A Humble Beginning

As we have come to the end of our first year in Budapest, we are looking forward to experiencing God's promises in the new year. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus...The challenges of moving to a new country, culture, and home have increased our dependence on God and decreased our dependency on all things that were once important....who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped... Holding onto the past, experiences, skills, achievements, degrees, money, favorite toys, and the comforts of America with a clenched fist only increase my self-sufficiency. What a blessing to be in a place where all these things are stripped away...but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men.... The 'form' of who I am must change if there is to be transformation and inspiration. I am no longer certain that I can do anything, except remain empty.....He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.... Humility is a pre-requisite for following Jesus, I know this. How humbled am I willing to be? Some boast in chariots, and some in horses...I have nothing more to claim or cling to. I am desperate for the Lord to do His work in His way. God, if you don't do something, nothing is going to happen here! ....But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God!

Philippians 2:5-8, Psalm 20:7

Merry Christmas in Budapest

Nativity scenes at the Christmas Market.

Shopping in the market - all handcrafted items!
Langos, a Hungarian specialty is baked in this dome shaped oven, and topped with onions, bacon, and sour cream!


Another annual Christmas tradition is to visit the Christmas market in Budapest. This is held in Vorosmarty Square and is a series of outdoor booths, filled with handcrafted gifts, toys, ornaments, and special foods (sausages, kabobs, langos, gingerbread cookies, hot tea, and mulled wine). They also have a live advent calendar displayed in the surrounding buildings' windows. There were numerous nativity displays that were also very beautiful. We were very glad to find free parking by the Danube River and the weather was sunny when we visited!

Christmas Traditions

Elizabeth listening to the Hungarian storyteller.
Joshua eating his creations.
The children enjoyed decorating cookies together.
Rolls of beigli ready to be put in the oven.
Rolling out the dough for the beigli.



Our church spent an evening together preparing for Christmas. Some women baked large quantities of real gingerbread cookies and the parts for gingerbread houses and had them ready for all the children to decorate. They used plastic bags to pipe white icing onto the delicious cookies, and the children were allowed to decorate as many as they wanted!! While they worked, we had a special visitor, a Hungarian storyteller, who read to the children. He was quite dramatic, which made for a very special time of quietly working together on the cookies. While the children licked their fingers and ate their finished cookies, the women worked on making beigli, a special Christmas bread. First a yeast dough is made, rolled out, and then a nut or poppy seed filling is spread on the dough (much like making cinnamon rolls). The dough is then rolled up and baked whole. After it is baked, it is served sliced, and is very delicious! Beigli is also for sale in the stores, and is a very special gift to give others. It's just not Christmas here without the beigli!