“Two things have been powerful in our relationship,” Val says. “First, that it’s been centred on God. We seek Him first. Secondly, we’re able to listen to each other and process differences well. That’s a special friend who can do that.” 

“They joke about Americans and Brits being two continents divided by the same language,” Jill adds. “We experienced that a lot, but we’ve learnt appreciation for a different culture and that to be roommates, to be what God has given to us, doesn’t mean you have to agree on everything, and we don’t. But you accept the other person for who they are, the way God has made them.” 

In the early 2000s, Jill was leading OM Hungary’s hospitality ministry, while Val was starting up and translating material for Awana. The two would lead children’s camps together in Romania, or Jill might bring Val breakfast after a long night of translation work. Later, the friends led children’s programming for several church plants around Hungary. 

When the refugee crisis in Hungary unfolded in 2015, Jill and Val again served together as Christian organisations including OM, Pioneers, East Europe Mission and the Baptist Aid joined forces to meet the needs of the displaced people pouring into the country. 

“Sometimes we worked side-by-side, other times maybe I was giving out coffee and Jill was giving out backpacks, but we were ministering to the same group of people,” Val says of the refugee outreaches. “To me that’s when it’s more powerful, when you cross mission lines.”  

‘The perfect storm’ 

The summer of 2016 was a particularly busy time for Val. She was preparing for and leading an upcoming youth English camp outreach along with other ministries when unforeseen circumstances began to unravel her usual support system. 

A Pioneers team member went to be with her sister after a death in the family. The location for the English camp was undergoing renovation, forcing the team to delay the camp by two weeks, by which time other team members who had already purchased plane tickets for furlough would be out of the country. 

“I really believe it was a combination of multiple things coming together to create the perfect storm in my life,” Val says. “There was no one physically there to help me. I can be a perfectionist, and I thought it all depended on me. Camp is a key tool that God’s given us, so I was putting a lot of energy into it.” 

Though subtle at first, Val says, the weight of responsibility combined with strong spiritual attacks to create a heaviness she couldn’t shake. She stopped sleeping well–stopped sleeping almost at all. In a haze of tiredness, she says she started believing almost every lie imaginable. 

“For example, Satan would say: ‘Who are you? You can’t do it. You’re not a good missionary,’” she says. “He would show me the past sins that I had committed over again, even as a child, and then hold that over my head. And then I would say in my mind: ‘But God’s forgiven those.’ And then the lie would be–just like it was to Adam and Eve–‘Has He really forgiven you?’ It just spins down, and I didn’t sleep for months. I believe the physical part of the attack was not being able to sleep, and then the more I didn’t sleep, the worse I got. It was like torture.” 

The descent continued for Val after the camp, following her home to the U.S.A. on furlough.  

“It led to me having a really dark night of the soul and not being able to fight for myself like I normally do,” she says. “Normally I would fight very strongly with Scripture and prayer, but I was emotionally and physically exhausted to the point where I just couldn’t.” 

Deeply concerned, Jill and members of the OM team in Hungary prayed fervently for Val. Though separated by the Atlantic, Jill persisted in Skyping regularly with her friend, even when Val began to pull away in despair, thinking she would not be able to return to ministry. 

“Val would be very negative about herself,” Jill says. “She wouldn’t be able to speak. We’d talk on Skype and she’d say: ‘This is just too much.’ I kept encouraging her and saying: ‘God’s not told me you’re not coming back. Don’t worry, you’ll be back.’” 

“It was so overwhelming–just to speak about it was hard,” Val says. “But Jill understood. I think she just invited me to speak as much as I could, and then there were days when I just couldn’t talk at all, couldn’t say anything. And I think she understood.”  

As Val struggled with her battle, Jill wrestled with the fight on her side. 

“I think the biggest thing for me was my own personal loneliness and through that, having to cling to God,” Jill says. “I was in limbo a lot of the time. It was a lesson in dependence on God.” 

Breaking the chains 

The heavy days stretched into months of deep darkness, even seeing Val end up in the hospital. But the prayers of her loved ones did not stop. 

“I learnt about the power of prayer and people surrounding you when you can’t pray for yourself,” Val says. “People like Jill were still praying for me and speaking hope and encouragement into my life, even though I couldn’t sense that at the time. Having people do that for you is powerful.  

“My home church in particular really surrounded me. And I don’t know why, but I wasn’t expecting that. But for some reason–I guess it was believing the lies of Satan–I thought they would reject me or judge me. And yet they surrounded me with love.” 

One turning point was when the pastor’s wife at Val’s home church in the U.S.A. had Val hold a small chain. She prayed that God would break the chains keeping Val in spiritual bondage. It was prayers like these and support from friends, family and counselling who didn’t pressure but instead sought to listen that Val was able to look up from her valley and take her first steps of ascent. 

She wrote Psalm 33:12 on her pillow: Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders. 

Val also stresses the importance of seeking medical help.  

“I think a lot of people are told that you know, anxiety, depression – Christians don’t do that, they don’t experience that,” she says. “That’s another lie from Satan. If you read the Bible, you know that Elijah, Job, and others said things like: ‘take my life, I want to die.’ They were pretty depressed, pretty discouraged. It happens. But I think the fear of being honest and coming forward played into it going much further and longer for me than it needed to. If that means medical help, medication, I think it’s OK. Because I think God gives Christians some other tools to help them along.”  

Jill continued to pray from abroad, gently listening and encouraging whenever she could. She also visited Val in the U.S.A. at the end of her own furlough. 

“I think the best thing someone can do when you have anyone in a situation like that is just be there for that person and show them you love them in spite of where they are,” Jill says. “You accept where they are. You know there’s nothing that you can say to fix it, but you just show that you’re still there for them.” 

‘You will serve Me again’ 

Late 2017 marked a full year that Val had been away. 

“That’s the longest I’ve ever been away from Hungary,” she says. “I would dream in Hungarian.” Now that her darkness was lifting, did Val dare hope she might be able to return to her ministry? 

“I had been praying and some days fasting, and God spoke to me through Jeremiah 15:19-20,” Val says.

“I think He was saying: ‘If you come to Me for strength, if you come to Me for the way forward, I’ll return you, you’ll be able to serve Me again,’” Val continues. “That was key because to me when God says it, it’s final. It doesn’t matter if others say no, I was content that God was saying yes.  

“It came together, and my member care team, pastor and counsellor shared that they were working together to get me back.” 

Finally, on January 17, 2018, Jill drove to the Budapest airport to pick Val up. 

“The day was finally here and I went to get my best friend back from the airport!” Jill says. “I felt excitement for her that she was coming back, because it was a day that she felt like for a long, long time was not going to happen. To actually have the day where she’s flying back into the country to come back home–that was a real God thing.” 

Val shared that excitement, though it was tempered slightly with apprehension about sharing her experience with others. But she says she felt peace seeing how God went ahead of her in her return. The Lord gave her some appropriate times to share deeply about her experience, while other times a more general answer was better. She was able to work with a psychiatrist and get the medication she needed in Hungary. Her simple needs were met. 

As Easter approached, Jill and Val had the opportunity to serve together again through OM’s children’s puppet ministry, travelling to schools and churches to perform a Gospel-centred show. 

“For me one of my gifts is evangelism, and being able to share the Gospel, even through puppets, was huge because that’s my heartbeat,” she says. “And I’ve been writing Bible curriculum. I’m passionate about that.” 

Jill says seeing Val enjoy the puppet ministry was confirmation that she was back where she belonged. “That was fun to in a way go back to the beginning of something we did together when getting to know each other–serving alongside each other in children’s ministry,” she says. 

After one performance at a home for youth with special needs, Val saw the reality of the Lord’s promise to restore her to His service. 

“There was a lady right on the front row who began to weep at the end of the show when we were singing,” she recalls. “I could tell that there was a spiritualness that had really touched her. At the same time a teammate of mine said that he was praying exactly when we did that session. He had written me and said the time and everything, so I know that he was praying for our ministry and for someone to be touched by it at the time. So when he wrote back, I thought, OK, God answered that prayer. Those are the things that are exciting to me: evidences that God’s at work.” 

What has your path in OM looked like?  

Marcel: I joined OM in 2010, doing youth work and supporting poor families through my church in Tata. By doing that, we found that lots of people don’t have a place where they can be themselves, and especially for young people, it’s a big problem because there are a lot of broken families. I was leading the OM team in Tata, and we started working on the vision of the DOCK youth community centre. But by the time we were ready to really start and run the centre, I realised God was calling me to something else. I was involved with OM leadership in Hungary and was busy thinking ahead about how we can be more effective. God really planned the route. Looking back, I see He was already busy working to take me further.   

What is your vision for the future of OM Hungary?  

Marcel: I think we are on a threshold to make a new step. I’m longing to see how we can think out of the box and be more visible in Hungary. How can we reach more young people, motivate them to go into missions, and help churches send youth into missions? I believe also that the church will feel renewal through this. I think once you go on a mission trip, doesn’t matter if it’s a week or two years, it changes your life.  

I believe young people have the mindset that they can change the world, and that’s a God-given thing. But they should have the tools to do it the right way.  

We also want to continue investing in reaching youth who are not yet believers. Through sports, arts, the youth centre, we build trusting relationships with young people and share the Gospel through that trust. 

OM’s mission statement is to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached. What does this mean in Hungary?

Marcel: I think a vibrant community would be one like we read about in Acts: a community that people want to belong to, where they see God is at work, where they see real love between the people in the church. Where outsiders have to make a choice about true commitment: It’s not just a nice bunch of people, but if I go there, then I give myself completely to the Lord. A vibrant church sends people into missions and also takes care of the needy around them. That was Jesus’ heart as well when He was here on earth.  

It sounds like two of your passions are mobilising youth and helping the poor. What other needs speak to your heart?   

Marcel: My passion is to see churches where the members really take care of one another. Where older people are wise people who can pray for youth and listen to them. And the young people can motivate the older generation, so it’s like a well-running family. There isn’t a generation gap, but instead it’s one body of Christ, young and old.

How will your role change practically?   

Marcel: A lot of my time will be in the office, which is the part I’m not really looking forward to, but I know that if this part is working well, it can be a blessing for our whole ministry. If we can work as a team, that will give us energy and freedom to do more. That’s the big change, that I am not so much on the front line but more working inside, supporting and helping. 

I’m very honored and blessed by Attila, how he’s prepared me and handed over things. We are much more brothers than boss and employee. I really believe that this brotherhood will stay, and I’m happy he will become our boss (by joining OM Europe leadership), so we can keep serving together. I’m grateful for the foundation he laid down on which I can build further.  

Faith. Perseverance. Discipline.

When I look back at my two years serving in Hungary, these lessons stand most prominent in what God has taught me during this time.

Having the opportunity to serve with OM Hungary’s sports ministry as a softball/baseball coach and player was a life-changing opportunity, and although it sometimes felt like an emotional roller coaster ride, God used it to help me grow in ways that I will never be able to look back from.

Moving to a new culture, learning a new language and living on support are just a few of the ways in which God has helped grow my faith as I continue to learn to fully rely on Him in all that I do. It can be scary. It is definitely humbling. But more than anything else, it is freeing.

Whether it be because of players not being happy with you that week (or month at times), not seeing eye-to-eye with coworkers, or just the absolute stress you feel from total culture shock, there were multiple times where it was tough to escape the thought of “this would be so much easier if we just moved back home.” Thankfully, God helped me see that easier doesn’t always equate to better. My wife and I would have missed out on so many relationships, memories and the ability to grow in our faith had God not convicted us to just keep fighting on; to persevere. Though we often had our fair share of struggles, God teaching me how to persevere through challenging times will be one of the biggest takeaways I have from our experience here.

As for the third lesson, discipline, never have I been so aware of the image I give off to other people than during our time serving here. While we never want to put on an 'act' for people, having the label 'missions worker' associated with us brings a whole new level of self-awareness and a need to be disciplined. Whether it was our reaction to our apartment being broken into, my interactions with umpires and difficult coaches during the season, or other life events, I found myself constantly remembering I needed to conduct myself in a way that honours Christ, in part because of how the outside world views me. Yes, this needs to be the case for every Christ-loving believer, but being in this role took it to a new level for me.

I am taking away a great deal from my two years in sports ministry, and I hope I was able to give back plenty as well. I constantly strove to build confidence in my players, to walk with others through life’s struggles and to demonstrate unconditional love.

From a quantitative perspective, two years might not be much in the timeline of life for most people. From a qualitative point of view, these two years have impacted me perhaps more than any other two at any point in my life.

Choose to love Jesus. Choose to be used by Jesus. Be blessed.

The Swiss group worked with OM in Hungary and a local church in the city of Érd, near Budapest, for a week in October. They started by helping a mother of three with repairs around her house, where a broken-down fence, neglected roof and no furnace left the family vulnerable to the coming cold. With her husband in prison, this Roma mother cleans her children’s school to provide for her family and was eager to help the OMers complete the repairs. 

