For the past few months, our home church in Budapest has been walking through the book of Philippians, and recently we landed near the end of the letter, in chapter four, verses ten through twenty. It’s a passage about how unique the Philippian church was. They didn’t just send Paul off with well wishes, they partnered with him, specifically through financial giving, again and again.
As we read through it, we couldn’t help but think of our own home church, Kilcona, and how they’ve done exactly that for us since the very beginning. This year marks twenty years for us in overseas missions, and that kind of partnership has been there from day one.
We had the chance to share a little about this at our home church this past Sunday, along with some updates on what we’ve been up to this past year. If you’d like to watch, we’d love for you to take a look at what’s been stirring in our hearts from this passage.
Meet Cassie from Canada, who attended ICSB for 4 years in this Senior Spotlight.
What have you been involved in at ICSB?
Yearbook! NHS, musical (cast and crew)
Share about a teacher(s) and how they have impacted you positively.
Mrs. Cooper was the first teacher at ICSB whom I got to know and really love spending time with. When I was a new student, the school was a strange, unfamiliar place where I didn’t know anyone. In the yearbook, Mrs. Cooper welcomed us with open arms and much love, which was exactly what I needed at that time. Ever since then, the yearbook has been my highlight of every day, not just because of the work (though that is fun), but because of the cooperative, friendship-based atmosphere Mrs. Cooper brings to the room.
Mrs. Márton is another teacher who has brought lots of fun into my life. As one of my class sponsors, she has been a familiar face to me since Day One. She is always ready to laugh and ask questions about each student she interacts with. I love spending time in her classroom, drawing on the board, just chatting, or talking over deeper topics. (She also introduced me to Brussels sprouts, which may be the best thing she ever did.)
I’ll always remember my freshman year English class, where Mrs. Culbertson ruled the house. Sadly, that was the only year-long class I’ve had with her, but even so, she has impacted me greatly. Always ready for a discussion or debate, Mrs. Culbertson fosters a place of learning wherever she goes. Every chat in OAF, bible class discussion, or group talk in bible study is filled with a love that she has for each of her students. She makes each student feel special, not only because she treats them that way, but because she truly sees how unique and precious each one of her students is.
What’s your favorite thing or memory about ICSB?
I have many amazing memories at ICSB, some happy, some sad, and some… interesting. But the thing I love most about this school is how the teachers and students interact. Here, students really do want to be friends with their teachers, and both parties actively cultivate friendships in a healthy way.
Share a favorite book you read while you were a student at ICSB? And why did you like it?
One of my favorite books I’ve read at ICSB is “Skyward” (it’s the first in a series of four) by Brandon Sanderson. I don’t often prefer sci-fi media but the way that Skyward talks through friendship, trust, commitment, and trust is a dynamic and engaging reminder about some of the most important values we can have.
What has been the highlight of your senior year?
There have been many good moments, but I’ll forever be grateful for getting the chance to chat with Cami, Kayleigh, and Lydia in Outdoor Aerobic Fitness. The class might not be as much of a break as I wanted, but it’s worth it to learn about and talk to some of my favorite people at this school.
What are some of the ways you’ve grown since you first came to ICSB?
Since my family fled Ukraine to Hungary due to the second invasion, I have learned a lot by coming here. One of the most impactful things I’ve learned is that no matter the situation, God is in control. He put you here on Earth, right where you are, for a reason, and He will provide for you in every moment. “Good or bad, it’s the Plan of God.”
Will you be attending college next year?
No
What are your future plans?
Discipleship Training School with YWAM in Europe before attending Calvin University in 2027.
Cassie, first and foremost, I want you to know how deeply loved and valued you are. Your worth has never been based on what you can do, how much you can carry, or how well you can adapt. You are loved simply because you are you. My prayer is that you would always stay grounded in your identity as a child of God, secure in his love, and adaptable for what comes next, trusting that he will go before you.
Character.
