Rob & Carol Greathouse

A voice from the past

2010-04-03T07:33:00.002+02:00

We've had a number of letters and e-mails from people who stayed with us in the past since we posted our request for prayer. Recently a young woman who came to us quite a few years ago wrote and shared her experience. Here is what she had to say...

Stephanie Kautz April 1 at 8:03am

Hi Carol, I don't know if you remember me, but I had the great pleasure of coming to visit you in Debrecen about 7 years ago. It was during a deep, painful depression that I was going through, and when I came to your mission house, I found a postcard on my pillow from you saying that you hoped this could be my "hiding place". I just looked at the pictures of the house that you have on facebook, of that bedroom, and all the memories flooded back, along with the deepest gratitude i can express, because all i can say is that the Lord was with me in that house, and He helped me grieve in my own way over the sadness that had clouded my life. I still have the postcard, and I still remember you, with all your deep sweetness. Thank you thank you for believing in me during that time. I am praying for you now, I know that the Lord will provide and carry all your burdens. Bless you...Love, Stephanie Kautzp.s. i gave you a friend request, if you look at my picture, maybe you will recall me, but if not, i understand because i know i was just one of many young women that you have helped.

Update April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T09:41:00.001+02:00

Prayer Request/ Missions Opportunity
Mission House/Guest House Ministry
Debrecen, Hungary

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am writing to request your prayers and as our Lord leads, invite your involvement in a ministry that has blessed us immeasurably for more than a decade.

My name is Robert Greathouse and my wife and I have served our Lord in Debrecen, Hungary through the gifts of hospitality and compassion in a guesthouse ministry that has provided a place of respite for countless of pastors, orphans, and missionaries. Last year I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, requiring us to sell our ministry assets and return to the states, a lengthy process we have yet to conclude.

Our story began in 1996 when my wife Carol was invited to take part in a mission trip to Hungary and Romania. The people of this region captured her heart in a way that only God, Himself, can orchestrate. She felt compelled to return in 1997 and 1998. At that time, she assisted with an evangelistic music ministry, again visiting orphanages, cultural houses, and small village churches with the music team.

During those trips Carol became involved in a ministry whose focus was to reach out to the Roma (Gypsy) population in both countries. Living in mud huts heated only by archaic wood burning stoves, Carol came face to face with true poverty. Yet even among the stench of unwashed bodies and disease and filth, these people beamed with life – God’s life. And as the big-eyed, ragtag children took hold of her hand, God knitted her soul to theirs and she knew she never again would be the same.

In late 1998, we learned of the level of fatigue and burnout ministers in this region suffer. The ministers of the gospel desperately needed a place of respite. The call burned in my heart in a way I could not ignore. So when the Gypsy Mission Foundation as well as our local church in Debrecen (Calvary Chapel) asked us to pray about becoming full-time missionaries based in Hungary, taking part in outreaches in both Hungary and Romania, we did just that. And God brought us confirmation after confirmation.

In May of 1999, we moved into full-time ministry based in Debrecen, Hungary. At first we rented a small house but it soon became apparent the needs of the ministry far outweighed our ability to provide in the limited space of our little home. This was in 2001, and after long and heart-felt prayer, we believed the Lord was asking us to invest our savings in His Kingdom.

This was a difficult decision for Carol who felt more “secure” with our savings safely invested in the States. Finally, there came a time when she realized that if she said “no” one more time, she would be saying no to her Lord. That decision made, we began looking for property. In June of 2002, the mission house and attached guesthouse was completed.

In the years that followed, a myriad of guests from a host of countries filtered through our little ministry. They say we were a blessing to them. But we too have experienced the blessing of the Lord in immeasurable ways.

In February of 2009 God began to bring our time of ministry to close when I was diagnosed with terminal metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer. I have undergone surgery to remove the tumor and radiation treatment. The doctors told me after these treatments there are no other treatments available for this type of cancer and at most I may live up to two years.

Since the treatment, we have been working to “close up shop” in Hungary. The biggest part of that is selling the ministry house. It has now been one year since the diagnosis and our prayer is that the Lord will help us sell the mission house/guest house complex before I am unable to travel back to America to live out my life.

It is our most earnest prayer that the house could continue to be used for ministry purposes. We would ask that you would pray for us about this and spread the word to ministries and individuals who might be interested in full-time mission work in this part of the world.

We are asking $300,000 for the property and will consider leaving a large part of the furniture for a mission organization or church willing to continue the ministry here. With the increased cost of land and construction, our builder has said it would cost over $500,000 to build today.

The mission house consists of a large kitchen/dining area, a large living room/meeting room, two bedrooms, a large laundry room/pantry, and two bathrooms. In addition, the guesthouse is a fully self-contained house with two bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen/dining/living room area.

Debrecen is a University City with a population of approximately 300,000. It is just 30 minutes from the border with Romania and about 1 hour from the border with Ukraine. One of the major refugee camps for people seeking refuge in Europe is only about a ten-minute drive from the house. It is 2.5 hours from Budapest and 1-1.5 hours from Slovakia. Since there is a large population of English speakers within the Debrecen church, our need for translators has always been met. The possibilities for all kinds of ministry are endless.

We have put together photos and have posted them on Facebook. If you or someone you know has an interest in this ministry, you can access the photos at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2033107&id=1471608264&l=a8f5871915 Please feel free to pass this information along to others.

Above all, we ask for your prayers for my wife and I. Pray that God would allow us to continue believing that He is in control of everything, the timing of the sale, who will take over the ministry, and those who come to serve Him and be blessed through their time here. It is truly a stressful time for us now, but even so, we would not trade the blessing of being involved in God’s work here in Hungary over the past decade for anything.

Interested parties may contact us at this e-mail address: hungarianmissionhouse4sale@yahoo.com

In His grip,
Rob and Carol Greathouse
Debrecen, Hungary

October Update

2009-10-05T11:00:00.013+02:00

Dear ones,

We are finally coming up for air and since we've received many requests, it's time to update you on what is happening here in Hungary.

Rob and I traveled to Debrecen in early August and literally hit the floor running. So many things to do that it was hard to decide what to do first!

Taking stock of what was needed and how to accomplish it, we first needed to paint the inside of both the mission and guest houses. God blessed us hugely when an unexpected new supporter came forward with a 6 month commitment which enabled us to hire the painting done rather than doing it ourselves. In hindsight, we both know it would have been an impossible task and would have taken us much longer to accomplish. Thank you dear unexpected supporter. (You know who you are.)

For nearly 3 weeks, we and our guests found ourselves moving furniture and sleeping accomodations from one room to the next. It was a real interesting experience cooking when nearly everything was covered with sheets of plastic!

After the painting was completed the big job of cleaning up began. Thank God for Dani and Andi who are our "temporary" residents in the guest house. Interesting thing about the construction here in Hungary; the walls are all concrete so that when they are being painted, they first have to sand them. Of course all this dust gets into and on everything, necessitating a thorough cleaning of every surface when it's done. We spent more than a week washing down and polishing windows, floors, and furniture.

Never knowing when to quit, both Rob and I ended up with back problems. Too much bending and lifting which then led to heat packs, ice packs, and lots of Ibuphrofen. Gosh, it's tough getting older!

So, the house was back in order and the next item on our "to do" list were the yards. Our Hungarian church made an announcement and the following Saturday, we had 14 hardy souls show up and between them, the yards were whipped into shape and all the old building materials were sent to the recycle center in a huge dumpster. Interesting thing here in Hungary; you may not even need a dumpster because before we knew it, we had people stopping by to ask if they could take the old bath tub, toilet, and wood scraps. That allowed us to dispose of more than we thought possible.

Once all the cleaning up was done, Tibi from our Hungarian church stopped by and took lots of photos inside and outside the house in preparation for creating a webpage to list the property for sale. That has now been done and you can go to the webpage by clicking the link below to see the listing. Please feel free to pass it along to anyone/church that might have an interest in basing their ministry here in Hungary. http://www.toplak.hu/elado-kiado-ingatlan/Haz/Csaladi-haz/Hajdu-Bihar/Debrecen/hirdetes-76855724.html

Our beautiful city of Debrecen is close to several borders so it makes it a perfect "jumping off point" to minister into Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Plus, we have all these young Hungarians who are becoming fluent in English and serve as translators.

Rob's health is holding up so far. Other than a slight change in his voice and less energy than what was normal, he is keeping busy. We had hoped a ministry would consider purchasing the property and our plan was to include as much furniture as possible. But since that doesn't seem to be in the cards at this time, we aren't sure how much to pack up to bring back with us once we finally move.

The waiting is the hardest part. Funny thing about the spiritual life, it is so easy at times to say all the right words but to live it out is a whole other experience. The "Refiners Fire" is a difficult place to be, whether it is yourself or a loved one going through it.

Rob's hope, and one could say his dream, is that once he is back in America, he would like to take a road trip to visit our many friends and family around the States. We are praying for a quick sale and smooth transition back to life in America as soon as possible. Understanding that might not be God's plan , we pray for patience to wait upon His perfect plan.

Thank you one and all for your faithfulness in lifting us in prayer. May you and yours be blessed in the days ahead.

In praise and gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ.

Rob and Carol Greathouse

Going Home - To Hungary

2009-07-18T16:18:00.004+02:00

Rob is finished with his 32 radiation treatments and it's time to organize our trip back to Hungary. We will leave California on August 6th and arrive in Hungary on August 7th, hooray!!!

Rob likes to keep busy and while here he has helped Janine (our hostess) with a number of projects including organizing her garage, putting in a new kitchen sink and tile, and sanding and staining her outdoor furniture.

Your prayers have bathed us in love, encouragement, and peace as we've walked through this desert trek. Rob has healed from the radiation burns, is gaining strength daily, and oh so ready to go home and tackle the next phase in this journey...getting the mission house property ready to sell, on the Internet if necessary.

Our Hungarian church family has offered to help us with the painting inside both houses and we are so grateful for them, even if they didn't help, it's so nice to be a part of such a loving and supportive family of God.

Rob's prognosis is uncertain. The doctors have said with the radiation treatments they hoped he would have at least two more years. Our hope is that we can sell the property and get moved back to California before the cancer makes another appearance. The doctors are not too happy about his decision to return to Hungary but Rob is adamant that he wants to help me tie up all the loose ends before our move back to the States.

To all our brothers and sisters, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us in these uncertain times.

May God bless you one and all.

Carol and Rob

Prayer Warriors Unite

2009-06-26T18:59:00.005+02:00

Cancer...the dreaded words conger up all kinds of emotion. Fear strikes first, then disbelief, followed by the questions, why me, why now, what will the future look like.

Then, the peace of God fills us with the realization that everything, even this, is in the hands of our Creator, who loves His children with a never ending supply of grace and mercy.

As you know, Rob is going through his own battle with Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Cancer. Thursday, June 25th marks a milestone of sorts because that is the day he had his last radiation treatment, 32 in all.

In the past two months the cancer gene in his family as claimed the life of Rob's beloved Uncle Bob, and just this week, we received the news that his very beloved Aunt Nadyne has been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in it's last stage.

So much heartache, so much sadness at the thought of what lies ahead (on this earth) for those close to us as they walk through yet another fight with the enemy, Cancer. Yet we are comforted by the knowledge that we will see one another again when we have a great reunion in heaven.

Please dear ones, pray for our family members who have been devastated by this disease, who are coming alongside to provide care and comfort to those affected. We have been bathed in the love of God and wish the same loving kindness for them as well.

Rob decided he wanted you to see for yourselves the almost "Star Trek" mask he has worn for his radiation treatments. We've also taken a photo of his neck so you will know what is happening. Your prayers and encouragement in these past months have meant the world to us and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love you've poured out upon us.

May God bless you each and every day.

