Events - Hope For Eastern Hungary

Upcoming and Current Events

Help is once again coming from Arkansas! In conjunction with the Hungarian People Group Team's partnership with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, two short-term mission teams will be coming over Spring Break. One will be coming the week before Easter, the other will arrive the day the first one leaves and will be here over the holiday. Please pray with us for wisdom in planning and that the Lord will use these teams to His glory.

Bicycling across Hungary Planning now underway--as in past summers, we hope to have several more bicycle teams travel throughout eastern Hungary meeting new people and sharing the Good News of Jesus. These groups keep pushing the boundaries of ministry out even further. It is our hope that we can continue increasing the effectiveness of these teams as each year we build upon previous successes and learn from our mistakes. Interested in coming to help? Contact us right away.

Pray with us...and involve your friends, too! Before summer kicks off we will again lift up the entire region before the throne during our 31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary in May. We are already working on getting the prayer calendar together and would like to get 50 more prayer partners to join with us this year. That will raise the total to 700 people and groups standing with us in prayer. If you know someone who might like to be a partner with us in prayer please tell them about our ministry and pass along our contact information.

Click here for information on how to become a Prayer Partner.

Updates from Past Events

See our photo album pages for more pictures

The Eastern Hungary Team had a very busy time during December and January. Thank you so much for your prayers! The Christmas Booth Project, which took place in Debrecen from December 1 - 23, went very well. About 800 Bibles were distributed to people who commited to try to read through it over the coming year. The Visual Bible's "Matthew" DVD in Hungarian was given to those who signed up to participate in small-group discussions, which function similarly to a book club. Praise the Lord for the local believers who volunteered to help both with the booth and in facilitating the "Matthew" small group discussions. Read more about the project and see pictures on the Winter 2007 / 08 photo album page.

Hanging out with a new friend--click to enlarge

A LeTourneau University student volunteer mission team came from Longview, Texas from December 28 - January 6 to minister to international students at the Debrecen university who were not able to go home over the holiday/exam time. They hosted "coffee house" evenings, which included games, music, and other fun activities along with free coffee and tea. New friends were made, and there were opportunities for some good, deep conversations with the students. Learn more on the Winter 2007 / 08 photo album page.

Interns with new friends--click to enlarge

In June 2007 the Eastern Hungary Team returned from Stateside Assignment (formerly known as furlough) in the U.S., and the action began as soon as they arrived back into the country! Two of the summer interns arrived on the same plane, and the other two arrived the following week. After some preparatory training and a few days of language classes, the team hit the streets to prayerwalk and to reach out to people that they met. Other volunteer workers also joined them for special projects over the rest of the summer. New contacts were made, and relationships with previous contacts were followed up on. Please pray that the Lord will continue to work in the hearts of those who were impacted by this summer's work.

The IMB Hungarian People Group Team's new partnership with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention continues to be a blessing as we work together to raise prayer support and recruit volunteers to come work with us in Hungary. We're excited to see what the Lord is going to do over the coming months and years based on this strategic partnership!

The Survey is Finished!

The 2006 summer interns, Jennifer and Stephen, finished the second half of the huge ethnographic survey of eastern Hungary that was started last year. Bicycling along pre-planned routes, they surveyed people in fourteen key cities. Information gathered all across eastern Hungary, as well as insights gained through prayerwalking/riding, will play a crucial role in planning future work in this area. A lot of new contacts were also made, which will continue to be followed up on by the Eastern Hungary Team and by the interns and volunteers as they are able.

July 2006 Hajdúszoboszló English Camp

Dennisa with student Thank you for praying for the outreach English camp held in July by the Hajdúszoboszló Baptist Church. Summer volunteers Chris and Dennisa did a great job of assisting the church, planning and working together with them in putting together the lessons and activities. About 30 children came, most from unchurched families. English was taught using Bible stories, the Gospel was shared, songs and games were enjoyed, and loving relationships were formed. Please pray that the church will be encouraged to continue with creative outreach, and that as follow-up is done with the children and their families, many will come to know Christ as Savior.

