TJ Addington - Leading From the Sandbox : The tragic killing of Christians at an Afghanistan hospital

TJ Addington - Leading From the Sandbox : The tragic killing of Christians at an Afghanistan hospital

What's keeping you?

What's keeping you from praying earnestly?...from giving generously?...from serving sacrificially? The drift of our hearts is away from dependence on the Lord--so we don't pray.  Of all that God has entrusted to us to steward for the advance of the gospel, the drift of our hearts is to keep more for ourselves.  The drift of our hearts is to be self sovereign and self serving.  Short term mission trips are an occasion to deepen our dependence on the Lord in prayer, to give to someone other than me, and to serve someone other than myself.  I'm leading a team to Hungary in a couple weeks and would invite you to:  Please pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into HIS harvest field.  Thank God for many  who are giving generously to send this team.  Pray for the team to speak the gospel in words to the students as occasions arise during our week long intensive English camp. Pray that we wouldn't be distracted by the plethora of worldly deterrents. In Christ, Brad

Unless God...

Approaching the three month mark at The Orchard.  It's impossible to grasp the scope and scale of missions at a church birthed through mission 60 years ago. In attendance any given Sunday are those who have started missions organizations, established seminaries, pastored churches, and presided over each of the aforementioned.  What will be built or undertaken on my watch?  Unless the LORD builds it... from Barnes Notes on the Bible:
The idea is, that they are entirely dependent on God. No matter what their skill, their strength, their industry may be - all will be in vain unless God shall assist them. They are dependent on Him for life, for health, for strength, for practical wisdom, for a disposition to continue their work, and for success in it. Their work might be destroyed by fire, by a tempest, by an earthquake, or by an irruption of enemies; and for the result, therefore, they are entirely dependent on God.
If God has given you a disposition to continue the work, email me: bradmullet@gmail.com

Almost two months on the new job...

Hi my friends and family,
  We're approaching the two month mark in Chicago.  I couldn't have dreamed of a better scenario than what God has provided for us at The Orchard.  We're looking forward to Good Friday services, Easter activities that point to the resurrection, and worship together on Sunday. I'm enjoying the transition and using every spare moment to pray for the ministry ahead.  Every month about this time I go through withdrawal from writing monthly prayer letters.  I'm still thanking God for each of you and our partnership in the gospel in Hungary. May God continue to direct your obedience, Brad

In the transition from BUD to ORD

Hi Friends and Family, 
Just a quick update on our contact information:
bradmullet@gmail.com
karimullet@gmail.com
We're currently in Denver, CO. We're already halfway through our trek to Chicago.
Blessings for the New Year!
Brad and Kari

Dear Family and Friends,
This is our final newsletter—we’ll no longer be Magyar Mullets, but we’ll always have Hungary in our hearts and we’ll always cherish your partnership with us. Words cannot express our gratitude to you for your prayers and support these past fourteen years. We were the privileged ones to see firsthand what God has done and is still doing through our partnership with you in the Gospel. We count ourselves blessed that our obedience was to go and that your obedience was to send.
Each day in December brought us closer to the finality of leaving Hungary and that all these relationships will be different from here on out. We had many lasts in December and each one brought tears of joy and grief to our eyes. We had a wonderful week of Christmas celebration with all of our kids being back one last time. We visited favorite spots and enjoyed meals and activities with dear friends. I was asked to preach at KEGY on Dec 23 and the church gave us a very nice gift and send off. We said many farewells. The movers packed up our house the 27th and loaded the container the 28th. We spent our last three nights in Hotel Griff near the Ministry Center. I put up many a short-termer in that hotel, so I figured I was reaping what I’d sown.

Christmas 2012

The last days were filled with precious goodbyes, cleaning, errands, and packing. My final act the morning of our departure from Hungary was to hand over my keys to the Ministry Center to my replacement: Tomi Lajos. (Tom Louis in English) Thank you for praying for us. God supplied good health and energy for us and everything went sooooo smoothly.
We arrived in Phoenix around 11pm on December 30. Twelve hours later we were the proud owners of a ten-year-old-like-new Subaru. We’re thankful to God for a good car we could afford and a New Year’s celebration with our folks and relatives in Arizona. We started out in Mesa and are currently making our way across the country visiting churches and supporters on what will be our final home-assignment before starting work in Chicago at The Orchard on February 1. We regret that we cannot visit, thank, and hug each and every one of you, but know that we are deeply grateful to God for each of you.