Rob and Carol

Health Update

2009-06-01T17:18:00.008+02:00

Dear ones,

It's been a while since we've updated you so here's the latest scoop.

Rob has completed 13 of the 32 scheduled radiation treatments and so far, he is being a real trooper as the effects of treatment make their appearance.

He now has a burning sensation and some blistering in the treated area. There is some pain just under his chin and swelling in his throat. His voice is also changing again, much like it was post surgery.

Rob had a clean shirt on when we left the house for church on Sunday but when we walked out of church, the front of his shirt was covered in beard hairs. He reached up and as he rubbed his neck, clumps of beard began falling. So the next phase has begun, no beard where he is being radiated. He's not too sad to see it go but wishes it was the whole neck area so he wouldn't have to shave at all!

One of the most noticeable things is the increasing fatigue. The doctor says this will increase throughout the treatment but will progressively improve once treatment is completed.

All in all, Rob is being a real trooper and wants you all to know how much he appreciates all your prayers.

We are praying Rob will regain enough strength to be able to return to Debrecen in early August to make some changes and possibly paint the inside of the houses. We will also have to decide what to pack up to bring back to the States once the property is sold. So far, there is no buyer in sight. Please keep this in your prayers. It is difficult to straddle two continents, not knowing what steps to take next.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and love. We are being bathed in God's love and grace each day. Included are some photos of Rob taken in the last two weeks.

Blessings in Christ,

Carol and Rob

What's Happening Now

2009-05-22T19:15:00.008+02:00

Busy days and more to come. Rob has completed 8 radiation treatments so far and is really a trooper!

So far, he is beginning to experience a burning feeling to the treated area and also more tiredness. He is taking more naps throughout the day and just conserving his energy for what lays ahead. His doctor said he would begin to experience the full effects of the radiation in the weeks ahead.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go camping with our daughter and grandkids. They have an RV and a boat so we were able to have a great time on the water. Rob's fishing was limited to the evening hours so I don't have photos of him sitting on the back of the docked boat with his line in the water.

I did get a few photos of our grandkids wakeboarding and tubing plus me just hanging out on the boat which I've posted above.

Thank you one and all for all your loving encouragement and prayers. God is good, giving us a quiet place to hang our hat, rest when needed, and also be a blessing to our hostess Janine, who has turned her home over to us. She even gave up her master bedroom so we could have more space to be comfortable. Sitting on her patio with the beautiful waterfall has become an oasis for us, allowing us to feel God's love all around us. Blessings upon blessings just keep pouring out on us and we are so very grateful.

Wanting to do something to thank her, we found out Janine wanted to change her kitchen sink to a stainless one so we took her shopping for a new sink and faucet which Rob and Janine's Dad will install next week.

We are still praying for a buyer for the Mission House in Debrecen and try to remember the timing for this is also in God's hands.

Blessings to all,

Carol and Rob

Some Good News, At Last!!!

2009-05-04T19:35:00.003+02:00

Thank you all for your prayers these many months. Rob just finished talking with his surgeon and finally got an idea of the prognosis for his future.

He was told that if he chose to have radiation to his surgery site, it could add 2 years to his life. If no radiation, he could expect about 1 year. Of course, he is choosing to have radiation which will start in the next two weeks.

Please know how much your prayers have encouraged us. We ask you to continue to pray for God's mercy and strength as Rob faces his next hurdle.

Additionally, there has been word of a possible buyer for the mission house property. Keep praying!! Thanks.

Love and hugs to you all!
Rob and Carol

Rob's Dream Machine

2009-05-02T16:51:00.004+02:00

Thanks everyone, for your prayers this past week. Rob was able to make the trip to Southern California and Nevada with no problems.

While in Las Vegas visiting my brother Wayne, Rob had the chance to sit on Wayne's Harley Davidson motor cycle. It has always been Rob's dream to own one but he was more than content to just get the chance to sit on one. You can see his huge smile above.

Monday, Rob will see his surgeon and hopefully get some answers about the prognosis for his type of cancer. Right now, we don't know whether to plan to return to Hungary or stay here for the forseeable future.

Please keep praying for the sale of the Mission House in Debrecen Hungary. So far, there hasn't been any one coming forward with interest or an offer.

Blessings and love to all.

Rob and Carol

Making Progress!!!

2009-04-16T15:40:00.001+02:00

Wednesday was doctor day and the news is good. Rob was able to have ALL his tubes removed and he is one happy man now that all his "attachments" are out!!! See that smile on his face above!!!

The doctor also gave him the biopsy results. They show that of the 18 lymph nodes removed, 17 were benign and only one large node was malignant. Not sure yet what that means but Rob will ask his Oncologist in a couple of weeks to explain ALL the details.

Baring any restrictions, Rob wants to make the trip to Los Angeles to the Hungarian Consulate after seeing his surgeon next week Wednesday. If all goes well, my sister Georgia will drive us to L.A., then to Long Beach to visit my cousin, then to Riverside to visit one of Rob's uncles, and finally to Las Vegas to visit my brother and his family.

Most likely, the week after we get back, Rob will begin his radiation treatment. We've heard some gruesome tales of what that will be like so we're asking for prayer for Rob's strength to get through it without too many side effects.

Except for being beardless, we're both surprised at how little change there is in his appearance. Of course a lot of that could be the result of swelling.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your faithfulness in praying for Rob. He is encouraged by all the love being poured out to him. Thanks to all who have written e-mails, snail mail, and made phone calls.

Thanks Pastor Bodi and Doctor Krisztian, your calls from Hungary meant the world to us.

Blessings to all,
Carol and Rob

Rob is Home!!!!

2009-04-12T16:40:00.003+02:00

The picture below is Rob smiling and thanking everyone for their prayers. The doctors allowed him to come home Saturday although he still has a catheter bag plus two drains in his wound. You can see by the smile on his face he's happy to be out of the noisy hospital even though he was blessed to have a private room!

He had a rough night, waking several times (it's hard to get comfortable with all the "attachments") but his pain level is manageable with pain meds.

Rob will see his surgeon on Wednesday to have his catheter removed and hopefully, both of the drains. Rob is hoping to be able to make a trip to Los Angeles in about 2 weeks to go to the Hungarian Consulate to have paperwork signed.

After that, he will start the radiation treatment about week 3 post-surgery. That will entail 6-7 weeks, 5 days a week of radiation targeted to his surgery site. They are saying the affects of the radiation will begin about week 2 or 3 with a burning affect much like someone who has experienced a fire. He doesn't know more than that yet but will find out more once he has his pre-treatment meeting with the Radiation Oncologist. No one is saying what comes next so we'll keep you posted how you can be praying once we know more.

Today we are celebrating our risen Savior, Jesus and thanking God for His loving care. We are so aware of all the prayers being lifted for him and for me as well. Thank you dear ones for continuing to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Blessings in Jesus, the RISEN Savior.

Carol and Rob

Rob Doing Well!!!

2009-04-11T02:51:00.000+02:00

Never one to miss an opportunity to have an In-N-Out cheeseburger, as soon as the docs gave him the ok to eat whatever he wanted, he asked me to bring him one from his favorite place, plus fries and a chocolate shake. Boy was he grinning when I walked through the door shortly before noon today.

Rob is currently out of bed, disconnected from his monitoring devices and leg pumps (keeps the blood flowing while bedridden), but still with an IV attached, and sitting in a recliner chair reading one of his favorite authors.

No pain meds have been needed for the past 8 hours so he is doing REALLY well, post-op. He is looking forward to being able to come home tomorrow and will see his surgeon on Wednesday of next week, hopefully to have the drains removed from his neck.

We will have a quiet Easter at home, probably watching one of the TV Church programs. My sis and a friend are stopping by in the afternoon to check on his progress.

Once again, we thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts for your faithfulness in standing with us through these many weeks.

May you all be encouraged and your faith strengthened as we celebrate our risen savior Jesus Christ. To God be the glory.

Gratefully His,
Carol and Rob

Rob's Surgery Outcome

2009-04-10T06:43:00.006+02:00

Rob thought you all might like to see him before shaving and after so no one will have a problem recognizing him in the future!!! As you can see, he still has a smile on his face and did even when they were wheeling him into surgery.

The results of the surgery are this: They did NOT have to remove the muscle in his neck or his salivary gland. The tumor was the size of a closed fist, it is "non differentiated" squamous cell cancer, at least a stage 3. His doctor said they also removed a lymph node that was totally affected. She also said that since the lymph node was involved, it may have spread to other lymph nodes and therefore could be in other parts of his body at some point, not necessarily just the head or neck area.

I was able to see Rob for a few minutes, he was still groggy from the anesthesia but knew who I was. His throat was sore from the breathing tube during surgery so he wasn't able to talk much.

Since he went into surgery at 4:45 p.m. and they finished about 8 p.m. he will be staying in the hospital until at least Saturday.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Rob has been encouraged by all the love coming his way.

Blessings in Christ,
Carol for Rob too

More Details

2009-04-02T19:08:00.002+02:00

Hi all,

Rob got a call from his doctor yesterday and the decision is to do his surgery on Thursday, April 9th at 2:30pm. The reason for the late start is that there is a question about how long the surgery will take, anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on how much tissue is involved, if they can save his neck muscles, any lymph nodes, etc. The doctor is determined to save as much of his head and neck as possible, always a good thing!

Rob continues to be encouraged by all the comments on the blog, e-mails, and phone calls. He had a call from Pastor Bodi while he was still in Texas and Rob got to talk to a few of the former students all meeting and staying with Tenny's family.

Rob is keeping busy these days, updating our ministry financials and teaching me how to do it on my own. Something that's being in a holding pattern for the past 10 years!!! Yesterday he also worked on our taxes, never a fun thing to do but oh so necessary.

We do need prayer about the ministry financial situation. Several of our long-time supporters are in a situation where they will not be able to continue due to the recession, job loss, or other financial considerations. Please pray that God will continue to provide all that is needed to keep things going even though we are not there. In any case, the ministries continue, praises to God!

We are so grateful to Dani and Andi for their help in keeping things going in Hungary at the mission house. A real cause for concern if not for them. Kudos to you both Dani and Andi.

We love you all, thank God for you by name, each time we remember you in our prayers.

In His grip,
Carol for Rob too

Rob's Decision

2009-03-31T21:40:00.002+02:00

Rob met with his cancer surgeon this morning and has made a decision about the course of treatment he is going to pursue.

He has decided to have a neck dissection where they will remove most of the side of his neck, nodes, and any affected tissue. That will be followed up by 6-7 weeks of radiation to the surgery area. He chose not to have the more radical radiaiton which would have meant radiating his whole head. He said the side effects were too drastic, loss of smell and taste being the most primary.

The doctor wants to do the surgery as soon as approval is received from the insurance company, sometime next week most likely. He will be hospitalized at least the day of surgery overnight and longer if needed.

Thank you again, for all your prayers and we will update the blog once the schedule is set.

God bless you,
Carol and Rob

Monday's Test Results

2009-03-30T20:30:00.004+02:00

Dear ones,

Thank you for praying today. The result is that with the exception of a small red patch in the upper chest and a small polyp in the colon, they found nothing!!! The doctor feels that neither of these "finds" are suspect but he did go ahead and do a biopsy on both. The results are not in yet.

Rob is resting after finally getting a chance to eat. In fact I just checked on him and he is snoring peacefully.

Rob will meet with his cancer surgeon tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10am to discuss all the test results, find out what she recommends, and hopefully, be able to make an informed decision about treatment.

Most of the doctors are encouraging Rob is go with the modified neck/jaw dissection plus 6-7 weeks of radiation. We shall see what he ultimately decides.

Please continue to pray for Rob to have clarity so he can be comfortable with his choice, and ultimately, that the decision is the right one for his type of cancer.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and may God bless you in abundance.

