Roy and Lainey Hitchman

August 2024 ... Portugal, Denmark, Carlisle, Netherlands, Reading, Denmark (again), Netherlands (again). Oh and an ER room in Slovakia.

August? Already! Where did this year go?

Blink and you’ll miss it!

It seems we have sprinted through spring, and summer is nearly over. The fruit trees blossomed and fruit harvests are in progress. Peaches, apples and figs are now quickly ripening while the weather still remains hot, hot, hot. Easter and summer have passed (September is autumn, right?), and most of our international speaking engagements have passed, too. This year has been busy, and this is the reason this update is so late. It's busy but really rewarding. Here is an update on everything that has happened since our last newsletter in November. But first, we have to update you regarding our support situation.

Financial challenge

As you know, Lainey and I are receiving supplementary financial support payments from Elim Mission’s emergency support fund. A condition of this is that we actively fundraise to improve our financial support base. Fundraising is our least favourite part of mission life.

To update you all, our financial situation has improved, and we are thankful for you all, churches and individuals, who have continued to partner or who have started partnering with us in the work that we do. Without you, our commission caring for other full-time missionaries, our ministry discipling young adults and international students, and our work in the education and restoration of marriages and family relationships would all be impossible. We thank God for the privilege of serving in this way and for the support you all selflessly provide as part of your worship to our Lord. However, from April, our support reduced again due to the pressures a key supporter is experiencing. Today’s financial climate is proving tough for us all. However, in saying this, would you please consider joining our financial support base if you haven’t already done so? We can only accomplish all that we do through the kindness and generosity of God’s people, and we are grateful for the key part your partnership plays.

Ministry Update

Debriefs

Debriefing is one way Lainey and I serve the missionary community. It provides an opportunity for families on mission to examine key events in their missionary journey and their effects on them and their welfare. It is also rewarding to act as catalysts as they look at the journey ahead of them and make plans for future years. We really enjoyed this element of ministry and had the privilege of working with some of Elim’s missionaries who had recently transitioned into full-time cross-cultural living.

Project Progress

We have also celebrated a significant milestone! Alan and Alice Osborne were with us too, making this milestone doubly significant. Their friendship and fellowship were a blessing, but it was also important to us, for them to see the progress made with the Paraszt Haz project. Alan and Alice have been very involved with this project, and it seemed significant that while they were visiting, we were able to use the ministry house for the first time by hosting an event with the young-adult international community.

In addition to being able to share the gospel message with the group, we were able to demonstrate how God cares for them with a meal together and by giving them gifts. We are thankful for how Bangor Elim helped us with the cost of this event. This time together was especially special, mainly because it was an opportunity to strengthen this community. Many of the students are unable to travel home for holidays due to either war, civil unrest, or just the sheer expense of the flights. We were glad, however, that we managed to get them together and share this special time with them.

Bible study

We have also completed the third semester of the discipleship group. This time, we examined the role of friendship in our lives and how we need to develop godly friendships by becoming friends of good character. There was a lot of discussion as we revisited godly character and did some serious self-evaluation.

Since working with this group, we have seen two young men enter into a relationship with the Saviour and continue to see many of the young adults increase their focus on God as they understand that God has a purpose for their lives. As is normal, we see many different levels of commitment within the group. Some want to be part of a community as long as it doesn't get in the way of what they want to do; others, a smaller number, are hungry to learn what the gospel and Christian principles for life mean for them; and now there are a few that we are able to meet with individually, hear their story and have an opportunity to disciple individually. As you can imagine, we feel extremely privileged to walk this journey alongside these young people.

Portugal

Towards the end of March, we provided a parenting seminar for a Church in Sintra. Roy preached in the main church service on Palm Sunday. The whole trip was filled with Holy Spirit moments as the Lord worked through us but, more importantly, did a work within us. It seemed that God was using this time to catch our attention and re-establish some deep things. It was a very special time reconnecting with our long-term friends Miguel and Juliana and their beautiful family, catching up, praying and planning future events and ministry strategies together.

One surprising side effect of visiting Portugal was that we got to spend a day catching up with one of our past International Students. Having heard that we were close by, he made sure that we spent the day together so he could show us his city. While touring the city, we got the chance to catch up and make sure that he was safe and settled in his new location.

Denmark

A visit to Denmark at the end of April meant that we got to spend time with one of our long-term strategic partners. The time was valuable, as we talked through future plans and current challenges and processed together much of what God has been doing in our lives. We also had a weekend with Erin and Jonathan, who traveled down from the very north of Denmark to meet us.

Carlisle

From Denmark, we jumped on a plane to hop across to Carlisle Elim. We spent a total of one week with David and Esther Allen and had plenty of opportunities to teach at various church events throughout the week. We love these kinds of opportunities where we get to share the things God has deposited within us and help individuals apply them to their context. The highlight of the week was teaching at their Church day out, complete with fun and games, fantastic food, and the weather even behaved for most of the day.

Home Visit

We want to thank Dromore Elim for releasing their Pastors, Paul and Cheryl Eagleson, so that they could come and give Lainey and me an at-home pastoral visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them, and as expected, they got a look under the hood at how we do life and the challenges we face. The visit went well, apart from issues with train doors and a brief visit to Bratislava A&E with Lainey needing some urgent medical attention.

All Nations, Reading

At the end of June, we travelled to All Nations in Reading, making a quick stop in the Netherlands to visit Beth and Max. Like Carlisle, Reading was a special time spent reconnecting with Keith and Barbie Jackson, missionaries who have returned from the mission field and continued their calling by pastoring Churches in the UK. At Reading, Lainey and I provided a marriage event for the church and then took the Sunday morning service.

Denmark

After a very brief visit back home, we were back on the road in early July, making our way to the North of Denmark to teach at a week-long family camp for Families on the Way. Over the course of 7 days Lainey and I taught on the theme of achieving balance in the Christian life. It was wonderful to have the ability to explore this topic from many different directions. It was also refreshing to be at an event that worked through the teachings in small groups in a way that encouraged the personal application of the principles taught tangibly.

Upcoming events

We are planning to return to Portugal to pick up where we left off earlier this year and move some projects forward together. Lainey will also teach again at a women’s event in London in October.

Between the above events, we will continue with local ministry and work online with couples, missionaries, and ministry leaders. Work on the Paraszt Haz will also continue; the finishing line is very much within sight. If you are handy with a paintbrush or have home furnishing skills, why not spend some time with us in Hungary? We would be grateful for your help and fellowship.

We deeply appreciate all the love and support that you have given us in this last year. We know that we would not be able to do what we have been called to do without your partnership.

Available Resources

 

If you’d like to buy the book in bundles of 5 or 10 then please get in touch with us directly and we’ll make sure that you get a good discount.

Roy and Lainey

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