July Update & Prayer Requests

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it. Matthew 10:38-39

Hi Family and Friends,
God is good and we are so privileged to serve Him!....
The Lord has been teaching us about a deeper level of trusting in Him and surrendering to Him. It's not so much about praying, "Lord, bless my plans" but praying "Lord, lead me into your perfect plan". He is showing us this over and over again, that this kind of prayer is what pleases Him most and that this is where real peace and freedom lies. This is not easy to do, especially when faced with tough situations; when your children are hurting and when our (my) specific, carefully laid out plans go awry!!! But with His strength and guidance this is our desire, not just for ourselves but also for our children. He is showing us that it is imperative to teach and train our boys in this way. We are already seeing fruit in our boys' lives from teaching these principles to them and it's absolutely priceless to see them growing in their love and passion for the things of God. He is faithful.
You know when Nehemiah’s brother gave him a first-hand account on the condition of Jerusalem he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed. When he came to that point God spoke and told him, now I can use you. This is where God wants us. This is where WE should desire to be. Only when our hearts are broken over our condition can God make the changes in us. Only when our hearts are broken over the condition of others can God use us to help them. Pretty cool stuff. We were all put here for this purpose and bought with a price. A high price! Now we are not our own. Our time is not our own. We are learning to be about the things of the Lord. He is so good to teach us. "The joy of the Lord is our strength!"

What we’ve been up to….
We had our first VBS here and it was awesome! The Lutheran church allowed us to use some rooms and the playground at their elementary school for this. They were very accommodating. There were many seeds planted and the Gospel was shared. A lot of families that we thought would be participating went away on vacation. Europeans don't mess around when it comes to their "holidays', most of them leave for at least a month and many the whole summer. So, we didn't have as many kids as we had hoped, but it was a good time. One highlight was having the Todd family here for 2 weeks. The first week we were able to visit and hang out with each other, pray for and get prepared for the VBS. It was truly a HUGE blessing and encouragement having them here. We feel so privileged that they came to be with us.
We also had a team of 4 others, from here in Hungary, to help out. One couple went out everyday and just talked to people and met people on the streets and in the parks. They not only told them about the VBS but they were also able to share Christ with different ones and even pray with some of them on the spot! We felt so honored to have them here as they are on fire for the Lord and true, true servants of God.
….or going through….
The weekend before VBS and during the week there was quite a bit of spiritual warfare. Thinking back on it, it seems unreal, but again God was so faithful and so good to carry us through that time and bring all of us out okay in the end. You may not believe all you are about to read, but I promise I am not making any of it up……The week before VBS started I began noticing Kale having trouble swallowing and choking on his food, so when I took a look at his tonsils they were HUGE! He wasn't sick and they were not red but they were BIG! So, I took him to the Dr. and he confirmed what I saw and said they need to come out. Surgery!! And referred him to a Pediatric ENT Dr. (We are praying about this and will probably wait until we come home, hopefully in the fall to have this done). I (Kim) broke out in a rash on my legs and cut my toe, fairly bad, but no trip to the Dr. was necessary. Kale was playing outside and fell on a cement planter, splitting his eyebrow open. It could have used a stitch, but we opted not to go the ER route. It would have been way more traumatic then it was worth. The Friday before VBS Tony went to bed with a toothache and woke the next am with excruciating pain after his new crown fell off. He was in bed for most of the day trying to deal with the pain. There's no calling a Dentist on the weekend. The Saturday before VBS started we were all at a city festival and Rachel Todd leaned against a very hot oven (food was being cooked in it) and got a very large burn, 2nd degree, on her upper arm. A trip to the local pharmacy was made for large gauze bandages and tape. On Monday (1st day of VBS) Keith Todd came down with a sore throat and Wednesday night had a fever of over 103! It was a struggle to get it to stay down. With lots of Tylenol and lukewarm showers we finally had success. A trip to the Dr. the next day confirmed he had strep throat. The next morning (Thursday) Rachel had to go the Dr. with an ear infection. By this time a couple other team members were also not feeling well. Later that same day, Laura's baby, Landon, became sick and we took him to the Dr. that evening and he had a double ear infection. Also, sometime that day, Lily, our Hungarian translator came to me saying she had taken some cold medicine and thought she was having an allergic reaction to it, but wanted to make sure the hives that were starting on her face and throat were not mosquito bites. No, unfortunately it wasn't mosquito bites; she was definitely having an allergic reaction. Oh my! A hefty dose of Benadryl did the trick. Thank the Lord I always keep this on hand as you can't buy this here in Hungary.

