Chairman`s Camps Visit 2009
In June 2009 EEFC received a donation of £10,000 from Women for Mission (WFM) to assist us with the upgrading of kitchen, shower and toilet facilities at our camps in Romania.WFM is the association of Free Church women which majors on supporting the denonimation`s missions work worldwide. This is not the first time that WFM has provided financial support to EEFC and we are extremely grateful for this new encouragement, as we are for WFM individuals who have served on camp teams.
In order to accurately assess the efficient and effective application of this donation I decided to visit the two campsites to which Council had allocated the money. These were Mahanaim (£6000) and Bucsin (£4,000).
I had two other reasons for visiting - to call at Debrecen and confirm that all was in place, following an earlier cancellation decision, later revoked, and to investigate the possibility of restarting our camps in Ukraine, as several people here and in Ukraine had urged us to do. By a welcome providence the Debrecen team were on the same flight from Prestwick on 5 August so my wife and I had a useful couple of hours to greet new members Angus Macleod, Georgie Mackenzie, John Broyles and Martin Rogerson and to renew acquaintance with Kathleen Rogerson and Hamish Ferguson. John Whyte from Falkirk of course we knew very well. On arrival in Budapest Alice and I left them to explore that beautiful city while we motored off by hired car to Debrecen.
In Debrecen we learnt from Pastor Istvan Olah , who is now a firm friend and partner, that all was set for the arrival of leaders and campers. From our more than adequate accommodation in the HRC College next to the Great Calvinist Church, we went for supper to the home of Agnes and Balint Balint (his first and last names are the same).We were pleased to learn that Agnes was on the national team.
On Thursday, the following morning,we drove from Debrecen to Oradea to meet the Christian Endeavour officials in charge of the Mahanaim site. By happy chance their offices are in the Julia Home which I had visited previously with Andrew Burrows. After morning tea/coffee with Csangor and the ladies, we were joined for a very full lunch by Istvan Visky the Chief Executive, whose wife had been in our welcoming party. We discussed in detail the various stages of well-drilling, pump fitting and water purification for which the money was to be given and left in mid afternoon , ostensibly to drive to the camp.
We had not gone far before we realized that if we followed our plan,which included driving eventually to Targu Mures, we would end up driving in the dark along that awful road from the E60 to the campsite which we knew from experience was full of potholes, boulders and many other impediments to safe driving. In my times on manoeuvres with the 3rd Armoured Division in Germany it was not unusual to receive changes of direction at short notice,on the move across country, in the dark. To stay on the safety of the E 60 on this occasion and drive direct to Targu Mures was therefore an easy decision to make.
Approaching Targu Mures our satnav refused to identify the CE House where we were booked in but we were rescued by Magdi McaAlister and her recently adopted daughter Kitty whom we were delighted to meet. Duncan was away doing his summer job in Arran.
On Friday morning we met Istvan Halmen and his wife Hugi and also their son Istvan and his fiancée who were to be married on 23rd August at Bucsin with a reception fo 300 guests. We travelled in two cars through heavy rain to Bucsin camp where poor Alice had to wade through soaking grass and ground to photograph Istvan and me wandering round looking at drains and sewage pipes. We also viewed the fire damage in the roof void of the main building and were surprised that the fire, caused apparently by an electrical fault, appeared to have only smouldered instead of breaking out in full conflagration. We thanked God for this providence not least because that saved the life of the caretaker who was woken from sleep by a neighbour who saw the smoke
Our inspection done and the programme of work and scheduling agreed, we withdrew to a local restaurant for lunch, whereupon the rain stopped and the sun came out. We drove back to CE House in the afternoon, said goodbye to the Halmen family and had a walk into town.
An early start the next morning, Saturday, on the way back to Hungary brough
t us to the turnoff to Mahanaim camp by mid -afternoon, and since my co-driver did not object,I boldly turned off to do the journey we had withdrawn from on. Thursday. I pass over the next two -three hours on tortuous forest roads which ended with us reaching the A39 on the other side of the hill having missed Mahanaim completely ! We are still laughing about this experience.
We reached Debrecen in the early evening, met the uk team and some of the others, and were briefed on our "turn" in Sunday`s service in the Great Church. It consisted of singing Psalm 23 in English to a congregation of around 400. Monday morning began with a uk team prayer meeting at 7.30 where we were joined by Istvan. Then came breakfast at 8 followed by morning devotions with the campers at 8.30. As the campers travelled daily to and from home we did not always have full attendance at this " first parade ".
The day then proceeded with English and Bible lessons, followed in the afternoon by some activities such as pottery, painting and fellowship songs inserted here and there and some discussion groups. Lunch and tea/supper meals were served and the campers departed between 6 and 7 in the evening. The teams then discussed individual camper progress, adjusted classes where necessary and prepared for the next day. Some time was usually found for team bonding in the enclosed college gardens or at a local café.
Alice and I left on Wednesday morning for Ukraine but on reaching the border found our car was not insured for Ukraine. Fortunately we had previously contacted "our man"in North West Hungary, Rev Daniel Szabo, who lives in a church house in the small town of Sarospatak Dani,as he is known, was able to find a suitable car and to drive us into Ukraine the next day. Our trip had to be delayed by three hours when we learnt of the sudden death of Janos Victor, Dani`s nephew , a son of Rev Istvan Victor and his wife Judit. This news cast a cloud of sadness over the next few days,
We drove to Ukraine after midday without incident apart from a minor car engine problem which a local mechanic solved in a minute, refusing any payment. We reached our rendezvous, in Nagdobrony, the home of the retired bishop Rev Laszlo Horkay, where we were greeted by his wife, who served us a delicious lunch after her husband`s return from morning services. In telephone conversations before our visit I had outlined our requirements for setting up a new camp and Laszlo had found a suitable site and identified a young pastor to lead a Ukrainian team.
The site is in the small town of Szolyva about 50 miles East of the border crossing at Csop and consists of a substantial modern building with separate dining and teaching areas, sleeping accommodation for about forty campers and separate rooms for staff. The cooking, dining and washing areas are good as are the toilet facilities. There is an indoor table tennis and games area and plenty room outside for ball and net games as well as a bonfire site.After viewing the site we returned to Nagdobrony for tea and were then able to drive to Rat to see an ongoing camp run by Laszlo and his helpers. We took part in a service with 56 young people, who seemed very happy and excited (photo), and then returned to the border to join a 2-hour queue on the way back to Hungary. We arrived back in Sarospatak just before midnight.
The next day we drove in our hired car with Dani to see the Victors at Hejce. They were bearing up well in their grief and and pain After prayer we assured them that their grief was shared in some measure by all EEFC people who had ever been to Hejce and enjoyed their food, their fellowship and in some cases their home.
Our next stop was Miskolc where we spent a rather hot and airless night before returning to Budapest and the relaxation of the Gelert thermal baths at the end of a 1500 mile journey.
Donald Matheson September 2009