June 2006 Püspökladány Outreach Project

Boy at bat From June 13 through 17, volunteers from Macedonian Mission Ministries, along with our summer interns and student-work volunteers, conducted a multi-faceted outreach in Püspökladány, an eastern Hungarian town of about 17,000 that currently has no evangelical church. The project consisted of a free blood-pressure booth, a baseball camp, and a children's program in the park, along with prayer walking and lots of interaction with local residents. At the beginning of the week it seemed that all of our plans were falling apart, but the Lord put it all back together again in a way that we never could have foreseen. For example, at the last moment we found out that the sports complex we had planned to use for the baseball camp was not available after all; a schoolyard became available instead. Through that, many new possibilities opened up. Good relationship were formed there, and the group was even invited to do a program on the last day of school for all the children. The Gospel was presented this week to more people than has ever been possible before in our work in eastern Hungary. Please pray that this new openness to hearing about the Lord will bear fruit, and that many lives will be changed.

December 2005 Project...Into the Market Place

During December the Eastern Hungary Team was back in Püspökladány for a special outreach/scripture distribution project. On market days they set up a booth in the "piac" [PEE-ahts], where they talked to people and gave away free New Testaments in modern Hungarian. The opportunity came up to share about Christ several times, new friendships were formed, and contact was re-established with some old friends from the June project. Our Articles section contains pictures and an in-depth look at the project. The article is also featured as February's Spotlight Story on the Hungarian People Group Team's "Heart for Hungary" website.

2005 Summer Interns

Five university students were with us on the field from May 30 until July 28. Meet the team. Beginning the first week of June they toured across eastern Hungary by bicycle, conducting ethnographic surveys, prayer-walking, and doing evangelistic outreach. (Read more in our Articles section, then see the Summer 2005 photo albums.) The Lord used their energy, enthusiasm, and love for Him to impact lives in many cities and towns across the area. Follow-up is in progress with the new friends that were made, so please pray for them, the student interns, and the Eastern Hungary Team, as relationships deepen. May the Lord continue to draw people to Him, giving hope to the hopeless.

June 2005 Mission Team

On June 11-21, 2005, a group of 15 came from Macedonian Mission Ministries in Arkansas to prayer walk, conduct free blood pressure screening, give out reading glasses, and help the Summer Interns in their survey work. (More photos are included in Part 2 of the Summer 2005 album.) The outreach project was done in Puspokladany [PEWSH-pook-lah-dahn], a town of about 17,000 where there is no evangelical church. The team's work made a tremendous impact there, not only in humanitarian service, but also in opening doors of friendship that we had long been praying for. Please continue to pray that relationships begun there will deepen, and that small group Bible studies will be started that will grow into strong, reproducing churches.

Christian Philosophy Lectures

On May 17 and 18, 2005, American philosophy and religion professor Paul Adams and his wife Patty came to eastern Hungary from Surprise, Arizona to present lectures entitled "Faith and Reason: Friends or Enemies?" and "Why Believe God Exists?" The lectures, which were sponsored by the Society of Christian Philosophers, were held in the town of Hajdúszoboszló [HI-doo-so-bo-slo]. The town contains many mineral baths, and is a popular tourist destination for Hungarians and other eastern Europeans. In fact, this small city of about 20 thousand people averages 10 to 15 thousand visitors daily. This makes it a key cultural center from which the gospel has the potential of flowing all over Hungary and into the neighboring countries. Praise the Lord for the impact that was made! Even though attendance was not as high as we had all hoped--in great part due to a damaging storm that swept through the area--curiousity was piqued and hearts were touched by the presentations. Please continue to pray for those who attended, that the Lord will be glorified in their lives.

Uj Remeny Baptist Church English Club

Praise the Lord for what was accomplished during the 2004 fall semester English Club. We had the opportunity to partner with Uj Remeny Baptist Church to offer the club as a follow-up to the summer outreach English course. The weekly club meetings provided an opportunity for community and church members to practice their English skills in a fun atmosphere. Each week the club activities were based on chronological Bible stories, beginning with creation and continuing on from there. We had a lot of great times together discussing the stories, then using games and songs to reinforce the learning. Please pray that the relationships begun in the club will be strengthened, and that what was learned will continue to impact lives. For more English Club pictures, see the Photo Album

English Course Group Picture Thank you to those who prayed for the July 5 - 16, 2004 outreach English course that was offered by Uj Remeny (New Hope) Baptist Church here in Debrecen. It was a very busy two weeks, but we appreciated the opportunity to help. We taught the conversational part of the course, and along with helping the students with their pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, were also able to share about the Lord through Bible stories, songs, and discussions. Of the 19 students who attended, about half were not previously associated with the church, so along with the instruction in English, new relationships were formed that we pray will lead to further witness for Christ. More English course pictures can be seen in the Photo Album.


