Dear Church Family,

Greetings to you from Europe/Serbia.

After our Family Vacation which was great,
I am now in the midst of my work here in Serbia.
I already know that I will not be lacking in ministry
opportunities,which is a Blessing.

Regularly you will be able to visit our site and read
my blogs about my visit with Pastors;Congregations
and Christians here and Croatia as well.

Friday July 4th Bishop Csete-Szemesi and I will
meet in Pacir (My mother lives here) visit
this link to see some photos
http://www.pacir.extra.hu/kepek%20a%20falurol.html
we will work out details regarding all
my visits to the congregations of the Christian
Reformed Church in Serbia.In the eveing @ 6:00 pm
I will meet my mothers Pastor Rev. Csanyi Erzsebet
to talk about the theme of my Sabbatical "The Protestant
Church under Socialism and during the civil war years"

Monday July 6th I will meet with Pastor Rev.
Reti Katalin of the Christian Reformed Church
in Subotica, Serbia.
This is the city of my birth. It is first mentioned
in 1391 and it was declared a free Royal City
by Austrian Empress Maria-Theresia in 1779 and
so it's name was Maria Theresiopolis.Please visit
the following site www.subotica.co.yu to find out
more about this city and it's rich history.It is an
ethnically mixed city like all of them are in Serbia
but the majority of the inhabitants are of Hungarian
origin.

upcoming visits Sunday July 20th Preaching In Pacir
Sunday July 27th preaching in Pacir.
On Sunday August 3rd. trip to Novi Itabej.Preaching &
Visit with Rev. Marton Karoly and his wife Rev. Marton Ilona.

Recent News. See email...

Dear Attila,

Our worship service is at 6PM: 1800, location is at Meduliceva 18 Zagreb. We don’t have a big church, and our church place is at residential building on our bell is written Reformirana crkva. I will be out of town that week and will come home on 9th so you can contact me, but will be in possibility for contact through mobile phone. Don't know where are you planning and for how long are you planning to be in Zagreb if you need any help with staying let me know.

Here is web link to the map on Internet where you can look at the map of Zagreb: http://www.kartegradova.com/zagreb they have in English as well.

Since you are pastor in the Reformed church I would like to ask you to preach at our service don’t need to have your robe because we have one extra for quest preacher. I hope you accepting this invitation?

Peace

Branimir

this invitation is a great honor and it is a privilege to preach here.God
willing I will preach here on August 10th. A report
about this visit will follow.

I miss Connie;Alexei & Caroline very much, we talk regularly with
each opther over the Phone.Caroline turns five on the fifth of July.
We will try the Skype Video calling that day. I am glad things are
very busy, this way there is less time to think.

I have to admit it took me a long time to calm down and let things go.
I worried about the church and I do miss everyone.Thank you to all
who help out and make this possible.Keeping all of you in Prayer
please do the same for us.I will try to update you regularly when I have
access to a computer which will be mostly from my mothers home.Please
let everyone know in church that they can read the blogs on our site under
"LATEST NEWS"

********************************************************************************

JULY

Friday 4th of July today The Bishop of the Christian Reformed Church in
Serbia gave me permission to study all the Documents of the national archives
of the Church pertaining to the period after 1945. Granting me insight into
the Communist era and beyond, all the way to the civil war years.
Today I also met Pastor Csanyi Erzsebet who just returned from Belgrade
that afternoon from a meeting with officials of the Government of Serbia.
They were working on receiving back land that the Communists had taken
away from the Church after 1945.This will be a great Blessing once it returns
into the posession of the Church. It will provide greater financial security.

Sunday 6th of July, together with Family we participated in the Sunday worship service of
the Christian Reformed Church in Subotica.Being a City Congregation one can really
see how different it is in comparison to a congregation in a smaller more traditional
town. The Congregation seems much more progressive and more open to change and new
ideas.

