GoodSports International

November 2011 in Hungary

2011-11-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Russell- “Suffering, Perseverance, Character, and Hope!”

The HEAT is on… Although the weather is cooling off, the ability stay afloat on the stormy seas has been a real challenge.

Orphanage – Miskolc – one of our 19 year olds committed suicide. A while ago I remember talking about the story of Jesus telling the fishermen to put down their nets. The amount of fish they caught was staggering; they had to call in partners to pull up the net! Despite this great example of listening to Christ’s direction and the need for partners in our mission work, I cannot help but see those fish that slip out of the net- swimming away into the darkness….. The orphanage staff asked us to come to talk to the kids about hope. So we did talk - about HIS hope.

Orphanage – Berretyoujfalu – Our visits to this orphanage were SHUT DOWN. One of the orphanage staff said there was no benefit for us visiting them anymore! In the heat of anger, he forgot about the kids we brought to our English summer camp. the teams from Ohio and Germany who visited an played with the kids, the ongoing piano classes every Friday, the food, clothes and other supplies brought by our visiting teams. Hopefully we have calmed things down, but relationships remain fragile.

Baseball – Mikepércs Mosquitoes – “Go Away,” was the message we got from the village soccer coaches. Apparently, they received a grant from the government that allows them to rebuild! This means they no longer desire to share their field. Homeless in Mikepércs? We are speaking to the village Mayor next week to ask for a chance to remain.

Language School – Our Logos Language School is in a major downsizing mode. A bad economy means less students, fewer students means less teachers and our goal to hire Hungarian Christian Teachers is in question.

Concerned but not worried!

Despite the rollercoaster ride of October events I am bolstered by the passion an eagerness of our GoodSports Team. Kara Mckenzie is forging ahead with taking over the University Coffee House Outreach. She is back at the Berretyoujfalu orphanage and has invited MORE children to participate in her music program. Phillip Hildebrand in Miskolc has decided that sitting down for dinner is a waste of time…..He is constantly on the go with either the school basketball team, the American football teams in Miskolc, Nyireghaza and Budapest. He tops the charts with English class charts with over 250 plus students!

What a team!

Romans 5: 2--6 „And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Phillip

Football

Every other Tuesday I travel to Budapest where I am consulting with the Budapest Rebels as the install their new offense. Things are going great as we have about half of the new playbook in and they won their scrimmage against the Szolnok soldiers in dominant fashion.

Every Wednesday and Saturday I have been traveling to Nyiregyhaza where I am the acting head coach of the Nyiregyhaza team who is participating in fall tournament. We have had a great month beating the 3^rd best team in Hungary 20-16 and then two weeks later beating the 2^nd best team in Hungary and the current central European inter-league champions 35-33.

Basketball

I am also the assistant coach to the Avasi Gimnazium (the high school that I teach at) boys basketball team. We had our first games in October and although we were routed the first game 56-12 we bounced back the next to win 36-22. The kids are really improving and practices are beginning to be more fun as the players skills improve.

Miskolc Orphanage

With the help of Alyssa and Abby we started our Thursday night English class at the orphanage which has been a blast. So far it is going better than I ever imagined. We have had very good numbers and the kids are very enthusiastic smiling, laughing and joking, plus I think there is a little learning going on as well. This is a great fellowship tool.

Monday night Bible studies are still going on. It has been a challenge to work out the schedule with the interpreters as well as who is doing what (will Russ or I teach) and what kind of lesson will it be. But I feel we have a good system in place or at least a good idea in place now and will see how it works this Monday (with Russ coming earlier and doing his game and parable or bible story like he used to and me coming later and doing more of a discipleship class for the older kids that are new believers).

The once a month kids service was a little interesting as one of the older boys committed suicide and we were asked to do his memorial service. However, I think it went very well and Russ’s lesson on hope is exactly what the kids need to hear. So while it was a dark and depressing thing I believe there was tons of light. We still brought small gifts and food and played with the kids after the service. As a result the older kids have been coming and hanging around the orphanage more so that is good that they can be around a positive environment.

Avasi Gimnazium

Work…..well work is work. I have some very good classes and then I have other classes where I make teenagers stand in the corner. Because as the coach says if you act like a 3 year old…well I will treat you like one. However, I reached fall break with only positive comments from students, colleagues and my boss, PRAISE JESUS. I am in the process of finishing my fall grades which when you have 267 students can be a bit difficult.

All in all I think it was a great month for me personally and for God. There are tons of things happening in Miskolc. The only problem is I am only one man and cannot do all of them L. For example along with everything mentioned above there is also the possibility to have a baseball team in Miskolc; and by the end of November there will be a new American football team in Miskolc J, which will consume a lot of time.

Kara: Remény – Hope

Honestly until we sat down to work on this blog I had not realized just how tough October had been. It really was a beast of a month, but there were some very special moments.

At LOGOS there was a student who requested to work with me again. Her name is Virág, and we’ve worked together off and on since I first came to Hungary in September of 2010. She is not saved, but she knows that I am and she requested to work with me.

In Berettyóújfalu we’ve had some interesting times yes, but some small victories as well. My first piano student out there is a guy name Tomi. He gave his life to Christ at one of the summer camps in July of 2010. He is very close to a couple of people who came with some short-term teams from the USA. Just this past week he finally gave me permission to record him playing so we could send it to these people.

In Miskolc we spend our first hour or so there simply playing with the kids. Phillip went to get the smaller “sick” kids from house 3 so they could come outside with us. As soon as the door opened Gergő came bolting out and ran straight for me. His smile was bigger than his face as he jumped into my arms. This precious little boy will most likely never live to see adulthood. For more about him see this video put together by Russ’ wife Trudy.

Also in Miskolc, I had a short conversation with Dora (with the help of one of my amazing translators – Russ’ 10 year old daughter Niki). Dora seemed to be down in the dumps, but did not want to talk about her problem. Then, seemingly out of the blue she asked Niki if she believed in God. Niki replied in the affirmative, and told her that I also believe in God. We then asked if Dora believed, and her response was, “csak kicsit” (just a little).

There are some “dragons” in my life, but I have taken up offensive measures in the form of American Chocolate Chip cookies. The goal is to kill them with kindness. Thus far 5 batches of cookies have been made and dispersed – thankfully with very few of them hitting my mouth!

These are all small steps, but they are the reason God has us here. This is where we begin. Meet people where they are, build relationships with them, and show them Christ through word and deed.

