Things we have found encouraging about camp this two weeks:

Christine A.: It’s been such a blessing to do life for two weeks with all of our students and to be able to watch them in action as they serve during camp! I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to debrief with the girls in my small group at the end of each day and hear how God had used them during camp. One major theme that I have noticed within my small group is that God doesn’t waste the sad and painful times that have happened in their past. They have seen the Lord use them in various conversations with campers where they were able to share their stories of their struggles and how God worked in their lives during that time. To see the excitement of the girls in my small group, when they realized that all of the painful situations they have been through were all worth it for the time they spent talking with the Hungarian students to encourage them and to point them to Christ and his saving grace, is certainly the highlight of the trip for me!

Sharon: One of the most encouraging things for me this trip was being able to witness the way the Hungarian team (composed of Hungarians) has been developing and growing, not only in number, but also in spiritual maturity. Since I have been a part of the summer team from The Orchard for the past seven summers, I have seen many Hungarian teens make the decision to follow Christ. It has been so amazing to have several of these students now serving on the Hungarian team alongside us. They put their trust in Christ at this camp in past summers and are now joining up with us to share their stories of faith with their fellow Hungarian peers, be our translators and lead the small group times after chapel. It really is quite incredible. This camp continues to be a hot spot for evangelism, but has also become a place for genuine discipleship and the encouragement of those who stay behind when we have to leave. The other day I was talking with Balint, who is the leader of the Hungarian team. He was telling me that at kid’s camp (another camp for younger kids that happens earlier in the summer) there were 21 Hungarian helpers that had all been students in teen camp in previous years! Many of these 15-17 year olds are believers who have experienced teen camp and are excited to serve those around them. I pray that in the coming years, many more will become a part of the Hungarian team for teen camp. The Lord is at work raising up student leaders to be His representatives here in Budapest. I am so glad I’ve been able to be in the midst of what is happening here!

Alyssa H.: As I sat back and watched the emotional goodbyes happen today at the last day of camp, I couldn’t help but think that this is what heaven must look like, but instead of saying good-bye, we would be saying hello! It was apparent through the tears this afternoon that God was on the move these past two weeks. We have already seen some fruit from past camps, but please join us in praying for the campers who still have questions and are not sure how to get the answers.

I also wanted to take a second and thank you. Thank you for sending your sons and daughters on this trip to teach English, explore Budapest, build relationships and share the good news of the gospel. Thank you for supporting us on this journey. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. Oh, and one last thank you – thank you for being patient with our grammar and stream of consciousness in this blog since we wrote this at 12:30 a.m. our time.

Tomorrow is our last day in Budapest and will be full of sightseeing and debriefing, so we will not be able to write a blog post. Thank you for reading these two weeks and don’t forget to keep an eye on the Tapolca blog posts and mark the Hungary Mission Team Report on your calendars on Sunday, August 21, 2-4 p.m., at The Orchard – Barrington. Szia!