Potters - Missionaries to Hungary

David ('71, '74 MA) and Jean (Foster, '69) Potter

Contact Information

Dr. and Mrs. David Potter
Nagymeszes dulo 43
7627, Pécs
HUNGARY
Email: dpotter@baptistworldmission.org
Website

Mission Agency

November 1, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

We were surprised to see Hajni (“Dawn” in English) sweeping the leaves from the area in front of the church entrance this morning. You do not expect something like this from someone who has attended church for only a few weeks. She got to church early this morning because Erika would be late and making sure that the front entrance is clean and neat on Sunday morning is Erika’s job. Erika was the one who invited originally invited Hajni to come to church with her. Since then she has attended most every Sunday evening and Wednesday service.

Often I am asked to preach for our midweek service on Wednesday, but on October 14, I was in Romania, so Bela asked Lajos Makura to preach instead. A number of ladies attend our Ladies’ Creative Circle but do not normally attend church came that evening, perhaps because they were friends with Rita Makura and wanted to know what her husband sounded like as a preacher. Lajos preached a powerful Gospel message and Hajni prayed to receive Christ after the service. What a delight to see her at church drinking in the Word and enjoying the fellowship. Pray for her. She is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for the students in Romania who are studying New Testament Greek. All of them passed a very difficult midterm test last week. Thank you also for praying for the Bible Institute students here in Pecs. Eight of them successfully completed the Baptist history class. One student has been out of town for the past week and expects to take the final exam soon. This is the second time we have offered this class, meaning that a total of 19 students will have completed the class.

We much enjoyed having John and Jean Waggoner with us for ten days. John gave his testimony in Sunday School and the two of them provided special music for two evening services. They also accompanied Jean and me to Romania where John gave his testimony in the Bible college chapel service. They were a blessing to us in helping with weather-proofing and sewing jobs that we have needed to get done both at our home and at the church building.

Last week we filed papers with the Interior Ministry for permanent visas. The process is long and complicated. Please pray that we will be able to get all the remaining paperwork together and that God will give us favor in the eyes of the officials at the local office.

Our annual missions conference begins next Sunday. Rather than having a speaker from the United States, this year Bela has arranged invited speakers from Hungary: Gedeon Olah who is planting a church in Nagykanizsa, Erwin Andrasik, who is planting a church in Dunakeszi, north of Budapest, as well as Jim Knies and myself. (After all, Jim and I are missionaries!) The theme this year is “Every Baptist a Missionary.” That phrase was the motto Johan Oncken, a German preacher who was behind the church planting movement that started the Baptist work in Hungary a century and a half ago.

The Lord willing, this month I will be preaching all four Thursdays plus Sunday the 22^nd in Nagykanizsa. We are thrilled with the work God is doing there through Gedeon and Yoli Olah. They have gathered a group of young families who are growing in the Lord. Pray for God’s continued blessing on this ministry.

We ask you to intercede for the following who have spiritual needs: Niki, Attila, Anna, Lajos, Ildiko and Gyula. Pray for the salvation of Agi, Miklos and Erzsi.

We are seeing some very specific answers to prayer on a day-to-day basis. These answers encourage us to return to the throne of grace daily. Please join us there to receive mercy and grace.

Yours for Hungary hearts,
David Potter

PS—Please visit our web site at www.hungaryhearts.com to see several new pictures and more news of the ministry here.

October 1, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Bela is taking a extra year of high school—strange when you consider that by the time a Hungarian graduates from a college prep high school, he has the equivalent of about two years of college in the United States. Taking an extra year of study before college is actually quite common here. His preferred college major is very demanding, and he was not able to take all the necessary math and physics prerequisites in four years. He has an artistic side as well. After playing the violin for many years, he recently took up the viola. He plays trumpet, too, after having a few lessons. He more or less taught himself to play the piano.

He has put his musical ability in the service of the Lord, playing piano to accompany services, leading the choir and overseeing special music. He takes classes in the Bible institute, too, something that he may not be able to do if he has to go out of the area to attend college next fall. He is trying to live for Christ in a hostile school environment and he feels overwhelmed with his church responsibilities because he takes them so seriously. Young men like Bela are the future of Independent Baptists here. Pray for him. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for the start of fall classes here in Pecs and in Romania. The response in Pecs has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. Pray that the students will successfully complete the course. The final exam will be October 24. Four Greek students have begun the semester in Beius, Romania. The third semester of New Testament Greek is the hardest. The usefulness of Greek in their future ministry will depend on how they fare this semester. Pray for me as the teacher, too, that I will give them both the instruction and encouragement that they need in order to succeed.

We are delighted in the progress of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Nagykanizsa, Hungary. At their recent friend day Sunday they welcomed 13 visitors, with one professing salvation after the service. Last Sunday four believers followed the Lord in baptism.

Jean is thankful for her improved health. Ami would appreciate your prayers for her studies in Budapest and the Bible institute. She needs safety in travel and protection from worldly influences.

We anticipate a visit from our friends John and Jean Waggoner of Lawrenceville, Georgia, this month. They want to be a blessing to us and to the church. Jean and I also plan to take them to Romania when I teach next time, as they have an interest in the ministry there as well.

Please pray for Family Day on October 18, as we encourage whole families to be present in the service. I will be preaching on the theme of family in the afternoon service.

Please pray for the following who have spiritual needs: Niki, Attila, Anna, Lajos, Ildiko and Gyula. Pray for the salvation of Agi, Miklos and Erzsi.

Thank you for laboring with us in prayer.

Yours for Hungary Hearts,

David Potter

September 3, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Our first glimpse of Peter and Eszter came about 4 years ago. We were among the first to move into our apartment building. They wanted to buy the flat next door to us. Eszter has shown impeccable taste in the design and furnishings of their flat. Peter is a hardworking business man who operates a medical supplies delivery service. A couple of years ago, Peter and Eszter became the proud parents of Dominika. She is a little doll. Not too many months ago Timea arrived, so now there are four of them.

I have invited Peter to our church services a number of times. Every time his face breaks out into the broad smile so characteristic of him and he gives me the impression that I was doing him a huge favor by asking. However, he has never come, or even promised to come. Our Friend Day promotion will be the last two Sundays of this month. Jean and I will again try to interest this fine young couple in spiritual things. Pray for them. They are two of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for Reka, whom we wrote about last month. Please pray concerning barriers that have arisen to prevent her church attendance and that Ami will be able to establish and maintain contact with her in the coming months.

Thank you for praying for our family camp. Ray and Marlene Virtue connected with the people very well. Spiritual progress among a number of the campers was very evident. Pray that our young Christians will continue to grow.

Other events in August included the baptism of Anett, for whom you have prayed, and a visit from some Romanian brothers. Gabe Rivera, an American missionary in Beius, Romania, and Mihia Czente, a national Romanian preacher, ministered to us last Sunday. We enjoyed fellowship with them and their wives.

