Volume 1: Issue 4

Through

LAURAS LENS
Running with the Gospel in Hungary

!!!!

Merry Christmas from Hungary!

One!of!my!favorite!things!about!living!in!Hungary!are!these!beautiful!views.!Especially!now!in!the!winter,! the!snow;capped!roofs!on!the!brightly!colored!houses!make!for!an!astonishing!site.!! ! Winter!is!fully!upon!us!with!2!inches!of!snow!on!the!ground.!Hailing!from!the!Windy!City,!Im!ready!for!a! snow;covered,!frigid!winter.!Though!theres!not!much!snow!in!Disd!yet,!its!definitely!getting!cold!here!! When!I!feel!the!cold,!Im!quickly!reminded!that!Christmas!is!near.!This!year,!the!thought!of!Christmas!brings! a!bit!of!apprehension.!Not!being!together!with!family!for!the!first!time.!Not!waking!up!to!the!smell!of! cinnamon!rolls!cooking!in!the!oven.!Not!seeing!my!Laura!stocking!sitting!on!the!ground!in!front!of!our! tree,!filled!with!a!huge!orange!and!pomegranate.!! ! Each!time!a!feeling!of!homesickness!comes!along,!Ive!turned!to!these!truths!from!Gods!Word.!Psalm!121! says,!I!lift!up!my!eyes!to!the!hills.!From!where!does!my!help!come?!My!help!comes!from!the!Lord,!who! made!heaven!and!earth.!Psalm!9:10!says,!Those!who!know!your!name!put!their!trust!in!you,!for!you,!O! Lord,!have!not!forsaken!those!who!seek!you.!I!have!been!able!to!see!Gods!goodness!through!his!Word! while!also!relying!on!this!missionary!community.!I!can!also!see!Gods!goodness!through!sweet!letters!and! packages!from!friends!back!home.!Its!been!a!month!through!which!Ive!gained!a!deeper!trust!with!our! Heavenly!Father.!!

Issue [#]: [Issue Date]

Joy to the World, the Lord has come!

My!sweet!friend!Kathryn!Frey!

Year -End Gift

As!I!raised!support!this!past! summer,!I!saw!the!Lord!move! mightily.!There!were!many!prayers! for!me!to!arrive!in!Hungary!before! the!first!day!of!school!and!in!his! perfect!timing,!I!was!able!to!do! that.!As!Ive!been!settling!into!life! in!Hungary,!there!have!been!a!few! unexpected!start;up!costs!that!I! hadnt!planned!for.!If!you!are! willing!to!give!a!year;end!gift!to! help,!I!would!greatly!appreciate!it.!! ! You!can!send!a!check!to!EFCA! Ministry!Advancement901!E! 78th!St,!Minneapolis,!MN,!55420; 1300.!On!the!memo!line!of!the! check,!write!#1799!Decker.!Or!you! can!give!online!here.!In!the! designation!box,!type!in!Laura! Decker;1799.! ! The!donation!must!be!post;marked! by!December!31,!2011!in!order!to! be!recorded!for!this!fiscal!year.!! !

To!say!I!love!Christmas!music!is!an!understatement.!It!might!be!classified! as!an!obsession,!actually.!I!normally!start!listening!to!Christmas!music!in! October!(GASP!!)!The!first!line!of!one!of!my!favorite!Christmas!carols!goes! Joy!to!the!world,!the!Lord!has!come!!There!have!been!many!joyful! things!that!have!happened!this!winter!season.!The!first!one!is!the!start!of! the!basketball!season!!Nineteen!girls!came!out!this!year!which!means!we! will!have!the!first;ever!Junior!Varsity!team.!We!practice!four!times!a!week! and!games!will!start!in!January.!ICSB!hosts!a!big!tournament!in!February! where!schools!from!all!over!central!Europe!are!invited!to!play.!Its!a!BIG! deal!at!our!school.!At!the!end!of!the!tournament,!the!school!gives!a! Gospel!presentation!for!all!the!participants.!Many!students,!coaches,!and! even!referees!have!come!to!know!Christ!through!this!event.!! ! Another!joy!that!Ive!had!is!mentoring!a!sweet!high!school!girl,!Allie.!We! hit!it!off!right!away!and!have!been!able!to!encourage!each!othersuch!a! blessing!from!the!Lord!!I!was!able!to!celebrate!with!her!at!her!surprise! 18th!birthday!party!last!month!(surprise!birthday!parties!seem!to!be!the! thing!around!here!).!Its!been!encouraging!to!see!the!Lords!hand!in! bringing!this!relationship!together.!! ! Another!joy!has!been!enjoying!the!festive!Christmas!Fair!in!downtown! Budapest.!More!than!100!local!artisans!participate!in!this!festival,!which! is!well!known!throughout!Europe.!You!can!find!handmade!art,!pottery,! ornaments,!jewelry,!candles,!soap,!and!many!other!special!items!that! wont!be!sold!elsewhere.!I!sampled!a!delicious!Hungarian!sausage!topped! with!sauerkraut!and!mustard!(sooo!good!!)!! ! One!final!joy!was!going!Christmas!caroling!with!the!elementary!students.! We!walked!around!Disd!singing!carols!in!both!English!and!Hungarian.! We!sang!at!the!Posta!(post!office),!the!Rendrsg!(police!station),!and! other!stores.!!The!words!of!the!Hungarian!carol!were:!dvz&lgy,&kis& Jzus,&remnysgnk,&aki&a&vltsgot&hoztad&nknk.&Meghoztad&az&igaz& hit&vilgt,&megnyitd&Szentatyd&mennyorszgt.!It!means,!Hail,!little! Jesus,!our!hope,!who!brought!us!redemption.!You!have!brought!the!true! faith,!opening!up!your!Holy!Fathers!kingdom.!! ! My!prayer!for!you!and!your!family!this!Christmas!is!that!you!will!find!your! hope!in!the!one!true!gift!that!brought!us!this!great!redemption!!! ! Merry!Christmas!!! ra Lau

2!