Our team’s final school day on this trip was to the Talentum Iskola – a small school in Debrecen operated by the Baptist Church. There’s no doubt this school holds a special place in our hearts. This is the school where Amanda Good works as an English teacher. It’s the school supported by the Debrecen Baptist Church we worshiped with earlier in the week. And perhaps because it was our final school in Hungary, it stands out in our memories as a capstone experience for our work here.

The students at Talentum are enthusiastic, the teachers loving and attentive. It’s clear by just stepping in the door that this is a caring and nurturing community.

Greeting us in the front hallway of the school was a hand-made banner in the theme of Psalm 119:105 (pictured above) – “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” What an encouraging greeting!

The hospitality of the school leadership was humbling. The school’s headmaster, Czirják Erika, had coffee and snacks waiting for us in the office throughout the day. We split into groups and, collectively, visited six classes of 2nd grade – 6th grade students.

Having gained several days’ experience in other village schools, our team knew just what to do. We got right to work interacting with the students – encouraging them to speak the English they know and helping them with what they don’t. Of all the ministry work I’ve done, this is among the most rewarding. There’s no thrill quite like seeing the glowing face of a child who knows they have the undivided attention of a loving adult.

And the children blessed us more than we ever could have anticipated. Each member of our team was presented with a ceramic hedgehog, hand-crafted by the students in the school. One of the teachers – an artist who makes inspirational posters using scripture references – made two posters for us to bring back to our church. Headmaster Erika presented our team with a Hungarian Bible.

We went to school to share our love of Christ with these children by helping them in their language studies. But they blessed us with their love and generosity.

It was an emotional departure when we left school Friday, knowing it was our last day in Hungarian classrooms. …at least for now. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if God leads us back to Debrecen. To say out hearts have been touched is a monumental understatement.

“Good bye” in Hungarian is “viszontlátásra”. But we were careful to say, “Until we meet again.”