English Camp - Day 10 Update

Hi Everyone!

We just got back to the hotel at midnight from a very full day, and we've got an early call in the morning for the airport so there's no full length blog tonight.

But we've had a great final day here in Budapest.  The students are very sad to leave.

Looking forward to seeing many of you in person in the next few days and telling you stories in person!

Please be praying for our travels tomorrow!

In Christ,
Tom

English Camp - Day 9 Update - Ben

         Today was parent night.  This is one of the best nights of the trip because we meet the families of the teens.  The parents were able to receive a glimpse of what an average day at camp involves.  Also,  each English group performed a skit that allowed each student to speak in English.  However, parent night is also a great night to share the Gospel, which is what Jared did with great passion.  It was such a blessing to be able to witness the Gospel being explicitly shared to a packed auditorium.

      The Gospel is amazing and wonderful.  A God who sent His Son to redeem enemies to Himself.  A Savior who willingly gave up the unfathomable riches of heaven to come to earth and suffer separation and wrath from God which I justly deserved.  A substitution which allows me to call God my Father and praise Him forever in Heaven.  We are all undeserving of the Gospel but yet we have a compassionate God who loves us more than anyone on earth could ever love us.  This trip has shown me how incredibly stupid I have been about the Gospel.  Where has my urgency been?  If I have a God who will always love me and be there for me, why do I care if the world thinks me a fool for sharing the Gospel?  This world is fragile and dying and they need the Gospel.  We are here one second, strong as can be, and the next second, we are in a car accident or in a fight with cancer.  There is no time to waste.  No time for procrastinating.  The time to share the Gospel is now.  With whoever we meet.  Spreading the the seed is more important than being considered a freak by "friends."  During this whole trip, we knew the students were only here for two weeks and so we constantly shared the Gospel at every opportunity.  We rarely waited for the students to ask us about it.  Instead we directed as many conversations as we could to the truth of the Bible.  But why is there only urgency on a mission trip?  The whole world needs to hear this incredible message of love and sacrifice.  If there is anything I have learned on this trip, it's that the Gospel is more important than social standing.  More important than college and achieving a degree.  More important than my family.  The Gospel must and will always be my first priority.  There are people all around us who are dying without hope.  Tomorrow might be too late.  The time to share the amazing truth of the Gospel is now.  PLEASE,  LET US NOT WAIT ANYMORE.

Ben

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

English Camp - Day 8 Update - Violet

Hey guys! 

The second week is quickly wrapping up and each day seems to be more enjoyable than the last.  The computer is on high demand so here’s a brief update from today. We began preparing for our skits that will be shown on parent’s night. The campers were very excited to show off their acting skills. You can clearly see the relationships building between the campers and our team and God revealing himself through this camp. After camp we went to a delicious buffet. I would tell you the name of the restaurant but I can’t remember it. The food was amazing and we had some good discussions about God and Christianity as a whole. One of my favorite parts of this trip has been really getting to know some of the campers. It is inspiring how much these campers open up once they feel comfortable around you. All together this has been one of the most encouraging and powerful mission trips I have ever been a part of. Thanks you for all of your prayers and we will see you back at home soon.

~Violet 

English Camp - Day 7 Update - Katie

What a day! Today was American day, so there was high energy starting from our first icebreaker of “riverbank” to the end of the day’s dance party.

            As our days at camp are soon coming to an end, :( that doesn’t discourage the campers from staying even longer. We end camp, have a debrief meeting, come back upstairs to leave….and they are still there! It’s so encouraging to see that they actually enjoy our company :) .

It was scorching outside today so instead of going straight out for games, we watched the movie, “Facing the Giants.” I haven’t seen it in so long, and I forgot how amazing it is! I saw many teary faces, and they all clapped at the end! Then, we went outside and since baseball seemed a little complicated to teach them, we taught a variation of kickball, and it was a hit (literally)!