October 2011 in Hungary

2011-10-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

From Russell

Back in Hungary…Great Family Time– Finally the Chun’s made it home from their two month trip to the states. Family, special friends all contributed to a great “family” time. It was a good transition for Levi (short for Levente) who is now beginning to see himself as a “CHUN.” Although a month late for school the kids are catching up quickly. Niki is in a special class – one girl, ten boys? We are thinking about making a change there.

Balancing Act – Baseball, Logos the Language School, Orphanage (Miskolc and Berretyoujfalu), Refugee Camp work, Handicapped work , Women’s Ministry (Marvelous Light), Using Coffee to touch lives (Coffee outreach), Adult American Football, School Basketball and English Classes everywhere!

Hmmm….I am glad that Kara Mckenzie has signed up for another year (or more) for work in Debrecen. Phillip Hildebrand arrived in Miskolc in September and hasn’t stopped running! (Ah, the passion of youth). They are our newest “tentmakers.” What is that exactly? The Apostle Paul did it…he made tents…and in doing so he worked amongst the people building relationships and supporting himself.

Kara and Phillip are hard at work learning to feed, house, travel and minister in Hungary. I think I’ll let them tell you their stories…….

From Kara

English Teaching
Just a little over a year ago I came to Hungary to touch lives through language. At times I am simply astounded at the doors that open to me, based on the mere fact that I am a native English speaker! I’ve participated on judging panels for English competitions with heads of education for Hungary and the EU – my only qualification was that I am a native speaker. Wow! Now I have reached a point where I have become a tent-maker. My ability to teach English has opened doors for me to support myself by teaching at 2 language schools. I still teach with LOGOS, but now I am also working for Katedra language school.

Coffee House
Missionaries with the International Mission Board (IMB) run this University outreach. Once a week we rent a room at a local panzio near city center and welcome people to a friendly, non-threatening environment. This is a place for people who are “window-shopping” Christianity. We serve coffee, tea and snacks and plan an activity for our guests so that they can meet people from around the world and interact with native English speakers. While building relationships with different people (students, orphans, refugees, etc) I have found this ministry outreach to be invaluable. It is a light-hearted wholesome event that I can invite people too. More often than not these individuals do not know me well enough (yet) to feel comfortable coming to my home. This ministry provides the perfect place for strengthening budding relationships, and from there we can provide people with options to dig deeper into Scripture (i.e. church, Men/Women’s Bible Studies).

Marvelous Light
This is a brand new ministry with a focus on Women in the “College/Career” phase of life (roughly ages 18-35). God gave me a vision and a passion for this ministry early this spring. There are so many young women in Debrecen and the surrounding area that have no interest in sports. Partnering with female, Hungarian Christians we are working to reach out to this demographic. Through Connections Coffee House, Language teaching, and Women’s Bible Study we are striving to reach the lost, and disciple the saved. As we work to build relationships with these women it currently means running all over the city and drinking a lot of coffee. The Connections Coffee House and the Women’s Bible Study (which meets once a week in my home) are the stable activities that we can invite people to.

Berettyóújfalu Orphanage & Music
After spending several weeks in Summer Camps I had plenty of opportunities to interact with orphans from a town called Berettyoújfalu (about 30 km south of Debrecen). Currently I am going there on Friday afternoons. I have one piano student and we spend about a half hour working together, and then we play with the other kids in the duplex. We are hoping and praying to get a translator so that we can begin doing Bible Stories with them.

In Summary
PLEASE PRAY! Each of these ministries can only be effective with YOUR help! Pray for the people we are reaching out to, and come into contact with. Pray for each person we partner with (Calvary Chapel Debrecen, IMB, etc). Please keep me in your prayers as I work to balance my schedule and learn the Hungarian language. There are so many ministry opportunities and it is important to stay closely in tune with exactly where the Holy Spirit wants us to be.

Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians that “Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24).

This is why it is so important for all of us at GSI to balance our schedules. There are many amazing opportunities, and we’ve all reached a point where it is necessary to discern exactly what God wants us to do in this season. Sometimes a distraction can come along dressed as an amazing opportunity. Pray for wisdom and discernment for each of us that we may glorify God in ALL of our work.

From Phillip

English and Sports

As the newest GoodSports Intern, I am living and working in Miskolc. A teacher of English at the Avasi Gimnazium, I have a bunch of kids who think I am the best at English! (little do they know). I help coach the school basketball team and get this…TWO adult American Football teams have hired me to be on their coaching staff in Nyiregyhaza and Budapest. Our new all star team from both Miskolc and Nyiregyhaza just beat the Budapest Cowboys (ranked second in the country!).

Kids who shape my life

But the real sharing of my life is with the kids at the Diosgyori Children’s home. We have started a bible study on Monday’s and every month we are starting a children’s church service. We discovered that sometimes the church has to go to the kids and not the other way around.

Just pray

A lot is going on…but I love it. My prayer is that you will lift the work I do in prayer. We need lots of things, but prayer tops the list…

GoodSports 2010

2010-02-18T06:58:00.001-08:00

GoodSports Hungary is rushing into new areas of ministry. From teaching English to refugees to orphanage outreaches to our village baseball team, there is never a dull moment in Hungary.

Now, our first American intern, Haley Murphy, has joined us for a six month stay. She will be teaching English at the refugee camp and local schools as well as doing children's programs. Haley will help launch our new non-profit language school: Logos, International.

As soon as our summer schedule is set we will post it. We invite you to pray with us as we serve here in Hungary.

What's the buzz on the Mosquitoes?

2009-09-04T00:33:00.000-07:00

As the school year begins, the Mosquitoes are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming tournament for the Hungarian championship. Three players from our village team made the Hungarian national team this summer and won 4th place in an international tournament held in Czech. Here is a video our Mikepercs Mosquitoes.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2009-04-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

After two or three years of practicing baseball with our village kids, GoodSports and our village of Mikepercs now has a team in the Hungarian National Youth Baseball League. We have only played three games so far and although we lost two (both to the Szentendre Sleepwalkers who have five or six Japanese kids on the team and most are 14, the upper age limit), the Mikepercs Mosquitos did manage to beat last year's national champs -- the Tiger Kids. And they did it quite soundly.

So baseball fever has hit our village. And in the whirlwind of hitting and catching, bunts and base steals, relationships are being forged. And we pray that Christ is glorified. May the pearl of great price come to Mikepercs in the form of a diamond -- a baseball diamond that is...

Christmas in Hungary

2008-12-30T04:52:00.000-08:00

The Greathouse's enormous hospitality brought seven girls who grew up in the orphanage at Miskolc down for Christmas in Debrecen. We did Christmas Eve at the Greathouses and Christmas Day at our home. Here are some photos.