The third verse to the old hymn, “Trust and Obey,” keeps playing through my mind:
But we never can prove
the delights of His love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor He shows,
for the joy He bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.
Although, we know little of what lies in store for us in the future, we know Who holds our future and that what He holds in store for us is not little. Richest blessings to each of you as you continue to trust and obey.
In the Light of His Word,
Brad and Kari

Magyar Mullets November 2012 Newsletter

Youth Group Farewell

Dear Family and Friends,
We were greatly blessed this past month. It was a month of Thanksgiving for us.

Farewell Party Brad and Kari Hungary 2012

Our teammates threw a big farewell party for us last weekend with many of the friends we’ve made over the last 15 years. Among the guests was a lady I’d known for just a week—a sixth generation resident of Kelenföld, a retired doctor. I will miss not getting to know her and all her family better. Others in attendance go all the way back to our first mission trip to Hungary in 1997 when we prayed and shared the gospel in parks and a prison. It was pretty emotional for us. We were given precious gifts by which to remember Hungary and our family here. I found myself looking around the room several times throughout the night remembering how God acquainted us with each person.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God:
·
We’ve enjoyed serving with so many others who believe in Jesus Christ,
·
We’ve witnessed the power of God to bring still others into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and
·
We still pray for those who have yet to believe.
You have been a partner with us in all this sowing and reaping.

Farewell Party

We had an enjoyable evening out with two couples from our village and a close friend from Missouri. God has overlapped our lives in interesting ways. It has been good to affirm relationships and give a reason for the hope we have in Christ. We’re so grateful to have had this time to share our lives and to connect others with the ministry here. I had the privilege to preach twice this past month at KEGY. I was also honored to lead a fellow elder and his wife in dedicating themselves to raising their son in obedience to the gospel this past Sunday. They come from God-fearing families, have served faithfully in KEGY for many years, and were blessed with the support of the 15 extended family members in attendance.

More Goodbyes

In the next few weeks we will wrap up our last Alpha course and the English Clubs as well as participate in the Christmas outreaches. Pray for us as we make the most of every goodbye. We know with certainty we will meet again all those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. That hope does not disappoint. However, for those with whom we’ve come into contact who refuse to recognize God and still reject the Prince of Peace, our parting is sorrowful. Pray for us to lovingly and persuasively make the gospel the issue in all our goodbyes.
We will take one last family picture on the bridge overlooking the ice-skating pond in City Park. We’ll put it in the December letter with one from the same spot back in 1999 to see if you still recognize us. God is good.
Thanks be to God,
Brad and Kari

Magyar Mullets October 2012 Newsletter

 Dear Family and Friends,
As our in-residence season of ministry comes to a close in Hungary, we trust that God will continue to guide you in your own investments in His work. Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel. The Budapest City Team is praying and looking for those who will come for the next harvest season and for those who will continue to give financially to support them. Please write me if you have questions or interests. I want to share some stories to encourage you with what God is doing:
We just wrapped up a wonderful week-long fall English camp. There were 30 Hungarian students participating over their five-day break from school. There were 20 of us who helped in various ways—6 came from the Orchard EFC in Chicago to teach and 7 from our local team with the rest being youth in our church here who served as translators, organizers, and servants. We used the new youth room in the basement for one of the classes. We outfitted it with paint, chairs, and rugs purchased with donations you sent. Thank you!
On the last day of camp, a student who’d been at camp last summer tracked down a youth pastor from the Orchard and expressed her desire to place her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. They prayed together and right
there she became a new creation. Another student who came to Christ a year ago served as a translator at this camp and shared her testimony with me over lunch one day. She didn’t want to come to camp last summer, but her grandmother persuaded her to come. Her grandmother had such a good experience herself in our English Clubs on Monday nights that she wanted the same for her granddaughter. She went on to share that after she heard the gospel and accepted Christ, she went back to her mother and grandmother to ask them why they’d never told her about salvation in Jesus Christ. She said, “How is it that I am 16 years old and I have never heard this? You never told me!” We’re seeing countless connections being made in families and in communities through the various ministries in which we’re involved with others in the Ministry Center. It is quite thrilling to hear in person and trace the work of God in our lives and in theirs. Pray for the growth of the seeds that are being planted and watered.
Kari continues to keep me organized in addition to her responsibilities with bookkeeping, English clubs, Bible studies, hospitality, and family. While I was in Vienna with the English team last Saturday, Kari and the rest of our colleagues were hosting 140 ladies at the Ministry Center for an afternoon and evening of encouragement, teaching, refreshment, and fun. Every year countless hours are put into these events to show and share the love of Christ. This was the first time for half of the ladies to be at such an event in our building.
God is occupying us with gladness of heart these days with the knowledge of His work in Hungary. At the same time our departure approaches, so we’re saying goodbye to someone different just about every day now. Pray for us in the transition from on-site missionaries to a role of Missions Director at the Orchard EFC. You have made sacrifices to see the gospel spread and good deeds accomplished in Hungary. God has used your investments to continue His good work in us as well, and we’re grateful for the part you’ve played in preparing us for the work God has in store for us in Chicago. We fly away from Hungary on December 30th, so now it’s a sprint to the finish line.
Grace and Peace,
Brad, and Kari, too.

