Meet Gabi

In many parts of America, growing up in a Christian home is not an unusual thing. 

In fact, in certain parts of the Southern U.S., you can throw a biscuit and hit a Christian.  Or maybe a church-goer.  Y’all know what I mean.

Not many people can claim to have grown up in a Christian home in Hungary, so to meet a Hungarian who came to know Jesus as a child while being raised by Christian parents, well now, that’s a rare thing.   And for that Hungarian to be not a second generation Christian but rather a third generation Christian, well, that’s downright amazing.  And fascinating.  Let me introduce you to Gabi.

We had the privilege of eating lunch with Gabi last week, and we asked all the usual questions.  “Where are you from?” and “What work do you do?” and “Have you visited the U.S.?”  

This is his story:  Gabi lives in Budapest and works for Campus Crusade for Christ.  He and a team of Hungarian Christians spend their lives evangelizing and discipling students on a university campus.  They hold Bible studies, sponsor activities, and have prayer with people.  They also conduct surveys among students, and if students have spiritual needs or questions, the team gets their contact information and schedules meetings to speak with the students individually.  The group Phil worked with during the fall gathered the names of more than 500 students who provided their contact information and indicated that they would like to speak with someone about spiritual concerns.  Gabi says they have the “good” problem of having more students to contact than they have staff who can make follow-up calls. 

When students accept Christ as their Savior, Gabi and his teammates begin the work of discipling them:  teaching them about the Bible, showing them how to share their new faith with others, etc.  Some of our staff here at Speak Out are actually students that Gabi has led to the Lord.  Other believers financially support Gabi and the team so that this work can continue.  Just a few weeks ago, Gabi and his wife were in the U.S. to meet some of their supporters and to share about the work God is doing among Hungarian students. 

When I asked Gabi how he became a Christian, he told us that he was raised in a Christian home and came to Christ as a child.  Then he shared this story.

Some of you may know that Hungary was a Communist nation until 1990.  Madarasz Lajos, Gabi's grandfather, was a preacher in Hungary during this time when Christianity was illegal.  He held “underground” or secret church meetings during the 1960’s for people who wanted to know about having a relationship with God through His Son Jesus.  Not all churches had to meet in secret, though.  The ones that were approved by the government were mainly places to gather and talk about political issues. Some of the priests in the state-approved churches actually served as spies for the government by reporting any person or activity that seemed to be “Christian.” 

Besides leading an underground congregation of believers, Lajos was also a teacher of math and Physics.  Somehow, his employer discovered his secret Christian work and forced him to make a choice.  Lajos was given three days to decide to keep his job or to continue pastoring the Hungarian believers.  Gabi said, “He told them, ‘I don’t need three days to decide.  I will tell you now.’”  Lajos had a wife and seven children to support, but he chose to faithfully proclaim God’s word, even though it ruined his career. 

God was faithful, though.  All seven children thrived and all seven became believers.  Later, forty-six grandchildren were added to the family, and all forty-six became believers as well.  Gabi and his work with CCC are just some of the fruits that have come from the devotion and courage of that brave Hungarian pastor.  Only heaven knows exactly how many lives were rescued and redeemed in spite of the restraints of Communism.

I, like Gabi, am the product of a Christian home, and I am also a third generation Christian.  I thank God for my Christian heritage, and the work of Christ in our family is just as amazing.  But the courage of that one man to willingly face persecution in a Communist country…. his story both challenges and convicts me.  I’ve never been forced to choose between my relationship with God and my employment, or between feeding my family and sharing my faith.  How easy it is to serve God in America, yet how many faith-sharing opportunities have I ignored?

God, make us mindful and grateful for every opportunity to make Your glory known.  Thank you for heroes of the faith who motivate us and challenge us.

Thanks for meeting our new friend.  Will you pray for him, his wife, and their ministry team as they faithfully spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?

By the way, if you haven't seen it, I'm trying post pictures of Speak Out on our family blog.  Check it out:  www.davisfamilyinhungary.blogspot.com