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GoodSports Hungary Summer 2008

2008-09-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of "a picture is worth a thousand words," here is our report from summer 2008. I hope you enjoy it. And you can join our new "Prayer Family" program introduced in this video.

When an Orphan Discovers the Family of God

2008-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

As I write this, we are wrapping up five weeks of unending camps and mission outreaches which stretched from an orphanage in Miskolc, Hungary up to a baseball camp in Bojnice, Slovakia then into the simplicity of Hungarian village life and finally into a youth English camp before wrapping up back in the orphanage at Miskolc.

Over the course of these weeks we've struggled to break through the thick walls erected by wounded souls, we've fought stereotypes and an outbreak of scabies along with a threat of lyme's disease, we've learned more about our brothers and sisters in Christ who come from different denominational backgrounds, and we have seen some precious kids come to Christ in very genuine ways.

I used to think that was what it was all about, but now I understand that this is just the beginning. Becoming a part of a family can happen in just a moment, but that moment is but the cusp of relationships that develop and deepen over the course of a lifetime -- or perhaps eternity.

On last Friday, a baptism occured on the final day of English Camp. When Evi, one girl from the Miskolc orphanage learned of it, she ran to her best friend asked her if she wanted to be baptized. Evi had been baptized the year before.

"I do not even know what it is about," Anita explained.

Evi shared with her friend how it was the outward expression of what Christ has done in one's heart.

Anita's eyes lit up as she asked excitedly, "Can I do it in jeans?"

Anita could not be held back that day and as she stood before the crowd of campers and counselors, she told her story:

"My name is Anita. Two years ago both my parents died, one six months after the other. I lived with various relatives after that, but as soon as I got settled in one place, I was sent somewhere else. I had no home. Eventually I was sent to the orphanage in Miskolc. And when I started going to the Wednesday bible study and the different conferences and programs that you made for us, I suddenly felt like I had a family again. God has given me a family in you."

That day Anita proclaimed Christ and was born into a new family -- the family of God. It is a new beginning for her, but just the first day among many where she will grow and change succeed and sometimes fail.

May we always be faithful to love her and those like her through it all. This is our call -- to love and guide them in love through their good and bad days. For not only do we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, we share our very lives as well, because they have become so dear to us. 1Thess2:8.

Please pray for Anita and Evi and all the kids of the Lakasotthon orphanage. God is doing a work among them even now.

Gearing Up for Summer!

2008-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

The mercury is rising in Hungary as summer fast approaches. Here is a tentative schedule of events for GoodSports' high season along with a slideshow to help us remember all the joys and workings of God we experienced last year.

June 23-27 Baseball Camp in Miskolc, Hungary (reaching out to orphanage kids)
June 28-July 6 Baseball Camp in Bojnice, Slovakia
July 13-18 English Camp in Debrecen, Hungary
TBA English Days in Mikepercs, Hungary (reaching out to village kids)

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An Orphan's Challenge to Believe

2008-03-04T01:06:00.000-08:00

"God has never answered my prayers," said 15-year-old Robi* who lives at the orphanage in Miskolc, Hungary, "And He never will."

The other orphan teens at the Wednesday afternoon Bible study raised their eyebrows as they turned to Russell and Karesz, the leaders, for reply. It is a statement that would raise most of our eyebrows, if not cause us to gasp in shocked offense at such blatant irreverence for God. But what was Robi really saying with this statement?

I do not know his story, but one does not end up in a Hungarian orphanage if life has been good and happy. We can rest assured that his life, thus far, has been at best, really bad; at worst, unspeakably tragic.

Last summer Robi came face to face with the Gospel and love of Christ for the first time in his life. He responded, and was baptized.

Since then, despite his everpresent proclivity for getting into trouble, he often comes to the regular Wednesday Bible study at the orphanage. Sometimes he is little more than a disruptive influence there, but still he comes. And so last week, in the midst of his disruptions, he blurted out, "God has never answered my prayers, and never will."

The words are shocking. They are irreverent. Perhaps a cry for attention. Perhaps a challenge to God. But before we write Robi off as a "tool of Satan" to wreak havoc on the Bible study and place doubts in the hearts of the struggling believers there, consider the fact that Robi's words are not so different from those penned by David, a man after God's own heart, in Psalm 22:1-2:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent." (NIV)

Robi has not yet made it verse three in this passage, where David takes his eyes off himself and begins to recognize who God is and all that God has done through the ages, which galvanizes his faith to push forward, despite God's seeming silence.

Robi's faith is still in its infancy. He scarcely knows it what it means to be "sure of what we hope for and confident of what we do not see." (Heb. 11:1) The life in which he finds himself has left him ill-equipped to fight the battles that he faces. He is like an untrained soldier forced to the frontlines. And these Wednesday Bible studies represent his only training ground -- and he is being trained in the heat of fiercest combat.

As we see the despair, let us not overlook the hope in his words. First, clearly Robi believes in God. He knows God is out there, he merely questions God's interest in him personally. Second, "God has never answered my prayers," insinuates that Robi prays. There is some faith alive in him. And finally, the fact that he says, "God never will," insinuates that he expects to pray in the future.

Robi is distraught, longing for assurance, but he has not given up on God.

And the better news than that is: God has not given up on Robi.

If we were all a little more honest, we'd have to admit we have had Robi moments too -- those dark days when God seems so distant, "so far from the words of our groanings." (Ps 22:1) I am thankful Robi had the confidence to articulate the doubts most of us would keep hidden in our most secret of places.

Join with me and pray for Robi at the Miskolc orphanage, that God would bring this boy through this dark time, and make Himself known to Robi in a real and dynamic way. And that God would use Karesz, Russell, and other Christians to meet this boy where he is.

*Not his real name.

Girls in Crisis and God's Love

2008-02-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

Rape, abuse, rejection, neglect ...

These are the issues -- the deep secrets -- some of the girls at last weekend's conference carried with them. How does one value and respect oneself, when no one has ever respected them?

Into these heavy lives came Gina from FIT Decisions and the Ohio team, full of grace and love. Through discussions about choices, friends, life and love, this team surrounded hurting girls with love and gave them safe place to share their hurts, all the while pointing them to the One who values them most.

The discussions were punctuated by clever crafts, kickboxing, and classes in self defense. And Gina shared heartwrenching stories from her own life, which connected her intimately with these these hurting girls.