Along with praying for our Friend Days, we would appreciate your prayers for other events in September. On Saturday the 5^th, Bible Institute classes begin. Ten students completed the course in Baptist History the first time I taught it here. I am expecting as many as ten more students this time. Greek class begins in Beuis, on Tuesday, September 8. Please pray for the Romanian students as they try to take their Greek knowledge up another level. Pray for traveling mercies for me and for strength for Jean as she holds the fort at home. Ami would also appreciate your prayers as she travels to Budapest weekly for violin lessons.

Our church and our church members face many challenges. Lajos Makura still does not have a steady job. Bela Horvath, our national pastor, is trying to sell his apartment so that he can buy a house to make room for his expanding family. He will also attempt to take an internet based course in theology, working toward a master’s degree, beginning this fall. He has had no experience with distance learning and has never taken an English language based class before. He would appreciate your prayers.

Pray for the following to be saved: Ezsebet, mother of one of our members, and Miklos, husband of another member. Pray for the spiritual needs of the following: Zoltan and Betti, Gabi, Anna, Attila, Valika and Martika.

Thank you again for your prayers. May God bless you for your help.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—I have posted 20 new pictures on our web site from various events in August. Visit us at www.hungaryhearts.com.

July 31, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Scaling the Himalayas is Reka’s objective. Not the real Himalayas, but a metaphorical equivalent. While Ami’s violin teacher compares the University of Pecs to the nearby Mecsek Hills, she calls the Liszt Academy in Budapest the highest range of mountains. Reka passed her entrance exam and will start classes in Budapest in the fall, along with at least six others from the Arts High School in Pecs. Reka’s specialty is music theory. She finished third in the national high school competition last year.

Ami and Ramona Olah try to witness to their schoolmates, and Reka has been particularly receptive. She spent some time with the Olahs in Nagykanizsa in July. Yoli felt that Reka was near salvation at that time. She encouraged Reka to start attending church in Pecs. She did. The light of the Gospel seems to be dawning on her now. Pray for her. She is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for the two men in our church who were without jobs. Bela Gado will start his new job next week. Lajos Makura has been busy with several temporary jobs. He has some good job prospects. Pray that he will get the one of God’s choosing.

We also ask for your prayers concerning our residence permits. We believe that upgrading our permits will have a number of advantages that will be worth the trouble and expense. Please pray that God will give us favor in the eyes of the Interior Ministry.

Our annual family camp will be August 10-14. Pray for Ray and Marlene Virtue, Baptist World Mission missionaries in Germany, who will be speaking for the camp. Pray that God will use this occasion to strengthen and encourage His people.

Please pray as we plan for the fall program of the church and the Bible Institute. The Lord willing, we will begin classes both here in Pecs and in Romania in the September. Pray for safe travel to and from Beius, Romania, and for Jean and Ami as I am absent.

Bela Horvath, our national pastor, would like to buy a house to accommodate his expanding family and increase his ability to entertain people at his home. Pray that he will be able to purchase the right home and that he can find a buyer for his flat soon.

We spent a couple of days in Vienna this month. I have posted one picture which will, I hope, be of interest because of its association with an Anabaptist hero. Our web site has a new look. We invite you to visit us at www.hungaryhearts.com to see pictures and get news updates between prayer letters.

We thank you again for your faithful prayers. May God reward you.

Yours for Hungary hearts,
David Potter

July 2, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Marcel and Lea live in Kocs (pronounced “coach”), a Hungarian village that has given its name to languages around the world. Marcel is actually a Dutch citizen who resides in Hungary with his Hungarian wife and family. Marcel and Lea came to Christ through the ministry of missionary friends of ours in their area. In April, Lea was in the 25^th week of her pregnancy expecting their fourth child when something went wrong. They made a quick trip to Budapest for help at a large maternity hospital and were told that there was no hope for the baby. Many people prayed. After two days passed and the baby had not miscarried, the doctors were amazed. Someone pointed out that the Pecs women’s hospital is on the cutting edge in treating Lea’s condition, so off to Pecs they went.

Lea had been flat on her back here in Pecs for eight weeks. Her husband and three other children were staying in the Knies’ home, which was available because they are on furlough. The Makura family was watching the children a week ago Sunday when Marcel called to say that something was afoot. The doctors took Jonatan by Caesarian section a few hours later. The baby weighed 1.9 kilos (about 4 pounds, 3 ounces). Marcel told us that he was grateful for the help and encouragement of all the church members here in Pecs. In particular, he knew that the Makura family would joyfully care for his children and not consider it a burden. He has also appreciated the pulpit ministry of the church, having attended all the services he could while he is here. We are praying that Jonatan will be able to leave the hospital with his mother when they return to Kocs next Sunday evening. Pray for this family. They are six out of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for Bela Horvath as he assumes the pastorate of the Pecs church. He has spent much time during his first two months ministering to the faithful core members of the church. He is now working on the people who are not part of the core, both members and non-members. He continues to need your prayers as he deals with the challenges of his new responsibilities.

On June 21 Jean and I journeyed to Nagykanizsa to help the Olahs celebrate the first anniversary of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. God is blessing their work in a wonderful way. We thank God for the folks who have been saved and witnessed to by the Olahs. Gedeon now has a 10 minute TV broadcast on the local station at noon every Saturday, free of charge. Pray that God will use this opportunity to spread the gospel.

We greatly enjoyed the visit of our son, Micah, and his sweet wife Jerian during the month of June. They were able to see the ministry here and contribute to it in music and testimonies. Micah preached and shared insights with the teachers in the church about how to understand and present Bible stories.

At the end of their visit, Micah and Jerian accompanied Jean and me to Romania where I preached for a conference of independent Baptists at Camp of Joy, near Stei in the Transylvanian section of the country. We renewed fellowship with old friends and met some new ones. Jean spoke for one of the ladies’ sessions. The conference was an encouragement to one and all. I was also able to discuss the fall session at the Bible College in Beius. The leadership has asked me to take a larger role in the graduate program of the school. Please pray for God’s leading in this matter.

This month I will be preaching for two Sundays while Bela takes a short break. In addition, I have been asked to do a workshop session for our annual Baptist World Mission European Family Retreat in France. Your prayers for these opportunities are also appreciated.

Some have asked about Ami’s plans for the fall. God willing, she will study violin here in Hungary and attend classes in our Bible Institute. She auditioned for entrance into the world-famous Liszt Academy in Budapest along with 32 others and finished 10^th. They accepted the top nine. On Saturday she will audition for the University of Pecs. She would appreciate your continued prayers for guidance as to her future.

Pray for Bela Gado and Lajos Makura who have both lost their jobs in the worldwide recession. Pray for the salvation of Miklos and Zsuzsa.

Thanks again for your prayers. We want to keep you informed of all that is going on. I am trying to update our web site several times a month. Please visit us often at www.hungaryhearts.com.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

Dear Praying Friends,

Pray for Bela Gado and Lajos Makura who have both lost their jobs in the worldwide recession. Pray for the salvation of Miklos and Zsuzsa.

Thanks again for your prayers. We want to keep you informed of all that is going on. I am trying to update our web site several times a month. Please visit us often at www.hungaryhearts.com.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

June 5, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Annett borrowed a murder mystery novel from us recently. She likes Agatha Christie, and she is boning up on her English in order to be ready for a proficiency exam later this month. The exam is part of the requirements for her degree in Cultural Event Management at the University of Pecs. She lives near our church with her husband Jozsef, who is a computer tech, and her little boy Krisztof.

