Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 95
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 14th May, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
'... He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised ... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses ...' Acts 1:4, 8
Wait, receive power and be witnesses
In the overture to Pentecost, the disciples are told to wait. It is a time of looking forward, waiting and expecting. And then follows the promise: You will receive power ... and you will be My witnesses. These three things: waiting, receiving power and being witnesses belong very closely together in missionary work. I think we often reverse the order, and begin by organising campaigns and programmes to be a witness. Then we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, and after that, we wait to see if the Lord will bless our plans.
Be ready and willing to do everything, ... to do nothing, ... to become a nobody
Recently I have frequently recalled the words of Chris Davies, an Englishwoman who for years helped in secret (as a “holy spy”) to equip Christian students in Central and Eastern Europe. When I was asked in 1985 to take over part of her work, she entrusted me with the following, 'Be ready and willing to do everything, be ready and willing to do nothing, and be ready to become a nobody.' In the past eighteen years, I have sometimes known times in which I was asked to wait, 'to do nothing', but also times of intense activity, 'to do everything', and times in which I had the feeling that I was of no significance whatsoever, 'to become a nobody'.
Changes
In the past years in which the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies has grown so expansively, there has been little time “to do nothing”. More and more has been put on my plate - teaching duties, supervisory tasks, and also many managerial responsibilities.. Over three years ago, I presented a plan to the board of the Missions Institute with a proposal to transfer those managerial tasks to someone else which were not related to academic matters and training. Last year, the board took the decision to appoint a business manager, but not much progress was made. I am therefore glad that just over a month ago, the decision was taken to appoint me as academic director, responsible only for the academic department of the Missions Institute, for program’s related to missiological education, and that an interim business manager has been appointed in the person of the present chairman of the board. This is an important step in the reorganisation of the Missions Institute. In the coming period, a business manager will be appointed. I am very pleased that in the meantime, the Reformed Missionary League (GZB) has decided to renew my contract for five years. Will you give thanks with me for these decisions, and also for the good discussions with the GZB delegation last month. Please pray especially for the board of the Missions Institute as they take further decisions about the reorganisation.
Please pray that these decisions will mean that the Missions Institute is even better than hitherto able to achieve its goal of training and equipping pastors and Churches to be witnesses 'in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth'. Will you also pray for me in these times of change?
Being witnesses in 'all Judea and Samaria'
One of the high points of recent times was undoubtedly the study trip with about twenty-five students from Hungary and the Netherlands to Vojvodina (Serbia). In this province of Serbia, which until 1921 was part of the great Hungarian Empire, there now live about two million people, of whom about twelve percent, over 200,000 people, are of Hungarian ethnic background. The Hungarian Reformed Church has about 12,000 members. Everywhere you see signs of the recent war, not only in the buildings and the infrastructure, but also among the people themselves. Suddenly the 'land of Milosevic' takes on a face. Here are some responses of the students. A Dutch student writes:
'There are many things which touched me, which I experienced as being special and which were inspiring. One of the things which touched me was the prayer topic, which the pastor of the Church in Piros presented to us, namely not intercession for a project or for the enthusiasm of the Church members, but for the fact that they were often themselves so selfish, that they might have the courage to live closer to the Gospel, and that they might have the courage to pray. Perhaps it is my Reformed point of view, but I found it very special that prayer should be requested for things, for matters, which primarily concern the relationship between man and the Word. It also indicates what is necessary here under the influence of all the ethnic tensions which there are: the power of prayer must be experienced. On the basis of this, people can work towards unity, as was demonstrated in the Baptist seminary. Despite all the differences in background and history, the Bible remains central everywhere. This must (and shall) be the beginning of unity.'
A Hungarian student writes:
'In Belgrade - it may sound rather strange - I was actually jealous of the tiny Church without a church building. I noticed that the minority position of this Church, the shared past which is so full of suffering, the times of testing and the financial problems, have brought them very close together. It was very clearly noticeable that the love, the fellowship and the shared plans are important for them. Personally, I come from a large city Church, in which people hardly know one another, let alone love one another. They have plenty of money, but their spiritual growth often stagnates. This is why I was so impressed by this Church.'
And to conclude, another Hungarian student:
'In comparison with many Churches in Hungary, the small Churches which we visited were in many respects disadvantaged. And yet, they trust in the Lord Jesus, and so they remain standing. It was incredibly good to hear of a Church which, even during the war, was busy extending the Church centre. These people did not give up, but placed their trust in God. I also learned a lot from the pastors. They do not look at the circumstances, at the many difficulties, but look to their work in the fellowship.'
Finally
In two weeks time, we hope to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Missions Institute. Please pray for a good day, on which we can thank the Lord together for everything that He has brought about for the Missions Institute. God is faithful. He will not abandon the work of His hands!
Yours sincerely in Christ, ,
Anne-Marie
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Friday, April 8, 2005
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 94
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 94
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 8th April, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
This time a Signs of Life from a 'guest writer', Rev. Bas van der Graaf, pastor in the cathedral of Gouda (yes, where the cheese comes from!) Thank you for your prayerful concern. In the coming days and months it is important than ever to support the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in prayer!