Monday 7th of July.I visited the Church in Subotica and spoke to Pastor Reti Katalin and her
husband Zoltan who is a social worker. They both are strong partners in our SARA mission.
Two things that stood out to mee is how hard it s to live as a minority.
Even harder when one lives as a "double minority" as ethnic Hungarians in Serbia and in
additon as Protestants in a non Portestant setting. Of the entire population about 8 Million
People only 80.837 are Portestants a little over 1%

Saturday July 12th.I had a very interesting visit with a retired teacher.Who asked me not to
mention him by name.Very often one can meet people who are still filled with a certain
amount of fear.This is a left over from Socialist times.They now live in a Democracy but still
don't believe that they are free to express themselves.Talking to him was like reading
a History Book.I learned much.For example during Socialism no business was to be
over 70 square meters or the Governement would confiscate it.Private property was
restricted.We also spoke about people turning others in to the local authorities if they
attended Church.So today We can give thanks that we are free to Worship our God
through Jesus Christ.

Sunday July 13th.Attended Worship Service in Pacir.Message was from
Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Matthew 11:28-30The theme was "How to be
Human ?" Answer! By imitating Christ

See Matthew 11:29

Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will
find rest for your souls.

Friday July 18th. I finished my Sermon for this coming Sunday.I received a special
invitation to deliver the closing message of a one week Church Conference here in Pacir
my mother's and my Families home Church.Please pray for me since it is always more
difficult to deliver a Message in ones own hometown.I am really nervous.

Saturday July 19th @ 5:00 pm I had a meeting with the widow of long time Disctrict
Superintendent Rev.Kiss Antal of the Bacska District.They lived through the
most difficult times of opression under the Communist regime.
It was an amazing meeting I learned so much in three hours.It felt like she took
me by my hand and took mee step by step through a period of History that I had
almost no Idea about.I was reminded of what Paul told Timothy in
2 Timothy 4
1 I give you a command in the sight of God and Christ Jesus.
Christ will judge the living and the dead. Because he and his kingdom
are coming, here is the command I give you.
2 Preach the word. Be ready to serve God in good times and bad.

This is what they did starting from 1944 all the way through 1998 and there
were times when things were extremely difficult but God provided always,
never failed them or the Church.Pastor Kiss Antal had constant conflcits
with one Communist Official who caused him trouble on many occasions.
In the end shortly before this official died he had Pastor Kiss come to him
and told him how much he admired him for not giving in
not compromising and how he consistantly preached the Word of God over
the Years.The enemy came to pay respect to those who served GOD what
a Testimony.She shared so much more with me. I will tell about those things
when "God willing" I will return from my Sabbatical.

Sunday July 20th. I had the privilege to preach the Word of God in Pacir/
At the Closing Event of a Week long Conference. The theme of the
Conference was "The Eternal Journey"

Wednesday July 23rd. Officials arrested yesterday here in Serbia
Dr. Radovan Karadzic wanted for a long time by the *war crimes tribunal
in the Hague.It caused some clashes between Police and demonstrators
here in Belgrade.Which shows again it was a wise choice not to organize
a SARA trip this year.The partial theme of my Sabbatical Studies focuses
also on the Terrors of the Civil war years.Here are the charges against
him.

Him and others have caused much suffering to countless of Families

Saturday July 26th.I met with Rev. Hanrangozo Zoltan.He is the Assistant
to Bishop Csete-Szemesi and also the Director of the Ecumenical
Conference Center in Feketic.He represents the Younger Generation
within the Reformed Church.He studied at the Reformed Seminary
in Cluj-Napoca (Nagyvarad), Romania.We talked about Traditions
within the Church"Traditions" are good as long as they contribute toward
a "LIVING CHURCH" tradtionalism with purpose so to speak Not just tradtions
for tradition sake.
We talked about the civil war years and how during the war many people
simply lost the way.Values were turned upside down.Which leads us to the
after affects of War.

Sunday July 27th. I am preaching in Pacir once more, filling in for the Pastor
so they can go on Vacation.Since their is a shortage of Pastors it is no easy
thing to leave at any given time.

Monday July 28th. I talked to and set a meeting with Bishop Endre Langh
(Chrisitan Reformed Church of Croatia) in Vinkovci on Friday August 8th
on my way to Zagreb the Capital.

Tuesday July 29th.Supporters of Dr. Radovan Karadzic organize Demonstrations
and riots in the Streets of Belgrade.