Annett’s life took a surprising turn about a year ago when her husband joined Bible Baptist Church. She feared that her husband had joined a cult and refused even to visit a church service. Over the past year, God has worked to soften her heart, especially as she got to know the ladies of the church through the monthly Ladies’ Fellowship meetings. She began to attend Sunday services, even to the point of returning for the evening service. Then someone got the bright idea that, since Annett and other ladies in the church enjoy crafts, they might have a “creative circle” in order to pursue their hobby together. Perhaps God would use this fellowship time with Christian ladies to overcome the last of her resistance to the Gospel. But God had a better idea. Annett prayed to receive Christ as Savior just before the first of the craft times. (The creative circle still seems to be a good idea, as other unsaved ladies have attended or expressed interest.) Now both Annett’s parents and Jozsef’s parents have visited the church. Pray for this family. They are seven of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

On Wednesday we returned to Hungary in time to attend prayer meeting. We had a very joyful reunion with our Hungarian brothers and sisters. You can read an account of interesting things that happened to us on the return trip at our web site: www.hungaryhearts.com. I have also posted pictures of our son Micah’s graduation. I try to add material to our web site at least twice or three times per month. Book mark it and return regularly for updates.

You can see many pictures of Bible Baptist Church posted on the church web site: http://picasaweb.google.com/bibliabaptista. Click on each of the pictures to view an album of pictures on a particular theme.

Bela Horvath, our new national pastor, and I talked together yesterday for about 5 hours concerning the church program and members. God has given us much to rejoice over as well as many challenges. I believe that Bela has the full confidence of the church core members. He asked me especially to ask you to pray for him and for the church in this important time.

We are excited about two further events this month. First, our son Micah is coming to Hungary with his wife Jerian to visit us and to minister in the work here. Micah is scheduled to preach, do special music and teach at the Pecs church, and to preach in Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa. Second, on June 22-24, I will be preaching at a meeting of Independent Baptists in Romania. Please pray that this gathering will be a great encouragement to brothers of like faith and practice in Romania.

Some of you have inquired about my father. His health has deteriorated significantly since last I saw him. He has Parkinson’s disease. Saying good-bye was very difficult this time. We would appreciate your prayers for him and for my mother and my sisters as they bear the burden of caring for him.

We thank you for remembering us in prayer on our short furlough. God bless your work on our behalf.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

March 5, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Mark has a classic athletic build: wide at the shoulders and narrow at the waist. After seeing him, you would not be surprised to find out that he is a kayaker. His high school specializes in training athletes, and, in addition, he is studying electronics.

Mark attended our church during a Christmas concert in which his sister, who is a church member, sang in the choir. His interest has continued to grow. He came to a youth bowling activity at which his score was the highest. A short time later he prayed to receive Christ as his personal Savior. He is now doing a discipleship Bible study with Zoli Kiss and me. We see encouraging steps of growth in his life. He could well be the male leader that we will need in the teen group over the next three years. Pray for him. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Last Sunday evening, the Bible Baptist Church of Pecs voted unanimously to call Bela Horvath as their first national pastor. We are thrilled about this milestone in the history of the church. We have called an ordination council for Saturday, April 4. Provided the council vote is favorable, the next day we will ordain Bela to the Gospel ministry and install him as pastor. Bela and the church would greatly appreciate your prayers for him in this important step.

Pastor Rhon Roberts of Mukwonago Baptist Church, Mukwonago, Wisconsin, and his wife will be here for the special occasion. Brother Roberts will also preach a series of special meetings from April 5-8. Pray that God will use the meetings to bring people to Christ.

Please also pray for our Bible Institute students as they take their final exam in the Pauline Epistles class on Saturday, March 7. My Romanian students would also appreciate your prayers as they finish classes on April 1 and then take their final exam. Greek is not easy, as they have found out. Pray that the hard work they have put in will pay off as they understand the New Testament better.

I thank God for the privilege of preaching for five midweek services at Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa on the subject of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. Please pray for the growth and strengthening of this new work led by our national missionary, Gedeon Olah.

Just this morning I purchased plane tickets to visit the US for several weeks in April and May. We plan to report to some of our supporting churches and attend the graduation of our son Micah from Calvary Baptist Seminary in Lansdale, PA. We would appreciate your prayers for our trip and for the church here in our absence.

Ami’s plans for further education are still not finalized. Pray that God will lead her very definitely in this matter.

Jean’s overall health continues to improve. Pray that she will be able to get the rest that she needs.

Thanks again for your prayers. We will only know in eternity how important they have been.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

February 2, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Krisztian is not a particularly good bowler. Nobody in the youth group broke 100 a week ago Saturday (the low score was 4). Hungarian young people are not into bowling like their American counterparts (it’s generally too expensive), but everyone had a good time nevertheless. Krisztian also enjoyed the game that we played at our place afterwards (his team won). Following the game and before the refreshments, Bela Gado, one of our teens, gave a devotional on the need for salvation because of the uncertainty of life. Zoli Kiss answered many of Krisztian’s questions when he drove him home following the activity and Krisztian prayed to receive Christ as Savior.

Last night Krisztian attended our evening church service. During the testimony time he told of his salvation decision. Besides our obvious excitement over his salvation, we are also thrilled that someone has been saved who lives in Koszarmisleny, a middle-class bedroom community near Pecs. For some time we have wanted to have an outreach to this growing town. Pray for Krisztian. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

January was a busy month. Besides teaching Sunday School and Bible Institute classes and preaching in Pecs, I have traveled to Romania twice to begin a new semester teaching elementary Greek and to Nagykanizsa three times to teach Bible Institute classes and to begin a series of sermons on the Holy Spirit at the midweek service of Lighthouse Baptist Church. Please pray for these ongoing ministries. Pray especially for my travel. I was able to engage an atheist in conversation on the train last week. He was not interested in the tract I offered him, but the man across from us who joined in the conversation was. Pray that I would be able to witness more as I travel.

I stayed with the Dan Sehested family on my two latest trips to Romania. Water pressure in their part of Beius is never good, especially in the winter. This time there was not enough pressure to operate their hot water system due to a major water line break near their house. Bath water had to be heated on the stove. The experience makes me thankful for the infrastructure here in Hungary.

Several individuals need prayer. Mark, brother of one of our teens, raised his hand for prayer about salvation last night. Pray that he would be saved. Pray for the Karpati family to be baptized and become church members. Pray for Erzsi, a professed atheist and mother of Arpad, one of our members. She seems to be coming closer to salvation. Pray for Eva Jambor who has some important decisions to make regarding her education. Pray for Attila Kovacs and Anna Kiss to return to church. Pray for God’s guidance regarding Ami’s education.

Thank you for your prayers for Jean’s health. She continues to improve. A doctor whom she saw following her recent surgery has doubled the dosage of her asthma medicine to open up her bronchial passages and her breathing is now easier. She would appreciate your continued prayers for her health needs.

