National Pride

One of the things I love most about the Hungarian people is their pride in their country. This past Sunday was the anniversary of the 1848 Revolution. There are two major revolutions that are commemorated in Hungary. March 15th and October 23rd (1956 Revolution). On both of these holidays I have had the privilege to watch people come and celebrate their history. Even in my little town of Diosd there was a crowd of people surrounding one the main statues in town. They had a little ceremony and then surrounded the place with little Hungarian flags, flowers and ribbons. I think every person I walked by on Sunday had a little Hungarian flag pinned to their lapel. I appreciate the fact that in spite of their often sad history, they richly celebrate the good times!

Well...

...Here I am trying to blog again. I have recently received some comments regarding my lack of blogging. I don't know why? It's only been a....few months? Yeah. I know. Ridiculous. I have a friend here in Hungary who actually blogs once or twice a week. Impressive. I am taking notes to see how she does it. Maybe I can learn something. So, things here have been hectic, but good. We had musical tryouts in the high school. I am really looking forward to working with the kids. It should be a fun show (we are doing Bye Bye Birdie). There are also two Chicagoans visiting. My friend Anna Levon and my friend Hannah's brother Jake. It has been a fun week exploring Budapest with them. I think I have seen more of Hungary in the last few days than I have in all the months since I have been here. I will post pics when I can. Jake is a professional photographer so I didn't even bother attempting to take any pictures. Also, I have been thinking and praying a lot for little Harry Cleland. He has been in the hospital for almost two weeks now and it just grieves me to not be there. Not that I would be any help, but it is amazing how much more you can miss someone when they are not in good health. Please be praying for him and his family. That is all for now. Here's to me changing my poor blogging habits!

Auschwitz Thanksgiving

This past weekend we visited Krakow, Poland for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a wonderful city with a lot of history. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps. Ironically enough our tour guide was from Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is hard to comprehend the atrocities that happened at these two camps. It truly reveals the depths of our fallen nature. After spending the day there, I began reflecting on what I learned and how that relates to thankfulness. We often talk about Hitler and are stunned at the things one human can be capable of. It does however beg the question of how could we as a people be capable of crucifying the Son of God? I am truly saddened at what happened to the Jewish people, Roma and so many more during WWII, but does my sorrow somehow make me a better person? I think the answer is no. I am still a sinner who struggles every day against the same flesh Hitler gave in to. I still grieve the heart of God. There is however one major difference. I am saved by grace. While I consider the things that happen as a result of sin, I am thankful for being set free from the power that evil has over me. The entrance to the gate at Auschwitz says "work makes you free" in German. How wrong that is. It was not an easy thing to walk where so many died and to learn about the unimaginable pain of others, but it has once again reminded me of all I have to be thankful for.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Two Questions

There are two questions I get asked by almost every Hungarian I meet. The first is why Hungary? They always seem to be astounded by the fact that I chose to come to Budapest out of all the places I could have gone. It has turned out to be a great opportunity to share how the Lord called me to be here. The second question I frequently get asked is How do I like Budapest and why do I like Budapest? This one always makes me laugh. People are genuinely perplexed about my liking this city and its people. So, I thought I would share why I like it here so much. First and foremost is the people. While Hungary has a sad history, I find the people to be happy and kind. They have been above and beyond understanding with my serious lack of Hungarian speaking skills. I have often found people who try to help me learn the correct phrases and pronunciation. I also love the way Hungarians speak their language. They are very lively and animated in their language. Finally, they are open to the gospel. Last week we did an outreach on a college campus in Budapest. We shared with them about American Thanksgiving and all the Lord has given us to be thankful for. It was such a blessing to watch them try American food, practice their English and ask questions about the Lord. They took no offenses at our open sharing about the Lord and they asked thoughtful, challenging questions. It was an experience that continued to solidify my love and appreciation for this beautiful city and its people.

Korean Dinner

Last Saturday the Korean families from our school cooked dinner for all the staff and their families. What a wonderful blessing from the Lord. We all came together for some excellent food and fellowship in the school cafeteria. I can't remember the last time I saw that much food! As soon as I upload the pictures I will post them. I am so thankful for the many ICSB parents who bless us. Not only do they so often cook for us and give of their time to school functions, but they are so kind in continually encouraging and thanking ICSB teachers and staff. I am truly humbled by the grace of so many of our parents!

Coffee Haz and Outreach

So, I have been here three months already, and I am continually amazed by the heart for service and evangelism so many of the students have. There is a group of kids that have been going into the city almost every weekend doing a drama and sharing the gospel. They are on fire for God and excited to share their story and His story. Here is a link to a video of the drama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z0iwwLx99Q
Also, last week StuCo (Student Council) put on a fundraiser for a charity that seeks to end human trafficking (Love146 and IGM). They titled it Loose Change to Loosen Chains and had classes and staff compete by putting loose change in jars. The staff naturally won :) At the end of the week, there was a coffee house to raise additional money. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and it was great to see the kids so excited about giving!
Here is one more post about the orphanage trips we do a few times a year through the outreach team:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlAB9YD0WXI

Croatia

We had a holiday a few weeks ago and we had a nice long weekend so a few of the other teachers and I went to Dubrovnik, Croatia. We thought it was about a 6 or 7 hour ride, so we rented a car (let's just say I had a "trial by fire" experience driving stick shift through the worst traffic in downtown Budapest ever!!!) and took off for the Adriatic coast. Eleven hours later, we arrived at our destination. It was a long drive, but worth the trip. We stayed inside the city walls of Dubrovnik and it was amazing! We spent a lot of time sitting by the see and chatting and reading. We also walked the city walls, which was quite fun. Here are a few pictures to help you get an idea of our adventures!

Walking the city walls...some of the islands

Beautiful!

An old canon

Still beautiful...

The girls: Me, Kacie, Emily and Hannah