Chrysalis Ministries

Changes

Changes, and more changes

Change is inevitable.  We see this each time we return to a city and hotel where we’ve stayed before, this time in Budapest for 15 years.  We’ve seen the name of the hotel change, General Managers come and go, and hotel staff members start out in entry level positions and move up to places of leadership.  This time is no exception: three young men who began as waiters and bellmen, have been promoted several levels up in leadership within the hotel.  Over the years, as we’ve gotten to know these young men, we have observed their leadership qualities and thankfully, so have their superiors.

Much like the leadership development we see in this hotel is the overview of Christian younger leaders with whom we’ve ministered for now 16 years. 

Change:  We’ve seen leaders begin haltingly and develop into more confident and able leaders. 

We’ve also seen leaders be mishandled by their superiors and leave ministries in defeat and discouragement.  This has happened recently with one of the young leaders with whom we were to minister on this trip.  Now it is our opportunity and desire to encourage and stand beside this leader and his wife, and see what we can do to offer love and support for them.

More Change:  In the meantime, a long-time friend is now located here in Budapest with a new mission and we look forward to seeing and having fellowship with her. At the same time, a young couple with whom we have ministered for 15 years, has now relocated to the US.

Changes – life’s ebbs and flows are ever with us.  We constantly must flex with these tides of change!  And be open to change and what God will do in our lives and through us!

A special personal prayer request for you: 
A group of missionaries were injured last week in a small plane crash in Southern Sudan.  Check it out at Sim.org or at the following blog:   Congdons In Doro (Dr. R Congdon and his wife, Nancy.  Rob is currently the medical director for this project and others in Sudan.) Http://rnkijabe.blogspot.com/2006/11/congdon-news.html     We are particularly interested in this ministry because two of Carol’s aunts and uncles (both doctors)  have served there as medical missionaries in past years. One aunt and uncle, Dr. Bob and Claire Grieve, are buried there in Doro. Their commitment and dedication to serve the Lord have strongly influenced my life since I was a child.  Oh, if they could see the changes now!

Blessings,  Carol

Changes, and more changes

from Budapest, Hungary . . .

Change is inevitable.  We see this each time we return to a city and hotel where we’ve stayed before, this time in Budapest for the past 15 years.  We’ve seen the name and ownership of this hotel change, General Managers come and go, and hotel staff members start our in entry level positions and move up to places of leadership.  This visit here is no exception: three young men who began as waiters and bellmen, have been promoted several levels up in leadership within the hotel.  Over the years, as we’ve gotten to know these young men, we have observed their leadership qualities and thankfully, so have their superiors.

Much like the leadership development we see in this hotel, we observe the lives of many younger Christian leaders with whom we’ve ministered these past 16 years. 

Change:  We’ve seen leaders begin haltingly and develop into more confident and able leaders. 
We’ve also seen leaders be mishandled by their superiors and leave ministries in defeat and discouragement.  This has happened recently with one of the young leaders with whom we were to minister on this trip.  Now it is our opportunity and desire to encourage and this leader and his wife, and see what we can do to offer love and support for them.

More Change:  In the meantime, a long-time friend has recently relocated here with a new mission and we look forward to seeing and having fellowship with her. At the same time, a young couple with whom we have ministered here in Budapest and western Romania for 15 years, has now relocated to the US.

Changes – life’s ebbs and flows are ever with us.  We constantly must flex with these tides of change!  And be open to change and what God will do in our lives and through us!

A special personal prayer request for you: 
Last week a group of missionaries were injured in a small plane crash in Southern Sudan in the village of Doro.  Thanksfully, none are hurt seriously, but are sidelined with broken bones and other results of the crash.  Check this story out at Sim.org or at the following blog:  "Congdons In Doro" (Dr. R Congdon and his wife, Nancy.  Rob is currently the medical director for this and other projects in Sudan.) Http://rnkijabe.blogspot.com/2006/11/congdon-news.html    We are particularly interested in this ministry because two of Carol’s aunts and uncles (both doctors)  have served there as medical missionaries in past years. One of these, Carol's aunt and uncle, Dr. Bob and Claire Grieve, are buried in Doro, Sudan.

Blessings,  and thanks for reading and for your prayers for us as we travel and minister.

Carol

Travel Time!

Seems we just returned from SE Asia and it’s time to go again!  Actually, our lives have been very busy with travels in the US these past few months: Easter was spent with our family in Texas and two weeks later we visited friends and Chrysalis supporters in North and South Carolina.

This past week we’ve had fun with our Balkan friend, Samuil, who was in the US for a conference and “stopped by” the West Coast to visit us  for a few days.  We’ve kept busy meeting with new and old friends and sharing how God is using Samuil’s ministry in his part of the world.

So, we’re taking a deep breath here for a few minutes – as John and I begin gearing up for a month in Hungary, Romania and the Balkans where John, primarily, will be quite busy teaching, speaking.  We both will spend time with students and our friends, who are young leaders.  We always try to be good listeners and encouragers, and trust that we can bring some wisdom and loving care to our friends and enjoy interaction with the new people we will meet.

We always look forward to seeing our friends around the world–sharing the joy of what it means to be truly a part of God’s family, as people who have been transformed as a result of the relationship we have with Jesus Christ our Savior.  That’s the reason we travel!!  The glamor and fun of flying and traveling is long gone for us – we do it because we are called by God to share of ourselves in ways that hopefully are life changing, both for us and for many younger leaders.

Thanks for your prayers and for sharing with us in this unique ministry of leadership development.

Blessings Carol (and John)

Check back and we’ll update the blog as we travel, internet connectivity and time permitting.