Carol for Rob too

Prayers for Rob

2009-03-29T17:16:00.003+02:00

Dear ones,

Today Rob is prepping for tests to be done on Monday, March 30th. The doctor told us when Rob met him last week, that he should know immediately if they find the primary source of his neck cancer. That said, I may be able to post more indepth news tomorrow.

Rob is experiencing new symptoms; nearly constant headache, stiffness in his neck along with pain running from his lower neck into his head, and difficulty in turning his head.

We covet your prayers, that the doctors will finally be able to pinpoint the primary cancer and then determine what can be done to treat it effectively.

Rob will meet with his primary doctor late morning on Tuesday. He should have more details then and we will of course, update this blog as soon as possible.

Thank you all for standing in the gap with us. Your prayers are apreciated more than our words can ever convey.

Blessings in Christ,
Rob and Carol

Debrecen Mission/Guest House Photos

2009-03-25T23:25:00.008+01:00

We have been asked to provide photos on our blog for anyone interested in taking over the ministry Rob and I have been involved with for the past 10 years. The following slide show contains the only photos we have available at the moment.

Create a Free Slideshow

If you are interested in more information, please contact us at: carolgreathouse292@hotmail.com

Rob and Carol Greathouse

Wednesday, March 25th Update

2009-03-25T23:03:00.004+01:00

Today was a day of "No Doctors" for Rob. He was able to sleep in for a change and he's spending the day vegging out.

Yesterday, he had two appointments; the morning appointment was with the Gastroenterologist who has scheduled two procedures for Monday the 30th. The doctor will look into his upper chest and neck and also his digestive tract, looking for the primary cancer site. The doctors assure us that it is not unheard of for them not to find it when the cancer site is head or neck. It's just frustrating since treatment, if that's Rob choice, is more difficult when the primary is unknown.

In the afternoon, Rob, our daughter Cheryl, and I went to the Radiation Oncologist to get more details about treatment options. He was given three scenarios to consider. Rob has said he will not make any decisions until after his tests on Monday and he meets with his primary doctor Tuesday morning. We should know more to share with you early next week.

Thank you once again for all your blog comments, e-mails, and phone calls. We are being bathed in prayer and experience the Lord is walking closely with us through this.

Blessings in Christ,

Carol and Rob

Monday's Test Results

2009-03-24T01:31:00.002+01:00

Thank you all for your prayers during the weekend. Rob had a great time fishing even though the weather was not too good. He even fished in the rain as the photo below shows. In any case, the time of rest enabled him to quit thinking about what was coming up for a time.

The procedure today went well, unfortunately the news was not good. They were unable to find the primary cancer in either his head, neck, or lungs. The new biopsy came back positive for squamous cell neck cancer, our worst fear.

The Gastroenterologist (Doc who checks the digestive system) was unable to be there today so an appointment is scheduled in the morning (Tuesday) and the test will probably be done on Wednesday if Rob decides to have it. Tuesday afternoon, Rob will see the Radiation Oncologist to discuss options for treatment.

Rob's surgeon who is heading up his care and ordering all the tests, came into recovery this afternoon to talk to him about possible treatments and also the possibilities if Rob chooses not to pursue treatment.

Ideally, she would like him to have surgery to remove the tumor and follow that up with Radiation Therapy. Unfortunately the picture she painted was not a pretty one for how much of his face and neck would be "dissected" if he chooses surgery and the effects of Radiation were pretty grim.

Rob continues to say he will keep an open mind to his options but privately says he doesn't want to go that route. Rob will meet his surgeon again next week Monday where all the pieces of the puzzle should be known and he will be better able to make a decision for treatment or not.

Please pray for Rob's wisdom and continued peace through this process. He says it's harder not knowing everything so he CAN make an informed decision about his future. So our hope is by Monday, he will have a better sense of where he wants to go with this.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and words of support. We've had an outpouring of mails and apologize for not being able to answer each one separately. You can leave your comments on this blog and I'll see that Rob gets them.

Right now he is sleeping off the effects of the anesthesia and resting comfortably.

In His Grip,
Carol and Rob

Urgent Prayer For Rob

2009-03-23T02:14:00.001+01:00

Dear ones,

Rob is scheduled to enter the hospital Monday morning, March 23rd for a procedure where they will put him under anesthesia and three doctors will be looking at his insides. The Gastroenterologist will be looking at the insides of his stomach and other areas, the Pulmonologist will be looking at his lungs and doing a biopsy, and lastly the surgeon will be looking into the head and neck area and doing another type of biopsy on the tumor. The procedure is scheduled to begin at 11 am and take from 1 to 1.5 hours. We have no idea how soon results will be known.

I'm sorry I couldn't get this to you earlier but the details have been coming together throughout the weekend. Rob also got the news that the second biopsy showed the tumor in his neck is malignant but there is a question about the type of cells which would indicate where the primary cancer site is. Hence, the need to look further afield to check every possibility.

Thank you all for standing in the gap with us as this cycle of testing continues. I will update the blog as soon as there is something new to report.

Blessings to you, in Jesus,
Carol for Rob too

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, accordingly to the power that works within us..." Ephesians 3:20

In The Arms Of Jesus

2009-03-23T01:39:00.006+01:00

To all our friends and partners in prayer...our beloved friend and sister in Christ, Carol Porter, went to join Jesus in heaven Saturday, March 21st at 11:51 p.m., surrounded by her family and several friends.

Carol's life impacted so many people during her time here on earth and although we are going to miss her hugely, the impact of her example, inspiration, and faith will go on for a life time.

We are thanking God for allowing us to know Carol and for her importance in bringing both Rob and I to the Lord. There are untold numbers of women both in Hungary and Romania whose lives were impacted by the annual outreaches she initiated in 2000. She will be missed for many reasons not the least of which was her wonderful sense of fun and joy in the Lord.

The photo below is typical of the joy Carol showed while ministering in the name of Jesus. This was taken in Brasov, Romania during the 2007 outreaches. This photo so exemplifies Carol's joy that they used it on the back page of the program for her memorial service Saturday, March 28th. Can't you just sense her joy!!!

Now, as she hears the voice of the Lord saying...well done good and faithful servant, we too say well done dear friend. We will meet again one day soon.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob and Carol

Friday, March 20th Update

2009-03-20T02:27:00.006+01:00

Dear ones,

We are thanking God each time we remember you. We thank God for His grace each day as He showers us with His love and strength. And, we thank you for all the prayers being lifted on Rob's behalf.

Yesterday, Thursday, March 19th, Rob saw Dr. Lee the Pulmonologist (Lung Doctor), who told Rob he wants to do a bronchoscopy to look at the inside of his lungs and possibly do a biopsy. The thinking is that the PET CT Scan results do not show cancer sites other than the one in his neck and there is some concern that there might be smaller sites which the first scan did not show. Unfortunately, the scan also did not show where the primary cancer site is.

At the same time this test will be going on, Dr. Shah the Surgeon, would also look into Rob's head, neck, throat, etc. They will do the test while Rob is asleep so he will not have to deal with the discomfort he experienced when similar tests were attempted in Hungary while he was awake.

Dr. Lee and Dr. Shah will try to get Rob on the schedule for either Monday or Thursday of next week. Rob is scheduled to meet with the Radiology Oncologist on Tuesday and it is hoped that the biopsy results from his neck will finally be in by then.

We are off to go camping later today and Rob is excited because he will get to use his new fishing pole!!! Wednesday he went with his cousin to a train museum in Jamestown, a town started in the California Gold Rush days. It was a great male bonding time for them.

Please know how much your prayers mean to us. Knowing he is loved and prayed for means a great deal to Rob and to me as well.

I'm posting a photo of the backyard where we are now staying. It is soooo nice to wake up to the sound of the waterfall so close by. It's a great place to stay close to the Lord especially when thinking about and praying for all who are dear to us.

In His grip,
Carol and Rob

Wednesday, March 18th Update

2009-03-19T00:29:00.007+01:00

Lots of news but we are no more enlightened than before.

Dr. Shah, the surgeon who did a second biopsy last week called to say she still does not have the results of the biopsy. She did say she had received info on the PET Scan which does not show where the primary cancer might be.

This said, they are referring Rob to a Pulmonary doctor (Lung specialist) who will coordinate a broncoscopy with the surgeon who will look into Rob's lungs and head and neck while he is asleep. Rob will meet the Pulmonologist tomorrow but doesn't yet know when the above mentioned test will take place.

Rob is also scheduled to meet with a Radiation Oncologist next week on Tuesday but we are not sure what that will mean since Rob continues to reiterate his decision not to have chemo or radiation. There was also talk of Rob having an MRI in hopes it might pinpoint where the primary cancer site is.

That's as much as we know at the moment. Thank you all for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement.

On a lighter note...we are leaving Friday afternoon to go camping with our daughter and son-in-law plus my sister and her significant other. They have RV's so we'll be camping side by side. We will be back late on Sunday and are really looking forward to a bit of down time.

Love to all,
Carol for Rob too

Sunday, March 15, 2009 Update

2009-03-15T14:26:00.008+01:00

Thank you all for your continued prayers and words of support. Rob is continuing to experience God's presence and peace through this time of uncertainty.

Rob arrived on his birthday last Sunday and since we didn't have a big "do" on his arrival day, our daughter Cheryl and friends from the church here decided to hold a special surprise birthday party at the church. They put the notice in last Sunday's bulletin and a great many turned out.

Since our whole family, grand kids included planned to come, we all piled into Ron and Cheryl's motor home and made the 45 minute drive to the church together. It was a hoot climbing the Altamont Pass in this monster vehicle. At times, even the trucks were passing us!!!

Once at the church, the fun began. We saw some people we had not seen in years. Rob's cousin and her husband live in the mountains in Twain Harte and showed up, surprising Rob with a new fishing pole and an invite to "head up the mountain" for some quiet fishing. We also had a really surprise guest when our neighbor from our very first home came by. We had not seen her in over 30 years, having lost touch until a few months ago when she found us through this blog. What a joy it was to see her and the beautiful flower arrangement she personally made for Rob was exquisite. Oh the wonders of the Internet!!!

At one point our daughter read an e-mail Pastor Dani and his wife Andi, from Hungary sent me. It was too emotional for me to read but Cheryl managed to get through it without breaking down completely. She told me later that she had read it many times in advance so she wouldn't break down. The message basically shared how Rob had impacted them in their own spiritual walk. Rob is a man of few words, not given to emotion, but even he had a hard time holding in the tears. Thanks Dani and Andi for sharing your love and encouragement in such a profound way. You are dearly loved. I'm pasting the message here...

"P.S. There is something Dani would like to share with you and he hopes this will be an encouragement.

We would like to share with you how much it encouraged us seeing Rob's life, heart, and faith in these past few weeks. Up until this point, his spiritual life was not in the spotlight and to many people he was a mystery. But now for us and to many in the church, it was made obvious how much he sticks and clings to Jesus; and his quiet faith spoke volumes to us, encouraging us, and comforting us. We were trying to encourage him (probably did not work too well as we are a bit clumsy) but he encouraged us in a greater way even without words. What I personally learned from him and what encouraged me the greatest (Dani) is that he is not attached to earthly belongings. And, seeing how many joined in the prayer chain (all 24 hours were covered) is proving that you guys are greatly loved and many, many people care for you. In addition, both of you are greatly missed. Dani says: Rob, you are one of the role models I want to follow. We love you both."

To continue...

Today is Sunday and Rob and I will move from my sisters home to a new "home away from home." Rob's cousins' daughter has offered to share her home with us. Janine is single with a beautiful home nearer to Rob's doctors that will make it easier to get back and forth for all these doctor visits. Since Janine works all day and has a busy active life on the weekends, we will have the house almost to ourselves.

