Our Church

Our church is located in the nearby town of Nagykata. It is a Hungarian Reformed church and as such it belongs to the Hungarian Reformed Denomination. The denomination is the second largest in Hungary, it is large and diverse. Our pastor is a young Evangelical, whose heart is on fire for the Lord and for the lost of Hungary. Thankfully, he is not afraid of new, creative methods (which is not always usual in such a historical denomination) and he always makes it clear that the entry into heaven is only open through personal conversion.
Our church building is new, yet it reflects Hungarian traditions in its furniture as well as in its architecture. In the middle there is the pulpit, in front of it you can see the Lord's table, where the congregation participates in the Lord's Supper, once a month.

The service is traditional. We singthe Geneva Psalters as well as traditional hymns, full of deep, well written and composed theology. We enjoy it a lot.
Laci has already had opportunities to preach on Sundays and it seems that our pastor (also named "Laci") is going to ask him regularly to teach on Sundays. Actually the two of them will study together to prepare messages from the book of Ephesians.

There is great emphasis on the children in our church. Our "Little Sheep Academy" meets during Sunday services, where some dedicated ladies train the children. Although Fanni is definitely on the lower end of the age-spectrum with her three years, she enjoys it a lot. Thankfully, there is also a room for mothers with babies, where they can listen to the service through a speaker. Luca and Szandra are returning customers there.

We are thankful for our fellowship and we are looking forward what the Lord has for us in store through them

The First Quarter...

...in the Bible School is almost over. What an experience, what a privilege it has been to teach my students! Working with them in the classroom, as we studied the inductive Bible study method (Bible Study Methods, 1st year class), or as we prepared for their short sermons (Biblical Communication, 2nd year class) was a lot of fun. Yet, getting to know them personally was even more memorable. All of my students had the chance to get some bonus points for some personal consultation. Almost all of them willingly came to talk to me. Many of them come from non-Christian homes, some from abusive situations. Most of them struggle financially, yet they are motivated and talented and, most of all willing to serve Him. What a variety of backgrounds! The son of a gardener from Albania sits next to the son of an Episcopalian pastor from Uganda. A Polish girl talks to her friend friend who had to flee from Columbia to Canada. A Hungarian young lady works a full time job, while attends classes, and besides this has been making up two days of class since she started school. Nearly 2000 years ago twelve men were enough to change the entire planet. These 54 students can really make a difference in their generation - please pray for their faithfulness. And, please pray for those of us, who teach and mentor them. I am already excited about January, when I will resume teaching, this time the "New Testament Backgrounds" class.

A Letter from a Former Camper

The question is often asked: What happens to those campers, who come to your camp, trust Christ and then go on with their lives? It is so good to know that the Spirit of God works in their lives and transforms them to the image of Christ. A couple of weeks ago I got a note from a former camper, who also helped us as a volunteer for a couple of summers. Here it is (of course, translated into English) On the picture she sent, Zsuzsa is the young lady on the left.

"Hi Laci,

Your camp will always be a nice memory for me. It was 10 years ago when I first went there. Since then I finished my schools and I ended up living in China. I think I have a lot of serious responsibilities in my life and at my job. I need to tell to you that in your camp I learned how to lay a solid foundation for my life. I was a junior in high school when my brother and I first went there to learn English. But, what happened to me? Finally it clicked that God is the Master. And, I trusted Christ. Then, I learned English there (that is my work language today).
In the next few years, I helped out as a volunteer that gave me a lot of experience and a great advantage in life, for I understood that whatever I do I do it not to people but to the Lord. Because of this attitude it is not difficult for me to submit myself to my superiors. Being a camp volunteer taught me to get up early and work persistently all through the day. I learned how to work with a thankful heart and how to put down my anger at the end of every day. Now I know who I am in Him and in His world. I know my value and I am able to evaluate things. These are important things for me and because of these I cannot be manipulated by the world. And, by the way, in the Chinese culture these principles are highly regarded. But, actually, they should be highly regarded in every culture, shouldn't they?
I am thankful to God that He found me that He has been leading me since. I am thankful for Him that He called you all to ministry that this ministry is still there. I am very thankful for your faithfulness, talents and energy that you invest into this ministry. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to do Christian work among young people. In my case you all did a good work. With a thankful heart and with beautiful memories I will keep you in my heart always:

Zsuzsa"