Cassie, during your time at ICSB, I’ve watched you become someone who steps up with quiet strength, steady courage, and a generous heart. You came to this place as a freshman during a very difficult time, and even in a completely new environment, you brought a certain peace — humor, some might call it sarcasm — and openness. I still remember that first year, asking if you could check yearbook spreads for me so we could get the book to the printer. We were in crunch mode, and photos needed to be fixed and replaced. You jumped right in, no questions asked, navigating programs and pictures like you had been doing it for years. That small moment says so much about you. You are capable, dependable, and willing to serve even when everything around you is unfamiliar.
You are indeed a skillfully and finely tuned Swiss army knife — versatile, resourceful, adaptable, and quietly prepared. Able to meet many needs without drawing attention to yourself. Basically, you’re the secret weapon of any space you enter. Need a pair of scissors? I got you. Toothpick? Got it. Team photos? Easy. Faith that moves mountains? Done.
That is one of the beautiful things about you. You’re not adaptable because you are unsure of who you are. You’re adaptable because you are becoming more and more grounded in your identity in Christ. You adjust, learn, and step into new things because there is a steadiness in your character that runs deep. You also have a rare ability to look at any situation with wisdom, assess what is needed, and work hard so that others can thrive, not just you. You notice people. You make space for them. You bring strength without needing attention. You have shown a beautiful blend of steadiness and flexibility that will serve you well as you look to the future.
Challenge.
One of the clearest examples of this kind of purposeful adaptability comes from the Apostle Paul, who willingly shifted his approach depending on who he was with — not to lose himself, but to meet people exactly where they were. He remained rooted in who God called him to be while staying open to what each moment or person required. I see that same kind of strength growing in you. As you take your next steps, my challenge to you is this: hold tightly to who you are in Christ, especially when life feels uncertain, or when you are asked to step into unfamiliar territory. God has already shown you that he can use your calm presence, your thoughtful mind, your willing spirit in meaningful ways. Keep offering those gifts to him.
And, Cassie, please know this: I will always be here for you. I will be here to listen without judgment, to cheer you on, to remind you of who you are, and to encourage you whenever you need it.
God’s Blessing.
My prayer to you comes from 1 Corinthians 9:22-23: “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
Cassie, I pray that God uses the person he uniquely created you to be to open doors for his kingdom. I pray that he keeps reminding you who you are and whose you are. May he give you the grace to stay anchored in him when plans change — not because you have to figure everything out, but because you trust the one who is already leading you. May he give you courage for new beginnings, wisdom for each decision, peace through every transition, and confidence that he is already present in every place he calls you to go.
Some of the words I associate with you are friendly, fun, confident, and determined.
I remember watching you confidently stride across the stage in one of the opening scenes in Aladdin as a sixth grader in your princely costume. Even though almost all of the other main characters were eighth graders, that didn’t stop you from fully realizing your character on stage. You’re not afraid to stand out from the crowd, and that’s one of the things I admire about you.
While some students come to the last period of the day tired and complaining, you have a friendly smile and a cheerful hello when you come into class, and your positivity is like a breath of fresh air.
In band, I watched you tackle tenor saxophone as a sixth grader — not an easy feat for an eleven year old — and then come back from a year in Canada with determination to regain lost ground and play catch up with your class. Though you were nervous at first about playing the saxophone again, your hard work paid off, and you quickly caught up.
I pray for you as you move on to upper school, that you will continue to have the courage and determination to do hard things, and that you will stand up for Christ even when others around you aren’t doing so.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
A personal reflection from two people who see the hunger up close — and believe the Word is exactly what this continent needs.
We live here. We walk these streets, sit in these cafés, and have these conversations. And what we feel most days is a mixture of grief and hope that is hard to hold at the same time. Grief, because we can see what has been lost. Hope, because we can also see what is still possible — and we believe with everything in us that the Bible is at the center of it.
