A Glimpse Into Summer
English Camps
in Hungary
By Amanda Barton , OMS Hungary , Embark Missionary
Last year , I had the opportunity to help the OMS Hungary team put on their second English camp of the summer in Vác , a town about 45 minutes outside of Budapest . We welcomed volunteers from the United States for the week and partnered with local volunteers , who served as translators . We spent the weekend before camp preparing the facility while preparing spiritually and building a strong team .
We had a sweet time getting to know each other and feeling united under our shared mission of showing the students Christ ’ s love . Having everyone on the same page about how to approach conversations with the students was crucial . Of course , we want them to engage in spiritual conversations , but many of the students are not believers . They come to camp to practice their English and have fun , not to give their lives to Christ .
I was happy to learn that we would not be overtly evangelizing the students . I have always favored a more subtle approach than preaching the Gospel to those , such as unsuspecting campers , who don ’ t express interest and aren ’ t asking for it . Each morning , one of our staff members gave a brief devotional in Hungarian . It was usually a Bible story that related to the day ’ s theme , given in language that would appeal to nonbelievers .
The main opportunity for students to engage in spiritual discussions came during conversation groups . Twice a day , we met in groups of about six students , a native English speaker , and a translator . We had been encouraged to let each conversation take its natural direction , allowing the students to feel comfortable and practice spoken English . Sometimes , we played games or sat around chatting about their favorite hobbies or holiday plans . I was with a group of advanced English speakers , six girls ages 14-18 , and they liked asking me questions about American culture .
Other times , conversations took a more spiritual route . I enjoyed answering their questions and sharing my testimony in ways that would relate to teenage girls . We discussed how it can be difficult to be our true selves because we worry about what others think of us . I told them that God knows who we truly are and loves us anyway .
None of my students declared their faith or gave their lives to Christ that week , but I believe seeds were planted . I consider it a successful week at camp if just a few of them left thinking more deeply about God and pondering what it would mean to have a relationship with him .
Goodbyes at the end of the week were filled with hugs and tears . I knew our team had done our best to show these students the love of Christ , and that made every bit of sweat , hard work , and exhaustion worth it . We continue to pray for their spiritual development .
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