A Word from the Faith Bible Seminary Team: Mónika Rákossy graduated from Faith Bible Seminary’s MABC (MA in Biblical Counseling) in 2016. Mónika serves as the Dean of Women at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary near Budapest. The mission of WOL Hungary is the evangelism and discipleship of the youth of Hungary and Central Europe through means consistent with the Bible, for the building up and strengthening Christ’s Church—with excellence, with enthusiasm, with integrity, and with a servant’s heart.
Dreams Do Come True
When I started my ministry as the Dean of Women at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Hungary, my only training in counseling was a mini-course and two weeks of counseling classes as a student in the Bible school. The door that God opened for me to study biblical counseling at Faith Bible Seminary in their MABC was an answer to six years of prayers. I am so thankful for the opportunity!
This FBS MABC program has been one of the greatest adventures of my life. It has been a blessing in my personal life and I love passing on the things we learned to the ladies around me. I see God’s transforming power again and again.
It is a privilege to encourage and disciple young women from all over the world who come to study God’s Word. This year we had 70 students from 15 different nationalities.
Disciples in-the-Making
It is hard to believe that another school year is over! On June 1st our Bible Institute in Hungary celebrated God’s faithfulness on our graduation for the 24th time since the opening of the school. I can’t even express how much I have learned over these months and what a blessing it was to watch the students grow!
I usually start the year with talking about the Idols of the Heart—and I use my homework from Dr. Brent Aucoin’s MABC class, Methods of Biblical Change. The time spent on that project was surely a great investment! My toolbox is full with valuable materials from all my classes and it has been a great foundation I can always go back to and add to.
As I was sharing with the ladies for the last time on a devotional, my challenge for them was to keep walking with God. I don’t know what the future holds for them, but it will not always be easy. We all face challenges. What can we do when we find ourselves in the storms of life? We fix our eyes on Jesus. We look up to Him, we hold on to Him, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), keeping eternity in sight.
Why Do I Do the Things I Do?
Familiar question, right? What is my motivation? What am I believing? Why am I choosing what I’m choosing?
During this past year I struggled quite a bit both physically and spiritually. On our staff retreat, I took a walk one day and I took the picture below. The roots reminded me right away of the “Three Trees Model.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 came to my mind:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
It did seem like a year of drought in many aspects. I learned so much about abiding in Him and resting in Him. I need to keep reminding myself that God is in perfect control of the world and He wants my total dependence on Him. I thank God for my leaders who allowed me to take a six weeks sabbatical this summer. I look forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to talk to me and guide me before we start the new school year in September.
Equipping Others
As we are preparing for the next school year, in preparation for training student leaders at our school, I’ve been re-reading Dr. Bob Kellemen’s book, Gospel Conversations: How to Care Like Christ that we use in our MABC program at FBS. Since I graduated from FBS in 2016, I had opportunities not only to counsel others, but also to train others in biblical counseling.
At the beginning of each school year we have a training for all those students, who would like to be leaders (RAs) in the dorms. This is always a great time of growth and challenge. It helps me review again and again all the things I was taught, to keep learning and help equip others to be involved in each other’s lives.
I am so thankful that God brought me to FBS! My training has been truly a blessing in preparing me to serve Him more equipped in this tiny little country in the heart of Europe.
Learn More About Our Equipping Ministry
If you would like to hear more about our ministry you can check our website here in English, or here in Hungarian, and sign up for my newsletter here, and visit WOL International here.