Welcome News * Events * Newsletters * Articles	Upcoming and Current Events Help is once again coming from Arkansas! In conjunction with the Hungarian People Group Team's partnership with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, two short-term mission teams will be coming over Spring Break. One will be coming the week before Easter, the other will arrive the day the first one leaves and will be here over the holiday. Please pray with us for wisdom in planning and that the Lord will use these teams to His glory. Planning now underway--as in past summers, we hope to have several more bicycle teams travel throughout eastern Hungary meeting new people and sharing the Good News of Jesus. These groups keep pushing the boundaries of ministry out even further. It is our hope that we can continue increasing the effectiveness of these teams as each year we build upon previous successes and learn from our mistakes. Interested in coming to help? Contact us right away. Pray with us...and involve your friends, too! Before summer kicks off we will again lift up the entire region before the throne during our 31 Days of Prayer for Eastern Hungary in May. We are already working on getting the prayer calendar together and would like to get 50 more prayer partners to join with us this year. That will raise the total to 700 people and groups standing with us in prayer. If you know someone who might like to be a partner with us in prayer please tell them about our ministry and pass along our contact information. Click here for information on how to become a Prayer Partner. Updates from Past Events See our photo album pages for more pictures The Eastern Hungary Team had a very busy time during December and January. Thank you so much for your prayers! The Christmas Booth Project, which took place in Debrecen from December 1 - 23, went very well. About 800 Bibles were distributed to people who commited to try to read through it over the coming year. The Visual Bible's "Matthew" DVD in Hungarian was given to those who signed up to participate in small-group discussions, which function similarly to a book club. Praise the Lord for the local believers who volunteered to help both with the booth and in facilitating the "Matthew" small group discussions. Read more about the project and see pictures on the Winter 2007 / 08 photo album page. A LeTourneau University student volunteer mission team came from Longview, Texas from December 28 - January 6 to minister to international students at the Debrecen university who were not able to go home over the holiday/exam time. They hosted "coffee house" evenings, which included games, music, and other fun activities along with free coffee and tea. New friends were made, and there were opportunities for some good, deep conversations with the students. Learn more on the Winter 2007 / 08 photo album page. In June 2007 the Eastern Hungary Team returned from Stateside Assignment (formerly known as furlough) in the U.S., and the action began as soon as they arrived back into the country! Two of the summer interns arrived on the same plane, and the other two arrived the following week. After some preparatory training and a few days of language classes, the team hit the streets to prayerwalk and to reach out to people that they met. Other volunteer workers also joined them for special projects over the rest of the summer. New contacts were made, and relationships with previous contacts were followed up on. Please pray that the Lord will continue to work in the hearts of those who were impacted by this summer's work. The IMB Hungarian People Group Team's new partnership with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention continues to be a blessing as we work together to raise prayer support and recruit volunteers to come work with us in Hungary. We're excited to see what the Lord is going to do over the coming months and years based on this strategic partnership! The Survey is Finished! The 2006 summer interns, Jennifer and Stephen, finished the second half of the huge ethnographic survey of eastern Hungary that was started last year. Bicycling along pre-planned routes, they surveyed people in fourteen key cities. Information gathered all across eastern Hungary, as well as insights gained through prayerwalking/riding, will play a crucial role in planning future work in this area. A lot of new contacts were also made, which will continue to be followed up on by the Eastern Hungary Team and by the interns and volunteers as they are able. July 2006 Hajdúszoboszló English Camp Thank you for praying for the outreach English camp held in July by the Hajdúszoboszló Baptist Church. Summer volunteers Chris and Dennisa did a great job of assisting the church, planning and working together with them in putting together the lessons and activities. About 30 children came, most from unchurched families. English was taught using Bible stories, the Gospel was shared, songs and games were enjoyed, and loving relationships were formed. Please pray that the church will be encouraged to continue with creative outreach, and that as follow-up is done with the children and their families, many will come to know Christ as Savior. June 2006 Püspökladány Outreach Project From June 13 through 17, volunteers from Macedonian Mission Ministries, along with our summer interns and student-work volunteers, conducted a multi-faceted outreach in Püspökladány, an eastern Hungarian town of about 17,000 that currently has no evangelical church. The project consisted of a free blood-pressure booth, a baseball camp, and a children's program in the