Discovering Christian Family in Hungary

By Stella Brejwo, Grace OPC, Sewickley, PA

From a young age I loved hearing mission reports. I celebrated every time a missionary visited and presented on their work. When I heard the OPC was sending a group of missionaries to Miskolc, Hungary, I was excited to apply. I had attempted to volunteer for mission trips before, but due to uncontrollable circumstances, I had been unable to until now.

The purpose of this trip was to visit the Reformed Presbyterian church (RPC) in Hungary and teach at an English camp they were hosting. The church is part of a 15-church denomination in Hungary. Due to the inflation in Hungary and the large amounts of college-bound students in the denomination, the church wanted to provide their children with the most proficient English class they could afford. The denomination asked the OPC to send volunteers to lead a week-long course for their children. 

I feel deeply blessed to have been able to participate in this missions trip. I spent thirteen days with young adults and older teenagers, exploring their home, culture, and worship practices. I am so honored to be able to call these Christians my brothers and sisters—and to call them my friends. I was able to help them build their English vocabularies, confidence in speaking English, and in their pursuit of knowledge. While I came to serve them, they provided me with more love and inspiration than I ever expected. These brothers and sisters were so eager to share Christ back to us, they took every opportunity to engage us in Christ. I am incredibly blessed to have been able to teach, befriend, and worship with these brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Now home, I reflect on my time in Hungary and the impact it had on my heart and mind. It is hard to describe in words how awe-inspiring it was to worship, on the other side of the world in a different language, with my fellow believers. It is not an overstatement to say that the people of the Hungarian RPC are some of the most loving people I have ever met.

During our stay they ensured we had a constant stream of home cooked meals, visitors, and engagement in the community. They showed us their favorite camping and hiking locations and took us to visit other churches. They even took team members, whose ancestors originated in Hungary, to explore their ancestors’ homeland. Every day was thoughtfully planned, every moment filled with meaningful conversations and often laughs as well. I cannot fully describe the joy I have after witnessing the worship of our Lord in a far-off land. This trip will forever leave me to consider the blessings of my life. I pray that others might consider giving their time to be a part of a missions trip, both for the sake of Christ and his Word, but also for their fellow short-term team members, that they might all come to new enjoyment and peace in Christ.