Wednesday July 30th.Dr. Radovan Karadzic was transferred to a Prison in the
Hague in the early morning hours.

Article about the Church Conference In todays Paper 07-30-2008
http://magyarszo.com/fex.page:2008-07-30_Kozossegmegtarto_esemeny.xhtml

Thursday July 31st.Meeting in Novi Sad with Rev.Botos Elemer Pastor
of the Christian Reformed Church.Novi Sad was bombed for 78 days
during the 1999 Air Campaign against Serbia.
*This meeting had to be changed to next week.Rev. Botos Elemer had
to travel to Hungary unexpectedly.

Instead I visited on Thursday July 31st the Central Offices of EHO
(Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization) also located in Novi Sad.This
Ministry was founded by the five Mainline Denominations in the 1990' in
response to the Humanitarian Crisis caused by the Civil Wars in the former
Yugoslavia.EHO helped the local Congregations distribute all the aid that
came in from the Western Churches.Please go to Photo Gallery page and
see the newest photos.

Sunday August 3rd. Trip into the Banat region of Serbia.Preaching in Novi
Itabej in the morning and Preaching in Kikinda in the afternoon. Visit the
Reformed Congregation in Zrenjanin early evening.Meeting
with the elders and Pastors.The trip was great.I left at 6:30 am and returned
at around 9:30 pm.It was a full day.We celebrated Communion in both
services.It is now Thanksgiving season here for new bread,harvest season.
Please go to the Photo Gallery to see the newest Photos,taken on this
trip.
click here and you can see a detailed map and find Zrenjanin and Kikinda.

* the Calvinist Reformed Church in Kikinda

Tuesday August 5th,Trip to Szeged Hungary

Friday August 8th I am leaviing for Croatia today first to
Vinkvovci later today to Zagreb the Capital.Updates on this
blog will follow after I return from the trip.

Wednesday Ausgust 13th, I have returned from Croatia and I
am still thinking about and I am sorting out all the things that
I have seen and learned while there.I preached Sunday evening
in the Capital,Zagreb.It was great to meet the Pastor and his
Congregation.Pastor Branimir and I sat in a Street Cafe after the
service and talked till late.He invited our Church to come back
and participate in a Mission called (ESL/English as a Second
Language). Where people from the USA can teach local
students...more about this when I Return.

I have seen more people search for food in Garbage Containers
while traveling in Serbia,Hungary and Croatia then ever before.
It is a very sad thing to see,there are poor people everywhere,here
and in the USA as well.Please visit our Photo Gallery for the latest
updates.

I will have the opportunity to preach the WORD in *Laslovo,
Croatia (*This town was leveled to the ground during the
**civil war).Local Croatians don't call it civil war they referr
to it as Serb Agression).God willing I will return to Laslovo,
Croatia on Sunday August 31st.

Banner/Symbol of the Reformed Churches.Please click on
Agnus Dei to learn more.

Sunday August 17th, I woke up at 4:45 am and left for Novi Sad
at 6:15 am.Arrived there at the Telep/Suburb Church at 7:30 am.
This gave me some more time to prepare for the service where I
preached at 8:00 am.Almost immediately after the Service we
headed to the Main Church/Balvaros.After a brief break I preached
at the 10:00 am Service/Beautiful Organ and Singing.We had plenty of
time to speak to members of the Congregation following the Service.
Pastor Elemer and I went out to a Restaurant "Balkan Express" in
the area of the University Campus and ate some Authentic Serbian food.
After a brief walk we headed for Piros/Rumenka here I preached another
Message at the 4:00 pm Worship Service. I arrived back home at around
8:00 pm.It was a full and very Blessed Day.One can really see and feel
the pain and hurt that many people still carry around from the war years.
Pastor Botos Elemer told me thet he had often thought about writing a
Book about the war and all the things that happened but now everyone
simply wants to move on and forget.
The war has been officially over since 1999 but I have a feeling the after
effetcs will be felt for Generations to come.Different ethnic groups still
blame each other for things that happened during W.W.II
Please check out the newest Photos!