So, you can see there was a lot going on. Between treating Rachel's burn, getting Keith's temp to stay down below 103 (it was a struggle for awhile!!) keeping a watch on Kale's eyebrow and making sure the baby got to a Dr., making sure Lily didn't go into anaphylactic shock! It was quite a week. It felt like we had our own hospital ward here, I was definitely putting my nursing skills to use. But God is good and provided the necessary medical care and translators just when we needed them. By the end of the week it seemed everyone was getting somewhat back to normal. And the good news is the boys did not get sick. Thank the Lord!

Where we’re headed….
We have some news about the adoption. The lady we are working with from the adoption office, Marta, called and wanted the last of our official papers, asap. We had been holding off on getting them translated as it was going to be around $300 and we were saving this money for the boys' home schooling curriculum for this next year. Marta said she was going on vacation at the end of July and would be gone until the end of August and she is anxious to pass our case onto the office here in Sopron. This was exciting to us because it showed us that she is so willing to help us out and it is the next step in this process of getting our girl(s). So, we stepped out in faith (in regards to not getting the curriculum right away) and went to town this morning to see about getting the papers translated. Well, the bad news is this office can't do it as soon as we had hoped. So, we are going to pick them up ourselves and hand carry them to Marta, which will only leave her 1 and 1/2 days to work on our case before she leaves for vacation. But, God is in control, all this is in His hands, not ours. This is a perfect example of praying, Lord your will be done, not mine, your timing, not ours. But please pray for us in this as it is difficult to do at times. So, all in all, we are very excited and really feel the Lord leading in this whole process. Thank you all for your prayers in this matter.

We wanted to let you all know of an answer to prayer. The local Pentecostal church has said that we can use their facilities for our Bible study. This is great news and we are excited about it. We are meeting with the pastor in the next few days to work it out. Please pray for the Lord to continue to work out the details. We haven’t discussed cost or whether Friday evenings will work for them yet.

We can see that God is working in the lives of the people that he has entrusted us with. At the Bible study as well as the everyday contact we have with those we have met over the last year. We’ve seen spiritual growth in several people and a more sincere desire to know God and serve Him. We have met many who are seeking and we have been able to share with them. There have been a few who we’ve had the pleasure to knock down the “seldom exuding joy”, “furrowed brow”, “hands folded meekly”, stereotype of Christians. We may not be in our teens any longer, but we still know how to have fun! And yeah, some of you (Phil M.) may be saying to yourselves, “You’re no longer in your 20’s or 30’s either.”
The great thing is that we see the foundation of this ministry coming together. Day by day and brick by brick. There is no denying that God is the “Master Builder” and that Jesus is the “Cornerstone”.
Once again….
Thank you all for your prayers and support, we appreciate all of you so much. We are looking forward to the rest of the summer and all the Lord is doing and will do here in Sopron and in our lives personally.

A great verse to live by…

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts (*daily routine) will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 *added by me


Prayer Requests:

Pray that we will truly be able to have God's heart in ALL areas of our lives and to be lead by Him and not by our own wisdom. To be completely surrendered to Him.

For the boys to grow in Him; to have a real and deep passion and desire for the things of the Lord. To have a heart for the lost. That nothing else in life would matter more to them then this. Tony and I need this prayer as well.

For Kale's tonsils, that they would decrease in size and he would not need surgery.

For provision to order homeschooling curriculum and to come home in the fall.

For Tony's tooth to settle down once and for all.

For God given wisdom in raising the boys.

For protection of our marriage; that we would continue to grow in love for each other as we grow closer to the Lord.

For the ministry here; God’s leading, our following, for fellow laborers.

That our hearts would be broken for the lost, so that we could then be truly used by God to reach them.

Most importantly, that each of us would be used here in Sopron the way the Lord desires. That our time here would be fruitful. We know that each day is a precious gift from God and we don't want to waste a minute of it or miss even one opportunity!

Fotos: Sopron tower walkthrough, VBS storytime, VBS singing, Kale, Kim and Kai, VBS craft time, muppet and Rachel, Laci, VBS kids, Kai and I cutting barbed-wire from the former Iron Curtain between Hungary and Austria.