Magyar Mullets September 2012 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you for your prayers and financial support!
September has come to a close and with it cooler temperatures. There have been several new and exciting developments for the Budapest City Team this past month:

• We’ve settled on someone to take my place in the realm of day-to-day Ministry Center maintenance and operations.

• We have an offer to use more space in our building for the cost of utilities.

• We have a fall English camp being organized by Hungarian youth in our church.

Tamás (Thomas) Lajos will replace me taking care of the day-to-day maintenance and operations of the Ministry Center. Some of you know him as Orsi’s husband. We’ve started his on-the-job training, and I think he’ll do an excellent job. He doesn’t shy away from the nasty jobs and he speaks better Hungarian than I do. He is an answer to our prayers.

First night of the Alpha Course

On another front, space is once again at a premium in the Ministry Center. We were praying for use of more space. Since I knew there were 2,800 square feet on our ground floor that is presently unoccupied, I decided to write to the owner asking him if some mutually-beneficial arrangement could be made for us to use that space. It has been empty for several months since they finished our subway station.

youth packed in

The timing of our inquiry was providential as the owner was prepared to favorably accommodate us. He will let us use the space if we’ll just pay the taxes and utilities for it. He said we can do anything we want to it to make the space work for us. His only desire is that we allow some space for his offices should he need them perhaps five or six years from now. (Because the subway isn’t planned to open before Spring 2014, his use of the space has been postponed). Our field ministry fund will need $1,500 a month to secure this space until it can be gainfully shared with our ministry partners. We request your prayer and financial consideration of this advantage to the work here.
By popular demand and with Hungarian youth

youth overflow

taking the lead, we will hold our first ever Fall Teen English camp. A teaching team of six is coming from The Orchard Evangelical Free Church during the fall break from classes from October 29 through November 2. Please pray for these evangelistic efforts and good follow-up with our church youth.
Kari and I will be joining others in India the first week of October to explore partnerships in church planting. Pray for us that we might know God’s kind determinations for His work there and our involvement in it.
With much love,
Brad, for Kari.

Magyar Mullets August 2012 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

During August it seems that all of Europe is on vacation.  Since we had our vacation in May, I was happy with empty roads in the daily commute.  I’ve been waking early each day this month eager to get to work making the ministry center ready for the churches and ministries returning in September. 

Revells back home in Hungary

We were so glad to have the Revells return to Hungary after a short home assignment. They are still in need of $1400/month of financial support with their increased responsibilities and we can highly recommend them to you for further investment in the church in Hungary.  We took them to my favorite restaurant in the hills called Náncsi Néni as a welcome home!   Mark will have the honor to put the final coat of paint in the new youth room on his day off.  The youth have been excited to start using it since we started building it in January.  I’ve almost finished one office, the conference room, and Kari’s office upstairs. 

Jutka, Kari, Zsóka (mother of the bride), Erzsébet

On Saturday afternoons in August we attended weddings of some people we’ve gotten to know over the years here in Hungary.  For example, one guy came to believe in Christ through our Alpha course this past spring.  I also preached twice this last month and have continued to encourage a few guys in what has become an almost daily interaction around activities in the Ministry Center.  In addition to Kari’s normal duties she also began sorting through our belongings to determine what gets sold, abandoned, or taken back with us to the US.  In spite of the fact that God is calling us to the Orchard in Chicago, there is no inclination in either of us to slow down or lessen our involvement in lives and ministries to the last day.  Thankfully, our role in the Orchard will keep us involved in the Hungary partnership.   

One of the most exciting things to happen this past month was a big outreach in the park last Saturday across from our building.  Calvary Chapel has a satellite church that started up the street from us.  They invited us to participate in an outreach to the community with their gospel choir shown here rehearsing on our coffeehouse terrace.  It was a concerted effort sponsored by Danube International Church (English services), Kelenföld Evangelical Church (Hungarian), Campus Crusade student ministries (Hungarian), and Calvary Chapel (bi-lingual services). The hill behind where this picture was taken was covered with people.