Sunday August 24th,I Visited the Reformed Churches in *Pancevo,
Vojlovica and the Mission in Susara.Preached 4 different times
in three different Congregations.Gained deep insights from the
Pastor and his Wife into the Socialist era;Civil War Years and the
Horrors of the 1999 Bombings,some very disturbing facts about
that event.I hope you enjoy the photos please go to Photo Galleries
ands see the latest updates.

* The Founding of the Pancevo Congregation in 1878
is connected to "Jokai Mor" (One of the most popular
Hungarian writers). His direct involvement in this matter
made the start of a Christian Reformed Church in this
Region a Reality.

Wedndesday Agust 27th, I visited Pastor Bekassy
Andor and his Wife in Sombor. The City is very close
to Croatia.In 1995 the croatian army gained back
territories that had been occupied by Serbia consequently
so some 200.000 Serbs were driven from their homes
and fled to Serbia.
Sombor was the first City they entered many stayed.
Sombor has about 55.000 inhabitants,and took in
the largest number of refugees approximately
19.000

Sunday 31st August Visit to Croatia.To the Laslovo and Kopacevo
Congreagtions.I left my mothers home in the morning hours and
headed for Sombor.After a brief stop here I crossed the border into
Croatia.My first stop in Croatia was the city of Vukovar.The City rose
from it's ashes for it was almost totally destroyed during the
Civil War/Serb Agression.Followed by a brief stop in Osijek I headed
for Szentlaszlo,here I preached at the 2:00 pm service.We had
a meeting with members of the Congregation right after the
Worship Service.From here we headed for Kopacs where I
had the privilege to preach once more.Following Worship we had
an exchange with *Bishop Kettos Janos (He was officially the
Pastor of the refugees during their stay in "exile"/he traveled
approximately 485.000 km to visit 186 different refugee centers).
With about 30.000 people under his care.After this exchange we
headed once more back to Vukovar to visit the Memorial Cemetery.
*Rev. Kettos Attila (*The Son of the Bishop) came with me.Following
this stop we headed back to Szentlaszo where we had Dinner with
Rev. Kettos Attila and his wife.In closing we watched a brief DVD
on the events surrounding Szentlaszlo. I was in awe when I saw
how massive the destruction really was and how it has been
rebuilt.A real miracle.I drove back to Serbia the same night and
arrived at my mothers home at around midnight.I had much time to think
on my way home about all the people that I met that day and the places
that I had seen.I heard about pain,suffering,death and destruction but
also about hope,plans for a better tomorrow and the hope of the Gospel.

Tuesday September 2nd visited and spoke at a home Bible study group
of the Reformed Church. The Bible study took place in Subotica.
It was a great study, with much input from the participants.We were
together from 7:30 pm - 10:45 pm.Time went quickly.

Saturday September 6th.My Visit to the Torontalvasarhely/Debeljaca
Calvinist Reformed Congregation was a special one.I visited the
Congregation once during my Studies at the Seminary.Since then much
has changed. The Church is one of the most beautiful Reformed Churches
I have ever been in.It was built between 1834 and 1838.During the years of
1944 and 1945 after the Communists took over all in 52 Catholic Priests
and Reformed/Protestant Pastors were executed.So far only one Rev.
Gachal Janos Pastor of the Calvinist Reformed Church in Torontalvasarhely
received a Plaque to Commemorate his martyrdom.

Sunday September 7th.The Ecumencial Worship Service in Pacir
was made extra special by a visiting choir from Transylvania/Romania
which also performed at the Subotica City Hall that same Afternoon.

Wednesday September 10th.I spent all day on the Road once more
to Visit the Feketic Calvinist Reformed Church.I delivered a Message
form the Word of GOD at the 8:00 am Worship Service.I had Breakfast
and Lunch with the Bishop and His wife Eva.The Church provided
access to the National Church archives so I could do some Research.
It was very rewarding to see with how much Wisdom and Strength the
Church handled the challenges after the Communists took over
the Political leadership of the Country. I was able to study documents
from the years 1945 & 1952.Later that afternoon I met with a Pastor
Friend for an additional exchange.

Tuesaday September 16th, Interview at the Regional Televison
Studio.

Blessings:

Attila Szemesi