Calvin Synod Herald, 2006 (107. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2006-05-01 / 5-6. szám
8 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD TRAC - Felor Christian School For many generations, the Hungarian Reformed churches have been committed to Christian education, and nowhere more than in Transylvania. Prior to Communism there were over 500 schools dedicated to teaching their children in accord with the Reformed faith; but with the coming of Communism in Romania, these schools were confiscated and made into state schools. But now, since the collapse of Communism, this has changed, and the state has actually provided that Hungarian teachers may teach religion to the Hungarian children in state schools. Still, however, most of their education is secular in nature; and from its beginning, TRAC has sought to encourage the restoration of a complete Christian education in whatever way it can. It was with a deep sense of satisfaction, therefore, that we learned of a Reformed church in the town of Felor, on the northern edge of the Mezőség, which is surrounded by nearly a dozen Hungarian villages, and in which plans had been made to build a fully Christian school for the children of their district. After drawing up their plans, they had tom down the church’s parsonage, moved their pastor and his family temporarily into their fellowship hall, and begun to construct a sizable new building. It is to contain an apartment for the pastor’s family, classrooms for teaching the children and dormitory space for those children who live too far from the school to return home on weekday evenings. It is their firm conviction that there is no other way in which they can maintain their Hungarian language, culture, and the Reformed faith upon which their Christian life has been sustained through the centuries. As it was, we had the opportunity of visiting them in 2003, ad they were just beginning to lay the foundation of their new building. The government of Hungary had set forth a program of support for the Hungarian people who live in the surrounding territories that had been taken from them after the First World War. Accordingly, they had agreed to finance the construction of this buildingfand with enthusiasm they were beginning the work. The foundation had been dug, and the plans for the building were being carefully followed. It was not yet six months later, however, that we received notice that the work had been forced to stop. A new government had been elected in Hungary; and they had withdrawn the promise to finance the building of their school. This had left them with the walls of the building up, but without a roof to protect their work from the destructive forces of the winter weather. Thankfully, however, through TRAC, a friend was found to provide sufficient funds to build a roof structure, which could preserve the work they had begun. During the following summer, the people of the church continued to work as they were able, so that the general form of the building took shape - until, that is, they were as far in debt as they could go. The work would have stopped except that an individual with roots in Transylvania approached TRAC with a desire to help the Hungarian people in Transylvania, and has donated the funds needed for electricity, plumbing, and the purchase of windows. And so the work has continued. The portion in which the pastor’s family is to live has been first, and gives a taste of the attractiveness that the whole building will have. But much remains to be done. We have, in fact, a group that is planning to go to Felor this coming summer and help with the construction. But funds remain short and contributions to help in this will be appreciated. TRAC - The Emmaus House in Bogata, Transylvania, Romania At the southeastern edge of the Mezőség, just off the main trans-European highway, lies the village of Bogata, at the heart of which stands the tall spire of the Hungarian Reformed Church. The pastor of the church is Karoly Molnár; his wife, Eszter, teaches mathematics in the local school. They have two children. It was now some years ago that Eszter visited an orphanage in the nearby city of Ludus, where she met several Hungarian children who were not receiving adequate care or education, and were not receiving any religious instruction. Several times, they tried to fill this vacuum in the lives of these children by taking them along on congregational summer camps, but it soon became evident that this was not sufficient. These children needed a family environment in a Christian home. At the same time, they were learning of more children who were equally much in need. This situation was brought to the attention of the bishop, Kálmán Csiha, a kind and compassionate friend. He quickly made contact with acquaintances in Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada, so that in time they were able to buy a house next to the parsonage, and renovate it to fit the needs of an orphanage. By the year 2003, they had an established institution with thirteen orphans. Those were exciting times. The children responded enthusiastically to their new environment; and quickly adapted to their studies in school and to the religious studies and services in the church. It was during the summer of2003 that two girls, traveling with a TRAC work group, spent a week in Bogata at the orphanage. It was an amazing experience for them. When they arrived, Eszter was there to welcome them with her usual warmth; and through the week that followed, they were kept constantly busy with the children. Although school was recessed, there were study sessions in Bible and chores to be done. But there was also time for fun. Games were played; and there was even a boat trip on the Maros River. What came through most of all, however, was the happiness of the children, the warmth of their relationship with Eszter, and the spirituality of the instruction they receive. All is not easy, however. The problem of obtaining enough support to maintain the institution is difficult. At first, the interest was great; and, in fact, a group from the Netherlands came and fixed up the attic so that they now are able to hold 25 children. But these have to be fed. The church members do all they can, but they are poor villagers, and all those mouths are more than they can afford to feed. There has been support from several foreign organizations, but the one that has been their chief supporter has informed them that this will be discontinued at the end of 2005. One effort to help was made by a Western European concern, which donated a complete set of commercial baking equipment. The thought was that they could sell bread to help support the orphanage. The problem was that they had no building in which