That is why we are here. Not as tourists to European Christianity, not as people observing from the outside, but as missionaries called to bring the Word of God to a continent that built so much of its civilization on it — and has quietly walked away from it. Every day we feel the weight of that calling, and every day we are more convinced it is the right one.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”— Romans 12:2
What we see around us are not just political or economic crises — though those are real enough. What we see is a spiritual crisis. People are searching for a framework to live by and coming up empty. And when the Church goes quiet, that emptiness does not stay. It fills — with consumerism that ties worth to possessions, with an individualism that strips away any sense of duty to one another, with outrage that looks like justice but has no love or real answers in it, with loneliness that gets sold to people as freedom. We see these things every week. They are not abstractions to us.
And that is exactly why teaching the Bible here feels so urgent. When we open the Scriptures with someone and watch something come alive in them — a sense of dignity, of direction, of being known and loved by a God who makes actual moral demands on us — we know this is our role in helping answer the challenge.
Maddy did her DTS in Lausanne a few years ago, then she went for some additional training with YWAM in a Bible school called the Discipleship Bible School. Since then, she has been serving at YWAM Lausanne in this same program and loving it! We also love it! Having other YWAMers in our family, here in Europe, is so much fun as every once in awhile, our paths cross!
That is what Kai told us today when he got home from school. 41 more days. I don’t know if that is specific school days left, but it is really hard to imagine that the end of this school year is coming up so fast, because it is the first time we will graduate one of our kids. Cassie’s class will have parties, celebrations, and even a class trip, all the while, her parents will celebrate with her, and mourn a little too!
What a great week teaching with my niece Isabel and it has been so much fun having Cassie here too! Thank you to YWAM King’s Lodge for letting us all come, join your Christmas parties, and teach the amazing Gospel of Matthew. Don’t worry, the boys at home are doing great. Look at that pizza that Jay made from scratch!
Nadja is a young, beautiful woman of the Lord who desires to see Germans discipled in God’s word. I taught in her pioneering School of Biblical Studies and asked her to share with me a tiny bit of her motivation for running this school.
I wanted to send a message of encouragement—Kai is doing a fabulous job in ELA and Bible. He is such a deep thinker and enthusiastic participant in every activity and discussion. He is currently leading his group’s project in Bible, showing his natural ability to organize and delegate. I am really enjoying getting to know him!
We were back in Canada and as I was singing some songs to Jesus, this idea popped in my head. How could I introduce people at home to the people we minister to? We always try a variety of methods to communicate, but this would be something a little bit different. Instead of long video updates, I would interview people that I teach with just a couple of questions. Keep the videos under 2-3 minutes, and let those who send us meet those we work with. So this was my first attempt. I still need to buy a tripod (my phone is balanced on a table) to hopefully get the angle and quality a little better, but still, this is start.
Enjoy! Ps. If you like this and would like to see more of them, you can subscribe to the playlist on youtube, or subscribe to this blog (on the right) and I will be posting them here. :)
There were many of you who gave to a love offering at our home church just before we left. That offering gave us the ability to:
restock our pantry
provide our landlord with the 2 months of the rent deposit that he needed
pay for the visa and registration documents we need to stay here in Budapest
be able to re-register our car to be able to use it here in Hungary
These were significant starting expenses that are not included in our monthly budget and we are grateful to each person who gave!
YWAM Kyiv incredibly continues to disciple and train young people in a nation that is regularly bombed almost daily.
Maybe overtime you have become so habituated to this thought that it doesn’t bring the same shock as it once did, but take some time to localize it to your own nation. Imagine you had a group of young people in your church that you had living in homes and coming together for classes everyday in discipleship, and at the same time, bombs, drones or missiles were being shot at your downtown, the nearby cities etc. What kind of strength and resilience would you need to keep your focus on the importance of God’s kingdom in the midst of it all? What kind of prayer support?
Well, at YWAM Kyiv, we have people from different nations, cultures, and backgrounds just starting this September—united in their desire to know God more deeply and make Him known.
