Mision trip to Hungary

We had a GREAT week in Hungary, serving with Good Sports International. Thank you for covering our mission trip in prayer. It was beyond evident that the Lord was present and active during the week. He provided us with safety - the whole way there, during our week of service and the whole way home. He united our team and they served one another well, and with good attitudes. : ) Our students stepped out with boldness as they interacted with the Hungarian students and taught them English. I was really proud of the way they not only worked with one another, but with the way the reached out to the Hungarians.

 

^ Our staff for the week - they were great and loved our students so well.

 ^Our team spent some alone time in the Word each evening, then we would gather together and worship in song and teaching. We spent time reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians looking for one another statements and common themes throughout the letters. We focused on a lot on unity and how we are called to live and treat one another. Our theme for the week, "Shine," came from Philippians 2:1-4; 14-18.

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me."

Our team time was rich and encouraging as students shared about the time in the Word and what the Lord taught them. It was fun to hear their desire for growth and to be a light to those around them. 

^ The morning English camp was a huge success, and very creative. Each day had a different theme. This is what the week looked like, and an example of some of the questions/phrases students learned: 
Shopping - I would like to buy a girl's shirt. I would like to buy a book for a child. How much? That's too much.

Restaurant - I would like a Fanta. This is not what I ordered. My food is cold. 

Airport Travel - May I see your passport? What is your seat assignment? 

Directions - where is the train station? May I buy a bus ticket? Do I turn right or left? 

American holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter

^ Our afternoon sports camp was a lot of fun, and we had a great turn out. Each day we did a different sports: soccer, baseball variations, frisbee and water games. Two evenings we played capture the flag with glow sticks - it was a huge hit. The Hungarians were super excited to play on both nights, and it drew a lot of kids (and their parents) out to the field. Some of the Hungarian girls didn't like to play sports, so our girls brought along nail polish, face paint and hair stuff and spent all afternoon doing nails and hair. It was a huge hit and a great way to connect with one another. 

 ^ In addition to the camps we helped with, our team collected donations for Good Sports. We were able to deliver some of the donations to an orphanage for children aged 0-6 in Debreceen. The Good Sports team has ben working hard to develop a relationship with the orphanage director, and these donations helped pave the way. The director even invited us into the building and gave our team a tour of the facility. It was a huge step forward! Praise God!

^ One of the highlights of our week was being invited to dinner by the local Reformed Church of Mikepercs. We were the first visiting group they've invited! It was similar to a good ole' American BBQ, except instead of burgers they served us an amazing goulash soup. It took a long time to prepare, and they let us help out a bit. It was a very special and tasty treat! After dinner, our team sang a few of the songs we'd been doing at English camp for the church members so they could get a glimpse into our week. They were amazed to see so many young people that were excited about their faith. It caused them to consider how they can begin pulling young people into their congregation. Currently, their church is made up of people well over 50, with very few children and teenagers. Our host said they couldn't believe that teens could be so on fire for the Lord and serious about sharing their faith. Seeing our team in action was both an encouragement and challenge to them as they consider the future of their church.