On Saturday, at lunch, Tunde, who grew up in the orphanage and holds a rather loud and abrasive exterior, called Russ and I over. We first met Tunde ten years ago at the Miskolc orphanage when she was 14. When she called us over she was speaking for the three older girls who came from Miskolc. She burst into tears, saying, "It means so much to us that you would think to have us come to such a special conference. We do not have families. You are all we have. And we want you to know how much we appreciate you caring about us." We told her how much we love them and how special they are to us and how proud we are of the way they are making it in life. And we prayed with them. It was a precious moment.

One of the team members from Ohio was a hair dresser, and she had stayed up doing hair until about 3am Sunday morning. One orphanage girl asked her to give her a full hair cut -- whatever she thought would look good. A lot of hair came off. And when she went to look in the mirror she burst into tears. The Americans were concerned that she hated the haircut. But then the girl explained that she was crying because she loved it and she felt so special because of all that they were investing in her this weekend.

When we put the orphanage girls on the bus to head back. Our whole group stood beside the bus doing "the wave" and blowing kisses and making an all around American spectacle of ourselves. The girls on the bus laughed hysterically and waved back. They knew we valued them, and that God values them too.

Two of the orphanage girls appear to have made steps toward Christ this weekend -- only Christ knows their hearts for sure. Please continue to pray for them as they return to their lives and situations where they do not feel as loved or valued.

Teens, Sex, and Choices

2008-01-30T00:06:00.000-08:00

Truth and Consequences...

Cause and Effect ...

We begin to instill these concepts into our children from birth.

Crying brings food.

Crying brings a clean diaper.

Crying brings comfort.

Laughing brings happy faces and cheery sounds.

But what about the child who never got that? What about the neglected child who cried and cried, but no one came? What about the orphanage child who had his needs met only according to institution schedule? For them cause-and-effect do not compute.

I am amazed as I look at my two girls -- one born to us by flesh, the other brought to us through God's gracious gift of adoption. Although eight months younger, our biological daughter fully grasps cause-and-effect. "If I choose to disobey, then I must face the consequences." But our adopted daughter does not get it, yet. Even after more than a year on consistent boundaries and discipline, she does not yet fully comprehend that her choices have consequences.

CHOICES. That is a fundamental topic for the teen girls conference we have scheduled for Feb, 7-10. It is a joint conference for the Miskolc orphanage girls and our youth group girls here in Debrecen.

Choices about health. Choices about friends. Choices about guys and sex. Choices about God.

A teen girl's life today is fully of choices. But for the orphanage girls, this concept may be completely new and perhaps a little incomprehensible. They are victims of neglect, abuse, sexual abuse, abandonment ...etc. They see all these tragedies as simply part of life. And life just happens. And even in the areas where they can take control, they have simply let life happen to them. The result: being used by boys, unwanted pregnancies, multiple abortions ...etc. They do not really grasp cause-and-effect. It has never been taught to them.

This conference has the potential to reshape how they see themselves, their relationships with others, and their relationship with God.

But we would be naive to expect such a dramatic reshaping to occur in single weekend. It will take discipleship. And discipleship is neither easy nor instant. Perhaps, this weekend, will mark a new beginning, a starting point, from which they will begin to discover how their choices have long-term implications.

So I invite you to pray for this event.

Pray for group coming from Ohio to lead the conference.
Pray for the conference leader, Gina from FIT Decisions.
Pray for the orphanage girls who will be attending
Pray for the youth group girls who will be attending.
Simply pray that God will use this according to His will to do a work in the lives of these desperate teens.

And most of all, Pray that God raises up young women in Miskolc who will disciple these orphanage girls as to how to live a Christian life.

So This is Christmas...

2007-12-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

The flurries are gently wafting through the crisp winter air in Eastern Hungary and the smell of burning wood and coal fills the village of Mikepercs where we live. While our girls squeal with excitement at their recently unwrapped gifts, many children at the Lakasotthon Orphanage in nearby Miskolc spend another holiday without warm feelings or family.
But thanks to our dear friend Christine Pegnoglou, their Christmas was not without cheer and little bit of laughter, perhaps even delight. Visiting from Dallas, Texas, Christine brought an array of Christmas knicknacks, including festive pencils, erasers, stickers and candy canes packaged beautifully in SnowMan bags for the children. But the Krem-de-la-krem of these Christmas packages were the ever infamous whoopie cushions which took the institution by storm when we delivered them on December 23rd.
At first the children were wary of the odd-looking balloons, but once demonstrated and the first unmistakable sound of intestinal fortitude echoed through the halls, the institution exploded into a veritable bower of giggles, gurgles and gastrointestinal pandemonium.
Gergely, the tiniest boy in the orphanage, was afraid the cushion would pop like a balloon so he just ran around holding his ears as Csaba and the other boys produced endless echoes of artificial methane emissions.
The sounds of children's laughter poured into the streets as Christine, Trudy, and our faithful translator Bogi (from the Debrecen church youth group) left the institution and headed to the boys transition house (for older boys preparing to be out on their own) in the nearby village of Pereces. There we delivered a Hungarian Christmas dinner as several of them had no place to go for Christmas. And Christine brought each of the boys a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap as a special Christmas gift.
Of course, gifts and visits from foreigners cannot make up for what these children lack this Christmas season. Still, perhaps the visit gave them a little sense that someone cares. And perhaps someday, if we can consistently show them love in some tangible, genuine way, they will come to know the One who cares most for them.

10 Years of Thanksgiving in Miskolc Orphanage

2007-12-03T23:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving may be over for this year, but our reasons for being thankful live on. This past Thanksgiving, we celebrated our tenth year of Thanksgiving at the Lakasotthon Orphanage in Miskolc, Hungary. I really cannot imagine spending Thanksgiving any other way. But just because this holiday is spent in such a remote area does not suggest it is stress free.

A team of around 40 people traveled from military bases in Germany to help sponsor the event. We are thankful for their love and commitment -- especially considering the toll the trip took on them. They traveled all night on Wednesday arriving at the Hungarian border early in the morning on Thursday -- only to find out Hungarian border officials would not let three of them enter -- two did not have passports but had military IDs and military orders which should have been sufficient, the other lost her passport and had a temporary passport and a letter from the German police validating it.

After much haggling and calls to the US Embassy, nothing could be done and the three were sent home on a train. The rest of the troupe continued the pilgrimage all the way across Hungary. Although fatigued, the group arrived ready to minister to the kids. The participants from the Gospel Chapel provided a gospel-styled concert of Friday night that left the kids rivited! These orphan teens are particularly enamoured with African Americans and felt privileged that these guests would want to befriend them.

