With great excitement and curiosity, the large group of 135 people set off for the Erasmus-days held from October 22-24, 2024. Three buses awaited the travelers, who were distributed in a surprising manner. Thus, for some, the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone presented itself right from the start. The journey, lasting more than five hours, contributed not only to the numbness of limbs but also helped the soul prepare and arrive. Although in 2024 we like to fly from Marosvásárhely / Târgu-Mureș to Budapest in 40 minutes, the bus trip also has its charm: the opportunity for long conversations and gazing at the autumn-clad landscape.

The House of Reconciliation in Berekfürdő (the conference and retreat center of the Reformed Church in Hungary) hosted the event.

As the first program point of the series of events, students on Erasmus mobility shared their academic and professional experiences, aiming to convince participants to actively take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus program, visit other institutions, and expand scientific and professional knowledge.

Following the Erasmus reports, three lectures formed the backbone of the further program, interwoven with devotions, communal meals, breaks, free-time programs, and late-night conversations.

Our speakers were all ministers experienced in youth work: Ágota Harmathy and András Bölcsföldi, spiritual leaders of the Faculty of Theology at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, and Áron Ablonczy, Youth Builder of the Reformed Church in Hungary and minister of the Reformed Congregation in Diósd (incidentally, all of them are partner institutions of the PTI Erasmus programs). Their lectures covered the appearance of male and female principles in pastoral service (Ágota Harmathy), the uncertainty experienced during preparation for the pastoral vocation (András Bölcsföldi) and the possibilities of youth mission in a secularising society (Áron Ablonczy).

To process the lectures, participants could try three different formats of interaction. The first lecture’s topic was unravelled together with the general audience, the second was deepened with a meditative form (using a short story, poem, picture, or film excerpt), and the third was discussed in small groups of 6-7 people, exchanging ideas together in sessions of 5-10 minutes.

The communal meals were special occasions for togetherness. We had the opportunity to join different table groups six times, getting to know each other better.

The group arrived home filled with many impulses. The event was mostly concluded with the mood of "this has never happened before", "it went all very well", "let’s continue this". With God’s help: this is indeed to be continued.

Thank you very much to the Erasmus program and the organisers!