Thank you again for your prayers for God’s work in this part of the world.

Yours for Hungary Hearts,

David Potter

PS—We are excited about the addition of Tim and Sheryl Hughes to the church planting team in Nagykanizsa. To read about them and see their picture, as well as much else, just go to http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on “Our Journal.”

January 3, 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Understandably, Laszlo was the center of attention in the conference room. His publisher was introducing his latest book, and the kindly looking little man was clearly enjoying the moment. Laci bacsi, as his friends call him, has a doctorate in literature. (“Bacsi,” roughly equivalent to “uncle,” is a polite way to address older men.) Being a retired teacher, he is now putting his knowledge and love of literature into a series of short books.

I first met Laci the night his wife, Ida, was baptized by Gedeon Olah in Nagykanizsa. She was one of their first converts to Christ in that city. Before the baptism, she gave a sweet testimony about how she was saved. Laci is a joy to talk with, being patient with my less-than-perfect Hungarian. He has visited several special events held by Lighthouse Baptist Church, yet he has not yet accepted Christ as Savior. Pray for him. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying about our Christmas events. All were well attended including a high attendance of 83 at the Sunday evening concert. A number of unsaved people were present at every service. Pray that the gospel seed sown will bear fruit.

On January 2 and 3 we were blessed with the ministry of Jim and Laura Pranger, missionaries to Siberia for 11 years, at our annual Couple’s Conference. The Prangers moved to Budapest this past fall, where they are serving as furlough replacements. They are looking for God’s will concerning further ministry in Hungary.

Thank you for praying about our visa and residence permit renewals. We have been told that we will receive the most favorable classification and a five year extension, the longest allowable by law. There is a snag in Ami’s paperwork due to the fact that she turns 18 in March and therefore cannot renew her visa as a family member. Pray that God will work out the details concerning her visa.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to teach in Romania. So far, my trips to and from Beius have been pretty much uneventful. Please pray that they will continue to be so for the next three months. Pray that the students will receive a foundation in the Greek language sufficient to prepare them for more advanced studies.

Classes begin for the Bible Institute in Pecs on January 17. I am preparing a course in Pauline Epistles which will run through the first week in March. I will be teaching the same class in Nagykanizsa to the Olah family.

Bela Horvath, our national coworker, is assuming more and more of the responsibility for the church. We believe that God wants him to become the senior pastor of the Pecs church very soon. Please pray about this time of transition.

I have posted a number of new photos of Christmas events on our web site. Although the site is temporarily unavailable, it should be up and running again next week. Just go to http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on “Our Journal.”

We thank you for your prayers for Jean. She is slowly recovering her strength. Please pray that God continues to give special help during the times that I am gone.

We cannot conduct this ministry without God’s enabling power which He gives in response to your prayers. Thank you.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

December 1, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Ervin never expected to be in the spot where he now finds himself. It all started innocently enough when he met an American missionary who was establishing a church in eastern Hungary. After a spirited discussion, Ervin insisted that he had the right to express his opinions. After all, he said, “I have a Bible too. It’s at home on the shelf!” Further discussions led Ervin to change his opinions about a lot of things. When the missionary moved to Dunakezsi, north of Budapest, to plant another church, Ervin, his wife and four children came along.

Then things began to get more complicated. Ervin had always said that, unlike his brother-in-law, Gedeon Olah, he was not called to preach. The unexpected departure of the missionary to the United States left Ervin in charge of the new work, preaching and everything else. His burden is to get the gospel out to everyone, purely and simply. Because he receives little support, he must work at his trade as a carpenter. We heard his testimony at our recent missions conference, and last night we voted to support him and his family. Pray for Ervin. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for Jean. At least two people I know of set their alarms for 2 AM so that they could pray for her while her surgery was going on. The operation was successful. The doctor believes that the lesion he removed might have been precancerous. She is at this moment still in the hospital, having suffered a minor setback. We hope to have her home by midweek. As a relative said in an email to us last week, “Hospitals are no place for sick people.” I will be posting some more thoughts on this subject on our web site: http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm. Just click on “Our Journal.” I have also posted pictures from our missions conference as well as other items. I will let you know when Jean comes home with a post, so check back as you pray for us.

Thank you for praying for our mission conference. Besides the Andrasik family, God blessed us with testimonies from the Olah family, and the ministry of Mark and Sharon Booth of Calvary Baptist Church, Charlotte, Michigan. Brother Booth “connected” with our folks in a wonderful way, challenging them with the need for missions.

We were able to attend one night of the three nights of special meetings held by Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa, with Jim Knies preaching. Two men professed salvation during that time. Another man prayed to receive Christ as Savior after their morning service yesterday. We are thrilled with the way that God is using the Olah family.

Please pray for the many upcoming events connected with the Christmas season. Opportunities include a concert at a local museum on December 8 and another on December 18 in Nagykanizsa.

We also request prayer for the Larry Pieri family, Baptist World Mission missionaries in Italy. Mrs. Marilyn Pieri went to be with the Lord this morning. Pray for Larry and for their two children, Faith and Joe. I will post more comments about them on our web site in the next few days.

Also pray for my teaching ministry in Romania. Sue to Jean’s surgery, I have not been able to return as I had planned. Pray that I will be able to give the students a good foundation in New Testament Greek in the time that is available to us.

Again, I want to say how overwhelmed we are at the many letters of encouragement that we have received over the past week. God gave us unusual peace in our hearts because you prayed.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

November 25, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you for praying for Jean. The news after her surgery this morning was very good. The “lesion” that they removed was not malignant. They did minimal invasive surgery, so the prospects for a quick recovery are also good.

We are grateful to the Lord for his mercy.

Yours and His,
David Potter

November 22, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

I am writing this special edition of Hungary Hearts to ask for prayer for my wife. In January of this year doctors found a 13 millimeter spot on her right lung that was cause for concern. The location behind the collar bone made taking a biopsy difficult. They recommended monitoring the spot for further developments. Another scan taken last month showed that the spot had grown to 17 millimeters (about the size of a quarter). Further testing has convinced the doctors here that the risk of waiting now exceed the risks of surgery. Her surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25. We would appreciate your prayers.

Yours for Hungary Hearts,

David Potter

PS—I will be posting further developments on our web site. Go to http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on Our Journal.

November 1, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Bence’s story was almost too good to be true. He had become disenchanted with his parent’s religion as he grew up. They had gone to a Baptist Union church that has since closed its doors. Now Bence attends the University of Pecs. Having taken the time to think about his relationship to God, he prayed on his own to receive Christ as Savior.

He now feels the need to follow the Lord in baptism. Where should he turn? Where do young people his age normally turn when they want to know something? The internet! Bence found Bible Baptist Church of Pecs on the web at www.bibliabaptista.hu. He visited and liked what he saw and heard. He asked to be baptized. All seemed to be going well except for one thing: his family has become charismatic and Bence believes in divine healing and speaking in tongues. A long talk with Jim Knies and a long letter from yours truly were of no avail. He still likes us, but cannot go along with our position on the sign gifts. Pray for Bence. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

We are more apt to share our victories with you than our frustrations. God is good. He gives us much encouragement to balance out the disappointments. Praise God with us for the following encouragements:

I am about to take make my seventh journey to Romania to teach New Testament Greek. The trip takes about 11 to 12 hours each way, including car travel and transfer layovers. Is it worthwhile? Lio Mischie seems to think so. He put off surgery for one week, electing to live with the pain a little longer, so that he would miss a minimum number of class sessions.

