23 Apr 2025, 13:43Dr Mandela Thyoka
Silent Witnesses in Budapest
The Trans-European Division (TED) finals of the Adventurer and Pathfinder Bible Experience (ABE & PBE), held in Budapest, Hungary on Sabbath 12 April 2025, brought together the crème de la crème of Bible students—eager hearts and sharp minds gathered for the highest level of Bible testing. The British Union Conference fielded the largest contingent of teams, but it was also heartening to see teams from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and even as far afield as Kenya.
Our team, the Doncaster Doves Bible Adventurers, departed from Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the early hours of Friday morning, giving us a full day to discover the rich beauty of Budapest. Upon arrival at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport—named after the renowned Hungarian composer—we were warmly greeted by a friendly driver who escorted us via minibus to our apartments in the city centre.
Founded in 1873 through the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest, the city is home to over 2 million people and is split by the majestic Danube—Europe’s second-longest river. It was a natural choice to begin our exploration with a visit to the iconic Parliament of Budapest, an architectural jewel that sits proudly on the banks of the Danube. To make the most of our time, we purchased the 72-hour Budapest travel card, giving us unlimited access to the BKK public transport network—an impressively efficient system of metro trains, trams, trolleybuses and buses that cover every corner of the capital.
One of the highlights for our young adventurers was MiniPolisz, an interactive playhouse in the heart of the city. Designed for children and their families, MiniPolisz invites young ones to step into adult roles—becoming cashiers, mechanics, bankers, or even world stars. With the guidance of kind, expert staff, our children experienced the joy of hands-on learning, from fire safety and fuel pumping to grocery shopping and waste collection. The day closed with a final hour of revision—our team’s way of ensuring readiness for the Sabbath test.
Sabbath morning began with another early start as we travelled from the flat, bustling streets of Pest to the peaceful, hilly Buda side. The journey to our testing centre—Europa Event—via tram and bus took us through scenic landscapes, offering sweeping vistas and a refreshing contrast to the urban intensity of Pest. Buda’s historic buildings and green spaces lent a quiet dignity to the day’s mission.
The team performed exceptionally well during the Bible testing, missing only a single mark. Only two teams—Slough and Newcastle—achieved a perfect score of 100%. We celebrated our team's success with a meal at Trófea Grill Restaurant, located in central Budapest. En route, a fellow passenger on the 22A bus recognised our Adventurer Class A uniforms and joyfully revealed she had just returned from church. Her excitement at meeting fellow Adventists far from home reminded us of the worldwide family we belong to.
After dinner, we enjoyed a serene cruise on the Danube, ending our Sabbath with a short vespers service on the riverside. Singing choruses in the open air brought joy not only to us but also to onlookers—especially one woman who, deeply moved by our rendition of “With Jesus in the vessel we can smile at the storm,” stepped forward to hug each member of the team. In that moment, we became silent witnesses for Christ in the heart of Hungary.
Our journey ended with a 3:00 am transfer to the airport, weary yet inspired. We now take a well-deserved break from the intensity of Bible Experience preparations, already looking forward to next year’s finals in Poland, April 2026.
The Trans-European Division (TED) finals of the Adventurer and Pathfinder Bible Experience (ABE & PBE), held in Budapest, Hungary on Sabbath 12 April 2025, brought together the crème de la crème of Bible students—eager hearts and sharp minds gathered for the highest level of Bible testing. The British Union Conference fielded the largest contingent of teams, but it was also heartening to see teams from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and even as far afield as Kenya.
Our team, the Doncaster Doves Bible Adventurers, departed from Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the early hours of Friday morning, giving us a full day to discover the rich beauty of Budapest. Upon arrival at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport—named after the renowned Hungarian composer—we were warmly greeted by a friendly driver who escorted us via minibus to our apartments in the city centre.
Founded in 1873 through the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest, the city is home to over 2 million people and is split by the majestic Danube—Europe’s second-longest river. It was a natural choice to begin our exploration with a visit to the iconic Parliament of Budapest, an architectural jewel that sits proudly on the banks of the Danube. To make the most of our time, we purchased the 72-hour Budapest travel card, giving us unlimited access to the BKK public transport network—an impressively efficient system of metro trains, trams, trolleybuses and buses that cover every corner of the capital.
One of the highlights for our young adventurers was MiniPolisz, an interactive playhouse in the heart of the city. Designed for children and their families, MiniPolisz invites young ones to step into adult roles—becoming cashiers, mechanics, bankers, or even world stars. With the guidance of kind, expert staff, our children experienced the joy of hands-on learning, from fire safety and fuel pumping to grocery shopping and waste collection. The day closed with a final hour of revision—our team’s way of ensuring readiness for the Sabbath test.
Sabbath morning began with another early start as we travelled from the flat, bustling streets of Pest to the peaceful, hilly Buda side. The journey to our testing centre—Europa Event—via tram and bus took us through scenic landscapes, offering sweeping vistas and a refreshing contrast to the urban intensity of Pest. Buda’s historic buildings and green spaces lent a quiet dignity to the day’s mission.
The team performed exceptionally well during the Bible testing, missing only a single mark. Only two teams—Slough and Newcastle—achieved a perfect score of 100%. We celebrated our team's success with a meal at Trófea Grill Restaurant, located in central Budapest. En route, a fellow passenger on the 22A bus recognised our Adventurer Class A uniforms and joyfully revealed she had just returned from church. Her excitement at meeting fellow Adventists far from home reminded us of the worldwide family we belong to.
After dinner, we enjoyed a serene cruise on the Danube, ending our Sabbath with a short vespers service on the riverside. Singing choruses in the open air brought joy not only to us but also to onlookers—especially one woman who, deeply moved by our rendition of “With Jesus in the vessel we can smile at the storm,” stepped forward to hug each member of the team. In that moment, we became silent witnesses for Christ in the heart of Hungary.
Our journey ended with a 3:00 am transfer to the airport, weary yet inspired. We now take a well-deserved break from the intensity of Bible Experience preparations, already looking forward to next year’s finals in Poland, April 2026.