We would appreciate prayers for Rob on Tuesday. He is scheduled to have a PET Scan at Noon California time. From what we understand, it will take about a week for the results to be known and at that time, we will meet with Rob's Oncologist who will give Rob the details about the stage of his cancer and treatment options. Rob continues to stress he does not want to have chemo or radiation but is open to other options.

Tomorrow, we are meeting our Hungarian friends, Dr. Krisztian and his wife Betti and driving them to see 17-mile Drive, plus Monterey and Carmel. While we were talking about it at the party last night, Betti's eyes just lit up when I told her we would be driving along the coast with the ocean next to us. Pretty neat stuff for someone coming from a land-locked country.

We wish one and all a blessed week and I will update you here as we have news to share. Again, thank you so much for your love and support.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob and Carol

Wednesday and Thursday 3/11 & 12 Update

2009-03-13T05:40:00.008+01:00

To keep you up-to-date on our happenings, Wednesday was a day of vegging. By that I mean Rob spent time visiting the grocery store (his favorite place) just checking out all the new stuff to eat while I did our laundry.

While Rob was away, we had phone calls from two Hungarians, who both happened to be in Rob's cooking class in Hungary. Both Susil and Lidia called to check on Rob and said they would each call back later. Rob was so excited waiting for their calls and had some nice catch-up time with them. Thank you Lidia and Susil for making Rob's day.

Since Rob is also a handyman of renown, his services as a plumber were called into play when Georgia's toilet stopped up and ran over. Off to the home supply store for the purchase of a plunger to unclog things. Of course, Rob found the latest and greatest plunger on the market and within minutes, everything was up and running, literally.

Everyone knows Rob's love of a good steak and Georgia made his wish come true in grand style. While at the specialty meat market, she found Kansas City beef steaks and Rob got to enjoy a Kansas City Rib Eye steak, along with the rest of us. Yummy to say the least.

Thursday was going to be quiet since we had yet to hear from Dr. Lei (pronounced Lay) about further tests. While Georgia and I were about to have pedicures, I received a call from Dr. Lei asking if Rob could be in Pleasanton by 3pm. Since it was already 1:30 pm when the call came in and we were 1.5 hours away from there, it took some doing and speedy driving to make it to the surgeons office on time. Dr. Lei also said that the chest x-rays and blood work Rob had the day before didn't reveal anything.

While Rob was driving to Pleasanton, I was on my cell phone trying to reach Dr. Krisztian (who just "happens" to be visiting from Hungary) to see if he could meet us there to translate all the Hungarian medical information. Walla, they were home at their hosts house and agreed to meet us by 3 pm.

Once at the doctor's office, we discovered the doctor was in an emergency surgery so we had some one-on-one time with the Gaspar family. Kind of took our minds off everything playing with little Adele and seeing our dear friends.

Rob's surgeon finally arrived, Dr. Krisz translated all the medical information and the doctor decided that since Rob had not brought slides of his biopsy, she would do another needle biopsy. This time Rob received something to deaden the site and it was over in no time.

The doctor told Rob she wanted to get him scheduled for a PET Scan as soon as possible but since it was already 5 p.m. it was too late to reach anyone to schedule it. She said her office would call us once it is scheduled and let us know when to come in.

From what we know, a PET Scan takes about 2 hours. That is, 2 hours lying on a hard table while a noisy machine rotates around you taking pictures of your insides. We understand this procedure involves injecting radioactive material which will travel to the cancer site(s). The hope is that the Scan will show where the cancer site(s) is/are so they can determine how extensive Rob's cancer is.

It is now early Friday morning and we just received a call from the Imaging office. Rob is scheduled to have his PET Scan on Tuesday, March 17th at Noon. That is 8 hours later for our Hungarian friends. Remember, America has already gone onto Daylight Savings Time, hence only 8 hours time difference instead of the usual nine hours. We will update you as we can.

Thank you one and all, for your faithful prayers, for your loving words of encouragement, and your emotional support. We pray God will bless you abundantly.

Carol and Rob

Tuesday Update 3/10/09

2009-03-10T15:53:00.007+01:00

Rob arrived in San Francisco safe but tired on Sunday afternoon. He was so grateful to be able to stretch his legs after more than 12 hours of sitting! Cheryl, our daughter, and I arrived somewhat early only to discover that his flight had already landed, 30 minutes early! Must have been some tail wind!!!

Monday, we met with the staff of Valley Bible Church, our home church. They are trying to help us come up with ideas for how we can sell the mission house in this dismal economy, not only here in America but in Europe as well.

Today, Tuesday 3/10, Rob will see his primary physician, learn which tests will be ordered, and get some idea of the process involved in this illness. He realized the doctors here will probably do their own biopsy rather than rely on the results from another country. Plus, the report from the Hungarian doctors is of course, in Hungarian!!! See Rob's smiling face before his doctor's visit...

We will update this blog with information as it becomes available and in the meantime, we thank you all for your prayers and loving words of support. Both Rob and I are more grateful than we can express.

With grateful hearts,
Rob and Carol

Peace through the Storm

2009-03-02T17:34:00.008+01:00

Dear partners in prayer,

The past two weeks have seen the focus of our lives changed in a way neither Rob nor I could have imagined. While we were focusing on the details of our move to the States and winding down our ministry in Hungary, health issues were looming.

Sunday morning February 15th while Rob was shaving before church, he discovered a large mass in his neck. After looking at it and discovering it was not painful (an indication of infection) we decided we needed to have our friend Dr. Krisztian take a look at it at church that morning.

Dr. Krisztian checked it out and decided that Rob needed to be seen by an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc so an appointment was made for Wednesday, February 18th. Following a chest x-ray and an ultrasound, the doctor in Hungary told Rob the mass was indeed a tumor but gave no indication whether it was benign or malignant. Since it was too late in the day to have a needle biopsy and since they are only done on Wednesday mornings, an appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th.

Since I,(Carol) was scheduled to leave for the U.S. on Monday the 23rd, there was discussion of whether or not to postpone my leaving. Rob assured me he felt the tumor would be benign and not to change my plans.

On Wednesday, February 25th Rob had a needle biopsy and was told that he would know the results within an hour or so. Unfortunately, the news was not what we hoped to hear. The tumor is malignant, the diagnosis was "Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Cancer with an unknown (occult) primary." This means that the cancer in his neck is metastasized from an unknown location and is considered a secondary cancer. The doctors do not know at this time where the primary cancer is except that with this type of cancer it generally is in the area above the shoulders, i.e., head and neck areas.

On Thursday, February 26th, I met with our personal doctor here in California and showed him the e-mail with the diagnosis and asked him to tell us the truth, i.e., how serious is this type of cancer, how treatable, etc. Again, the news was not good. His comments were that this type of cancer is VERY aggressive, VERY fast growing, and DOES NOT respond well to treatment.

The next question I posed to him was what does this mean in terms of survivability. He said without treatment it would usually be from 3-6 months. Rob has stated many times through the years that he would not choose to prolong his life with chemo or radiation treatments. Most recently he expressed this again when a friend in California was diagnosed with cancer and died in 11 days. Rob's comment was "that's the way I want to go...quickly."

Rob will fly to California on Sunday, March 8th (his 66th birthday) and will have additional tests here including a CT Scan, possibly an MRI, and blood work. After the results are in, Rob will meet with the Oncologist so he can make a fully informed decision about the course he will choose to pursue.

Please keep Rob in your prayers, for God's perfect plan for his life to be accomplished, and my special prayer...that Rob would not suffer unduly.

I will keep you updated through this blog as we have information to share. The number of e-mails we've received since the news got out have just inundated us and it's hard to respond personally to each of you.

We thank you one and all for your love and encouragement. We cherish you and our friendships, realizing we would never choose to go through these days without you and most importantly, without the Lord's grace and peace.

Rob continues to express being filled with a sense of God's presence and the peace only God can provide.

Be blessed in Jesus,
Carol for Rob too

Words of Encouragement

2009-01-29T13:28:00.005+01:00

Dear ones, we've received yet another letter of encouragement from long-time partners in ministry. In fact, they are the first people God used to encourage us in this ministry journey in Hungary and Romania. So read below and then continue on to the two additional blogs added in recent days.

Blessings to all,
Rob and Carol

-----------------

The following is from Lowell and Sally Senitz, Missionaries to women and children who are victims of slavery, working through Safe Houses Int'l, Inc. If you are interested in being a part of this worthwhile work for the Lord, you can contact Lowell and Sally at: wingsofshelter@aol.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob and Carol, our friends whom we've prayed for for over 10 years!

Amazing is all that we can say! Our God is Amazing that he has taken a couple out of the middle of America with children and grandchildren at the point of most people's retirement and given them a heart to serve others - on the other side of the World! Amazing is our God who 'places the desires upon our hearts as we follow Him and look toward Him'. Amazing our 'God who fulfills the desires of our hearts'! Amazing is our God who gives those strength and ability as they reach out to serve others! Amazing is the love of God that flows through His servants who are obedient to Him!

Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who for over 10 years have sought to honor God, to please Him, to offer their life in service for Him, who have been willing to be obedient far beyond their comfort zone. Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who have, without expectation, given such Amazing Love to so many hundreds of people. Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who have been willing to make changes that are so far outside our personal control and personal comfort, for the sake of God's leading and the sake of being obedient to the One who has given them life! Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who literally have poured out their lives to serve others because of their confidence in God's love and ability to give them strength and God's willingness to provide them with resources to do the work. Amazing, our friends, Rob and Carol, who listen to God's voice through the Word of God, though the prompting in their Spirit, through other's Godly counsel, through one another, through open and closed doors----to make major changes in their lives --- according to God's Will.

We love them and know they are blessed! We were the first to take Carol on a missions trip to Romania-10 years ago! We saw her fall in love with those precious ones that had "no one to love them", we saw her go back home to America, after the missions trip and grieve and grieve over the situation that she had left, over the burden to do something for these precious ones, and the desire to 'go' and 'serve' outside of their comfort zone! We saw Rob getting ready to retire as a Chief Executive from a successful American Company and struggle through the decisions that would take himself and his precious wife overseas, away from grandchildren and children, friends and comfort of home. We saw Rob and Carol grow with Christ through the experiences they had, both good and bad, as they took the step to "be willing" to be in Eastern Europe for missions, "forever, if that is what their God called them to do".

Now, 10 years later, God is calling them back home to America! They once gain, will go through the suffering of "letting go of great friends", "letting go of an entire ministry that they have wrapped their lives and hearts around for 10 years". But we see the witness through their "lives poured out for others" and through their obedience to "pick up once more - and move their lives back to America", after establishing 10 years on the missions field.

We pray diligently for Rob and Carol, for God's wisdom, for God's comfort and for God's continued leading and protection upon them! We continue to pray, as we have over the 10 years, that they continue to flow out their love - upon others - that love that nourishes and touches the hearts of 100's that they have been near.

We are excited for them to come back to America...where God's next step is waiting......

We love you Rob and Carol, we stay united in hearts and minds and love,
You are welcome to come to stay with us in Florida for a time of R & R and some 'relaxation in the sun',
We love you, we are in pray for you,

Your friends, Lowell and Sally
Senitz

Rob and Carol's your lives are a living testimony of this verse from the Bible:

Acts 20:35-36 (New International Version)

V.35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

A Word of Thanks

2009-01-29T11:04:00.004+01:00

Recently we received a letter from one of our ministry partners who asked us to post it here for all to read. We are humbled and oh so grateful for all the wonderful people God has brought into our lives during these 10 years living in Debrecen and the three years prior while doing short-term ministry trips.

Be assured we will never forget you our prayer partners, financial supporters, and deeply loved friends.

Here is the letter sent to us...

January 24, 2009

Hospitality Ministry
Rob and Carol Greathouse
Debrecen, Hungary

GoodSports International wants to be one of the first to congratulate Robert and Carol Greathouse for their Hungarian Hospitality Ministry. As your time in Hungary comes to a close, we wanted to thank you for the strong ministry presence that influenced so many lives.

