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Dear CPC Family, Our family will be spending the next school year on a mission trip to Hungary. In December, session endorsed us as PCUSA missionaries to work alongside Pastor Olah Emil in The Hungarian Reformed Church. Since Jesus never sent his disciples out alone, we are asking you to journey with us as we seek to do God’s work in this part of the kingdom. How did our call to this mission year in Hungary come about? A long time pastor friend invited our family to come and work with him at a retreat/conference center of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Balatonfured, Hungary. The time seemed right for our family, so we requested a one-year leave of absence from our school and employer, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. Their approval was our first confirmation of God’s call. Why Hungary? Tammy and I met in 1989 in Central Europe. I was studying and working with seminary students in Budapest, Hungary, while Tammy was working for Young Life, at international schools in Vienna, Austria. After we married, we continued to work with Hungarians, exploring ways to expand recently legalized youth ministry opportunities. During these years we met Pastor Olah and his wife, Zsuzsa. In 1994 we returned to the US to attend Fuller Theological Seminary. God then led us to San Juan Capistrano and CPC. We have been here ever since, but we have always remained connected with Hungary. What is the need in Hungary? During the Communist period (1946-1989), all church programs were restricted to within the four physical walls of the church building. Youth work was the exclusive realm of the communist state. With the fall of communism, the government returned previously nationalized schools and properties to the churches. The Hungarian Reformed Church has spent the past fifteen years re-establishing church schools, elder care facilities, youth and other church programs. One of these programs is the Siloam Mission Retreat Center http://www.tar.hu/siloamotthon. It was established as a place for spiritual renewal and Christian education. Pastor Olah and his wife have asked us to help them develop and expand this ministry to youth and congregations around Hungary and Europe. Since we have many friends in ministry throughout Europe, this was another confirmation of God’s call. How will this effect CPC? PCUSA and The Hungarian Reformed Church have a long standing cooperative partnership. In addition to our work with Siloam, we will be seeking a sister congregation for CPC. There are plans afoot for a CPC mission trip to Hungary in summer of 2006. We hope these relationships will have a long and healthy life. What about our children? They will attend a local Hungarian school, receive English home schooling part of the day, and are greatly looking forward to the adventure. How can you be involved? The session’s endorsement was our third and perhaps most important confirmation of God’s call. Having been in missions before, we understand the fundamental need to have those in our church family involved in this mission. This involvement takes the form of prayer, regular contact, visits and financial support. In fact, we couldn’t and shouldn’t do ministry without you. Since our church has few individual missionaries at this time; the process may be unfamiliar. We invite you to a Hungarian evening on Sunday, June 5th in the Fellowship Hall from 5:30-7:30. You will be feted with Hungarian food, music and a more complete report of our plans, goals and needs. Please join us. We cannot do it without it. Warmly, The Ause Family |