February 23, 2012
International Mission
Hungary/Ukraine
First Presbyterian Church joined our Presbytery in becoming partners with the Hungarian Reformed Church in 1985. At that time Hungary was just coming out from under Communist rule and the greatest need was to get the seminary and high school opened. We were particularly interested in getting the seminary in Saraspatak going as they had not been able to train pastors for 50 years and there was an immediate need. The school opened in 1991 and the seminary in 1992. Our current contact person, David Pandy-Szekeres, was teaching in both the school and seminary at that time and decided to leave those positions and become a missionary among the people in this region.
David introduced us to the Roma (gypsy) children and their families living in the Ukraine and Romania. These people were forced to give up their wandering under Communist rule, but they are still discriminated against. Schools have been started (with the idea that the Roma children would attend Roma-only schools for up to 4 years and then be ready to transition into church or public schools). Our congregation paid for bath houses for the Roma and bought a building that is a multi-purpose church, school and community center.
As the church schools have gradually been re-claimed more families are choosing this form of education. Most of the pay for the teachers is in the homes that are provided for them. Many of these buildings have been in great disrepair, but are being used again whenever possible.
Another ongoing emphasis of our mission in this area continues to be with the Roma children. Special camps are held in the summer and churches have begun, homes have been built, wells dug, and schools started.
The future looks promising for the people of Hungary. The Ukraine, however, is struggling. Many of the people living in the Ukraine are Hungarian by culture, but recently the government declared that all schooling must be taught in Ukrainian, not Hungarian. David Pandy has to find teachers who are fluent in Ukrainian now and this slows down the progress of fixing churches and schools.
Hajnalka Domokos was here in June to share with us the continuing mission work in Hungary and Ukraine and to learn more about our Presbytery and the way it operates.