A-M
Anne-Marie took her chance to ask someone else to write an issue of Signs of Life. I also view this as an opportunity, because it gives me the chance to compile and share a few experiences. Since Wednesday 30th March, I have been staying in one of the guest rooms at the institute as part of my study furlough. I had at least five reasons for choosing to come here: 1. I wanted to get away for a while; 2. I have been learning Hungarian for a few years and wanted to make some progress in this; 3. I wanted to renew and deepen my acquaintance with Anne-Marie; 4. I wanted to spend a few weeks in a missionary environment; 5. I wanted to be open to the possibilities of doing something in the future in the area of missionary Church development in Eastern Europe. As I write this, I still have a few days to go, but I can already say, I have amply achieved the first four aims, and with regard to the fifth, the desire has only grown. Of the abundance of impressions, I will now mention three.
A special institute
I will not be the first to write this, but it is of great importance to underline and to continuing to underline the fact that the PMTI is a special institute. Undoubtedly it is unique in Eastern Europe, and unusual in Europe. Anyone who knows anything about Church life in the Netherlands will realise that it is certainly not a matter of course that Churches are really missionary-minded. Swallowed up by all sorts of internal affairs in the Church, the missionary calling is often pushed to the background. In the Church in Hungary - because of all sorts of historical factors - this is even more the case. Anyone who spends some time at the institute with this knowledge in the back of his head soon realises how special and how essential it is that there is a think tank, which gives impetus to the missionary calling. I have been impressed by the commitment and inspiration with which the staff is working. I have also greatly enjoyed the splendid library, which not only contains a large collection of missiological literature, but is also a wonderful place in which to 'refuel' for mission. On the other hand, I have understood from the past and the practices of the present that this institute is by no means yet a 'certainty'. It is a gift from above that it has been established here and - amidst the many uncertainties that are simply part of the Hungarian situation - it will have to be maintained from above. I would therefore encourage everyone reading this to remember the PMTI and the work of Anne-Marie in payer.
A special Church
On Sunday 3rd April, I attended a Church service in Gazdagrét, the Church to which Anne-Marie belongs. To my delight, I realised that I was able to follow the essence of the sermon, so this already made the service for me. But I was much more pleased about what I heard and saw. To start with, the building. All the churches I had seen in Hungary and Romania - even the new ones - were traditional in form. This building was different. With its octagonal shape, its beautiful section of stone wall with a cross in it, and the arrangement of the chairs, this church served completely and entirely for the meeting of the Church as a fellowship. And it is a fellowship, this Church. A fellowship in which people look out for one another, but where there is also an openness to the community in which the church is situated. The pastor - András Lovás - gave a wonderful sermon about John 21, in which in a special way, he was in conversation with the Church. Very consciously, he went into particular Hungarian traits, such as not directly referring to problems which we have with others. Based on the pastoral conversation of Jesus with Peter, he showed how different the Gospel is on this point. The whole service breathed an atmosphere of sincere involvement with the heart of the Gospel, and with the specific people of today. I have to say that I got a lot out of this service. Fellowships such as this will be necessary to give a future to the Church in Hungary. And I believe that the PMTI can help in this too.
A special group of students
On Wednesday 6th April, at the invitation of Anne-Marie I gave a guest lecture for a group of students. I shared something about the process of renewal which has taken place in my congregation in Gouda to give form to being a missionary Church. As a result of the large number of people attending the Alpha course, as a Church we were faced with new issues and challenges, which led us into a process of renewal, with all the joys and concerns of this. I have to say that it was a great joy for me to interact with this group of young theology students. They demonstrated a great eagerness to learn and openness to new ways in which God's Spirit wants to go. At the same time, everything makes it apparent that in their (Church) culture, they are not used to acting in the freedom of the Spirit in the world or the Church, or to using their gifts. Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done here and there are still many opportunities in this. It was precisely this afternoon that I felt the desire growing in myself in the future to share in Hungary what we received in the Netherlands a number of years ago. Of course, this will not be a question of 'exporting' things, but in open discussions stimulating one another to have great expectations of the power of the Holy Spirit, who prescribes ways in season.
Finally
I found it a privilege to spend almost two weeks in this beautiful city (with thanks to my wife, who is taking care of three teenage daughters alone). Hungary is facing huge challenges to discover in the new world after the Wall fell what 'real life' is. At the moment, incredibly many young people in Budapest believe that life is concealed in the mobile phones and all the other blessings of the new time. However, two in five young people regularly contemplate suicide, I was told be an unchurched youth. How will they believe if they have not heard? The PMTI is undoubtedly a link in God's searching love in Hungary.
Bas van der Graaf
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest - 8th April, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
This time a Signs of Life from a 'guest writer', Rev. Bas van der Graaf, pastor in the cathedral of Gouda (yes, where the cheese comes from!) Thank you for your prayerful concern. In the coming days and months it is important than ever to support the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in prayer!