June Update & Prayer Requests

The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26

Hello Everyone!!!

Hope everyone out there is having a great start to their summer. We sure are!
Tony’s parents were just here for 3 weeks and we had a great visit with them. It was SO good to see them and the boys, of course, LOVED every second with their Papa and Grandma. We stayed busy while they were here but left plenty of time to sit and just be with each other. And of course it was very painful to say good bye.

On June 9th we celebrated being here in Sopron for one year. Can you believe it's been that long already? We can't.
It truly has gone by so fast. We have enjoyed being here in this town and being lead by God and getting to know the people. Tony and I are more convinced then ever that this is His vision for us is to settle in, live our lives here with our boys and get to know people. Then as we make friends and build relationships we bring God's love to them. This is exactly what we have done and the Lord continues to bring people our way. It's amazing!! We have met two new families in the past month, both with young kids. We are so excited to see what He has for us and this town in the next year
We want to continue to be faithful daily in the small things and watch the Lord work.
As the first year has gone by so quickly Tony and I are more committed then ever to fulfilling God’s will for our lives. We feel with much passion this is where God has brought us to, and feel a burden for the people here to share with them that Jesus is their Savior, that there is more to life than what they now know. BUT, what the Lord is showing us more and more is that prayer and commitment to prayer is where He wants us. It is SO easy to get busy, to get too settled into life, to get too comfortable in life’s routine, raising two very busy and active boys, learning the language, keeping up a house, meeting with people, entertaining.................in other words, doing "busy work" and slowly (it always happens slowly doesn't it?) forget the "real" purpose. The thing that HAS to take priority is prayer.

So, as we commit to obey Him and to pray more fervently, with more passion, bringing these lost souls before the Lord with more consistency would you please commit with us to pray for us as well as the people here? I have said it so many times before and it sounds so cliché, but I can't help it, it's the truth. We CANNOT do what we are doing here without you doing what you do there!!! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being committed to this. And the people of Sopron will be eternally grateful for your prayers!

Well, we have a VBS coming up next week. We are so excited to be having our first VBS and to see what wonderful things the Lord will do from this. We have had very good response from the people so far. We are excited that the Todd's are here. They will be here a week before we start a VBS next Monday.
Thank you for praying about this as well.


Prayer Requests:

For both boys to learn the language more quickly. They will be involved in a lot of summer activities in order to surround them with Hungarian children to help with this. Pray the Lord will cement in their hearts His purpose for their lives, even as children. That they will come more and more to the understanding of why we are here.

For Kim as she spends the summer getting organized for the coming homeschooling year for both Kai and Kale. While Kim loves to be organized it doesn't come easy for her and can be a struggle.

For the funds to be able to order Kai’s school curriculum for next year. Kim needs soon it to be able to go over it before they start this fall.

For committed workers to come along side us in the ministry here. (Translation, children’s ministry)

A meeting place for the Bible study. The pastor of the local Pentecostal church is considering letting us use their facilities.

Continued vision for the ministry as it grows. To see and confidently act upon where the Lord is leading.

For me, Tony, as I share God’s Word each week at our Friday night study and for my daily studying of His Word.

For Kim and I, protection for our marriage and for wisdom in raising Kai and Kale.

May 2008 Update & Prayer Requests

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8


Hello to all our Family and Friends,
Well, it seems we waited so long for Spring to arrive and now it is quickly slipping away and almost Summer time. Things in Sopron are wonderful and God is ever so faithful and full of love and mercy for us. He is teaching us more and more each day and just feel privileged that we get to be a small part of His big picture.

The school year is winding down here, a little more quickly for us personally then for some. Tony's parents are arriving tonight for a 3 week visit. HOORRAY!!
So, Kai will take a break and finish up a few things, Math mainly, this summer. The beauty of home schooling is that we can be flexible. A week after Tony's parents leave the Todd family will be here for 2 weeks. Hooray for the Todd's!! We will be having a VBS while they are here and we are so excited about this. It will be our first outreach of this nature. Please remember to pray about this for us.