“She wanted to help and offer us coffee, and I learned that if we just do some little things, it means the whole world for her. If it’s just a fence for us, it means so much for her,” said group member Johanna*. “She asked, ‘Why are you here, and do you help others as well? I’ve never been with so many nice people as you.’ We could tell her that we could give so much because Jesus gives us so much.” 

OM since reached out to Eastern European Mission, which has provided the family a new furnace for the winter that OMers are now helping to install. Interestingly, the new furnace was made in Switzerland. 

The Swiss group next worked to deliver food packages to and pray with eight families identified by local social services, offering encouragement to many in difficult situations. 

“We visited five families with children and three homes of the elderly,” said OM team member Ilona Csernus. “In one of the families with three kids, one child has cancer and the family is staying in a temporary home. One elderly woman was alone, except with a dog and cat, and she has very little money. Another lady, it was her birthday, so we sang to her in three languages. She has a grandson with mental handicaps she is looking after because his mother abandoned him. Most of these people live on a very low pension.” 

The group’s final project was working to improve the home of an elderly couple–both of whom are blind. OM maintenance manager Zsolt Csernus welded metal poles that would hold up a rope, which would guide the couple down the sloped, uneven path from their door to the road. The group also painted walls inside the couple’s home and poured cement near the front door for a level walkway.  

Impressively, the older blind man had used the computer to find the local church’s pastor, leading the group to the opportunity to help. Though he couldn’t see the improvements being made, he said the flurry of activity and noise brought back memories of his school days in a dormitory, where noise meant life. The woman also shared how she realised she was ‘no longer needed’ when her first husband left her after she lost her eyesight, but how the group’s help was a great gift. 

As the outreach concluded, Swiss volunteer Rahel* shared about the significance of using her holiday time to serve others. “It was so fantastic to see all those people smile like this and how happy we can make them with this little we can do,” she said. “I think I’ll never again be able to spend a holiday on the beach. This is so much better.”

*Surname not included for security

During that first week with Shout for Life, Bus4Life visited ten schools in six different towns around the Budapest area. A total of 1,500 students climbed on board the bus and were introduced to foetal development and pregnancy through an exhibition that had been built inside the bus.

Since then, OM has done three other outreaches with Shout for Life, all of them with Bus4Life. Altogether, more than 5,000 young students have been challenged to consider the value of the unborn. Some schools have allowed the gospel to be shared too.

The latest outreach took place in September 2018 when Bus4Life visited several schools in the greater Budapest area. Students were invited to the bus in groups of 15-20. They were given time to look at the exhibition, and they watched three short videos about dating, pregnancy and abortion. The main focus was on conversation.

“We want the students to understand that they are unique and that God created them,” OM’s Istvan Horvath says. “We talked about God’s plan for their lives, about dating and marriage, and how you can prepare for a good marriage. We discussed the way media portrays sexuality, and how that contradicts God’s plan for sex.”

Istvan explains that speaking about sexuality is “taboo” in Hungary, and the topic is rarely raised in schools outside the compulsory biology lesson on reproduction. Bus4Life’s visit creates an opportunity to talk with the students about sexuality and issues around it – an opportunity that the schools are happy to take.

One teacher went to the school headmaster after the Bus4Life visit, asking for permission to skip a math class in order to continue the conversation with the students. She had noticed that the students were quite moved by what they had learnt inside the bus and wanted to take the opportunity to discuss the topic further.

“Schools have started to notice the results of the work, and they invite us back. They want all students to go and see the exhibition,” Istvan says. “Teen pregnancies and students having abortions are common, and so is young children watching porn. No one is teaching them.” 

The number of abortions performed in Hungary has decreased dramatically in the recent years. In 2017; there were 28,496 abortions – compared with 59,249 just 17 years earlier in 2000. The difference is further highlighted when comparing today’s numbers to the late 1960’s when abortions first became “popular”. In 1969, the record year, there were 206,817 abortions – nearly 570 each day.* The statistical trend is positive, and the change is partly due to a shift in government policies that seek to strengthen families and encourage couples to have children. But credit must be given to Christian organisations, too, particularly in their efforts to inform and educate the Hungarian youth about abortion.

*Hungarian Central Statistical Office. Népesség, népmozgalom (1900–). Oct. 29, 2018 http://www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xstadat/xstadat_hosszu/h_wdsd001b.html?down=842 

Logos Hope: challenge accepted

Tünde Ujlaki joined Logos Hope for one year in 2017. She shares how stepping out of her comfort zone led her to deeper faith.

Have you ever done something crazy in your life? Something beyond your imagination or known abilities? For me, joining Logos Hope was one of the most extraordinary adventures I’ve ever had.  

When I started my last semester at university, I felt God calling me to spend a year in full-time missions before I started working. I was studying physiotherapy, so I thought God would lead me to a Christian hospital somewhere in Asia or Africa. But one day a small group came into my church to share about Logos Hope, this amazing mission ship of OM. Their testimonies deeply touched my heart.

I felt God wanted me to join them and thought, “Lord, what a crazy idea! One year on a ship, with 400 volunteers from around the world, being the only Hungarian with poor English skills, and raising support in my country (which is not culturally accepted). Are You sure?” But I knew if the Lord wanted me to go and serve Him, He would provide. 

Logos Hope was like a piece of heaven, where I could experience worshiping God with people from different nations. We learned to serve together and support each other. Every time I stepped out of my comfort zone, which was often, that zone grew bigger and bigger.  

I got to serve in one of the best departments: catering, where I learned about true hospitality. I washed dishes, cleaned and cooked all day long with a wonderful, crazy team. We cried and sang, danced and sweated together for the Lord. God taught me perseverance in all circumstances, both when I was full of passion for Him and also when I felt I had no strength left. 

I joined the ship because I wanted to give and serve, but still I feel I received much more than I deserve through this life-transforming experience.

Sharing about Isa (Jesus) in the UK

Tamás* spent six months serving with OM in Birmingham, UK. He shares how God refined his calling to share the Gospel through this experience. Tamás is now attending university with plans for future ministry work.

After finishing high school, I decided to go to England to see what foreign missions looked like in real life. 

Being interested in the Middle East and knowing a little Arabic, I especially wanted to serve Muslims. When I heard about an opportunity in Birmingham, UK, and learned about its Muslim population, I knew it would be a perfect place for me. Despite the difficulties of raising financial support in Hungary, and the OM program I originally applied for being cancelled, God called me strongly to go to Birmingham, and He made it possible. 

For this half-year in 2017, I lived and worked with others of different nationalities (Koreans, Europeans, Americans and South Asians). I learned about cultures, including my own Hungarian culture. There were challenges when sometimes I caused conflict or was careless. I had to learn how to trust people better and to work in a team. The church I attended in Birmingham received me warmly and helped me learn more through its ministry training course. 

I’m thankful that in England I helped in many kinds of ministries and learned how each is biblical and valid. I gained experience in sports ministry, door-to-door and book-table evangelism, youth work, church planting and revitalisation. Outreaches such as teaching English, giving out food and clothing, talking with Muslims about God’s Word and about Isa Al Masih (as Muslims call Jesus), amongst others, all aim to glorify Jesus.

I’ve realised that there’s nothing I desire more than seeing the good news of Isa preached among people who’ve never before heard it explained. Seeing Muslims read God’s Word for the first time in their life and explaining His love to them are a real joy and privilege. Now I clearly know that God called me to live and work among Muslims.  

It’s also a relief to realise that the biggest part of the work is done by God through the Holy Spirit. We can work a lot, but it’s up to God whom He calls and who will follow Him in the end. Our part is our bold obedience to sow the seeds; God is the Lord of the harvest.

*Name changed for security

Gyöngyi (sounds like ‘juhn-jee’) had heard about OM in her home church in Hungary, and now as a volunteer at the conference, she was amazed at the enthusiasm she witnessed from 18- and 19-year-olds, who were even younger than she was, going to serve in foreign missions.

“Some of them have never been away from home longer than two weeks,” she said, “but they still go and follow because that call from the Lord is so strong that they just cannot resist. And when I saw these people, I said, ‘I want to become one of them.’”

After hearing the testimony of a Hungarian couple who had served on the mission ship Doulos, Gyöngyi decided to join Logos Hope for two years. She served in the kitchen and later in finances, using her background in accounting.

It was also on Logos Hope that she first heard about an idea for a European riverboat ministry. She tucked the idea away in her mind, thinking that if indeed a riverboat ministry ever materialized, she would join it because that would be the way a mission ship would reach landlocked Hungary.

‘Something new God is doing in Europe’

After her commitment on Logos Hope ended, Gyöngyi volunteered again at the GO Conference. She met a woman serving in Austria with OM East who shared about the team’s need for a bookkeeper and a Hungarian speaker. The team wanted to reach out to women in prostitution in Austria, sadly many of whom are Hungarian. Gyöngyi had found her next place to serve.

After a year and a half in Austria, the dream of the riverboat that Gyöngyi had first heard about years before was becoming a reality.

“When I heard about the Riverboat, I knew that that would be the end of my commitment in Austria because I felt like God was calling me to that,” she said. “If it would be possible to sail down the Danube [into Hungary] one day, I thought, I want to be there even in the pioneering part of this project and be part of something new that God is doing here in Europe.”

Gyöngyi joined the Riverboat’s finance department for its pilot voyage from January to March 2018, sailing from the Netherlands to ports in France and Germany. God would use the call that was years in the making to again reshape her life.

A lesson in trust

The Riverboat’s main outreach was an escape room experience called The Agency, which was created for Christians to learn about living lives on mission. Each room held a different challenge designed to highlight a characteristic of God.

One part of the experience was the Trust Tunnel. The participants were blindfolded and had to carry a metal bar over and around obstacles. As they worked, a crew member would encourage them, though, of course, the participants couldn’t see where the voice was coming from.

“The purpose of that was to show that even if we don’t see anything, we have to trust in God and keep pushing forward,” Gyöngyi said.

While in the Netherlands, some friends of Gyöngyi’s went through the Agency. Unbeknownst to her friends, Gyöngyi asked if she could play the role of the voice in the Trust Tunnel for them.

“And when my friend started going, I started talking, and she said, ‘Gyöngyi?’” Gyöngyi recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh no, she recognized my voice.’ She kept coming, and at the end, of course, they could take off the blindfold, and she could see it was me.

“But this taught me a lesson. She felt secure in the tunnel although it was dark because she could recognize the voice that was talking to her. And I think this is the same with us in our walk with the Lord. When we know Him that intimately, we can recognize His voice in every situation, no matter how dark it is. We will keep pushing forward and hold onto God because we know He is leading us.”

A home for a Hungarian Bible

Gyöngyi’s other favorite story from the Riverboat happened at its final stop in Mannheim, Germany. One morning, Gyöngyi and her teammates partnered with the Gideons organization to hand out Bibles at a nearby train station. Among the many German copies on the group’s table, a lone Hungarian New Testament seemed to call out to Gyöngyi.

“I sensed this from the Lord, and it was my desire to give this Bible to somebody today,” she said. “I didn’t want to go around and look for this person, but I asked God in prayer to send me this person directly.”

The last 30 minutes of the outreach came and went without a Hungarian speaker to give the Bible to. But a teammate encouraged Gyöngyi that the Lord would answer her prayer yet that day.

After lunchtime, Gyöngyi and a friend were returning from a walk around the city when they walked past a fellow crew member talking with two homeless people. The Riverboat crew had reached out to many homeless people in the last months, talking and praying with them and inviting them onboard for a shower and meal. Not wanting to disrupt the conversation, Gyöngyi walked on by. But two minutes later, her phone rang. It was that team member calling Gyöngyi to ask how she had handled bringing homeless people onto the ship in previous ports.

“I asked him why he had called because I had just passed by him,” she said. “The most amazing part of the story was he said, ‘Oh, that’s great that you are nearby! Please come back, because I think these people speak Hungarian.’

“I thought, wow, that’s amazing. I was just smiling, and I said to the person when we got there, ‘I have something for you in my pocket.’ I handed him this New Testament, and he was happy about it.”

Gyöngyi and her team members invited the two men onto the Riverboat, where the men could each receive a hot shower and enjoy some time in the cafe. Gyöngyi sat with them for a few hours to hear their stories and pray for them.

“I could tell them, well, I cannot help you and solve your problems, and I cannot give you a lot of money to have a better life,” Gyöngyi said, “but I know somebody who can change your life and give you hope and turn around the situation you are in.”

A heart for her own people

Gyöngyi had joined the Riverboat secure in her calling to it, but she had no idea what she would do in March after the pilot project ended. But the transition group formed on the Riverboat for people in her same situation helped her find her way. Of the 80 or so community members on board, around 25 participated in the transition group to discover what God might be calling them to next.

The group focused on seeking direction through activities such as mind mapping, recognising personal gifts, listening to speakers, and having discussions. One speaker said something that would stick with Gyöngyi: “Your calling might be something to do about something that upsets you.”

“Because if it’s upsetting, you want to change the situation, and you cannot just sit still and do nothing,” Gyöngyi said.

The thing that bothered her would become clear when she started hearing reports from OM’s International Leaders Meeting in February about how many missionaries different countries sent out.

