We have had many opportunities this month when it comes to ministry-
English Clubs, feeding the homeless, visiting student groups at universities…
One of the things I wanted to do this month was pour like crazy into a few of the students I met.

One of those students is Eszter (or Eszti).
 
Me and Eszti
 

Eszti attends Semmelweis University in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
She is in the fourth year of her program in physical therapy, and will be entering the Hungarian work force within the next year.

When I asked her why she chose physical therapy, she told me “I like to be around people, and I want to help.”
 

Despite the fact that no one else in her family is a Christian, Eszti has attended bible studies and known about God from a young age.

Her last year in secondary (high) school was the year where she started questioning the existence of God, and it was also the year God used a young man who was completely on fire for Him to show her He is real.
 

When I first met Eszti at the student group, she was quiet and seemed a little bit shy.
We talked after the meeting, and I gave her my email afterwards so we could arrange a meeting for the two of us, not sure she would follow up on it.
Imagine my happy surprise when she did send me an email and we eventually set up a date.

That surprise was even greater when I found out that Eszti is not so much shy as she just loves to listen to people.
 

David and I met up with Eszti this morning.
We walked around Budapest and talked.
I fell in love with this girl as she shared the story of her life with me.
(L-O-V-E. Love).
Her ability to listen, combined with the thoughtful questions that came as I shared the story of my life, has caused David to dub her “Eszter the Disciplemaker”

(Imagine a creepy man’s voice whispering it, and you’ve got how David sounds when he says it).
 
During this time, it was a blessing and a privilege to be able to pour into Eszter.

It is difficult when you are the only one in your family who believes a certain thing.
While Eszti tries to live her life in such a way that her brother and parents see God, it is still hard.

But the joy of the Lord is her strength, and her smiles and laughter as David and I sang children’s song while we sat talking in a bakery speak it clearly.
 
David, me, and Eszti at the bakery

 

We got to remind Eszti of a few things as we talked with her.

First, that the call on her life is every bit as important as the one on mine or David’s.
Second, that God has called her to a specific place and time.

Third, that she is just as capable of ministry as we are.
 
The end of our time together, as we walked back to the hostel, was a lot of fun talking about random things.

I look forward to seeing Eszti at the next group meeting before we leave, but man, is it going to be hard to say goodbye to her.

She brightens my day in so many ways.
 
Eszti bought this balloon flower for me from a young man on the street who earns his living making balloon animals and the like. Yeah, it brightened my day. 🙂
 
If you are thinking about it, pray for Eszti.

Pray that she will able to share the gospel with her family – with her words AND with her life.
And pray that as she gets ready to leave university and goes out “into the world,” she will be able to follow the Lord’s leading on her life, and be willing to ask Him what that looks like.