38 International Hungary For History Students gain international perspective on history, culture and faith in Debrecen, Hungary. BESTIES FOR THE RESTIES In front of the Tiszavirág bridge, seniors Eva Malsa and Theo Westbrook, Junio Mathias Thompson, and graduate student Derek Yingling pose for a picture. The bridge is located in Szolnok, Hungary and was one of the many landmarks the group saw on their trip. Photo courtesy of Eva Malsam In summer 2022, professor of Bible and Ministry and director of the Center of Distance Education Tim Westbrook was able to coordinate with the University of Debrecen in Debrecen, Hungary to take part in their summer school program. With the collaboration of grant money from the University of Debrecen and Harding’s Ganus Fund, senior, Eva Malsam, junior Mathias Thompson and master’s student Derek Yingling were able to participate in a two-week study abroad program in the summer of 2024 at the Debrecen Summer School. Malsam, a Bible and Ministry major, spoke about the trip. “Experiences at Harding, such as studying abroad in Greece in the fall of 2022, as well as some of the missions classes I have taken, have deepened my interest in other cultures and meeting new people,” Malsam said. “At the same time, my own faith has grown immensely at Harding, and with it, my desire to glorify God in spreading the gospel, including in a cross-cultural context. In my eyes, Hungary was a great opportunity to practice this ministry.” At the start of each week, the summer school hosted an on-campus folk night where the students tried Hungarian food, sang folk songs and learned traditional Hungarian dances. The students ate traditional Hungarian food at the campus dining hall. Meal times gave the students opportunities to meet and fellowship with other summer school students who came from parts of Europe and Asia. The summer classes took place from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm with various breaks. Some classes would be in a classroom and some would be activity-oriented, which allowed students to travel to historical sites or significant memorials. Malsam, Thompson and Yingling enrolled in a class called “The Story of East Central Europe,” which was taught by a Hungarian professor at the university. The professor lived through much of the history that was taught in the course, so he was able to provide a unique, primary perspective. Thompson, a history major, found the topics particularly engaging compared to learning from a strictly American perspective. “[The class] gave me a matter of perspective because oftentimes we receive the narrative of what happened during wars or in the modern period, during those times, in those cases, from an American or from a NATO point of view,” Thompson said. Malsam also noted the impact the new perspective had on her learning experience. “I have spent so much of my school years learning about these events, but always from an American perspective,” Malsam said. “It was fascinating to learn about these events from the perspective of someone whose family was there, whose life was drastically affected by the events we often read about in school.” Westbrook hoped to continue the program and open the availability up to anyone in need of a Bible class credit. “This particular opportunity is more of a classical international study experience,” Westbrook said. “Even though it is a concentrated academic experience for two weeks, it is a very holistic experience. It’s a very eye-opening experience getting to know people from all over the world who are also taking this class or students at this school. We hope that when we take Harding someplace else, we are sharing light and taking our Christian education on the road and making an impact as we go.” Written by Randi Tubbs
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