Holy Trinity Church, Claygate

The shower is done and it feels wonderful.

Having said that the last blog would be tomorrow I have decided to do it now as tomorrow will be busy and I may not have time to do it until late. (I guess that technically it is tomorrow now!).

It has been a privilege to serve in this way with such a great team. we have been truly blessed by God during the week in so many ways - probably the most significant is that we have stayed so healthy; just a couple of the normal ailments but praise God for His protection through the mission We will have lots of photos to show you, stories to tell and reports to write.

Look out for these so that you can see the physical results of your spiritual support.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Yours in Christ

Andrew and Ian

We have just arrived at the hotel in Budapest and everyone is making their way to the rooms.

It was a long, hot drive but we are here ... the thought of a refreshing shower is very welcome.

Lots of very tired people but very satisfied people.

Praise the Lord for so much over this past week or so and how He has been with us and protected us.

One last meeting tomorrow - final goodbye as a team before some start heading home and other stay on for an extra chill out day. Also it will be the start of the debrief session that will be continued back home.

One last meeting for Andrew and I tonight the that shower beckons.

Last update tomorrow.

Thanks for you prayers and support ... It has been an essential part of our mission.

God bless

Andrew and Ian

A good border crossing which is a real blessing in this heat.

Making our way to Budapest which will take about 6 hours ... stopping for some supper on the way.

Thanks for your prayers.

God bless.

Ian

We have just arrived at the border. Hopefully there should be no issues other than it taking quite a time. It is very hot and the coach does not have air conditioning. My shirt is soaking

We would value your prayers for a smooth, quick crossing.

More later ... lots of tired team members but in fantastic spirits.

More later.

Ian

(Looking forward to getting home now)

Just at the monument for the traditional photo shoot.

Not too far from the border.

More soon.

Ian

Services are done and they were wonderful. Lunch is done and people are back at the coaches which are all in Gyula outside Jeno's house.

It will be a emotional goodbye.

More later.

God bless

Ian

Please say hello and thanks to everyone at HTC, Petersfield and Liss at all the services tomorrow. Thank you for all your prayer support .... so many prayers have been answered this week, we have been truly blessed.

Prayers for our services tomorrow and safe and swift travel back to Budapest would be lovely please.

Time for bed.

God bless

Andrew and Ian

The team keep asking for news from the Waller household. .... what is the latest please?

Shalom

Ian

The end of our last full day on the mission and talking to the team there us a real sense of not wanting it to end and wishing we could stay longer. Another busy day which turned out to be very hot again after the early morning thunderstorm.

Everyone is very tired, especially the medics, but has a brilliant last day.

School wrapped up at lunchtime and the children were given their tee-shirts. It was great to so many being proudly worn around the village.

The Youth Bonfire was a great success tonight and, yet again another late night.

Meeting with the policeman went well and a good relationship is building.

3 services tomorrow that we "Brits" are taking: 8.30 Akli 10 at Uj Akli and 11.30 with a rich blend of local and British participation. I am talking at each and prayers for that would be great, thanks.

Time for bed.

Thanks for all the blogs, support and prayers.

Yours in Christ

Ian and Andrew

Decision making went really well and efficiently - turns out to be a false alarm. Praise the Lord!

Another busy (and feels like it is going to be very hot) day and now we can crack on with reassurance of God's hand upon us all.

Another missive later ... maybe at the end of the day

Ian

Just at the school/medical centre ... Big contingency plans being considered.

Please pray for wisdom for decision making and hope that this is a false alarm.

Ian

Another day draws to a close and we feel blessed and humbled by what is going in here.

The team are all still in fine form and one if us has stayed at home with "Mission Tummy". I went to see them at lunchtime and they were feeling a lot better but felt a bit to weak to work - please pray for them that they have a good night's sleep and will feel strong enough for work tomorrow (Friday).

It has been a tough day in many ways but the teams keep soldiering on. The Youth team are having a great time and the programme keeps being refined and improved on. The big end to the week will be the bonfire night on Saturday - the last big event before the Sunday services and should be good fun.

The Community Team had a packed day and are working brilliantly with several new initiatives. The earlier success with Bingo was repeated at another "Over 45s" session; this time complimented by Darts and Boule. They love them all and we hope and pray that the Elders will build in this success and keep the interest and meetings going. They ended their long day with the Uj Akli social event - a joint evening of fun with cakes and squash. We had some brilliant English clog dancing from one of the team along with the team doing some singing ... "Britain's Got Talent" should come out here! It all ended about 10.30pm so another long day when you remember our village prayer meetings start at 7.30am

Not only a long day but today was particularly hot. This does not help when you remember it is set up day for the medical team in Gyula having now moved from Akli. The team are seasoned pros when it comes to this exercise but it is always still a challenge with new faces on the team and circumstances are never the same each year. Never the less the rose to the challenge and all aspects if the team's work was up and running by lunchtime. Some improvisations always need to be made and today was no exception and small, plastic coffee cups we used for taking urine samples. We thought about trying to reuse ones that the team had used for drinks but decided that a sugary drink's residue may just mean that blood test results were a touch unreliable!?!
Everyone has been working incredibly hard since we came out, trying to make good use of every minute. This takes its toll and today some weariness could be picked up in many of the team' faces. This could be seen most evidently in the Children's team in the school and by lunchtime many were flagging. Chatting things over, along with some lunchtime food, we pushed on and the afternoon was okay.

