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| Hal Young at the opening |
We at YWAM Budapest began raising money for a facility in 1994 with the vision to reach the youth of Budapest. The vision remained strong despite different setbacks over the years. We would think we had the perfect place and it would be sold to someone else. In 2000, we finally felt we had fond the perfect place. After a long battle with neighbors, authorities and spiritual powers, we purchased our current building. Thus began a journey that we did not anticipate. As we got deeper into the renovation, we continued to discover the magnitude of the work and money that was actually required.
We worked hard at fund raising. As God provided the funding we would take a few more steps, one room at a time. The coffee house we first ran successfully in 1999 (but was shut down as the building was sold out from under us) was re-opened in the basement of our new facility in April 2002. We experienced seasons of progress, excitement, and joy as well as struggles, disappointments, delays, discouragement, and seasons of dryness. Through it all the Lord kept encouraging us to continue on and be faithful to the task. Years passed, staff came and went. We still held on to the vision, but it became obscured and even eventually unknown by some of the team.
Continued prayer and fund raising efforts took place throughout this time. The Lord gave strength to persevere and stay the course. The final breakthrough came in the spring of 2012 when one of our supporting churches stepped up and renewed their commitment to help us complete the ministry center. The remaining amount needed of $250,000 USD was given for the work to be done. It was the phone call we had waited on for 12 years!
We may never know why it took so long for God to bring the breakthrough that we thought would come within two years but actually took 12! Perhaps we weren’t ready. For sure His timing was perfect whatever the reason.
The official opening of our center took place on September 7th, and we now have an amazingly beautiful café and ministry center of the highest quality in the heart of downtown Budapest. God provided this prime real estate in the center of the café, theater, and arts district. Our vision is to use the ministry center as a base of operation to reach the young generation of the city – to go out to them, and to create a warm and welcome place of community where they can encounter the Lord.
-Steve Johnson
YWAM Budapest, Hungary
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| Steve Johnson at the opening |