As part of a university class, Zoli Kiss was assigned to give a talk on the first century church. He spoke about sin, the atonement of Christ and His resurrection as part of the talk. Students were allowed to ask questions afterward. As you can imagine, several expressed skepticism about some of what Zoli said. Zoli’s teacher intervened in the discussion to defend him. Imagine that happening in a state university in the United States.

Eva Jambor received her master’s degree in biology last July. Job prospects for her are not very good with only a master’s. She had the opportunity for a fellowship grant that would allow her to study and earn a doctor’s degree in Italy. This foreign degree would have looked very good on her resume, but she turned it down, because she is concerned about what would happen to her spiritual life in Italy. Instead, she has accepted a fellowship to work on her doctorate here in Pecs, so that she can continue to be active in our church.

Our young people have recently begun work on our Christmas program, which includes some very challenging music. Recently they successfully sight-read through the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. Without accompaniment. How many church teen groups do you know of that could pull that off? (Excuse me for bragging.)

On October 11 we attended the first baptismal service of the Olah’s new church plant in Nagykanizsa. Four believers followed the Lord in baptism. I wish all of you could have been there. I hope to be able to post some pictures of this event on our web site soon.

Today the students taking the Bible Institute class on Acts passed their final exam. Classes are now over until January. Please pray that God will guide us as to the future of this very important ministry.

Please pray for our annual missions conference which begins on Saturday November 8, and goes through Wednesday the 12^th. We look forward to the ministry of Pastor Mark Booth, of Calvary Baptist Church, Charlotte, Michigan. Also participating will be our own missionaries, the Olah family, and the Erwin Andrasiks, a Hungarian family who are planting a church north of Budapest. Friday through Sunday, November 14-16, the Olahs plan to have an evangelistic outreach in Nagykanizsa, with Jim Knies peaching.

We also want to request special prayer for Mrs. Potter. A CT scan of her lungs taken last fall showed some small spots, half the size of a grain of rice, that did not show up on X-rays. The doctors believed that these spots were harmless, but advised continued monitoring. Recently she had another follow-up scan. This time, a new spot appeared that is 17 millimeters in size. The doctors expressed concern over this development and ordered a series of tests. The last of this series is scheduled for Monday, November 3. We ask you to pray that the doctors will correctly identify what is going on and that God will guide them as to what treatment, if any, is needed.

We are thankful that we are in God’s hands and that we can count on you to uphold us before the throne of grace.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—If you have not visited our web site recently, please do so. Just go to http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on “Our Journal.”

October 4, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Rather than introduce you to a new Hungarian, this month I thought I would bring you up to date on a few I have written about in the past.

Aniko, our building manager, visited church on the second of our friend days, September 21. After the service she prayed to receive Christ as Savior. She has a lot of distractions from family and work that keep her busy on Sundays much of the time. Please pray for her spiritual growth. Andi Gado and Jean would like to start a Bible study with her when the time is right.

Jozsef Hoffman was baptized on September 7. He seems hungry to know more about God and His Word and to grow in his Christian life. Please pray for his wife who is antagonistic toward spiritual things.

Vivienn, the teenager who was saved in April, is still very faithful in her church attendance and endeavors to be a good testimony for Christ in her high school, where she is trying to win her friends to the Lord. In order to be a witness at home, she resolved to clean up her vocabulary. Pray that our family in general and Ami in particular will be able to encourage her. All of our teens need prayer to maintain a testimony and resist the pressures of the world that abound in their schools.

I thank God for journey mercies as I have traveled to Romania four times since I last wrote you. I have five enthusiastic first year New Testament Greek students. These students are busy serving the Lord and making a living as well as studying. Pray for their perseverance and success in mastering the basics of Greek. Classes will continue through the middle of December. It has also been my privilege to preach at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Nagykanizsa twice during September. Gedeon Olah plans to hold their first baptismal service on October 12.

Ten students completed the class on Biblical Separation in our Bible Institute today. The new class on the Acts of the Apostles begins Monday evening. The pace of these class has been a little faster than normal. Pray that the students will incorporate lessons learned from Acts into their lives.

Please pray for Family Day at church on October 19, in which we encourage whole families to be present. The preaching that day will emphasize the Christian home.

We would also appreciate prayer for the spiritual growth of Attila Kovacs and Anna Kiss.

As an answer to your prayers, Jean continues to be stronger and able to accomplish more. Ami has just come through several weeks of health challenges. Please pray that both will be strong physically and spiritually.

We depend on your prayers for all that God accomplishes here.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—I have posted a number of new pictures on our web site. Just visit http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on Our Journal.

August 30, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Because he could not speak Romanian, Jeno had a really tough time when he joined the Romanian army for his compulsory military service. Strange as it may sound, many Romanian citizens speak Hungarian, reflecting their Hungarian roots. Hungary’s borders once included a substantial part of Transylvania, the place where Jeno was born and raised. He solved his problem by moving to the other side of the border where he now lives with his wife, two teenage children, and one on the way.

Jeno brought his family to our recent family camp. His sister is Yoli Olah, and his mother is Yolanka, a member of our church. He and his family are hungry for the type of Bible preaching and teaching he hears at our church and that he heard in family camp. He would dearly love to have the same kind of preaching in Eastern Hungary where he now lives. Again and again we hear of the need for sound, independent Baptist churches that preach the Word in all parts of Hungary. Pray for Jeno and his family. They are four of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for our many activities this month. During the first week of the month, the church youth went to Budapest where they ministered in two churches, as well as taking in some of the sights of the city. The following week we three Potters went to Romania where I preached at College and Career Week at Camp of Joy, near Vascau. The next week was our own church family camp. Nearly 50 attended this year. God blessed us through the ministry of David and Valerie O’Gorman, Baptist World Mission missionaries in Ireland. An 11 year old boy trusted Christ as Savior during the week.

Beginning September 1, our church has a unique and unprecedented opportunity. You may recall that several years ago we had to reinforce our building due to design flaws and problems with materials. A number of other buildings in Pecs had the same structural problems, including a local school, that, for whatever reason, has not done the necessary reinforcement. This year engineers refused to give permission for the school to use the building. We offered to allow the school to use most of our upper storey for two kindergarten classes during the week. The terms we offered were very favorable to the school. School and city officials (specifically the mayor) have expressed their appreciation in newspaper articles and television news broadcasts. Pray that God will make us wise landlords, and that He will use this situation to attract new young families to the church.

The Lord willing, during September I will be traveling to Romania 3 times to teach New Testament Greek. I appreciate the opportunity to have an input in the ministry of the Bible college in Beius. As one of the Romanian believers put it, “We don’t want you to do our job for us; we want you to teach us how to do our job.” Gedeon Olah has also asked me to teach and preach in his new church plant, the Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa, Hungary. Please pray for safety in travel, for my family while I am gone, and that my ministry in each of these places would be a blessing.