Please pray for energy levels to be high a nd that weariness does not creep in.

Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and blogs.
Time for sleep.

A very good day especially as everyone is still in good health. The medical move has gone well and - hope the none of the medics have had too long a day ... especially David in the pharmacy. It was noticeable that some of the medics did not make the lunch in the woods and please pray for them all to have a good night's rest - especially Michael who heads up that team and is invariably the busiest of the doctors.

Please pray for tomorrow (Thursday) as this tends to be a very busy medical day now that they have moved to the bigger village of Gyula - for frustration levels to be low both in the queues and the team. Let's pray for miracles to happen and for Jesus to be glorified!

The Children's team are anticipating a rush in the morning and please pray for their big issues:

• no one need be turned away due to capacity issues
• the team stay calm and feel in control
• the children are well behaved
• the children clearly hear the message of Jesus' love

Each of the teams have full programmes for the second half of the week and need your continued, ongoing prayer support.

Time for sleep.

God bless

Andrew and Ian

The lunch in the woods has gone well and it has been a great chance to unwind a bit and talk to some of our host families. Also a good chance for some of the team to meet together for the first time since we arrived. The way the teams and the logistics work means that some of the team do not get to see each other much. The medics are going back now to pack up and start the move to Gyula. Hopefully it will not be too arduous a task.

We have now sorted all the boxes and have got everything where it needs to be - Dave and his team did a great job with the packing .... well done and thanks.

Everyone is still in good health and there are lots of smiles and friendships being made.

More later.

Thank you for your support and prayers today, it has been an encouraging day but also very challenging in some areas.

Firstly, and very importantly, the team is in good health ... praise the Lord!

Sorry to hear about Simon - our thoughts and prayers are with you brother.

Also very importantly, all the young people on the team are doing brilliantly and are being looked after by the rest if the team - there is a real spirit moving amongst us.

The Medics have had another very busy day but as this did not coincide with having to set everything up it did not seam as fraught as yesterday.

The Community Team have had several successful events now and today introduced bingo to the "Over 45s"! They loved it and want more!!!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a "rest day" and we go out for the day , with our hosts, for a day of fun and food to the woods nearby. It is also the time when the Medical Mission moves from Akli to Gyula ... a huge job, so no rest day for many of the team.

Please pray for continued good health and good rest and conversations.

Thanks for your blogs and prayers.

(This is going out a bit late as I fell asleep whilst writing it and have just woken up!

God bless.

Ian (and Andrew)

School going okay - just heading up to meet them at the debrief meeting at the end of a difficult day. I am just outside the school in the road and can hear through the open window "Praise Gog for the stars! (I think it is Carol Tubbs' voice - she is coleading the Children's mission with Felicity ... What a great team! We will assess the programme to see what may need revising for the rest of the week in light of today. Praise the Lord that the team are doing so well and that lots of children are hearing about Jesus. Thanks for your prayers .... please keep them going.

Spent time at the Youth camp around lunchtime - they are coping well despite having twice the number turn up today; 35 yesterday and 61 today.. Please pray for them as they remain flexible keeping the programme on track with changing numbers and resources.

More later.

Just at the school and lots more children have turned up today and we need prayers for the team to stay calm and not get flustered and to trust the Lord.

116 yesterday 132 today - logistics are being stretched.

Assembly is just finishing - please pray!

Sorry for the late update but "Day 1" has been a bit hectic ... not unusual.

Most important things first; everyone remains fit and well, praise the Lord! We were a little concerned about one of the team for a couple of days but it was only travel sickness and a prolonged recovery ... we are all in good health.

With the start of all the activities today the morning was particularly hectic in the school and with the medics. Lunchtime came and things seemed to calm down a little but still remains very busy. The school team are doing an amazing job considering Simon and Cath had no option but to pull out at the last minute. Felicity and Sue are doing an amazing job and are producing a full programme; however we are monitoring things very closely and have contingencies to scale back if need be.

The Youth and the Community teams are working well and both teams are gelling well.
Tonight was film night in Gyula - a great film about an American football team, only problem was that I could not understand a word of it! That finished at about 10.15 then on the way home I was invited to join a family for a Parlinka (the local home brewed spirit) ... well, it would have been rude to refuse!!

