Hughes News #115

 

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"

 

Dear Friends,

  

In past letters we have asked prayer for a resolution to a conflict between “V” and “G.”  Since writing last time some positive steps have been taken, but I cannot say that everything has been reconciled.  “V” has been faithful to services throughout the time but “G” has only come to one Bible study over several months.  Please continue to pray for the situation between them and for “G” to return to services.  We attended two funerals recently- one for the husband of an attendee and the other for the wife of a deceased believer.  Several things stood out to me about the way death is dealt with in Moldova that I hope to share in more detail in a subsequent letter.  We were blessed to be visited by our former coworker Sarah (Bodaly) Sondergaard along with her husband and son.  Scheduling did not permit them to stay very long, but we thoroughly enjoyed the days they were here.  Last week David and I met with a man and found out more regarding a conflict between his family and a couple that attends our services.  We ask that you pray for clarity for David and me and for a willingness on both sides to seek reconciliation.

 

 

After coming into Soroca for a Harvest Sunday last year, the folks in Bulboci expressed interest in hosting the event this time.  The Lord worked it out for us to use the building that we had rented in the summer for VBS.  Nearly everyone from Soroca made it out there for the service and meal afterwards.  The Lord blessed with pleasant fall weather for the day and I counted at least 40 people in attendance.  Possibly most exciting was that four guests from the village joined us.  While we as believers understand that where we meet is of secondary importance, often unbelievers feel uncomfortable attending a service or event in someone’s home (as we currently do there in the village).  None of them responded to the Gospel message, but each had positive comments about the day.

 

 

 

Our little flock in Bulboci has decided to move forward with purchasing that building.  Because of the size of our group, we are unable to register with the government and therefore purchase the property in the church’s name.  That is a possibility in the future but for the time being it will be put in our names.  We were hoping to have purchased it by now, but acquiring all the proper documents has delayed things a little.  Once the purchase is complete there are some repairs that will need to be done before we would start holding services there on a weekly basis.  Lord-willing, we will have more to report next time.

 

We have been in our home in the village of Egoreni for 4+ years, but I hadn’t noticed that our Soroca address was still on our letterhead (first page).  That is now changed and our current address is listed.  Thank you for taking the time to read our news.  Would you please take the requests mentioned to our Father and ask for His work in each matter?  

 

In His service,

Jacob and Viola Hughes

  

For Prayer: 

1. Purchase of the building for the church in Bulboci

2. David and I mediating a conflict between two families

3. Plans to start a youth meeting in January

 

For Praise: 

1. Progress in the conflict between “V” and “G”

2. A visit by our former coworker and her family

3. Combined Harvest Sunday out in Bulboci with both church groups

 

Sunday School party

 

Hughes News #114

 

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"

 

Dear Friends,

  

In our last letter we mentioned the first two Bible schools of the summer.  We repeated the program one more time in Soroca in the store front where we hold services.  While the child to helper ratio was in our favor (we averaged 8 kids a day with 3 workers), half of the kids knew Russian and very little Romanian while most of the Romanian speaking kids didn’t know Russian.  You should have seen us- trying to translate throughout the program, getting confused and addressing kids in the language they didn’t know, and losing a child on the way to game time.  (Our intern was not really at fault, but it was an amusing story once the boy was located!)  It was a privilege to spend time with the kids, teach them about our Savior, and try to show them His care for them. 

 

VBS in Soroca

VBS in Soroca

 

The last week of July we helped missionary friends run VBS at their church in southern Moldova.  We get to visit with the Ford family periodically, but due to their ministry schedule and ours, we very rarely have gotten to minister together.  We enjoyed working alongside them during the day then spending time together in the evenings.  Our week there also allowed our intern to see another ministry on the foreign field.  I got my exercise that week, as the kids coaxed me into chasing them around the property by calling out the overused English phrase “six seven.”  Kids are work, but they are also often just plain fun! 

 

VBS in Hincesti

 

VBS in Hincesti

  

Rachel finished her internship and headed back home the first week of August.  She really evidenced a heart to serve and willingly tried anything we asked of her.  She helped us a lot, showed interest in the people in our ministries and even was sweet to our pets.  She is now back at college for her senior year and is seeking the Lord’s direction for after graduation.

 

Rachel with Sunday School kids in Bulboci

  

Finally, we’d like to share a bit about miscellaneous things.  The conflict is not yet resolved between “V” and “G.”  The problem is rooted not in one recent event, but in many failures and hurts over decades.  The council given has not yet been received, but soon there will be other voices here to speak into their lives.  Please pray that they will humble themselves and seek restoration.  The owner of the building we used for VBS in Bulboci is willing to sell it to the church at a reasonable price.  The believers out there seem interested and we are seeking the Lord’s direction concerning the purchase.  Once David, my coworker, is back from furlough we will look into things more seriously.  Our freezer doesn’t have much available space as the Lord has blessed us with fruit and vegetables from the garden this year.  Yesterday Viola picked up her renewed residency card.  We have permission to live and minister here as we continue to wait for an answer to our citizenship application.  After finishing summer ministries, we have been catching up on ministry tasks and work around the house.  In the next few weeks we will need to make decisions regarding fall schedule and ministries.  We have some ideas to consider, but want to know the Lord’s mind in each of these matters.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

 

In His service,

Jacob and Viola Hughes

 

For Prayer:

1. Forgiveness and restoration between “V” and “G”

2. Direction regarding “M,” who has caused problems in Soroca

3. Building for sale for the church in Bulboci 

 

For Praise:

1. VBS in Soroca and Hincesti 

2. A few kids coming to services in Soroca

3. Viola able to renew her residency card