Hungary Mission Trip
We’ll be sharing regular updates here throughout our time in Budapest! Check back daily to see how God is moving through our team. Thank you so much for your prayers and support.
Quick Trip Overview
Our team departed Sacramento on June 30th and will return home on July 15th. Along the way, we'll travel through Budapest, Vienna, and Veszprém, partnering with Vekker Church before returning to Budapest to serve at summer camp.
One of the highlights of this trip is delivering a $10,000 gift to Vekker Church to help invest in students in Veszprém, Hungary. Our primary mission is to serve alongside the church as we help lead their summer camp, building relationships, encouraging students, and sharing the hope of Jesus.
God is doing incredible things in Hungary, and we can't wait to bring you along on the journey!
Our final day in Budapest was about exploring, enjoying being together (which is still a miracle after 14 straight days of being together 24/7), and laughing a whole lot. The highlight of the day was that it turned into a bit of a reunion with some of the students and leaders from camp. Some traveled up from Vaszprem by train and others live in Budapest, so they joined us for part of the day. Gabor, Zsombor, Jonka, and Abel all hung out for at least part of the day was we continued to explore the city before we head back home tomorrow. If it wasn’t obvious from the blog, I (Mark) have been writing the updates for the team and want to take a few minutes to share some of my own thoughts and reflections from the last two weeks. Here are a few to wrap up this year.
First of all THANK YOU! This trip would not have been what it was without the hundreds of faithful supporters, sending, prayer partners, and financial partners. While we certainly encountered some challenges along the way, we all felt the support of our church family behind us as we battled through the intense schedule, sleep deprivation, and shortness of patience that comes on a trip like this. We ALL experienced first hand that power of God working in the global church, which is inspiring, encouraging, and such a blessing to be a part of.
God’s faithfulness and provision… From this time last year I really believed that God was opening a door for our church to partner with Vekker Christian Fellowship, including Tamas, Panna, Aron, and their whole team. Last year I spent just a few days with their church family and I walked away so blessed by my time with them. As I began to pray and process through that experience, there was no doubt that I wanted to share that experience with a group of passionate young adults from Christ Community. Over the past year God formed this team, united this team together, and brought a perfect balance of eagerness, humor, faith, and tenacity. We all pushed each other along, made each other laugh, built great bonds as a team, and enjoyed the fellowship and love that is only true of following God’s call in our life.
Such a BIG BIG world and God is in it ALL… I have mentioned in past blogs how easy it is to just get focused on ourselves and our context and our comforts and our wants. I have lead many mission trips over the years, but none as long and as far from home as this. When it takes a two hour flight to Seattle, a 10 hour flight to Amsterdam, a 2 hours flight to Budapest, and a 1 1/2 hour train ride to Vaszprem, it felt like were were so far from home. However, as you prayed and we led the trip, the world all of the sudden didn’t feel so small. The faithful believers in Vaszprem do the same thing as we do at Christ Community. They have amazing fellowship, small groups, discipleship studies, and powerful corporate worship, teaching, and prayer. They faithfully gather, share food, invite the unbelievers, and experience the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives each and every day. Often “the Church” gets a bad wrap in culture. It is seen as out of touch, condescending, full of condemnation, and foolishness for those who don’t believe. Be there is no better witness to the wonder working power of the cross than to travel around the world and see that God is working in the same way in a very different context. God is in it All!
Ongoing partnership… I really enjoy ongoing partnerships! Some mission trips exist to be a one time thing, but others are meant to be something that is built on year after year. In talking with Panna, Tamas, and Aron, they were really blessed by our presence at the church and our partnership at camp. While they could make it happen without us, they were so thankful for all that we brought to camp. In the same way, this trip would not have been the same without them. They created an incredible camp experience for the youth, they thought through every detail, and they make it really easy to partner with them in the helping to lead the camp. That is what makes this truly a partnership. I believe we all walked away sensing that together we were able to do far more than we could do apart. I am excited to see how our partnership grows in the years to come. We are even working on finding ways for them to come and be a part of YTH Citywide. It would be awesome for them to be able to come to Sacramento and help us lead our youth. That is a true and lasting partnership!
That is a wrap on the trip! There are many more thoughts, experiences, stories, and celebrations that will be shared in the months and weeks ahead. With all the work, planning, prayer, preparation, and investment that went into this trip, I am so thankful for our team and so overjoyed by being a part of the work that God is doing in Carmichael and beyond.
Can you find everyone?
What began as a travel blog, then became a food blog, then a camp blog, and even a church blog, has now come full circle—it's a travel blog once again.
Today and tomorrow are all about slowing down, exploring Budapest, taking in incredible architecture, and enjoying a few last-minute scoops of gelato before heading home.
One of today's highlights was visiting St. Stephen's Basilica, one of Budapest's most iconic landmarks. Reaching the panoramic observation deck requires climbing 364 steps up a winding spiral staircase from the church floor (though thankfully there's also an elevator for those who prefer a less exhausting route!). The view from the top is absolutely worth the effort.
As impressive as the city views are, what stood out even more was the basilica itself. While this church was built by human hands, there is no question that it was designed to honor God. Every detail draws your eyes upward, pointing to His greatness, power, and glory. Walking through its halls naturally creates a posture of reverence and awe. It serves as a beautiful reminder that throughout history, people have longed to use their gifts and creativity to reflect the majesty of the One who created them.
