Be sure to come early to Sunday school on the 15th of June to hear about the work God is accomplishing in eastern Europe. The Agape and Open Word classes will combine to hear the wonderful testimonies of our missionary friends in Hungary, Gabi and Mara. Here's a video they put on Godtube.com.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
We are going with Mara and Gabi to see the laser show at Stone Mountain on Saturday. Anyone interested in coming along?
why would people from hungary come to the united states to raise money? doesn't it cost them more to come here than they receive? why don't hungarian christians support them, and if they don't why should people in your church? what's in it for your church?
Excellent questions, Anonymous. I'll take a stab at answering. I'm not sure about the cost to come here, but remember this is jmho.
I'm delighted the Hungarian missionaries are coming over here to raise money. There's something quite Pauline about that. Operating on the principle (which seems to be part of the subtext of the NT) that there is little (or no?) distinction between "those who send" missionaries and "those who go" (they are both partners in the gospel), Gabi and Mara are making it possible for us to take part in mission otherwise unavailable to us. That is to say, they are doing as much or more for us than we are for them if and when we support them financially.
This is doubly true when you consider that what most, if not all, Americans need is not more money, but less attachment to the money we have. Many of us waste a lot of money of frivolities -- even in economic down times. having the Hungarians come here to raise $$ gives us Christians who happen to reside in the richest country on earth a chance to do something more significant than save for a place at the lake. That's a huge part of what's in it for us -- a chance to be part of something with eternal value.
Checking on the price of airline tickets from Hungary to the US (BUD to ATL), and not using any discounts, let alone skymiles or the like, I found a round trip for one for about a thousand. So to answer your question about cost, "doesn't it cost them more to come here than they receive?" I would say, I sure hope not.
Taking a stab at your next-to-last excellent question (about Hungarians supporting them), my limited knowledge of the economic situation in Eastern Europe is that the people are not by and large wealthy - unlike us. While I have not investigated this (but thank you for raising the issue, because I intend to do so now), I am relatively confident that the Christians in Hungary are giving as they are able. A more interesting question to me is, are we? Of course, the worldly national boundaries should have no impact on the giving of Christians to Christians (not that you are suggesting this). thanks for some excellent and thoughtful questions!
Please stop by more often!
Post a Comment