When we arrived in Hungary in the summer of 2014, we knew we would be hosting missions teams and working with the Roma in Slovakia. We also knew that we would be helping some missionary colleagues to plant an international church in Budapest. We didn't really have any plans or thoughts of other ministry. As the months passed, we began to feel God drawing us to youth ministry. First, through baseball, and then through starting our a youth group. H2O youth Budapest was born in Dec. 2014. We had 17 students at our first meeting. Our target group is junior high and high school students and we meet bi-weekly on Friday nights at our home. The group has had consistent growth throughout the year, with a high of 48. It has been a great journey so far. Our meetings generally consist of worship, some type of message, food, and fellowship. One of the most memorable times of the 2015 was taking 32 students to Sabinov, Slovakia for a short missions trip. We spent two days painting faces and fingernails, and playing with Roma children. We also played soccer, volleyball, and American football with Roma teenagers. A highlight of the trip was a joint service with the Roma youth from the Sabinov church.
In the fall of 2016, we moved our youth meetings from our house to the newly renovated facilities of Riverside Church. You see the meeting room in the photo above. Also, there was a ping pong table, a foosball table, and for years we served pizza and nachos in the cafe. The move into Budapest was a good one. We continued to have visitors, even a few more Hungarians. The Holy Spirit has been faithful to draw kids into worship and prayer, with many kids coming to the altar and spending time alone with God during the services.
In spring of 2022, we once again moved H2O, this time into the newly renovated Riverside Church facility. There is a dedicated youth room with a seating area, speakers, foosball table, ping pong table, and a nine square game.
We continued to lead H2O until the end of our term in June of 2023. We are thankful that we had the opportunity to lead H2O Youth Budapest from 2014 until 2023 - from small beginnings to almost 60 teenagers in attendance. What a privilege to work with so many awesome young people. H2O continues to meet at Riverside Church with new, younger leaders.