On Friday night each of the four "homes" that are part of this orphanage celebrated Christmas and the children were each given gift. Many of the smaller children did not know what to do when the festively wrapped package was place in their laps. They just sat staring at it. One particular family has 12 kids (10 of whom are in this orphanage) and they were discovered by social services in abject poverty last summer. These children 4,5,6,7 years of age had probably never received a Christmas gift wrapped in fine paper before. The Hungarian translator told the children to unwrap the gift. They did, careful not to rip the paper as it was too beautiful to tear. And then their eyes lit up as they discovered something special inside for each of them. It was a treasured moment.

The children spent the three days playing frisbee, doing crafts, playing board games, and doing pinatas all with their American friends. And Saturday night everyone chowed down on a festive Thanksgiving meal. The kids sang and did skits at the event and everyone fell into relationship with each other. It was difficult to say goodbye.

But, unfortunately, for those who came from Germany on the bus, the adventure was not over yet. As they traveled through Budapest, the bus got into a small fender bender with a car. When the German bus driver got out to deal with the situation, four guys from the car assaulted him. It took 400 Euro to get out of the situation. Details are still sketchy. But the group made it back to Germany, despite the problems on Sunday afternoon.

It was a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving-- full of ups and downs. But God was present in it all. And by his grace we continue. Please pray for the children of the Lakasotthon orphanage in Miskolc, Hungary. It is full of children who have endured enormous suffering, and yet God's hand remains on that place.

Casting the Nets on Thanksgiving

2007-11-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

"Fishers of Men" It is an interesting analogy. There is perhaps a time to cast the net wide and a time to cast the net deep. God has answered our prayers to go deeper this year as we have truly come to know some of the children in the Miskolc orphanage -- along with all their sufferings and fears. Russell's weekly Bible study there continues to draw a small crowd and college students from a local church have begun to assist him in ministering to the kids. The net is being thrown deep.

But this week things will be shaken up a little in Miskolc. On Thursday a group of 42 people from military chapels in Germany will invest their Thanksgiving in these children -- not just the handful who come to Bible study, but all 40 plus kids at the children's home. And for this week, the net will be thrown wide once again.

Who would have thought a Hungarian orphanage would come to make Thanksgiving their own tradition? But after 10 consecutive years of celebrating the feast alongside American friends, there's no doubt Turkey and pumpkin pie along with prayers of Thanksgiving are not just for Americans anymore.

So this year, and we invite you to participate with us -- in your prayers. When you gather with your friends and family around a steamy Turkey and you bow your heads to pray, remember these faces and ask God to use this American holiday to touch and change the lives of hurting Hungarian kids.

(Special Thanks to MacKenzie Rollins who took these photos)

Going Native and Home Movies

2007-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

This may qualify as one of those really bad home movies that parents force their friends to watch as their children display questionable talents on film. But in the spirit of "going native" I thought some of you might enjoy seeing a short film of last weekend's "OvodaBal" or "Kindergarten Ball." This was a formal event in the village where the kids (5-6 year olds) performed some Hungarian dances while parents and other village dignitaries wined and dined at the local culture house. The Event began at 8pm and probably went on til past midnight. It was truly a slice of Hungarian village life as the guests of honor included the village mayor and members of the city council. We, of course, were the token foreigners, but the all-Hungarian speaking crowd took pains to make us feel welcome.

Shovels, Saws and Missions

2007-10-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

What do shovels, saws and paintbrushes have to do with missions? A heck of a lot if you are with Calvary Chapel Heidelberg who recently brought a group to Hungary to serve a Roma church. A veritable army of 14 hard workers with German determination painted the church building and erected a pavilion adjacent to the church. That pavilion will serve for summer services, special events, fellowship and outreach.
The group began their week of service by visiting local orphanages where they painted faces and played games. Strange as it seems the group of Germans introduced kids to America's favorite pastime -- baseball. And the kids loved it.
But the bulk of their week in Hungary was spent in unglamorous manual labor and connecting face to face with an ethnic group most Europeans find undesirable -- the Gypsies. It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but in the end all were blessed by the group's visit. Perhaps most interesting was when asked what was the best part of the missions trip, one of the German team members said that it definitely working with the Roma church members.

....And the Good News

2007-10-03T02:35:00.000-07:00

The previous blog gave you the bad news about the Ukraine outreach to
boarding school kids. But that was not the whole story.  Although we
helped facilitate the trip, Russell and I did not travel
over the border with the team.  However, our good friend
Susil Isaac, an American medical student studying in Hungary,
participated in the event and had this to say:

The missions trip to the Ukraine was, well just amazing.
From the beginning, we were just seeing blessings upon blessings.
We didn’t know what would happen, but we just saw the Lord
leading in every single aspect.  From what the topics of the
lessons would be to just our ability to interact with the kids,
is seemed like it flowed like water.

Everything was to show that it’s not so much a religion of rules and
regulations but a relationship.  The first night was fun, ending off
with Chris and Timmy(I think) beating their best kids in foosball.
It set the stage.  For the pastor to chill with them, play against them, and even
beat their best, it got their attention.
There were 3 official teaching times given to us to teach on Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday. Topics that were very pertinent to their lives
and everyone’s lives seemed to be picked so quickly.  We were all praying
throughout the car ride that we would go through what they need to
hear, and it ended with Suffering, Bitterness, and Christian living.  The change
in the kids was clear through the teaching.  Chris’s zeal and heart for
the kids mirrored throughout the weekend and the kids latched on to it.

He told them not to trust him because he’s a pastor, but to check it in
the Word to see if it’s true.  By the second night when more kids brought
their bibles, I was really blessed.  When teaching on bitterness, the lesson
moved like a mystery novel almost forcing them to look up the verses to check
if it’s true.  I was sitting next to a couple kids just showing where
Chris was talking from it was cool to see their faces.  They were more astonished
than anything else as if to say, “Wow it’s actually in there.” I could read
the nonverbal signs from several kids across the room, and it was finally
clicking for them.  When you can see kids looking through the bible and
it stops being just words or stories, but it starts to mean something in
their life, it’s a blessing to even be there.

The kids themselves were awesome.  Many of them really tried to talk to
us. Granted, it was difficult when most of the team knew German and
English while they knew Hungarian, but if we were willing to spend time with
them, they were willing to try to talk to us.  In my case, the Lord really
showered blessings upon me, because those that know me know that I do
not speak Hungarian.  I couldn’t, but I became blessed over and over as I
had conversations with them.  The things I had learned before all were
brought back to remembrance.  While my speaking and vocabulary were definitely
not perfect, it was enough to get points across and really connect with the
kids.  The funny thing is, I had to go to the Ukraine to learn
Hungarian.

