Four new believers baptized in Hungary

“I don’t know where, I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but here I am,” Ari said. “I want to be baptized.” 

Approximately 50 friends and family members watched as Ari and three other new believers were baptized in Gyor, Hungary, during a day of celebration for all God had done during the previous months.

Volunteers from Arkansas and Germany previously had come to Gyor to pass out 2,500 Bibles and evangelize at the local university. From the many contacts made, several people began attending a weekly Bible discussion group in the home of International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries Larry and Melinda Ewing.

Vivienne, a British woman who accepted Christ through involvement in a house church, approached her baptism with trepidation because of her severe fear of water. However, in faith she agreed to a complete submersion and came up rejoicing in her obedience to Jesus’ command to take this public stand.

Andras flashed a big smile before he told how he came to know Jesus as His Lord through exposure to the Bible and a witness he received earlier this fall. Six members of his family attended his baptism, and his mother spoke of the joy their family has seen in Andras since he made a commitment to Jesus.

Rozi boldly shared her testimony before her parents and friends. Speaking publicly was a big step for her, but remembering what Jesus had done on her behalf made the ordeal a blessing. One of her friends, a priest, told one of the missionaries, “This has been a wonderful service. Everyone is so happy and following Jesus is so personal—I want this!”

Before she was baptized, Ari said, “You are going to take me all the way under, aren’t you?” When she was told “Yes,” she said, “I want my baptism to show that I have been totally immersed in Christ!”

Ari’s story begins when she was 6. Her ill mother took her to see a priest, who told the woman Jesus would take care of her little girl. Ari saw a picture of “The Last Supper” on the wall, and thought “the Man in the middle” must be Jesus, the man about whom the priest was speaking. That day Ari believed Jesus would always be with her. Soon after, Ari’s mother took her own life. When Ari was 8, her father, whom she never knew, also died.

Throughout her childhood and teen years Ari knew Jesus was helping her, and at the age of 19 decided it was time to learn more about Him. After going to four bookstores and not finding a Bible, she prayed that God would help her find one. She did at the fifth bookstore, but had difficulty understanding the older Hungarian translation. Through God’s grace IMB volunteers met Ari, put the new Hungarian translation in her hands and invited her to a place where the Scriptures would be explained.

Last December Ari repented and made her commitment to Jesus. Her joy—as well as that of Vivienne, Rozi and Andras—in finding the Lord has been an inspiration to missionaries in Hungary and a strong witness to those still considering Jesus.  

To connect with what is happening in Hungary and become a part of ministry there, visit teamhungary.com.

Posted by Paul Brock on Sep 25, 2008

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