park, along with prayer walking and lots of interaction with local residents. At the beginning of the week it seemed that all of our plans were falling apart, but the Lord put it all back together again in a way that we never could have foreseen. For example, at the last moment we found out that the sports complex we had planned to use for the baseball camp was not available after all; a schoolyard became available instead. Through that, many new possibilities opened up. Good relationship were formed there, and the group was even invited to do a program on the last day of school for all the children. The Gospel was presented this week to more people than has ever been possible before in our work in eastern Hungary. Please pray that this new openness to hearing about the Lord will bear fruit, and that many lives will be changed. December 2005 Project...Into the Market Place During December the Eastern Hungary Team was back in Püspökladány for a special outreach/scripture distribution project. On market days they set up a booth in the "piac" [PEE-ahts], where they talked to people and gave away free New Testaments in modern Hungarian. The opportunity came up to share about Christ several times, new friendships were formed, and contact was re-established with some old friends from the June project. Our Articles section contains pictures and an in-depth look at the project. The article is also featured as February's Spotlight Story on the Hungarian People Group Team's "Heart for Hungary" website. 2005 Summer Interns Five university students were with us on the field from May 30 until July 28. Meet the team. Beginning the first week of June they toured across eastern Hungary by bicycle, conducting ethnographic surveys, prayer-walking, and doing evangelistic outreach. (Read more in our Articles section, then see the Summer 2005 photo albums.) The Lord used their energy, enthusiasm, and love for Him to impact lives in many cities and towns across the area. Follow-up is in progress with the new friends that were made, so please pray for them, the student interns, and the Eastern Hungary Team, as relationships deepen. May the Lord continue to draw people to Him, giving hope to the hopeless. June 2005 Mission Team On June 11-21, 2005, a group of 15 came from Macedonian Mission Ministries in Arkansas to prayer walk, conduct free blood pressure screening, give out reading glasses, and help the Summer Interns in their survey work. (More photos are included in Part 2 of the Summer 2005 album.) The outreach project was done in Puspokladany [PEWSH-pook-lah-dahn], a town of about 17,000 where there is no evangelical church. The team's work made a tremendous impact there, not only in humanitarian service, but also in opening doors of friendship that we had long been praying for. Please continue to pray that relationships begun there will deepen, and that small group Bible studies will be started that will grow into strong, reproducing churches. Christian Philosophy Lectures On May 17 and 18, 2005, American philosophy and religion professor Paul Adams and his wife Patty came to eastern Hungary from Surprise, Arizona to present lectures entitled "Faith and Reason: Friends or Enemies?" and "Why Believe God Exists?" The lectures, which were sponsored by the Society of Christian Philosophers, were held in the town of Hajdúszoboszló [HI-doo-so-bo-slo]. The town contains many mineral baths, and is a popular tourist destination for Hungarians and other eastern Europeans. In fact, this small city of about 20 thousand people averages 10 to 15 thousand visitors daily. This makes it a key cultural center from which the gospel has the potential of flowing all over Hungary and into the neighboring countries. Praise the Lord for the impact that was made! Even though attendance was not as high as we had all hoped--in great part due to a damaging storm that swept through the area--curiousity was piqued and hearts were touched by the presentations. Please continue to pray for those who attended, that the Lord will be glorified in their lives. Uj Remeny Baptist Church English Club Praise the Lord for what was accomplished during the 2004 fall semester English Club. We had the opportunity to partner with Uj Remeny Baptist Church to offer the club as a follow-up to the summer outreach English course. The weekly club meetings provided an opportunity for community and church members to practice their English skills in a fun atmosphere. Each week the club activities were based on chronological Bible stories, beginning with creation and continuing on from there. We had a lot of great times together discussing the stories, then using games and songs to reinforce the learning. Please pray that the relationships begun in the club will be strengthened, and that what was learned will continue to impact lives. For more English Club pictures, see the Photo Album Thank you to those who prayed for the July 5 - 16, 2004 outreach English course that was offered by Uj Remeny (New Hope) Baptist Church here in Debrecen. It was a very busy two weeks, but we appreciated the opportunity to help. We taught the conversational part of the course, and along with helping the students with their pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, were also able to share about the Lord through Bible stories, songs, and discussions. Of the 19 students who attended, about half were not previously associated with the church, so along with the instruction in English, new relationships were formed that we pray will lead to further witness for Christ. More English course pictures can be seen in the Photo Album.