From Strategy to Reality

By Jon Haskell

After finishing Bible school, Jonatán and Orsi Revesz married and set out on their honeymoon. Their destination-the beautiful Matra Mountains in north central Hungary. They were distressed, however, when on Sunday morning, they could not find a church to attend in nearby Gyongyos, a city of 40,000 people. They prayed, "God, please send a family to start a church in this city."

The Reveszes pastored one small church and started another, yet they couldn't get Gyongyos off their minds. God called Jona and Orsi to answer their own prayers. Their church commissioned them, and they moved to Gyongyos in September 1999.

In August 2001, our family attended a camp designed as a time of fellowship and training for pastors from all over Hungary. Although we had known Jona and Orsi for several years, we had only recently reached a point in our language development where we could really communicate. During the week, Jona and I prayed together and talked about our goals and dreams, particularly his vision of Gyongyos as a regional center for leadership training and church planting. As the week drew to a close, I committed to do whatever I could to help Jona.

"What is your biggest need?" I asked innocently.

"A partner," he replied directly. "Would you consider moving to Gyongyos?"

After months of prayer, ministry with the Reveszes in Gyongyos, and much consultation, both with our ABWE team in Hungary and our "home" church in Budapest, it became clear that this was God's plan for us. I excitedly shared the news with our pastor, Geza Kovacs who was thrilled with the decision. "If it is okay with you," he said, "we would like to commission you as our missionaries to Gyongyos."

On June 23, 2002, Rozsakert Baptist Fellowship, our home church for the last four years, sent us out as their representatives to Gyongyos. ABWE missionaries commissioned by a national church to partner with a team of national missionaries! This has been a mission strategy on paper; now it is becoming reality in Hungary.