Vienna, Austria

In 2016, Hillcrest began partnering with ongoing missions work in Vienna, Austria, to assist and convert refugees from the Middle East and Africa.  For a number of years, but especially starting in 2014 and 2015 as a result of unrest and war in Syria and Iraq, refugees have been streaming into Europe to find safety, work, and a new life.

Christians in Vienna and elsewhere have been assisting refugees from a number of countries, such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, Liberia, Sudan, and Cameroon.  This help has come in the form of food, clothes, mass transportation passes, sleeping bags, and importantly language training.  Most crucially, many refugees want to know why they are being helped, and want to know more about Jesus Christ.  A number have become Christians.

Through the advice of returning missionaries Larry and Pam Sullivan, who had served in Germany for more than 15 years, Hillcrest sent a former missionary to Vienna, Mariana Long, back to her former city in March.  She renewed former friendships and viewed the situation first-hand.

In addition, already at Hillcrest in 2015 a special collection had been held to purchase Bibles for the many refugees arriving in Europe.  Eastern European Missions printed 100,000 Bibles in Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu to distribute as needed by churches of Christ in Europe who are reaching out with humanitarian assistance and for Bible studies.  The $25,000 given by Hillcrest members provided 4,500 Bibles for Christians in Germany, Greece, and other parts of Europe to study with Syrian and other refugees.

Mariana Long recommended to the Missions Team that Hillcrest partner through workfund assistance for two of the long-serving Christians in Vienna, Reggy Hiller and Gerhard Krassnig.  Their house church ministry is very effective in sharing the love of God with refugees.

Reggy maintains a Facebook page where pictures of the work with refugees can be seen.  She is overseen by the Southwest Central Church of Christ in Houston.  Besides her own children, Reggy has fostered dozens of children over the years.  Gerhard is an engineer and is a graduate of Sunset School of Preaching.  A native Austrian, he and his wife have three children.  He is an active evangelist who has a servant’s heart, who like Reggy and other Austrian Christians want to strengthen existing congregations and plant new churches.

Hillcrest members have a number of ways they can be involved in the Austria mission work.  They can participate in Let’s Start Talking or World Wide Witness by taking a mission trip to Vienna, or organize some other form of campaign.  From Abilene, they can be involved in World Bible School lessons for persons in Europe, and can even be involved in long-distance language classes for refugees who need to learn German in order to stay in Austria and find employment.

Other congregations around the world are invited to join Hillcrest and the Austrian congregations in this outreach to refugees.