a privilege to share in these special occasions with her.

Baby Balázs

Our friend and former colleague, Eszter, had her first baby about four months ago.  This afternoon we took the opportunity to visit her and her husband, Gábor, and their son Balázs.  Of course, Larry couldn't resist getting his picture taken with yet another baby!

It was great to see Eszter and Gábor again in their new apartment in the town of Székesfehérvár.  Eszter stays at home with Balázs, and Gábor commutes to Budapest for his teaching job.  It's hard on him, but it's good for the rest of the family.

June 2008 Europe Update

June 2008 Europe Update

(prepared by Marcie Huson, Europe Education Coordinator)

Marcie has begun collecting reports from around Europe and distributing them to our churches in the UK.  We thought you might be interested as well!

Belgium

– Todd and Deann Miller (Short-term visa missionaries) were originally scheduled to finish their assignment this month.  But their work with our churches is going so well, they’ve been asked to stay longer.  Please pray as they raise funds to be able to continue their work until at least Jan. 09, when new long-term missionaries are scheduled to arrive.  Pray also for Belgian leader Jackie Barbier as he makes plans to attend a Bible training course in the Netherlands starting this autumn.

Bulgaria

– The Love Bulgaria Youth Conference, set for July 18- 25, will match Bulgarian youth with teens from a Michigan youth group and train them to share their faith. The conference will also provide a way to develop friendships with other teens from around the world. Pray this is a positive experience for all involved. Pray also for monthly training sessions for a group of Bulgarian pastors and leaders which started June 21. www.amellinger.com

France

– The Cergy FMC (outside Paris) has found a new place to meet with room to grow! Thank you for your prayers.  The Strasbourg fellowship is praying about starting Recovery Groups in their area this autumn.  Pray for wisdom and clear vision for this group.

Greece

– Richard Taylor (Renewal FMC) preached this month at a multi-church event in Thessoliniki. They were given free use of a communist party trade union hall near our church.  Many worship teams, many pastors, and congregations met, with one spirit.  Mike Long reports over 200 persons participated and God's presence filled the meetings. The Spirit ministered powerfully to persons and contacts from our Balkan church, the Armenia church, the Swedish church, and a gypsy congregation too.  Please pray for the FM congregation in Thessoliniki – particularly for the landlord, who is uncomfortable having the church in his building. http://mikenmaria.typepad.com

Hungary

– Larry Winckles recently spoke at a men’s pancake breakfast outreach in Budapest. His topic was “What Kind of Man Do You Want to Be?” He addressed issues of faith, character and integrity.  A ladies’ tea was held later in the month so the women did not feel left out.  Please pray for the outreach efforts of this church in the capital city of Budapest www.winckles.typepad.com

Italy

– Brazilian missionary Tania Gonclaves held a meeting recently in her home. Seven people attended. One made a decision to follow Christ and another renewed her commitment.  Tania has also befriended a young man she met in Italian lessons, who recently attempted suicide. Pray for a real spiritual breakthrough in the life of this young man.  Pray also for Tania’s visa to be renewed and for a group of converts with which to begin the work in Viterbo.

Portugal

– An outreach event for single mothers and their children was held recently in Charneca, with the help of funds from Fulwood FMC.  This spring, seven students completed a 3 ½ year leadership training course.  Others continue, as a School of Leaders is held each week in Charneca and Merces. The Shekinah Worship team, which has recorded 3 CDs, is planning a tour in the USA this autumn.    

Romania

– Scott and Paula Dunn anticipate a full summer of teams working with the children at the Oaza ministries. Please pray for the children and the workers coming in.  Pray also for Paula’s family in the recent loss of her brother-in-law, Larry.  He was the husband of Paula’s sister Becky, who passed away suddenly in Feb. 2007. www.thedunnsinromania.org   

Slovakia

– Josef Sykora recently traveled to Ukraine to teach a course on how to become a Christian and grow in your Christian life. He is preparing a youth camp for July with the Brethren Church in Bratislava

Spain

- The Madrid church is hosting an outreach to children this summer.  Programs will run Monday-Friday June 30 – Aug. 2 and feature activities such as English and Science clubs, choir, theater workshops, story telling hours, crafts, music and flutaphone classes, art classes, sports, games and group activities, ecology and world culture “classes.”  Pray for missionaries Mike and Caty Hamley as they head this up. Pray also for missionaries Josh and Susy Fajardo, and their girls, as they are on home assignment in the states this summer, trying to raise necessary funds for the work in Spain www.mikencaty.typepad.com

Ukraine

– Missionary Brenda Hendrick recently started a women’s Bible study with 3 other women.  Please pray that they will stay committed to meeting together and that they will grow to see God’s sufficiency in all things. Greg and Brenda celebrated the wedding of their daughter Anna on May 10. Pray also for missionary Julie Allman as she returns to the states for a two month home assignment this summer.