It is so good to see so many of the villagers, of all ages, smiling and having such fun and service. I am sure God is smiling too.

Thanks for your blogs and prayers. Please pray for:

• our continued good health
• for the good health of the children at the school
• for the Children's Team as they prepare and teach in such a difficult situation
• for the medics as they manage so many patience
• for the Community Team demonstrating Jesus' love in such practical and fun ways
• for the Youth Team as they make friends and share the gospel in ways only youth teams can

If you can then please pray at 7.30am as this is when the teams in each village meet to pray and worship for 30 mins so that the each day starts the right way.

A couple of the many examples that reassure us that God's hand is on this mission:

• the school programme has pottery on the schedule for tomorrow (Tuesday) and we have no-one to do it ... Then one of young Hungarian translators tells us she teaches pottery
• the Youth Team had to remove the guitar lessons from their programme as there was no guitarist to do it ... and we have brought 7 guitars over with is. Then almost out of the blue someone went to the team and offered to teach that slot.

Enough of me now. Blog you again soon.

Yours in Christ
Andrew and Ian

(PS - personnel message from Ian to Freya - hope you had a good school trip and are back home safe and well).

I hope that most of the team are getting an earlier night in bed than last night.

A very hectic afternoon and evening as we prepare for tomorrow's start of the main mission events.

I did not have time to mention on my last missive that the team did you proud at the Village Day as most went up on stage to do some songs accompanied by Alison on guitar and Linda on keyboard. Our last song was Amazing Grace and half way through one of the local Ukrainian musicians came up and played a second keyboard adding in some jazz chords to the refrain! Brilliant. Matthew Frost did his own version of "Ant and Dec" to do the introduction and close to the slot we did.

Also the medical team had an early visitor - a local teenager somehow got a deep and nasty gash on his shin whilst at the Village Day. Alison looked at it and was not happy she could treat it properly so he was taken by one of our minibuses to Akli where the Medical Mission was being set up. The wound was so bad that Peter, a young Hungarian doctor/translator who was helping Alison, ended up putting in 5 stitches.

Praise the Lord for such opportunities to share His love with others.

Tomorrow brings significant challenges being the first day of the practical bits.

Please pray that we can get the right translators to where they need to be. Also for Children's Mission that registration will be smooth and the revised programme is well received - we are handing out letters to all families to advise them on symptoms and precautions ... pray that no-one is alarmed and that the advice is followed to prevents any issues arising.

Please for all the teams and that the first day goes very well.

Enough for now ... time for sleeping.

Most of us had good rest and feeling refreshed today and we started with a good time of worship at the services in our villages.

The Village Day was a great success despite the downpour just as it started. The rest of the afternoon was sorting out boxes and setting up - the medical team have been doing their set up work all day.

It has been very hectic trying to get things in place especially with the revised children's programme.

Please pray for the start of all the activities tomorrow especially the children's team.

Just off for some supper at Jeno's house - the Elders are cooking for us.

Thanks for all the prayer support and blogs.

Yours in Christ

Andrew and Ian

Thanks for all your prayers and support today ... we had a really successful day i.e. we are here and all fit and well. Praise the Lord!

The coaches split soon after the boarder to go to the separate villages. We arrived in Gyula at about 10pm to a throng of people to receive us - they had been waiting a long time. They gave us a hand to unload the coaches and then the team (well this part of it) went off with their host families at about 10.45pm the villagers are so warm and friendly.

I have heard from Andrew and the Akli coach seem to have done just as well.

The day is done and it has been a long and tiring one ... but we have the victory.

We will be thinking of you all as we join our brothers and sisters at their services tomorrow.

I am ready for bed ... and will continue to update you tomorrow.

Yours in Christ

Andrew and Ian

Praise the Lord we are through the border. Just over 3 hours and it is now getting dark and it is raining.

God has really provided some great assistance at the border and everything is over - we will be able to share more when we are home.

Heading to pick up some Ukrainian interpreters, who have been patiently waiting for hours, then we will head for the villages. Still work to do when we arrive as the coaches need unloading and the rain is not friendly - but at least we are hear.

Spirits and health all still good.

Thanks for your blogs and prayers.

Now we can really focus on the mission in the villages.

Thanks again for you prayers please keep praying.

God bless.

Andrew and Ian

We have just arrived at the border .... have just sung some songs and are praying ... please pray with us.

I will let you know when we are through.

Andrew and Ian

Just had some lunch and heading towards the boarder and should be there in about an hour (5pm our time) .... Will let you know when we are actually at the border.

Everyone is still fine but it is now quite hot after the cloudy start to the day.

We now have all our Hungarian translators.

Your prayers are needed in earnest now please for a safe, quick border crossing.

Talk to you at the border.