A-M
Anne-Marie took her chance to ask someone else to write an issue of Signs of Life. I also view this as an opportunity, because it gives me the chance to compile and share a few experiences. Since Wednesday 30th March, I have been staying in one of the guest rooms at the institute as part of my study furlough. I had at least five reasons for choosing to come here: 1. I wanted to get away for a while; 2. I have been learning Hungarian for a few years and wanted to make some progress in this; 3. I wanted to renew and deepen my acquaintance with Anne-Marie; 4. I wanted to spend a few weeks in a missionary environment; 5. I wanted to be open to the possibilities of doing something in the future in the area of missionary Church development in Eastern Europe. As I write this, I still have a few days to go, but I can already say, I have amply achieved the first four aims, and with regard to the fifth, the desire has only grown. Of the abundance of impressions, I will now mention three.
A special institute
I will not be the first to write this, but it is of great importance to underline and to continuing to underline the fact that the PMTI is a special institute. Undoubtedly it is unique in Eastern Europe, and unusual in Europe. Anyone who knows anything about Church life in the Netherlands will realise that it is certainly not a matter of course that Churches are really missionary-minded. Swallowed up by all sorts of internal affairs in the Church, the missionary calling is often pushed to the background. In the Church in Hungary - because of all sorts of historical factors - this is even more the case. Anyone who spends some time at the institute with this knowledge in the back of his head soon realises how special and how essential it is that there is a think tank, which gives impetus to the missionary calling. I have been impressed by the commitment and inspiration with which the staff is working. I have also greatly enjoyed the splendid library, which not only contains a large collection of missiological literature, but is also a wonderful place in which to 'refuel' for mission. On the other hand, I have understood from the past and the practices of the present that this institute is by no means yet a 'certainty'. It is a gift from above that it has been established here and - amidst the many uncertainties that are simply part of the Hungarian situation - it will have to be maintained from above. I would therefore encourage everyone reading this to remember the PMTI and the work of Anne-Marie in payer.
A special Church
On Sunday 3rd April, I attended a Church service in Gazdagrét, the Church to which Anne-Marie belongs. To my delight, I realised that I was able to follow the essence of the sermon, so this already made the service for me. But I was much more pleased about what I heard and saw. To start with, the building. All the churches I had seen in Hungary and Romania - even the new ones - were traditional in form. This building was different. With its octagonal shape, its beautiful section of stone wall with a cross in it, and the arrangement of the chairs, this church served completely and entirely for the meeting of the Church as a fellowship. And it is a fellowship, this Church. A fellowship in which people look out for one another, but where there is also an openness to the community in which the church is situated. The pastor - András Lovás - gave a wonderful sermon about John 21, in which in a special way, he was in conversation with the Church. Very consciously, he went into particular Hungarian traits, such as not directly referring to problems which we have with others. Based on the pastoral conversation of Jesus with Peter, he showed how different the Gospel is on this point. The whole service breathed an atmosphere of sincere involvement with the heart of the Gospel, and with the specific people of today. I have to say that I got a lot out of this service. Fellowships such as this will be necessary to give a future to the Church in Hungary. And I believe that the PMTI can help in this too.
A special group of students
On Wednesday 6th April, at the invitation of Anne-Marie I gave a guest lecture for a group of students. I shared something about the process of renewal which has taken place in my congregation in Gouda to give form to being a missionary Church. As a result of the large number of people attending the Alpha course, as a Church we were faced with new issues and challenges, which led us into a process of renewal, with all the joys and concerns of this. I have to say that it was a great joy for me to interact with this group of young theology students. They demonstrated a great eagerness to learn and openness to new ways in which God's Spirit wants to go. At the same time, everything makes it apparent that in their (Church) culture, they are not used to acting in the freedom of the Spirit in the world or the Church, or to using their gifts. Undoubtedly, there is still a lot of work to be done here and there are still many opportunities in this. It was precisely this afternoon that I felt the desire growing in myself in the future to share in Hungary what we received in the Netherlands a number of years ago. Of course, this will not be a question of 'exporting' things, but in open discussions stimulating one another to have great expectations of the power of the Holy Spirit, who prescribes ways in season.
Finally
I found it a privilege to spend almost two weeks in this beautiful city (with thanks to my wife, who is taking care of three teenage daughters alone). Hungary is facing huge challenges to discover in the new world after the Wall fell what 'real life' is. At the moment, incredibly many young people in Budapest believe that life is concealed in the mobile phones and all the other blessings of the new time. However, two in five young people regularly contemplate suicide, I was told be an unchurched youth. How will they believe if they have not heard? The PMTI is undoubtedly a link in God's searching love in Hungary.
