Roma Partnership

Students Reaching Students

Through English Bible Camps

Jeff Rayle is a member of Lebanon Baptist Church in Greensboro, and his church is returning this year for a third trip through the partnership. Teenagers in Hungary are like their counterparts in the U.S. They use cell phones, utilize social media, play video games, and face challenges such as finding their identity, struggling with self-esteem, and feeling overwhelmed by academic pressure or family issues. They also struggle to understand how someone can claim to believe in God yet live as if He does not exist. My wife Amy and I have served in student ministry as volunteers at Lebanon Baptist Church in Greensboro for nearly twenty years. We have a deep burden for students, which is why the opportunity to serve in Pécs, Hungary, holds such meaning for me. Our team’s goal was to share Jesus and connect Hungarian students with the local church in Pécs. What we have seen God accomplish through two trips there has been amazing.

Our first trip in 2023 started with challenges. Students, as well as our translators—teachers at the Széchenyi school — were skeptical. Why were we there, and why were we so open about Jesus? We were told that religion is seen as a private matter. But as our students shared that Christianity is about a relationship, not religion, we saw walls begin to break down.

By the end of the week, many students—and even some translators—were spending time with us after camp at the local church, Szeretetvár, where Pastor János and his team continued to build relationships. The connections did not end with the trip. Many of our team members remain in touch with their Hungarian friends. Two students from our first visit began attending the youth group at Szeretetvár and returned as student translators for our team in 2024.

There is something powerful about watching students reach other students for Christ, whether at home or 4,800 miles away. Hungarian students responded to the authenticity of our students’ faith. God has used the relationships that have been built to open the door for the Gospel. One personal moment confirmed for me that I was right where God wanted me: I shared daily lunches with a group of guys who did not know Jesus, and on our second trip, they saved me a seat each day. Last year, when asked their favorite part of camp, they replied, “hanging out with Jeff.” After returning home to the States, one of them messaged me with deep, thoughtful questions about the Bible. God is working in his heart and the hearts of many there.

God has given all believers a clear mission – to tell and to teach (Matthew 28:19-20).

He is using LBC and the local church in Pécs to carry out His mission through the English camp—and we are grateful to be part of it. Pray for our team as we prepare for another trip this summer. Pray for God to prepare the hearts of those we will meet to hear and receive the Gospel. Finally, pray for Pastor János and his team as they labor to spread the message of Jesus to the city of Pécs, Hungary.

For more information about the Roma Partnership/English Bible Camps, contact Teresa Jones.