As we prepare to leave Hungary, we're also taking time to reflect on the week that changed all of us. Here's one final reflection from our team:
Nya Morong
I will never forget the memories that were made at camp. The entire week was filled with so much fellowship and worship, and it was amazing to form new connections and relationships with the campers. I loved spending one-on-one time with the campers and hearing each of their stories and testimonies. Watching them open up and share their life experiences was such a joy. I've made so many new friendships, and I'm already praying that God will send another wonderful group from Christ Community to serve at camp next year!
Tomorrow is our final full day in Budapest before the long and exhausting journey home begins. Our flight leaves at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, which means a 3:00 a.m. shuttle pickup from our hostel. It’s going to be an early morning!
Speaking of the hostel, it has been an interesting—but great—place to stay. It's part hotel and part hostel, where for around $25 you can rent a bed in a shared room with complete strangers. While we met plenty of interesting people in the lobby (it's incredibly popular during the summer), our team had our own room. The five guys shared a room with a bunk bed, two twin beds, and a couch that converted into a bed. It wasn't luxurious, but it worked perfectly.
The best part is the location. We're tucked right behind Budapest's massive open-air market (pictured below) and right in the heart of the city. Imagine taking 150 small businesses and packing them into one enormous building. It's overwhelming, fascinating, and an incredible place to wander for an afternoon.
It was tough to see camp come to an end. While it was nice to finally catch our breath and enjoy a slower afternoon after such a full week, saying goodbye to the team in Veszprém was incredibly difficult. The friendships, conversations, ministry partnership, Christ-centered encouragement, and genuine love that developed over the week far exceeded anything our team expected. In fact, several of the students and leaders from camp are making the trip to Budapest on our last day just to spend more time with us. That alone says so much about the bond God created between our team and Vekker Church.
Tamás, the Senior Pastor of Vekker, also shared a heartfelt message of thanks to everyone who prayed for, supported, and generously gave toward this trip. We hope you'll take a moment to watch the video and hear directly from him.
Spending a week alongside a church that speaks a different language, ministers in a different culture, and has faithfully grown from two committed couples into a thriving church of more than 150 people makes one thing abundantly clear: the Holy Spirit is at work. It's easy to become so focused on our own church, our own city, and our own ministry that we forget how much bigger the Church truly is. But this week reminded us that the Body of Christ is alive and flourishing in every language, every culture, and every corner of the world.
God is at work in Sacramento. He is at work through Vekker in Veszprém. He is at work through the underground church in China, through Jews for Jesus in Israel, and through millions of believers serving faithfully in countless communities across the globe. Together, we are all part of the same mission—to make His glory known. Worshiping, praying, studying God's Word, and sharing life with our brothers and sisters at Vekker reminded us that the Bride of Christ is vibrant, unified, and powerfully advancing around the world.
As a church, we have so much to learn from Vekker, just as they have things they can learn from us. That is the beauty of the Body of Christ—iron sharpens iron. We didn't come to Hungary to teach Vekker how to do camp, how to grow a church, or how to be successful. If anything, they taught us far more than we could have taught them. They modeled authentic relationships, courageous evangelism, intentional discipleship, and the kind of deep, lasting fellowship that turns complete strangers into true brothers and sisters in Christ.
As we wrap up our time with Vekker in Taksony and Veszprém, here are a few more reflections from the team on the week at camp.
Jaiden Wiley
Camp was such an incredible experience. The students and leaders were amazing, and it was a privilege to be part of it all. I loved getting to hear their stories, learn how they found out about camp, and reflect with them on everything they experienced throughout the week.
One of my favorite parts was watching the students gradually open up as the week went on. Whether it was becoming more confident in speaking English or simply feeling comfortable enough to connect with the other students, it was exciting to witness that growth.
I’m so thankful I came on this trip, and I hope to take the skills and confidence I gained here and apply them when I return home.
Justin Harcharik
I have no words to fully describe this past week of camp. Our partnership with Vekker Church is truly something special, and I feel incredibly blessed to have been part of such a meaningful experience.
One of my biggest highlights was getting to lead our English class. It was so rewarding to watch our students grow throughout the week, moving from little confidence in speaking English to communicating with us with strength and excitement.
Another highlight was connecting with one of the students who knew very little English. Every time we crossed paths, I made it a point to acknowledge him with simple words like "good," "cool," and "fun." Even though we couldn't have deep conversations, it was amazing to see how much such a small act of kindness meant to him.
Leaving camp was incredibly bittersweet. While we couldn't bring these relationships home with us, they won't end simply because there's an ocean between us. I truly believe our team helped serve as a bridge, strengthening the relationships between the students and the leaders of Vekker Church. I can't wait to hear the stories of how God continues to work through Vekker Church, our team, and Christ Community in the months and years ahead.
Tomorrow we all hear from Nya… she is still sleeping at the writing of this blog, which is totally understandable given the week we had!
Sunday consisted of a beautiful church service where we were commissioned by the church and prayed over as we head back home. This was such a beautiful expression of the partnership. We were commissioned as we came and commissioned as we left! Then 22 of us walked to lunch, most call it the In-n-out of Hungary and enjoyed an american style burger. It was good! We then headed to the train station to go back to Budapest for debrief and dinner with the Josiah Venture team. This was a great time of celebration, reflection, and enjoying some delicious Hungarian food, something that we have not lacked while on this trip!