Instead of leaving after the afternoon games, the students stayed and ate an American BBQ dinner with us. With plates towering with hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and watermelon, we enjoyed fun conversation and fellowship.

I can’t even begin to tell how much the Lord has blessed us so far. It’s been crazy how much God has been answering prayers. At our team meetings, I’m so encouraged to hear all of the great conversation in small group and during meals that we’ve had with the students. Many kids are asking thoughtful questions about the Lord, and God has been faithful in pairing up students to leaders who share something in common, and then sparking fruitful conversations. I can’t wait to see what else God is going to do in our remaining couple of days. Please keep these kids in your prayers, and for strength in our team members ;) See you all in a couple days!

~Katie

English Camp - Day 6 Update - Kelsey

Trying to wrap my mind around the fact that we are already on the second week of out trip here in Hungary has proven to be rather difficult task for me. Waking up each morning I find myself wondering how I could possibly make it through the day ahead. But looking back at the past week I've realized how quickly our time here is slipping away. What once seemed to be sixteen, full twenty-four hour days, has almost momentarily dwindled down to five momentary, precious days.

Today began our second week of English classes here in Hungary. Starting a new week meant losing some campers and gaining nine new ones. And although change is always difficult, no matter how small,  the Lord was faithful and classes and teachings seemed to run just as smooth as usual.  In fact, it has been amazing to see how the students' confidence is growing day by day in their conversational skills.

I'm in an English class with Jordan and Tim, and over this past week it has just really been amazing to interact with each student, see their English develop, form relationships with each one, and begin to see their personalities truly start to shine. Day by day I feel like I've been able to see a different aspect of the kids - whether it be their sweetness, sense of humor, sarcasm, or intelligence - each one so special to me and I love each one for a different reason. (But one thing I can tell you, I admire these kids sooo much! Not only are these kids going to a English camp during summer time, which in my mind is typically a school-free time of year, but they are dedicated to learning a foreign language and all seem to have super amazing language aptitudes! I mean I know I'm here to teach them English, but I've been trying to learn some Hungarian as well...and let me tell you: It's NOT as easy as it looks! In my mind, all the kids here are geniuses. They are here learning English and for most students, it is fairly easy for them to keep a simple conversation going. However, I on the other hand, who have had help from numerous Hungarians, can still hardly pronounce the Hungarian word for "thank you" correctly. Even going syllable by syllable, I'm struggling. But if I've learned one thing from these students it is to persevere and never give up. Sooo...even though most of the students have told me that I'm super bad at learning a new language, have some of the worst pronunciation they have ever heard, and have a pretty limited short term memory, I will NOT give up! You can hold me accountable, because I WILL be able to correctly quote off a Hungarian phrase by the time I get home :P)

But getting down to a bit more specific info regarding our daily activities: today was a fairly typical day of English teaching, except for the fact that we went for a Scavenger Hunt around the city during the afternoon. We broke ourselves up into groups of seven students and leaders and had three hours to find random "red", "yellow" and "orange" objects, and take pictures with things such as, "a random employee named Steven", "A fish tank" and "Burger King". And although it was somewhat hot outside, being in a group with Christina made the entire day completely worth it and certainly an experience. For although we plowed down numerous tourists in our path as we sprinted down the streets of the market or asked at least ten different, random people if their name was Steven, the highlight of my day was most certainly when Christina even asked a man in a tourist booth if he had pamphlets in Latin, but was quickly informed that Latin is a "dead language" and no one speaks it anymore. :P So overall, the scavenger hunt was super successful. Our team didn't win, but we had a lot of fun in the process and were able to develop even deeper relationships with the students in the process.

But ending on a more serious note, our time here in Hungary has truly been an amazing experience. I think I'm speaking for the whole team when I say that it has been awesome to see the ways in which God has shown up. Numerous people have had a chance to share the gospel, the kids seem receptive to our love and to the gospel, He has pretty much protected us from sickness, and even through our lack of energy, it is amazing to see how God is sustaining us and keeping us unified as a group. (which isn't always an easy thing). Today the verses in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 were really encouraging, because it talks about through our weaknesses how Christ continues to make us strong. And I couldn't see that more than I do now. Because even through are tiredness, through our sickness, through our lack of energy, through our possible bad attitudes, through the inconvenient times, God is continuing to show His faithfulness and is continually strengthening us amidst these stretching circumstances.