We are so excited to see them walk together over the next months, and watch all that He will do in and through their lives. Please pray for them. Our family may not be physically in Kyiv at this time, but Ben and I still serve on the leadership team and our hearts are still deeply invested in this ministry.
Please pray for us and Ukraine over these next few weeks. We will be going to Ukraine October 23-27 for our YWAM Kyiv staff retreat and Leadership Team planning days.
Locally here in Budapest, Ben continues to serve at ICSB (International Christian School of Budapest). One of the best parts of his work is that he has relationships with almost every student from grade 3-8 because they all come through his classroom. If you add to that coaching Junior Varsity Volleyball, now that group includes Highschool boys.
All of these daily encounters are a part of impacting young people with God’s love. About 40% of the students are local Hungarians who are not usually from faith filled families, and the others are from countries as varied as Korea, China, Finland, Brazil, America, Canada, Bulgaria, etc. The influence that Ben has is extremely diverse and we would really appreciate your prayers!
Angela enjoys serving with YWAM Budapest as well as other international YWAM ministries. This past month has included a fun time of teaching the YWAM Budapest staff. It can be difficult, once a person starts working in full time ministry, to find time to allow yourself to grow, and to receive input. The YWAM leader here in Budapest recognized this and asked if I, along with two others, would be willing to take some time to teach on Tuesdays to the staff.
We have had a great time teaching so far! We have done one week of teaching the book of Titus (using the inductive method in a seminar format), one week on 3 great reasons to believe in God (apologetics), and these next few weeks will be on church history and heresies in the first 500 years.
We had a great visit from Uncle Charlie and Auntie Kathy (Ben’s mom’s sister). They were able to be in one of my sessions with the YWAM staff here and we asked her to tell us about her experience:
”While we were recently visiting Budapest, we were privileged to attend Angela’s teaching on the book of Titus. Her ability to connect with those attending the workshop was wonderful to watch. During her teaching, Angela never looked at notes; her knowledge of the book of Titus was obviously second nature to her. She involved the attendees utilizing the inductive Bible study method, with three key stages: observation, interpretation, and application. We personally learned so much from Angela’s teaching and plan to utilize this approach in our own future Bible Studies.”
We were SO glad to have them here!!
We’ll end this with a little update about the kids.
Cassie is enjoying her senior year! She is able to come home everyday for lunch, which is so nice for Angela to have her company! She is also in the middle of applying to many colleges – please pray for the right one to offer the best scholarships!
Jay is just loving being back in school and has really enjoyed the volleyball season so far. There are many weekend tournaments to come so pray for safety and health for his body.
Kai is at the top of the middle school (grade 8) so that is always fun. He is in the middle school musical called Seussical, and is right into the swing of things!
In a couple of weeks the kids will all have school retreats and then a fall break (which is when we will be going to Ukraine), so you can also pray for the fall retreat as that is a time when the kids really get a chance to get to know their friends in a deeper way, there is a speaker, and there are lots of games etc. Pray for each one of our kids to have a great time, and more importantly, for all of the kids in the school to meet Jesus in a personal way.
We were so blessed to have a visit from Auntie Kathy (Ben’s mom’s sister) and Uncle Charlie this past week! We were able to have them over for dinner, went on a city tour with them, and then they treated us to a delicious meal of Indian food and Gelati for dessert! YUM! It really is amazing how full of blessing our life is. When you have people who you love come and spend time with you, it means the world! They were even kind enough to come and sit in my teaching of the book of Titus to the YWAM Budapest staff.
The blessings didn’t stop there! Our friend from Ukraine came to spend a few more days with us. Vovka was in a DTS class that Angela taught back about 10 years ago and from there he decided to be a missionary using his gifts and talents in film making for Jesus. He met his sweet wife Yulia at YWAM Kyiv, and now they serve together!