Servanthood is a characteristic that is frequently sought, but rarely lived out. However, servanthood truly defines the quality of your personal and public ministry here in Hungary. Your hearts touched many, the orphans in Miskolc and Debrecen, the Roma in Hadjuborszormeny, the women’s ministry in Romania and the children and coaches involved in the GoodSports program. We are truly--eternally--grateful.

If I were to describe the value of your ministry, I would say that your time in Hungary has encouraged, enabled and empowered the Hungarian church and its community of believers. Led by the Holy Spirit you were frequently present at the inception of new outreach ideas. In many ways you both served as a catalyst for believers to conceive, develop and execute a myriad of missions’ opportunities. As prayer warriors, and wise mentors, you were able to engender hope in so many lives.

So we shout our thanks from baseball, basketball and soccer fields. We shout our thanks from Romanian and Hungarian gypsy communities.

How many children, communities and families do you impact? – At least three countries (Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine) and mission teams from numerous stateside churches.

How many smiles have you enabled - countless.

How many have heard of Christ's love because of your ministry? - This list grows every day.

Thank you, good and faithful servants.

Russell J. Chun
GoodSports International Director

For the Body Sport, for the Spirit Hope....GoodSports International

Going Home!!!

2009-01-09T15:16:00.013+01:00

After living and ministering in Hungary for nearly 10 years, we were content thinking we would spend our waning years serving the Lord in Hungary. Whenever Rob was asked how long we planned to be here, he would always answer...forever. When Carol was asked, she responded, as long as God wants us to stay.

God in His infinite wisdom knows the number of hairs on our heads, the number of days each of us will have here on earth, and He knows the number of days we are to stay in His service in Hungary.

For nearly a year, we have been praying and asking God to make His will known to us as it related to our service in Hungary. Little by little, changes began taking place that showed us God was moving to pick up the slack that our leaving would cause.

Carol also began experiencing a need for more contact with members of the family, to be available to and for them in their daily lives. At the same time, we both began noticing health issues which needed to be addressed. Rob, not wishing to avail himself of the Hungarian health system, decided to wait until a permanent move before addressing his health issue.

All this led up to an intense period of prayer at the end of 2008. With like minds, both Rob and I felt God was showing us that the time had come to begin the process of leaving Hungary. This means praying for workers to come alongside the ministries we support, financial support raising to continue so that the ministries can continue to function at the same level, plus we also need to sell the property housing the mission and guest houses.

God has allowed us to see a great deal through these nearly 10 years. We have seen the growth of His church through the planting of churches in Miskolc, Hajduboszormeny, Eger, and Nyiregyhaza. The ministry to the orphanage in Miskolc has grown and been enhanced through the partnership of GoodSports Ministry. There is now an annual English Camp which was solely supported by our sending church for the first two years. There are now numerous sports camps throughout the summer months. The local church with it's focus on evangelism is actively working to start a church plant in Ukraine.

The Gypsy Church in Hajduboszormeny which began with just one couple 8 1/2 years ago, now has a weekly attendance of 8-12 adults and anywhere from 15-25 children. The church has purchased a house which serves as their place of worship. Teams from Germany have come to build fences, build a soccer field at the rear of the large property, built a 4-seat outhouse, and lastly, they have painted the outside of the church building and built a large covered patio for fair weather outdoor activities.

The guest house ministry has had the privilege of hosting an untold number of teams who have assisted in ministering at English and Sports Camps, and evangelistic outreaches to the Gypsy population in Hungary and Romania. We have had the privilege of housing pastors and their families who have never had the opportunity to take a vacation. We have been a home base for several families needing medical care at the local Medical Clinics. And, we have been a home for several families who found themselves "homeless" for a period of time.

We have seen our church grow from a hand-full, meeting in the basement of an old building, to where we are now...with our own property and a growing body of believers. We have been blessed these nearly 10 years to have teaching in English by godly pastors who have had a hand in growing our faith and trust in the Word of God.

With each activity we've been a part of, with each person God has put into our lives, we have been the ones blessed. It never ceases to amaze us that whenever we think we are doing something for the Lord, He turns it around and gives us the blessing.

The emotional attachments we have developed with the people and countries of Hungary and Romania is overwhelming. The idea of never seeing the faces of the people we have come to love and consider as our own family, is overwhelming to us.

Please keep us in your prayers, for continued ministry support to cover the expenses until we can sell the property, for the winding down of our day to day activities as the time draws closer to our leaving, and for mutually encouraging closure with the many people we may never have the opportunity to meet again.

Where we go from here is a mystery. God has yet to reveal those plans to us.

Christmas with our kids - the orphans from Miskolc

2009-01-04T20:44:00.005+01:00

Wow, thank you God...for allowing us to share you with the "graduates" of the Miskolc orphanage. We had the privilege of sharing time together, sharing laughs, and sharing our hearts with one another. We thank God for all the people who came alongside the girls and shared their love and time as well.

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Feeding His Sheep

2008-12-14T09:42:00.009+01:00

Being able to provide spiritual food on a weekly basis is a blessing not only for us but also for the members of the little Gypsy church in Hajduboszormeny. On Saturday, December 13th we also had the opportunity to provide physical food as well.

Seeing the joy and surprise on the faces of the families brought tears to our eyes. Having the opportunity to pray for each family individually is also a part of our annual visit. When you've experienced the tears of gratitude, the joy on the faces of the children, and the desperate situation most families live in, it reinforces how rich are the Lord's blessings. His love and grace know no bounds.

Once again, our brother in Christ from California, single-handedly blessed the Christmas Food distribution through his personal support. We are reminded that the prayers, obedience, and faithfulness of God's children availeth much.

As you click on the photos (the better to see individual faces) please lift up a prayer for them. They are aware there are people in America and around the world who are praying for them, sympathize with their plight, and support the on-going ministry among them. They are very grateful and send you their thanks and wishes for a blessed Christmas.

Comments from CBS Sunday Morning

2008-12-10T11:22:00.005+01:00

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning

I only hope we find God again before it is too late!!

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .. If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of g getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on
your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they
will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Anticipating Christmas

2008-12-09T11:47:00.017+01:00

We don't always remember that Christmas begins with the word CHRIST, but that is the reason we celebrate this time of year. It is precisely because of Jesus that a time of celebration is observed. It's easy to forget that with all the emphasis on gift giving. Let's help one another rejoice in the true meaning of Christmas which is the gift of eternal life through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

MISKOLC ORPHANAGE MINISTRY. Last week 12/3, we made the trip to Miskolc, this time to help the Neni's (caretakers) at the orphanage purchase Christmas gifts for the children. A military chapel in Germany has donated the funds and each child will receive a hand-picked gift. It was fun getting reacquainted with the Neni's and getting to know a few of the newer caretakers. Since it is my hope to interact with them on a weekly basis when I start going regularly in January, it was a fun way to connect.

On December 20th we are planning to spend the day with the kids, hanging out,making and baking cookies, and sharing a bit of Christmas cheer along with the story of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Please keep this in your prayers. It's always a challenge to corral all the kids in one place with their diverse schedules and also varying interest in spiritual truths.

DEBRECEN WOMEN'S MINISTRY.
This past Saturday December 6th, the women of Calvary Chapel Debrecen came together at the Greathouses for a Women's Christmas Tea. Everyone brought loads of goodies to share, the youth group came early and helped me prepare sandwiches and fruit salad and other treats, and everyone shared a belly laugh while playing the "White Elephant" gift exchange. This was something new for the Hungarians so it took a bit of time to fully understand it was OK to "steal" a gift from your neighbor. It was a special time for us to just have fellowship time together, time being a rare commodity at this time of year.

GYPSY MINISTRY IN BOSZORMENY.

Mikulas (Santa Claus) came to the Gypsy church a bit early this year since our regular meeting time fell on the 2nd of December. Usually Mikulas makes his appearance on the 6th. Here is a photo of the Hungarian man who played the part of Mikulas and handed out a package of goodies to each child and adult. There were at least 100 people crammed into our tiny church that night!

Szundi and Dani, our teaching leaders had the brillant idea of showing how unreachable God's gifts are unless they are accessed through the blood of Jesus. To illustrate that idea, they brought in a large gift wrapped box. Inside were 4 baloons filled with helium and the words LOVE, HOPE, FORGIVENESS, and ETERNAL LIFE. The baloons immediately flew out of the box once opened and drifted far above the reach of everyone. They then shared that through the blood of Jesus we have God's gifts to us if only we will reach out and accept them. It was a really powerful demonstration and we are hoping everyone there understood what it all meant.

On the 11th of December, we will be shopping with a group of volunteers for the Christmas food baskets to be delivered to our Gypsy brothers and sisters on Saturday the 13th. While delivering the baskets, it's a great time to talk about God's love, His provision for them, and the free gift of salvation. I hope to have some photos to upload and share with you later. Please pray for our time with the families and for ears to "hear."

CHRISTMAS AT THE GREATHOUSES. It will be a bit different this year. We have invited 6 of the orphan "graduates" to come and spend the holiday with us December 24-28th. It's always a joy for us to be "Mom and Dad" to the kids and Rob outdoes himself spoiling them with his cooking and special treats.

To each and every one of you reading this blog, we wish you a blessed Christmas filled with many memory making moments. Thank you for your love, your encouragement, and your financial support this past year. Thank you for standing in the gap with us.

God bless you one and all.
Rob and Carol, Debrecen

An update at last!

2008-12-09T11:15:00.030+01:00

Between busyness and an internet provider that goes up and down faster than the stock market, it's been a bit of a challenge to find the time to keep our readers updated.

The last time we wrote, we shared our renewed commitment to the ministry at the orphanage in Miskolc. Since then, a lot seems to be happening and it's all centered in Miskolc!!! Go figure.

First off, thanks to all of you who have prayed for Reni and David. As you may remember, Reni is one of the orphan "graduates" who has a young son and for a time, had been homeless.

God has certainly moved hearts and it seems, mountains, in order to get Reni and David established in a permanent home. Reni and David's father had purchased a 150 year old house which after they broke up, was totally gutted with nothing left except the bare walls. There was no way Reni could move back and was in jeopardy of losing David if she didn't have a home suitable to Social Services. That's where the body of believers stepped in and have provided many of the things necessary to set up housekeeping. The two most important things were a way to heat the house and a bed for Reni and David. Both of which were donated in time to meet the criteria of Social Services and eliminate the concern David would become a ward of the State.

During the past several weeks, many trips to Miskolc (about 4 hours round trip) were made in order to get the donations to her. There has also been money donated to help them with food until she is able to start working. There is a promise of a part-time, 3-days a week job, beginning in January. David is signed up to begin pre-school at the same time.

Again in Miskolc, November 21-22nd saw a large group of volunteers come together to share an American tradition...Thanksgiving.

During our two days there, we played crazy games (think fear factor), heard a gospel concert by Bible School students, saw a pantomime with a spiritual message, heard the children's choir from the orphanage, baked and decorated Christmas cookies, and ate a huge Thanksgiving meal together.

We've shared before that Rob has a twice a month cooking class for the young people at the church (photo of them at left). Well this year 4 of the most daring agreed to head up the cooking in each of the 4 houses at the orphanage. The rest of team were on hand to lend a helping hand (with the exception of Luca who is in California) and all in all, everyone enjoyed the time together and the yummy food. We give thanks to all the helpers, translators, and teachers who shared their love and God's blessings on our beloved orphans.

God Answers...In His Time

2008-10-22T10:54:00.010+02:00

Working with the children at the orphanage in Miskolc has been an on-going joy in my life. From 1997 until 1999, it was hit and miss as I was still living in Colorado and could only take part in the ministry during my trips to Hungary. Once Rob and I moved to Debrecen in 1999, it became a full-time part of our ministry. Then in early 2001 after having helped plant a church in a gypsy village in Hajduboszormeny, it became apparent that God was telling me I needed to make a choice of where to focus my efforts.

