Well, I have been back from Hungary for almost a month now. Joe was in Peru for 11 days and is now back as well. We have so much to update everyone on I honestly have no idea where to begin. I hope Joe can give you some updates on his trip to Peru. I know I have loved hearing about how the Lord used their team. They had over 100 kids each day for basketball camp and 20 prayed to receive Christ. Again, I hope he can update with his perspective on the week because I know I can't do it justice.
So for me...I have finally gotten my thoughts (and pictures) together for a Hungary post! I titled the post "O Happy Day" because it truly was a week full of Happy Days, and the song that continued to resignate throughout our youth camp was "O Happy Day" by Kristian Stanfill. It was amazing to see our kids, along with the Hungarian kids jumping around and singing...
"O Happy Day, happy day, when you washed my sin away....
I'll never be the same, Forever I am changed"
~ This was the first weekend at the lake with the Paulus youth group. Our group and theirs got along great!
A few of us hiked up to the top of the mountain to enjoy a beautiful view of the countryside!
It's amazing how you can hear a song so many times but it takes a certain moment for the words to really hit! Well, because of Hungary and the way the Lord moved and is moving in so many hearts I can say (and I know the rest of the team would agree) that I will never be the same and I pray that my view of people and for the lost world has changed dramatically.
We led a youth camp over the course of the week. Throughout the week we taught English, played a ton of fun games, and just hung out with the kids. They LOVED us! Because of the relationships that were made, they were very interested in what we had to say and "why we were so happy". Each of our youth shared testimonies each day of how their lives had changed since knowing Jesus. Hearing young people talk about faith was so new and different to the Hungarians, yet they were so interested because because they could see something different in our youth. The Hungarians could not understand that you can have a personal relationship with Him and that you can pray to God without having to go through someone else. Hungary is considered "Post-Christian" which basically means that Christianity (the Catholic faith) is a thing of the past and not something that many of them put a lot of emphasis in. And for those that do know about Christianity, they think of all the rituals and rules and miss the part of it being a relationship with a loving God. So we were some of the first people they met that had this "new view" of Christianity.
There were 3 kids who accepted Christ and others who had so many questions. It was neat to see them wrestling with questions and hear them asking some things that even we as Believers wrestle with. One girl in particular couldn't understand why bad things happen if there is a God. Mark talked to her at various times throughout the week and I have actually been able to keep up with her through email. For all of these kids, our goal and our prayer was to plant a seed and to connect them with the Paulus Staff and youth group so that they could continue to hear the gospel and see the gospel lived out through the lives of the Believers in their city!
~ Converse Youth Camp - what a great name when the whole week was about building relationships...
what better way than to "converse". :)
We were able to see the sights of Budapest on the Saturday before we left. The missionaries, Janos, Ildiko, Sanyesz, Zoli, Andras, Sarah, and Christine and Esther (their daughters) took us to some great places where we learned a little more about the history of Hungary but mostly just enjoyed the beautiful city. We also ate at an amazing restaurant (translated it means Mama Elizabeth's Kitchen). It was a great ending to our week. However, the fun did not end there. We ended up with a whole day layover in New York after missing our flight back to B'ham. It was a nice transition to getting back to the states and allowed us to wind down as a team and just have fun!
~ Around Budapest
~New York and fun times in the airport!
I have posted several picture collages, but this is only a glimpse at the pictures taken. Also, the pictures and even my thoughts cannot do the week justice. I was truly amazed at how the youth responded to the culture in Hungary and they saw a need so much greater than they had imagined...a need for Hope and Joy in a Savior. We all were truly burdened for this city and pray that through the ministry of the Paulus Movement, some of these kids will come to know Christ as their savior!