On Saturday Ben drove to Ukraine with Vovka and he was able to get our car and bring it back here to Hungary. He was only gone one day, but he made it back very late Saturday night. Just in time to celebrate our 23 year anniversary on Sunday. We didn’t do anything particularly special, but we did get to spend it with our small group – these are all families that served in Ukraine before the war. Our kids all go to school together and we spend every second Sunday evening together. And of course, those beautiful roses grow in our yard, so…flowers for free!
We have been praying this blessing over our sweet daughter for years as she left for school, and we will continue to pray this over her during her final year at high school: “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 The best is yet to come!
We are in the airport, ready to head back to Budapest, Hungary. It has been an adventurous journey so far as our flight was cancelled from Montreal to Frankfurt. Thankfully the airline found and covered the stay in a dog friendly hotel, but we are hoping the rest of our flights today all go smooth.
It is always exciting to get back to our work – we truly love what we do as we teach the Bible and multiply Bible teachers. We love serving YWAM Kyiv, even if it is from a far. We’ve also really loved getting to know the YWAM Budapest community over the past few years and serving at the kid’s school (ICSB). Now that we are beginning our next 5 year term, we have all sorts of exciting goals, dreams and plans! We can’t wait to tell you the stories as they happen! But even though we are excited for getting back to our work, we leave Canada with heavy hearts…
On July 29 Ben’s mom passed from this life to the next. She was an incredible woman, beautiful in every way. She was a mom and grandma that served her family and demonstrated a deep, loving faith. At the celebration of her life, many stories were shared about how she would pray with people, encourage others and make special baking for each child and grandchild (she knew just what everyone loved!) If you knew her, you knew that she loved to laugh and her joy was contagious! We will deeply miss our mom and grandma, but we know it isn’t forever. We will see her again soon. We received so many notes, emails and cards of support from people. We are very grateful to each of you.
Sometimes life is very difficult and hard things happen one after another. It was on August 2 we found out the sad, unexpected news that Angela’s 3rd mom also passed into the arms of Jesus. Angela has been like a sister with her best friend Liza since she was 4 years old. She and Liza grew up next door and of course were at each other’s house everyday. Carolyn (Liza’s mom) always had hugs, love and unending patience for Angela and Liza and all their antics growing up. She was the one who drove Angela to church with the family starting in grade 6, she was the honoured speaker at Angela’s wedding shower, she always wrote emails to check in when Angela was overseas, and every night after a long day selling fruit (Angela’s job in the summers from age 14-22) she would have a warm meal at home waiting for Angela and Liza. It is so hard to imagine missing out on her hugs, but we are thankful she passed peacefully. We are sure that Ben’s Mom (who was a great friend of Carolyn) welcomed her to heaven.
Thankfully someone graciously and loving offered to fly Angela back from Budapest for the funeral and so she will be flying back to Winnipeg for Carolyn’s celebration of life.
Life is filled with unexpected events. This last term 2019-2025 was filled with many great people, fruitful moments and events. It was also one of the hardest of our lives. We’ve experienced the challenges of covid, losing Angela’s mom Colleen, being displaced because of war in Ukraine, losing Ben’s mom Sandra, and losing Angela’s 3rd mom, Carolyn. And yet, we have known the faithfulness of God through it all. The two songs that were sung as a congregation at Ben’s mom’s funeral were, ‘It is well’ and ‘Goodness of God.’ Both of these songs celebrate that even in difficult times, we can experience God’s faithfulness and comfort.
We invite you to pray for us over these next few weeks. We are going to be setting our next 5 year plan including projects, goals, budget etc. We are excited to tell you that so far we have most of the new monthly supporters we were hoping to add to our team this year but we need a few more. During this next season our kids will all be in high school, graduating, moving on to college and their futures as adults! There are many things to consider, not the least of which is the ongoing war being waged on our beloved Ukraine. We would love your prayers and if you have words of encouragement or advice you sense as you pray for us, please let us know.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our invitation to pray, listen and share :) Love Ben, Angela, Cassie, Jay and Kai
“But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.” We love this from the book of Acts 12:24 (a book describing the work of the Holy Spirit through the church right after Jesus rose from the dead). This is what we are trusting for our next term!