Well, I said the Lord is teaching us a lot and it's the truth!! Mid April, I, Kim went to a Pastor's wives retreat at the Bible college. It was a wonderful weekend of rich fellowship with old friends and with some new friends. The theme of the retreat was "What is a Pastor's wife?" and was mainly taught by Pam Markey. She and her husband (he went on to be with the Lord a year ago) were the first to start a Calvary Chapel in Kiev, Ukraine over 15 years ago. They arrived there with 8 kids in tow!
The youngest 6 months and the oldest 12. She's an amazing woman, to say the least. She reassured us that a Pastor's wife doesn't have to play the piano or sing in the choir like one of God's angels! HA!HA! It's a good thing because I can't do either one of those things. Most of us were relieved. So, the main message of her teaching was to simply love and serve ALL those people around us, that the Lord brings our way; to be "servants of all". We should especially be servants to our husbands and children first. If we are doing this daily the rest of our ministry will fall into place. She encouraged us wives to ask our husband what kind of home he wants, what does he want us doing? For example, some husbands want an open door policy in the home with hospitality at the top of the list, having others into their home frequently. Other husbands spend so much time outside the home in ministry they need the house to be their get-a-way and want few visitors. Still others want a little of both of these worlds. She posed the question, “How can we as wives best serve our husbands so they can reach their potential in ministry?”

I think this can apply to most Christian marriages. All of us are in ministry. All of us are missionaries, some in a foreign land and some in our homeland. I would encourage all of you wives to ask your husband the same question and see what exciting things the Lord does in your household. Ephesians 4:32 says it all. Pam Markey used this scripture as the foundation of the conference. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you. I know this verse well, but never really applied it to my husband before. But with kindness, compassion and forgiveness at the forefront of my mind and actions, only then is God able to work in me and in our marriage and then as a result of that in the ministry.

Mother's Day was very nice here. In Hungary it is celebrated the Sunday before the one in the States. I got very spoiled and we celebrated both Sundays. The first weekend we had a very nice picnic and BBQ at a beautiful park nearby. There were open fire pits where we could roast hot dogs and marshmallows. There were forests all around us with hiking trails and the boys had a blast playing literally all day. Then the next weekend I was served breakfast in bed by my 3 boys. All of the schools had a special celebration for the Moms. Kale's preschool also did this, inviting the Moms to come in the afternoon on a weekday. They sang songs in Hungarian and German, played some games and presented each Mom with a small planted flower in a pot decorated by their child. It was very nice and sweet.

A couple of weeks ago we hosted a weekend team from the Bible college. the team and several from the Bible study spent the morning at a local park picking up trash and then we had a church picnic that afternoon. It was a great time. We are looking forward to the summer months as the rest of you are I'm sure. There will be many ministry opportunities for us here and we look forward to all the Lord will be doing. Thank you once again for all your support and prayers for us. We desperately need them as we live our lives growing in Him and in our marriage and in raising our boys, then as reach out to others to show them God's love. Much love to all of you.

Tony, Kim, Kai and Kale


PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pray for the VBS. For Larry, Lisa and family as they come to minister here.
Praise: The Lutheran church here is allowing us to use their elementary school.

For another building to meet in for our Bible studies.

Provision for Kai and Kale's home schooling curriculum for the fall. It needs to be ordered the first of June in order for us to receive them in time.

Please pray for the many details regarding the adoption process. We are still trying to get the Medical clearance for Tony and I. I could write a book about the many ups and downs of this one step itself.

Pray for Tony and I, protection of our marriage and wisdom in all the joys and challenges of raising Kai and Kale.

Pray for quick learning of the language for all 4 of us. We are praying about putting the boys in some children's Day Camps and swimming lessons to help with this. Pray for wisdom and that the activities will be attractive to them.

Pray for workers!!! We desperately need more Hungarian helpers, especially for the children's ministry.

We would really love to come home in the fall for a visit. It will have been close to 2 years by then. Please pray God will provide for the tickets and other costs of this.

Pictures: Shack in Sopron; Gabor, Flora & Reka; Tony, Richard & Gabor; Kale, Lily, Zsuzsi, Reka & Lynn; Kim & Kale; English club; leading worship in Vienna; Kai

April 2008 Update & Prayer Requests

I came to you in weakness-timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

Hello Family and Friends!
It's April already and Spring is here. Hooray! We had some warm weather in March and some snow in March. The day after Easter we woke up to snow everywhere. The boys ran outside by 8am to play in it and by noon it had melted. Now, it is warming up for good, thank goodness. We had a very nice Easter. Went to the Calvary Chapel in Vienna and Tony led worship. And of course hiding eggs with the boys, it was a good day. Hope everyone out there is doing well and enjoying warmer weather as well.