Personnel needs:

Scott and Paula Dunn (Romania) and Mike and Maria Long (Greece) are each looking for someone to help with their children’s schooling starting this autumn.  The children of both families use an internet curriculum, and need someone to help supervise their work.  They are looking for people who would come initially for a short-term (4-6 months) but who may be willing to extend if it’s a good fit.  Teaching training and/or background would be helpful, but isn’t necessary.  Please pray for these two positions to be filled. 

Thank you for your prayers and support of the work in Europe!!

Welcome McNamaras!

Gerry McNamara's brother Paul is visiting Hungary for a few days, and the brothers came up to Budapest today and had dinner with us tonight.  It was great to be able to spend some time with them.

Ladies' Tea

This afternoon Katie hosted a Ladies' Tea at the Budapest Ministry Center.  This, of course, was a follow-up to the Men's Breakfast that was held last Saturday.  A group of ladies from the church fellowship and the English class joined together for this special time of fellowship.  Katie, of course, outdid herself by baking Cherry Cobbler, Rhubarb Squares, and Fruit Pizza.  The ladies could also make a flower craft, if they wanted.  Everyone had a great time enjoying each other's company.

Men's Pancake Breakfast

A few weeks back when we first announced that there would be a men's pancake breakfast we got a very strong reaction from the women!  "Why is it just for men?" they asked.  "What are they going to do?"  "Are they going to talk about us?"  "Why can't we come, too?"  We had to reassure them that they, too, would have a special event of their own, as next week we will have a Ladies Tea.

The next obstacle that we had to cross was a general aversion to eating sweet and salty foods together.  How could one eat sweet pancakes with maple syrup, along with salty fried bacon?  The two surely could not go well together!

Well, in spite of these fears, everyone was pleasantly surprised at how good the breakfast was!  We could barely keep up with the demand for the pancakes, and all of the bacon that we fried was consumed!

 Larry spoke on the topic of "What kind of man do you want to be?" and addressed some of the cultural and international stereotypes of what makes a "real man".  After sharing some humorous stories and examples, we took a closer look at the things that truly make a real man -- issues of faith, character and integrity.

The response to the breakfast was quite positive, so we will plan another such event for September.

Gödöllő Royal Palace

  Hungarians like to go on excursions, and so does Larry!  Today some folks from our church fellowship (namely Péter, Judit, Andrea, Norbi, Ákos, Zita, Ádám, and Dalma) traveled with us to visit the Gödöllő Royal Palace, which was holding special Coronation Weekend activities.  The palace served as the principal Hungarian summer residence for Empress consort Elisabeth of Austria, the wife of the head of the House of Habsburg, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Affectionately known by her subjects as "Sisi", she achieved a popular notoriety that can only be compared to that of Princess Diana in our times. (Sisi remains popular to this day, as evidenced by the fact that a look-alike contest was recently held, and the winner was holding court today at the Royal Palace!)

We traveled to Gödöllő on the suburban commuter train that goes north out of Budapest. We had a wonderful time visiting the art festival on the grounds, enjoying traditional food, watching the kids make figures out of marzipan, watching the puppet show, touring the royal apartments, and finishing off our visit with coffee and a pastry at the coffee shop (the Eszterházy torta was fantastic!).

The value of these excursions is that it provides us with opportunity to build and strengthen our bonds of friendship with people in our circles.

National Gallop

The weather today in Budapest can only be described by one word -- sultry!  But in spite of the high humidity and heat, thousands of people gathered around Heroes Square this afternoon for the first-ever National Gallop.  Heroes Square was turned into a racecourse, and the steps of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hall of the Arts were turned into viewing stands. What was the event?  At its essence it was a celebration of life in Hungary -- outside of Budapest.  Each county and major town had a booth set up to tell about why it is unique and what it has to offer visitors. In addition, each county entered a horse and rider into the race competition.  And of course, there were also plenty of booths were you could buy food and folk art.

The most interesting thing about the National Gallop is that the riders in the race were not professionals, but mainly young people who loved horses.  Instead of being a high-stakes race, it was instead a friendly competition.  In fact, the entire feeling was similar to that of a State Fair in the U.S., without the carnival rides and animal barns, of course.