The kids felt connected with us too.  I only learned this a week later,
but the connection was so strong that they went out to look out for our
things as well.  When soccer balls were stolen from us, the kids from the
school actually went door to door throughout Peterfalva to ask for the soccer
balls back, actually getting most of them back.  We had given our time, our
weekend to spend and minister in the Ukraine, but I never expected
those we worked with would do the same for us.  They sacrificed part of their
free time for us because they cared for us and what belonged to us.  They
were willing to open up their hearts and care for us.
One of the highlights was the gift giving.  Some prizes were brought
just for those kids that were really open and helpful.  Some helped in
translating, some where just good team players and helped the game move along.
By far, there were not enough prizes, but they were given out,
and the faces of the kids were priceless.  They didn’t expect to get
anything, but were so overjoyed to get anything at all, let alone something so
cool.
The thing is, the gifts weren’t just given, but they were explained
with grace, which was just awesome.  Examples and analogies like this
throughout the weekend hit home, and the kids understood what the bible was
talking about.
As long as this letter is, it still doesn’t cover all the blessings
from this trip.  It doesn’t mean that everything in the trip went perfectly
either.  We had injuries, sicknesses, and cars dying along way, but
whatever the Lord brought us to, He brought us through as well.
--Susil Isaac

Anything But Glamourous

2007-09-26T00:51:00.000-07:00

If anybody has the misguided idea that missionary life is glamorous, this week's events would disspell those misconceptions. It was another outreach weekend as a group from Calvary Chapel Heidelberg Germany flew in to Budapest and then traveled to the Ukraine to work with kids at a boarding school there. Through guitar lessons, language practice, sports and games the group of young adults connected with the Ukrainian/Hungarian youth enabling them to share their faith in very genuine ways.
After arriving back at our home late Sunday night, Russell loaded them in the van very early Monday morning and headed to Budapest where he planned to drop them off at the airport before attending a series of meetings with different missionaries. Ahh, but the best laid plans of mice and men ....
About an hour or so down the road, the van died. After calling the auto club, they waited for hours. Even the very mechanically-gifted Germans could not get the van to start. By the time they got towed to the nearby town of Eger, the Germans raced to catch a train, but not all of them managed to catch their flight. They were trapped in Budapest with no way home.
The van was in the shop and Russell, being the able-minded problem solver he is alerted the church community in Debrecen and found a solution. Our pastor would let Russ drive his car, and he could take the group to Germany -- a 12-14 hour drive one way.
They drove all night Monday night. At 4am I received an SMS on my cell phone -- the pastor's car broke down as they crossed into Germany -- with four more hours of driving yet to do. The five large guys slept in the tiny car outside a repair shop and waited for dawn. By 8:30 am the car was fixed and they were back on the road and the sleepy crew made it back the fatherland in one piece.
Russ is making the most of the trip as he is seizing the opportunity to meet with the groups coming for our big Thanksgiving at the Miskolc Orphanage. He still must make the long trip home though, so please keep him in your prayers.

Happy Birthday Niki!

2007-09-20T00:32:00.000-07:00

Niki has now been a part of our family for about 10 months and on the 20th we celebrated her 7th birthday with all her friends at the Hungarian kindergarten. It was party fit for a princess as Niki wore a crown and sat beside her princess cake while her whole class sang to her. The event was punctuated by balloon games and balloon animals and every child went home with his own bottle of bubbles. Niki now looks forward to her family birthday party tonight where she will enjoy all her princess themed gifts. She has become our little princess!

Back in the Swing of Things

2007-09-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Chuns took a vacation the first week in September and it was greatly needed. We enjoyed some solitude on the Hungarian/ Slovenian border and the girls got to have a horse experience. We even got to ride the old logging train between villages although we were deluged with rain much of the trip. We sandwiched the vacation with visits to the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Vajta, Hungary where we got to catch up with Andi's God mother and namesake who recently became a mother herself.
Now we are home and back into the swing of things with the girls active in Ovoda (Hungarian Kindergarten) in the mornings. I homeschool them with some basic first grade material in the afternoons. The plan is that they will learn to read and write English this year and Hungarian next year when they enter Hungarian first grade.
Ministry has not slowed down one iota. Even while we were on vacation, GoodSports was still active as Luca coordinated a team from Calvary Chapels in Germany, taking them into the Ukraine for ministry and outreach at a youth center there. This week Russ resumed his weekly trek to Miskolc to lead a bible study with the orphanage kids. And even as I type this, our garage is full of Mikepercsi baseball boys working with Russ to put together a pingpong table. Next week another team from Germany arrives to minister in a boarding school in Ukraine and things at home will not be slow either as Niki celebrates her 7th Birthday on Thursday 20 September.
Meanwhile things are rolling ahead for the Thanksgiving program in Miskolc -- where we are celebrating our 10th anniversary of doing Thanksgiving at the orphanage. Never a dull moment at the Chun house.

A Sinister Plot

2007-08-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Things have slowed down a bit, but that does not mean life is dull. Even simple everyday activities turn into an outright adventure when you are a foreigner living in a Hungarian village. For example, last week we took our dogs to the vet, realizing that having a male and a female dog could only lead to trouble. We wanted them both fixed, but the doc convinced us that a simple birth control shot would due for Blackie (the female) and he could "fix" Extra (the male) right then -- no appointment necessary! Extra had no idea what hit him, unfortunately Russ knew all too well as he assisted in the operation. Keep in mind, the vet speaks no English and while Russ' Hungarian is improving, his vocabulary is largely limited to baseball words.
I cannot testify as to what exactly transpired in that basement room of the vet's home, but when I stuck my head in to see how things were going, I saw Russell grimacing as he held two canine testicles up and the doggy doc did the clip job.
After completing the operation, the vet took us to his garden in the back and sent us home with bag full of home-grown Hungarian peaches -- which I promptly used to make Texas peach cobbler with little concern or regard for the trauma that both Extra and Russell had sustained.
Now, a week later, I can assure you that Extra seems to have suffered no long-term emotional damage. Russell, on the other hand, may never be the same after participating in such a sinister plot to evade canine multiplication.