So looking back on this past week, it sometimes has seemed like time has dragged on, but truthfully I think it is going far faster than I could have ever imagined and would ever hope for it to go. The longer I'm here the more I don't want to leave, the more I see God;s faithfulness, develop deeper love for the kids, and see the importance of depending on God's strength. I'm not excited to leave here, but I'm trying to focus on the five coming days we have here. The past week has been absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to see what God is going to do with the days we have remaining! :)

     ~Kelsey

Sunday Update - Tom

Hello family & friends!

One day late, here's the update on Sunday.

We started our day with just an awesome team meeting.  Jared and Julia each gave a great devotional on the Gospel.  We then did some spontaneous sharing that ended with spontaneous singing.  To be working so hard for the Gospel together throughout the week and then studying the Word together simply overwhelmed us and led us to praise!  Then each team member shared one highlight from the week so far and one place where they want to grow.  I wish you could have been there - this is just an amazing team - each one has such a heart for the Lord and for the lost.  I am truly privileged to be a part of this team.  I knew that going in, but after yesterday morning, I REALLY knew that was true.  This is a humble, motivated team - and all for the sake of Christ.

In the afternoon, we worshipped at Kelenfold EFC once again.  I cannot tell you how humbled I am to been asked to preach there the past two Sundays.  First, I love this church.  Even though they are small, they have a powerful heart to see Budapest reached for Christ.  Second, this is a critical time in their history.  Brad & Kari Mullet have been such a key part of their church over the years, and as you probably know, Brad & Kari are coming to The Orchard.  So I really wanted to serve this church as best as I could through preaching because of the gift they are giving to us in Brad & Kari.  It has been very emotional for me to speak with some of the church members about Brad & Kari's departure.  Third, I'm just overwhelmed as I preach there by God's grace to me.  I remember being called to preach as a kid - only about 14 years old - and I wondered if it would ever really happen.  And now in this summer, I've been getting to preach at the church I love at home in the States and at a church I love on the other side of the globe.  Humbling.

We ended the day in one of my all time "happy places" - Nancsi Neni restaurant up in the hills outside of Budapest.  We had great food, but even better fellowship with the team, with Brad & Kari, and with a few Hungarian Christians.

For Christ and His Kingdom,
Tom

Sunday Update

Hi family and friends!

Sorry we didn't get a post out Sunday evening.  It was a great and full day with a late arrival back at the hotel.

We'll do our best to get a full post on yesterday's activities along with a full post on today's activities here on Monday night.

God bless!
Tom

Budapest Bobsledding

Here's a little video look into one of our activities on our day off - "bobsledding"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmerzvo0Vpo