As we come to the end of this term, it is important to share with you what has been accomplished throughout these past 5 years, especially since you have financially supported us. It has been a term like no other, but we have seen God’s faithfulness in a way we can’t even express in words. In the book of Lamentations, the author has gone through a devastating experience, displacement, and the destruction of his beloved home, but he can still say, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
The life of the long-term missionary is really based on trust.
First, the missionary must trust that God will take care of them and their family, year after year. The missionary must also trust that the people that are back at home believe in the calling that God places on his church to ‘Go into all the world’ and that they also believe that some people have a unique calling to be sent beyond their own country’s borders. Missionaries must also trust that those same people will act on their beliefs and will financially support the people they are sending. Finally, the senders put a great degree of trust in the missionaries themselves since the senders are not there to oversee the work. We are so grateful for this wonderful gift of a trusting relationship, because it really shows forth the uniqueness of God’s kingdom and we believe brings him glory! He is trustworthy, and therefore, his kids walk that way too because we are made in His image. Nevertheless, as so many have done their part to send, we want to do our part to share a bit of the past five years. Although you haven’t been there in person, you can see that we are working hard for the kingdom and we are using our time and energy in a way that you can be confident in us. This email is a bit longer than others, but we hope you will take the time to read it, especially because the work we did was done by you as well as our partner.
2019 (September-December) – Our home assignment ended in August and we returned to Ukraine. We had many students in our Bible school and we were busy with teaching them through books of the Bible such as Chronicles, Nehemiah, multiple prophets, Mark and Romans. Our students graduated in December and most participated in Titus Project at the beginning of 2020.
2020 – The beginning months were very exciting – training 11 new Bible teachers! We love this because it multiplies our work – more Bible teachers who are not easily tossed about by ‘every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14)’ and are strengthening the body of Christ. We sent a team of teachers to the French speaking parts of Europe, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and we kept one team in Ukraine (which we led) to teach in churches and in our evening Bible school for professionals.
Obviously, in 2020, Covid began. We still chose to run our yearly Bible school and all the students came in just before restrictions began everywhere on travel. This was a very full year for us. While many places around the world slowed right down, our work just got busier. We had many students and teams coming to Ukraine because Ukraine was quite open, even throughout covid. Also, Ben was asked to help co-lead the base while our base leaders were on a 6-month furlough, he needed to help oversee a large building project, and as YWAM Kyiv, we also ran multiple courses beyond our Bible course. We ran out of classroom space, so our living room turned into a classroom for awhile.
2021 – Once again, the year began with Titus Project. We sent one team into Belarus and we kept two different teams in Ukraine. Our goal is always to have the teams teaching people how to study the Bible. It was very exciting because these teams had very fruitful outreaches and as we moved towards March, we could see that our Bible school that we run each year was receiving more applications than ever before. Our staff team was also growing very quickly. Our Bible teaching team alone was at 18 people (YWAM Kyiv had grown almost up to 50 fulltime staff), with new Bible teaching courses being pioneered. After a very full few years, we endeavored to get home to Canada for the summer, even with all the covid restrictions and quarantines. We were thankful that we did because while we were there Angela’s mother received the news that her cancer had returned and there would be no option of further treatment.
Instead of leaving in August as planned, we stayed until the end of the year. During that time, Angela’s mother passed away (October). It was a very hard time because Angela was so close to her mom. Of course Ben and the kids also went through so much grieving – Angela’s mom was such a wonderful, loving person to everyone, especially her family and grandkids. Some YWAM work did get done during those months. Angela wrote a book to help graduates from the Bible course that YWAM runs all over the world called After SBS and Ben finished another course towards his Biblical Studies degree. It was also a special time to be home with Angela’s dad and her brother’s family as everyone grieved together.
