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Address: International Christian School of Budapest c/o Laura Decker Ifjsg tca 11 H-2049 Disd, Hungary Email: laura.decker@efca.org Blog: LauraInHungary.weebly.com

Lauras Lens
Running with the Gospel in Budapest, Hungary

Through

Prayer and Praise Corner

Praise:( For$a$fun$and$exciting$season$ coaching$basketball$ For$my$two,$sweet$high$school$ mentoring$relationships$$ For$a$new$Hungarian$outreach$ opportunity$this$spring:$playing$ softball$with$a$ministry$called$ Operation$Mobilization$$$ Prayer:( To$end$the$school$year$strong$ For$a$new,$weeklong$basketball$ camp$at$ICSB$that$is$starting$this$ summer$ For$new$friendships$with$other$ teachers$ $

A whirlwind might be the best way to explain the past three months. That is, an incredibly exciting whirlwind ! Lets start with February. Each year, the International Christian School of Budapest (ICSB) hosts a major basketball tournament and invites schools from all over Europe. This year, teams from four countries participated. They came from Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and Hungary. Over three days, 9 teams played 22 games, 10 trophies were awarded, while 110 pounds of American BBQ beef and tons of American candy were enjoyed. The head coach of the ICSBs girls team presented the Gospel message to the teams. This fun, exciting, and strategic event went off without a hitch. One team, which in the past had left the gym during the Gospel presentation, decided to stay in the gym and listen for the first time. Pray that the hearts of the players and coaches will be softened towards the message of salvation! February ended with a few more basketball games played in Vienna. (It still seems surreal to just drive over to Vienna for a quick game!) I had the opportunity to coach the JV team by myself. Two of the games included double-overtimeI nearly had a heart attack!

Great(News!(
I$will$be$spending$the$month$of$June$ in$Illinois.$If$youd$like$to$grab$a$cup$of$ coffee$or$hear$more$about$my$ ministry,$please$email$me.$I$would$ love$to$see$as$many$of$you$as$I$can!$$

THE LOREM IPSUMS

SPRING 2016 Coaching basketball has been a highlight of my time here. The Daily Herald (a suburban Chicago newspaper) featured me in a story about my overseas basketball experience on February 26. You can find a link to the article on my blog. Coaching basketball has also led to several mentoring relationships with high school girls. Based on the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, I have asked the girls Im mentoring to journal about the little gifts or joys they experience throughout the day. Its been humbling to notice the little things God puts in our paths each day. My entry one day was the pure, joyous laughter of a 6-year-old and having a conversation with a Hungarian elderly woman by using only hand motions. Pray that I would more clearly see the hand of God in the little things of life. Also, pray for the girls that I have the privilege of mentoring. As I mentor these high school girls, Im grateful that I have started working with a Life Coach. This person not only acts like a mentor but also helps me set and achieve goals. Our time together has been incredibly special. Pray for this sweet relationship and great opportunity.

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Life in kindergarten as a Special Aide for Lianna is going well. In January, she celebrated her 6th birthday and her classmates sung Happy Birthday to her in both Hungarian and English. Its been fun seeing the different ways cultures celebrate these special days. We also celebrated the 100th day of school. Throughout day, we had fun activities and ate lots of food that revolved around the number 100. On the 100th day of school, it was fitting to reflect on Psalm 100. Verse 5 says, For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. The whirlwind and excitement of these past few months has shown me that Gods steadfast love does endure forever. Thank you for making it possible for me to play a part in Christs mission in Hungary! Thank you for your prayers and support! ra Lau
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Lianna & her classm

ates on her birthda y