Shalom House Dedication and Open House

   Larry, Katie, Gábor and Elizabeth traveled to Arad, Romania today to attend the dedication of the newly completed Shalom House.  The Shalom House serves as a home for twelve orphaned or abandoned children, mostly of elementary school age, and is operated by the Oaza Association.  Friends and supporters of Oaza's ministries came from all over the world to participate in this event.  What has been accomplished over the past four years is nothing short of miraculous.

We visited the Shalom House shortly after it was purchased in the summer of 2004 -- and it was a complete wreck! (See picture at right.) Simon James , from Wales, was given the task of planning how this small, one storey house could be converted to a larger, two storey children's home.  He worked diligently with a local architect and served as the original project manager until he and his family returned to Wales two years ago.  Scott Dunn then inherited the position and has done a wonderful job as the project manager, overcoming many obstacles -- both practical and financial.

The celebration started with some of the children presenting a Romanian folk dance, followed by others giving a puppet presentation. Casius Andres served as the Master of Ceremonies, and as he called out the different countries that had sent workers and funds to support Oaza, representatives of each of those countries carried their  flag up to the balcony. Gábor was pleased to be asked to carry the flag for Hungary.

Laura Andres (the director of Oaza) gave certificates of appreciation to those who played a significant part (as either laborers or financial supporters) in making this day becoming a reality. Scott Dunn offered a prayer of dedication. Laura introduced the children of Shalom House and made a few remarks. Then the ribbon was cut, and everyone was free to tour the building.

 A fantastic job had also been done in the inside of the house as well.  We toured the computer room, the living room, the play room, the kitchen, the dining room, and of course, the bedrooms. The kids were very especially happy to be able to show off their rooms.

The open house concluded with a cold buffet lunch, complete with a celebration cake.  We had many good conversations with our friends who work with Oaza, others who work in similar ministries in Arad, and with supporters from abroad.

We were blessed to be able to take part in this special day.

Last Day of English Class

Today was the last day of English Class for the 2007-2008 academic year.  As usual, Katie went all-out in preparation for this event.  She baked up a storm -- cookies, poppyseed lemon bread, zucchini bread, and pogacsas as well as preparing spinach dip in a bread bowl.  But don't worry, the eating only came at the end of the class!

The feature of the afternoon was the English Class Variety Show, which featured many of the students from the class.  Elizabeth recited the song "Summer Holiday" and then everyone joined in singing it (along with Cliff Richard, of course). Misi recited an English version of a traditional Easter Monday poem (about sprinkling the girls). Several people shared their "What's the Word?" clues and everyone enjoyed Zita telling about the song " Our Town" (from the movie Cars) and then singing it together. But the highlight of the afternoon for many people was the presentation of the short play "Slow Food" by the members of Larry's reading group.

At the end, the director of the Family Help Center came in and presented Katie with a plant in appreciation of all her efforts. Katie also received flowers and chocolates from many of the students. Everyone enjoyed the good fellowship, the good fun, the good food, and the good time!

At the end of class Katie gave everyone a copy of the English Class News, a newspaper that we put together featuring some of the writing of students from the class.  You can download a copy here. (Adobe Reader required.)

Children's Day

Sunday was Children's Day in Hungary, and on Saturday and Sunday numerous special events were planned all throughout the city.  We went to the City Park on Saturday afternoon with Ákos and Zita and their kids.  It was a beautiful, sunny day! Katie had a good time working on a craft project, which she plans on using with her English students sometime in the future.

Roberts Team in Budapest

Dr. Barbara Rose and Anita Ford arrived in Budapest yesterday with a group of students from Roberts Wesleyan University.  Barbara and Anita have been bringing students to Hungary and Romania for the past ten years and have helped with projects in Budapest and Győr in Hungary and in Arad, Romania. This year they will be spending two weeks in Arad, helping with work at the Oaza Childrens Homes and with other ministries there.  Today was a tourist day for them, and Larry served as their Budapest tour guide.  It is always a joy to have Barbara and Anita with us in Budapest!

Photo of the Week: Construction Continues

Construction continues on the Móricz Zsigmond station of the new Metro 4 in Budapest, Hungary.  Completion, originally slated for fall 2009, is now scheduled for 2010. The photo below shows the progress of the digging machine, which is now in the immediate vicinity, albeit deep underground. The digging machine itself is shown at right.

Festival of Museums

The Festival of Museums is held each year in Budapest on the grounds of the Hungarian National Museum.  Most of the museums in the country have displays and hands-on activities for all ages.  It is a great place to go for families, as there is something for everyone.  We had a church excursion to the festival this afternoon, and below are some of the sights.