From Hungary to New Zealand: How the Lord is Moving Through iEDGE

A few years ago, Sabrina Tuell was discipling her friend Michelle Kuwahara while serving in San Diego with a program called EDGE Corps (a Navigator campus internship program for post graduates). Sabrina prayed that Michelle would catch the vision of what it means to share her faith with others.

Now, Sabrina and Michelle’s hearts have multiplied on a global scale, moving the gospel to another generation of disciplemakers. The two friends moved overseas in 2022 on staff with iEDGE (international EDGE Corps) to boldly step into the unknown and disciple college students abroad — in Budapest, New Zealand, and beyond.

Sabrina: iEDGE in Budapest, Hungary

For Sabrina, it felt natural that she would one day do ministry across the world. With a mother from Thailand, she was always curious to learn more about other cultures, and a trip to the Philippines in college was a defining moment when she decided to go all in for Christ.

After serving on EDGE Corps at the University of California, San Diego for a couple years, she felt that the Lord was calling her to join iEDGE. Though she originally expected to go to Asia because of her background, she was surprised that she felt led to go to Hungary instead.

“I didn’t think Hungary was where I was going to go, but it made more and more sense,” she remembers. “Hungary is predominantly atheist with a deep avoidance of religion, and that’s similar to my background. I felt like the Lord was telling me that this is where I was supposed to go.”

Sabrina started her work in Budapest in November of 2022, and she has spent the past two years organizing student events, growing in her own walk with the Lord, and intentionally meeting students for Life-to-Life^® discipleship.

One student that Sabrina has built a trusting relationship with is Sera*. Sera was invited into The Navigators high school community in Budapest, where she first became a believer after attending a summer camp. When Sabrina arrived at Budapest, the two clicked instantly.

As Sabrina has discipled Sera, she’s been encouraged by how much Sera has grown in her faith. From praying out loud for the first time at a retreat to reading the Bible consistently and memorizing Scripture, Sera has grown into a believer who is ready and willing to share her faith with others.

“She’s continued to invite her brother into the community, and now he’s a big part of the group and is slowly starting to come to faith as well,” Sabrina says. “She’s catching the vision for disciplemaking, which is the first time we’re really seeing that in our unique community.”

Michelle: iEDGE in New Zealand

When Michelle was graduating college, she was dead set on going straight to graduate school to get her degree in speech therapy. However, God had another path for her.

“He was softening my heart to the idea of doing ministry, laying down my plans I had for so long,” she recalls. “Before then, I had realized that I never asked God what He wanted me to do after college, and iEDGE is where He led me.”

As Michelle considered where she wanted to go overseas, she felt called to New Zealand because of what she had learned about its culture — that it is easy for Kiwis to not share their emotions and stay on the surface — and related to that mentality as something she struggled with in the past.

“Growing up, I stuffed my emotions,” she says. “But then I learned how to be open and vulnerable, and when I invited God into that, I experienced gospel transformation in my life. That’s what drew me to New Zealand, feeling like God could use me and my story to impact students here.”

Having lived in New Zealand since December 2022, she can now see how the Lord has used her to impact students’ lives, from hosting Bible studies to cooking for events to discipling other women like Becka*.

Michelle first met Becka through a New Zealand EDGEr. As Michelle met with Becka, she could sense that Becka was curious but hesitant about faith. However, throughout their discussions, Michelle has seen the Lord slowly start to work in Becka’s heart.

“She thought she was beyond salvation,” Michelle says. “We’ve been working through that, and she is starting to realize that she doesn’t have to be all put together in order for God to meet her where she’s at. She’s started to identify that God is the answer to her deepest fears and anxieties.”

Though Becka is still on her journey to knowing Christ, she has come a long way from believing that she doesn’t need God to now considering what it would look like to give her life to Him. For Michelle, Becka’s story and growth is a testament to God’s faithfulness and timing.

“God has been faithful to answer the prayers I had coming in, desiring my girls to be vulnerable with me and seeing the gospel move in their lives,” she says. “Sometimes it feels like I’m stepping off a ledge, and I can’t really see where He’s leading. But instead of a big ravine, His hand is right there, carrying me.”

You can join us in praying for Sabrina and Michelle’s ministries as they continue to further the gospel in Hungary and New Zealand, that the Lord continues to soften hearts and grow up disciplemakers to the ends of the earth.

*Names changed for privacy

Discipleship Tip:

Both Sabrina and Michelle listened carefully to where the Lord was calling them to go, and then they obeyed. Think — how have you been listening to the Lord lately? Do you feel like He is calling you to new places or people, or asking you to be present where you are? Take a moment to be still and intentionally listen to how God may be moving in your life.