Today I am enjoying some good time with my Hungarian friend Laci. I met him 17 years ago when I first came to Hungary on a summer project. I added a couple of days to my trip so that I could spend time with him and his family. They are about to have their third child so both of our families are on a similar life course. Laci directs the university ministry for Campus Crusade for Christ in Budapest.
On Friday, my team and I finished up our week of ministry in Hungarian high schools. We enjoyed going into the classrooms and having conversations with Hungarian students. I was able to talk a little bit about my faith in different discussions.

One of the highlights of the trip for me came last Monday. After school, I was out with Jillian and Caleb, 2 students from Orlando. We had the opportunity to talk with a group of 7-8 students. About 3 of them were very interested in spiritual things and we had the chance to share about our lives and give them 4 Spiritual Laws booklets. It was fun to hang out with them. One of the guys offered to buy me a beer which was a very gracious gesture. (I very gracefully refused but did my best to show my appreciation for his gesture.) It shows how much they trusted us and enjoyed engaging in conversation.

Later today, Laci and I are going to a university to try to talk with some students and share our faith. I look forward to a chance to do ministry with my good friend and do ministry in a university which I have not done in Hungary since we lived here almost 10 years ago.

I took this picture last March while visiting Budapest, Hungary . It is a memorial to the 1956 revolution against the Soviets in Hungary. This October marks the 50th anniversary of that failed revolution. I did a paper on the revolution when I was in college.

I find it ironic that as we approach the 50th anniversary of that event, Budapest is experiencing riots and protests. As I read the reports of what happened earlier this week, it reminded me of the accounts that I read about the first days of the 1956 revolution.

This week, people began demostrating after a tape was leaked in which the prime minister admitted to lying to the public in order to win the election last April. On Tuesday night, the protests became violent as uglier elements of the crowd stormed the state run television station and looted it. Cars were set on fire. There was also a protest in front of the socialist’s headquarters. Today the protesters are not met with tanks and bullets, as in 1956, but by water cannons and tear gas.

The current prime minister made comments at his socialists’ party retreat in May, just after being re-elected. He admitted that the party had not done anything in the government for the previous 4 years and that they had lied about the state of the economy and planned reforms. One of his comments was that, “We lied in the morning, we lied in the evening…” Supposely he made the comments as part of a speech to wake up the party to the economic situation that has been lied about for at least the past four years. A tape of this speech was leaked to the public on Sunday. The prime minister is claiming that his comments did not only include his party but the previous governments of the last 10-15 years.

From what I read, the demonstrations last night were peaceful but there are fears that they could turn violent again over the weekend. I think this current situation highlights the moral crisis in this country. It is a moral crisis with its roots in the communist system and the atheistic philosophies which provide no basis for morality.

I am praying that God will use this current situation to make people aware of the corruption of their own hearts and see that God offers a solution in Christ.

The Hungarian Campus ministry is planning several outreaches next week. They are planning on speaking about ethics and the basis of sound ethics. Their hope is to highlight the problem of every person’s heart and how Jesus is the only one who can transform us. Please keep Hungary in your prayers.