Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Hughes News #101

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"
 
Dear Friends,
 
You may remember us mentioning that many Moldovans celebrate Christmas on January 7.  Because of that, we hold most of our Christmas outreaches after the first of the year.  On the 3rd we held a program for kids in Bulboci.  While attendance and participation were good, it was on that day we learned of some opposition in the village.  We have used the library there for several events, beginning last Christmas (including this year’s program and an ongoing Kid’s Club), but the opposition has jeopardized our being able to use it moving forward. So far the mayor hasn’t found time to meet to resolve the situation.  We would appreciate your prayers for direction and favor in the eyes of those in authority.  An event for correctional officers and their families was next, on January 5th.  While the program went well, we were hoping for more inroads to people’s lives.  On the 6th, we repeated the children’s program at the Gross’s house.  Several kids came who had attended VBS in the summer, as well as a few new kids.  The kids seemed to really enjoy David dressing up as Joseph and telling the Christmas story from his perspective.
 
Bulboci
 
Bulboci
 
Penitentiary

Penitentiary

Gross's Home

Around Christmas time we finished the evangelistic Bible study with “L” and “M.”  Neither has yet made a profession of faith, but we are encouraged that both come to most services.  If you would pray that the Lord would make salvation clear to them and that they will be saved.  In our last letter we mentioned “V,” a younger man who was willing to start a Bible study.  Meeting with him is different than any other Bible study I’ve done.  He has a number of questions but is rather childlike in his understanding.  I need God’s wisdom to know how to structure the lessons to be the most benefit to him – when to continue on with the lesson I’ve prepared, when to answer his questions and when to just spend time with him as a friend. 
 
Several folks from Visoca (about 25 miles away) have been regularly attending Sunday services in Soroca.  You may remember that last year we held a Bible study in their village during the winter months when people have more available time.  We are doing that again this year.  Teaching on Baptist distinctives allows us to show from the Bible why we believe as we do and to communicate to the people how we differ from other groups.  Our prayer is that people will seek God’s Word to form their beliefs and not just man’s word or church traditions. 
 
One of the men from Visoca, Victor, expressed his desire to be baptized.  We were hoping to have done it by now, but a couple things came up that delayed it.  Baptisms are a big deal in Moldova.  (On one hand, this is good as it is a very special, focused service.  On the other hand, many even in Baptist churches place an overemphasis on baptism and its significance.)  We pray the day will be a blessing to him as he takes this step as well as an encouragement to others to follow the Lord. 
 
We are not much farther in the process of obtaining citizenship.  It took several months to get state background checks, and now that we finally have them we found out that we need from the FBI instead.   With needing to get those and to renew residency permits in May, it may be summer before we are able to move forward.
 
Another big event coming up is a ladies’ outreach on Saturday, March 9.  Leading up to that day, would you please pray that those invited would come and that the Lord would use the activity to draw them to Himself?  Viola will be preparing a lesson for the day, and I’m sure she’d appreciate your prayers as well.  Thanks for reading our news and for being patient with me as it has been a few months since I have gotten out a prayer letter.
 
In His service,
Jacob and Viola Hughes
 
For Prayer:
1. Baptism on March 3
2. Ladies’ outreach on March 9
3. Opposition in Bulboci
 
For Praise
1. Christmas outreaches 
2. Bible study in Visoca 
3. Finishing Bible course with “L” and “M”
 

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