Missionary Update: Tim & Krista Hahne
Post Date: 2012-01-22 13:27:56
Hey everyone! Happy 2012 and thank you with all our hearts for praying for us in 2011. Here?s the latest news:
No more riots
First of all, the Gypsy families from our church that had been evicted are all still coming to church. Simona?s family, traumatized by the riot that took place in their new neighborhood just after their move, is now thanking God for their new home. Big change! God also blessed Claudia?s family with a place to rent right behind them, bringing them all back together. This provision was a major evidence to them of his power to turn a seemingly hopeless situation around. We ask continued prayer for this Gypsy community, that God transform their lives with His Gospel, so that there would be no more riots, but instead faith working through love. Please pray that both Simona and Claudia?s families would be agents of His Gospel in a dark place.
Cookie anyone?
This autumn God gave me, Krista, a new way to minister to the teenaged girls in the church. It?s pretty simple. They come over and we bake! I?m teaching them how to make all my favorite muffins and cookies and we just hang out and God has opened up all sorts of precious conversations through this means. I?ve been able to open the Word and to pray with them. Plus, Tim usually shows up in time to test the goodies (!) and they like that! But please pray for God?s continued blessing on this time.
Sermon Audio and Facebook
Now we know not everyone loves social media, but recently we decided to make a Biserica Betesda Facebook page for our church, and God is using it! We post info about the church, photos and also use it to post links to Tim?s sermons on Sermon Audio, and to my children?s and women?s lessons via our blog. At least one of our expat members working in Germany anxiously awaits Tim?s weekly sermon through this means. Please pray God will use it to reach more!
Bible, books and hugs
Elderly ministry is going great. Answered prayer! God just added a friend from another church to our team! We are still sharing God?s Word, books and hugs with as many as we can. One man practically jumps up and down when I bring him a new book. Another, an atheist, did recently read ?The Hiding Place? and just now took ?Surprised by Joy?, by C.S. Lewis. Pray for much wisdom for Tim and I and all our team as we seek to share Christ there, for God?s Spirit to move in both homes we visit and that He might open more hearts to trust in Jesus.
Christmas Outreach
Two weeks before Christmas, you could find me roaming the aisles of Dovali, Valcea?s version of a swap meet, juggling bags and receipts while purchasing over 200 pairs of socks as well as tights and hygiene items for the elderly. (Thank you C. C. Warrington, UK for your gifts!) Later Tim and I braved the mobs at Kaufland to fill two shopping carts with juice, yogurts, fruit and candy to complete the packages. Then came the assembly line. But finally all was ready for our caroling outreaches on Dec. 21 & 22. On the appointed mornings Pastor Cristi Ciuculescu from Biserica Bunul Pastor and some youth from his church met Tim and I, Anca and two teens from our church, and we piled into two cars and drove out to the elderly homes. We could hardly wait to see what God would do.
We weren?t disappointed. I wish we could include photos of the elderly folks, so you could see their faces. Unfortunately it?s against the rules to post those photos. But imagine hearing beautiful, Christ-centered carols echoing down the hallways interspersed with careful explanations of the Christmas story by Tim and Cristi. In one room a kerchiefed lady claps to the music, in a hallway a mentally disabled girl hoots her enthusiasm. A team member weeps and prays with a hurting new friend. A staff member gets to know a pastor. Tracts are received. Hugs and kisses all around. Glory to God, a possibly dull and lonely morning in an institution is transformed into a celebration of Christ.
The Church celebrates
We didn?t have much time to catch our breath afterwards though, because a day later, on December 23, our church celebrated Christmas with a potluck meal here at our house. This entailed mad decorating, furniture moving and cooking. But it?s an annual event, beloved by our church, and though this year it was a really small group, we hope Christ was honored by it.
Christmas Sunday
Sunday, December 25th after carols and Christmas messages upstairs and down, we also gave away Samaritan Purse shoebox gifts to the children who come to our Children?s Bible Study.
As you can see, we keep busy here in Valcea, and though we sometimes get exhausted, we feel so privileged to be able to care for this small church on the other side of the world. Still, pray that God would raise up godly men to join Tim as workers and leaders in the church. Pray for Tim to be effective in ministering to the men, in spite of his language handicap. Also please pray that I, Krista, can find healthy foods and treatments that my body will tolerate, so I can stay strong and minister more freely. My interstitial cystitis continues to be a challenge and is probably my biggest source of discouragement. Lastly, please pray for discernment with the many requests for financial help that we receive each week. We need it! Thank you so much for your love and support. For His Name! Krista and Tim Hahne
For financial support: Write check to Inspiration Christian Fellowship, writing ?Tim Hahne/Romania? on the memo line. Mail to 20485 Regal Oak Dr., Yorba Linda, CA 92686. For more info, see our blog http://littleservant.wordpress.com.
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