Bas van der Graaf
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 93
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 93
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest
26th February, 2005
'Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.' 1 Tim. 4:16
Dear Family and Friends,
'More and more Hungarian pastors are becoming infected by the Dutch disease!' I heard this remarkable statement yesterday in a fascinating discussion with a colleague about the Church situation in Hungary. 'For Dutch pastors, Church work has become more a job with a forty hour working week than a calling in which you are available to your Church day and night.' This mainly affects some young pastors. We were discussing this topic following an address by Bishop Dr István Szabó, in which he was evaluating his first two years in office. Of the thirteen goals he had set for himself, he had only been able to achieve one and a half of them... He was chiefly involved in finding a solution to unresolved issues from the past. Many pastors isolate themselves from their colleagues, and are not willing to be accountable neither to their presbitery, nor to the head of the diocese. Any attempt from outside to coordinate certain tasks is seen as outside interference.
The number of unchurched and dechurched people is steadily increasing. His great concern is how this large group could be activated. Much in this analysis sounded familiar to me. On the other hand, I also encounter many pastors who are near to burnout. How to respond to such this discussion?
Looking back on my furlough
After a very intense home assignment period of five weeks - the mileage on my car increased by nearly 4,000 miles, with 2,000 miles in the Netherlands alone! - I have been able to pick up the thread again relatively well. I recall the excellent meetings with my sending Churches in Houten and Oud-Alblas. Also elsewhere in the country I met great interest in our ministry. What increasingly strikes me is, that the issues of mission and evangelism which we are (trying to) dealing with in Hungary are very close to those in the Netherlands. What a challenge to be open to learning from one another!
I am very encouraged by your prayerful concern for my work here, which was evident from the pertinent questions which were asked! It was good that in Oud-Alblas there were young people taking such an active part as well. It is wonderful that Junior High School students like John are so willing to be witnesses in their classes. They are the missionaries of the future! I am also very thankful for your personal care for my well-being. In this sense, as someone put it, my home assignment really was a 'hot bath'. How wonderful to be greeted with a Sing-in. My birthday party, which so many attended, was unforgettable. I am enjoying the CD's and the beautiful books. The 'survival pack' for my retreat following, was extremely useful too.
Another highlight was the outing with my five sisters to Brussels, on the invitation of my sister Corien, who has been a Member of the European Parliament since last summer (see attached photo).
Looking back on my furlough or home assignment period, to be honest, to an increasing extent I wonder what the word 'furlough' really means. It is certainly not a 'Dutch disease'! Actually, I was more tired when I got home than when I left. 'Pay close attention to yourself ...' Please pray for wisdom in this.
Hungary, at the start of 2005
On my return, the newspapers were full of the commemoration of the 108-day siege of Budapest in 1944-45. I caught a conversation with a niece of Raul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of so many Jews and who mysteriously disappeared. There is also a lot of talk about the 'Hungarian tragedy of 1945': after 1945, more than 700,000 were deported to Siberia. Meanwhile in Budapest, hundreds of farmers with their tractors have been striking, because the promised EU subsidies have not been paid on time, and the national debt is apparently increasing at a record pace... Sometimes it seems as if nothing changes.
Back to work ...
Yet at the same time, there is much that is changing. For a few months now we have been busy working on modifying the curriculum of the theological seminary in Papa. It appears that throughout Hungary the level of the students who are applying to further education institutes has dropped considerably. How can we better fit in with this? It surprises me in this discussion that the question is actually not raised as to what a pastor in the Hungary of the 21st century actually ought to be able to do. The structure of the curriculum at theological schools in Hungary has actually not changed in the last twenty years. There is relatively little attention paid to how to involve Church members in Church life, how to deal with conflicts, what it means to be a missional Church etc. In short, what should be changed in the training of pastors in order for them to be able to respond to the missionary challenges of today, to the questions which Bishop Szabó was discussing? In the final interview, Levente, one of the sixth year students, who has just concluded his practical work placements, thanked me that I had given him assignments which stimulated him to leave his comfort zone and to get in touch with people on the fringes of the Church and the unchurched.
The missionary challenge of living as a minority
During her field placement in Transylvania, Noémi discovered that evangelism and missionary work also means associating with the Rumanian majority. The temptation is great for the Hungarian Church in a minority situation to concentrate on surviving, but actually the missionary challenge is to step over the ethnic boundaries! There seems to be an increasing interest in receiving training in this. Many of you who have sister Churches in Central Europe are talking about this. Could you help to make the courses and training material of the PMTI more widely known? Perhaps you know a pastor who would like to join the postgraduate program in missions, evangelism and church development, or just one or two courses. Or perhaps a youth group who would be interested in the course 'Worldchristian'.
Changes
I notice even in the team of the PMTI that there are changes taking place in society. People are much more willing to accept responsibility and take the initiative than some time ago, and this requires a different type of leadership. I often used to feel like a bus driver, who was holding the steering wheel, with the passengers patiently waiting to see where they would be taken. Now I notice that I can much better be like the conductor of an orchestra, helping each of the members of staff to play their own instrument as well as possible. This suits me better, but it means making a big adjustment! It is wonderful to notice on returning that everyone has been practicing hard to play his/her part.