As you know, for the past 8 1/2 years we have been involved to a great degree with the growing church body at the little church in the Gypsy village. Since November of last year, God began nudging me to once again refocus my efforts on His behalf toward His children in Miskolc.

Well of course, I put up a bit of a struggle...it's never been easy for me to give up people in my life...and we have been praying along with others who were also praying with and for us for wisdom in this. Many things needed to happen before it would be possile to turn the ministry over to the Hungarians and God in His faithfulness, did answer those needs...in HIS time. God has now brought forward people with cars to take over the transportation needs and Hungarian speaking teachers especially for the littlest children. Instead of just having a caretaker (me) they are now receiving teaching from the Word at their own level of understanding.

The prayer has always been that this ministry would be taken over in full by the Hungarians and in the fullness of time, God has answered that prayer.

Hence, beginning in January I will no longer be working with the Boszormeny church on a weekly basis. Instead, I will begin to get reacquainted with the ministry at the orphanage in Miskolc. A big emphasis for me will be working with the teen girls as well as with the older girls who have left the orphanage and are still living in the area.

To that end, we have invited all of the older girls to come and spend the Christmas holidays with us in the guesthouse from December 24-28th. These are young women who have not had an easy life...growing up in the orphanage, with no parents or family support for the most part. It is our hope that they will continue to stay connected with each other and the local church in Miskolc and feel that the Debrecen church body is their 2nd family.

We covet your prayers as we transition into this (re)newed ministry focus.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Pray for the church body at the Gypsy church, that they would continue to draw closer to the Lord and realize a fuller understanding and trust in their Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayers for the children in Miskolc that God would become a presence in their lives. That God would bring forward an Hungarian woman, who speaks English, who would assist in the outreach to the young women living at the home.

Please pray for the leaders of both ministries that God would continue to bless them with wisdom in sharing the Word of God.

Visions of the Wild West!

2008-09-29T07:48:00.008+02:00

Russ Chun who heads up GoodSports Ministry here in Debrecen had an unusual experience last week, harkening back to the wild west days!

While moving a ping pong table to the local Reformed Church in preparation for their first ever Youth Group meeting, Russ had loaded the table into the back of a horse pulled wood wagon.

It was at this point that something spooked the horse which was being led by his 12 year old assistant and neighbor (who had volunteered his horse and wagon)for the project. The horse took off, dragging the young boy, and as Russ was holding the reins and trying to get the horse under control, the horse began zig zagging back and forth across the road, Russ lost control of the situation and was thrown out of the wagon along with the ping pong table which whizzed over his head.

The outcome was that Russ landed on a stake which the neighbor had placed around his front garden. Landing on it caused two ribs to be broken from the stake, he also had an additonal broken rib, a fractured wrist, and a gash in his head requiring 7 stitches.

Once all the x-rays were over, it was decided that Russ needed to stay in the hospital for 4-5 days to make sure the broken ribs would not cause a breathing problem.

We're happy to say Russ is home and recovering. He is joking about his "wild west" adventure so his sense of humor is still intact.

We invite your prayers for Russ' continued recovery. Also, please pray for the ministries he heads up, i.e., baseball ministry, orphanage ministry, and the soon to start youth group meetings at the local Reformed Church in Mikeperc. He is being told he needs to take it easy for another 5-6 weeks and for those who know Russ and his legendary energy, not an easy task for him.

Looking Back

2008-09-29T07:31:00.005+02:00

On a beautiful Fall morning with a chorus of birds singing outside our windows, I am looking back over all that has happened this summer.

Eventful would not begin to describe how wonderfully the Lord has been working in the lives of the young people in our small Debrecen church. God has blessed our church with a Youth Pastor who truly cares about his flock. Pastor Dani has inspired our young people to truly live out the message of Matthew which encourages all of us to "go and share the good news of Jesus Christ." They have done that through their willing hearts at the summer sports and English camps, through their teaching of God's word to the littlest children at the Gypsy church in Boszormeny, and through their on-going mentoring and encouragement of the orphans in Miskolc.

We thank God for each person who has stepped up to the plate, sometimes literally, as they have participated in teaching/coaching American Baseball.

In gratitude for such willing hearts, Rob and I decided to host a bar-b-q for all the youth group members. We spent an afternoon and evening enjoying each others company eating bar-b-q, playing badmiton, volleyball, and praising God in worship.

Thank you one and all for your continued prayer for the work of God's hands here in Hungary, always remembering "the prayers of a godly man/woman availeth much!!!

Blessings in Christ,
Rob and Carol

A Friend in Need

2008-09-18T15:55:00.004+02:00

A friend who was instrumental in our coming to the Lord is now in need of prayer as she battles cancer. Carol Porter is our former pastor's wife and is beginning a difficult treatment for Metastic Melanoma which has spread to her lungs and liver.

We are asking our friends and readers to lift Carol in prayer as she begins the journey towards restored health. You can follow her progress by reading her blog at: http://www.carolsclimb.blogspot.com/

Thank you for standing in the gap.

Rob and Carol

Take Heart America...

2008-07-25T11:26:00.003+02:00

The news from America seems unsettling; foreclosures, gas and food prices spiraling, and hopelessness on the rise.

Take heart dear ones, the Lord is still in control! Nothing happens by chance. Someone recently told me that the higher gas prices were a blessing because it is causing people to reevaluate their priorities. May it be so; may the Lord lead each person to search their hearts and find peace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Just to let you know it could be worse (gas prices that is) we are now paying $9.68 per gallon of diesel for the van and $9.00 per gallon for gas for the station wagon.

We would welcome your prayers for God's provision for our ministry as the price of everything continues to climb.

If you are interested in supporting our ministry, you can send your tax-deductible contribution to the following address:

Valley Bible Church
Attn: Roberta Perry
7106 Johnson Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588

NOTE: Indicate support is for: GREATHOUSE MINISTRY

We continue to thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly. Please let us know how we can be praying for you.

Rob and Carol Greathouse
Debrecen, Hungary

2008 English Camp

2008-07-24T11:42:00.002+02:00

Bringing together 172 campers and volunteers, English Camp 2008 began. Many of the campers were attending an English camp for the first time and many were also non-churched. All that was to change as the week progressed.

Teams of volunteers from all over the map were represented. A team from Texas was back, a team of Navigator missionaries were also in attendance, and individuals from California, Minnesota and Germany were also a part of the team that God put together to help shine His love to all who were a part of this ministry.

It is so interesting to see how relationships begin, deepen, and later, grow when God is in the equation. Through the years, we’ve watched as God has worked in the hearts of young people impacted by the loving presence of God among them.

By weeks end, there were 7 young people baptized plus the mother of one of the kids decided that she too needed to commit her life to Christ!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll make my words short and include a Smilebox slide show of photos taken during the camp. As you view the photos, please pray for the Holy Spirit to continue the work the Lord began during the week.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Saga...Missing Soccer Balls

2008-07-10T09:37:00.001+02:00

God blessed the ministry for Children’s Day at the village in early June. Along with a day filled with opportunities to share God’s love, He also provided three soccer balls for the ministry. Hence, the saga begins…

It started out innocently enough several weeks ago; a not so quiet early evening just prior to the start of Tuesday night church at the Gypsy village in Hajduboszormeny. It soon became apparent there was a fox or two in the henhouse!

Having started the evening with 3 soccer balls, it soon became apparent that all three balls were missing. Pastor Dani talked to the church about the sin of theft. Everyone shook their heads, tsking about the missing items. There wasn’t a guilty face to be seen. And, no leads as to who might have done the unthinkable…steal from the church!

The following week found us being joined by Americans who came to minister alongside the team. The only playing that evening was with one lone Frisbee. There were many sad faces on those who came early looking forward to playing the National obsession…”football” or as Americans know it, Soccer.

This past Tuesday there were still no soccer balls and many more disappointed faces. Our trusty Frisbee was still around so a lively game kept most of the kids involved. Still, talk centered around whatever happened to our soccer balls?

Well lo and behold, rumors were running rampant about who now had a soccer ball that looked suspiciously like the ones belonging to the church. After the church service was over, the team decided to load up and head out into the village to visit the “suspected” new homes of the missing soccer balls.

As we pulled up in front of the first house, the father walked out and was greeted by Pastor Dani asking about the churches soccer balls. The father said he was told the ball in question had been a “gift” and readily handed it over to the team. We all jumped back in to the van, rejoicing and thanking God for His leading in how to approach the next “suspect.”

When we arrived at the next house, we were greeted by at least a dozen kids outside the fence. No one claimed to know anything about or possession of a soccer ball. Then, Grandma (a member of the church and a strong believer) walked out giving the kids “the eye” asking them where the soccer ball was. Many denials ensued but Grandma wasn’t having any of it. She started walking around the yard, house, garden and lo and behold, she came out bearing a smile and a soccer ball. There was no doubt it was one of the churches balls because it had our name marked out, and a big patch of suspicious black was in it’s place. It should be noted that the first ball had the same blackened area hiding the church name.

When the kids were asked about the third ball, they admitted they knew who had it but were unwilling to give us their name. Pastor Dani then asked them to tell the child they could just throw the ball into the church property and no questions would be asked.

All this has prompted us to question our effectiveness in ministering to our Gypsy brothers and sisters. Even though proof of lying and stealing came to light, none of the children showed any remorse or shame.

In light of the fact they are being taught the 10 Commandments, it doesn’t seem to have sunk in. Of course we are working with a people group who have very little and a soccer ball is a treasured commodity.

Please, will you join with us in praying for the Holy Spirit to do a work in the hearts and minds of His children in the village. We are so aware that we are God’s servants, sent to share His Word and love to all. It is hard not to be disappointed at times. Pray the team will persevere in the calling God has placed on our lives, to invest our time and His love to all those who do not yet know the forgiving love and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Miskolc Orphanage Sports Camp

2008-07-04T13:11:00.002+02:00

Praises to God for all He accomplished during our week of ministry at the orphanage. At least one young man accepted Christ on the very last day! Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. You too were a part of the team.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Correct E-mail Address

2008-06-29T14:08:00.003+02:00

We are experiencing a problem receiving mail through our Hungarian provider. In the future, please write to us at the following address: carolgreathouse292@hotmail.com

We've never experienced a problem receiving mail through Hotmail so feel free to contact us with your prayer requests, suggestions and ideas.

Blessings in Christ,
Rob and Carol

Children's Day in Hajduboszormeny

2008-06-15T18:14:00.001+02:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Prayer Requests

2008-06-06T08:59:00.008+02:00

In the next 2 months there will be many opportunities to reach out to the youth in Hungary and Slovakia. We invite your prayers for the volunteers as well as the young people attending the outreaches and camps.

Here are some dates to keep in mind:

June 14th - An afternoon/evening evangelistic outreach will take place on the grounds of the Gypsy church in Hajduboszormeny. We will begin the outreach with worship music and a short evangelistic message. There are also plans for sports competitions and crafts. We will provide a light dinner for everyone followed by a cooling chocolate covered ice cream bar. Szundi, our teacher for the teens is going to be married at the end of the month. He and his fiancee Marti, will also be sharing a bit about themselves and their road to the altar.

June 16-21st - Calvary Chapel Hungary is hosting a week-long conference in Western Hungary where the foundations of our faith will be the topics. We are providing transportation, two roundtrips to drop off on Monday and pick up on Saturday.

June 22-28th - We will be traveling to the Miskolc orphanage about 1.5 hours from Debrecen to assist with a week-long sports camp for the orphans. One of the hopes for this week is to deepen our relationships in discipling one-on-one. Our hope is also that the children will choose to come to Debrecen and spend the following week serving the church.

