Date With Daddy

In the middle of changes, stress, and lots of new things, it has been important to us to keep special routines as a family. Church on Sunday, prayer and Bible story at bedtime, daily meals together, Friday pizza night, and reading books together everyday are some of the routines that we have. Another tradition we have started is "dating" each child, by themselves. Sometimes the date is planned, and sometimes it is spontaneous. This week our oldest daughter went with Dad on a trip to the store and she decided they needed to go to the sukrazda for a date! She ordered chocolate ice cream and Dad had coffee. She was beaming when she got home and announced to everyone where she had been!

Small Success

Our last visit to our local park was a great step forward in building relationships. Our children actually played with the other Hungarian children and spoke in Hungarian! We have visited this park many times before, but this was the first time they were brave enough to use their language skills. Our oldest son told the children, "I am a big bug!" as he chased them all over the playground. The girls also enjoyed telling this little boy and girl in the photo their names, and sharing our snacks with them.

What we saw today

This is what we saw en route to language class today. A different mode of transportation (mule & wagon), a field of sunflowers beginning to open, and of course our favorite yellow bus!

The Cellar Restaurant

For my 38th birthday Monte took me to The Cellar, a beautiful restaurant in a real and very old cellar, where mushrooms used to be stored. The food was delicious!

Daily Bread

"Give us our daily bread." Matthew 6:9-13
I have been doing lots of things I never thought I could do, and baking bread by hand is one of them. Whole wheat bread is hard to find in the stores so I decided to start making my own. The bread in the stores is baked fresh everyday, and is only fresh the day you buy it. One really needs to buy a new loaf daily. Who wants to eat stale bread? This brings new meaning to the above verse - we need daily bread! Yesterday's bread isn't good enough for today. And Jesus wasn't only talking about bread for your stomach. Jesus gives renewal daily. Enjoy God's provision for today, stop worrying about tomorrow. Don't try to live on stale bread.

Summer Harvest

Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, almonds, walnuts, grape vines, and lots of vegetables. This land is rich in all kinds of produce. We are really enjoying all the delicious fruits that are grown here. We have never seen many of these actually growing on the tree until we moved here!! Our oldest son is holding what must be the world's largest zucchini. We met some new neighbors, Istvan & Eva, and they generously shared these vegetables with us that the kids are holding. We had a great Hungarian conversation with them and made some new friends.
We ask ourselves what kind of fruit are we bearing? Any, some, much...? We realize everyday how dependent we are on HIM for everything. Oh yes, one can survive easily without the daily walk with Christ. But there's more to life than just survival - there's bearing fruit.
"I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears MUCH fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

The Road to Language

We are taking private language lessons in our teacher's home. This is one of the paths we walk down after getting off the bus.
It has been quite a lesson in learning how to ride the public transport here. Sometimes the bus comes 10 minutes early! The buses have different schedules for different kinds of days. There are few sidewalks in our area of town. Once we missed getting off the bus at our stop (you have to push a button for the bus to stop and open the doors) and had to walk the distance from the extra stop. Some buses let you buy a ticket from the driver, some don't. And whatever you do, don't sit in the back of the bus unless you really like the bumps! This bus photo was taken in February, it's not snowing now:)

Care Package

Yeah! We got mail! Thanks for the new dresses! We loved the care package.

Rest and Relaxation

Our stay on Evia Island, Greece was a blessing from God. We met with our colleagues for fellowship and had some great times worshipping our Lord together. The children had an incredible "Boomerang Express" VBS and loved being with their English speaking friends again. The group of volunteers who came from America were wonderful to give of their time and resources. We appreciate all that they did. 

On the Airplane, June 21

"Thank you for praying for me on the plane ride to Greece. My ears did great, and I am now well!"

Life As A Baby

I was just thinking about what a baby's life is like - 

• Everything is new and exciting. 
  
• There are no known limitations. 
  
• You expect mom and dad to give you everything, and do everything for you. 
  
• You are utterly dependent on your parents to the extent that your very life depends on it. 
  
• You have no inhibitions, no pride, no reservations, no hiding anything - what you see is what you get - only pure unadulterated emotions. 
  
• You cling to your parents above all other people. 
  
• You have extreme passions, hot or cold, hate it or love it, screaming or happy - there is no lukewarm middle ground behavior. 
  
• You have an open trusting heart, willing to believe anything. 

Mark 10:15

"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all. "