2022– Just after the New Year, our family returned to Kyiv, Ukraine. Russian troops were gathered around the border, but like most people, we didn’t believe a nation would really attack another nation right in Europe. We trained new Bible teachers in Kyiv with Titus Project like we do every January. We sent one team to Armenia and we kept a team in Ukraine. We were preparing for our largest Bible school yet, which was due to start in March, and we were also anticipating beginning a new course on Church History.
Everything changed on February 24. Our team in Armenia continued to teach for a few weeks, but found they were unable to really focus on teaching while worrying for the safety of their friends and family in Ukraine. Our team in Ukraine obviously was unable to continue (the churches in the area we were teaching all turned into rescue and refugee housing. Many of our staff gathered at the YWAM base to seek the Lord for safety and guidance. Our family went to nearby Romania for a month while we prayed and asked God what to do. He led us to Norway for 3 months, where our kids finished up school online and Ben joined a team there to teach 20 students how to study the Bible (the same course we run in Kyiv, but a 3-month version).
Angela began a new role for YWAM Kyiv in the area of communications, since this became very important due to the war. After the 3 months, taking much time to pray as a family, we decided to temporarily relocate to Budapest, Hungary. This enabled us to stay close to Ukraine, and we also had a great school there for the kids (International Christian School of Budapest – ICSB – a sister school to the one in Kyiv). Many of our children’s friends from Kyiv were in Budapest as well. Now it was Ben’s turn to take on a new role: Educational Technology teacher.
Despite the difficult circumstances we faced in 2022, we were still able to teach students from all over the world how to study the Bible. Angela pioneered a new Titus Project location in India where she was able to take a staff team and train 9 new Bible teachers. We continued to lead and support YWAM Kyiv with our work in administration (Ben), global communications (Angela) and team leading (off-site staff displaced during the war). Ben also helped disciple younger students as he taught part-time at the kid’s school, which helped reduce tuition costs.
2023- We began the year with our first trip back to Kyiv since the war began. We went for two main reasons: to meet as a leadership team for planning 2023, and to clean up our house in Kyiv so it could be used for hospitality. The time as a team was fruitful as we planned for ministry during wartime. There was very little electricity, so it was cold, but we were safe.
We returned to Budapest after a few weeks and Ben continued to teach at ICSB part time. During this year, Angela was able to teach the ‘Bible week’ in the Budapest Discipleship Training School. Ben also finished his last course for his bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries (with a focus on Biblical Studies) with the University of the Nations.
One of the teams of which Angela has been a part for about 10 years is a team of Bible department leaders in Europe that bring together YWAM Bible staff on our continent. The purpose for gathering everyone together is to encourage, serve, and equip one another. The trend away from a biblical worldview, even among Christians, can become discouraging, and so Angela helped to convene a gathering in Norway with over 40 in attendance.
A significant area that we developed in 2023 has been an approach to humanitarian aid work in Ukraine which we call ‘Waves of Hope.’ Each Wave of Hope is approximately 10 days. We bring in teams from all over to build homes, run kids’ camps, and share the gospel while praying for people. We built over 70 homes in 2023. Coordinating all the teams, translators etc. was a lot of work in communications (Angela develops all of the registration forms, builds the websites, manages the social media team and writes the newsletters).
Of course, our primary focus is still to teach the Bible and train up new Bible teachers. We continued to do this in many locations, including Quebec during a trip home to Canada in the summer. Angela helped develop an international team for Titus Project – our Bible teacher training program that currently works in over 15 locations around the world – this small team is responsible for curriculum updates and resources. Ben also became more involved in the kid’s school with moving into coaching basketball and volleyball for the middle school and high school boys.