Please pray for these events in September: a baptismal service on the 7^th and two Friend Days, the 14^th and the 21^st. On September 6, we will begin the new fall Bible Institute class, Biblical Separation. Please pray that the class will explain, reinforce and apply this important doctrine for the Bible Institute students.

The spiritual progress that we see in many lives thrills us, but we also see many needs. Pray particularly for our youth as they begins school this fall. Several of them made good decisions during the month of August. We are sure that Satan will test them at school.

Thank you again for your prayers.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—If you have not visited recently, check out our web site: http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm.

August 4, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Having been born between Beius and Stei in the Transylvanian section of Romania, Tibor first heard the gospel from the Baptist Union church in his town. Due to his Hungarian roots, he has since moved to Hungary, obtained Hungarian citizenship and now works for IBM in a warehouse that supplies all of Central Europe. A jolly looking sort of fellow, he has a wife and three children, two girls and a boy.

I first met Tibor on Saturday. A missionary in Budapest has gone on furlough and asked Jim Knies to mind the store for him this summer. This week was our turn to have the midweek service on Thursday and the three Sunday services. Tibor came to the church with his wife and his older daughter on Saturday morning. While his wife cleaned the church, he took his daughter along with Ami and me to a section of town near the church where we passed out copies of “John-Romans” along with invitations to his church. On Sunday, I preached on the Christian home in the morning and on child discipline in the evening. Tibor sincerely thanked me for the messages. He very much wants to be a good father and have a strong Christian home. Pray for him. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

This month has been quite eventful. The first week was our annual Children’s Bible Week. Numbers were down a bit this year. Please pray that we will be able to reach the parents of the children who visited. After the conclusion of Bible Week, we traveled to Romania to preach in two independent Baptist churches in the exact same area that Tibor came from. I was able to speak for a youth meeting and Sunday services in Stei and for the midweek service in Beius. After that we attended the European Family Retreat of Baptist World Mission in Germany, where I spoke in two of the men’s sessions. We ended July and began August in Budapest, as mentioned above. Meanwhile, four young people from the Pecs church spent two weeks serving in Camp of Joy near Stei, Romania.

This week the church teens are in Budapest where they will serve in two churches. Next week I have been asked to speak for the college and career week at Camp of Joy. For the following week we have invited Baptist World Mission missionary to Ireland, David O’Gorman to speak for our annual church Family Camp. Pray that people will come not only from Pecs, but also from Budapest and Nagykanisza.

We are also very excited about what is going on in Nagykanizsa. The Gedeon Olahs had two more professions of faith just a week and a half ago. Brother Gedeon had laser surgery on his sinuses last week and needs your prayers for a speedy recovery.

We also ask that you would pray for preparations for my fall teaching schedule. I will be teaching two Bible classes in Pecs, as well as first year Greek in Romania for the Bible College in Beius. The classes in Romania will require me to make the train trip ten times between September and December.

We would like you to pray about an unusual opportunity the Pecs church has. You may remember that we had to spend a lot of money to reinforce our building due to structural problems. Several schools in the area had the same problem, but have not addressed it up to this point. The engineers refused to sign off this fall that the buildings are safe. The church voted to let a local school use the upper floor of our building temporarily for two kindergarten classes. The principal of the school and city officials are very interested, but several problems need to be worked out before they can use the facility. Classes begin in two weeks. This could prove to be a great opportunity for the church to reach young families.

Today we said “bon voyage” to our daughter Ruth who left for Manila, the Philippines. She was asked to teach music as a furlough replacement in the Bob Jones Memorial Bible College, founded by my old friend from student days, Dennis Potts. We are thankful that God sent in the needed support in such a short time. She would appreciate your continued prayers.

I have posted this prayer letter as well as several new pictures on our web site. Please visit us at http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and click on “Our Journal” on the upper left-hand side.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Yours for Hungary hearts,
David Potter

June 30, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Jozsef was just walking along the street, minding his own business when he saw the poster. The poster concerned special meetings at a church near his home, and the topics intrigued him: is there a God; why is there suffering in the world; how did we get here; evolution or creation. He came several times.

He had already trusted Christ as Savior, but had never become connected with a local church. Now he attends Sunday morning services regularly with his 3 year old son, Krisztof. Bela Horvath holds a weekly Bible study at his home. But his wife, who is not yet saved, has yet to attend a service. Pray for them. They are three of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thanks for your prayers for the events of the past month. Twenty-two students completed the course on children’s ministries in the local church taught by Dr. and Mrs. Terry Price of Maranatha Baptist Bible College. On June 8 in the afternoon, we held our first Bible Institute graduation, with Gedeon Olah and Bela Horvath having completed their studies. In the following service, we ordained Gedeon Olah to the Gospel ministry and commissioned the Olah family as the Bible Baptist Church’s first missionaries. Dr David Cummins Deputation Director of Baptist World Mission, participated, as did Missionaries Dan Sehested and Gabe Rivera from Romania and Dan Peters of Hungary. Three national pastors from Romania also participated: Viorel Balaciu, Peter Beltechi and Mihai Czentye.

On June 22, the Olah’s held the first Sunday service of the Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa. We were thrilled to be there for that special event. Not counting the Olah family, 15 local residents attended.

Just two days later, a group of young people arrived from Mukwonago Baptist Church, Mukwonago, Wisconsin, to help with several physical projects and to minister to us spiritually for two weeks. On June 15, two new believers followed the Lord in baptism. As I am writing this, we have just completed our first day of Children’s Bible Week. What a joy for Jim Knies and I to be “gofers” as the Hungarians do all the teaching and preaching. Pray that children will be saved and that we will be able to reach their parents as well.

Many opportunities await us this summer. Two Romanian churches have invited me to speak next week. I will also be teaching two sessions at our annual Baptist World Mission Family Retreat near Stuttgart, Germany, July 21-25.

Many of you have prayed for Lajos Makura. God miraculously spared his life after a traffic accident last November. This past week he had surgery to repair cartilage in his knee. Please pray for his quick recovery. Gedeon Olah is scheduled for surgery on his sinuses at the end of July. Please pray for his recovery. Pray for the spiritual growth of Attila Kovacs and Anna Kiss. Please pray for wisdom about some exciting new opportunities to teach and preach this fall.

We are excited about the opportunity that our daughter Ruth has to spend 10 months teaching music at Bob Jones Memorial Bible College in Manila, the Philippines. If you would be willing to pray for her, she would love to hear from you. Her email address is: rpotter.bjmbc@gmail.com.

Thank you for praying for Jean’s health. Although we do not measure her progress in days or weeks, she is noticeably better than she was in January when we returned to the field and significantly better than she was a year ago.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—I have posted more than 50 pictures of recent events on our web site: http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm. Just click on “Our Journal” in the left hand column and explore.

