Peter Somogyi

Testimony:

   I was born into a family of Hungarian refugees to Canada, and was taken to church beginning when I was young.  I heard about God, had a Bible, and even memorized verses from it in Sunday School class.  I was considered a good, mild mannered kid.  In late childhood I had some problems getting along with kids at school and struggled to be accepted by some of my peers.  Although I knew of God and believed that he existed, I thought that He was to blame for some of these problems of mine, and did not understand how I could know Him personally.  As I entered my teen years,  I began to hang out with kids who had a bad influence on me.  They were the kind that would get into trouble, yet they would accept me if I went along with them, so I tried to gain their acceptance.  This lead me to take up some bad habits such as swearing and listening to heavy metal music.
   Although I attended Sunday school and church youth group during this time, I did not understand my need for salvation or how I could be saved.  At the age of 14 I began to listen to Christian radio programs in which the Bible was taught and the gospel was proclaimed.  After listening for a while I began to understand the Bible and, in particular, I was drawn to the lifestyle of the early Christians in the book of Acts, and desired to be like them.  After an invitation was given on the radio one day, I decided to receive Christ by praying right in my bedroom.  I later confirmed my decision at the church that I attended.  Soon after this I no longer felt a need to swear, and didn't have an attachment to rock music, or to the friends that I had before and their sinful activities.  Afterwards I was baptized in the local church.
   After attending university and obtaining a degree in Engineering, I began to work as a database programmer.  A pastor at my church encouraged me to go to the Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute, I enrolled and completed my studies in 1998.  During my stay in Hungary I realized the need to proclaim the gospel and start churches in the many towns and villages there which are without a Bible teaching local church.  So I decided to attend the School of Pastoral Ministries.  During this year of study I saw many people receive Christ, and many relationships were developed with those people.  I desire to serve the Lord in Hungary and have been doing so since 2000.  The Lord has used my background in Hungarian and my familiarity with that culture to further His work in Hungary.  I am currently a member of Willingdon Church in Burnaby, BC, Canada, which is also sending me out as a missionary with Word of Life Hungary.

Education:

B.A.Sc in Engineering Physics, University of British Columbia
Diploma, Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute
Diploma, Word of Life Hungary School of Pastoral Ministries

Hobbies / interests:

Computers

Work responsibilities:

IT Team / Database Co-ordinator

Favorite verse of scripture:

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD , who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.