Saturday Update - Dave & Gina

    After having finished a memorable week of teaching English and sharing the Gospel, we had the opportunity to take in the beautiful city of Budapest.   Our first stop was the Historic Covered Market in  downtown Budapest.  We've never seen so many meats, fruits, cheeses, and souvenirs.  I made it a point to pick up some goose liver, which is a Hungarian delicatessen, and Gina bought t-shirts for some of our family back home.
    Looking at so much food made us hungry for lunch.   We stopped at a nearby establishment called the "For Sale Restaurant," which looked like the "Gino's East" of Budapest.  Business cards, poems, and letters were strewn about the walls, and the students took full advantage of posting some verses from the Bible.  Christina also posted a fun, little note signed by all of the team members.
    Next, we stopped at the "Bobpalya," which is Hungarian for "bobsled."  This was a surprise for the students, and it fulfilled the adventure portion of the day.  This was a highlight for many of the students, and some left with dirty elbows and knees which made for some exciting stories.
    St. Stephen's Cathedral was our next stop, and it didn't disappoint.  We climbed 302 stairs (but who's counting?) to get to the top of the cathedral.  Once at the top we saw a breathtaking view of the city and took some amazing pictures.  We took a team picture at the top which will probably be one of the best photos of the team.
    All of the stair climbing caused us to work up an appetite, so we stopped for dinner at a nearby German restaurant.  We dined "family style" on chops, chicken, sausage, fried onions and other delicious vegetables.  We filled our bellies and there was even enough left for Steve to take home four boxes of leftovers.
    We capped off the evening on top of the Citadella at Gellert Hill which gave us some breath-taking views.  We saw Budapest all lit up at night and took some amazing shots of The Parliament Building, the Castle and St. Stephen's Cathedral once again.  I think Katie Evensen actually thought she was in heaven.  We even got to snap a few shots of students posing as the statues on top of the hill.  You can ask the team members to see them.  Enough said...
    Overall, this was a very fun day which capped off a rewarding work of teaching English and spreading the Gospel.  I did not imagine that Budapest would be this breathtaking and beautiful, but this city keeps amazing us.   In addition, the people are very polite, helpful, and non-intrusive.   Gina and I feel blessed to be here doing such important work with all of these top notch students and leaders.  This is our first missions trip, and we hope our trips to come will be this Christ-centered, enriching, and fun!  Until next time...


Yours in Christ,

Dave and Gina Udchik

English Camp Week 1 Recap - Maggie

Well, I could say that week one has flown by so fast and I can't believe the trip is almost halfway finished, but to be honest it has just felt like a normal 168 hour week.  However, it has been one of the most extraordinary weeks of my life.
       I was hoping to experience the Lord in new ways on this trip, but I didn't expect Him to reveal Himself to me on our very first day.  To my surprise, though, He did when I lost my passport.  I was really distressed and frustrated with myself for losing such an important thing.  I also felt like I was holding the rest of the team back when we were standing around the hotel lobby while Tom and Brad Mullet were making phone calls to the airport.  To our relief, they had found it and said that they would try to hold it but the police might take it.  At that point, it would be a nightmare trying to get it back.
       So Brad and I hurriedly got in the car and booked it to the airport.  It was a pretty long drive though, and there I was sitting alone with someone I had never talked to before.  I needn't have worried about awkward silences, because by the time we got to the airport, Brad and I had talked about both of our lives and I had learned so much from his stories and experiences.  As we were pulling into the parking lot he said, "Hey, I'm really glad you lost your passport."  I agreed wholeheartedly.
       To sum up a long story, the police had gotten to my passport by the time we had arrived.  However, by some miracle, the lady Brad had spoken with on the phone was able to get it back.  A horrible moment of irresponsibility on my part turned into a way of God showing His glory to me, and some wonderful time of fellowship with an older and wiser brother in Christ that I probably never would have had otherwise.
        Another way that God has proved His goodness to me is through my team.  In all honesty, I was a bit nervous coming on this trip.  All these people knew each other so well and I felt like the awkward kid from the Barrington campus who used to be home schooled with half the team.  However, through getting serenaded by violin-playing gypsies, a few delicious gelato-runs at night, a screaming drunk man on the tram, an early morning run through Budapest, laughing until we cry about calling binoculars "two-noculars," and many other adventures, I have gotten to know every single person on the team so well.  They have all been so kind, accepting, encouraging and inspiring.  Never in my life have I felt more a part of the true body of Christ.  We are all working together with patience and understanding.  Everyone is jumping in, volunteering, and taking turns when the situation calls for it.  I just love all of them more than I ever thought I would.  It's amazing to see how all of our different strengths, gifts, weaknesses, and personalities really balance each other out.
       The last thing I want to tell you about is the most important thing: the English camp, of course!  I was really anxious about how socializing with all these new kids would work out, especially since they can't speak English and we can't speak Hungarian.  But we have formed friendships in what seems to be the blink of an eye.  I can't even describe how warm, friendly and loving these kids are.  I have become especially close with a few girls, and they are always putting their arms around me, hugging me and grabbing my hand.  I have a lot in common with so many of the students and I just love being around them.  Many of them can speak English better than I expected!  And I'm picking up some Hungarian myself *cough* well... I can say about five words including the color blue, but only because it sounds just like the English word "cake."     
       One particular student has really been a light in Ben and my class.  His name is Jakab.  He was by far the most hilarious kid I met at the camp and he was very smart and easygoing.  He was just all around a completely lovable kid and brought so much joy to our class.  That's why when I found out he wasn't coming back to camp next week, I was so sad.  I never even got a chance to share the Gospel with him, and it killed me knowing that I had missed that chance.  The Lord really strongly put it on my heart to write him a letter.  So I wrote him a four page letter explaining my testimony and sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with him.  It was like the words weren't even mine.  Well, they weren't.  The Spirit was working through me.  At the end of camp today when I said goodbye to him, I gave him the letter and told him to Facebook me if he had any questions.  I have been and will continue to earnestly pray that the Lord would work in his heart.  Saying goodbye to him left a pain in my heart that was just a miniscule taste of what I'm going to feel when we leave camp for good next week.  
     To wrap up, I want to ask you all to pray specific things for us.  I have been studying Ephesians 1:15-23 and I think the things that Paul mentions are what we really need next week.  Wisdom from the Spirit, revelation in the knowledge of Christ, enlightened eyes and hearts, hope of His calling, and truly knowing the riches and glory of our inheritance in Him and the immensity of His power.  Please pray these things for our team, and that we would keep our sights focused on the Lord.
     I'm loving Budapest.  