June 28th - Szundi and Marti's Wedding

June 28-July 6th - A large team of volunteers will be traveling to Bojnice, Slovakia for a week-long soccer camp.

July 7-11th - English Camp and sports activities in village of Mikepercs

July 7-12th - A week-long conference for members of Hungarian Calvary Chapel churches will be held in Western Hungary. We are providing transportation, two roundtrips to drop off on Monday and pick up on Saturday.

July 13-19th - Debrecen English Camp is attended by scores of unchurched youth. There will be a baptism on Friday, July 18th for anyone wishing to profess their commitment to Jesus Christ.

August 15-20th - The Debrecen church will be holding their annual church-wide retreat. Location is still to be decided. Croatia anyone???

September 3-19th - Rob and Carol are taking a vacation, destination to be determined.

Thank you for keeping us all in your prayers. May God bless you abundantly.

A Time To Connect

2008-05-06T15:29:00.009+02:00

Precious moments, all pieced together, make a beautiful quilt...

These past few months since we last wrote have been made up of moments which have shown us the beautiful patchwork quilt the Lord is designing from our lives.

Some of these moments were joyous, as in the case of our friends dearly awaited first child being born 3 weeks early, and in perfect health. Another joyous memory was sharing a week-long driving trip with my beloved sister, Georgia, visiting our cousins, brothers, and father. Another memory making moment was having the opportunity to attend a week-end women's retreat where my friend and mentor, Carol Porter, was the guest speaker for the retreat. A special joy because it was shared with my sister Georgia and also her first women's retreat.

Never give up praying...after more than 9 years of prayers, one of our long-held dreams was answered when our home church, Valley Bible Church, Pleasanton, California, brought 28 people to come and minister among our Hungarian brothers and sisters. During their 10 days in Hungary, they were able to visit a hospital for newborn babies in Ukraine, minister among Gypsy brothers and sisters in Hungary and Romania, hold a 2-day retreat for the young people of the church as well as orphans from the ministry in Miskolc. There was also a time of meeting and encouragement of a pastor's wife from Romania and a gathering of the women from the Debrecen church.

Finally, after many years of praying, God has provided an answer to our long-held wish to have a more permanent church home. We have now been able to purchase a property with two buildings on it. The larger of the two will be used as the sanctuary once it is renovated and the smaller will be used for the children's ministry, coffee house ministry, and a wonderful area for the youth group to meet.

Praise God for the perfect solution to our housing situation. We can now begin the remodeling, and even do some much needed modification to the current garden area, creation of a play area for the children, and construction of a deck area for the coffee house.

Of course, all of this is dependent upon the Lord's provision to cover the expenses involved. The great thing is that the Lord's wallet is unlimited. We just need to wait upon His timing.

As always we are so grateful for you and continue to covet your prayers for the Lord's work here in Eastern Europe and especially our beloved Gypsy brothers and sisters in Hajduboszormeny.

Be blessed dear ones as the Lord helps you construct your own "quilt" of life.

A Brand New Year

2008-01-12T12:20:00.000+01:00

With the holidays behind us and a fresh new year ahead, we are seeking God's guidance and wisdom in the days ahead.

While reading a devotional recently, I came across this thought and have been pondering it, a lot!!!

God in His mercy brings us comfort in our trials, not always to remove our struggles but rather to give us strength through the trial...His idea is that if we accept and receive His comfort, we will then be able to offer His comfort to others and become comforters. Nothing is wasted with God. He can and will use everything in our lives to accomplish His good and perfect will.

A Gift of Food And The Promise Of Hope Through Jesus Christ

2007-12-23T18:04:00.000+01:00

Most of us can go into the pantry and select from a variety of choices for our next meal. Not so for our Gypsy brothers and sisters. Poverty is a way of life and the next meal is not always a sure thing.

God once again moved hearts to partner with us to provide a variety of food staples, cleaning products, and a treat or two for the families who attend the Gypsy church in Hajduboszormeny. Saturday, December 22nd, a team of volunteers had the privilege of being the Lord's helpers and seeing the joy on their faces when we brought large bags of much needed and appreciated food.

As we were invited into each home, we were once again struck by the poverty we encountered. For some, whole families live in one small room which serves as kitchen, living room, and sleeping room. At one home, there was only one bed for 4 small children and the mother and father. In another home, their two small rooms both had dirt floors. Hygiene is nearly non-existent since it is necessary to walk to the community well and haul their water home and cleaning products are definitely a luxury.

Leaving bags of food, cleaning products, toothpaste and toothbrushes along with sharing a prayer of thanksgiving to God filled us, the volunteers, with a heart of gratitude. Gratitude for being allowed to be a part of His ministry and gratitude that our small congregation once again, saw how much the Lord loves them and was showing it through His provision for them.

Hope for the unsaved was high as Pastor Dani prayed and offered words of encouragement with each family we visited. At one home an unsaved family member sheds tears of gratitude for God's goodness towards her family.

For all those who have joined us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Boszormeny and provided financial support so that the ministry among the Roma people could continue, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We pray the Lord has added another jewel to your crown in heaven.

God Always Knows Best

2007-12-19T11:46:00.000+01:00

Often we read in the Word that man's plans are not always God's plan. Once again we were reminded of this truth last night at the Gypsy Church. Thinking we were going to have a rather "intimate" gathering of our church family for our Christmas service, we were overwhelmed at the number of people waiting for us when we arrived.

Our plan was to have a small bonfire where our "little" family would gather around and sing worship songs and have a short message from Pastor Dani. Without a doubt, the gathering around the campfire was an overwhelming success and even more people were able to hear the message of Jesus! Just like God had planned!!!

We saw many new faces, both adults and children. God is working in the little Gypsy village, continually drawing new people to hear the truth of Jesus' love for them.

God must have been preparing us for this large event, even without our realizing it. While shopping for cookies and treats to share after the bonfire, I purchase more than I would have normally. It was a blessing to be able to share this little "gift" of sweets and hot tea with our new friends.

Later, our core church group motioned me to come inside...once inside I was surprised by a birthday celebration (my birthday is Dec. 21st). Another definition of joy is watching the faces of each child who came forward with a little treat for me. They were so excited and happy to be able to share something with another. As for me, I had to keep blowing my nose and joked that my tears were coming out my nose!

God has truly blessed us to be a part of His work among the Gypsy people. Year after year, God has grown our love and devotion to our brothers and sisters in the village. Our prayer is that one day, every single person living in the village will be a follower of Jesus Christ.

One Definition of Joy

2007-12-16T19:56:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I discovered another definition for joy, i.e., watching little boys from the orphanage in Miskolc learn to make gingerbread cookies and one little girl who showed us her skill at making cut-out Christmas cookies that competed with the speed of sound.

As the children rolled out the dough and began cutting out the shapes, it was such a joyous moment for me. It took me back to the days when my own daughter Cheryl was first learning to cook and bake. There is something so satisfying in creating, be it food or a work of art. Maybe you will recall the time you created a "special masterpiece" you wanted your parents to display or if it was food, wanted them to taste, waiting expectantly for their smile of approval.

We are the creation of our heavenly Father, who looks at us through a Father's loving eyes, waiting expectantly for us to "taste" His love and accept the truth of His perfect gift, Jesus. What a joy it is for the Father when we finally accept the gift He so lovingly offers us.

Please pray for our little kids in Miskolc, that the truth of Jesus love for them would become real and a precious gift they willingly receive.

Blessings to All

2007-12-05T12:17:00.000+01:00

Make a slide show, scrapbook, or ecard

Mikulas Comes to Hajduboszormeny!

2007-12-05T09:47:00.001+01:00

Mikulas comes to Hungary the night of December 5th, visits all the "good" children and leaves a treat in the shoes placed beside their beds before going to sleep. "Bad" children receive nothing or a twig indicating Mikulas is displeased with their behavior that year.

Well, no family left empty handed when Mikulas made his "surprise" visit to the little Gypsy Church in Boszormeny Tuesday night. Imagine our surprise when driving up to the church and spotting most of the over 120 children who heard that Mikulas might be paying a visit to the church that night.

Making room for everyone was a real struggle and ended up with people crammed into the larger meeting room, people standing in the entryway, and others who arrived late, standing outside under our newly built patio cover.

The evening started off with wonderful praise and worship music. Even those who had never visited the church were encouraged to sing as Pastor Dani shared the words and they were repeated in song.

Dani and Szundi both donned black attire with black stockings over their heads (the better to scare) and began reciting sins committed by all little children, telling them there would be no Mikulas for anyone found "guilty" of even one of these sins. Suddenly, an angel in white

appeared telling the children, wait...there is someone who paid the price for all these sins and if you believe, all of your sins will be forgiven. When asked who had paid the price, the children all chanted the name Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

By the time Mikulas arrived, the children were beside themselves with excitement. Our Mikulas this year was actually a young woman named Marti. She played her part to perfection, deep voice and all.

The looks on the littlest children's faces was a joy to behold. They were so grateful to see Mikulas, have "him" say a kind word to them, and give them a wonderful gift of goodies.

This is the 4th year a couple from our local church have put together goodie bags for the

children at the Gypsy village. We are so grateful to all who have prayed for this ministry and we seek God's guidance on how to further relationships with those who may have come for the first time.

With Thanksgiving In Our Hearts!

2007-12-03T16:53:00.000+01:00

Dear ones,

With Thanksgiving not long behind us and Christmas just ahead, it is a perfect time to reflect on all that God has accomplished in this past year here in Eastern Europe.

We are praising God for the many new believers He has called to Himself, through sports camps, English camp, and orphan ministry this year. The ways in which God moves and the timing is always a lesson in faith for those of us working here. It was only after nearly 10 years of working with the orphans in Miskolc that we experienced the fullness of joy when the harvest was ripe at English Camp this year. If anything, it encourages us even more that it is the on-going relationship building that God can use to reach the seemingly unreachable.

In the ten years we have been a part of the ministry to the orphans of Miskolc orphanage, God has allowed us to become "surrogate parents" since moving to Hungary. We've had the joy of hosting groups of the children, usually 3 at a time, for a weekend of being served by our Debrecen church and the body of believers here. It's always fun to see the excitement on their faces when Rob, our chef, comes up with a dish they've never had before.

This year, God has opened a door for us to come alongside a brother from another church who is ministering to the orphans on our doorstep here in Debrecen. We have participated in two large group outreaches to the kids so far. It is still a case of relationship building among both the children and their caretakers. We welcome your prayers for this hopefully, on-going ministry.

Relationship building has been a big part of our ministry this year. In September, Carol once again accompanied two women to Romania who ministered to the Hungarian women in three different areas. This has been an annual outreach for 6 of the last 8 years. It is a time where the ministry focus is on encouraging Christian women and the Pastor's wives in their personal relationships and ministry.

Upcoming Ministry Opportunities

Tuesday, December 4th we will celebrate Mikulas Day at the Gypsy Church in Hajduboszormeny

Friday, December 7th there will be an evangelistic outreach and potluck dinner at the church.

Tuesday, December 11th the children at the Gypsy church will hold their annual Christmas Program.

Saturday, December 15th we will go to the orphanage in Miskolc for a day of Christmas activities, including cookie making and decorating, crafts, and music.

Saturday, December 22nd we will be distributing bags of food to our Gypsy church families.

We want to take this time to wish you all a joyous holiday filled with the many wonderful sights and sounds of the Christ-filled season.

With love and gratitude, Rob & Carol

Thanksgiving at Miskolc Orphanage

2007-12-03T13:31:00.000+01:00

Wednesday, November 21st through Sunday, November 25th saw an outpouring of God's love through the volunteers He brought to help with the 10th Annual Thanksgiving outreach to the orphans in Miskolc.