March was definitely an amazing month for us. A lot happened that was very exciting and continues to confirm God's purpose and plan for us here in Sopron. A couple weeks ago we were out walking on a Sunday afternoon in our neighborhood. We stopped to watch a man who was burning brush in his backyard, he heard us speaking English and we struck up a conversation. He invited us in to his yard to meet his wife, who was expecting a baby, any day, and their 4 year old daughter. We stayed for over a half hour talking and visiting. We were able to share with them about why we are here and they invited us to come back to see them again after the baby is born for a BBQ. (As in the States, where there is ministry there is food) We are so excited to meet yet another family. This is exactly how the Lord has been working since coming here. We will be going back there in the coming week and look forward to meeting their baby.

There is a Christian couple in town, Rico and Kati, which we have become very good friends with. They attend the Baptist church in town. They have 4 kids and she is home schooling their 7 year old with plans to include the 10 year old in the fall. She is also the one who does the English club for kids twice a week that Kai attends. The Lord has given them a vision to start a Christian school here in town. They have the land and buildings and teachers are coming forward wanting to be a part of it. It is so exciting to see this. But, Kati went through a really tough time these last few months with home schooling. Discouragement, being overwhelmed with household duties and schooling, not having time for her two younger children etc.....the list could go on and on. She was ready to give it all up. I could totally relate and quickly met with her to pray and be an encouragement to her. I could see clearly what was happening, as satan does NOT want home schooling to catch on here. It has just become legal to do so in the last couple years and there are only a few Hungarian families who do this. The culture here regarding school is so different, the people are taught that academics and school is THE most important thing in the whole world and they push their children to do well. But things are still so socialized here, it's a sink or swim situation in the classroom. If there are kids that aren't "getting it" they are quickly passed up and not taken care of. And things come to an abrupt halt when they are at the end of their studies as adults finding themselves with quite an education and many years of their lives invested in school but with no real training or certificate that will allow them a job in the "real world" or a way of making money. So, needless to say home schooling is NOT accepted by the general population here (they look at me like I have 5 heads when I tell them I am doing it, but hey!!! I'm an American, I'm different anyway!!) Also there is the issue of what the kids are exposed to at school s here at such a young age. Pornography is rampant here in the schools. Kati’s 10 year old has told her about what his classmates are able to access via their cell phones while at school. You wouldn’t believe it!
We are able to see that home schooling would be a great benefit to the people here as well as having a Christian school and satan has been working overtime on this family to hinder and discourage them. This family is the pioneer family, the people who will be starting this work. Really though, what the bigger picture here is, is that that the Lord is working here in Hungary. The Holy Spirit is here working among the people, it's not just about Calvary Chapel being in Hungary or Europe. It's not just about Tony and Kim Wilbanks being here in Hungary. It's ALL about God being here and doing a mighty work, and it's just beginning. We believe and can see that it's going to explode here. So, we are excited to be here and feel privileged to be a small part of it.

About the adoption process; first of all most of you know Tony and I attended a mandatory 3 day adoption conference at the beginning of March. It was extremely informative and we enjoyed it very much. There were 3 other couples attending with us and formed a bond with them that will last for many years to come. We also had a home visit from the Social Service office and saw the Psychologist. While these 3 things are big steps forward in the process of adopting we still have a long way to go. Lots more paperwork and more home visits, and Dr. visits. But, we are well on our way. We want to thank each of you for all of your prayers in this matter.
The Lord just answered a HUGE prayer for us this last Friday night. One of the immediate things that needs to be done in the adoption process is finding a medical Dr. to do a routine physical and blood work on Tony and I. It is our preference to find one who speaks English. Well, finding one who is willing to take us (we don't have Hungarian insurance and this creates paperwork problems for the Dr.s) has been very difficult and very frustrating. Friday night at our Bible study I mentioned this as a prayer need and a dear lady who attends our studies, Harriet, knew of a English speaking Dr., she got on the phone right then, called a Dr. friend of hers and hooked us up! It was amazing it all happened!

