Evangéliumi Hírnök, 1984 (76. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1984-03-01 / 5. szám
1984. március 1. 7. oldal A VISIT TO HUNGARY AND ROMANIA----------------------------------------------ERNEST J. KISH-----------------------------------------III. Ethel and I had the pleasure of being driven around in both Romania and Hungary by dear Christian friends. We therefore, had the advantage of going places and seeing Hungary’s beautiful historical sights and places in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. Hungary has a culture that we all should be proud of. In my opinion, we as second and third generation Hungarians have nothing to be ashamed of. We have visited many countries and have seen many things. We found that there are more museums of culture, more castles and cathedrals in Hungary than in many other parts of the world. The problem is that we just do not know the richness of our culture and the many priceless historical settings that exist in the country. We had the opportunity to visit such places as the Buda Vár which was built in the 11th century. It is a castle containing priceless treasures of the past. In traveling throughout both Hungary and Romania, we could see the rich black soil that supplies so much of the food for the region. In Transylvania, one could almost sense the mistique of its past history. This is all part of our heritage and should be appreciated by us all. We had the opportunity of visiting a number of Thermal Spas where we were pampered by attendants desirous of earning a few extra forints. We visited friends living in the Lake Balaton area. I believe that this is the largest body of water in the country. The entire area is strewn with small summer homes of the city folk. We visited Sárvás Castle, where Hungary’s famous poet, engineer, benefactor and martyr, István Szécsenyi ’s display of books, inventions and other interesting memorabilia is on display. If anyone wants the most up-to-date history on our own Hungarian Baptist Union, this is where to find it. Even today we send a copy of our Gospel Messenger to them and our entire history is recorded there. We also visited Sopron which is a beautiful old city just a few miles from the Austrian border. We also visited such other places of interest as Tihany, Veszprém, Zirc, Lajosmizse, Tahi, Mezőkövesd, Debrecen and Eger. In Eger, we visited the fantastically beautiful Basilica and the Eger Vár. Both of these places are under constant reconstruction. These buildings were built between the sixth and tenth century. Here one can find the priceless treasures of the church and the equally priceless artifacts of early Hungarian culture. We also visited the National Museum where the crown and sceptor of Saint Stephen is on display and under guard constantly. We Americans are held in high esteem for returning this treasure to its rightful place a number of years ago. Everywhere that we traveled, we saw new high rise condominiums under construction by the hundreds. We also noted with great interest that so many old buildings and cathedrals are being refurbished to their original condition. This could only take place where labor is so plentiful and so inexpensive. Since there is no unemployment expected in Hungary, even the smallest job is done with four times as many workers than is necessary. It is good to see these restorations however, and the Hungarian people are really pleased with what is being done in these areas. I have often been asked for my opinion of what we saw and experienced in Hungary. My answer to this is always positive. I have come to appreciate my heritage even more since visiting there, because, now I can see clearer that which my parents tried to make clear to me many years ago. We do have a fine heritage and we all should be proud of it. The Hungarian people are a proud people and in general, they are charming hosts. They seem to be happy and are anxious to share their cultures with all visitors. This does not mean that all is well with them and that they are happy with their status. They know that they are restricted in their travels and they are still not free to do as they would like to do. They know that there are a purported 225,000 Russian troops within their borders, while their own troops number approximately 200,000. They know that they are being watched and that changes will come slowly, if at all. In spite of this, a visitor is free to travel anywhere within the country providing he reports his presence to the police whenever he changes locations. It goes without saying that they will not condone illegal activities or black marketeering. The legal money exchange is 44.3 forint for our dollar. This is a very good exchange and therefore provides many services and food at a very reasonable rate. Our visit was both educational and delightful. We found God to be everywhere, and know that He cannot be excluded from the hearts of men and women no matter what the external pressures may be. Let us pray for these brethren as I know they also pray for us. American Hungarian Baptist Union Receipts for the month of January 1984 Home Mission Silliman Church, Bridgeport, Ct., $26.40; Bethesda Church, Palm Bay, FI., $100.00; Bethesda Retirement Home, Palm Bay, FI., $300.00; John Osworth, Mount Holly, NJ, $265.00 — $ 692.00. Literature Sophie Paulich, Smyrna, Ga., $10.00; Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Tilson, Murfreesboro, N.C., In honor of Dr. and Mrs. Bela Udvarnokl $50.00; Theresa Path, Baldwin, Cal., $13.00; Mary Berleth, Huntington Sta., NY. $8.00 — $81.00. Special Mission Bethesda Church, Palm Bay, Fla., $35.00. Louis Drescher CÍMVÁLTOZÁS Molnár testvér áj címe: Rév. WILLIAM B. MOLNÁR 7005 MINE CREEK LANE RALEIGH, N.C. 27609 MOSOLYOGJUNK Egy jó tag így dicsérte prédikátorát: Minden előbbi prédikációja jobb és jobb, mint a következő. * A gyülekezettől eltávozó prédikátort méltató, búcsúztató beszédében a diakónusok elnöke többek közt ezt mondta: Testvérünk szorgalmas látogató volt, s amikor eltávozott, sok boldog családot hagyott hátra. ”