The next few days we will spend exploring Budapest, visiting St. Thomas Basilica (the beautiful catholic church just a few miles from us), and enjoying time together. One thing is abundantly true, our team really enjoys being together. Even on day 12, we still like each other, which is a testament to your prayers! More highlight tomorrow.
Today officially marks the end of camp. While much of yesterday was already spent saying goodbye, today was the less exciting part—we packed up, cleaned up, shared one last meal together, and headed out.
One of the most impressive things about Vekker Church and the community they have cultivated in Veszprém is the abundance of faith, prayer, and love that is poured into every relationship. We saw it throughout the entire week, but it became even more evident as camp came to an end. Everything was covered in prayer. People lived by faith in both the ordinary and the extraordinary moments. They genuinely loved one another well. There was very little drama and a whole lot of intentional community.
Goodbyes are never easy, but Hungarians have perfected the art of making them last as long as humanly possible. If the owners of the camp hadn't needed us to leave, the farewell probably would have continued for several more hours. The hugs, the tears, the conversations, and the final photos were all on full display as we tried to squeeze in every meaningful goodbye we could.
As we reach the end of this week, we wanted to take some time to reflect on what God has done through the eyes of our team. This isn't merely goodbye—it is simply, "See you later." We are part of one global Church, rooted in Christ, and this week was a beautiful reminder that the Holy Spirit is at work across every culture and every nation. Perhaps the greatest encouragement of the week was realizing that we didn't simply travel halfway around the world to serve. We had the privilege of joining a church that is already faithfully advancing the gospel in Hungary. It was an incredible blessing to come alongside Vekker Church and witness what God is doing through them.
Josh Anderson:
"Camp was an incredible opportunity to see how God was working through both our team and the Hungarian leaders to reach the hearts of students. Watching Him transform lives and seeing the impact we were able to have was such an encouragement. I loved getting to know the students, watching friendships grow, seeing community develop, and witnessing the genuine love they have for the Lord."
Tyra Harcharik:
"Wake Up Camp was an amazing experience filled with wonderful people from all over Hungary. I especially loved the one-on-one conversations we had with campers as we dug deeper into Scripture and built meaningful relationships. The most impactful part of the week for me was Labyrinth Night, where students walked through different reflection stations that challenged them to deepen their faith in God. I also loved the games, workshops, and serving alongside the incredible leaders."
Matt Santos:
"I don't even know where to begin. Wake Up Camp with Vekker Church was truly a Spirit-filled experience. It was incredible to watch God move in such powerful ways throughout the week.
Watching our relationships with both the students and leaders grow was such a gift. Seeing the students become a genuine community and encourage one another was something really special to witness.
I know I'll carry our Vekker Church family in my heart forever. This week will encourage me for a lifetime as I continue living out the Great Commission. I'm so thankful for everything God did, and I can't wait to see how He continues to work in the lives of everyone who was there."
Over the next few days we'll say our final goodbyes to Veszprém and Vekker Church before finishing the trip with a few days in Budapest. We'll spend time sightseeing, sharing meals together, celebrating everything God has done, and reflecting on an unforgettable week.
The celebration actually began on our final evening in Veszprém as we were treated to a traditional Hungarian cookout. The menu included marinated chicken, bacon-wrapped pork, sausage, grilled vegetables, and szalonnasütés—a Hungarian tradition where thick pieces of bacon are roasted over an open fire before the drippings are poured onto fresh bread. The meal wasn't just about the food; it was about gathering around a table, telling stories, celebrating, and simply enjoying one another's company. It was a perfect way to spend our last evening with the key leaders from Vekker Church.
The hospitality of the Hungarian people has truly been second to none. From the moment we arrived until the day we left, we were welcomed with incredible generosity. We were fed, given places to stay, driven wherever we needed to go, shown the beauty of their country, and honestly spoiled beyond anything we expected. Every home we entered offered food, coffee, and conversation. Every host worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we needed—and far more.
Tomorrow we'll worship together one last time at Vekker Church, share lunch with our new friends, and then board the train back to Budapest. While camp may be over, we're leaving with hearts that are full, friendships that will last, and a renewed appreciation for the incredible work God is doing through His Church around the world.
It is the final day of camp, and as things begin to wind down, a bittersweet feeling is washing over our team. Overall, everyone is tired; everyone has given everything they have to this camp, to these students, to this week, and to the gospel. We are also enjoying every minute of our time here, and the joy and connection among the group has grown day by day. Everyone is ready to sleep in their own bed, but not ready to say goodbye. Everyone is excited to have some time to relax, but not ready for it all to end.
Here are a few fun observations from the week/day to put a quick wrap on our time at Camp Tacsony:
One of the most fun parts of the week is the camp dance. This is typically led by the intern team from Josiah Venture; however, this camp didn’t have any interns, as they were at different camps this week. So—enter Matt and Nya. They did an amazing job teaching the entire dance to everyone at camp, one move at a time! We will be sharing lots and lots of videos from this camp, including a full dance video.
Speaking of videos, one of the local guys at the camp who was a real joy to be around was Pisti. We all learned very early on that Pisti is Stephen in Hungarian. Pisti is the content creator/video guy/camera guy/associate pastor at Vekker. He moved to Veszprém with his family to work full-time at the church, and he has been at camp all week taking pictures, shooting video, and capturing everything. There will be a whole lot of amazing content coming in the weeks ahead!