We have a lot happening here over the next few months. We have a team coming for 2 days from the CC Bible College at the beginning of May. We will be picking up trash around Sopron and later in the day we will have a picnic inviting lots of unsaved people we have met. Lily will be moving here in June and we are excited to have her here full-time. (She is in Israel right now with Pastor Chuck) There is another girl from the Bible College, named Deanna, who is planning on coming to Sopron to serve with us for a few weeks this summer. She feels called to Hungary and is checking out different places as she seeks the Lord. Then in the middle of June we will have the team from North Valley Calvary Chapel. We are looking forward to their time here with the VBS and whatever else the Lord leads us to do. We are excited as already so much has happened and we know that this is only the beginning. We’re anxious to see what this summer will bring.
And that brings me to each of you; you by your prayers and support every month are each a part of this work as well. It might sound cliché, BUT we cannot do what we do here without you doing what you do. Your prayers and support are so needed. We appreciate it all so much.

Here are some prayer requests.
Please if you have time write to us and let us pray for you. If you have a need please let us know and we will hold you up in prayer as well. We love you all.

-pray for the weekend team coming in May.

-for the team coming from North Valley Calvary Chapel in June

-for Kim and Kai as they are home schooling. Wisdom and patience for Kim. The Lord has blessed Kim so much and home schooling has been much more rewarding and fun this semester. Open heart and perseverance for Kai (in other words he has Spring fever!!!) Don't we all right now!!! HA!HA!

-for Kale at preschool, that he will continue to learn the language quickly.

-for all the families we have contact with, mainly outside of the church. That we will minister in the way the Lord leads.

-pray for Rico and Kati as they continue to see and live out God's vision for their lives, their children's lives and the community; that they will have the strength to persevere through all the obstacles that will come their way.

-for monthly provision for us.

-for the people now attending the study, as I believe they will be the foundation of this new work.

-for the protection of our family and our marriage.

-for a meeting place that we can use more than once a week.

March 2008 Update & Prayer Requests

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Hello to Family and Friends,
Unbelievably it's March already. As always God has been so faithful and so good to us. We are so blessed in so many ways and one of those blessings came in the weather. February started off warming up for us here in Hungary and we enjoyed it so much. We were able to take the boys out to the park and enjoy some weather in the 50's and even 60's!! It gave me (Kim) spring fever big time!! So we bought a little bit of planting soil and a few flowers, seeds and pots and the boys and I went to town on our window gardens. Well, as the end of February, first of March approached it cooled off a LOT! We even got some snow earlier this week. So, hopefully the flowers will survive. But we are not complaining, we know more warm weather is around the corner.

Things at the Wilbanks' house in Sopron, Hungary are going great! It's been quite busy here lately as most of you know that the proceedings for the adoption got sped up a bit, which makes us very happy! So, I'll start right off and give you a quick update on things.
We had the home study with 2 adoption officials from a nearby town. They are the same ladies (one of them the Psychologist we met with) that we have been dealing with from the beginning. The home study involves them coming to our house and looking thru the whole house to make sure there is enough room for more children and that the living conditions are satisfactory. We had to sign some papers and they gave us lots of info and told us what needs to be done next, and there is a lot to be done. First we have to gather several official papers/certificates of various types, such as birth certificates etc., we need to see a medical Dr. and he fills out a form saying we are healthy and the list goes on. Somewhere in this process our case will be turned over to the Child Protective Services here in Sopron. After all this paperwork is collected, the Sopron office will come out to our house to do another home study (Oh joy!!!). Actually it wasn't bad at all, and the house has never been cleaner!! HA! HA! Then all documents will be transferred to the capital, Budapest. We just returned from an adoption seminar. It was absolutely awesome and invaluable!!! There were 4 couples there and 3 of us are missionaries. We all made a special connection with each other. Even the Psychologist that led most of the classes said that in all the 42 of these classes that she has held never has she felt this kind of chemistry within a group. We also asked her to take a group picture of us and she said that also was a first. We made some very important contacts that will surely be very valuable in the future. Also, there was some very good news!! A new law just passed that will allow us foreigners to be treated as nationals thru the WHOLE process; which means we are not on the "leftover" list anymore (I hate to word it that way, but that's what they said). We will now go on the same list as the Hungarians, so this will speed up the time of us getting the children we want. So we were very pleased to hear this. We are however, a little overwhelmed at this point. There is even more paperwork to do then we thought and things to be done. But the good news about that is the other couples that have already done all these things gave us all their info and are guiding us thru. And the boys had a great time this weekend. It was hard to be away from them, especially since Saturday was my birthday, but we all survived and are back together now.
Thank you everyone for your prayers and support for us regarding this.