“I was sitting there thinking, probably Hungary is somewhere on the bottom of that list because we hardly have anybody who is going into foreign missions,” Gyöngyi remembered. “And I said, ‘I want to do something about that. I want to change that.’

“I never really had a heart for Hungarians. When I thought about missions, I wanted to go somewhere else. But during the last two years, I somehow felt that the Lord is giving me a heart for my people, to do ministry among them and motivate them to step out and see the world because it’s so big out there, and there is so much to do.”

Gyöngyi is now taking a sabbatical, but this fall, she will join OM Hungary’s mobilising team back home, working to see more ‘crazy people’ like the ones she met at her first GO Conference.

“We want to challenge Hungarians to step out of their comfort zone and go into missions, probably outside of Hungary first, and then they can bring home their experience, and we can multiply,” she said. “And I want to tell them, ‘Go and follow God’s heart,’ because He’s there working in so many different places.”

English, on the other hand, is relatively easy for Hungarians to pick up, and many students choose to study it in school. OMers in Hungary have been using the desire to learn English as an opportunity to share the gospel for more than 10 years.  

“Since the youth are all learning English in school, but they are learning from Hungarians, it’s always an extra blessing if they can talk with native English speakers,” says Ilona Csernus (HU), one of OM’s English outreach leaders in Hungary. 

Now, one English camp in summer 2017 that was born out of a long relationship with a local church has given way to a deeper and more lasting outreach. 

OM team members got to know a church in the town of Szigethalom (see-get-hall-om), about 25 kilometres outside Budapest, through performing seasonal puppet ministry there over the last few years. In 2017, the pastor of the Szigethalom church called to ask if the OM team could help her host a summer English camp. 

Short-term volunteers from the US and UK joined OM team members for the successful weeklong camp in August—one of three English camps OM led in Hungary last year. Around 40 youth came to the church to learn about Bible stories and songs in English in the mornings and to enjoy crafts, outdoor water games and other special activities in the afternoons. 

A month later, the OM team received another call from the Szigethalom pastor. 

“She wanted to have regular contact with the older students from the camp,” says OMer Jill Hitchcock (UK), who led the camp. “She asked if we could help with a Bible-based English class twice a month.” 

With the goal of building on the relationships forged in the August heat, Jill, Ilona and another American team member have led an English Bible study twice a month at the church since October 2017. Up to 13 people, including students who attended the summer camp as well as some parents and other adults, have been strengthening their English skills through discussing the gospel each month. 

“Our aim is simply that these young people would understand the essence of being in church and dealing with the Bible,” Ilona says. “Of course, my further aim is that they would build a personal relationship with Jesus. I also like that we can support the pastor.” 

“Previously this church was a small, inward-looking church. Gizi [the pastor] has a real heart and vision for the church to be known in the community,” Jill adds. “You can see her heart to create a vibrant community of Jesus followers, just like we, as OM, want to see.” 

Jill shares how one teenage boy, Tamás, took a big step of faith as a result of connecting with the camp and Bible study. Despite being proficient at English, Tamás was quiet during the week of camp, not revealing much about himself. After learning more about OM and missions through the Bible study, Tamás was inspired to go to the Netherlands for an OM Teens in Mission outreach in December. The OM team was excited to see him come out of his shell and learn to share his faith with others. 

OM is already planning this year’s English camp at Szigethalom in July. 

“We already have two helpers from the US and UK from last year who are signed up to come again,” Jill says. “I’m excited to continue building relationships with the church, especially with the teens who have attended the Bible study over the last year.”

Would you or your church group like to help with OM’s English outreaches in Hungary this summer? OM is looking for volunteers who will share Christ’s love this way. Contact jill.hitchcock@om.org to learn more.

Finding faith through baseball 

Krisztián Tóth was nine when he swung a bat for the first time during a baseball demonstration at school. When the ball sailed out of the playground, an American teacher told him he needed to try the sport. 

Krisz had no idea that joining the Érd baseball club would lead him on a journey of finding hope after the loss of his father to cancer; of coming to faith after years of hearing the gospel from his coaches; and, later, of joining OM with a vision to use baseball to share Christ with others in Hungary and in foreign lands. 

“[Baseball] changed my life,” Krisz, now 20, says. “I became a coach and I became a leader for the club, and I’m just really grateful for God to put me in this position.” 

Dávid Hollós, 16, also grew up in the club. Every summer, he would hear the stories of short-termers with OM and Fellowship of Christian Athletes who came to help run sports camps. Could there be something to these testimonies about Jesus he heard year after year? He decided there was. Now after giving his life to Christ, Dávid helps run the club’s winter youth ministries and summer camps, sharing his faith with players who are in the same shoes he was in a few years ago. 

On 16 September 2017, around 60 people gathered at the baseball field. They weren’t there to cheer on one of the club’s nine teams; instead, they came to celebrate Krisz and Dávid’s baptisms, right there in a portable baptistry by the grass and dirt where they had encountered Jesus. After singing, a gospel message, and special prayers from fellow coaches and players, Krisztián and Dávid shared their testimonies with the crowd before being baptised by Terry.  

The start of a baseball church 

For years, Terry had the vision of starting a baseball ‘church’ for players and their families. The club already presented a perfect opportunity to reach out to secularised Hungarians who might be intimidated by a traditional church. If players and parents could gather in a familiar place with familiar baseball-minded people, the barriers to sharing about Christ could fall dramatically. Those who were curious about the faith of the club’s coaches and some players would find a natural place to learn more. And, those who were coming to faith through the club’s ministries would find a community of believers ready to take them in. 

Terry envisioned the start of this baseball church to coincide with the club’s next dream of building an indoor training facility and clubhouse. He has been working for three years to raise money to build such a clubhouse. But after prayer and discussion, Terry and his sports ministry team decided to act upon the belief that God didn’t need a building to bring people to Himself. 

The baptism event also served as the kick-off to the baseball church, now known as the Érd Baseball Bible Fellowship. Since September, the fellowship has continued to meet monthly to worship, pray, and discuss a Bible teaching with help from Krisztián, Dávid, and other OMers. Though the fellowship’s numbers have been few so far, the players and parents who do come are committed and opportunities for deep conversations are opening at each meeting. 

With no building yet, the fellowship has been meeting in a local school or at Terry’s house, just like the club’s other growing ministries for young players – two separate weekly winter youth groups and an Alpha course group.  

“We have a lot of opportunities with the winter youth meetings and the fellowship,” Terry says. “Having the clubhouse will make it much more natural for families to be part of our spiritual events. I think it will also allow us better opportunities to just sit and talk and share our faith.” 

The OM sports ministry team continues to pray for the funds needed to build the clubhouse, but also trusts that God will work in the waiting and continue to use baseball as a tool to bring people to Christ. 

Can you help our sports ministry by praying or giving? Visit erdbaseball.hu/donate/new-training-facility/ to learn more about the clubhouse project.

Mark had previously led outreaches in Hungary and quickly contacted Terry Lingenhoel, an American OMer who leads a Hungarian baseball and softball club in the town of Érd. Did Terry have any opportunities for these softball players to help with sports ministry? Through no deliberate design, a camp for young Hungarian women to learn about softball from some of the best available instructors – American college coaches and players – came to be. 

The fact that the instructors were also Christians with a passion for the gospel would lead to 10 Hungarian players learning much more than fielding and hitting mechanics. 

“My hope was to share God’s love and build relationships,” said FCAer Alysha Stanton. “And it was better than I hoped. I fell in love with the girls.” 

Along with OMers Patrick and Jessica Alyea (USA) who respectively coach and play on the Érd softball team, the FCAers led stations of softball drills and taught proper techniques for hitting, playing infield and outfield and pitching. But most crucial was the hour each day set aside for the FCAers to share a testimony, talk about a passion that related to both sports and the Bible and then divide into two discussion groups. One group was designed to create a safe space to ask deeper spiritual questions, while the other group was for more lighthearted, relationship-building conversations. 

At the end of the discussion time on the second day of camp, Hungarian player Éva* pulled one of the FCA leaders, Chandler, aside. Éva had been to a Christian English camp the week before and thought she might be feeling the call of God upon her life. It could not be a coincidence, she concluded, that these softball instructors were also Christians. She wanted to give her life to the Lord. Chandler helped Éva pray to receive Christ and before the camp ended, gave her a sports-themed Bible. 

Another player, Nori*, expressed a desire to try praying for the first time in her life. In a conversation with Patrick and Jessica, she shared that she felt pretty silly trying to talk to someone she could not see, and also felt bad about asking God for things. Patrick and Jessica had a chance to share the words of Jesus found in Matthew 7:9-11 regarding God’s desire to bless His children: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (NIV) By the end of the week, Nori was praying on her own with new knowledge about God. A few weeks after the camp ended she made the decision to become a follower of Jesus.  

Nori is now meeting each week with Jessica for prayer and discipleship, while Éva is meeting with another Christian mentor. 

Chandler, Alysha, and the other FCAers who originally did not plan on running a softball camp in Hungary, shared their joy in helping the players make steps of faith. 

“Faith is a long-term process, but God works on people long before they ever follow Him,” Alysha reflected. 

“It showed me that God is working on people’s hearts — we just have to be faithful,” Chandler added. 

*Names changed for privacy. 

By the end of the week, I was exhausted. My voice was creaking like a rusty old bicycle. The drama camp had gone on for seven days, nine hours a day in the July heat. But as the 24 Hungarian kids from ages nine to 16 took their final bows at the end of a musical they had learnt – in English – in just a week, I was fiercely, hug-the-daylights-out-of-them proud. 

My fellow OMer, Rebecca Lingenhoel, who serves as a music teacher at the international Christian school near our OM Hungary office, led this summer camp outreach in partnership with her school. Having spent the last 25 years in mission service with OM in Hungary, Rebecca knows what speaks to Hungarian youth and has a passion to reach out to families in the community. She has held this drama camp a few times before as a chance for students to practise their English and try something different, so I was excited when she asked if I could help with this year’s performance of a 35-minute, simplified version of Disney’s Aladdin Kids. 

Shine a light into Hungary’s education culture and you will still find shadows of shame-based, communistic approaches to learning, featuring much strict memorisation and a narrow focus of activities. Most Hungarian kids do not get the chance to perform something like this unless they attend a music or theatre focused school. And confidence is something that, from what I have seen in my year in the country, Hungarian children generally lack. 

But give them the opportunity to sing onstage, perform choreographed dances and lifts, manage props and the curtain or create an artistic logo for the show – all in their second language – and these kids rise to the occasion. With some encouragement, they find their voices. 

There was Jacint, who on Monday said he did not like, and did not want to learn, the choreography or music, but by the performance for family members and friends on Saturday was doing a cool dance in a small group using blacklights. There was Domi, who on Wednesday wanted to quit, but found enthusiasm again after finding joy in stage managing. We constantly had to keep an eye on Tibi, who liked talking to his fellows a little too much, but whose beautiful singing voice rang out in a solo during the performance.  

The week was a whirl of high-energy games, goofy characterisation and vocal exercises, lively musical numbers and brightly colored costumes that concluded with the group’s satisfaction of seeing something through from start to finish. Shyness and insecurity were overcome; families were brought together to see talents uncovered and displayed for the first time. We shared testimonies and prayers with the group, but mainly we had the chance to share the delight of God seeing His children use the gifts He gave them. 

Do you have a passion for the arts or communications? Contact info.hu@om.org about helping with a drama camp or Christian concert tour in summer 2018! 

Meet the teachers:

Corrie Arrowsmith, UK
2 years at ICSB
Third grade; all subjects 

Rebecca Lingenhoel, USA
21 years at ICSB
High school and middle school music and drama; Hungarian culture

Suzanne Cole, USA
7 years at ICSB
Multiple high school history and social studies courses; assistant girls’ basketball coach

What’s your favorite part of your job?

CA: The thing that’s most rewarding as a Christian, as a missionary, is when in their faith, the students get it. Like one morning we did the lesson on the Red Sea, and suddenly a kid goes, “Wow. God’s powerful.” And I’m like, "Yep! But you said it!’" And often you don’t see it for a long time. You’re planting a seed and you water it and water it and water it--and the plant, you don’t see, but the roots are growing underneath. And you might not be the one to see when it suddenly sprouts and has the fruit. It might be the next grade teacher. Like the fourth-grade teacher has said that one of the kids that I thought I was getting nowhere with suddenly blossomed. And it’s all those roots that have gone down year after year after year. And suddenly God surprises you, and you don’t see it coming because you haven’t seen the roots. And this fruit blossoms from nowhere. It’s those moments that--that’s why I do my job.

RL: I see between 100 and 130 students in my room over the course of the week, so I have great opportunities to see students grow in their abilities as musicians and as people. I love the opportunity to challenge them to grow in their understanding of music, of the Lord, of their impact on the world through using their gifts. Over the 20 years I’ve taught, I have seen students grow into men and women who desire to work together, to challenge, inspire, and encourage each other to things they wouldn’t be able to do on their own. Music challenges every part of the student: intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical--and watching God work in and through them in all of these areas is my greatest joy as a teacher.

How have you seen God working at ICSB in the past couple years?

