New Life for Hungary

It's lovely here in the Spring

Hannah in Budapest with some Bible school students for a day of ministry and fun!

In this world of children having cell phones, how would you feel it if you could not make a phone call due to not having a phone? ...Not only that you did not have a phone but no one in your whole town had a phone. In-order to make a call you had to go to the next town three miles away to use the closest public phone. This is how it was here in Toalmas, Hungary only 13 years ago. In Toalmas, first there were phones in the mayors office and the post office that the public could use. Finally a few years later Eletszava ministry had one line. That one phone for the entire ministry was the old style with a crank to make it work. Their phone number was 003. They had to reach an operator at the post office and wait for her to call back to be patched through, this could take up to an hour. This was not the 1920s it was the 1990s, only 13 years ago!
The first phone at the ministry looked something like this

Many of the utilities that we have taken for granted for many decades are relatively new here. Electricity, city water, phone systems, natural gas, all are “recent” additions. The electrical system is not very old but was installed when the demand was more of a novelty for the average home owner.
They had one or two lights in many homes and very few electrical appliances. As the interest in and demand for electricity has grown dramatically the “new” system needs to be upgraded annually.

Most homes in Toalmas have these quaint wells in the yard a few steps from the kitchen door.

Often they are in a housing to keep animals and children from falling in

This one is beautiful with the flowering tree

It was not long ago that all of these were in use and as recently as 1995 - 30% of the homes in Toalmas did not have inside plumbing.

Many have a black water tank like this one raised up that they would fill with water and the sun would heat it. They used this system to take showers - Now this would be refreshing

Or baths. These are outside and many had some-type of enclosure or grape arbor around them for modesty. Most cooking is currently done with natural gas with a few still using wood. There are still a lot of homes being heated by wood. Bubble-bath anyone?

Due to the difficulty of life under communism (1944 - 1989) many people maintained or reverted to a self sufficient lifestyle. Including growing their own crops and animals for food. Almost daily we will hear a small car with a megaphone coming down the street. It will be pulling a trailer hauling something for sale – Things like: potatoes, tomatoes, onions, apples, even little chicks for sale. We will see more products as the 1st harvest arrives

What some people do in states for a hobby people do here to live – garden, walk, ride bike, raise animals, or sew. Here is our neighbor butchering three pigs in their back yard

This is another neighbor's well pruned apple trees

These old nénis (nay nees), Hungarian for old widow, who are all over town taking care of their yards and gardens. They are wonderful to talk with, even with the communication being very difficult. Many of their husbands died in war, or due to alcoholism.


During the communist era vehicles were difficult to purchase so many people never owned a car. In most of the villages, including Toalmas, there are still folks that use horse and wagon for their farming.

Most cars are modern but there are many of these old beauties still being used
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As we walk to school we see: sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, ducks, turkey, behind and around many homes.


Not only is the language very different the animal sounds are different too:
• A pig would say röf-röf (pronounced ruff ruff)
• A rooster would say kukuriku (pronounced koo-koo-eree-koo)
• A frog would say bre-ke-ke (pronounced brek-kee-kee)
• A horse would say nyihaha (pronounced nee-haw-haw)
• A duck would say háp-háp (pronounced hop-hop)
• They have a fish sound?? (put your lips together and pop)


The Bible institute has been wonderful! Here is a list of many of the wonderful classes we had/have this year at the “castle”.
Systematic Theology, OT and NT Backgrounds, OT and NT Survey, Psalms, Matthew, Philippians, 1st & 2nd Thessalonians, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, Jude, Revelation, Church History, Personal Evangelism, Discipleship and Followup, Biblical Ethics, Children's Ministry, The Cults, Understanding Islam, Intro to Christian Ed, Bible Study Methods, Writings of Solomon, Servant Leadership, Conflict of the Ages, Biblical Counseling