Finally
You will already have gathered that in one thing, the last three months have not yet brought much change. I still have a lot on my plate. Sometimes I really have the feeling of being at the limit, but then suddenly I notice I receive new strength to go on. Please pray for wisdom to say no. 'Pay close attention to yourself...' Please pray also that I may really find moments of peace and relaxation, or to read a good book.
Yours sincerely Christ,
Anne- Marie Kool
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Dr. Anne-Marie Kool (PMTI)
Budapest
26th February, 2005
'Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.' 1 Tim. 4:16
Dear Family and Friends,
'More and more Hungarian pastors are becoming infected by the Dutch disease!' I heard this remarkable statement yesterday in a fascinating discussion with a colleague about the Church situation in Hungary. 'For Dutch pastors, Church work has become more a job with a forty hour working week than a calling in which you are available to your Church day and night.' This mainly affects some young pastors. We were discussing this topic following an address by Bishop Dr István Szabó, in which he was evaluating his first two years in office. Of the thirteen goals he had set for himself, he had only been able to achieve one and a half of them... He was chiefly involved in finding a solution to unresolved issues from the past. Many pastors isolate themselves from their colleagues, and are not willing to be accountable neither to their presbitery, nor to the head of the diocese. Any attempt from outside to coordinate certain tasks is seen as outside interference.
The number of unchurched and dechurched people is steadily increasing. His great concern is how this large group could be activated. Much in this analysis sounded familiar to me. On the other hand, I also encounter many pastors who are near to burnout. How to respond to such this discussion?
Looking back on my furlough
After a very intense home assignment period of five weeks - the mileage on my car increased by nearly 4,000 miles, with 2,000 miles in the Netherlands alone! - I have been able to pick up the thread again relatively well. I recall the excellent meetings with my sending Churches in Houten and Oud-Alblas. Also elsewhere in the country I met great interest in our ministry. What increasingly strikes me is, that the issues of mission and evangelism which we are (trying to) dealing with in Hungary are very close to those in the Netherlands. What a challenge to be open to learning from one another!
I am very encouraged by your prayerful concern for my work here, which was evident from the pertinent questions which were asked! It was good that in Oud-Alblas there were young people taking such an active part as well. It is wonderful that Junior High School students like John are so willing to be witnesses in their classes. They are the missionaries of the future! I am also very thankful for your personal care for my well-being. In this sense, as someone put it, my home assignment really was a 'hot bath'. How wonderful to be greeted with a Sing-in. My birthday party, which so many attended, was unforgettable. I am enjoying the CD's and the beautiful books. The 'survival pack' for my retreat following, was extremely useful too.
Another highlight was the outing with my five sisters to Brussels, on the invitation of my sister Corien, who has been a Member of the European Parliament since last summer (see attached photo).
Looking back on my furlough or home assignment period, to be honest, to an increasing extent I wonder what the word 'furlough' really means. It is certainly not a 'Dutch disease'! Actually, I was more tired when I got home than when I left. 'Pay close attention to yourself ...' Please pray for wisdom in this.
Hungary, at the start of 2005
On my return, the newspapers were full of the commemoration of the 108-day siege of Budapest in 1944-45. I caught a conversation with a niece of Raul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of so many Jews and who mysteriously disappeared. There is also a lot of talk about the 'Hungarian tragedy of 1945': after 1945, more than 700,000 were deported to Siberia. Meanwhile in Budapest, hundreds of farmers with their tractors have been striking, because the promised EU subsidies have not been paid on time, and the national debt is apparently increasing at a record pace... Sometimes it seems as if nothing changes.
Back to work ...
Yet at the same time, there is much that is changing. For a few months now we have been busy working on modifying the curriculum of the theological seminary in Papa. It appears that throughout Hungary the level of the students who are applying to further education institutes has dropped considerably. How can we better fit in with this? It surprises me in this discussion that the question is actually not raised as to what a pastor in the Hungary of the 21st century actually ought to be able to do. The structure of the curriculum at theological schools in Hungary has actually not changed in the last twenty years. There is relatively little attention paid to how to involve Church members in Church life, how to deal with conflicts, what it means to be a missional Church etc. In short, what should be changed in the training of pastors in order for them to be able to respond to the missionary challenges of today, to the questions which Bishop Szabó was discussing? In the final interview, Levente, one of the sixth year students, who has just concluded his practical work placements, thanked me that I had given him assignments which stimulated him to leave his comfort zone and to get in touch with people on the fringes of the Church and the unchurched.
The missionary challenge of living as a minority
During her field placement in Transylvania, Noémi discovered that evangelism and missionary work also means associating with the Rumanian majority. The temptation is great for the Hungarian Church in a minority situation to concentrate on surviving, but actually the missionary challenge is to step over the ethnic boundaries! There seems to be an increasing interest in receiving training in this. Many of you who have sister Churches in Central Europe are talking about this. Could you help to make the courses and training material of the PMTI more widely known? Perhaps you know a pastor who would like to join the postgraduate program in missions, evangelism and church development, or just one or two courses. Or perhaps a youth group who would be interested in the course 'Worldchristian'.
