Dear Epaphras,
It’s been several months now that we have been feeling the Lord’s leading to move to Budapest, Hungary where our regional team is located. After consultation with many of you, our leaders and supporting churches, we feel confirmation that the Lord is definitely bringing our 8 years of ministry in Western Europe to a close. He is opening new doors in Eastern Europe. Here are a few factors in our decision…
Our area leaders in Western Europe: Charles in France, Shane in Spain and Portugal and Olau in the UK and Ireland are the ones God has chosen to continue building and developing church planting teams here. We have essentially worked ourselves out of a job. We give glory to Him for the way He has answered your prayers for growing teams in Western Europe. Eight years ago there were only 4 church planting teams with PIONEERS in Western Europe, now there are 37 teams made up of over 200 adults. They are gaining traction and churches are being started.
We have been aware of the need in Eastern Europe for some time now. Take the Balkan countries, for example, which are in need of church planting teams to bring the gospel of peace into lands torn by war and raw with ethnic tensions. Greece and Bulgaria are experiencing an influx of Syrian refugees and the recent unrest in Ukraine is causing many people in Eastern Europe to question their future and stability. These conflicts could lead to revival. We feel that we will be able to better serve our area leaders from Budapest.
Furthermore, there is an opportunity to develop the PIONEERS Europe Mobilization Office, which would allow us to send Europeans out to serve on church planting teams worldwide. The PIONEERS Europe office currently oversees 41 Europeans church planters serving worldwide and desperately needs new leadership and new direction. So, in addition to our regional leadership role we would be adding (until we can find and appoint a director) the development of a new mobilization base in Budapest.
Not to forget the Currey girls… ICSB (International Christian School of Budapest) is a reputable American school located just minutes outside of Budapest. Up until now our girls have each had 7 1/2 years of excellent French education, but we feel its time they start learning in English. This will prepare them for university in the US, if they so desire, and give them a Christian, faith-based education. One half of the student body of 250 is made up of other MKs (missionary kids). Annie and Julia will finally be among people who understand what growing up cross-culturally is all about.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you know how we’ve been extremely blessed by Julia’s health care here in France. So, making this decision to move out east has not been easy and we have spent a lot of time researching hospitals, doctors and the offered health care. (You’ll be encouraged to note that her doctors here in France have given the green light on Hungary.) As you can testify, the Lord has faithfully led us in every one of our past transitions, always providing the specialist needed to oversee and care for Julia’s health. Miraculously, we have found a specialist in rare anemias located in Vienna, Austria, Dr. Milen Minkov, who is only 2 1/2 hours by car from Budapest. We’ve been in contact with him and he is happy to take Julia on as a new patient. Praise God! He has once again shown us that the safest place to put our daughter is in His hands.
So, we’ll close this long email with some proposed dates. We will wrap up our lives and ministries in Bayonne, France this upcoming December and ship our things to Budapest. We will then follow when the girls are done with school, December 19th, and make it to Minneapolis on Christmas day! (It’s been 4 years since we’ve celebrated Christmas in the US.) We will then spend January through March reconnecting with as many of you as possible and raising the extra needed support for our future ministry in Hungary; moving expenses, educational costs, “House of Blessing” hospitality suite, etc. In April 2015 we will transition permanently to Budapest, Hungary.
Please know that we are grateful to the Lord for each of you. There are many ‘details’ to be worked out in our transition to Budapest and we will be keeping you in the loop so that you can continue to pray.
If you would like to meet up or for us to speak at your church or small group next winter, please do let us know by a simple reply to this email.
Blessings in Jesus,
Steve and Sara
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