For the past 3 months here at YWAM Budapest we have been involved with the weekly sandwich run to people living on the streets. During our time with these people we have heard countless heartbreaking stories of people who have suffered so much in life or even completely lost hope. Our aim is not simply to provide food as we go out but to love on these people just as Jesus loves them.We take the time to stop and speak with them and offer to pray for their situations. Some accept and some refuse but the offer of God’s love is always there.
It has been a joy to see lives of people on the streets touched by God, but one stands out in particular for me…
I first met Christian in a Subway in the center of Budapest. With his girlfriend Monica and a few others, he spoke broken English and was a fun guy but was completely drunk. After a while of talking to us about his life he fell over. We helped him up and he started complaining about the pain in his knees that had been there for a long time. We all laid hands on him and prayed for God to heal him. He was speaking mostly in Hungarian but he kept saying that his knees felt so warm and that he didn’t understand how. He started to walk around normally thanking God for his healing. He was still very drunk but God had obviously impacted his life….
The following week… Amy met him again with another group and he talked with them for a long time. After many tears and sharing his brokenness, he asked the group to pray with him. He decided he wanted to know Jesus and gave his life to Him. Amy took his hands which he felt were too unclean to be touched, and the group prayed for him. He described that he felt as if a ‘stone fell off his heart’ and that he was much lighter. He had such a powerful revelation of the love of God through that touch. He kept saying he felt a change inside and was so happy! He also asked for his first Hungarian Bible. As we debriefed with the other ywamers at the end of the night he came and joined the circle telling us what had happened to him and prayed, blessing the team!
Last week we met Christian and his girlfriend again! This time they were upbeat and sober. He introduced us to his brother and some of his other homeless friends who he is already sharing with about Jesus. One of his friends had fallen on his arm and either sprained it or broken it. He couldn’t push his palms together and had little movement in his fingers. Amy prayed for his hand and first he said it was a little better so we prayed again. He looked shocked as started clapping and moving his hand like crazy. God had completely restored his hand and he was ecstatic!
We prayed and chatted to all the guys and gave Christian his first Hungarian Bible. We had an amazing time with them laughing, singing and dancing. It was a really joyful atmosphere. It really shows just how God can change a hopeless situation and bring restoration to people. We are currently working with Christian and Monica to get them into a shelter so they can move forward with their new lives in Jesus! We are learning so much about God’s love and compassion through these experiences.
The sandwich run normally splits up into two group due to size the story above is from our group the other group had just of an amazing time. We met Gabor, a man who they were able to talk with. He wanted to get to know this Jesus we were all talking about! He asked for a Bible and started going to the Christian Bible study at a local homeless shelter. Gabor then introduced the group to his friend Elemer who he had been sharing his new found faith with. The group met him last week and he decided to accept Jesus for himself and they were able to give him a Bible and pray with him also!
The sandwich run in Budapest is such an amazing ministry and I have the up most respect for Rosie and the the other guys who serve every week. It’s been a privilege being part of what God is doing and seeing these amazing transformations over the last 3 months.
‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.
Matthew 25:39-40