Cabins consisted of 3–4 students and 2 leaders. Josh, Tyra, Jaiden, Matt, and Nya were each paired with a Hungarian leader for the entire week. They learned, above all, that Hungarian youth don’t sleep: they would often stay up until 2 a.m. and then wake up at 8 a.m., ready to go. As a result, the leaders didn’t get much sleep either. But they did a great job leading, loving the students in their cabin, and putting together a talent show.
Speaking of the talent show… this is the crown jewel (after Jesus) of the week. Each cabin was given a theme. Justin, Mark, Pisti, and Aron’s cabin had the theme “The History of the Electric Guitar.” Other cabins had interesting and quirky themes as well, but they all came up with incredibly fun and entertaining skits. The highlight was the dance party that broke out when Josh’s cabin finished their skit with “Move Your Body.” The entire experience was pure joy, celebration, and laughter—so good that there was an encore at the end. Here is a video of the fun!
Over the next few days, everyone will share how God used them and what they enjoyed most about the week. With camp ending early tomorrow morning, the rest of the blog will be short updates and reflections from the week. Tomorrow we head back to Vaszprem, do a debrief dinner with the Vekker team, then do church on Sunday and take a train back to Budapest. Thank you for your continued prayer!
One simple truth we've learned about Hungarians is this: they aren't big on small talk, but they are excellent at long conversations.
Here's what we've discovered. Hungarian culture naturally lends itself to deep, meaningful conversations. There really isn't much in between. Small talk isn't a common part of the culture, which creates an ingrained desire to truly know others and to be known in return.
Panna, Aubry, & Brian.
Because of that, some aspects of this camp would feel very different from a typical camp back home. One of those is something called "one-on-ones." At first, it seemed unusual, but after getting to know the culture, it makes perfect sense. Hungarians genuinely enjoy sitting down and talking—especially about life's deeper questions.
The one-on-one time is exactly what it sounds like: an intentional opportunity for two people to have an honest, meaningful conversation about the theme of the day. Our team has come to really enjoy these moments, and it has been incredible to watch genuine friendships form and deep connections grow. It's exciting to see how God is using simple conversations to open hearts to Him.
Today is Thursday, and it is largely very similar to the previous few days: sleep (a little), eat, talk, sing, play, eat, talk, play, sing, sleep. That pretty much sums up the day.
A few unique experiences from Thursday included the Labyrinth. This is a sacred time set aside toward the end of the week for all the students to intentionally walk through the themes from the week. Each station highlights one of the week’s themes, and the final stations include a gospel invitation and a prayer station. The whole point is to give the students space to reflect on the week and to invite them to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
That led into one of the highlights of the camp for many students and leaders: s’mores. Our team brought all the supplies and everyone partook. Truthfully, there really isn’t much at camp that sparks more debate than how to cook a marshmallow. Some wait patiently for the most delicious, golden-brown, caramel-flavored result, which requires patience. Others go straight into the fire for a charred, off-putting burnt-sugar outcome. But the author of this blog is not biased! Ha.
Here a few more highlights from the team. Tomorrow is our final full day at camp and will be filled with games, conversations, color wars (pictures to come), and
Matthew Santos
One thing that has been amazing for me is getting to connect with the students and build relationships with them. I love their energy, their curiosity, and seeing their desire to learn and grow.
One struggle for me has definitely been connecting with the students who don’t speak any English. It makes me sad because I genuinely want to build relationships with them, but the language barrier can make that really difficult.
Nya Morong
My highlight was the camp fire. it was really nice to have so many conversations with the students and make s’mores with everyone!
Today's theme centered on receiving forgiveness outside the box. Throughout the day, students explored the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1–11. This radical picture of forgiveness pointed to a simple but life-changing gospel truth: we can never outrun or outsin the forgiveness of God.
Can you find the cute and shy Hedgehog?
As we've spent time with the students this week, it has become clear that many of them carry deep shame and guilt. It's not because they are "bad kids," but because they have grown up in a culture where religion is often associated with guilt, performance, and control. As a result, many have turned away from the very gospel that offers them freedom. That is why today's message was so impactful. The truth that Jesus pursues the one lost sheep—that He leaves the ninety-nine to rescue the one—is both beautiful and, for many of these students, almost unimaginable.
Today's lesson naturally leads into tomorrow's theme as we point students to the foot of the cross. The goal of camp is to help them recognize their need for a Savior while also breaking down the religious barriers that have kept so many from experiencing the grace of Jesus.
In the Hungarian context, "the church" is often viewed negatively. For many students, it represents political power and cultural influence more than forgiveness, hope, and restoration. Too often, people have used the name of the church for personal or political gain while failing to live out the values of Scripture. Because of this, many students assume the church is filled with hypocrisy and struggle to see themselves ever belonging in it.
One of the greatest gifts of this week is that many of these students are encountering authentic followers of Jesus for the very first time. For six days, they are surrounded by believers whose lives have been transformed by the gospel and whose love for Christ is genuine. They aren't just hearing about the love of Jesus—they're seeing it lived out in front of them.
