Budapest - Get Engaged

I love this video because it highlights some of the wonderful inventions made by Hungarians.

Children's Work

When the new school year began in September, the children's "Sunday school" at church also began after a summer break. Sunday mornings begin at 10 AM with the entire church family worshipping together, sharing testimonies, and prayer. Then, the children are invited to go upstairs for a special teaching time while the Pastor begins his message.



For my children, this is their favorite part of church. and they eagerly wait for the right moment when they can join their friends upstairs in the "children's room." We have 2 rooms upstairs - one room for ages 3-10, and one for the upper grades. Both classes have teachers. There is not yet a class for toddlers, but there is one room downstairs with some toys where the little ones can play while parents listen to the sermon. (these 2 pictures were taken through the glass door, thus the glare on the photos)



This year a new children's director was named and recognized before the church family. She is excited about quality Bible teaching, wants to plan some outreach events, and provide training for the group of children's teachers. Each Sunday the teachers rotate, so that they can take turns staying in the service. Each one is responsible for planning their lesson based on the theme for the year. There are a few children's teaching guide books in Hungarian, but the teachers can write their own lessons, and search through resources for games, songs, and activities to accompany their lessons. They are very talented and creative! I am so glad to have the opportunity to work with them.

I must say, that after having seen how our American churches function with regards to the amount of money spent on their children's programing, I really like the simplicity and the limited resources here in Hungary. Church is very simple. Teaching children is very simple and does not require expensive toys, the finest chairs, modern video equipment, or expensive curriculum. For our curriculum, we use the Bible. I say, we all need to model this simplicity....less really can be more! Children are really easy to please, and teachers are very resourceful. Imagine how much more we could give to Lottie Moon or to humanitarian efforts around the world if our own church budgets were reduced!

The Week in Review

I had a great week. This entry is going to read like a newspaper so just relax and skim it over. The stress of a language exam is now behind me and I have been able to rest and reflect on something other than verbs. I am still trying to take in and comprehend the depth and width of God's grace.....He has answered a prayer this week that has been a long time in the making, and is the fulfillment of a promise He made. I am just amazed. Because of having to wait and suffer through something that I had no control over, I can truly say this was GOD's hand, and not my own doing. It's so good to just sit back and watch what God does.

Monday Elizabeth was able to return to the ovoda (kindergarten) after being absent about 4 weeks. She had a series of infections that were difficult to get rid of and we are thankful that she is well now. She was very happy to return to her class and see her friends.

Tuesday we met with a Hungarian driving instructor at our house. He is going to prepare us to take a written driving exam so we can get a Hungarian driver's license, so we can begin driving again. We have had no personal wheels since July, and our backs are feeling the weight of lifting that double stroller on and off the bus, carrying Stephen, carrying groceries, walking uphill to church in the rain, etc....you get the idea. So, our driving teacher brought us the manual in English - so we could learn how to drive:) It is an 85 page manual that includes information such as herding animals, how to wait for a taxi, and how to load a car. For example, 2 children under age 10 only count as 1 person. So, if a car is only supposed to hold 5 people how many children can sit in the car? We will be using a translator since the exam will be in Hungarian. If we want to be sure of passing the test, he told us to pay the translator a little more money! Don't worry, we don't have any extra money for that!

Wednesday morning I went to the mother's group at church for prayer and fellowship. I am always amazed at the honesty and openness that the women express. No one wears a mask. If you are having a rough time, then you say you're having a rough time. There is no false pretense, no fake smiling, no saying everything is fine. And in this way, everyone really knows everyone else, and we really pray for each other. How refreshing.

Thursday evening was the weekly house group, and a small group from our church comes over for prayer & Bible study. When one of my friends walked in she was smiling, but when I asked how she was doing she burst into tears. She had just received a phone call that a friend had committed suicide. Suicide is a common solution to problems. In the past 9 months there are 2 others (who we are acquainted with) who were on the verge of suicide but were persuaded otherwise by loving Christians.