SC: We live in a community that puts a lot of focus--not always intentionally--on being excellent in performance, whether academic, athletic, artistic, or even spiritual. In the past year, I have really felt God moving in the school in ways that have caused students and staff to really examine the value of performance-living. Members of the staff and the student body alike have experienced incredible breakthroughs in wanting to live a life that is authentic and vulnerable instead of focusing on being the ‘example Christian’ that it seems like everyone expects you to be.

What has God taught you through teaching?

CA: I’ve realised, I have to be so open with the kids. I’m British. I’m reserved. I don’t normally share my heart with them. But when they can see that you’ve struggled with something, or you made a mistake too, they realise, ‘Ah, it’s OK for me to make a mistake. Ah, I might be weak too, but God is strong.’ The example I use with them is that it took me a long time to pass my driving test because I have a weakness in spatial awareness. And it was a sore point with me. I was embarrassed about it for years. But I’ve used it two or three times now with the kids--that, look, even though I was weak in something, I persevered. And I got through it. We all have giftings in different areas. God’s just been showing me how to be humble about my weaknesses so that He can use that for His plan and so that the kids can see Him working through me. That’s something I didn’t really expect that God would use, but He has.

SC: God has taught me how little I know! Teaching is a humbling experience, to be sure. Through that, though, God has really showed me that He provides exactly what I need and I don’t have to be worried or afraid of failing or not being good enough.

RL: Patience, love, seeing people through His eyes. The necessity to see beyond the momentary condition of a piece of music or a child and see the hope of the finished product--so much like He looks at us.

Do you have a passion to teach others? Check out OM's opportunities for you here.

“We didn’t really have a goal of where to go,” he says. “We were just doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I thought, what should I do? I went to church and started to pray. And then, there was no lightning, there was no thunder, but afterward when I came back to the office, this vision came of a place where people can come to, a safe place to be together with other people where they can tell their story.” 

That’s how the OMers’ dream of opening a community centre in Tata began. In March of this year, the vision became a reality when the DOCK centre opened its doors to people of all ages looking for a place of safety, connection and encouragement.

“A dock is a place where a ship comes in from the sea and is being lifted out of the water and repaired,” says Frans Van Aken, another Tata team member. “The ship can rest in a sense and be made ready to go back into the sea again. And we also want to be a place like that—where people can come in and be repaired and rest and create relationships with one another. And if they want direction in their life, as Christians we know Who to point to.” 

Waves of challenges

On the wall of the main room in the centre is a colourful painting of a lighthouse, created by a talented teenager who attends there. The artwork seems symbolic not only of the centre’s purpose to provide guidance and help to others, but also of the OM Tata team’s journey through several storms before finally reaching calmer waters.

First came years of waiting. With only Marcel and Lea’s family in Tata in the beginning, there weren’t enough people to start making the vision a reality. It was only in 2015, when the team had grown to six people, that serious work on the project could begin.

Next came the search for a building. Some team members were walking along the street when they came upon the DOCK’s current facility, which was in ruins at the time.

This place is terrible, but there is something we can make of it, Marcel recalls thinking. The team set to work with the goal of opening in a few months. But the months stretched into a year and a half.

“We started, but Satan really didn’t like our plan,” Marcel says. “So we had a lot of struggles—building struggles for months, and also relational problems with miscommunications, illnesses, everything.”

Walls had to be plastered. The kitchen had to be moved downstairs. A toilet had to be moved and a new sewer had to be placed—a seemingly straightforward task that would turn into a structural and legal nightmare.

“The sewer was the biggest drama because we hired people for it who did a horrible job,” Frans says. “At one point we were in the basement trying to fix wrongly placed sewer pipes, and suddenly there was toilet water and everything from the neighbours’ flooding the place because of the wrong way the pipes had been connected. That was the lowest point. We had to clean up, and we felt like this was never going to be finished. A lot happened where things didn’t work, and it was really hard to even stay focused and really believe in it, that it was actually going to happen one day.”

But the team persevered, taking a solidary breath when hidden blessings revealed themselves. At one point, an unexpected gift of $1,000 from a supporting church allowed the team to keep working when finances were low. Bit by bit, decision by decision, prayer by prayer, things came together.  

“Now it’s time to not look back, but only forward, and forget what’s behind us,” Frans says. 

The light(house) at the end of the tunnel

On 17 March 2017, the centre officially opened its doors. Crisp white walls, natural light and upbeat music welcomed students, team members and the community to celebrate. Smiles flashed across the room as teens grabbed snacks and challenged each other on the foosball table, dartboard or PlayStation. Adults sipped coffee and chatted or prayed. It’s loud and bright and full of hope. A laughing baby drew everyone’s attention from his mother’s hip. Frans’ wife, Eszter, readjusted her son and continued talking about her excitement for the centre and those who will attend.

“There are many broken families in this area,” she says. “We meet lots of youth who are struggling at home, and their parents either don’t have time for them or are divorced, and they have lots of pain and hurt from their childhood. And we’re hoping that they would come here and just see a positive example of how adults can be, and we hope they will see God in us, too.”

Right now, the centre is open Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for youth ages 12 to 18, to enjoy food and hangout time. But the OM team hopes to eventually hold programmes for adults on weekday mornings and for youth in the afternoons.

“Today is really special,” Eszter says. “It seemed like it would never happen, and finally we’re here, and it’s so good! I’m looking forward to people coming and us having an influence on them and just showing God’s light to them. It’s exciting.”

Marcel’s height makes him easy to find in any crowd. Today his imposing yet gentle demeanor is accompanied by joy and relief.

“It’s the end of a season,” he says. “We are in a new one now, and it’s a bit frightening as well, but also exciting. So I’m really, really happy that we are here and we can start.”

Please pray that the Lord will draw people to the centre both to serve and be served; for Frans, who took on leadership of the centre from Marcel in June; and for wisdom for the team in taking the next steps of establishing relevant programmes.

Although only a small percentage of the population plays baseball in Érd, a town of 75,000, most residents know that it is played there, and most city officials and hundreds of parents and former players know that the coaches are followers of Christ who coach differently.

Terry has found sports ministry to be the best tool in reaching non-churched youth and forming long-term relationships. The response of players testifies to its influence. During a recent summer camp, one player said that his best experience was when his coach encouraged his hitting during his very first practice years ago, despite the way he had played. Another player said that the spiritual input received from coaches was “the icing on the cake”.

“Making contact with players is the most important thing,” says Terry. Often Christians have trouble making contact with teens and men, as many do not readily respond to an invitation to come to a church event—but they’ll accept an invitation to play baseball.

The coaches interact with players two or more times weekly during practice, giving ample opportunity to demonstrate and share their faith. Summer camps give extended times to hold Bible studies in small groups; during such a time, one young boy, Máté, was challenged to ask God to reveal Himself. Asked why he did not believe in God, he responded that he didn’t know how a God who knew his past could love him.

During the study, the group discussed how God used Paul, who was the worst of the worst, and made him into a most effective preacher of the gospel. One week after the camp, Máté accepted Christ. The team rejoiced at the news of one new life given to the Lord. Two other boys who had already accepted Christ were baptised a few months later in front of many of their baseball team.

Transforming communities around the country

God is using baseball to transform other communities in Hungary. Only 2,500 people live in the village of Mikepércs in the northeast, yet baseball recently produced the village’s first championship team in any sport. Several years ago, fellow Christian worker Russell Chun took up the challenge to use baseball to transform this community. Several players have since come to know Christ, and the entire village identifies baseball as a ‘Christian’ sport.

In Budapest’s 11th District, several young leaders of a Baptist church caught the vision for the potential of baseball to draw young men into their fellowship and to disciple young believers. They now have a men’s baseball team composed of believers and unbelievers and are looking for a Christian coach to develop the programme to increase their community impact.

Lajos, a 60-year-old living in Hódmezővásarhely in the south, decided that baseball would be the best way to reach the youth in his community. Within a few months, an adult team started playing in Hungary's NBIII League, and baseball practice for children began.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are transforming the baseball community in Hungary,” says Terry. “The success of these ‘mission clubs’ and the integrity and service of our Christian coaches displayed is proof thereof.”

Sports reaching out to the world

Sports in missions are not just limited to Hungary’s baseball programme. Christian sports enthusiasts around the globe are using sports to meet people and share the good news of the gospel creatively.

OM’s SportsLink is part of OM’s wider vision to reach specific people groups by making the gospel relevant to all. It serves the Body of Christ by mobilising, empowering and equipping people with a passion for sports to also share their passion for Jesus Christ.

SportsLink leader Chris Welman shares the wider vision of Christians in sports going beyond those involved in the sports to the surrounding community. “Our (Christian) coaches are role models and trendsetters for players and their families to follow Christ and embrace right values. If we reach a few coaches and their players, we have the potential to reach and influence a small community,” he states.

“With many of the sports we are involved in being played on Sundays, the playing field for many of us becomes ‘church’,” he continues. “Many of us spend more time with our players than their fathers do—imagine the impact we can have.”

He also shares the dream of SportsLink International to establish sport academies to sustain the ministry and to train new leaders alongside mentors in the field. “This is a very practical way to establish ministry but also raise the next generation of sports leaders. Our dream is to have sport academies in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe in the next two years.”

Jill Hitchcock joined OM in 1992, serving in Belgium for five years before moving to Hungary in 1997. She has held many roles in OM over the years, but, for her, it’s about being His servant and using the gifts and abilities He’s given her wherever there’s a need.

“And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.” Matthew 22:8-10 (NLT)

In December, I spent time with fellow servants in OM’s Bus4Life ministry. The Bus4Life travels around Central and Eastern Europe to bring Christian literature and a space for outreach and conversation to communities. We received from God the invitation to go to the intersections in accordance with Matthew 22 and look for the forgotten people — the people that those who are ‘respected’ in society are not interested in.  

I look like Santa Claus (even more so as I get older), and we have found ways to use this in ministry. I play Father Christmas in some schools and kindergartens and in ministries among refugees and homeless people. This year we spent four nights ministering to sex workers in the red-light district of a Hungarian city. We partnered with another ministry that focuses on reaching out to these people and manages a safe house.  

One night, we had a deep conversation with two women on board the Bus4Life. Both visited with us for a long time because the police were sometimes carrying out razzia (raids) in this area – and the women had a preparation from God, I think. We talked a lot and were able to share the gospel with them through the Christmas story and Christmas songs. They told us stories about their lives and deep desires, and we also had the opportunity to share our testimonies with them.  

After that first conversation, one of the girls didn't want to take the Bible we offered her. But she returned later, and when she went out from the bus this time, she asked me for a Bible and a blessing from me for it. I told her that the Bible is perfect and a blessing from me couldn’t be better than that, but that I would like to bless her. I prayed for her.  

The other girl was very open in talking with us as well. She said she would like to step out from this “profession,” but she has a 5-year-old daughter to provide for, and she is able to make money this way. When she was on the bus with us, she received a telephone call from her pimp, who was very angry because “his girl” was lazy and not in the street for business. We prayed, and the girl went out.  

Later she called us in tears because her pimp had hit her badly. It was the last drop in the cup for her, and she made the decision to move out from her pimp’s house immediately. We went with her and helped her move out to a temporary place for one night, and the next day we moved them to a safe place that provides care and support. It was a really big adventure!  

Here, she will be a part of a program for ex-sex workers and can start to live her new, free life. May God give her enough strength and love to live a good life according to biblical values. Her daughter was nice and talkative, and she is proud that Santa Claus moved them out of these circumstances. 

*Names and locations kept vague for security reasons

The OM women visited the Christian-volunteer-run Baptist Resettlement Centre, which provides a temporary home for refugee families hailing from parts of the world affected by war and persecution who are starting to build a new life in Hungary. Because the refugee women and young children are often available during the day, OM Hungary team members regularly visit to facilitate Hungarian, English, and German language classes and to lead day programmes like this one, in which the families can enjoy a break from the tasks of integration; an enjoyable, productive activity; a listening ear; and an opportunity to hear about the love of Christ.

The programme led by the OM women included singing worship songs, sharing a testimony, doing a sewing craft, providing and serving lunch, and hearing the stories of the families.

Three volunteers share a glimpse of the day and insights about refugee ministry through their eyes.

‘Don’t judge by your eyes’

“I’ve learned many things from serving refugees — one of them is, ‘Don’t judge by your eyes.’ God says He sees the heart and not what’s on the surface. So whatever the media says, I’ve experienced the opposite. [The refugees] are not cruel; they are nice, and they need help. This is a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel because most of them are in desperate situations. That’s one thing I learned through them: to live with the opportunities. Don’t listen to what others say, but listen to your heart and what God says.”

– Anna Simon, a Hungarian who often partners with OM Hungary team members in refugee outreach. Anna led worship for the day’s programme.