2024 (January-June)
This year has been full as usual. We have done our best to continue to be involved and help with the work in Ukraine. We have been there to visit multiple times in the past few years for leadership team meetings, staff retreats and just to say hello. We took our children to visit Kyiv this spring so they could go through their things. This was their first time back home since the war began. It was good to be there all together. It was a bit emotional, but life-giving. We have also been Bible teaching in multiple locations, preached in our church here in Budapest, spoke at a lady’s outreach event for Hungarians, filmed Titus Project training videos, and helped run a new fundraising campaign called ‘Give a day for Ukraine.’
Now we are just over two weeks away from travelling back to Canada for our one-year home assignment. It is good to reflect on the work we have done, the people that we have served, the goodness of God. We understand this update was a bit longer than usual, with many more details. However, like we said at the beginning, we know that you are not here with us to see the many people’s faces we teach, the programs we run, the hours we spend in preparation, teaching, serving, working. We are so grateful for your trust, and we always want to do an excellent job communicating so that even though you are not here, you can be confident that we are being faithful to our calling as those who have been sent.
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. We previously sent out our plans for our home assignment in an email, but if you would like to revisit those plans and can’t find them, they are posted on our website.
As you can see, God has been so faithful to our family, faithful to the people we have served, and has definitely surrounded us with his loving kindness. We are really looking forward to a year in Canada and to the future ahead.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our work summarizing the last four years.
With love,
Ben and Angela (Cassie, Jay, and Kai)
Ps. Here is a list of most of the teaching topics that we have done during this past 4-year term (in a somewhat chronological order), in case you are curious:
• The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles
• The gospel of Mark
• The book of Romans (multiple times)
• How to prepare a teaching
• How to present a teaching
• How to teach creatively
• Cross cultural ministry
• How to study inductively (multiple times)
• The book of Philemon
• The book of Jonah
• The book of Genesis (multiple times)
• The book of Song of Songs
• The book of Ezra
• The book of Nehemiah (multiple times)
• The book of Ruth
• The book of Malachi (multiple times)
• Why can we trust the Bible is God’s Word?
• What happens to the church when people stop reading and studying the Bible?
• The book of Revelation (multiple times)
• An introduction to wisdom literature
• An overview of the Bible
• How to teach the Bible
• The book of Exodus
• An overview of worldviews
• The book of Job
• The problem of theodicy
• Pneumatology
• How to teach online
• How to work as a team
• Conflict resolution
• How to preach inductively (multiple times)
• How to study the prophets
• The book of Amos
• The book of Micah
• The book of Zechariah
• The book of Song of Songs
• Biblical wisdom with the tools of today and the future
o Robotics
o Digital citizenship
o Typing
o Coding
o Using AI responsibly
o Digital presentations
• Leading 1 hour times of intercession on:
o Business in Budapest
o People in the technology field
o Music and Film
o Unreached people (Sentinelese near India, Nuiqsut northern Alaska)
Titus Project is an international ministry (check out our website http://www.titusproject.com to see all of the locations) and in order to strengthen the different locations and their training, those of us who have been serving in the ministry a long time (including the founder) created a new international team this past year. There are just four of us on the team, and we gathered together in Taiwan last week to film different training video resources. This trip happened to fall right on Cassie’s 16th birthday, and since she was born there and we found cheap tickets, we decided it was a good time for her to see the land of her birth. Cassie and I (Angela) had a crazy experience trying to get there (including getting an emergency passport at the last moment in Vienna) but once we arrived it was a great time of making memories, showing Cassie the hospital where she was born, and of course filming many hours of videos. Amy and Michael (founders of Titus and our hosts) were so wonderful. Sonya Yakovenko and I are the other two members of the team, so we were busy with recording videos. Cassie was our amazing ‘audience.’ Amy and Michael also have 4 adult children and they joined in on the fun of being our live studio audience.
Please pray for them. Our family may not be physically in Kyiv at this time, but Ben and I still serve on the leadership team and our hearts are still deeply invested in this ministry.
Teaching Adventures 