Hospitality has taken itself to a whole new level this month for me and the team. Africa was a huge start and was so take aback by the genuine selflessness of the people there are they made us foreigners feel so welcomed. I was going to blog about hospitality with a focus on Africa but instead I thought I would give you a clear example of real love and generosity by one man and an incredible story he has that we have met these last few weeks. His name is Joska (pronounced Yo-shka) and he is a pastor of a small house church that is in the bottom floor of his house; a basement turned church. Not only that, but his life is a testimony of real faith.
Since our team has been here we have really not done much as far as serving him except this last Sunday when we went to his church and gave testimonies and songs. It was to me, the most memorable church service so far in Eastern Europe. The people, a more older crowd of people were so nice to us, welcoming, and the room had this atmosphere of love. One older man sitting down listened to the songs sung by Rachael and the testimonies of our teammates as they were translated and I saw him have tears in his eyes; evidences of being moved by the grace and stories of God. The whole morning was a theme of love and it was such a serving church. The church had been there for twenty six years, meaning that it found its existence during communism and met in secrecy. You could see the room with old church pews and communion was taken as everyone drank from the same chalice; the first time for me. But I truly believe the reason this church has this effect is because of the leader, Pastor Joska; who read his theme verse as John 14:15, “If you love me, You will obey what I command.”
In the last three weeks Joska has taken us all around Pecs and showed us many of the incredible and historical parts of the city. The mountains, the vineyard places where the famous Hungarian wine is made, and famous parks, and he has bought many meals and has on his own gas and expense driven us everywhere and taken us back to our homes; a far distance from his home. He never complains and he has always shown a smile and love for just serving us and loving us. His heart is so huge. If any man could be the Secretariat horse of humans because of an enlarged heart; Pastor Joska was this man. He really gave and gave and loved us foreigners like we were his children and I’m completely humbled and blown away by him.
His story is even more incredible and his knowledge of the history here in Hungary which I believe in the West we cannot ignore. He became a Christian at the age of 15 and later met his wife named Zsuzsi (Hungarian version of Susan) and Joska (Hungarian for Joseph). He has a son and a daughter and his daughter will be a doctor. In comparison to the states, a doctor in Hungary makes an average salary of 100,000 forint ($500 USD) a month which isn’t hardly much at all to survive; compared to what doctors make in America. He says that Hungarians really love Americans, but not really the food. Hungary has a really rich history; parts that they are proud of and not so proud of; especially the 20th Century. Hungary was the first country to break through the Iron Gate, and with its only ten-million people the country and five million outsdie, all of the population of Hungary could fit in Chicago. But Joska says that in Hungary it’s really hard to make ends meet, but good food and love makes people happy. For men, to be loved means respect. Hungarians don’t want to look at the past but only the present and future; since it’s easily overshadowed from all that happened in First & Second World War where they were broken up into many pieces, devastated in ruins, and loss the war with Germany.
“Here in Hungary life is always risky”, says Pastor Joska. The story of his wife and the revolution in 1989 tells all. Zsuzsi was in the University studying to become a medical student in the 1980’s under Communism and she was told to give up her Christianity. She said “No.”, and will stay a Christian and the next day she went to school and on the big board in the hall which they call the “Shame Board”, for those who do wrong things and bad grades, her name was found and in big bold letters compared to the rest and she was surprised to see he name and she got punishment and they took away her scholarship and wouldn’t be able to finish University. She was twenty at the time this happened and Joska asked her “can you put up with my weakness?” since she is strong in herself. Two years later he was a student in theology and they didn’t have anything but a small car from their parents, one month after marriage it was stolen and broken into. Two months later Zsuzsi got pregnant and lost the baby and then Joska, he had problems. All these trials just broke her heart but one day the drew from Scripture after the Lord’s Supper and these were what they heard. “You will have a long trial but trust in me because I am the winner.” There was also another promise for a child in the Bible. All of a sudden they had their car restored back, Barney (first son) was born a year later (he’s 26 now) and he became a pastor from them on.
Pastor Joska asked himself, “Why trials? Of course we love each other but in our heart there was no passion to reach other people. When the first baby was born we only focused on the baby and nothing else. I believe He saw that we only focused on ourselves and had to get us to love other people and off ourselves.”
Hungary has had a rough history in Communism, but how did they get free from it? Pastor Joska was willing to share how the revolution began in 1989. After forty years of dictatorship, the revolution actually started in Timisoara, Romania when a Hungarian Vicar pastor (protestant) who didn’t obey the Communist regime, so he was preaching against it in Romania and the soldiers surrounded the church and went into the church to kill him and the church members knew this and ran in and pushed them aside and surrounded the pastor and then the whole town found out so they ran into the streets and revolted in support of the pastor and not let the pastor get hurt. Many escaped to the church but the soldiers ran after them in the church and a lot died. This incident was heard in Bucharest and the people were organizing a strike in front of the big Parliament and soon 100,000 people and churches backed it and then it spread in all the countries.
The Revolution was started and they captured all the secretary members and soldiers, they got a hold of the television buildings and sent word out nationally. The dictator tried to escape in a tank but they stopped him and it officially started the revolution and is still going on. The leader and his wife were captured before Christmas and two days later executed. The truth is that Russia let this happen because it was not as strong and a burden for them. So change brought good for the Christian believers there, Eastern Europe was freed, and now they can do street evangelism, testimonies, with a new world to come. Ironically, Hungary was freed from Romania; a country made after the lost the first World War.
When missionaries had gone in 1990, they said the Hungarians were so hungry for the Word of God and recognized Americans. They said, “You’re Americans? Tell me about Jesus!” But now it’s not so much because of materialism. But they still look up to America and have much respect for two President. Ronald Reagan once said, “If not now, then when? If not me, then who? Not that I desire too, but it’s my role.” The Hungarians take this and it means a lot. Second was by that the crown of the very first Hungarian King was taken from them in World War 2 and shipped to the USA to protect it from Communism because it was a sign of patriotism and thought Communism would destroy it, so they kept it and then Jimmy Carter gave it back to them. Pastor Joska says that besides the Reformation this will be the second revival of Hungary; I hope you’re right Pastor.
All this is from dinner when Pastor Joska took us out and told us all of this and you could see that he truly loved the people of Hungary and he has such a heart for the Lord. Words cannot describe the generosity, love, faith, and interest he had in our stories. After the wars Hungary was under forty years of absolute dictatorship in Communism. Buildings weren’t allowed to have any color but everything looked bland, now you see many colors.