A God-given passion for Arab people

“I was on the Logos Hope for two-and-a-half years. When we got into a port in Oman, we had a time where only women could come on board in the mornings, and in the afternoons, everyone else could come. So the first time we opened up the ship to the women, I came down. I worked in the coffee shop. I opened the door, and all these women covered in black came in — I cannot describe to you this experience. I think it was a really divine moment — there just came love for these women. I was very scared to meet these women because we don’t see them. ‘Do they smile?’ I was wondering, because I couldn’t see their faces. And when I opened this door, and I saw these women, (gasp) I had love for them. You know, I can’t describe this. It was very special to me. So since then, the Arab world is very special to me. And these refugees, coming to Europe, are very special to me. I just love hanging out with these people and sharing God’s love whenever the opportunity comes up.”

— Priska Hofmann of OM Switzerland, who attended the forum. Priska ministers to Arab tourists each year during OM Switzerland’s Interlaken outreach.

‘This is the God I want to serve’

“God opened my eyes to see how people are suffering. I realized that this is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross — because God is also crying for people who are suffering. This is the God I want to serve.”

— part of the personal testimony of Hensie van der Merwe of OM South Africa, who attended the forum. Hensie shared her testimony as part of the day’s programme.

Days like this help make a connection

“This is an opportunity to get to know these families a little bit better, to know their names, their stories, their background. To Muslims, it’s really important to first build a friendship. And then when you are friends, you can share your heart. You can share the gospel because they will receive it. If you’re not friends and you’re just a foreigner, they will not listen to you. I’ve learned this about that culture. So this, today, was a great opportunity to make friends with them, to know their families, their children, their stories. They know you, and next time they can open their heart. And I believe in the power of worship. Even though they might not understand the lyrics very clearly, there is power in worshiping the Lord. And I believe the Holy Spirit is here. So whatever we do, we represent God, even just to give a hug. That’s the reason why I’m here - is to get to know them better and make friendships with them and to share the gospel.”

— Anna Simon

Volunteers from OM, East Europe Mission, and other Christian organisations put together the day as an end-of-summer treat for refugee families who live at the Baptist Resettlement Centre of Budapest. Mothers and fathers could take a break from filling out paperwork, learning new languages, searching for work and a home, and the countless other tasks that come with the desperate choice to uproot one’s family to seek a better life in a new country.

“These families don’t get a lot of chances to do things together,” says Jill Hitchcock of OM Hungary. “We wanted to give them an opportunity to get out of Budapest into the fresh air and countryside and to realise that they matter and that there are people who really care about them.”

The families were taken to Inárcs, a village about an hour outside Budapest, where a mission centre run by East Europe Mission provided the venue for a day of family fun.

Upon arrival, the families enjoyed a welcoming time of tea, coffee, and snacks before jumping into indoor and outdoor games. The younger children splashed through the August heat with water games, while a Pakistani helper led a game of cricket for the older youth. 

The East Europe Mission provided lunch, but dessert was to come later: because it was the birthday of one of the young refugee girls, a party was in order, complete with birthday cakes and a musically gifted clown. Parents and children also enjoyed making cards at a craft table, playing foosball, relaxing, and talking while knowing the kids were being cared for.

The group included refugees from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and other countries, making language translation one of the challenges but also one of the joys of working with the families, Jill says. The programme was held in English and Hungarian with the help of volunteers who translated in Farsi and Arabic.

The day ended with a distribution of food packages and children’s school starter packs of pencils and notebooks before the bus ride back to Budapest. The families will continue to receive help integrating into Hungarian society through programmes for language learning, children’s activities, women’s groups, and more provided by local Christian volunteers.

It’s all an effort to share Christ’s love with these refugees and to affirm their God-given worth. “Our programs are designed to show these families that people care about them,” Jill says.

It was the first regulation softball field built in the country in 2012, but its pristine appearance of today is the result of years of painstaking work by local team members. It serves the players of the OM-ministry-based Érd Baseball and Softball Club.

On 18 September, the field served as the venue for the 2016 Danube Cup, an annual tournament between the national softball teams of Hungary, Austria and Slovakia. As well as providing an opportunity to show hospitality, the event highlights the influence that Christian coaches have made in Hungary and beyond.

“[The Danube Cup] is something supported by the sports ministry here in Hungary,” says American OMer Suzanne Cole, who has coached the Érd softball team for the last six years and helps with the Hungary national team. “It rotates hosting between the countries, so we host every three years. Today has a special feel because the field looks better than it ever has.

When I first came here, it was just the Érd girls [that I worked with]. Through my interactions on the field and my playing, I was invited to help out with the national team, and so it’s just allowed me to build really good relationships with players from all the teams in Hungary. From that connection, the Lord has expanded our influence. Now, every softball player in Hungary kind of knows who I am, and it gives me the opportunity to share with them and build relationships with them.”

The atmosphere around softball in Hungary used to be a negative one, says Rebecca Lingenhoel, whose husband, Terry, started the Érd club in 2002. “Players treated each other like dirt,” she says. “There used to be a hierarchy between the players and a very dominating environment. It’s so different now -- the girls encourage each other and enjoy playing together. Suzanne made a real effort to build those relationships, even when it was hard. That influences the atmosphere across the board.”

In the Danube Cup, that positive atmosphere is recognisable to the teams from Austria and Slovakia.

“It’s a nice venue here,” says Marcel Kratochvil, who has helped coach the Austrian national team for six years now. “I appreciate how it’s organised, and people are nice. We appreciate it very much, and we enjoy it even though we lost our first game. We’ll improve with this anyway and find new friends and new people.”

Slovakia defeated Hungary in the first game at 11:00 and prevailed against Austria in the second game at 13:30 sealing the 2016 championship title. Austria was victorious over Hungary in the final game at 16:00.

Slovak coach Dusan Borbel says he’s glad his team had the opportunity to attend and to play the sport he says is most like life. “Like our last game -- many times life pushes you down, and you have to work hard to get up,” he says. “That’s great for the girls to learn how to win, how to lose, how to work with other people, to have success like a team. I’m glad we were here. I like the field, and everything here was great. It was fun weekend and maybe it could expand in the future. Let people from softball get together.”

For the Érd field, that’s the goal.

Are you a softball player with a desire to use your skills in missions? Check out OM's opportunity in Hungary to make a difference in the Hungarian softball world.

It’s been a privilege to feel like the hands and feet of Christ as I have been a part of different teams serving food and hot drinks to thousands of people.

We have also been able to share the love of Christ through scriptures and New Testaments in their own language and with personal words of encouragement in English.

The last few months as I have served, the people have become not just numbers reported in the news, but faces that express the weariness of thousands of miles travelled, then the gratefulness of a hot drink and food to eat. 

Alongside other volunteers from all over Europe and all walks of life, I have given out practical things such as blankets, tooth brushes and toothpaste, warm clothes and shoes, provided families with baby packages containing bottles of formula, nappies (diapers), wet wipes and cleansers. 

Contrary to some people’s perception, the refugees are not just single young men, not just the poor and uneducated. There are many families with young children and babies, many of the people I have met are highly educated and fluent in English just seeking safety from the war and a future for their family.

It’s been my privilege to show just a few of these people Christ’s love in a very practical way. As I continue to minister in different places and give them some encouragement and hope in the midst of a dark and difficult time, my prayer is that they will also come to know the love of Christ for themselves.    

*Full name not included for security purposes

Jill Hitchcock, a team member who’s been involved from the beginning, said the sheer numbers and images seen are “overwhelming,” causing many to wonder how they can help.

“Alone we can’t make a difference, but ministering together we can make a difference,” Jill said. OM Hungary saw the benefit of believers partnering together when the OM Bus4Life ministry vehicle went into Budapest. Volunteers, representing nationals and expats team members with East European Mission and Reach Global, served hot drinks and snacks and distributed hygiene packages.

“Over two days [7-8 September], we served hundreds of people in and around the Keleti Train Station in Budapest. Each and every person we served coffee to was very grateful for the love we showed in the midst of their very difficult situation,” Jill noted.

During those two days, the numbers weren’t as high as the previous week when the first refugees entered Hungary, Jill added.

“This made it possible to have many personal conversations with people, encouraging and showing them we care. With many, we had the privilege of praying with them as well,” Jill added.

OM Hungary continues to partner with other organisations to determine how to best reach those in need, not just for the immediate crisis, but for the future as winter approaches.

While the team has a growing ministry to refugees settling in Budapest, Jill says it appears that the need is shifting from Budapest to the border between Hungary and Serbia.

“There have been meetings between churches and mission leaders to coordinate the best way forward during what seems to be a daily changing scenario,” Jill said. She added that OM and other mission partners will visit the area to assess the ministry possibilities and needs.

Refugee ministry is not new to OM Hungary. For the last four years, the team has partnered with a local church to minister in Bicske Refugee Camp.  

Twice a month a group of volunteers goes to the camp to teach Hungarian, English and German, as well as host a small children’s programme.

“The men play football with the guys and enjoy hanging out with them, while ladies visit the families in their home to offer a listening ear and show friendship to the women and children,” Jill said.

Please pray that the OM team in Hungary can provide for the needs of refugees passing through the country, as well as those who make Hungary their new home. Pray for wisdom as they partner with other organisations to prepare for the coming winter.

A developing OM project, called Safe Passage, focuses on meeting refugees at their initial entry points, providing information as well as water, food and essentials. To give to OM’s relief efforts, or for more information about how to get involved, please contact your local OM office.

“What I really like about baseball that it is a game full of excitement,” said Zsombor Házi, the son of local assistant coach László Házi. “We really have to keep focusing and pushing and persevering until the very end of the game.”

Teamwork and perseverance are only a few of the qualities head coaches Terry Lingenhoel and Suzanne Cole seek to instill in their players.

“What I see is a difference, that we stick together better than the other teams,” Zsombor Házi said. “We are not shouting swear words at each other, we are not shaming the others on the team.”

One of the players, a Roma boy named Zsolt Balázs met Terry when Zsolt and his siblings were begging on the streets, asking for water. Terry invited them into his home and told them they could come down to the field and play baseball with him.  

“[Coach Terry] is encouraging us to try to win the game,” said Zsolt. “He is also encouraging us not to use swear words as we are talking with our friends, and talks about these kinds of moral issues.”

Terry works to build relationships with players and their families through the natural opportunities provided through sport, giving him natural openings to share about Jesus.

“The thing about the baseball is we have lots of opportunities to have spiritual talks, especially if we’re travelling,” Terry said. “I’m open with my faith, and when we do camps and trainings we share our faith.”

Sport opens doors for meaningful conversations

“Long term relationships are not paying off as far as a lot of people coming to Christ, but definitely paying off as far as speaking into people’s lives,” said Terry.

At one point on the baseball field a young player involved in the programme had a conflict with his grandfather and turned him away. He later regretted it, and the coaches offered to go with the player back to his house to apologise to his grandfather. At the Christian sport camp the player attended one of the themes was forgiveness. He made the connection between needing his grandfather’s forgiveness, and needing forgiveness from God.

Though the player gradually drifted away from faith and stopped playing baseball, about a month ago he called Terry, wanting to meet. They have since met several times to read the Bible and talk.

“I think the Lord is drawing him back to Himself,” Terry said.

Relationships built through sport aren’t limited to baseball. OM softball coach Suzanne Cole has also had opportunities to share truth with young girls, thanks to connections made on the field.

“I was meeting with one of my players and she’s struggling with believing,” Suzanne said. “She believes in God but is struggling with the idea that there’s a heaven and a hell. She really thinks that there isn’t—that you live and you die and that’s it. And she struggles with the idea that God would let people go to hell.

“And so we had a really long talk about that. We also talked about purity and why that’s an important thing as women, and why it’s an important thing to protect our hearts.”

The fruit comes slow and with much labour, but God is blessing the efforts of the team in Hungary. Recently one baseball player the team worked with for several years became a believer after a long time of struggling with faith and believing he was good enough without it.

“Just to see that and remember what we’re doing,” Suzanne said. “Even one kid in five years is what makes it worth it.”

Challenges and growth opportunities

“Right now the hardest thing about being here in Hungary is, I’ve gotten some opposition from some of the older clubs that are, I believe, struggling with the success of our club,” Terry said. “They’re not wanting to cooperate with the vision and the direction.”

One aspect of the team’s vision is to build a clubhouse and training facility that would serve as a meeting place for the community, as well as allow the teams to practice during the winter months. They have the land and volunteer help from parents and the community, but right now they still lack $100,000 US dollars to build the facility.

“Our goal is to really build the best, or one of the best, teams and fields of Hungary,” said Assistant Coach László Házi. “We would like to build a baseball clubhouse to provide a better environment here, and also we would like to see people having a great time here; we would like the parents to come down to see their children practicing.”

Despite the challenges they face, Terry and the rest of the team have refused to give up—and their faithful efforts have not gone unnoticed.

“Our biggest needs right now are actually our biggest open door,” Terry said. “We have proven to the other clubs in the country that the Christian coaches that have come out with OM have been very high-quality people—people they can trust, depend on—so a lot of the clubs actually are asking for Christian coaches to help them in their baseball development.”

The OM team in Érd is seeking volunteers to come from two weeks to two years and help coach young players and give to the programme.

“They don’t have to be professional coaches or professional players,” Terry said. “They just have to love the sport and be willing to invest some time in developing our players and our teams here in Hungary.”

