July 2013: A New Beginning

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

There are very few times in your life when you are absolutely sure you have chosen the right path or know you are in exactly the right place, but that is how I feel here in Hungary. There has been more hospitality and generosity poured out to me in the past four months than I ever could have imagined. I was called to Budapest, Hungary because I have a talent that directly aligns to an expressed need, and what may seem like a menial task of writing or proofreading is more helpful than we, as native English speakers, could ever imagine. I say this because Hungary, linguistically, is extremely isolated. Their language is very difficult and very unique. It is also a language that essentially does not exist outside the borders of Hungary. Yet, there is a wealth of information being showcased by the church’s communication department, but because it is written in Hungarian, few outside of the borders will understand it. This means any news article or update has to be translated into English or German, which, in a time when the worldwide church is more connected than it has ever been, international ties and relations are essential.

I see my place as a communicator, telling the Hungarian churches’ story. I see that I’m a vital cog in this machine. But I often get this feeling that I am not doing substantial enough work to fit the term “real missionary.” I learned that the definition of mission is that our worth is a direct result of the work we do. So I ask myself, since when did productivity become the deciding factor in a relationship? Shouldn’t a partnership be about supporting each other and learning from one another while our journeys of faith overlap in a certain place for a finite amount of time? I conclude, it is our challenge to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God, which means living our lives with the purpose and knowledge that we are but a tiny part of Christ’s body.

Let us pray that our work is focused on relationships more than the measuring of accomplishments, knowing God’s mission touches all people.

Amy Lester serves as a Global Mission Intern with the Reformed Church in Hungary. Her ministry is possible because of funds provided by Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ. Amy serves as a facilitator of international communication, writing proposals to international organizations, and receives and guides the international guests.