Summer in Hungary

I have officially been in Hungary for a little over two months now. A lot has happened, and I cannot wait to bring you into what life looks like for me here in Hungary.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

This verse has rung true for me this summer. Through every new experience, through every up and down, God was with me. He calmed my fears. He strengthened me in times of weakness. He helped me in times of trouble. 

My First Few Weeks:

The first half of June was filled with integrating into the team, exploring the city, and looking for an apartment. 

Each day brought a new experience. Here is a highlight of some things I saw, people I met, and food I ate!

Camp #1 – Letenye

Our first English camp of the summer was in Letenye, Hungary. Letenye is a small town about 2.5 hours from Budapest, right on the border of Hungary and Croatia. Our team here in Hungary has been partnering with a school and church for several years to put on this camp each summer. This year was extra special though, because the group that came from the USA is from the education department at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. The students from Asbury worked throughout this previous semester to create a curriculum for this one week of camp. It was so special to witness their passion for teaching and the ways they persevered through all of the challenges the week brought them. Having them here was God’s gentle reminder to me of why I went into education in the first place and what it means to be a teacher. 

Every morning, students ages 7 to 20, did a fun craft, practiced their English, played a rec game, and learned about different things that Jesus did in his years of ministry. In the craft room, there was always worship music playing as the kids and teachers chatted. There were so many connections made and great conversations had here because of the relaxed and safe environment the Asbury students created. In the rec station, the kids had a great time learning new sports like kickball, and balloon soccer. In the English classroom, I was able to connect with some of the older kids while we practiced for job interviews and talked about their aspirations after high school. The coolest moment from camp though, came from the Bible class. On the last day, instead of the Asbury students leading, the translator, who is the pastor of a church in the area, led the discussion all in Hungarian. He walked the students through the Gospel message and invited them to pray a prayer to accept Jesus into their hearts. Almost every single one of the students raised their hands to pray with him. They each received a bible and were connected to a church near them. It was so special to witness all of the miraculous things God did through the Asbury team and other camp staff throughout the week to lead to this moment.

Camp #2- Vác (Week 1)

For the second camp, we traveled from Budapest an hour north to the town of Vác. A church team came in from Morgantown, West Virginia, which is the hometown of our field leaders, Shannon and Aaron. The whole week felt like one big reunion. 

This camp was set up differently than the first. It has its own set of curriculum created by my teammate, Sadie. Throughout the year, she interviews each student and places them in a group based on their English skill level. Once the students arrived at camp, they spent the week with this group learning different English lessons, going through reading and listening exercises, and grammar practices. 

Each student and staff were also put into a conversation group. In this group, we were able to delve deeper into the different reading and listening exercises. This led to some amazing conversations about our purpose in life, family, and our faith. We also competed with these groups in Camp Olympics. We had so much fun coming up with a team name and designing a flag to present to the rest of the campers. 

Something I loved the most about this week of camp was the constant buzz of laughter and chatting. Whether it was during an English lesson, rec time, evening program, or anywhere in between, there was always someone having fun. 

At the end of each night, we had an evening program where we would worship, play a game, hear from a staff member, and end the night with a pie to the face. On one of the nights, I had the privilege of sharing how God has set me on a path that I could have never imagined and how I can trust Him as I walk down the path He has laid before me. 

Camp #3- Vac (Week 2)

For the third and final camp, we went back to Vác with a new volunteer team and a new set of students. This camp started the same as the previous camp, a great weekend of orientation with the church team from Florida and welcoming students on Sunday evening. Unfortunately, though, on Sunday, Sadie began getting sick. While it was hard to have our director gone, It was inspiring to see all of the staff step up and lead in ways they weren’t thinking they would. The Lord was so evidently in this camp sustaining us as we went through the week. Sadie ended up feeling better on Friday night and came back to camp to finish the week out with us. 

One of the highlights from this last week of camp was every day in the beginner English classroom. I had four students in my class and each one of them came into the classroom with a smile on their face ready to learn and practice. It was inspiring to see the bravery they had in coming to an English immersion camp. Even when they might not have been the most confident, they worked so hard and improved every single day. 

Many of the students who attended camp in Vác this summer will also attend English Clubs throughout the school year. I am excited to continue updating you on the connections being built through this consistent form of ministry. Please be praying that both students and staff alike will enter into that time well and that the momentum from the camps will carry through to clubs. 

Hungarian Word/Phrase:

Hungarian is listed in the top ten hardest languages to learn. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to consider myself fluent, but I want to do my best to learn as many words and phrases as I can. I will start my formal language learning this fall, but I thought it might be fun to teach you some of the words and phrases I am learning along the way.

“Köszönöm Szépen” – Thank you very much

Köszönöm Szépen was one of the first phrases I learned and felt confident enough to start using. There is something comforting about being able to show my appreciation for someone even if I cannot carry on a full conversation in their heart language. 

Prayer Requests:

• PRAISE for my transition onto the field and settling into my new apartment.
• PRAY as I begin my visa process, that everything will go smoothly and that communication on both ends will be clear.
• PRAISE for a successful camp season. 
• PRAY for the team here as we reset after a busy summer and get ready for our fall ministries to start back up soon. 
• PRAISE for a new team member, Cori, who has just arrived in Hungary.
• PRAY for the start of language school coming up in September.