Destination Hungary

April 2013

It started 4 years ago

In 2009, I was first introduced to Central Europe. That summer, I traveled over 5,000 miles to the country of Slovenia to help with an evangelistic English camp. I will never forget that experience! I witnessed students being exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some for the first time, through the local church. That trip drew my heart to this part of the world.
The need for Christ in this part of the world is dramatic. With over 32 million youth in Central and Eastern Europe, less than 1% know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior! Seeing that as a reality, not just a statistic, made my heart churn. Having a very strong desire to return to Central and Eastern Europe, I went back and did an extended internship in Budapest, Hungary in 2012. During this trip, I was part of a local church, attended a youth group, taught English in a high school, and learned bits of Hungarian. During these six months, I was able to get a taste of what full-time ministry is like. This trip also left me wanting more. Now Im on the road of support raising to go back and serve the students that I developed a deep love for. During my extended internship, I worked along side my good friends Rob and Liz Trenckmann. What a blessing this was! Rob was my youth pastor while I was in high school in Vancouver, Washington. I praise God for how He saw it fit to allow me to work along side the Trenckmanns, who have been a big influence in my life. They are new to the country of Hungary and have only been there since early 2012. I will again live and work alongside them in the city of Veszprm, Hungary. Veszprm is a town of around 65,000 people and is a little more than an hour from the capital city of Budapest. Veszprm is home to many youth that desperately need the transforming power that only Christ can bring. I cant wait to return and see how God is going to work! In 1989 Hungary was freed from communism. Those that have been born after this year face a very different world than their parents once lived in. This new found freedom is in desperate need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As seen throughout history, the youth of a generation deeply influences the culture. The young people of Hungary need to be introduced to their Father in heaven who loves them.

Austin Elkins

What I will be doing

While Im in Hungary I will be serving with a non-profit organization called Josiah Venture (JV). JV has a missionary presence in 12 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Their heart is to see a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society. I deeply love JVs desire to work in and through the local church. And what a blessing it was to work alongside a local church in Veszprm during my internship! Im excited to be a part of JV in the country of Hungary. While in Hungary, I will be investing in the local Evangelical church in Veszprm, be a part of their youth group, and mentor local young men. I cant wait to return and continue the relationships that have already been established!

One of the more challenging things that I will spend a portion of my time on is learning the Hungarian language. Having some distant ties to the Finnish and Estonian languages, Hungarian is a difficult language to learn. But the importance of building peoples trust through learning the language is extremely important to me. I look forward to going back and being able to communicate in these wonderful peoples native tongue!

Will you join me?

learn the language, and encounter spiritual resistance. One-Time Giving As part of this trip there are quite a few one time expenses that will need to be addressed. My one-time amount needed is $19,400. Some of the things that this will cover are airfare, training, shipping of my belongings, visas, and furniture for my new place in Hungary. Monthly Giving I also need a team of people that will support me financially on a monthly basis. My monthly needs are $3,000. Half of that

is for my personal expenses like rent, food, and transportation, while the other half is for ministry. All giving is tax deductible. If you would like to give, you can via the enclosed response slip or give online at www.josiahventure. com. By giving, you are eternally impacting Hungarian youth through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you! In these coming weeks and months, I would love a chance to share about what God is doing in Hungary!

I believe your role in this trip is crucial! God created ministry to be a team effort and without teammates, I wont be able to go to Hungary. Will you pray about joining my team? Hungary desperately needs the light that the Gospel brings. There are several ways you can be a part of this journey: Prayer Without submitting this work to the Lord, I may as well not go to Hungary. I need people that will pray with me for this ministry as I share Christ with students,

Austin
Prayer Requests - Please pray that God will raise up young leaders in Hungary to carry the Gospel - Pray for our team as we learn the Hungarian language - Pray with me for a team of people that will support me financially - Please pray for unity amongst our team

Austin Elkins
SUPPORT ADDRESS Josiah Venture PO BOX 4317 Wheaton, IL 60189-4317 JV account #142040 JV tel 630-221-9332 www.josiahventure.com CONTACT Email: aelkins@josiahventure.com Phone: 360-907-4294 Blog: austininhungary.blogspot.com

Home Address 3470 Anderson Rd. SE Port Orchard, WA 98366 United States

Equipping young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe to fulfill Christs commission