Christmas in Hungary

The last weekend saw us in Hungary, where in August we led a team from Altrincham Baptist who helped to run a week long children's club in conjunction with our friends at Pécel Baptist Church. When we left Manchester it was relatively mild but wet. The temperature on arrival was just below freezing and we were told it had been like that for a few days. The trees were white with thick frost and many homes had external Christmas lights, which brightened up the early evening darkness. People, young and old were well muffled against the cold. All very different from our last visit in the summer.

Pécel is a small town on the outskirts of Budapest not far from the main Ferihegy Airport. The purpose of our trip was to be involved with a Christmas Children's club being run from 4-7 p.m. on the Saturday during which we presented the owners of the local football pitch with six footballs to thank them for letting us use the pitch for football coaching free of charge last summer. We also had the opportunity to look forward to the ways in which our two churches can work together next year.

While we enjoyed 'doing mission' together we appreciated just as much, if not more, seeing our many Hungarian friends again. As always they made it very hard for us to say good-bye but we have already promised to go back again in 2007. The time we have spent in Hungary this year has been very different from visiting as tourists. We feel we have got to know the country and people from the inside. Travel broadens the mind and, while there are differences (like presents on the 6th December), what you bring away is the knowledge of just how much we have in common.