Changes
I notice even in the team of the PMTI that there are changes taking place in society. People are much more willing to accept responsibility and take the initiative than some time ago, and this requires a different type of leadership. I often used to feel like a bus driver, who was holding the steering wheel, with the passengers patiently waiting to see where they would be taken. Now I notice that I can much better be like the conductor of an orchestra, helping each of the members of staff to play their own instrument as well as possible. This suits me better, but it means making a big adjustment! It is wonderful to notice on returning that everyone has been practicing hard to play his/her part.
Finally
You will already have gathered that in one thing, the last three months have not yet brought much change. I still have a lot on my plate. Sometimes I really have the feeling of being at the limit, but then suddenly I notice I receive new strength to go on. Please pray for wisdom to say no. 'Pay close attention to yourself...' Please pray also that I may really find moments of peace and relaxation, or to read a good book.
Yours sincerely Christ,
Anne- Marie Kool
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@t-online.hu.
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Saturday, December 4, 2004
Signs of Life from Hungary -- 92
Signs of Life from Hungary Volume XII No. 92
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Protestant Institute for Mission Studies
by Anne-Marie Kool
Budapest, 4 December, 2004
'The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?... Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.' Psalm 27:1, 14
Dear Friends,
This letter was planned to be written at least ten times, finally I manage to spend a few hours to “visit” you and to share some highlights and disappointments of this past year. I was a year with ups and downs. Often I felt stretched to the limit, especially when our financial director resigned unexpectedly in August and I had keep things going till we found a replacement in October. But I feel a great sense of thankfulness and reward when observing students stepping out of their own little world and develop a sense of importance for their churches to be involved in missions. Pastors in remoted areas hunger to be equipped to help their churches grow into missionary congregations. I am also very thankful for the growth in our PMTI team. Thank you so much for your faithful support and prayers!
Recently it has struck me how often the word 'fear' is used. There is fear about the political tensions in Ukraine, which might get out of hand, fear of terrorist attacks, of extremist expressions of Islam. In our personal life too, we may, consciously or subconsciously, be carrying fear, anxiety around with us: fear of illness; of people - how we can fulfil expectations; of the future - will we still have a job next year, how will we manage financially? Does it sound familiar to you? Psalm 27 talks about a different sort of fear: fear, respect for the Lord. In times of uncertainty, in which it seems as if the situation in which we are living may cause us to be seized by fear, we are called upon to fix our eyes on Him. After all, He has this world in His hand, does He not?! This has a liberating effect. Advent time, like Psalm 27, is a reminder to us that we should depend on Him for everything in our lives, and place our trust in Him, the Child of Bethlehem, the Saviour of the world.
How do we deal with minorities?
Even in Hungary, the events around the murder of a famous Dutch cineast Theo van Gogh raised a dust. It is striking how often concerns are expressed in one-sided generalisations: Islam wants to marginalize Christians in the Netherlands; foreigners are not willing to integrate into Dutch society; they only want to take advantage. Perhaps these responses reflect something of the way in which people themselves deal with minorities. This is one of the great issues in Central and Eastern Europe!
Missionary challenge of the first degree
During a seminar for pastors who are working on their doctoral research, the subject of minorities and mission was raised. What does it mean to be a missionary congregation as a small Protestant minority in Poland? How should the Churches in Slovakia (and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe) deal with the gypsy minority? The questions came very close to home when we realised that our society actually consists of a large number of minority groups: those who live in the large suburbs, those in the rural areas, but also the business world, etc. Actually, in the work of missions and evangelism, it is always a matter of a meeting with people who are 'different' from us. But what we all have in common is that we are created by God. It is a question of building bridges, of working to transcend borders. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we can show something of the grace of God to the world in which we are placed.
Some random comments from Hungary ...
Some random remarks from the discussions which stayed with me. Actually they are questions which have occupied us for a long time in the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies.
* Both in Hungary and in the Netherlands there is a growing aggressive, militant secularised conviction. Anything related to God is mocked. It seems as if there is selective tolerance.
* Many Christians in Europe have a deep sense of uncertainty: does our faith have anything to say to our secularised society, to public life? Can our Christian faith cope with a discussion with those of different opinions and a different faith? How can we conduct a dialogue which is a testimony? Is it not much safer to withdraw behind safe walls and to conserve what we have?
* To an increasing extent, we are experiencing that Europe is a mission field, in which we all, pastors and Church members, must learn to put into practice the lessons of global mission - for example, how do you deal with people of another religions, another ethnic or cultural backgrounds. We can also learn a lot from Churches on different continents about what it means to live as a minority in a non-Christian society.
* To what extent are our Church structures a help or a hindrance in being a witnessing presence in our society? To what extent do they provide a platform to strengthen our faith and from which to discuss the issues which come up in conversation with others? To what extent are they attractive to young people who believe in 'something'?
* Whether the minorities in our midst are called Muslims or gypsies, the question is, to what extent should society as a whole adapt and be open to 'the stranger in its midst'? What could be the role of the Churches in this?