God bless

Andrew and Ian

Hi Everyone

Just leaving the hotel and have on board some of the Hungarian interpreters. Had a good team meeting this morning and particularly remembered in prayer our brothers and sisters who could not travel with us.

About 6 hours until we reach the boarder ... please pray in advance as we approach ... I will let you know when we get close.

We have got 2 guitars out, one for each coach, and will be singing as we go.

With love in Christ

Andrew and Ian

We have arrived in Budapest after a very good flight. Everyone is fine. The 2 coaches have just brought us to the hotel ... they were pretty full of the stuff that came over in the lorry earlier. Some of us are now having a bit of R and R ... some others of us are having meetings to re work schedules etc now that some of the key people on the Children's Mission could not travel.

We are having a group meal at about 7.30pm.

Thanks for you thoughts and prayers ... and blogs ... It is great to know you are with us in spirit.

God bless

Ian

Hi Everyone

We are at Heathrow T5 and the team are all in great spirit. We are now airside and waiting to board - departure 11.15am

Things going very smooth so far and please pray for a safe flight and ongoing good health for the team.

Yours in Christ

Ian and the team

Let us also remember Arkos and Daniel in prayer who are invaluable Hungarian brothers in Christ who are still there alongside Michael. They offer Michael superb translation help and spiritual support and Daniel is a young doctor. We give thanks for their gifts and devotion.

Yours in Christ

Ian

Hi Brothers and Sisters

We are now at Budapest Airport and will be flying home in a couple of hours. Michael is staying on for the rest of the week continuing his follow up sessions and is working very hard. Please continue to pray for him as he administers his medical and spiritual help. Pray that he stays strong and does not get too tired. He is in Akli again today and moves to Gyula on Thursday. He is coming home on Monday; please continue to uphold him your prayers.

Please also pray as we start to process the information we have gathered over these last days and plan for the winter and summer missions. We have started this task already as we journey back and have had some valuable discussions. A meeting has already been planned (by email today) with Stuart for tomorrow night to begin the feedback.

May we stay open to His leading and guidance and may all the glory go to him.

In His love.

God bless

Ian

Border was good again ... Praise the Lord. Heading to Budapest.

See you soon.

God bless

Ian

Just coming up to the boarder ... We are filling the car with petrol as it is so much cheaper in the Ukraine.

Weather continues to be amazingly mild .. we are truly blessed.

Talk to you on the other side.
God bless.

Greetings from Gyula

Another full day and we are just heading for our last meeting and the to the border.

Please pray for the ministers here that they will continue to pray through the plans have been discussing and that will they will take the action needed.

Please pray also for a safe border crossing.

With love in Christ
Ian

Hi Everyone

Just finished our last meeting of the day - 22:41 local time.

The end of a very good and productive day. Please give thanks for a wonderful official ceremony to open the new medical centre and being blessed with beautiful sunshine.

Please pray for our meetings tomorrow as we continue to plan for next years missions.

May all the glory go to Him.

With love and prayers.
Ian

We are through the border with no problems ... Praise the Lord. Andrew thinks it might be a record quick crossing!

Have met Atilla and got a wonderfully warm welcome from him and his family.

We are now with our host families looking forward to going to celebrate with our brothers and sisters at church services tomorrow. I have been asked to say a few words and will be sending them greetings and love from you all.

Looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Thanks for you prayers please pray for good contacts tomorrow as we meet lots of people and attend the opening of the new Medical Centre tomorrow afternoon in Guyla.

God bless
Ian

Hi Everyone

Just at the boarder. Please pray for a straightforward crossing. Things going very well so far.
God is blessing us. The snow in Budapest has now given way to rain.

With His love.
Ian

Driving to the border ... all good ... God is with us.

Ian

Ian, Andrew, Michael and Drew are on their way to Budapest for a weekend.

We are hoping that Ian will be able to send messages directly back to the blog giving us progress reports and prayer requests etc etc.

Please pray for the trip, that our wonderful fathers hand is on all the discussions and decisions made and that all the practical stuff works smoothly too, although we have travelled this route many times now let's remember that it is still a difficult journey and it is only by Gods grace that we pass.

So hopefully the next posting will be from Ian directly but in the meantime here is their timetable for you to know their plans and also and most importantly be able to support them in prayer.

Thanks Friends,

God Bless,

Stuart

Timetable:

Saturday 29th

• Drive from Budapest to Ukraine
• Arrive in Akl

Sunday 30th

• Akli - attend the 9am service
• Gyula - attend 11am service
• Afternoon - attend Medical Centre opening
• Link up with Valeria as she leads the Youth session
  

Monday 1st

• Spend time planning summer mission with:
  • Jeno
  • Attila
  • Katalin - School teacher
• Attend school in Uj Akli
• See facilities at Akli Head
• Drive back to Budapest
  

Tuesday 2nd

• Day in Budapest and home