The Friday night Bible study is going great. Tony has just started the book of 1 Corinthians and it is clear that the Lord is using these teachings to lay a foundation, within the body, for the work ahead. We have had several people new to the area calling and emailing, asking about the study….so we expect to see some new faces in the near future. The circumstances continue to be amazing how these people just start showing up. I just got an email from a Christian man in South Africa, who somehow found us on the web, and is moving his family here and looking to make connections. I have at least 4 other similar stories from people in Europe coming here. What’s wild is that we know that this is just the beginning.
Last Friday night we had a very sweet time of prayer, where I (Kim) got to join in also. The Lord blessed our time together in prayer. We continue to have contact with a lot of different non-Christian families in town. These people are precious and have a sincere desire to be our friends. We are enjoying their company, as well as being excited about how the Lord will use us to influence their lives for Him. In this Kai has found a new friend, a Hungarian boy, who is the brother of one of Kale's classmates. The Lord provides for us in all the ways we need, we are so thankful!

Special note to you at North Valley Calvary Chapel:
Hey guys, as many of you know Larry Todd is organizing an outreach team to come here this June. I trust that if the Lord has laid this on your heart that you are prayerfully considering this. We’d love for you to come for many reasons. The first, having the opportunity to see first hand what God has begun here and what a HUGE part that you all at NVCC are playing in it and secondly that you get the opportunity to see what the Lord is doing outside of the USA. I guarantee it to be life changing! Keep praying.

Also, a great big Thank-You! to everyone who have so generously donated craft items for children's and women's ministries.

Blessings, Tony, Kim, Kai and Kale

Prayer Requests:

1. For the Lord to continue to give us a strong love and desire to love and serve these people. That we would have the opportunity to share God’s love.
2. For continued vision for the ministry. I have some neat things that the Lord has been showing me that I will share with you in the next newsletter. Please pray!
3. For a building to meet in regularly. This summer (soon) we have some things planned that will require somewhere to meet other than the home we are meeting in for the Bible study. ie: VBS. Remember Kim had 15 kids at our home for a Christmas party and we believe we will have these and many more kids interested in the VBS.
4. God’s protection for our family and marriage. I cannot stress enough the importance of this right now. The enemy is having his way with many relationships over here.
5. Continued provision for living and ministry expenses. Weak dollar, Bad!
The adoption process; that all will happen according to His will and timing
6. Pray for Lily; coming each weekend to serve and moving here this summer
7. Pray for the Lord to work in the hearts of others that would consider coming here to help full-time
8. Please pray for all of these individuals and families that we have come to know, Gabor, Zsuzsi, Reka & Flora; Harriet; Kimo, Marina & family; Richard, Etta & Max; Marika & Pali; Paul, Ibi & family; Zoltan, Anni & boys; Ernesto, Judit & Vivian; Gabor, Julie & family; Gabor (our landlord); Lazlo, Edit & Szabolcs; Erika; Rico, Kati & family; Zsuzsi at bakery; Frank at sport shop; Nora (Kai’s tennis teacher); Berni (Kale’s teacher); Dingo, Kriszta & family; Conrad, Benita & family; & Ildiko. We’ll catch the rest next time. God knows!

Pictures: downtown sopron, kai and kale at kale's school, kai with friends in front of Bible college, kale & cookie, kai and fox, kim & i at adoption classes

Praise & Prayer

Hello Family and Friends,

We have good news! After all the waiting we got a phone call from the adoption agency today.

First of all, we will be able to adopt in our county and not go to Budapest. So we are very excited about that. Second, there is a class that is required for Tony and I to take before the adoption can take place. This class is usually one of the last things that happens before the adoption is approved. However, there is one taking place, in English, March 7, 8 and 9th. The ones in English are not offered very often so our case worker is trying very hard to get us into that one. But, there are a few things that have to take place first, like a letter written and submitted of what kind of child/children we want, an appointment to see the Psychologist and a Homestudy (this is where the adoption officials come to our house and make sure we are set up to have more children living here).