Moving Forward

2007-08-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

The summer has now largely wound down to a close after we hosted seven orphanage boys and David and Csilla hosted three orphanage girls for our first retreat last week. It was a time of comfort and spiritual support for kids who now struggle to figure out how to live out the Christian life in very trying situations.
For example, one boy, who fled his home several years ago after his father tried to murder him, suffered the loss of both his mother and brother the week previous to the retreat. He who was an orphan of situation, became a true orphan that week. Yet there he was with us for the retreat – trying to sort out how to live out his new found faith in the face of such a horrible loss.
A girl – the oldest of ten – struggled with the heavy responsibility she feels for her siblings, as her parents’ failing health make family reconciliation seem like a pipe dream. That’s more than any 16-17 year old should have to handle.
And so they came with all their heavy burdens – each with a different tragic story. And they picnicked by the lake and did the paddle boats and go karts, but the fun was punctuated by disciple-building bible studies designed to put them on the right track. The Calvary Chapel Debrecen Youth Group played an integral part in the event and many desire to serve a role in the discipleship of these kids. The church’s youth leader took out time to spend one night with the boys at our house.
Russ continues his weekly pilgrimage to Miskolc in an effort to disciple and support these kids and youth group college students have volunteered to help translate. We pray that local churches will rise up and begin the mentorship process with these kids, but until then Russ is determined to answer the call, despite distance, language, and cultural barriers.

A Kutya Fajat!

2007-08-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

“A Kutya Fajat!” That’s Hungarian slang which roughly translates “bummer!” Literally, however, it translates “the dog’s tree,” which clearly offers more colorful imagery for that sentiment – a sentiment we recently experienced when a local stray dog decided to call us his own.
We call him “Extra,” and he is ugly. Of course, so is our other dog, which we got at five weeks old by choice – at that time she was cute. Puppies are truly false advertising, but that is a different story.
With Blackie, we may have been deceived, but with Extra, we knew he was ugly from the outset. He was the thorn in the side of the entire neighborhood. Everyone (including us) threw rocks at him to get him out of their yard and garden. He killed a neighbor’s pigeon and generally made the kid of trouble a stray dog makes when he is trying to survive in the cruel world. One day, he simple decided we were his family – even though we continually chased him out of the yard. He would greet us when we arrived home. If I walked to the village center he would be right at my side.
“You are NOT my dog!” Russ would yell at him and spray him with some water as he watered the lawn. Extra just happily played in the water’s spray and wagged his oldly formed tail.
One day during English camp I came home to find that someone had tried to steal a giant flower pot from our front porch. As they tried to climb through the fence, something had made them drop it and it broke in half. I could not help but wonder if Extra had something to do with foiling the theft.
The next night the car alarm went off, but just before it did, Extra who had perched himself on our front doorstep broke out in a barking frenzy. And that was when Extra became our “extra” dog. We did not need or want another dog, so he is the extra dog, rightfully named “Extra.”
But an extra dog is not the only thing we can say, “A kutya fajat!” about. The Degus I wrote of in a previous blog – the gift that keeps on giving – has done just that. Three baby Degus were spotted in the cage last week. Lately, we have only seen one up and running around, but whatever has happenedto them, we now have more Degu than we started with. And we started with more Degu than we ever wanted.

Not Left as Orphans

2007-07-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

So often in American-style Christianity so much emphasis is put on the moment a person accepts Christ that we forget that this is just one step (although a critical step) in a long process that started long before this point and continues for the rest of one’s life. Over the past few weeks, we have seen a number of kids give their lives to Christ. From a missionary perspective, it would be easy to call it a success. But real life is much more complicated than that.
Christ, as our example, shepherded his disciples through doubt and misunderstanding to eventually accept Him as Christ and Saviour. But before His death on the cross, He told them, “I do not leave you as orphans…”
Many of these kids who have come to Christ have already been orphaned once in this life. So our responsibility is doubled as we determine not to leave them as spiritual orphans too. As a result our efforts have doubled. On Saturday a week ago, we took a group to Miskolc. The girls did a study on beauty after doing facials and Kally from Californian gave her testimony which emphasized God’s love for us and His desire for purity in our lives. Russ did a study on strength for the boys which included a contest in eating really hot (strong) peppers. But once or twice a month is not going to cut it. These kids need regular support. So Russ now travels to Miskolc once a week to do a Bible study (Assisted/translated by a Hungarian Christian who lives in Miskolc). The first study kicked off last week as the boys openly shared their struggles with anger and sin in their lives.
In our village of Mikepercs, the baseball team known as the Mikepercsi Mosquitoes began asking for a youth Bible study, so last week we also kicked off our first meeting for this group. A puppet show ministry worked with us in the Debrecen orphanages all week and agreed to perform in our livingroom for the Mikepercs kids. We had 7or8 kids. The puppeteers performed the story of Saul’s conversion with a Hungarian sound track and Russ gave a small presentation of the gospel. The event was punctuated by French fries and American milkshakes and a good game of catch in the backyard afterward.
We are currently gearing up for a small retreat for the orphanage kids -- bringing then to Debrecen for a couple of nights to have some fun and focus on Christ at the same time. Please pray for this event as we are really tired as the summer draws to a close. And yesterday the Debrecen youth baseball team headed to Ohio for their American baseball camp. This is the first time we have undertaken such a project. Please pray for these kids who have little to no spiritual influences in their lives, that God would use all the people they come into contact with in Ohio to show His love to them.

An Amazing English Camp

2007-07-16T03:15:00.000-07:00

“How Great is our God,” strummed Kent Dickerson on his guitar as English campers congregated around the camp pool. What we did not realize is that we were about to get a glimpse of just how great our God is. After five days of learning English, laughing and playing together, four youth prepared for baptism and shared the stories of how they came to Christ. Three of these four had poured their lives into the kids of the Miskolc orphanage over the previous year. And after they descended into the water, the spirit of God descended like a flood and a total of 16 people were baptized that day, including five orphanage kids and one from our village of Miskolc. From the orphanage, first Arpi and Roli and Bandi (whom we have known 10 years) came into the water and then Evi and Jozsi.

One would be hard pressed to find a dry eye by the pool that day as kids we have prayed for years submitted their lives to Christ. But the move of God did not end there. Balu struggled with God all Friday night. On Saturday afternoon our friend and colleague, Csilla, received an sms message from him saying that he too had accepted Christ. Evi and others sms-ed Csilla to tell her they had begun reading Matthew.

But now our work has only just begun as these kids face an especially hard task of trying to live out their new found faith under the harsh realities of orphanage life. We are working hard to build a support structure for these kids and the Debrecen youth group is eager to be a part of that.

We are thankful to Ovilla Road Baptist Church for the effective part they played in English Camp and the PHV Chapel in Germany, many of whom have been praying for specific orphanage kids for years.

A Miskolc Miracle

2007-07-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Riding a series of mishaps (see previous posting) the Miskolc Baseball Camp swirled into an array of activity as volunteers from California, Florida, Hungary and Texas came together share their lives with the kids of the Miskolc orphanage.