Interestingly, all of these organizations lost their legal “church” status with the law passed last year.  Out of legal and financial trial, we are more united in our praise to God and cooperation with one another to reach the lost in this city.  I know that God has great things in store for those who labor together in His name in Hungary.  We’re grateful for your partnership in these exciting times.

With much love,

Brad, for Kari too.

Magyar Mullets July 2012 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

   Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  We enjoyed another full month of ministry including a two week teen English camp.  The Orchard EFC in Chicago fielded the teaching team again this year and we supplied helpers and translators.  We had over 70 teens in attendance which is more than ever before.  I anticipate the testimonies from Hungarian teens in years to come to include statements like: “I heard the gospel and believed at English camp one year at the Kelenfold Evangelical Church.” We are grateful to God for American and Hungarian co-laborers from local churches for these intensive events. We enjoyed several evening meals in Hungarian homes getting to know the families of our campers. 

Whenever we focus on introducing others to Jesus Christ, we expect trials and tests to come.  We were not disappointed. The team’s determination to share the gospel was met with illness, theft and loss, deaths in families, and other potential distractions.  God’s Spirit was faithful to sustain them through many such things that threatened to derail them. Thank you for praying for us all.

   It was great to have our team mate Robin Kohl, from Crystal Lake, IL, here helping the entire time with teaching and serving.  Kari was an amazing camp administrator. Tomi and Orsi handled registrations, translations, and communications. Attila kept the accounting side of things straight, so my job as camp director was a piece of cake.  There were just over 200 participants between the two camps over four weeks.  We had 39 guest nights in our house.  A couple of guys even showed up at camp one day from Oklahoma.  At first I thought they were homeless guys who snuck in for chapel time, but turned out they are pastors who were compelled to visit Budapest and pray for the work here.  They prayed in Vienna and Prague as well and then spent their last night in Hungary at our house. It amazes me how quickly and easily we connect and relate with others who belong to Jesus Christ and are called according to his purposes.  I believe the LORD will cross our paths again.     

 

I’m learning to quantify the Lord’s blessings in our lives in new terms:

·         number of trips to the airport,

·         number of conversations with workers at hotels and restaurants,

·         number of times I stop to explain our activities to people from the community around the ministry center,

·         number of rolls of toilet paper and paper towels replaced and the speed at which supplies disappear,

·         number of times we clean up and set up for the next ministry. 

This month I was blessed to preach twice, help officiate a wedding, and start construction on an office for the denomination secretary. We are blessed with work. Please pray for more laborers in this harvest field.  

Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel,

Brad and Kari

Magyar Mullets June 2012 Newsletter

Isabelle at KEGY

Clint, Whitney, and the Ashleys

Camp helpers on trash duty

progress on the youth room

Brad with Laszlo and Miklos

Evening at the cellar

Dear Family and Friends,
Wow, the month of June came and went in a heat
wave. Our days started early and ended late. There
was always something that required extra attention
in addition to our scheduled programs. Not only did
we survive, but God blessed us with a successful
Kid’s English Camp. Even though we tried to limit
the number of students to 80, somehow we wound
up with 93 the first week and 99 the second week!
The team of 15 from Grace Community Chapel did
an outstanding job, as did a slew of translators and
helpers.
Thanks to the commitment of our partners in these
camps over the years, we have a very good reputation
in the community and in our ongoing relationships
with schools and parents. Parents are asking
for intensive adult English camps now. Our emphasis
continues to be the proclamation of the Gospel
to everyone who attends, so it’s not surprising that
winsome relationships are being established. One
mom who placed her faith and trust in Christ last year
sent her daughter to camp this year praying that she
would soon trust in Christ for herself. She explained
to me that in every way her background would have
alienated them from anything religious, yet the love
that was shown to them by Christians teaching in our
English program the last couple years won her over.
She noticed a big difference between someone who
claims to be religious and a true Christian.
We were blessed to have family here to help as well.
Whitney, Clint, and our granddaughter, Isabelle, were
a main attraction just about everywhere they went.
My niece, Ashley, and her friend (also Ashley) came
to Hungary to help with the camp and they all got
roped into our life here which included a number of
garden parties with our Hungarian friends. Last Sunday,
Isabelle was dedicated to the Lord in the Kelenfold
Evangelical Church. Whitney and Clint committed
to raise her in such a manner that she would
learn about Jesus Christ from the Bible. The church
committed to pray for them and encourage them to fulfill that commitment.
It was a memorable occasion, as many of those in attendance
remembered Whitney as a 12-year old when we first came
to Hungary. Her life is an encouragement to those who know her.
Among the camp activities, construction continued—we built the
walls for the storage room in the new youth room in the cellar; the
worst walls on the outside of the building were painted; and step by
step miscellaneous odds and ends are being completed. Excitement
is beginning to build as we anticipate the start of more ministries
again this fall.
Thank you for your partnership with us in the gospel,
Brad and Kari