Maggie
  

English Camp - Day 5 Update - Arne

Wow. I've already been in Budapest for six days! It's hard for me to believe that a week ago I was leaving Chicago to go to a completely different place with a culture that is very different from our own. Looking back on these past five days of English camp, it's clear to see that God has been working in the lives of the students. Not only have the kids become more proficient in their English knowledge, but  they have also been taught about several important questions about Christianity. In the end, I look at this week as a great success because of the way God has been involved in helping the team minister to the Hungarians.
     This year, I entered the trip with a greater sense of excitement and anticipation. Since I was privileged to go to Hungary last year, I had a good idea of what to expect this time. Many of the uncertainties that I had last time were gone, allowing me to spend more time thinking about how I would make an impact in the students' lives. Entering the trip, I felt a better grasp of the personalities of the students as a whole. Knowing that the students require a great deal of relational development before being open to spiritual conversations, I was aware of the challenge of understanding their core beliefs. In the face of this challenge, I knew that I needed to fully rely on God to provide me with the words to speak when the right moment came.
     Today brought about an end to the first camp week. After a quick word from David's devotional, the team was notified of many students who would be leaving after the day. For various reasons, there are some students who only participate in the first week of camp. After that, we welcomed the kids with playing a game called the "pushing game" where two people try to knock each other off their feet. For me, it was very enjoyable to easily win against kids who were half my size! After starting off with that, the English lessons began. I teach the lowest level class along with Gina, so we rallied our seven students off to class. Today, we taught them about fruits/vegetables with no shortage of magazine pictures to illustrate our vocab words. To make things a little more exciting, our students played "catch phrase" with another class. Our class had a great time, and it was funny hearing the descriptions that they came up with! With the end of class came chapel, where we sang one of my favorites called "Your Everlasting Love" which manages to get everyone off their feet. With a quick message, small group, and fun game of ultimate frisbee, camp came to a close. But even though camp was over, I had more to experience today.
     As a tradition on this trip, our team is split up into groups and goes to different houses where different students live. I, along with Tom, Violet, and Jordan went to a student's apartment. We had a nice dinner containing goulash, a zucchini casserole, and strudel of various flavors. We also had a good time playing a Hungarian card game with cards that were very different and much more confusing than American cards! Overall, it was a very pleasant time, and I was amazed at the generous hospitality of the family. It was a good opportunity to get a more thorough look into the lives of the Hungarians we got to know.
     A highlight of this week was the thoughtful messages and small group discussions. Tom and Robin were the alternating speakers who brought forth important questions that really challenged the kids to think seriously about their beliefs. Students were taught about who Jesus really was in addition to the sinful state of man and the true meaning of the church. The messages were clear and forced the students to think about their lives. Thankfully I was able to help some students think deeper about Christ in a small group. Even though the first two days were difficult with a lack of participation, the latter part of the week contained more fruitful discussions. Throughout the week, I'm glad that this small group has driven me to trust in God for guidance in speaking His words. Also, I have had a growing burden on my heart for these kids to know Christ, because I can see just how needy they are in how they respond with questions. As I look forward to more discussion, I pray that God will really work in their hearts as Jordan, Christina, and I share the good news of Christ with the students.
     Looking ahead to next week, I pray that God will continue to work mightily in the students' lives. I feel privileged to be here on this mission, and I'm excited to see what will happen! Please keep the team in your prayers!