The Hungarian church youth group stepped up to the plate to serve as translators for this event as well as our good friends and fellow GoodSports staff David and Csilla Muscan.

The program was simple: Baseball and games by day and an “American Idol”-style talent competition each evening. But significant moments are not scripted into a camp schedule. It was in that late hours of the night when the team members talked deeply with the kids that one teen boy shared his story: Antal (not his real name), a teenager, fled his home after his father tried to kill him. But life on the streets proved equally harsh as bands of street kids beat him up leaving him friendless and desperate. He drifted in and out of institutions and eventually ended up in the Children’s Home in Miskolc.

That’s where our team met Antal. His life was so full of pain and rejection that some team members could not help but weep as they heard his story. Antal sensed their compassion and the movement of God’s Spirit that night as he invited Christ into his life. In that moment a life was changed a miracle of restoration was born.

Antal is just one of countless faces which hide enormous hurts. Pray for him and all the kids at the Miskolc Children’s Home. (A Special thanks to the Military Chapels in Germany whose donations made this camp possible).

Also pray for the GoodSports Bojnice, Slovakia baseball camp (June 30-July 8) as GoodSports Hungary sent a number of kids (thanks to a donation from Acton Baptist Church VBS) -- some of whom may be exposed to the gospel for the very first time.

Pray for the upcoming English Camp July 8-14 where 13 kids from the Miskolc orphanage will join a hundred others kids for English classes, sports, and fun. Pray that they will experience love and acceptance in this environment and perhaps even come to Christ.

Casualties in Miskolc, Chickens in Mikepercs

2007-06-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

The camp at the Miskolc orphanage is not even half over, but it has already sustained its share of mishaps. On Sunday the team realized it had forgotten many critical items leading me (Trudy) to make an unscheduled excursion to bring camp crafts, a large cooler, a computer and other items. It was a two hour trek each way in sweltering heat and no airconditioning and two very tired, very whinny girls in the back. And then after I got there, I realized I had forgotten the most critical item, the big cooler.

On Tuesday, Russell sustained a baseball blow to the face requiring three stitches, and some of the team have apparently picked up poison ivy while others are suffering stomach ailments. But the camp must go on, and on it goes as the team enters their third day of camp. Please keep them in your prayers. I will return with the girls on Friday for the final day of the camp.

Meanwhile on the homefront, on Monday morning our yard was inundated by our neighbor's chickens -- which I did not think was a big problem until they started eating Russell's flowers. I ran outside to shew them, but I could not get them over the fence. When our neighbor came out -- the one who gave us the degus (see previous posting)-- I said, "Hey, your chickens are here." He said, "Just throw them over the fence," but I did not want to touch those things. So Andi and Niki and I chased the chickens around the back yard with a broom until we had "swept" them back into their native habitat.

Never a dull moment in Hungary!

Rodents: The Gift the Keeps on Giving

2007-06-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Gifts can be a language of love and appreciation, but beware of this love language when you live in a Hungarian village. Two years ago our neighbors tried to give us a molting pigeon as a gift. We managed to finess our way out of that one. Last year they tried to give us rabbits for the girls. Again we managed to graciously pass them up. But a few weeks ago, this delightful "horse whisperer" of Mikepercs did not give us a chance to say no as he handed Russ an old birdcage over the fence. Then cage contained three rodents of undetermined origin. Our neighbor watched as Russ called me (Trudy) outside keeping a fake smile pasted over his worried countenance. Through clenched teeth, he said, "Tell me they are not rats."
The good news is they are not rats. Our neighbor insisted they are American squirrels, but they were like no other squirrels I had ever seen. They resemble a squirrel in color and size, but are built more like chincillas.

At first we were not sure if the neighbors were trying to give us a pet or if they thought, "We should give the American Squirrels to the Americans. It has probably been a long time since they had squirrel stew."

After much research, we managed to identify them as Degu -- a rodent from the Chilean Andees. How they made their way to our village in Hungary I will never know. Of the three given to us, one is female, one is male and one we are not sure about. It may well prove to be the gift that keeps on giving. Anyone want a Degu?

Mikepercs English Days

2007-06-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

GoodSports kicked off its summer program with English Days in our village of Mikepercs. Kids from the village from 9-13 years of age came to meet our American team, play games and learn English. We received a warm welcome from the local school and although the event attracted only a small group of kids, they were an exceptionally good group. And it enabled us to develop deeper relationships with those who did attend. Games like “hook up” tag and “pictionary” filled the morning and Frisbee and t-ball enlivened the afternoons. Each day ended with a visit the local ice cream shop. One the last day Russ and Trudy were able to explain to the kids exactly why they are here in Mikepercs and they told the kids that God sees them as His precious treasure – so precious that God has given his Son to die for their sins so that He could know them and be known by them.

Debrecen's First Baseball Field Opens

2007-06-25T00:23:00.001-07:00

In Debrecen, Hungary you are more likely to see soccer fields or handball courts than the filed that has for so long represented America's favorite passtime. But the times they are a changing. On June 2, 2007 Debrecen's first baseball field opened with fanfare and festivities. Even the mayor of Debrecen was on hand to cut the ribbon and a special representative from the US embassy, Eric Gaudiosi, politcal advisor to the ambassador, threw out the first ball. Also on hand to celebrate the event was former pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, Tom Johnson, who now heads up GoddSports programs in Slovakia. It was a weekend of baseball, hotdogs, Hungarian gulyas and lots of play as the baseball tournament brought teams from Szentendre and Jászberény (near Budapest) to play Debrecen's own Tiger Kids.

Gearing Up for Summer Camps

2007-05-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

GoodSports summer line up of camps is falling into place with outreaches that includes orphanages in Debrecen, Hungary, maybe some work in Ukraine and for the first time in GoodSports history we may be bringing a youth baseball team to America for a baseball camp. Following is our 2007 summer schedule as it currently stands:

June
16 Orphange Outreach (Miskolc, Hungary)
19-23 English Days in Mikepercs (Mikepercs, Hungary)
25-29 Baseball Camp at Orphanage (Miskolc, Hungary)

July
28 June-8 July GoodSports Slovakia Baseball Camp (Bojnice, Slovakia)
8-14 English Camp at Dorcas (Debrecen, Hungary)
20-28 Camp TBA

August
29 July-16 August Hungarian youth team camp in America (Lancaster, Ohio)
13-24 Soccer Camp (Debrecen, Hungary)

September
1-8 Street Ministry (Beregszaz, Ukraine)

October
6-13 Sports Camp (Beregszaz, Ukraine)