Please continue praying that the Holy Spirit softens their hearts, removes the barriers of shame and skepticism, and prepares them to respond to the gospel as it is clearly presented in the days ahead.
Justin and Matt also introduced everyone to an old favorite: Kajabi Pool Pool. It’s similar to the world-famous Kajabi Can Can, except there’s no can—just a few small inflatable pools sitting on a very slippery, soaking-wet tarp. The objective is simple: don’t touch or fall into the pools. After a few hours of chaos, we escaped with only a couple of minor bumps to the head and one sore finger. Considering Kajabi is already a fairly violent game without a wet tarp, we’ll call that a success!
One thing we've loved about this camp is how little it takes to entertain everyone. Every afternoon during free time, students pile into the pool with a volleyball and spend two or three hours playing some version of keep-away or monkey in the middle. A pool, a volleyball, and a little creativity have produced hours of laughter, competition, and unforgettable memories.
One final observation: Hungarians absolutely love pranking the American team.
Earlier in the week they asked us to bring hot sauce... only to use it against us! Nya, Justin, and Jaiden—the self-proclaimed king of hot sauce—were challenged to guess Hungarian phrases, say Hungarian tongue twisters, and pronounce the famously long Hungarian word, megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért, without making a mistake. They went 0-for-every-challenge, which meant taking a spoonful of increasingly hotter sauces.
The grand finale was The Bomb—an absolutely brutal experience that lived up to its reputation. The Hungarians laughed as we suffered... until a few of them decided to try it themselves. Let's just say they quickly regretted it. So maybe we're a little tougher than we look after all!
Josh Anderson
One thing that has been amazing for me is the worship and Bible study, and seeing the way they have impacted the students. One struggle I’m having is the social aspect of camp—trying to connect with new students instead of staying quiet. I’m looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and building more relationships as the week goes on.
Jaiden Wiley
One amazing thing I’ve noticed about camp so far is how willing everyone is to participate. I haven’t really seen anyone trying to avoid the camp activities. After the first day, I’m even more excited to teach our English lessons. My group was fun, interactive, and eager to learn. It was a blast teaching them new English words, and then having them teach us some Hungarian words as well!
One challenge for me has been the one-on-one discussions with the students. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right way to explain a point or come up with a good example during a conversation.
Today is the first full day of camp! This means that every minute of every day from here on out is planned out. A typical morning starts with the camp dance, moves to breakfast, devotional, one on one’s, English classes and then lunch. In the afternoon we have some free time, then rotations, which includes some very unique activities. Yesterday it was mug cakes (mixed in a cup and cooked in the microwave) and also a coffee making challenge where there are three people, one can’t see, one can’t hear, one can’t talk, and they have to make “the best” coffee drink imaginable… I wouldn’t have tried any of those coffee’s, but the wonderful leaders got to experience some very creative coffee drinks.
The rest of the afternoon included group games on a slip n’ slide, swimming, volleyball, games, and more coffee. After dinner, Nya and Matt taught the next section of the camp dance, then we moved to chapel time. This is where we led worship, listened to Justin preach the word from Mark 10:46-52 on Dreaming Outside the Box, and then moved into small group time.
Each night when students are in small group with the Hungarian Leaders, our team gets a chance to pray, check in on the day, talk through celebrations and struggles, and just reflect on what God is doing during the camp.
Here are some of the reflections from the team on the first full day! They are sharing both struggles as well as celebrations, both of which are a normal part of a cross cultural experience like this.
Tyra Harcharik
So far, camp has been a wonderful experience! I’ve really enjoyed being a part of two cultures coming together to serve God. One challenge for me personally has been understanding the Hungarian culture, especially when it comes to our cabin spaces—things like wearing shoes in the room, where to dry towels, bathroom practices, and a few other customs.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed is connecting with some of the Hungarian students. I met a girl named Sara who is going into high school this year, and we were able to talk quite a bit about Jesus and how He wants us to put our faith in Him. I’ve also connected with another girl in my cabin. We both love art, so we talked about her interests and a book that she’s creating.
I’m especially excited about the English class that I’m leading. Everyone in my group is eager to learn, and we’ve been playing English games that make learning fun and interactive. Day one went really well!
Justin Harcharik
I have been loving our time here in Hungary, especially getting to experience and integrate into the Hungarian culture!
One challenge for me so far has been learning how Hungarians handle allergies. Sniffling is definitely frowned upon here. The moment you feel even a little congested, you’re expected to blow your nose. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing—you blow your nose!
One thing I’ve especially enjoyed is teaching our English class. The curriculum is very conversational, which has given us the opportunity to connect with the students on a deeper level. The back-and-forth that Josh and I have with our class has been a lot of fun. Yesterday, we taught them some English tongue twisters, and then they taught us some in Hungarian! We sounded ridiculous, but it was well worth it.
I can’t wait to see how God continues to work through our group!
All in all, Day 2 was a lot of fun with lots of laughter, lots of conversations, lots of joy, and lots of connections. We ate great food, had meaningful conversations, pointed to the gospel of Jesus, and played a lot of games! Tomorrow is Day 3 of camp and more or less a “rense and repeat” type of day. We will have a new theme, some new games and activities, but the same rhythm. Stay tuned for more as I will have Josh and Jayden share struggles and highlights tomorrow, Matt and Nya on Thursday. Here are a few fun pics from the day.