Arne

English Camp - Day 4 Update - Steve

Hello friends and family,

Today we saw measurable progress in the team's relationships with the Hungarians. We have moved from a stage where the Hungarians were warming up to us to a stage in which there are personal relationships forming. Instead of us having to initiate every interaction, the Hungarians are now seeking us out for conversation or asking us to sit with them at the lunch table. It is a welcome development.  This sort of relationship-building allowed me to have an intense conservation with a student.

We were on the bus on the way back from a water park and I was sitting with a couple of boys that I have befriended. There wasn't much going on so I decided to strike up a conversation with my friend Oliver (16 years old). Oliver is a bright young man interested in various intellectual pursuits. The Lord's Spirit helped me to move the conversation to a discussion about logic, reason, and science with my new friend. The wheels in his head really began to turn when I asked him how the universe came to be and how we could get order (humans) out of disorder (a random mixture of primordial gases).  I asked him if there are moral absolutes (if there is a definite right and wrong). He confidently answered no.  I inquired if what Hitler did to the Jews was wrong. He said that those events were "horrible" and "definitely wrong." I asked why that was so given his statement that there are no moral absolutes. Is it wrong just based on personal opinion? That is no absolute. I suggested that the only way to answer these questions is with presence of a supernatural being-God. He was intrigued and yet confused.

I asked Oliver why it is that humans feel an innate sense of compassion towards other humans-specifically - to help those who can't help themselves. If we are simply products of nature - super intelligent animals - shouldn't our goal be survival of the fittest by natural selection? Would it not be to our advantage to have the weak die off in accordance with evolutionary doctrine? Again I told him that these questions can only be answered by the presence of an Almighty, transcendent God. His confusion was climaxing as he sheepishly exclaimed in a thick Hungarian accent, "You have some good points."

It's very exciting to see and to share with all of you what the Lord's Spirit has been doing through in the hearts of Hungarian teenagers!

"Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified in Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:11

