English Camp Opens the Door to Faith in Hungary

When Melissa Lemke co-founded an English camp in Hungary 4 years ago, she never could have imagined how life-changing the experience would be, not only for the campers, but also the student volunteers.  

Melissa works as a LinGo in Schools teacher in Budapest, Hungary, teaching English to future airplane mechanics. TeachBeyond’s LinGo team is made up of teachers serving in public schools across Budapest. They teach English lessons and have the opportunity to host an after-school English Club.  

Sharing the Gospel Through English Camp 

Melissa and another TeachBeyond member, Jessica Martinez, had identified a need to interact with students outside of the public school system. English camps were an opportunity to share the gospel in a way that the national school curriculum does not allow.  

Almost all of the campers come from the public schools in Hungary. During the one-week camp they learn conversational English and build connections through games and activities. They also participate in devotional and testimony times. In addition to international volunteers, the camp opens the opportunity for Hungarian student volunteers over the age of 18.  

“They don’t have to be Christian, but they know that it is a Christian-based camp,” Melissa said. They know that they’re going to be interacting with Christians, it’s expected that they talk with the North Americans who are coming who want to share about Jesus with them. All of them have been very excited to listen to the North Americans that come to camp and they want to know more about what they believe.” 

Three student volunteers have continued to return year after year.  

From Skepticism to Curiosity 

For one volunteer, his 4 years of serving in the camps have taken him from a place of skepticism towards Christianity to a place of openness.  

Baffled by the number of Christians that would willingly pay to attend this camp, he and another male volunteer decided to attend and observe the morning devotional time. In the first year, he sat in the back, listening and taking it in. In the second year, he chose to speak up and pray out loud with the group.   

“Every year now, he’s been willing to come to devotionals, to ask questions, to participate every time,” Melissa said. “He even asked, ‘how sure do I need to be of Christianity if I want to share?’ And, we were like, you should probably be pretty sure if you’re going to share, and he was like, ‘ok, I have a year to figure it out.’”   

This volunteer has remained open to learning more about Jesus and recently attended an open worship event with Jessica. He sang along with the songs and expressed that he had enjoyed the event.  

Camp and Family Connections 

Two female student volunteers have also been attending the morning devotional times at camp. Both musically inclined, they have taken an interest in learning to sing and play the hymns on piano.  

One of these volunteers has been sharing her camp experiences with her family. Her mother, who is a colleague of Jessica’s, has started asking more questions about church and her beliefs.  

“With that colleague and all the other colleagues in her office, (Jessica) has been able to share what Jesus looks like in her life just because of how the student volunteer shared what she learned at camp with her family,” Melissa said.  

The Long-Term impact of English Camp 

Through English education and strong interpersonal relationships, The LinGo English Camp in Hungary is having a meaningful impact on student volunteers and their families. As they translate testimonies, attend morning devotionals and interact with the North American volunteers, they are deepening their understanding of the gospel.  

Every year, Melissa and Jessica witness seeds of faith begin to sprout among their student volunteers. During this year’s camp that was held July 2-11, a new student volunteer asked to pray privately with one of the North American volunteers. This is yet another example of how English Camp provides a safe space to be vulnerable, ask questions and grow in faith.  

God is stirring hearts to seek Him. It is incredible to see how He is reaching the nation of Hungary through English Camp.