And, all this has to happen before March 7, which is right at 2 weeks! So, now it's hurry, hurry, hurry on our part. Tonight our heads are kind of spinning but we are very excited!Marina, our friend here in town, is so gracious to help us with all of this. I will be going to her house in the morning to write the needed letter and she will translate it. Then I will get all the details as to when these other appointments will take place. We would treasure your continued prayers in this matter. We know God's hand is in all of this. It is highly unusual to have all these things that we need done happen in such short a time. But the officials are willing to help us get them done so we can go to this class. As you can see, God is going before us, leading and guiding us and that's the ONLY way we want it.

This is all I know for now. When I have more info I will let you all know. Below are listed specific prayer requests. We appreciate your prayers and letters of support so much. Thank you so much.

1. Pray for God's will and timing in all of that happens.

2. Pray for the appt. with the Psychologist and Homestudy to happen before March 7.

3. Pray for all the details, things we are not even thinking about now, to all come together.

4. Please pray for financial provision for the process as each step will be costly. The 3 day course in Budapest alone will be around $300.00 for both Tony and I to attend and then we may need to stay the night there both nights, which will be an added expense.

5. Last but not least please keep praying for the little girl or girls, more than likely they are living already in this county. Pray for God's protection over them and for their caretaker to take a special interest in them and give them lots of nurturing and hugs and affection. This will hopefully prevent attachment disorder later on when they are with us.

Again, thank you so much for sharing in our excitement. God bless you! Kim and Tony

February Update and Prayer Requests

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4

Hello family and Friends,
Unbelievably January is gone and here we are already into February. Things here in Sopron are going really good. Even though it's still very cold and we are all ready for some warm, sunny days, we are encouraged by the things that the Lord is doing and by His tremendous faithfulness. He continues to direct and guide us, giving Tony message after message for Friday nights, which have been very fruitful. We had our first communion service this past month and it was such a blessing. Kai joined in, and it was his first time. It's such a blessing to see our children growing in the knowledge and love of the Lord as well. New people are continuing to come to the study and we are in awe of how God is working and using us in spite of our weaknesses.
We have been blessed to go the Calvary Chapel Vienna on Sundays this past month. Tony taught there one Sunday morning in January and will be filling in for the Pastor a couple of times this month, including this coming Sunday morning. It's been so nice for us to be able to join in with them for the fellowship and feeding.

Kai and Kale are doing good and staying healthy, although they are anxious for some warm weather as well. We did have a couple warmer (in the high 40's) days with some sunshine and went to the park for a few hours. Those were very fun days and they can't stop talking about it. Kale is now going to the preschool 5 mornings a week. It was a heart wrenching decision for Mommy!, but after talking to his teacher we all agreed that he would learn the language faster and would feel more a part of the routine if he were there everyday. He has adjusted well and loves being with his friends. Kai and I continue with home schooling. It's such a joy and right now we are enjoying doing some Valentine crafts. He is a good student and it is getting easier for me with each passing week.

We appreciate everyone's prayers and support. Here are some prayer requests. Thank you all for your dedication and lifting us up.

Prayer Requests

- Kai and Kale to continue to do well in school. Also, they have both been extra home sick lately.

- For the protection of our marriage. For wisdom with the boys in disciplinary matters; that we can shape and mold their characters without breaking their spirits. That we can point them to Jesus and that their hearts would be soft.

- For the women's ministry. The Lord has been laying on my heart to do a women's craft night in the Spring as an outreach. Thank you to those who have offered to send craft supplies! Pray for the women to come and for the message that should be taught.

- Whether or not to pursue a building for the church to meet in. The Hungarian family that is hosting us on Friday nights loves doing this but we are feeling that we could do a lot more things (like the ladies night and possibly a VBS this summer) if we had a building; for God's direction and provision for this.

- For the individuals in the Bible study, to grow closer to Him and know Him more personally. Please pray that the foundation for this ministry would continue to be laid.

-Continue praying for the adoption process.

- Gabor and I (Tony) are meeting each Thursday afternoon for prayer. Pray for this time to be fruitful.

- Continued provision for us here. As is normal things have dropped off over the last year and the dollar continues to get weaker against the Forint and Euro. Good for U.S. businesses wanting to export, not good for missionaries
on the field. Enough said.

Praise Report!
Lily has committed to being with us every Friday night! Hooray! She will be attending the Bible college during the week and travel here for the study on Friday’s. We are so excited. Now we just need a Hungarian speaking person to do the kids ministry on Friday nights. I am doing it myself in English but we really need a Hungarian speaking helper. We need laborers.