"My visit in the US [May-June 1998] has been one of the most exciting travel experiences of my life, and probably the most demanding one... The main purpose of my visit: meeting and examining the youth structures of the American Unitarian Universalism. This gave me lots of new ideas and revolutionary vision about how to deal as a religious educator with the young people within the church. I've met many youth and young adult groups, drunk their words and songs, talked about my world, my youth, my religion, my home. And at GA , I experienced for the first time in my life a place where everything and everybody I met was Unitarian - an unknown situation in Transylvania.
"I was also interested in investigating the adult UU communities, especially those connected to Transylvania as partner churches. Preaching at the partner churches of my own congregation in Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfintul-Gheorghe - Memphis TN, Indianapolis IN, and Community Church in New York - I have learned a rule about how to approach the totally different life of American UU communities: do not copy, instead take over and adapt to the requirements of your own world everything you think is positive and constructive.
"On my way home from Boston, I attended the European Conference of the International Association for Religious Freedom in Bad Boll, Germany. I arrived home at the beginning of July and jumped right into the middle of the summer programs of the FDUYA.
Although I had already missed the camp for the Unitarian children living in the diaspora, I didn't miss preparations for the visit of six American UU young people who came on behalf of YRUU and UUYAN to visit us and do basically what I had done in the US: show and tell how we are, live, pray, what we do with our lives. They spent two fabulous weeks among us, attending the national leadership training organized for our local youth group leaders.
"In July I took nine people with me to the 1998 conference of the International Religious Fellowship (IRF) in England and was reelected as president. The main youth event of the season was the 23rd national conference of Unitarian youth in Transylvania, this year organized at a fabulous village environment in Bölön. There were 400 young people present; 3 of them from Seattle WA visiting their partner church.
"After a full and exhausting youth summer, I began an even more strenuous fall, becoming interim minister in Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfintul-Gheorghe after the retirement on September 1 of Rev. Áron Török, senior minister, after 47 years of ministry to a congregation of almost 4000 members.
"I hope that the moral crisis in US politics hasn't disturbed your life too much, and that you are not too angry with your poor president. I think of you with love and gratefulness, and hope to have the chance to host you in Transylvania whenever you come over here, and return your kindness and hospitality."