In Christ,
Steve

English Camp - Day 3 Update - Tim

Hey guys! Day three has come to an end and I’m amazed at how much progress we have made with building friendships, sharing the Gospel, and serving the teens. After spending only 24 hours total at the camp I’ve already built some close relationships with the Hungarians. They are just like Americans only they have accents and speak a second language. One thing that surprised me is the fact that they know so much about American music. They know and listen to all the popular music, such as Skrillex, AC/DC, David Guetta, Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Coldplay, and, of course, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, and much, much more. I was afraid it was going to be difficult to make friends, or be able to communicate with the teenagers, but God has answered my prayers and has made the language barrier no problem at all. I am having way more fun on this trip than I ever thought I could. Christina talked about how amazing it was being able to worship the same God with people thousands of miles away. This trip was my first time being able to experience singing with others of a different country and language. It was so moving to realize how no matter what language anyone speaks or country one comes from we all are worshipping the same awesome, loving and all-powerful God. One thing that I always am amazed by is the enormous amount of love God has for us and how awe-inspiring He is. Tom and Kelsey performed a beautiful rendition of Who Am I by Casting Crowns today during worship. The song talks about how we are nothing compared to Him yet he desires to know us and care for us. The chorus goes like this: I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow A wave tossed in the ocean A vapor in the wind Still You hear me when I'm calling Lord, You catch me when I'm falling And You've told me who I am I am Yours, I am Yours Words can’t express how much joy this song brings me. The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the one who sent His ONLY son down to Earth to be brutally murdered wants ME, a sinful, pathetic human being to be HIS. It makes me choke up from the immense joy that it brings. Continue praying that the team has the opportunities and courage to share this truly amazing news of love. To God be the glory, Tim

English Camp - Day 2 Update - David

Hello family and friends! This has been an incredible trip so far, and I am already super excited about the coming 11 days. Today was the second day of English camp, and I think we were all pretty encouraged by the progress we had made from an already great first day. While we are still getting to know these teens, I feel like I was able to really start connecting with some of them today. For me, friendly relationships with individual teens are still in their beginning stages. However, it was evident across the board today that the teens coming to camp really want to hang out and be around us. They aren’t as shy and are much more willing to talk than yesterday. This is really encouraging because it means we have a powerful platform to be examples and share the Gospel. On a separate note, it’s also been great to see how our team has really gelled even within the last couple days. Spending so much time serving with quality Christian friends is strengthening to my own faith. Additionally, it means that serving is simply a blast—while exhausting, it’s just plain fun. I also feel like I am deepening friendships I will have for a very long time! Thank you all for your continued prayer support. It’s extremely encouraging to know that we are being lifted up back home! David

Contact Info Update

Hello Friends & Family,

This update is particularly for parents.  I just wanted to let you know the most up-to-date contact info.

The fastest way to reach me this year, I've found, is through text message.  You can use the following American phone number:
(224)-800-1163
I'm accessible by texting this number at least 10 hours a day.  This number does not receive phone calls.

I'm also carrying a Hungarian cell phone with the following phone number:
+36-30-461-7039

Thanks and God bless!
Tom

English Camp - Day 1 Update - Kyle

Hey Family and Friends!

Thanks for following our team on the blog!  This past weekend was tiring yet excellent. 

Today marked the beginning of teen camp.  Needless to say, it couldn’t have gone any better.  We had hardly finished our morning devotional and meeting when the kids were already busting through the doors.  Between playing ninja and talking amongst each other, our whole team got to create great bonds with the teens. 

A typical day at camp consists of games, lessons, snacks, chapel, small groups, lunch, and more games.  Today I personally had a great discussion in small groups following Tom’s sermon on knowing about God’s existence.  Maggie, Sharon, and I had a wealthy discussion that was completely Gospel central.  It was very encouraging to see a great discussion blossom on the first day!  Lessons were effective the first day.  We taught the students vocabulary words relating to family.  We did activities like Jeopardy and improv skits.  It was encouraging to see not only their eagerness to learn but also their excitement to speak and to get to know us.  The afternoon consisted entirely of running in circles and dancing our hearts out, but that’s what games in Hungary look like. 

It was a blast to start to build these friendships with these teens again.  As a returning member on the trip, it has been awesome to see how well they remember me from last year.  It amazes me how vividly they remember what we had done the year before.  Most importantly, it was encouraging to see their eagerness to speak English as well as their tough questions that they are asking, specifically referring to Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  I sense that God is perfectly setting this trip up early with Gospel discussions so that many will come to him over these ten days of camp.  We will be sure to continue to update you on this subject!

Thank you again for following us, for your support, and your prayers.  All are appreciated and may God bless you!

Thank You Bunches!