This year God brought 32 brothers and sisters in the Lord from the American military community in Heidelberg, Germany. Many of those who came also helped with the ministry last year as well. In addition, there were at least 10-12 translators who came to help from among the Debrecen church body and Youth Group members.

It is such a joy to watch as the love of the Lord is poured out through His children, not only the adults, but the children of the volunteers who brought their families to help. It is a time when the orphans can experience what a Christian family looks like and what it means to be a part of God's family.

Besides bringing along the ingredients for a full American style Thanksgiving meal, the team of volunteers also purchased gifts for each child at the orphanage. For some, it was the very first time they had ever received something "new" and not passed down from others.

We pray that this time of sharing the love of God, hearing God's Word, and seeing how much they are welcomed to join God's family, that the children will think on those things that were shared and make a decision for Jesus Christ. For those who have already made the commitment to follow Jesus, we pray they have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a child of God.

This year we celebrated our 10th year together in Thanksgiving, watching a video of photos showing the children through the years. Many have grown and left the orphanage but quite a few returned to share in the joy of the Lord.

Thank you one and all who are so faithfully praying for our orphans in Miskolc. We pray you too are blessed to be a part of God's work here in Eastern Europe.

Warm Sweaters and Hats!

2007-12-03T11:59:00.000+01:00

Tuesday, November 20th marked the date our Gypsy children in Hajduboszormeny received the gift of an Alpaca sweater or hat made from donated yarn and the creative hands of many Mennonite women who came together to knit the warm gifts for these most deserving children. It was an extention of God's "warm and loving embrace" through the efforts of His faithful children. Thank you dear ones for your faithfulness in praying for God's work among the Gypsy people.

MISKOLC ORPHANAGE MINISTRY

2007-11-14T06:08:00.000+01:00

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

COOKING SCHOOL/BIBLE STUDY

2007-11-10T10:57:00.000+01:00

Last night's feast was one of my favorites; ham steaks (2) one bathed in a glaze of lemon the other a glaze of orange accompanied by freshly made cinnamon apple sauce, potatoes seasoned with basil, and a salad dressed with Dolly's mustard dressing. Yummy! I've included a couple of photos of the students and the Chef/Teacher.

Nearly a year ago, we started hosting a weekly Friday night Bible study with English speakers. After Rob returned from the States, he began holding weekly cooking classes for the students on Friday afternoons. Soon, it was decided to incorporate the two activities so now we have students coming to learn cooking techniques and the Bible study group reaps the benefits by being the "tasters" for the class. After everyone has their fill, we have our Bible study.

Right now we are studying the Book of John and just finished up Chapter 19, The Crucification of Jesus. How can you read and study such words and not be convinced of the love our Father has for us? Prayer time included many praises for what God has done for us through the Savior Jesus.

Thank you Lord for the freedom to read your Word and to meet and praise you without fear of reprisal.

Let's all remember to pray for the persecuted church and all who are in harms way because of their faith in the One True God.

THANKSGIVING ORPHANAGE MINISTRY

2007-11-09T07:17:00.000+01:00

November 21st marks the beginning of our annual Thanksgiving outreach at the Miskolc orphanage. This year will be extra special as we celebrate our 10th year of sharing this most special observance with our kids in Miskolc.

Plans are for two teams of volunteers to come from the American military community in Heidelberg Germany and a volunteer from America will be joined by translators from the Debrecen church. There will be approximately 50 volunteers this year matching the kids almost one-to-one.

We will begin the 4 day long outreach with a Bible study Wednesday afternoon followed each day with activities and evening worship and teaching. The outreach culminates on Saturday with day-long activities, cooking of the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, followed by a program of worship, sharing the Gospel message, explaining the origin of the Thanksgiving celebration, and gift giving to all the kids.

Our personal involvement will include providing transportation to Miskolc and return, plus Carol, Russ, Luca, and Dana from Minnesota will be a part of the "advance team" preparing for the outreach.

Please, pray for us during the November 21st through 24th time frame. God calls us to be faithful in sharing His Word and in being obedient to His call. YOU too can be a part of this ministry through your faithful prayers.

Blessings,
Rob and Carol

Fall Update

2007-11-06T13:41:00.000+01:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, the air is crisp, the leaves have turned golden and are gently falling, filling the yards with their beautiful blanket of color.

This year has been so completely filled with activity that is has become more difficult to update you on what is happening here, at least in a timely manner. Please don't give up on us, we covet your prayers and are grateful for your partnering with us in God's work here in Eastern Europe.

To update you on the past several months...

The Gypsy ministry in Hajduboszormeny (Boszormeny) continues to draw seekers each Tuesday night. Dani, our youth pastor in Debrecen, took over the teaching at the church when Doctor Krisztian and his wife, Betti left for Dusseldorf Germany so Krisz could complete further research and training in Dermatology. With Dani on-board as teaching leader, he has encouraged his Debrecen youth group to become a part of the ministry in Boszormeny. Each week, the young people alternate teaching responsibility for our youngest children. They have responded so well to the alternating teachers that it is an encouragement to us all.

We held a day of celebration for "Children's Day" in June. This is an annual Hungarian observance which honors Hungary's children. We started the day off by having a powerful time of worship music led by David and Csilla Muscan, Jude and Luca who inspired us all with their beautiful voices. As we were worshipping God, many people just walking past the church were drawn to come inside and see what was happening. By the end of the day, we estimated there were at least 80 villagers who attended all or part of the days events.

PRAYER REQUEST: Now that school has begun, we pray the Youth Group members will continue to have time to be a part of the ministry to the youngest children at the Gypsy Church. We also pray they will continue to be encouraged at how God is using them in this ministry.

Ministry teams galore blessed the work in and around Debrecen this summer. We had teams from the U.S. and Germany, some of whom helped with the ministry to the orphanage in Miskolc, some helped with the English Camp, another team ministered at an orphanage in the Ukraine, and still another spent a week working on restoring parts of the Gypsy church building and also building a covered patio with lights so we can hold meetings outside when the weather is good. We also had a small team from California come (for the 5th time) to minister to women in Romania and also to the church body at Boszormeny.

PRAYER REQUEST: We pray God will continue to bring teams to be a part of the work here in and around Debrecen.

English Camp was an incredible answer to 10 years of prayer for our kids at the Miskolc orphanage. We had 12 young people from Miskolc come to the camp this year and at the end of the week, most of them had accepted Christ and were baptized in the camp pool. There wasn't a dry eye among the ministry team that has been involved in ministering to these kids for the past 10 years. Some of the kids that were baptized were very young when we first started going to the orphanage weekly for Bible study, sports activities, and general friendship building. At times throughout the years, we've been discouraged because more of the kids didn't immediately accept Jesus but as God tells us "everything in it's time" and the fullness of time had come.

Russ Chun our GoodSports ministry leader now goes to Miskolc weekly on Wednesdays to hold a Bible study for the new believers. We encourage your prayers for Russ and for the little Bible study, that God would continue to encourage them to draw close to Him, their source of comfort and strength.

PRAYER REQUEST: We pray that God will continue to bring translators to help Russ with the weekly Bible study and the twice monthly outreaches at the orphanage in Miskolc.

A one-week vacation for us was squeezed in between a two week time of ministry in Romania and a team from Germany who came to minister to the Gypsy church. We had the pleasure of seeing a new part of Italy (Rimini) and spent our days just basking in the sea breezes, eating lots of pasta, reading, and taking long naps each day!

PRAYER REQUEST: We are asking God for discernment in what He wants us to do. It's not easy to say no and it comes at the price of risking burn out if we don't have wisdom from the Lord.

The guest house ministry saw it's share of visitors these past 6 months. We've had visitors from America, Hungary, and Romania. Most of our visitors are here before or after a time of ministry elsewhere. It is always a pleasure to hear of their plans, see their excitement, and finally, hear stories of how God worked during their time of ministry.

PRAYER REQUEST: We continue to need prayer for provision to keep the guest house expenses covered.

The Lord arranged a wonderful time of refreshment for Carol who attended a Women's Conference this past weekend at the Bible College in Vajta. The topic for the conference was "Daughters of the King" and the messages reinforced the fact that we are a princess as the daughters of the King. There were 17 women from the Debrecen church able to attend and it gave us a wonderful time of deeper fellowship with one another and grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

PRAISES to God for all that He has accomplished these past few months. In every case, God has enabled us to see His hand at work in the lives of those who came to minister alongside us. The Lord also encouraged those He sent, drawing us all into a deeper and closer relationship with our Savior.

We praise God for the faithful volunteers, the prayer partners who came forward to cover us in prayer, and we thank God for all those who support His work here in Hungary.

If God is working in your heart to become a part of His work here in Hungary, please drop us a line and let us know of your interest. We will be happy to connect you to the people responsible for the ministry you want to be a part of.

We can be reached at: carolgreathouse292@hotmail.com or carol@greathouse.ehc.hu

Because of Jesus...our hope is ALIVE!

Just back from Romania!

2007-09-21T17:45:00.000+02:00

Zalau, Brasov, and Bibarcfalva Romania were once again the destinations of our team of three American women ready to be used by the Lord to encourage women into a deeper relationship with the Lord. God was gracious and allowed us to see some of what He has been doing in the lives of the women we encountered when last we visited in May of 2006.

The focus of this year's teaching was King David and the lessons for us today through the life of the man called "a man after God's own heart."

In Zalau, we were encouraged by the number of young women seeking spiritual growth and were finding it in fellowship and Bible study with others the same age. Our dear friend and pastor's wife, Evodia, once again led the team in outreaches among the women in and around the Zalau area. It was a blessing to be able to reconnect with many we've met with before and see the reality of their growth and depth of knowledge since we started these outreaches over 5 years ago. This year we were able to once again, meet with a group of pastor's wives and encourage them in their capacity as wives and leaders of the women in their congregations.

Mama, better known as Irma Pa'pai, once again opened her home, her kitchen, and her heart to us. Even though we are all about the same age, Mama takes care of us like we are her children, lavishing us with love by her servant's heart. Needless to say, it is always hard to leave this warm and nurturing place of refuge.

For the second year, we were able to visit with and minister longside Adina, also a pastor's wife, in Brasov. After our first visit, Adina reported that more women were attending the women's functions and becoming a larger part of the behind the scenes work within the church. The first group we met with were those interested in a discipling group aimed at pairing up older women with younger women. Adina took us to a village where we were able to minister to a group of handicapped people who attend the small village church.

For the second time, we were blessed to be able to stay with our friend and sister in Christ, Ili who is always so gracious to feed and house us. This year Ili was excited because their water was working so we could take showers and even do a load of laundry at the half-way point in our trip.

The next and last stop on our journey this year was in Bibarcfalva, a small village of dirt roads, hard working people, and lots of cows and goats that we watched come home each evening. It is so amazing to us city girls that each cow or goat knows which street to turn down when heading for home.

Staying in the mission house is a little like camp, with two sets of bunk beds and the question, who's on top. Once again Erzsi our beloved translator and Linda Marsic volunteered for the "honor", allowing the two Carols to have the lower bunks. Could it perhaps be a bow to our "advanced" ages??

Our hosts, Pastor Barna and his wife Leona along with their son Peter and daugher "little" Leona went out of their way to see that we were well taken care of.

This particular stop is always special for us. This year was the 5th time we have come to this little village to hold a Women's Conference which is now attended by women from all faiths and walks of life. We've been told it is unheard of for people from different faiths to meet together like this so we know our heavenly Father has orchestrated it as an example that we shouldn't be divided by denominations. It is also an example of how truly godly women can meet together with people of different ethnicity, i.e., Hungarians, Romanians, and Gypsy.

Now that our trip is over, we are praying for all the lovely people we've just met, those we've reconnected with, and those who came to know Jesus for the first time. It is our prayer in the year ahead, that God will become their closest and most trusted friend.