Dealing with minorities in practice
Recently I visited a Church just to the south of Budapest, which actually came into being through concern for a minority, for a group of twenty (former) alcoholics! It is, therefore, no surprise that in four years time, this Church has grown to over 130 people. Last year, about twenty young families joined, after a meeting was started for mothers with young children. In the kitchen, I have a chat with his wife. It is something I often hear, 'Actually, we are at the end of our tether! András is so busy with Church work that he hardly has time for his family. It is very difficult to involve church members.'
Training to deal with minorities
Indeed, it often seems very difficult for Church members to accept more responsibility. It is not easy to break through old thought patterns and structures. This made it an extremely impressive occasion at the beginning of November when the first students on the Light for the World course were commissioned with the laying on of hands to take an active role in their Churches in the work of missions and evangelism.
Tina, one of the students on the postdoctoral course, is also confronted with this daily. She told me how in Estonia she struggles to involve the dechurched and the unchurched more in Church life, and to proclaim the Word of God to them in a relevant way. The day before she came to Budapest, she had to bury a mafia boss. She was still broken by the experience. The great question which occupies her is how theological education in her country can be more directed towards mission.
The question of minorities and equipping pastors for this crucial issue is actually central to the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. Soon we will again be starting the postgraduate (MTh) course for pastors, aimed at this difficult area. You recently received an information leaflet about this. Please contact Enikő Ferenczy (ferenczy@pmti.edu.hu) if you know someone interested in this program.
Finally
In our efforts to teach and train students to deal with minorities from a missions perspective we are in need of some specific educational and library tools. Audiovisual equipment (videocamera, computer projector etc.) would greatly extend the quality of our education, a licence for access to electronic journals would be of great help our students in their research. One of our partners (OCI) informed us that someone in America is willing to match donations to the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies for such educational tools and library development up to 10,000 USD. The condition is that the gifts towards this match be transferred to the bank account of OCI by 31st December at the latest. This project will greatly help us improve our efforts to teach and train students to become agents of renewal in their churches. Could you help us make the impossible possible?
On 17th December I will leave for a month’s home assignment to the Netherlands. The first two weeks of January I embark on an intensive speaking tour. Please pray for joy and strength in meeting my family and friends in the Netherlands.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne- Marie Kool
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@axelero.hu.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MY COMPUSERVE ADDRESS HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED!!
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
Monthly prayer update on the ministry of the
Protestant Institute for Mission Studies
by Anne-Marie Kool
Budapest, 4 December, 2004
'The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?... Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.' Psalm 27:1, 14
Dear Friends,
This letter was planned to be written at least ten times, finally I manage to spend a few hours to “visit” you and to share some highlights and disappointments of this past year. I was a year with ups and downs. Often I felt stretched to the limit, especially when our financial director resigned unexpectedly in August and I had keep things going till we found a replacement in October. But I feel a great sense of thankfulness and reward when observing students stepping out of their own little world and develop a sense of importance for their churches to be involved in missions. Pastors in remoted areas hunger to be equipped to help their churches grow into missionary congregations. I am also very thankful for the growth in our PMTI team. Thank you so much for your faithful support and prayers!
Recently it has struck me how often the word 'fear' is used. There is fear about the political tensions in Ukraine, which might get out of hand, fear of terrorist attacks, of extremist expressions of Islam. In our personal life too, we may, consciously or subconsciously, be carrying fear, anxiety around with us: fear of illness; of people - how we can fulfil expectations; of the future - will we still have a job next year, how will we manage financially? Does it sound familiar to you? Psalm 27 talks about a different sort of fear: fear, respect for the Lord. In times of uncertainty, in which it seems as if the situation in which we are living may cause us to be seized by fear, we are called upon to fix our eyes on Him. After all, He has this world in His hand, does He not?! This has a liberating effect. Advent time, like Psalm 27, is a reminder to us that we should depend on Him for everything in our lives, and place our trust in Him, the Child of Bethlehem, the Saviour of the world.
How do we deal with minorities?
Even in Hungary, the events around the murder of a famous Dutch cineast Theo van Gogh raised a dust. It is striking how often concerns are expressed in one-sided generalisations: Islam wants to marginalize Christians in the Netherlands; foreigners are not willing to integrate into Dutch society; they only want to take advantage. Perhaps these responses reflect something of the way in which people themselves deal with minorities. This is one of the great issues in Central and Eastern Europe!
Missionary challenge of the first degree
During a seminar for pastors who are working on their doctoral research, the subject of minorities and mission was raised. What does it mean to be a missionary congregation as a small Protestant minority in Poland? How should the Churches in Slovakia (and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe) deal with the gypsy minority? The questions came very close to home when we realised that our society actually consists of a large number of minority groups: those who live in the large suburbs, those in the rural areas, but also the business world, etc. Actually, in the work of missions and evangelism, it is always a matter of a meeting with people who are 'different' from us. But what we all have in common is that we are created by God. It is a question of building bridges, of working to transcend borders. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we can show something of the grace of God to the world in which we are placed.