Are you a baseball or softball coach who loves Jesus and is interested in serving God with your talents? Check out OM’s opportunities to serve in Hungary here. 

The weekend was a testimony of God's faithfulness as different people shared about their journeys to knowing God, and the team saw God take care of them as they travelled to different places.

On Friday and Saturday, the team ministered in a small village called Peteri. It was OM Hungary's first time in this location, and they worked with the local Lutheran Church, encouraging the new pastor and his congregation.

They took part in the church service on Good Friday and on Saturday helped with a family event in the local park alongside OM’s Bus4Life. A puppet show, crafts and Hungarian folk games provided the activities, and the team and pastor were encouraged to see people of all ages coming together for the event.

The pastor invited OM back to help with future events, which encouraged the team, as partnering with local churches is part of OM Hungary's vision: To help and encourage the many pastors of small churches throughout the country.

On Sunday, the team spent the day in Tordas, a village OM has close links with, as teams have been there a number of times both with the Bus4Life and the puppet ministry. The team again shared the Gospel message through puppets, as well as had handcrafts and Hungarian Folk games for people to enjoy. In the evening, they showed Lifted Up: My Hope for the Future, a short film by Crown Financial Ministries, and shared the Gospel.

Monday morning, the team travelled to a small town called Szigethalom, where the pastor had invited them to be a part of the Easter Monday church celebration. The team split into two groups, with some taking part in the church service through singing and testimonies, and others leading the children’s programme and sharing the message of Easter through a puppet show, songs and crafts.

The Bus4Life was parked outside the church for the morning and provided a conversation point for many, especially as its driver, Esa Tuuri from Finland, shared about the ministry and sang traditional Finnish songs from the Psalms during the service. After the service, the church members got a guided tour of the bus.

Easter often is a time for sharing about new beginnings, new life and new opportunities in Christ. It was OM Hungary's privilege to encourage the local Hungarian pastors and their congregations this year.

For the second week, the team was joined by a Finnish group of three teens and two adults. This is the first time people from outside Hungary participated in the puppet outreach team activities, and the team felt it was a blessing.

The Finns came from a church that supports the puppet ministry by helping purchase the gift booklets and CDs the team gives out to children. This year, one of the leaders wrote OM Hungary, asking if some of the church members could come and experience the puppet shows for themselves and "not just send money".

The OM team spent a full day practicing with the Finnish team. By the second day, the short-term volunteers even knew the words of a Hungarian song. The OMers could tell the Finnish team members were nervous before their first performance, but as Jill put it, "all went well, and they were very encouraged."

At the different schools, the puppet team performed in both Hungarian and Finnish, and many of the older kids shared that one of their favourite parts was hearing and learning a Finnish song. A teacher from one of the schools wrote afterwards that the kids loved the song so much that they wanted to continue practising it.

During their outreach, the team experienced God's presence in many ways. For example, when the OM van broke down, the team was able to fix it quickly. Also, it thankfully didn't happen until after the performance.

Although the number of children reached this Easter season dropped from previous years, the OM Hungary team had the opportunity to train new puppet groups.

"It was such a blessing for the OMers to train local believers to work alongside us and see how the new team members (including the Finnish group) learnt so much about ministering to others, how to work in a team and also about dependence on God and experiencing His help," said Jill.

Last Christmas was no exception, as the OM team brought the Christmas message to over 2,500 children, their teachers and, in some cases, parents. With 24 shows over a two-week period, the team was busy and welcomed the help of two returning team members.

Corrie Arrowsmith, from the UK, served with the team in 2011 and returned as a volunteer from the OM ship Logos Hope. Doris Kotzer, from Germany, gave up two weeks of her holiday to participate.

“It was great to see the relationships that our OM Hungary team has built up since I was last here, with both staff and children alike—one example being the village of Tordas,” said Corrie. “The teenagers of the school are still eager to see our presentations despite being older. They used to sneakily look over the bannisters to watch the programme but this year asked their teachers to fully view it.

“It was inspiring to see the school foyer overflowing with eager children and teenage faces. It has been amazing to see such a change grown from prayer, relationship and the work of our Lord.”

During the weeks before Easter the OM team will be busy preparing the Easter Story performance.

The team relies on sponsorship to help pay for booklets and CDs they hand out to the children. Over the past year, a church in Finland has supported the OM team. As a result of the partnership, the church’s youth have planned a trip to join the OM team for five days, from 27 March to 1 April, to help out with and experience the puppet ministry for themselves. The teens will also hold English and culture presentations for the older students in a few of the schools.

The OM team will perform the Easter show at many of the locations they visited at Christmas. Please pray that the OM team can reconnect with the students and adults they’ve met previously. Pray for the teenagers and group leaders as they prepare for their visit. Pray for the puppet team as they prepare for the outreach and schedule the visits to schools and kindergartens.

The OM team expects that in the two weeks preceding Christmas, about 2,000 children, 150 teachers and parents will see the puppet show.

The story this year centres on a little boy at his grandma's house, as preparations for Christmas are underway. In the midst of cooking special delights, his grandmother shares about the Christmas Story and the reason for Jesus' coming.

The children also receive a CD of the puppet show and a storybook to take home, along with a gospel leaflet for their parents.

Please pray for the OM team as they perform for the children and teachers. Pray that the show will lead people to a better understanding of the good news of Christmas and a closer relationship with God.  

During the week-long camps, the children learnt about the life of Moses. They discovered that God was with Moses in every aspect of his life, and God is with them also in the same way. 

The children, though shy at the beginning, opened up and were more confident as the week progressed.

The camps were held in various locations, including rural villages, towns and the city of Budapest. Every camp proved to be different: the numbers of children, expectations from hosts and challenges at the location.

Throughout the summer, volunteers returned with stories of how they had seen God at work in the lives of the kids they were teaching. And just as importantly, how God had challenged and changed them through the experience.

Jill Straughan, from the UK, shared, “Through this experience God has given me a real confidence in terms of leadership and teaching, but also through simple things, high hopes for the future.”

Katie Skellon, also from the UK, said, “I have to make my faith my own and more personal, I feel excited by the ways He has shown me I can serve Him.”

OM workers saw God do amazing things through the summer outreaches. To learn more about opportunities to be part of what God is doing in Hungary, email info.hu@om.org, visit the OM website or get in touch with your local OM office.

This time is used as an opportunity to reach out to local people and tell them the message of Jesus’ death and the hope we have in His resurrection. They also use this outreach to build up and support the local churches. OMers work alongside church members and show them how to witness to locals in creative ways.

This Easter, the team visited Debrecen, a Hungarian city of more than 210,000 people. They travelled with the Bus4Life, a bus from Finland that travels around Central and Eastern Europe with OM teams, selling books and acting as a unique focal point for evangelism.

The OM team spent four days doing different programmes alongside local people and churches, with games, crafts and puppets. The churches helped in practical ways, providing accommodation, along with people and tools for the ministry. The team was encouraged to see how this partnership worked together for the purpose of this event.

The OM team was also able to go to the churches and encourage them in their own local ministries. There was a small concert, where they sang worship songs. The team believed God’s blessing was upon these few days and His presence accompanied them throughout.

It was an example once again for both the OM team and the local believers of how they can serve alongside each other to reach people for His kingdom.

OM Hungary has a great need for helpers with this summer’s children camps. Check out the opportunities on our web page for more information.

Youth baseball coaches Josh Herb and Russell Chun in Mikepércs, Hungary, experienced something similar on their team this summer. What they built, though, was not a physical baseball field but a place where young players could meet God. And those who came were not apparitions, but boys in need of a Saviour.       

In February 2013 OMer Josh Herb moved to Mikepércs to partner with Russell Chun, the leader of Good Sports Hungary. The organisation had a baseball team and needed help keeping the programme running. 

They already had a Bible study going, and about half the team would show up, but some only came because they got free pizza.

"Going into the year, I wasn’t expecting any amazing changes, as in the past I hadn’t seen the fruit of the crop," Josh said. "I’d only been a part of the labour to help the crop grow.”

The baseball season went by, and although on the surface there seemed to be no major changes, it became evident later that God was changing the players from the inside out.

Summer in Hungary is the season for camps, and the first sign of change in the lives of the boys came during an English/sports camp the second week of July, during which they also hold Bible studies in small groups.  

One boy in particular, Máté, was challenged to ask God to reveal Himself. And he was asked why he did not believe in God. He responded that he didn’t know how a God who knew his past could love him.

The group discussed Paul and how God used a man who was the worst of the worst and made him into one of the most effective preachers of the gospel. About a week after the camp, the team heard that Máté had accepted Christ. They rejoiced at the news of one new life given to the Lord.

God, though, had more in store for the team. Two other boys who had already accepted Christ were baptised at the beginning of August in front of many of their baseball team members. Another boy, who has been close to accepting Christ, attended and also brought along his girlfriend. Please pray that God will continue to open his and others’ hearts to Him. 

“I was surprised there was such spiritual movement among the baseball boys this summer,” shared Josh.

Russell, who has been investing in the boys for seven years, was even more surprised, as he had been “thinking about shutting down the programme, thinking it was no longer worth the time and effort.”

“But,” Russell continued, “I’ve learnt the need to trust in God and His timing. It took seven years for these boys to get to this point. What would have happened if I had given up?”

Both he and Josh shared that they have learnt many things through the experiences of this summer. “It’s also important for believers to have patience,” said Russell. “Seven years is a long time to wait for fruit, but it was well worth it. The only reason fruit came is because we acted, we played a part in these kids’ lives.”

Added Josh, “A lot of Christians are so focused on prayer they lose sight of ‘doing’. The only reason these boys came to Christ is because Russell started a baseball team and he invested in their lives. When God calls us to do something, we can’t shy away and pray, we need to take action and do what God calls us to do. If you build it, they will come.”

Please pray that the other boys will also come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Read more about God's work through OM Hungary at their news page. 

After a summer break, OM Hungary recently started visiting the camp again. "It was with joyful hearts we started out, but with breaking hearts as we returned home," said one OMer. "For all of us, it was really shocking to pull up to the gates and be greeted by the sight of a large police presence. We had never seen this in all our years of visiting."

The gate keeper was new and very reluctant to let the team in at first, until the camp director reassured him. The OM team later found out the increased police presence is due to a recent large intake of young men, which has caused some trouble, mostly because of boredom—there is not much to occupy them—but also ethnic and racial tensions. Now, police monitor the camp 24 hours a day.

The camp dynamics have changed drastically over the last few months, with many of the families the OM team knew moving on, but many other people have moved in. The various groups of people in the camp reflect the humanitarian disaster situations around the world, as the OM team has seen many Nigerian, Syrian, Pakistani and Somali refugees among the new in the camp.

Because the influx of refugees into Hungary is so great, many of the new people only just arrived in the country. Normally, the camp is a final placement for people who have been accepted as refugees and have begun their status documentation process.

The OM team talked with a large group from Nigeria, who shared heart-breaking stories of why they left home and their journeys to Hungary. Many said they left Nigeria because the Christian population is being persecuted. 

Very often the refugees travelled by foot through several countries to get there. Recently, a large group had travelled through Syria, Turkey, Greece and Albania, before ending up in Budapest. They had been hiding and sleeping in bushes, constantly running out of bread and water. 

"There is no other way, since we don't have any papers or passports," said a 22-year-old woman, adding that they had faced much racism on their journey, including a group in Greece that chased and killed Africans.  

In spite of the hardships people have suffered, the OM team has been able to encourage people at the camp. On their last visit, they even studied the Bible and sang praises to God with the Christians.

"We worshiped Jesus together with the Africans, and they kept saying 'God is good, God is good!'" said one OMer. "This phrase takes on much more meaning when hearing it from people that own nothing, that have experienced so much hardship and have been persecuted in ways we can only imagine. We were also able to give this group some pocket Bibles so they can continue Bible study together."

The OM team has also blessed these people in practical ways. Through generous donations from partners throughout Europe they've given new mothers baby carriages and clothing. On their next visit, the team will take winter clothing and much-needed blankets and bedding for those from warmer climates who are not used to the harsh Hungarian winters.

Please pray for the OM team members and their partners in this challenging ministry. Lift up the Christian refugees in the camp, that they can be lights in the darkness in this place and show God's love and compassion to others around them.

To read more about the work of OM Hungary, go to their news page. 

Along with Bus4Life driver Tuukka Linkopuu, the Table 22 team travelled to Siófok, a city located on Lake Balaton that is a popular resort and party destination for thousands of young people and families. The goal was to reach out to young people trapped in lives of crime, prostitution and drugs.

The team started the work by taking a prayer walk along the shore. The following day, they ministered to people on the beach. Inviting them to visit the bus, the team had a number of conversations with beach-goers. Through the conversations, a couple in their 60s accepted Christ. The following day, two more people came to know Christ as their personal saviour.

In the evenings, Bus4Life became a coffee house, providing free coffee and conversations about God and the Bible. There were many good conversations and some visitors asked for prayer for personal matters.

Everyone the team met expressed gratefulness for the love and hospitality that was shared with them. Many said they were really surprised and could never have imagined that they would hear about God in the middle of a party area on board a bus from Finland.