The physical storm rolled in at exactly 4:00 p.m.—just minutes before the first students arrived. Thunder, lightning, wind, and heavy rain swept through Tácsony (pronounced "Talk-Shone"), where we'll be spending the week. Thankfully, it didn't slow anyone down.
God began answering prayers almost immediately. Every student arrived safely. The leaders brought incredible energy and joy. The camp facilities are beautiful and welcoming. And the mosquitoes reminded us that bug spray is a necessity in every country!
Earlier in the day, our leadership team gathered to pray and prepare for the week. We were reminded that the foundation of this camp isn't a denomination, a worship style, or a program—it is simply Jesus and His Church.
One thing we've continued to learn is that many students here have grown up around religion without truly knowing Jesus. Their homes often offer confusion instead of hope. Their schools may teach about the Bible without teaching the gospel. Like students in America, they wrestle with anxiety, brokenness, loneliness, and distraction. Yet many also carry the lingering effects of generations shaped by life under the Soviet regime, where fear, bitterness, and distrust still influence many families today.
That makes this camp so important.
Vekker Church is passionate about reaching students with the hope of Christ, and it's exciting to see God stirring spiritual hunger throughout Hungary. Even in difficult places, the gospel is advancing.
Reading LETTERS FROM HOME. Thank you everyone who sent these notes of encouragement. They spoke so much truth and life into our team!
One of the greatest blessings this week is the incredible leadership team. Between our team, the Vekker leaders, and the Josiah Venture staff (Brian and Aubry Kroeker), the student-to-leader ratio is nearly 1:1. That means every student has someone intentionally investing in them throughout the week.
By 5:00 p.m., all of the students had arrived and completed an English assessment. We originally planned to teach two large classes, but Panna decided smaller classes would better serve the students. That meant several members of our team suddenly became English teachers! Thankfully, every class has an interpreter, and students were carefully grouped by their speaking ability.
Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
That verse perfectly described today. We came with our plans, but God continues to shape them into something even better. Please pray that we would teach English well, build meaningful relationships, and point students toward Jesus in every conversation.
Nya shared her testimony at campel the first night, you can watch most of it here!
Tonight included dinner, coffee, our opening chapel, and the introduction to this year's theme: Outside the Box.
Throughout the week we'll explore:
Thinking Outside the Box — Panna
Dreaming Outside the Box — Justin
Grace Outside the Box — Mark
Believing Outside the Box — Gospel presentation by Aron
Following Outside the Box — Brian
Our team is leading worship in English all week, and our theme song is Simple Gospel by United Pursuit. After only a few hours of camp, leaders were already sharing stories of meaningful conversations and powerful small groups. God is moving.
Pastor Tamas and Panna also wanted to express a huge thank you to everyone who gave toward camp scholarships. Because of the incredible generosity of Christ Community Church, we were able to provide $10,000 to help students and leaders attend camp. They both said this week simply would not have happened without your generosity.
Tomorrow is our first full day of camp—our first English classes, more worship, more games, more conversations, and more opportunities to share the hope of Jesus.
Thank you for praying. We truly believe your prayers are making a difference.
Jesus is victorious over all. Amen.
For a lot of trips, there is a certain amount of “just going with the flow.” That was certainly true of Day 5! While we knew we would be going to church at Vekker, we had no idea what to expect. All we knew was that church started at 10:00 a.m. and ended a few hours later. Though, truthfully, we have learned that, for the most part, Hungarian culture is very prompt. When they say 10:00 a.m., they really mean 9:59. So when they said it was a two-hour service, we knew it wouldn’t be shorter, but it also wouldn’t be longer. All in all, the service was incredible: passionate, Jesus-focused, worshipful, and a true blessing. We were welcomed by the faithful gathering of believers at Vekker and were prayed over for the week ahead at camp. Vekker Church is in an interesting place because it is one of only three Christian churches in Veszprém. They are growing faithfully but are very limited by the space they are in. They can only fit about 120 chairs in the sanctuary and have only a couple of small rooms for youth and children. They are really in need of a larger space, but options in the city are very limited.
Tamas, the founding pastor of Vekker, is diligently trusting and praying for a new space to meet and worship. His desire is to find a location that will allow them to meet and grow as a church and also serve as a community center to meet the needs of the local area. His burden is for the lost; however, the locals are very closed off to the saving grace of Jesus. In conversation with him, he believes people would be more receptive to addressing their spiritual needs if the church also supported their emotional, relational, and physical needs. For this reason he would love to have a community center that provides resources and support for the people of Veszprém.
Here are a few reflections from the team about church yesterday.
Matt — Church yesterday was truly amazing! It was a worship and testimony service, and getting to hear people's testimonies was so special and deeply encouraging. Even though there was a language barrier at times, seeing God’s faithfulness through their stories was incredibly moving. The congregation was so kind and welcoming; they made me feel like part of the family. Being able to worship in Hungarian was a special experience, and you can truly see how God is moving through the church in Veszprém!
Nya — Vekkar was such a Spirit-filled church, and I loved how welcoming their community was. It was also beautiful to hear the Scripture readings, prayers, and worship in Hungarian.
Pastor Tamas
Tyra — The service at Vekkar Church was really cool and definitely different from what we’re used to. Instead of a message, they allowed people from the congregation to come up and share testimonies, and I really enjoyed that! Someone shared about struggling with an addiction to their phone and how God is going to move in that habit; they switched to an older flip phone with buttons. I thought that was really encouraging. The worship was also great—getting to worship alongside Hungarians and hearing two different languages sung together was moving.