June 2, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Hungarian students just never question the teacher. The Hungarian model for education is the old Prussian model: lots of rote memorization and the teacher is practically God. Yet Vivien had just challenged the teacher as to her grasp of the facts. Perhaps a little background would help you understand. Vivien comes from a broken home, her mother having been married twice and her father three times. She has several half-siblings. In the Hungarian system, students begin to specialize in high school as opposed to college. The entrance exams for high school can be very competitive.

Vivien made it into a fine arts specialty school, where she met Brigi Kovacs, one of our church members. Brigi invited her to our special meetings in April, where Vivien trusted Christ as Savior. Her first big test came quickly. She was taking confirmation classes and her mother wanted her to be confirmed as a Roman Catholic. Vivien asked to be allowed to stop and her mother consented after having visited one of our church services. The next test was the assertion of her school teacher that there are factual errors in the Bible. Vivien instinctively knew that her teacher was wrong and she said so in front of the class. Now Vivien wants to be baptized. Pray for her. She is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thanks for your prayers regarding our classes on Children’s Ministries in the Local Church. Terry and Coleen Price have been a great blessing, not only imparting facts, but stimulating the students to use their own creativity to put across Scriptural truth to our children more effectively. The classes end with the final examination this Thursday. We also rejoice in the fact that a new record of twenty-two students are attending the class.

Please continue to pray for the events of the coming weekend. A council will examine Gedeon Olah in regard to his testimony and doctrine on Saturday. God willing, he will be ordained on Sunday following graduation exercises for him and for Bela Horvath. We are expecting guests from other churches in Hungary and in Romania. At the conclusion of the service Sunday evening, the church will commission the Olah family as our first national church-planting missionaries.

On the following day, a group of seven from Mukwonago Baptist Church, Mukwonago, Wisconsin, will arrive to spend two weeks with us. They will do physical work around the church and participate in evangelistic outreaches in the nearby town of Kozarmisleny and in Nagykanizsa, where the Olahs are planting their new church. On June 22, it will be our privilege to attend the first service of the Lighthouse Baptist Church of Nagykanizsa. Our annual Children’s Bible Week begins on June 30. As you can see, we have plenty to do.

We are grateful to God for how He has supplied the Olahs with a house in Nagykanizsa that is ideal for their needs at the same time as He supplied a buyer for their home in Pecs. They will be moving next month.

We are glad to report that our web site is back up and running. We encourage you to visit http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm and check out the new material. For those of you who have not yet visited the site, here is a mini-tutorial. The link will take you to our home page. Feel free to check out all the buttons on the left of the screen. The one section that changes regularly is Our Journal. When you click on Our Journal, you will see posts down the center column from newest to oldest. The categories on the right hand column include Bible Studies (gospel tracts I have written as well as comments on biblical topics), News and Prayer Letter Archive (both self-explanatory). If you want to look exclusively at any one of these, just click on the category. Next down the right hand column is a link to the Knies web site. The Pages are under development. Please feel free to register and post your own comments. I have placed a lot of new pictures in the News category and with the latest prayer letters. I hope to post pictures of the graduation, ordination and commissioning next Monday.

We would like to request your prayers for Ami. She has an inflammation in her right arm that has prevented her from playing either the violin or the piano for the past month. She is currently taking therapy. Please pray that this problem will not recur.

As always, we depend on your prayers for God’s blessing on the work here in Hungary.

Yours for Hungary hearts,
David Potter

Update- May 2, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Gabor met his cousin for the first time at his father’s funeral. Gabor is 28, and, although his father’s village is only a few miles from Pecs, Gabor had no memory of his cousin who lives there. Gabor’s parents split when he was only four. He now lives with his mother in Pecs. You can’t walk into their flat without feeling uncomfortable from the disorder. The only item in the living room that they spent any money on is the big flat-screen television.

Jim Knies and I took Gabor and another of his cousins to the funeral last week. We watched and listened as a bearded man read poems and biographical information about Gabor’s father. He made no mention at all of God or the Bible. This form of funeral is a legacy of the communist era, I have been told. Gabor’s cousin’s family invited him to their house after the funeral. Gabor introduced Jim as “my pastor.” As his cousin put it, “Gabor, it is not your fault that you had so little contact with your father. He should have come looking for you, not the other way around.” Something far more important took place the Sunday before the funeral. The Heavenly Father sought and found Gabor after the morning service as Bela Horvath lead him to Christ. Pray for Gabor and his family. They are some of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

Thank you for praying for our special meetings with Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen. We had unsaved visitors in every service. Four, including Gabor, made professions of faith. Vivian, a teen who accepted Christ, seems a very good prospect for our youth group. Jozsef, who says he is already saved, is looking for a church that can help his family spiritually. Please pray concerning continued contact with these visitors.

On Thursday, April 17, twenty-one of us traveled to Nagykanizsa for a special evangelistic outreach for the Olah’s new church plant. Twenty-one locals came to the meeting, of which 12 had never been to a meeting of the “Bible Club” before. The Pecs church choir sang and Pastor Van Gelderen spoke. Pray for further spiritual fruit from this meeting.

During and after the special meetings, we have seen a significant change in our corporate prayer. This change may well have a greater long-term impact on the church than anything else that has happened this past month. We want Holy Spirit directed, fervent prayer to be the distinguishing characteristic of our church.

This Sunday we celebrate Mothers’ Day in the morning service and the church’s thirteenth anniversary in the evening service.

We are currently preparing for a busy time at the end of May and the beginning of June. We have invited Dr. Terry Price and his wife Coleen of Maranatha Baptist Bible College to teach a two-week module on Children’s Ministries in the Local Church, beginning May 24. On Sunday afternoon, June 8, we plan to have our first commencement exercises with Gedeon Olah and Bela Horvath being our first graduates. God willing, we will ordain Gedeon Olah for the Gospel ministry in the evening service and commission the Olah family as church-planting missionaries to the city of Nagykanizsa. These events mark significant milestones in the ministry here. We would appreciate your prayers for these events.

We are grateful for the opportunity that we have to communicate further with you through our web site, thanks particularly to Tom Ferris, our webmaster, and a couple whose gift underwrites the expense. Unfortunately, because of the poor performance of our former provider, Tom had to change servers. We anticipate that the new site will be easier for us to use and therefore better for you. The new site is only partially complete. We will post new articles and pictures on our journal page when we are able. Check back in a week or two. Go to www.missioncentral.net and follow the links.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

Update- April 2, 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Ami’s classmates were incredulous. Did she really mean that we have all those kinds of people in our church. Yes, it is true. We have two engineers, a chemist and a biologist among our members and two regular attendees who are far advanced in medical school—not to mention someone who is studying to be a physicist.

An American engineer who works for Hewitt Packard visits their Hungarian facility a couple of times a year. He told us that HP located this plant in Hungary because the population is well educated. Furthermore, young Hungarian engineers are good at problem solving. Everyone is important to God, whether well-educated nor not. However, having these kinds of people in our church helps establish credibility with Hungarians. Ami’s friends, at least, were impressed. Pray for them. They are three of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

I wrote about Jozsi last month. Thanks to your prayers, he withstood several challenges to his faith, recently and has become even stronger.