Drugs and body building

One evening, eight to 10 members of a body building club approached the bus hesitantly. They were not sure what the bus was about.

A team member teased them saying, “Are you muscle, super men afraid of getting on a bus like this to have coffee and talk?”

Finally, the men got enough courage to join and talk with the team about God.

“They even made a donation for the free coffee they received,” a team member said.

Another visitor was a drug addict who had been using cocaine and ecstasy for 20 years. He was pleased to receive free coffee and appreciated the love he experienced on the bus. The man asked a team member to pray for him, asking God to grant him courage and strength to seek professional help for his addiction. Yet, he seemed to be in denial of his drug problem and rather yearned for his lost lifestyle: “I used to be a rich man,” he said.

The man now has a low-paying job and a lot of debt. Was he more concerned about money than his soul and health?

Table 22 would like to revisit Siófok again next summer. The group believes Bus4Life is a great outreach tool and were encouraged to see how God is at work among the hurting and lost in Hungary.

Tuukka Linkopuu, who is currently serving his second term as the Bus4Life driver, will complete his commitment in December. OM Finland is actively looking for a new driver to replace him in January. Please pray for the ministry and for the right person to be found.

The adverse weather that many parts of Europe experienced over the holiday weekend meant plans and programmes had to be changed, but God worked the details and OMers with Bus4Life were able to reach out to the poor and marginalised in several communities.

The first two days of the outreach, the team headed to the small town of Tata, about an hour and a half west of Budapest, where OMers Marcel and Lea Buchner and Frans van Aken are involved in church planting and a social-help ministry.

Due to driving rain and snow the first day, they abandoned the “by the bus” ministry in favour of organising a children’s day in the church building. While the puppet stage was prepared and craft tables set up, Marcel and others headed to a poor area of town and gathered the kids and families they minister to and offered them a special programme.

 God had a different plan for Tata than we had planned in advance, but a better one.

The first day’s programme went well, with children and adults alike enjoying the puppets, Gospel illustrations, drama, crafts and traditional Hungarian Egg painting. Each person was made to feel special with help and encouragement to be involved in the activities.

At the end of the day several of the team had doubts about the day’s success, as they sensed distance and suspicion between themselves and the families that came. Would they come back the next day?

The families did return, and they brought friends along, as well. Gone was the suspicion and distance; walls came down and smiles and hugs abounded throughout the second day of puppets, a drama and crafts.

“I saw the love transform their fear to joy,” shared Queena, a short-term worker from Hong Kong.

The weather had improved on the second day, so the Bus4Life team held a small programme by the Bus4Life. They offered free tea and coffee to those brave enough to be outside, and they enjoyed live music and good conversation as the sun came out for a few hours.

Judy, a team member from the UK, helped attract people by playing her flute near the Bus4Life. She shared that “it felt it was a spiritual battle, just like Joshua and Jericho” as she played and others talked to passers-by.

At the church the children enjoyed the traditional Easter egg hunt in the garden, with special eggs with pictures and Bible verses in Chinese. Each child then received a card with their verse in Hungarian.

Marcel shared with the team at the end of the two days that he was really encouraged by their ministry. He related some of the difficult backgrounds the families come from, and how this was the first time they had actually been in the church building.

He also confirmed what the team had seen for themselves in the change of countenance on many of the faces, with “smiles replacing downcast eyes and blank faces”. He also shared that if they had done their “planned Bus4Life programme” they wouldn’t have met these people and ministered to them, as they never come to the centre of town.

As Judy summed it up: “God had a different plan for Tata than we had planned in advance, but a better one.”

For more information on OM's Bus4Life ministry, click here. 

The goal is to reach every child and offer them a chance to play baseball with one of the Erd clubs, with the aim to fill up teams for every age group. This year the OMers are focusing on recruiting the younger children, as it will give the coaches a longer time to work with them and develop them as players, and also to have a positive impact on their lives long term as they grow up.

Each 45-minute class begins with a simple introduction of baseball, because most of the children have never seen a baseball or bat before. The class learns how to run the bases, throw, catch and hit.

Over a two-week period, the OM Hungary Sports Team has had the opportunity to visit eight different schools and reach about 1,400 children and youth, with some classes numbering 70 kids. In most schools they are also allowed to offer the Gospel of Luke to each child. This year so many copies were given out that they ran out and had to give a different tract to the last groups.

The team planned to have a three-day open camp over Easter break to give interested children a chance to play real games on a real field. However, the weather made this impossible, with snow and rain over Easter week, making the game fields too wet and the weather too cold to be outside.

The OM Sports Team hopes that despite the cancellation of the camp weekend, many of the kids will start coming to play baseball as they begin a the new season of practicing.

Please pray for many children to join the OM Hungary Sports Team baseball camps, and for many opportunities for OMers to share the Gospel with them and invest in their lives. For more info on God’s work in OM Hungary, click here. 

Nowadays, it’s not unusual for people to be far from home during Christmas. But imagine you have had to flee for your life from your home and endured a dangerous journey lasting many years, knowing that home and family are no more.

This is just one story that OM Hungary team members have heard during their regular visits to a local refugee camp. Twice a month, members of the OM team visit the camp to bring light to people’s lives. They try to help in practical ways and put on special programmes for the children.

Recently, about 100 children and their parents gathered in a meeting room to enjoy a time of singing, games and the Christmas story, before tucking into a meal of nan bread and chicken curry, prepared by a few of the ladies.

Although for many of the refugees Christmas is not celebrated, the team wanted to show God’s love to the families and create a special time for the children.

The team was grateful for donations from the Red Cross in Hungary that enabled them to put together food and gift parcels for the families.

“It’s often a challenge for us, as the difficulties these people have experienced are sometimes reflected in their behaviour,” says one team member, “but as always we come away humbled by the small words of thanks and grateful smiles upon their faces.”

Seven adults, six kids and an OM leader equalled a summer adventure that made a difference. OM Hungary has always tried to reflect the body of Christ as they serve the local church and accept participants for outreach. In the past, both young teens with their church youth group and retirees in their 80s have joined. This summer, however, the team entered new territory as they accepted three families with young children for short-term outreach for the first time, to hold an English camp. For the Wiebe family from Canada, the Ball family from the UK and Alva and her daughter from Finland, this summer was all about making a difference in Hungary.

Vicky and David Ball, teachers from the UK, had been to Hungary before. Vicky had spent a few years in the country as a child while her father worked in Budapest. They had made visits as a family in the past, but as parents Vicky and David wanted their girls “to see how important it is to help others.” She wrote, “I found this trip in the magazine OM sends out about short-term missions. I was drawn to the Hungarian mission trip, as it was working with kids, something we feel able to do. It would fit in well with our kids and we thought our girls would enjoy it. I think it was a great experience for [our children] and broadened their minds, and they could see the world is not just England.”

I think it was a great experience for [our children] and broadened their minds, and they could see the world is not just England.

Australian Rowena, one of two single ladies who also joined the outreach, said, “It was like an extended Christian family coming together in mission. I loved having families come together in the Hungary outreach—we aimed to reach kids, with kids.”

OM Hungary has numerous English and kids’ camps scheduled for next year. Please pray for workers to participate in the outreaches. To learn more about getting involved in an outreach in Hungary, as a family, single or couple, please contact: info.hu@om.org.

OMer Terry Lingenhoel, 48, from the U.S., started OM Hungary’s baseball ministry in 2002. Today, with over 120 players on eight teams, the baseball club in Érd, Hungary, is the largest in the country.

Although only a small percentage of the population plays baseball in Érd, a town of about 70,000 people, most residents know that the sport of baseball—sometimes confused with rugby or American football—is played there, and most of the city officials and hundreds of parents and former players know that the coaches are followers of Christ who coach differently.

Terry has found sports ministry to be the best tool in reaching non-churched youth and forming long-term, meaningful relationships. The response of the players testifies to its influence.

During a camp, one player said that his best experience in baseball was when his coach encouraged his hitting during his first practice eight years ago, despite the way he had played. Another player said that the spiritual input he had received from the coaches was “the icing on the cake”.

Making contact with players is the most important thing, says Terry. He finds that often Christians have trouble making contact with teens and adult men, as many do not readily respond to an invitation to come to church or a church event. But they’ll accept an invitation to play baseball.

The coaches interact with players two or more times weekly during practice, which gives them ample opportunity to demonstrate and share their faith.

Even though fewer than 10 people have come to Christ through the club’s ministry, Terry is encouraged. Two players, Dori and Béla, gave testimony at their baptism this year of the transforming faith they found in Jesus through their involvement in baseball.

Dori joined the teen baseball team five years ago. Two years later she met Jesus at a Christian concert the coaches invited her to. Last year, through the baseball party at the end of the year, she made contact with the local Baptist church youth group, which has enabled her to continue in discipleship.

Béla learned about the baseball programme through his son who joined the youth team. Though he knew nothing about baseball, he fell in love with the sport, and through contact with the coaches, he also fell in love with Jesus. He now serves as the general secretary of the baseball club and helps others come to know Christ through baseball.

Transforming communities around the country

In addition to Érd, God is working through baseball to transform other communities in Hungary.

Only 2,500 people live in the village of Mikepércs in the northeast, yet baseball has already produced the village’s first championship team in any sport.

Several years ago, fellow Christian worker Russell Chun took up the challenge to use baseball to transform this community. Several players have since come to know Christ, and the entire village identifies baseball as a ‘Christian’ sport. 

In Budapest’s 11th District, several of the young leaders of a Baptist church caught the vision for the potential of baseball to draw young men into their fellowship and for discipling young believers. They now have a men’s baseball team composed of believers and unbelievers and they're looking for a Christian coach to help develop the programme to increase their impact in the community.

Lajos, a 60-year-old living in Hódmezővásarhely in the south of the country, decided that baseball would be the best way to reach the youth in his community. Within a few months, an adult team started playing in Hungary's NBIII League and baseball practice for children began.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are transforming the baseball community in Hungary,” says Terry. “The success of these ‘mission clubs’ and the integrity and service of our Christian coaches displayed is proof thereof.”

Demonstrating Christ’s power

The President of the Hungarian Baseball Federation has asked Terry to find Christian coaches for even the ‘secular’ clubs in Hungary. On top of this, the Federation has given Terry the responsibility of developing youth baseball in Hungary.

“This opens the door to develop baseball for the Federation as part of my mission calling!” exclaims Terry.

By coaching and training the Hungarian National Youth Teams, Terry can talk about and demonstrate Christ’s transforming power in his life to the best players in country.

During their upcoming Winter Training Week, over 50 per cent of the baseball community in Hungary will have a chance to hear about Christ as Terry invites Christian coaches in the name of the Hungarian Baseball Federation to help with the training.

“The door is wide open!” says Terry. “Help us transform lives and communities in Hungary by becoming a baseball coach or player, or by giving money or equipment to develop these clubs throughout the country. Most importantly, pray that God would continue transforming lives and communities here in Hungary!”

For more information, contact OM Hungary or check out: www.erdbaseball.hu.

Arts and English camp, a city square concert, regular team devotions, nightly praise and worship—all were great opportunities for God to work on participants and short-term workers alike. The tipping point came the middle of the week when the leader of the Dancelink team, Cheryl Vigereaux, spontaneously began to dance to the song "How Great Is Our God" in the little cellar that had been converted into a chapel for the language school where the team was based.

Wetting their hands with paint, many came forward to make their mark for Christ.

Sharing in devotions the following morning, a member of the team broke into emotion as she tried to convey a vision she had seen during that dance—the bricks in the cellar exploded outward in an array of blinding light, and all of a sudden Cheryl, who hadn't missed a step, was dancing before the King of Kings, who was on His throne. She had felt that God was pleased with this worship, and was pleased to see the OM team glorifying Him with their talents and gifts.

Later that day, Hungarian translator Bence exhorted participants to share their experiences. One after another they related how loved they felt here, and in that love, they were experiencing God. Bence related the love of Christ, which compels us to share Him, His truth and His love. A number of Hungarians were in tears, and a number gave their hearts to Christ.

“It was an awesome evening,” reports Bill Drake, “but nothing prepared us for the explosive response we were to experience the following evening outdoors in Baja City Centre.”

The next evening, hundreds of Hungarians were drawn to the vibrant sounds of the bands, the colourful power of the dancers and the spectacle of the visual artist’s graffiti wall, painted on a canvas during the last song of the Bill Drake Band concert.

Says Bill, “Moving away from the keyboard, I pointing to the graffiti wall at the front of the stage and asked the crowd if they would like Jesus to do in their hearts and lives what was so colourfully and skilfully displayed on the canvas: Csodalotos. Wetting their hands with paint, many came forward to make their mark for Christ.”

Praise God for His presence in Baja, a miracle of new life in Christ for many young artistic Hungarians who had the experience of the Ultimate Artist inscribing His truth on their hearts.

"The puppet show was about a spiteful hedgehog who realised the need for love after seeing Christ’s love on the cross," reported Corrie, a short-term worker from the UK. "At first I had to work hard at recognising the Hungarian words which related to my puppets entries, but as I’m finding constantly here in Hungary, God gives me the skills when I need them to do his work."