Following church, we went to “the beach.” When we asked what the beach was like and whether there was sand, the answer was, “There is grass.” So what makes this a beach? No one had a good answer other than, that is the best word for it in Hungarian. So we basically went to a park by the lake and called it a beach. The place was beautiful and so much fun. We spent the day there with a bunch of the Vekker youth and leaders and played volleyball in the water for hours! We were also introduced to Hungarian beach food, called lángos. Some of our team opted for a burger, but the lángos was delicious. There is really no comparison in the States; it is deep-fried dough topped with cheese, sour cream, and ham (optional). What it lacks in flavor, it makes up for in simplicity and eatability. This is basically a version of pizza that includes the five major food groups in Hungary—cheese, pork, sour cream, bread, and fried. Add potatoes occasionally and you have the foundation of most Hungarian dishes!
Better than the food, though, was the fellowship. We were joined by many youth group members and youth leaders who will be going to camp. There was a ton of laughter, some good, clean competitiveness, conversation, games, and the beginning of the relationships we will build on this week!
Tomorrow we head to camp!
For most of our team, Day Four started a bit early. All of the “young’uns” (everyone except Mark) decided to head out the night before and explore the city of Budapest by boat. They took a 90-minute tour of downtown from the water that ended around midnight and featured some spectacular views of the local bridges. One of the most amazing displays was a celebration of America’s 250th birthday: the local government decorated a bridge with American flags and red, white, and blue lights. It was awesome to see other parts of the world celebrating with us!
The team then stopped by the most happening place in all of Budapest—the local McDonald’s—for a late-night snack. You have to see the masterpiece Justin enjoyed: it was filled with jalapeños, corn, and beans.
From there, everyone got a few hours of sleep before heading out for brunch the following morning. We had to be out of our room by 11:00 a.m., which meant we needed to find a place to store our luggage. Thankfully, the hotel had storage lockers, and we used every last one to secure our bags while we ate and explored the city a bit more. On a typical day we get around twenty thousand steps, so it’s a fair bit of walking! The public transit is amazing and only cost us $26 for a full month pass, which lets us travel anywhere in the city at any time on the subway, bus, or streetcar.
In the afternoon we headed back to our hotel, grabbed our luggage, and began the journey to the train station. Initially we had planned to rent a van, but that proved far more expensive, so we bought $7 train tickets and enjoyed the beautiful scenic ride down to Veszprém. It was a nice hour-and-twenty-minute ride, and everyone pretty much slept on the way. Veszprém is a beautiful area of about 120,000 people in the southwest part of the country. We met up with the youth leaders from Vekker and enjoyed some delicious local cuisine. One thing we were told about Hungarians is that they are very hospitable and generous. If they give you food, you eat it. If you enter their house, you take off your shoes. It is a very welcoming culture.
Our evening was filled with laughter, joy, more food, and more Gelato as we enjoyed time with Panna and the rest of the leadership team from Vekker. We ate at a delicious restaurant, enjoyed a beautiful walk through the local castle, and even enjoyed some live music. This trip has been a year in the planning and it is so surreal to be here, to be preparing for camp, and to be spending time with Panna, Aron, Sara, and Kristoff. God is going before this trip and I can wait for church tomorrow! Leading up to that, enjoy a few extra pictures from our first day in Veszprém!
Day three was “Training Day.” This was a meaningful time of worship, prayer, and remembering why we came. The JV team led us through focused sessions that helped center our hearts and refocus our purpose for the week.
While the city is beautiful, the travel an adventure, the food an interesting experience, and Vienna absolutely amazing, those things are not the reason we’re here. The purpose is to remember the calling on each of us and to intentionally invest our time, energy, and prayers into the students we’ll connect with this week.
Hungary identifies as a Christian nation, yet fewer than 3% are active Christians. Many Hungarians are born into Christian homes without ever understanding or making a personal confession of faith that marks true discipleship. Widespread acceptance of eastern religious ideas—Buddhist and Hindu concepts—alongside cultural Christianity contributes to confusion and a weak confession of faith among youth.
Our calling, then, is clear: engage with humility and clarity, share the gospel faithfully, and disciple students toward a genuine, personal faith that withstands cultural blending and misunderstanding.
For the day we were blessed to gather with another short-term team from Michigan, along with many full-time leaders and interns from Josiah Venture. The day began with worship and prayer, continued with training on Hungarian culture and JV’s mission, vision, and values, and concluded with sharing testimonies and learning a simple tool to share the gospel.
This was mixed between a few food breaks, a few dance breaks (we learned the JV dance for the summer), and a few water breaks. All in all, it was a great day and concluded with some delicious Hungarian food and Gelato. Probably our 7th or 8th time stopping for Gelato (some more)! Below the team shared their highlights from the day of training, hope you enjoy their thoughts and perspective on what they enjoyed.
Jaiden:
My favorite part of the training day was getting to share testimonies with people from the other team. I was able to have a great conversation with one of the older guys, and he gave me some encouraging advice and shared some great insights about my journey of faith.
Josh:
My highlight from the training was meeting the missionaries we'll be serving with. I also enjoyed talking with the other group we trained alongside and seeing the different ways God is working in people's lives from across the country.
