We're Moving to Budapest!

As some of you know our ministry Hope Dies Last has wanted to move to a more strategic location for some time now. Over the last few months we've been exploring what that looks like and praying about a few different possibilities.  As we went to visit the regional leadership of Ywam Central Europe seeking their wisdom, our eyes began to open to the potential that the city of Budapest held.

Moving to Budapest, our ministry will be working directly under the YWAM Central European office. We are excited to be able to work with a team that is focused on an entire region. As a ministry focusing on the issue of Human Trafficking in the field of Europe, this represents a move upstream towards the problem. In Red-light districts in Western Europe and Germany, anywhere from 60-80% of the women working there are from Central and Eastern Europe. Moving to Budapest puts us in a geographically strategic location, with easy, and affordable, accessibility to everywhere else in Central and Eastern Europe. Working with a regionally focused office also puts us a step up on our ability to network within the region. As we continue this work, relationships with the people working throughout these fifteen countries is critical. (Central Europe consists of fifteen countries including, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Slovakia) 

While Budapest represents a strategic step in our regional work, it is also a "livable city" that we see ourselves planting roots in as we pursue our long term goals for the region. In addition, when we are "home" Budapest also possesses ample opportunity for constant local outreach: it has its own red-light areas, homeless and gypsy population. 

Over the next few years we are planning to continue to work with front line trafficking ministries within the region. But another passion that we have at Hope Dies Last, is to facilitate and equip those on the ground to engage in ministry in the areas of sexual exploitation. We hope in the coming season: to develop media packets, to equip teams on the ground to set up prevention programs, and to facilitate training to help people engage with ministry in areas of prostitution. A project we are currently developing is a booklet similar to the Jesus Loves PornStars Bible put out by XXXchurch. Our hope is to come out with a booklet including: large portions of the Bible, testimonies from former pimps and women working in prostitution, and other additional content in all of the main European languages. This will serve as a tool custom tailored to bring the gospel to the men and women involved in the sex trade throughout the field of Europe.  

Please stand with me in prayer or even financial support as our team prepares for this move. 

Transitioning to a larger city, I am expecting my basic expenses will increase, but also we will likely be traveling within the region quite frequently. 

Also please pray for the move itself that the timing of moving out and finding new housing would work out smoothly. Our whole team is hoping to live fairly close to one another within the city. 

Also be in prayer as we continue with the development of our Bible project, and that God would continue to inspire us as we pull this ministry tool together!