garden party with Friday English class

Giovani on coast of Maratea, Italy

Dear Family and Friends,

Gulash party for English Clubs

Randall and Timi Stone

Friday morning English Club

Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham

We wrapped up our weekly English clubs this past month with a closing garden party and a pot of Hungarian goulash.  Jack and Susan Morris introduced their replacements, Randall and Timi Stone, and they shared their personal testimonies with our students. After the Stones return from home-assignment this fall, they will begin directing the English Outreach efforts. Our City Team Leaders, Mark and Jodie Revell, are also back in the US this summer, so Kari and I have our hands full.
  For the last year Kari has been planning a two-week vacation with our boys and Peter's girlfriend, Emily Jackson.  My parents arranged a week in a residence for us on the southwestern coast of Italy, so we drove down and saw the sights.  On our way home we happened to be in Rome at noon on Pentecost Sunday, so we saw the pope and heard him bless the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square.  We were grateful for the two weeks away to rejuvenate and to prepare ourselves for a packed summer and fall of ministry in Hungary. Kari and I are directing the English Camps this summer, mobilizing volunteer translators and helpers, as well as hosting teaching teams from St. Peters and Chicago. We’ll have a houseful of guest helpers, all the while continuing to meet with our small group, teach English, preach at our church’s weekend retreat, and manage the Ministry Center.  A city-wide evangelistic crusade was held this past weekend called the Festival of Hope. Four years of preparation went into bringing Franklin Graham to Budapest. Praise God for the cooperation of churches and government to bring it about. Pray for good follow-up of the hundreds of people who came forward each evening.

We have much advance preparation for the arrival of our
first team for Kid’s English Camp on June 24th. Grace
Community Chapel in St. Peters, Missouri, is fielding a
team of 15 workers. The camp is already full with 80 kids
registered and deposits paid. Peter and Emily depart in a
couple of days and Jacob will follows in a couple of
weeks. Clint, Whitney, and our granddaughter Isabelle
arrive in 10 days to help for a month. We are blessed with
laborers—pray for the harvest in Hungary this summer.
With Love in Christ,
Brad, for all of us.

Magyar Mullets April 2012 Newsletter

Duane and Janice Mullet, Kari and Brad in Salzburg

Dear Family and Friends,

John Westrum, Area Leader, pitches in.

April was a full month of labor, expenditure, and joy.  My parents were here for the month and with the exception of a couple holiday weekends away from Budapest to see some of their old stomping grounds in Vienna, Salzburg, and Mittersill, Austria, they pitched right in with Alpha course preparations, English club classes, and work on the Ministry Center. We also had a visitor, Harold Golden, from Springfield, Missouri, throw his lot in with us.  From the pictures you can see where it got him.  As usual, Mark Revell, City Team Leader, and John Westrum, Area Leader, couldn’t miss out on the fun.  We excavated the new youth-room floor.

Mark, Dad, Harold--vacation, huh?

Brad, Harold Golden, Duane Mullet, Mark Revell, John Westrum

Thank you for praying for us. God is stirring us in our labor here as I was reminded again last week as I prepared my sermon entitled, Storing Up Treasure in Heaven. I see that rust and moth and their counterparts destroy my earthly treasures, and in Hungary there are also daily reminders that thieves break in and steal earthly treasure. What treasures withstand destroyers? Or further, what earthly treasure can I exchange for treasure in heaven?  The Bible presents it this way: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his own soul?” (Luke 9:25)

  My treasure is time, energy, and possessions. In my study, I was directed to Revelation 7:9-10 which reads, “I looked and there was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. They were shouting out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God, to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”  These souls were not forfeited. These people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, are the treasure.  How did they get there? They heard the gospel. How did they hear it? Someone was sent to preach the word of Christ.  (See Romans 10).

 You exchanged your treasure on earth to partner with us in the gospel in Hungary.  The very gospel that the Bible says is the power of God to save persons from their certain hellish demise is being proclaimed because we understand this truth about treasure.  I have less earthly treasure than I once had thanks to age, poor investments, thieves, rust, and moths, but by God’s grace there will be people around the throne by virtue of our partnership in the gospel. That is treasure worth storing up!

May God continue to guide us all in our obedience to the praise of His Glory!

In Christ, for Kingdom treasure,

Brad and Kari