Justin:
My favorite part of training yesterday was learning the camp dance with Mark as my partner. Our shared lack of rhythm and inability to remember the next dance move made for a lot of laughs and has been one of my favorite moments of the trip so far!
Matthew:
Training was such a powerful experience. I loved meeting the team, learning about their culture and where they call home, watching Mark and Justin attempt the camp dance, and simply spending time fellowshipping with everyone. It was amazing to see how God is working here in Hungary through Josiah Venture, and I can't wait to get started with camp next week!
Tyra:
My favorite part of the training was learning the four symbols (❤️, ❎, ✝️, ❔) that help guide conversations about coming to Christ with the students. I also really enjoyed learning the camp dance with the group and watching everyone's different levels of experience—it made it even more fun!
Nya:
Learning more about Hungarian culture was my favorite part of the training! Sabi, one of the Josiah Venture leaders, gave an in-depth overview of Hungary's history and the culture of its people. It was so interesting to learn more about the country and its origins.
To end the day we got to enjoy some local food, which was delicious,
Tomorrow is a day to explore the city and travel to join the leadership team in Veszprem in the afternoon. This will be an hour or so train ride south. Can’t wait to share more in the Day 4 blog!
When we planned this trip, we knew we wanted to take a day trip to Vienna, Austria. It’s a beautiful city with rich culture, delicious food, and amazing architecture. The visit came quickly after our arrival, but it was fun to explore castles, botanical gardens, and cathedrals.
While half of our day was in Vienna, half of our day was traveling back and forth. What is typically a 2 ½ hour trip turned into a 3 ½ hour trip as construction and traffic slowed the train ride, but it was still a beautiful trip there. Coming back was quite different as our train car lost air conditioning an hour in, so it got hot. REAL HOT! However, this is such a great reminder that much is out of our control, and we did not embark on this adventure for comfort.
We did visit a few a few of the most beautiful places you will ever find! This included Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens. We hiked all the way up and around this beautiful place and here are a few pictures! We put in a whole lot of miles!
Today Justin Wrote a short blog about his experience in Vienna and reflection on the rest of the week:
We had the amazing opportunity to go to Vienna, Austria, today. While I would say the initial goal was to spend the day exploring before beginning our official training with Josiah Venture, today ultimately became a day of reflection.
A reflection on the work of God’s hands as we took the train across the country from Budapest to Vienna.
A reflection on the many ways we can worship as we stood inside St. Peter’s Cathedral, surrounded by awe-inspiring architecture, sculptures, and mosaics that have stood for hundreds of years and were all created with the purpose of bringing glory to God.
A reflection on the posture of my own heart as we navigated a completely foreign city and endured what was possibly the hottest train ride of my life. I was humbled by the unfamiliarity of it all and reminded that I’m not here for myself, but for a group of Hungarian students, some of whom have yet to give their lives to Christ.
I am expectant and excited for all that God has in store over these next two weeks!
Tomorrow we have a full day of training with the leadership from Josiah Venture. We’ll discuss cultural differences, sharing the gospel in cross-cultural settings, learn the camp dance, and connect with a church team from Michigan who are serving at another camp this week. Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!
It is more like day 1 and 2… So here you go!
On June 30 at 10:30 a.m., our team met at the Sacramento Airport and checked in with a whole lot of extra-large boxes and bags. One of our first challenges was making sure a brand-new 9 Square set made it to Budapest via oversized checked baggage. My brother ordered it and had it shipped to me a few weeks ago, and thankfully there were no issues getting it on the plane!
After checking our bags and praying with friends and family over the trip, we boarded our first flight. It was a quick and painless two-hour hop to Seattle, followed by the long overnight flight to Amsterdam.
Everything was going smoothly until we arrived in Amsterdam. Just as we were about to deplane, we were told we had parked at an "island terminal," which meant waiting for stairs, waiting for buses, and waiting for almost everyone else to get off the plane first (no first-class privileges on this mission trip!). So after spending nearly ten hours in the air, we got to spend another hour sitting on the tarmac...waiting.
With every passing minute, our connection to Budapest became tighter and tighter. My biggest fear was that our next gate would be on the opposite side of one of the largest airports in the world. Last year I had to sprint to make my connection, and I really didn't want our whole team attempting that this time! Thankfully, it turned out to be more of a brisk hike than a marathon. We made it to Gate D87 just as boarding began.
We have now officially landed in Budapest! And started our adventure by stuffing ourselves and our exorbitant amount of luggage into a 9 seater VW bus!
I think it's safe to say everyone is enjoying the time together, but we're also running on fumes. A few people managed to get a little sleep on the flights, most got very little, and some didn't even try. When we landed in Amsterdam, it was 12:30 p.m. local time—but only 3:30 a.m. back home. We'll be pushing through today on almost no sleep, but we're excited to finally arrive in Budapest.
By the time we crawl into our hostel beds on Wednesday night, most of us will have been awake for roughly 26 hours straight. So we are ready for some sleep…
Our first evening will be all about starting to adjust to the time zone, enjoying some local food, and—of course—finding some great Gelato. Below are a few picture of dinner and the storm that is rolling in this evening.
Tomorrow we're up early to catch a train to Vienna and spend the day exploring one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The adventure has officially begun!