Friday was the World Fair at Josh's school. This was a one time event, but it seems to me that everyday is "world's fair" day at this school. There are 13 children in his class and only 2 are American! Most are Hungarian, plus several other Europeans. During free time, lunch, and recess, Josh is surrounded by Hungarian friends and and enjoys learning their language. Anyway, each elementary grade studied a country and made presentations. It was a good reminder of how diverse each culture is and how God LOVES each and every people group.

Monte has been talking to a couple of neighbors and helping them with yard work. Saturday morning he worked for about 4 1/2 hours helping shovel rock and dirt into a container. They were trying to clear out some of their land to prepare for the spring planting. Monte didn't realize that there is a right and wrong way to shovel. I had a good laugh when he told me the story - because if you know Monte, you know that he is a good, thorough, diligent worker who knows how to move dirt. Miklos, the neighbor, kindly demonstrated the proper way to shovel the dirt - it has to be done in an orderly and methodical way. Who knew? Their method did make sense because of the type of shovel they use. Instead of the typical American shovel, this is a square ended, flat shovel. So, Monte had a wonderful morning spending time working with new friends. They were so kind to give him a bag of apples, mandarins, and chocolates for all his hard work.

While he worked I stayed home and washed five loads of laundry, washed dishes, and decorated about 4 dozen cookies with the fabulous four. I have some beautiful leaf and pumpkin shaped cookie cutters to make "fall" cookies and we plan on delivering these cookies to the neighbors later this week....if we don't eat them all first.

God Answers Prayer

27 years ago, I was twelve years old and in the seventh grade. My mom began getting sick, and I would find her lying on the couch when I got home from school. Then, one afternoon she came into my room while I was doing my homework and she told me she was pregnant. I was in such shock that I couldn't finish my homework that night. I realized that God was answering a prayer that I had prayed - I had asked him for another sibling. The pregnancy wasn't the easiest on Mom, and she was often very tired. Dad and I began to do the weekly grocery shopping, which I really enjoyed. He and I would come home with all kinds of extra foods that we didn't really need! Mom made all of her pregnancy dresses and continued to serve in the music ministry at church. When the day came for the birth I stayed with Momaw and Popaw, who lived next door to us. I remember Dad calling to say that we now had another GIRL! I really believed now that God does hear and answer prayer, because I had asked specifically for a sister.

27 years ago, I jumped off the school bus and ran through the orange grove up to the house. Mom was coming home from the hospital that day, and when I ran inside the house I found her sitting in the living room holding our new baby. Those first few moments of holding the baby were wonderful...almost as if she was my own.

In the years that followed I did a lot of babysitting, watched the same Disney movie repeatedly for at least 500 times, woke up in the morning to a little sister staring at me or putting stickers all over my radio, found her wearing things that I had put in the trash, found her wearing my retainer (gross!), spent countless hours listening to her singing, got really tired of her peeking under my door, fussed with her because she always wanted to do things her way, and prayed with her to receive Christ. When I got my driver's license I would take her to the Winter Haven library, the Shake shoppe and the park in downtown Auburndale, Boardwalk & Baseball, Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, and we often went shopping together too. I always thought it was funny when people would ask me if she was my daughter. I didn't think it was funny when she tipped over a store mannequin. She was always my biggest fan and she promised she would always love me no matter what. God in His wisdom knew that I needed her and she needed me.

I know God places us in families.....for a purpose, for His purposes. I am thankful for the family God has given me. If we fail to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and His wisdom, we fail to recognize the larger plan for which we were put on this earth. If we fail to love and forgive, and fail to live peacefully with one another, we miss the whole purpose of the family. I hope I will live up to His purposes so that when I see HIm face to face He can say, 'Well done." Moments shouldn't be wasted and love shouldn't be withheld....."You don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14 Each moment together is precious.

Rachel, you are an answer to prayer. Happy Birthday.