Signs of Life from Hungary Year XIII No. 98
Budapest, 29th October, 2005
'You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.'
Ps. 18: 28 and 29
Dear Family and Friends,
It was extremely encouraging to meet many of you during a brief visit to the Netherlands in the middle of October. I had been invited by a group of retired pastors of the Reformed Church to give a presentation about my work in Hungary. I met many clergymen there who have meant a great deal to me in the course of the years. Probing questions were asked, even with regard to the Dutch situation. How important it is that the windows of our Church life in Hungary and the Netherlands are open in order to be able to learn from each other and encourage one another. But how inclined we all are to withdraw into the security of our own walls.
Speaking of walls ...
Years ago, someone pointed out to me this text from Ps. 18 in a conversation about conquering difficulties in our lives.
'What do you need to scale a wall with God?' I was asked.
'Faith?' I proffered.
'Yes, that too. But most importantly: a wall!'
In recent weeks again I have often known that I am supported in a miraculous way by your prayers. Many responded to my Signs of Life 97. Sometimes I saw and I see only walls around me. How should I go on? And then suddenly you see a door ajar. Suddenly there seems to be some clarity. But at another moment, it is suddenly dark again and the situation looks hopeless.
What is certain is that the Lord is teaching me very many new things about Himself. Is it not the case that a palm tree grows only grows under a stone? 'He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect... He trains my hands for battle' (vs. 30b, 31, 32, 34a).
I am learning to call on God's promises in a new way: Lord, do not abandon the works of Your hands!
Will you join in praying that in and through this transition phase, His Name will be glorified and His plans will continue? And especially also that obstacles will be removed from my life in order for His streams of living water to be able to freely flow to others? (Ps 84: 6 and 7).
Opened windows ...
One of the highlights of the past month was undoubtedly the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, by the theological faculty of the Gaspar Karoli Reformed University in Budapest, which was celebrating its 150th anniversary. As one of the most important reasons for this honorary doctorate, the rector of the university, Prof. Ferenc Szucs, emphasised,
'It is very important for us that there is a prime minister who combines his Christian faith with politics. Balkenende is a truly reformed man.'
With the doctorate, the theological institute wanted to thank the Christian Democratic member of government for his contribution to 'Christian values in national and international politics'. Szűcs also praised the academic work of Balkenende in the time (until 2002) when he was a professor of Christian-social thinking at the Free University of Amsterdam. With this honorary doctorate, the university also wanted to express thanks for all the help which the Netherlands and the Dutch Churches have given to the Hungarian sister Churches and to the university in the course of the years.
Personally it was also very special to be involved in the background with the preparations for this joyful occasion, and unforgettable to be actively involved in the intercession during the Church service in which Prime Minister Balkenende participated. The topicality of this jubilee was emphasised by the fact that this faculty was established in the past as a Protestant theological institution in order to help Hungarian Churches to open the windows of Church life and to break with its provinciality: at that time Budapest was still a German-speaking city!
Is it not of great importance for the Hungarian, and also for the Dutch Churches, even at the beginning of the twenty-first century, to learn from one another and to promote cooperation, even with regard to the education at university level of future leaders of the Church and society?
Open doors ...
For years I have also been teaching at the theological academy in Papa, 175 km to the west of Budapest. As my responsibilities at the Missions Institute have been reduced, it is now possible to be there two days a week. Actually you should come one Monday evening and have a look around the corner of my two-room apartment, which has really become a 'home'. At seven o'clock, the students trickle in with all sorts of 'contributions' to the evening meal. One has tried out a favourite recipe, another brings something tasty from home, a third puts a pot of tea on the table. It is not unusual for there to be fifteen of us, like sardines in a tin, almost a third of all the students! After twenty minutes, all the plates are put aside and the Sing-in or a Bible study starts. At half past eight, everyone goes on his or her way, back to the studies.
I am very thankful for these fellowship evenings, for the closer contact with the students, and also that I can concentrate more on the quality of my teaching. This is not simple, because the library of the missiology faculty is still very small (perhaps a hundred books) and Budapest is not on the doorstep!
We are in the process of planning a web site to make accessible Hungarian, English and German digital sources. If you have any suggestions, I will be pleased to hear from you! Of course this is a project from which later the five other Hungarian language theological courses, which are not in Budapest, will be able to benefit. I also dream of being able to offer missiological courses through E-learning and in this way being able to make better use of the extensive internet access which there is even in Central and Eastern Europe.
Give thanks that through the introduction of the new legislation regarding higher education, the theological academy is now fully recognised at Masters' level.
In recent weeks, I have also been deeply involved in the supervision of Masters' and PhD students. There is constantly another facet of the missionary life of the Churches which is raised: one time it is about being Church in an area of high-rise flats and what should be the characteristics of pastors who lead such Churches; then it is about the way in which a Hungarian missions theologian has 'Hungarianized' input for Church renewal and evangelism from the Netherlands and Scotland. Increasingly frequently, students are occupied by the question about how to conduct missions among the Romany, the gypsies. In all cases, it is about training people who (are going to) play an active roll in the work of mission, evangelism and Church renewal.
Finally: a personal note
Recently still not much has changed in the situation of the Missions Institute. There is still much uncertainty about the future structure and my role in it. It is also not yet clear whether the postgraduate programme will be continued. To be honest, it is not always clear where the problems lie, and neither where the responsibilities and decision-making begins and ends. In some versions, I am the academic director, in others simply one of the lecturers, responsible exclusively for the postgraduate teaching. Whatever it may be, I am trying to continue my work of teaching and supervision, even though the structures are still very fluid and unclear.
Will you continue to pray for the points which I sent in Sign of Life 97? Please pray that the Matter of the extension of God's Kingdom will make progress...
I would like to thank you for your concern. In this time of uncertainty, it means a great deal to know to be supported in prayer. I feel I am very blessed with friends, in the true sense of the word, in Hungary, in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Netherlands and actually all over the world. It is a period of waiting, of learning to take on less myself, and of counting more on the Lord God, a time to look forward actively to what the Lord is going to do, a time of waiting for His surprises. Give thanks that even now the words of the wonderful hymn by William Cowper, God moves in a mysterious way are true.
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs, and works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.
His purpose will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter, and he will make it plain.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne-Marie Kool
(look for pictures at: http://members.chello.nl/dvdweerd/english.htm )
Anne-Marie Kool was sent out by the Reformed Missionary League (GZB) in 1993 and seconded to the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (PMTI) in Budapest (Hungary), a centre for missionary training and missiological reflection, established by the Hungarian Protestant Churches and the Gaspar Karoli Reformed University. Since 1998, she has also been working as a professor of missiology at the Reformed Theological Academy in Papa. To an increasing degree, the PMTI is fulfilling a regional role in Central and Eastern Europe. Anne-Marie is also actively involved in the Reformed Church in the residential area of high-rise apartments where she lives (Budapest/Gazdagret).
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