Calvin Synod Herald, 2005 (106. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-09-01 / 9-10. szám
10 TRAC Summer Update This summer TRAC (Transylvania Reformed Assistance Committee) had two groups that went to Transylvania. One group, consisting of thirteen members under the leadership of Mr. Dale Miedema, went from June 21 thru July 1, as a work group. They spent three days and a Sunday in Marosbogát, a small village just south of Marosludas. In that village the Hungarian Reformed Church, at the suggestion of then bishop Csiha, built an orphanage, called the Emmaus House, to help needy Hungarian children in that area. Through the years, with help especially from the Dutch, this orphanage has developed into a well-run institution and has grown to where it now houses and cares for 25 different children. As it is, however, the Dutch have notified them that they will be gradually discontinuing their assistance through the coming years; and this puts pressure on them to become more self-supporting, which is particularly difficult in the small towns which have been hurt more than helped by the development of the European Union. In its effort to move in the direction of self-support, however, the Emmaus House received the donation of used equipment to set up a commercial bakery in their village, which could provide work for the growing children as well as allow them to sell bread throughout the surrounding area. The problem is that they have no building to house the equipment. They had started to build one on the orphanage property but ran out of funds to go much beyond setting up about two feet of its walls. It was for assisting in this that our group went first to Marosbogát. There they poured a cement floor on which the equipment could be placed, and brought in the bricks to complete the walls and allow them to put a roof over it all. Much more will need to be done; but they are pleased with this advance and would appreciate any contributions which can be made to complete this project. In its second week, this same group moved to the village of Komlód, which Dr. Bakos, traveling with the students, has been visiting now for over five years. She has had to see patients, however, in the rundown and abandoned parsonage, which has been in very poor condition. This group set out to improve the building and make it more suitable for the doctor’s use. For three days they worked, repairing and painting the walls both on the outside and inside of the building. Still needed is electricity for light and the use of special equipment, which at present cannot be used. The second group, of which I was part, included four others: two young men and two young women. We went a week after the first group, from June 29 through July 13, with the purpose of working with the students in their annual “mission week,” held at the conclusion of their school year, during the first week in July. We spent the first day there planning our visit. After that, I and the two young men went for three days with a group of students into the villages of Oroszfája and Komlód. In doing so, we were able to accompany the students and, with one of them translating for us, observe the students in their daily worship services, their visits with the people of the villages in their homes, and counseling of the needy. We could not but be impressed with the spiritual dedication and Biblical approach these young men had to their ministry. Meanwhile, the girls went to the valley of Esztény, where there are a sizable number of children. There, they worked with the students who were teaching and interacting with the children in various ways. Clearly it was a high point in the lives of these children, as it was for these young ladies. The rest of the week, all of us went together to take part in the weekly homeless mission on the streets of Kolozsvár, bringing food and the word of God to these people who live in truly desperate straits. Then in the evening, we visited the worship service, which is held weekly for these homeless people in a meeting room belonging to one of the large downtown Reformed churches. In that meeting, the students give a brief sermon, and teach the people lessons from the Bible, along with hymns, which the people have come to love to sing. Finally this is followed with an “agape” meal. The meal consists of little more than bread with margarine and slices of sausage, together with some drink; but for people who often go days with little to eat, this food is gratefully consumed with relish. Most striking to us was the warm, familylike relationship which is developing between these people and the students, who show a true personal care for these castoffs of society, and a sympathy to their needs. In this, the students reflect the compassions of Christ, not only in their words, but also in their deeds. For, as Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me, Mt 26:40. The next day we went north to Felor, where they are building a Christian School complex. The construction of their school was stopped because the promised aid from the Hungarian government had been discontinued. A kind supporter of TRAC, however, recently contributed a considerable sum of money to install electricity, plumbing for water and gas, and to begin plastering the inner walls. Much remains to be done; and the question of when they will get sufficient funds for windows and doors in uncertain, but their trust is in the Lord’s hand; and they are confident in time He will supply. When everything is said and done, the real value of these visits is not in what is done physically, but in the bond of Christian fellowship which is established with the people there. It is a priviledge to be able to share in the lives of fellow Christians in this troubled land; and the love and concern which is established for each other is well worth the time and effort spent with them. Rev. Bernard J. Woudenberg Transylvania Reformed Assistance Committee _____________________________CALVIN SYNOD HERALD