Thanks for praying for our special Easter events. The concert went so well that our resident music critic (Attila Kovacs) pronounced it a great success. We had 17 visitors on Palm Sunday. Pray that the follow-up visits will produce spiritual fruit.

Please pray for several upcoming events. Tomorrow Jim, Bela Hovath, Zoli Kiss and I will travel to Romania to attend an independent Baptist pastor’s meeting where Jim will be speaking. I will speak for the midweek service in the host church tomorrow. Pray for safe travel and that this event will be a great encouragement to the pastors.

Bela Horvath has planned special meetings for April 13-16, with Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen of Falls Baptist Church, Menominee Falls, Wisconsin as special speaker. Sermon topics will include Does God Exist?, Where Did We Come From?, Is There Life after Death? A forum will follow the evening services to allow people to ask questions. We have posted placards all over the city and we plan to pass out fliers and hold special prayer meetings next week. Pray that people will be saved as a result of these meetings.

On April 17, Pastor Van Gelderen will travel to Nagykanizsa for a one-night evangelistic meeting to help the Gedeon Olah family with their new church planting effort. Please pray that God will use this event to help reach new people for Christ and the church.

Please pray for the spiritual growth of the following people: Anna Kiss, Renata Werner, Martika Berkes, Attila Kovacs.

Your prayers are vital to the work of God here in Hungary. May the Lord bless you for your help.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

Hungary Hearts

February 2008

Dear Praying Friends,

Jozsi doesn’t just say it, he actually does it. As a vestige of an old custom, we greet older women with the symbolic expression, “I kiss your hand.” Joszi follows his words with action, and does it enthusiastically. One can only imagine the gusto with which he used to extinguish fires as the third in command at the Nagykanizsa fire department.

Despite the fact that Jozsi faithfully attended his church, his life began to fall apart as his marriage broke up. Last fall he saw an advertisement for a “Bible Club” and decided to try it. This Bible Club is Gedeon Olah’s first step in planting an new church in Nagykanizsa. For the first time, Jozsi heard the gospel and received Christ as personal Savior. The change in his life was nothing short of miraculous. He is now an enthusiastic attendee of the Bible Club (which is where we met him) and hopes to be a charter member of the new church. Pray for him. He is one of about ten million reasons God sent us to Hungary.

For some time Bela Horvath has shown that he could teach the Bible effectively from the pulpit, but he has doubted whether God would be able to use him to cause people to make meaningful spiritual decisions. The jury on that question is in. The verdict is, Yes, God can use him in this way. The last two Sunday mornings when Bela preached on love from I Corinthians 13, God has convicted many people about their need to show real biblical love, and the area around the pulpit has been filled with people praying at the invitation. We are thrilled with the great progress Bela has made as a preacher.

Sixteen students successfully completed the course on the book of Genesis in our Bible Institute. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the class on Counseling in the Local Church being taught currently by Jim Knies.

We are now preparing for special events on Palm Sunday and Easter. We want to use our Easter music concert on March 16 as a special evangelistic outreach. Pray for our people as they invite that friends and neighbors will be receptive.

A number of people with spiritual challenges need your prayers. Several of the youth in the teen Sunday School class are feeling the strong pull of the world. Pray for victory for these teens. Several others are experiencing serious spiritual struggles, among whom are Anna Kiss, Marta Berkes, Valika Andrelli and Johannes Rothenfusser. Pray also for the salvation of Miklos Reti.

Lajos Makura will spend the next three weeks in therapy for his injured knee, followed by surgery. Please pray for his recovery. He has written a tract of his personal testimony which he plans to use in the rehab facility. Pray that God will make his witness effective. Pray for his wife who must keep things going at home in his absence.

Jean thanks you for your prayers. Compared to last year at this time, her recovery is truly remarkable, but she is still not at 100%. Please pray that she will continue to improve.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—I have posted the text of a gospel tract that I have written on our web site. Please feel free to offer your comments on how I might improve it. Just go to www.missioncentral.net follow the links.

September 2007

Jean is gravely ill but it is yet to be determined what is causing such a spiral downward physically. She has lost some forty pounds, but she did not have forty to spare to begin with.

Jean grew up across the road from where my folks lived in Rives Junction, MI. Jean is also a third cousin and a sweet smile and disposition always adorns her. She loves the Lord so much and has faithfully served Him all her adult life. Jean graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College back in the 1969.

Please pray for grace and wisdom as the doctors run tests and seek to determine what the diagnosis is and how best to proceed in treating her. Dave Potter is flying in from Hungary to be at his dear wife's side.

__________________________________________________________________________________

June 2007

Dear Praying Friends,

Rather than tell you about someone new, I thought I would update you on several of the people I have already written about. Brigitta, the lady who was saved out of New Age mysticism, now attends at least once a week. Her husband Miklos is still friendly, although he has yet to attend a church service. Jozsef, the university physics student, has requested baptism. Eva, the university biology student, is faithful in church attendance. Her spiritual growth continues to be encouraging. Johannes, the medical student from Munich, continues to grow, though his church attendance has not been as regular as we would like. Brigitta, Jozsef, Eva and Johannes are all involved in home Bible studies.

Murin, the principal viola player in the Pecs Symphony Orchestra, whom I wrote about a couple of years ago, is the conductor of the school orchestra in which Ami plays. Ami has been able to witness to him on a few occasions. He has asked her questions like: “Can I be good enough to be right with God?” and “How can I know the truth?” Pray for Murin’s and Miklos’ salvation, and for the continued spiritual growth of Brigitta, Jozsef, Eva and Johannes.

May was a month of rest after a very hectic time from January through April. The main special events were two picnics at the beginning and end of the month, and a Mother’s Day program. Now we are preparing for the events of next month. We will celebrate Father’s Day on June 10. Children’s Bible Week will be held from June 18-22. Pray that we will be able to reach not only children, but also parents at the closing program on Sunday night. On June 23, I will be traveling to Romania to speak at two independent Baptist churches on Sunday. I will also speak for a conference of independent Baptists which runs from Monday evening until Thursday noon. The church young people will be joining me on Monday to play and sing and to help with the children’s ministry. Please pray that we will be a great blessing and encouragement to these like-minded brethren and that the trip will challenge our young people to greater service for the Lord. We are planning a baptismal service on July 1. Pray for a number of people who have expressed a desire to be baptized.

Please pray for our young preachers. In Jim Knies’ absence, our prospective national pastor is preaching at least once a week and several others share the pulpit, too. Pray that God will use them and that the experience will increase their skill in preparing and delivering spirit-empowered biblical sermons.

Pray for some people who have become less faithful in their church attendance over the past couple of months. Pray that God will give us wisdom as to how best to encourage them.

Several of you have inquired about Jean’s health. She has experienced severe weight loss in the past several months. We have found a Hungarian doctor who is aggressively seeking the cause of the problem. Please pray for guidance for the doctors in diagnosing and prescribing the correct treatment.

Again, we thank you for your prayers. May God reward you for your help.

Yours for Hungary hearts,

David Potter

PS—Don’t forget to visit our web site: http://www.missioncentral.net/miss/potter/index.htm. I have posted a number of new pictures.