Hughes News #91

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"

 

Dear Friends, 

 

We send you our greetings from North Carolina!  Furlough is moving by rather quickly but is going well.  Up to this point we have reported to eight supporting churches with another thirteen scheduled on our calendar.  Since we plan to return to Moldova in March, Lord-willing, it means that we have already passed the halfway point of our time in the States.  

 

It was so good to be able to spend the holidays with family.  We spent Thanksgiving with the Hughes side in Illinois then Christmas with the Hitz clan in Oklahoma.  The Lord worked it out for our siblings to be at those get-togethers.  Jacob’s brother traveled up from Tennessee and Viola’s two siblings who live out of the country made it back as well.  As we’ve traveled in meetings, we’ve been able to reconnect with extended family members and meet others for the first time.  

 

Hughes Family

 

Hitz Family

Although furlough (like everything in life) has its share of difficulties, we have been flooded with blessings: foods and restaurants to enjoy, games and sports to play, beautiful places to see, dear friends to visit.  In addition to the typical reporting to churches and preaching, the Lord has allowed us to serve in other ministries- an adult Christmas party, Sunday school, junior church, Timothy club in a public school, Master’s club and pulpit supply.  While we miss ministering in Moldova, it has been enjoyable to fill in where needed.  If we don’t make it to your church, we will do our best to send some prayer cards.  We would appreciate your prayers as we travel, report and minister!

 

 

In His service,

Jacob and Viola Hughes

 

For Prayer:

1. Those in our ministries in Moldova; our coworkers 

2. God to use us in others' lives here in the States 

3. Furlough to be both profitable and restful

 

For Praise: 

1. Holidays spent with family  

2. Encouraging visits with supporting churches 

3. Safety on the road

Hughes News #89

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"

 

Dear Friends,

 

Our last prayer letter began with the following sentence: “We are pleased to report that we were able to resume or begin each of the ministries we mentioned in our last prayer letter!”  Since then a high number of Covid-19 cases has changed or paused every ministry.  For five weeks we have not been able to have our Bible club at the children’s center.  There is a possibility that we can resume it on Tuesday, April 6.  We moved our English classes online for the time being.  We’ve had some technical difficulties with that switch but it has allowed us to continue instead of having to take another break.

 

We had completed five lessons of a chronological Bible study in Bulboci before several cases were found in the village.  About the time we thought we could get back there, our region in general and several locations in particular (including our city and that village) were placed in Code Red, meaning tighter restrictions for the rest of the month.  Lord-willing, we will get back there this week.

 

Please continue to pray for “V,” the older man I mentioned in our last letter.  As we were talking to him last time, the person with whom he is staying spoke out against the way we were leading the conversation.  We need God’s wisdom to know how to present truth to this man and his caregiver and we need the Holy Spirit to open their understanding.  We are due to visit him again soon. 

 

Many of the decisions the government has put out concerning the virus have not addressed religious meetings.  Because of that, we’ve had to try to interpret what is both the letter and spirit of the law.  Thankfully, the most recent decision specifically addressed religious gatherings (the first to do so in nearly nine months) and helped answer some questions.  It was not my intention to fill this letter with more Covid news (I’m sure you get enough of that already), but it has affected our ministries more so in the last month than it had in awhile.  The Lord is helping us through it and it seems we are about to dig in and get back to work.

 

In His service, 

Jacob and Viola Hughes

 

For Prayer:

1. Discernment in understanding and following restrictions 

2. A young family in Soroca that has been visiting services 

3. Witnessing to “V” with David

 

For Praise: 

1. Health and continued spiritual interest of our people here 

2. Return of a believer after staying with family several months 

3. More work accomplished on our house  

Hughes News #88

 

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes"

 

Dear Friends,

 

We are pleased to report that we were able to resume or begin each of the ministries we mentioned in our last prayer letter!  The first to resume was our weekly kids’ Bible club in the nearby village of Cosauti.  We have been pleased with the response of the kids and their involvement in the program.  It feels to me that we have picked up with them right where we left off.  There are three boys who live full-time in the center.  Starting next week, Lord-willing, David will stay after our regular program to try to specifically minister to these young teens.  We would appreciate prayer for “M,” “I” and “C.”

 

We restarted English lessons the same day as the Bible club.  After some general review, we have divided the students into groups and plan to teach lessons for the rest of the school year.  We have already seen how this ministry puts us in contact with people in Soroca that otherwise we would not have met, but we pray that God will bring spiritual opportunities from these contacts.

 

We had planned to start an evangelistic Bible study in Bulboci on January 21, but the first lesson ended up being a week later.  Our initial start date coincided with one of the days the Orthodox priest was blessing houses (going house to house down the street).  We think a couple of people who had considered coming to the study were waiting for the priest’s visit.  Despite the delayed start, the lessons have gone well.  Coming are: a solid believer, two young in the faith, one unsaved who has attended services for several months and one unsaved neighbor of the believers.  There is at least one other woman who expressed interest but who has not shown up yet.  We pray the study will be beneficial to all but especially that the Lord will use it to draw the unsaved to Himself.

 

David and I have made three visits to witness to an older man.  As we understand it, he has not been particularly religious up to this point in his life, but now has some interest in spiritual things.  We ask that you pray for “V” and for us as we talk with him.  Age has slowed his understanding and memory and while the person with whom he is staying is eager to help us talk to him, often the additional input does not match what we are trying to say or how we are saying it.  Due to some missing documents, this man should be in Soroca for awhile.  We hope to keep visiting him every couple of weeks. 

 

After dealing with health problems for several months, a dear sister in the village church has been able to attend services again.  Her presence, as well as that of a couple of others in January, has been an encouragement to us.  With things starting back up we are settling into a more regular weekly schedule and life is feeling more normal.  We are eager to see how the Lord will work in this year.  Thank you for your concern for us and for our ministry.  We appreciate your prayers to our Father on behalf of those we’ve mentioned in this letter. 

 

In His service, 

Jacob and Viola Hughes

 

For Prayer: 

1. “D” and “Z” – the unsaved attendees of the evangelistic Bible study 

2. The kids at the Bible club and specifically “M,” “I” and “C”  

3. “V’s” understanding of and belief in the gospel

 

For Praise: 

1. Resumption / start of ministries we had planned 

2. A great Romanian teacher who is helping us to continue to progress 

3. A decent start to our group Bible reading projects