Some random comments from Hungary ...
Some random remarks from the discussions which stayed with me. Actually they are questions which have occupied us for a long time in the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies.
* Both in Hungary and in the Netherlands there is a growing aggressive, militant secularised conviction. Anything related to God is mocked. It seems as if there is selective tolerance.
* Many Christians in Europe have a deep sense of uncertainty: does our faith have anything to say to our secularised society, to public life? Can our Christian faith cope with a discussion with those of different opinions and a different faith? How can we conduct a dialogue which is a testimony? Is it not much safer to withdraw behind safe walls and to conserve what we have?
* To an increasing extent, we are experiencing that Europe is a mission field, in which we all, pastors and Church members, must learn to put into practice the lessons of global mission - for example, how do you deal with people of another religions, another ethnic or cultural backgrounds. We can also learn a lot from Churches on different continents about what it means to live as a minority in a non-Christian society.
* To what extent are our Church structures a help or a hindrance in being a witnessing presence in our society? To what extent do they provide a platform to strengthen our faith and from which to discuss the issues which come up in conversation with others? To what extent are they attractive to young people who believe in 'something'?
* Whether the minorities in our midst are called Muslims or gypsies, the question is, to what extent should society as a whole adapt and be open to 'the stranger in its midst'? What could be the role of the Churches in this?
Dealing with minorities in practice
Recently I visited a Church just to the south of Budapest, which actually came into being through concern for a minority, for a group of twenty (former) alcoholics! It is, therefore, no surprise that in four years time, this Church has grown to over 130 people. Last year, about twenty young families joined, after a meeting was started for mothers with young children. In the kitchen, I have a chat with his wife. It is something I often hear, 'Actually, we are at the end of our tether! András is so busy with Church work that he hardly has time for his family. It is very difficult to involve church members.'
Training to deal with minorities
Indeed, it often seems very difficult for Church members to accept more responsibility. It is not easy to break through old thought patterns and structures. This made it an extremely impressive occasion at the beginning of November when the first students on the Light for the World course were commissioned with the laying on of hands to take an active role in their Churches in the work of missions and evangelism.
Tina, one of the students on the postdoctoral course, is also confronted with this daily. She told me how in Estonia she struggles to involve the dechurched and the unchurched more in Church life, and to proclaim the Word of God to them in a relevant way. The day before she came to Budapest, she had to bury a mafia boss. She was still broken by the experience. The great question which occupies her is how theological education in her country can be more directed towards mission.
The question of minorities and equipping pastors for this crucial issue is actually central to the work of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. Soon we will again be starting the postgraduate (MTh) course for pastors, aimed at this difficult area. You recently received an information leaflet about this. Please contact Enikő Ferenczy (ferenczy@pmti.edu.hu) if you know someone interested in this program.
Finally
In our efforts to teach and train students to deal with minorities from a missions perspective we are in need of some specific educational and library tools. Audiovisual equipment (videocamera, computer projector etc.) would greatly extend the quality of our education, a licence for access to electronic journals would be of great help our students in their research. One of our partners (OCI) informed us that someone in America is willing to match donations to the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies for such educational tools and library development up to 10,000 USD. The condition is that the gifts towards this match be transferred to the bank account of OCI by 31st December at the latest. This project will greatly help us improve our efforts to teach and train students to become agents of renewal in their churches. Could you help us make the impossible possible?
On 17th December I will leave for a month’s home assignment to the Netherlands. The first two weeks of January I embark on an intensive speaking tour. Please pray for joy and strength in meeting my family and friends in the Netherlands.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Anne- Marie Kool
This is the monthly prayer update of Anne-Marie Kool for friends of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies. She has been seconded by the Reformed Missionary League (RML) in the United Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 1993 to the Reformed Church in Hungary. Since 1995 she has served as the director of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies in Budapest. In 1998 she was appointed as Professor in Missiology at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Papa.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If you would like to support the ministry of the Protestant Institute for Mission Studies (ProTIMS), you may send your tax-deductible gifts to:
1. Overseas Council International - P.O. Box 17368, Indianapolis, IN 46217-0368. Please indicate that this donation is for ProTIMS, otherwise we will not receive your contribution. Please also add the designation of your donation.
or to:
2. The Reformed Church in America, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to the Regional Synod of Canada, RR #4, Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5S5. Please include the name of the person, project or program you are supporting.
We greatly appreciate your kind generosity in helping us equip future church leaders for Central and Eastern Europe! The doors are still open!
The Protestant Institute for Mission Studies, Kalvin ter 7.II, P.O. Box 150, 1461 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/fax + 36 1 216 20 54. E-mail: kool@pmti.edu.hu or amkool@axelero.hu.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MY COMPUSERVE ADDRESS HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED!!
If you want to unsubscribe from this list, or would like one of your friends to receive the Signs of Life from Hungary, send an e-mail to dick@vdweerd.org with the text: (un)subscribe PMTI -news.
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