"You know God is at work when you see both teenagers from a known violent school and elderly people from a retirement home, unconsciously joining in with the actions of an Easter Resurrection song."

Presentations in the OM team's home town saw bigger audiences, but Corrie felt the real work done to smaller audiences in the more rural towns where there is very little or no contact with evangelical Christians. 

"You know God is at work when you see both teenagers from a known violent school and elderly people from a retirement home, unconsciously joining in with the actions of an Easter Resurrection song," said Corrie. "We also taught some of the children to say ‘I love you’ in German and English, and had the joy of hearing them repeat these words to each other after the performance."

The highlight of the month was the excitement and enthusiasm of the children waiting for the OM team's last performance. "The joy and happiness of the children as they sang Christian songs was worth tenfold the associated arm ache caused by holding the puppets," said Corrie. "Of course we had to deal with numerous hiccups; batteries going dead and poor attitudes amongst school staff. But with the help of puppets, we were able to share the message of Christ in schools and kindergartens across Hungary in a way that was understood by all."

Consider joining a short-term team in Hungary this summer, and make a difference in the lives of Hungarian children. For more information, contact OM Hungary.

“Almost a year ago, I sat on my front porch at home, thanking the Lord for how I have been blessed throughout my life and wondering how I could give something back,” said Rex, a short-term worker from the USA. “My ex-wife had been telling me about her humbling experience while on a mission trip to Honduras a few years earlier and this piqued my interest. Not sure what my calling was at that point, I typed ‘mission trip’ into ‘Google’ and was inundated with many different avenues to pursue.”

The squealing shouts of joy, fun and smiles during each 45-minute session I will never forget.

Not comfortable with handing out brochures or talking to strangers cold about Bible-related topics, nor able to get involved in construction work due to back surgery, Rex typed in ‘sport ministry’ and to his disappointment, found almost all the opportunities in soccer, swimming or other sports he had no experience in.  “Since I had coached baseball and wrestling for many years, I applied for OM Hungary’s short-term option, and was fortunate to have some informative email conversations with my host and baseball guru, Terry Lingenhoel.” About a month or so before he began his trip, they were also able to meet in the US. 

“With God as my strength, I arrived in Budapest on 5 March 2011. The very next day, Terry and I found ourselves in a school in Erd, exposing 30-70 children (3-9 Grade) baseball for the first time in their lives. Each class was different (there were as many as six per day, five days per week for three weeks) and to my surprise, all the children learnt how to throw, catch, hit and play the game. The squealing shouts of joy, fun and smiles during each 45-minute session I will never forget.”

Although Rex was not comfortable to share his testimony in front of strangers, he was soon talking about his baseball and coaching experiences, as well as the joy of knowing he was saved and how he would spend eternity. “To my amazement, I become comfortable introducing myself to children and teachers over the three-week school instructional period,” said Rex, “and I look forward to doing more of the same in the future.”

Rex is convinced that sport is one of the best ways to reach children despite the language barrier. “I certainly had to change my coaching tactics dramatically,” said Rex. “The players I have coached in the past would have had a certain level of expertise. All age levels in Hungary have extremely little or absolutely no prior knowledge of baseball. I enjoyed teaching them the absolute basics and seeming them progress in leaps and bounds. Tell me that is not a miracle in itself.”

For more information about how you can use baseball to reach children in Hungary, contact OM Hungary.

Jake from the UK and Nina from France joined the OM Hungary team for a 3-day outreach in partnership with the local Baptist Church over the Easter Weekend. The team may have been small in number but it certainly didn’t lack enthusiasm in all that was done. The packed weekend programme included children’s crafts and face painting, an Easter theme puppet show, a children’s ‘Obstacle Challenge’, various concerts and evening meetings and a special ‘International Easter’ theme talk show.

None of the children kept score, but instead played to have fun. There was no hostility whatsoever; they just couldn’t seem to help each other enough.

Nina enjoyed watching the children's reactions during the puppet shows throughout the weekend. “They seemed so interested and attentive, especially when we got talking about Jesus and the cross. A lot of them wanted to answer the questions at the end. I think many of them will keep the message of God in their hearts.”

Jake enjoyed playing - what seems to be a universal pastime among boys - football. He noticed that the desire to have fun over the need to win was very real. “None of the children kept score, but instead played to have fun. There was no hostility whatsoever; they just couldn’t seem to help each other enough. Even when I scored an own goal, it didn’t matter to them!”

The evening concerts and especially the open air preaching on Sunday saw many people from outside the church hear the Easter message of hope and salvation. The OM team was particularly encouraged to see believers from other churches joining in the service and enjoying the fellowship together, something that is often hard to find.

If you would like to join a short-term team to Hungary, click here.

“Sta-art! Sta-art!” cry the children, as the rows of seats at school quickly fill up. Excitement and anticipation is in the air: The puppet theatre is about to begin!

Backstage, a material duck is quickly pushed to the right place. The gong sounds and the story of a vegetarian fox, which nearly let itself be mislead by a bad wolf, begins. A farmer's daughter, who collects hen eggs, brings the Easter story to life through a shadow play. Suspense mounts as the children sit at the edge of their seats!

Behind the stage, there is not much space. Five people kneel on the ground, moving the puppets with outstretched arms, turning the scenery around or switching the lights on and off during a thunderstorm.

New to the OM Hungarian team, Doris (Germany) helps the local workers with this outreach programme. "I don't understand the language yet, but I am able to combine the mouth movements of the wolf with the played voice. It is not so difficult to achieve," explains Doris. "To see the enthusiasm of the children from different kindergartens and schools is infectious. This is a satisfying way of sharing the Gospel."

The final melody begins to play. Relieved, the puppeteers lean back and rest their arms. Istvan (Hungary) closes with final thoughts, and starts singing the resurrection song he had already practiced with the children. The experienced drama team wraps up the show, but not without first distributing booklets and CDs to the teachers and children.

As the team arrives sets off for their next destination, a new group of children await them eagerly and with expectation...

________

If you are interested in starting this kind of ministry in your own church, school or kindergarten, feel free to contact Krisztina Lovas from the Hungarian “Palanta youth and children ministry.” She would love to help you get started and translate the puppet stories into your own language.

Deutsch

“An-fang-en! An-fang-en!” tönt aus den Reihen. Schnell füllt sich die Turnhalle mit den restlichen Kindern. Spannung und Vorfreude liegt in der Luft: Das Puppentheater ist da!

Hinter den Kulissen wird die Stoff-Ente noch schnell an den richtigen Platz geschoben, dann geht es los. Der Gong ertönt und die Geschichte von dem vegetarischen Fuchs beginnt, der sich beinahe vom bösen Wolf verführen lässt. Nebenbei erzählt die Bauerstochter, die die Eier der Hennen einsammelt, die durch Schattenspiel lebendig gemachte Ostergeschichte. Gebannt sitzen die Kinder auf ihren Plätzen.

Hinter der Kulisse geht es währenddessen eng zu. Fünf Leute knien am Boden, spielen mit ausgestrecktem Arm die Bewegungen der Puppe, machen sich bereit die Kulisse umzudrehen oder Lichter beim Gewitter an- und auszuschalten. Gerade neu beim OM-Ungarn-Team angekommen, hilft Doris (Deutschland) den Einheimischen bei dieser Mission. "Ich verstehe die Sprache zwar noch nicht, aber die Maulbewegungen des Wolfes mit der abgespielten Stimme zu kombinieren ist gar nicht so schwer," erklärt Doris "Die Begeisterung der Kinder der verschiedenen Kindergärten und Schulen zu sehen steckt an. Das ist eine schöne Art und Weise das Evangelium zu verkünden."

Die erlösende Abschlussmelodie erklingt. Erleichtert lehnen sich die Puppenspieler zurück. Nur Istvan aus Ungarn spricht mit lauter Stimme abschließende Gedanken und stimmt ein vorher mit den Kindern geprobtes Auferstehungslied an. Dann packt das Theater-Team alles mit routinierten Handgriffen ein und fährt, nicht ohne Hefte und CDs an Lehrer und Kinder verteilt zu haben, zum nächsten Platz. Die ersten Kinder schauen schon interessiert um die Ecke ...

_______________

Falls jemand an dieser Art von Mission für seine eigenen Gemeinden, Kindergarten und Schulen interessiert ist, kann er sich mit der Ungarischen „Palanta youth and children mission“ in Verbindung setzen, die gerne weiterhilft und die Puppenspiele auch in andere Landessprachen übersetzen würde. Kontaktperson: Frau Krisztina Lovas.

It was cold. The wind whistled hard. The sun sent her last rays above the old castle of Hollókö to a small group of people, who stood freezing on a hill together. As they looked over God´s creation, the beautiful scenery of northern Hungary, they were astonished. Prayers in Hungarian, German, Finnish and Swahili soared heavenwards.

Originally an outreach programme had been planned in the village of Hollókö during the annual Easter festival. However, the necessary approval for the Bus4Life hadn't been given, and so the Bus4Life team did a prayer walk. They then travelled on to nearby villages and a small town. In each village, a small crowd of people gathered, and children and adults watched the puppet theatre with much interest. The team also put on a concert featuring songs by Istvan Horváth, a member of the OM Hungary team, as well as English songs by the international team.

"Performing live concerts with Istvan in the villages of Kutasó and Bokor was a unique experience for me," said Michael (Kenya), a participant during the outreach. "In some of these places, this kind of outreach was being done for the very first time and I could see how captivated and even enraptured the audience was to witness performances done by nationals from Germany, Kenya, Hungary and Finland, to proclaim the glorious message of the Gospel."

Before embarked on the outreach, Jonathan and Kai (Germany) entered a small shop in Érd, where the OM base is, and asked if they could play a song. The young woman agreed. Jonathan said, "While we were playing, God touched her heart. She asked us how to pray, so we prayed with her. She said that she would start reading the Bible." After the Easter outreach they went back to the shop and the young woman said, “I was wondering why nobody entered my shop when you spoke and prayed with me. This is unusual and challenges me.”

Thank God for so many open doors. Pray that the many seeds planted will germinate and that one day the gates of Hollókö will be opened.

Deutsch

Geschlossene Tore öffnen neue Türen
Ein Missionseinsatz im österlichen Ungarn

Es war kalt. Der Wind pfiff kräftig. Die Sonne schickte ihre letzten Strahlen über die alte Burg von Hollokö zu einer kleinen Gruppe von Menschen, die auf dem Hügel verfroren beisammenstanden. Staunend blickten sie über die von Gott geschaffene Landschaft von Nordungarn. Betend standen sie beisammen und ungarische, deutsche, finnische und suahelische Gebete stiegen zum Himmel empor.

Ursprünglich war ein evangelistisches Programm während dem alljährlichen Osterfestival von Hollokö geplant. Doch die notwendige Genehmigung für den Bus4Life wurde nicht erteilt. So kam es, dass die Gruppe mit dem Bus4Life nur betend dort zusammenkam. Stattdessen ging es zu naheliegende Dörfern und einer kleinen Stadt. Eine kleine Schar von Menschen kam in den Dörfern zusammen und Kinder wie Erwachsene verfolgten mit großem Interesse ein Puppentheater. Auch ein Konzert mit eigenen Liedern des OMers István Horváth wurde andächtig verfolgt sowie fremdsprachige Lieder des internationalen Teams.

"Es war für mich eine einzigartige Erfahrung die Konzerte zusammen mit Istvan in den Dörfern Kutasó and Bokor aufzuführen," berichtet der Einsatzteilnehmer Michael Kamau (Kenia). "Diese Art der Evangelisation war für einige dieser Plätze neu. Ich konnte gefesselte und sogar entzückte Gesichter bei den Zuschauern während der Darbietungen der Ungarer, Deutschen, Kenianer und Finnen entdecken, währenddessen die frohe Botschaft des Evangeliums verkündet wurde.”

Sogar vor und nach dem Einsatz gebrauchte Gott die Team-Teilnehmer um Menschen zum Nachdenken über ihn zu bringen. So gingen Jonathan und Kai (Deutschland) kurzentschlossen in ein kleines Geschäft in Érd, wo das OM-Zentrum ist und fragten ob sie ein Lied vorspielen dürfen. Die junge Frau stimmte zu. Jonathan erzählte: "Während wir spielten berührte Gott ihr Herz. Sie fragte uns wie man eigentlich betet, so beteten wir mit ihr. Sie sagte, dass sie anfangen will die Bibel zu lesen." Nach den Ostertagen gingen sie wieder in das Geschäft und die junge Frau sagte: "Ich habe mich gewundert warum beim ersten Mal während ihr mit mir gebetet und gesprochen habt niemand ins Geschäft gekommen ist. Das ist sehr ungewöhnlich und bringt mich zum nachdenken."

Wir können Gott für so viele offene Türen danken. Ihr könnt mit uns beten, dass die vielen kleinen ausgesäten Samen zu keimen beginnen und vielleicht auch irgendwann die Toren für Hollokö geöffnet werden.