Kyle

P.S.  I also want to let you know about my personal 3 G’s of Hungary:  God, Goulash, and Gelato!  

Sunday, July 15 Update - Christina

Just wanted to say hello and keep everyone back home updated on our trip. Once again, my team and I want to give thanks to you all for the prayers on safe travels. It has definitely been a busy but wonderful second day here in Hungary. The team has been working very well together and we are having a ton of fun. We went to an Italian and Mexican restaurant today. They were both delicious! The city of Budapest is also beautiful and we are definitely excited to do some more siteseeing! Although English camp has not officially started yet we were able to go check out the KEGy building and get our lesson plans organized for the days to come. The previous years at camp there have been about 40 kids that have signed up; this year we have around 70! Yes, it is a little intimidating but every one of those kids has a purpose for being there. There were supposed to be 40 kids in just Jared, Steve, Violet and my intermediate class. We decided that we had to change some things around. Even with pre-planned lessons for each group and knowing that changing stuff around would be stressful everyone was very flexible and supportive of splitting up and changing groups. For me seeing our team’s attitude towards this was really awesome cause in devos earlier that morning I had read Philippians 2:14, which says, “ Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Seeing our team live that out today and being obedient to God’s Word was really exciting. Finally the most impacting thing today for me was the church service at KEGy. It wasn’t necessarily the message, although Tom preached an amazing sermon on singing and how singing is not just some lead up to a sermon but it is very important for multiple reasons. What really stuck out to me was singing and hearing a sermon in not only English but in Hungarian. It is just so awesome and encouraging seeing that no matter what language we are speaking, we all believe in the one true God and are all worshiping the one and only Lord. It just shows how real God is. Sometimes we live in a little suburban bubble and it was just so amazing to see people who live miles and miles away from us praising the same God and it shows that Jesus and the Holy Spirit can change the lives of anyone if He chooses so. That was very convicting to me today. Well, I don’t want to keep rambling, but I do have some prayer requests for the week especially with the English camps starting tomorrow. I ask that you could pray for our team and just unity within it, also strength because it will be a long and tiring day. I also ask that you pray for us to not boast in ourselves but in the Lord and make it fully known to us that we are serving Him and not ourselves. Finally, I ask for prayer with the Hungarian teens and that they would be open minded, and their hearts would be softened so that we may share the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ to them. Thank you so much for following us and we are looking forward to keeping you a part of this journey even though you are not here in Hungary.

Love, Christina

(P.S. You can see a few pics at twitter.com/tommyo  Thanks! ~Tom)

We're Here!

Hi Everyone!

Glad to let you know that we are here in Budapest safe and sound - and happy! We had smooth, but delayed travels, through Zurich, and arrived here about 2:30pm local time, where we were greeted by Brad & Kari Mullet. It is so great to see them - I can't wait to partner with them in Gospel ministry these 2 weeks!

After getting settled in at the hotel, we went to dinner in downtown Budapest - with the team getting to enjoy one of the two classic starters here in Hungary - cold fruit soup or goulash. We then took a relaxed route home, stopping at a few shops, walking over the Danube River on one of Budapest's great bridges, and enjoying the cooler weather, especially considering what it's been lately in Chicago.

Tomorrow (Sunday) is a full day - we've got team meetings, camp orientation, and worship at Kelenfold EFC - where some of the team will be participating on the worship team and I'll be preaching. I'm also excited to let you know that there are 72 Hungarian teens registered for camp! That's the highest total we've had since our partnership with this camp began.

The team has been just great to be with - what an awesome group the Lord put together - I'm totally enjoying everyone's company. We'll have more complete updates (and pictures!) in the coming days - but wanted to let you know that we're here! We're so grateful for your prayers.

God bless,
Tom

On our way!

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much for checking out our blog!  We are so excited to leave tomorrow, July 13, for Budapest for this 16 day missions trip.

We'll keep you updated (typically daily) right here on this blog.

Thanks so much for following along with our trip and praying for us!

In Christ,
Tom