This Little Light

We recently visited a local "cave" which was really an old rock quarry. Rocks were cut out of this to use in the magnificent Parlament that sits on the Danube River. Now that this "cave" is no longer used for mining, some people have "rented" a small room inside to grow mushrooms. The cool, damp, dark conditions are perfect for growing mushrooms. We never would have known about this if some locals in downtown Diosd didn't whisk Monte away one afternoon to show him the little rooms inside. We've seen the cave many times but never went inside. I admit, I was a little apprehensive because it was completely dark inside, and we had to walk until we found the small light where the workers were. We were too late to get any fresh mushrooms, and they told us to come back at 8AM. We did get to share Christ with one of the workers - standing in the dark holding flashlights - and the reality is that this is what we are doing everyday. We are living in a spiritually dark, dark place, and are shining a little light into the darkness.

"I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of LIFE." John 8:!2

The Essence of a Gift

To give gifts, or not to give gifts.......it's a question we have both pondered at one point at Christmas time. Sometimes we feel that it takes away from the celebration of Jesus' birth and we don't like the focus on materialism. In America, we are supposed to tell Santa what WE want for Christmas....what's up with that? I know, it's because we tell the little children that he is the one who will bring presents. I really think it's neat that here in Hungary the children don't ask that question but have to sing and recite something for Mikulash (St. Nick). It's the angels or baby Jesus who brings presents. Different ideas, but gift giving is a real part of celebrations no matter what the culture.


In our house Christmas gifts are kept to a minimum. Our children are allowed to choose one inexpensive toy from the store for their Christmas gift, and that's the extent of their presents. We then let them choose what gift they wanted to give through Gospel for Asia. We really had a great time buying chickens and goats for families in South Asia, and each child felt as though they had a part in helping another family across the world. We enjoy delivering cookies and breads to our neighbors, and have been delighted at how the neighbors come knocking on our door with a small gift in return. The giving is one way to demonstrate our love in a tangible way.

Like it or not, gift giving is a part of every culture, at all times during the year. And once again, I have been reminded of the significance of gifts. This year I received a bar of homemade soap from a dear Hungarian friend. It was only soap, but it felt like gold because I know her heart. I felt honored - as though my friendship with her was of great worth. I didn't know that I needed to be reminded that I was special to someone. As the Hungarians gave gifts to us, I realized that we have been accepted into their circle, and that is affirmation of God's purposes in bringing us here.

The Wise Men's gifts were an amazing gesture of honor to the Savior. They just could not come empty handed. They came with gifts that were more than just gifts. It was proof of their acknowledgment of the Savior, proof that certainly blessed the heart of Mary and Joseph. The biblical examples of giving are abundant....the widow giving her mite in the temple, the Philippian church giving to Paul, Christ, giving his life for us....and they are concrete evidences of LOVE.

Thank you to everyone who gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. We live and work here in Hungary because of your gifts!
Thank you for the tangible way you express your love for Jesus. It's not just a gift, it's the message inside the gift.

Merry Christmas!

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Santa and the Baby Jesus

This will be our second Christmas in Hungary, and I am still learning about their holiday traditions. Having children makes this so much more fun. When we lived in America, I never told our kids that Santa brought presents, but we always had fun seeing him at the mall, and reading about the history of St. Nicholas. This week I took three of our kids to see Mikulash (St. Nicholas) at our local mall. Mikulash visited Elizabeth's kindergarten class, so Olivia really wanted to meet him also. Elizabeth told us that when he came to her class, she had to recite a poem the class had been working on just for this occasion. At the mall, I was surprised to see there was not a long line to see him, and he was dressed in the traditional red garb and white hair, and surrounded by angels, not elves. The few children before us took a very long time sitting and talking with Santa, and I wondered what they were doing. When it was our turn he asked us lots of questions, and I think he enjoyed talking to some American kids. Another surprise - he did not ask the children what they wanted for Christmas. Now I knew that in Hungary it is not Santa who brings the children toys on December 25, but the baby Jesus. Santa fills their boots with candy on December 6. But to see this conversation played out really gave me a cultural shock! Instead of asking the children what they wanted him to bring them, he asked them what they could say or sing for him! I had not prepared the children to sing a Hungarian Christmas song or poem and fortunately he asked if we could sing Jingle Bells. So, we all stood around Mikulash and began singing Jingle Bells, in English. Then, after we performed for him, he gave out the special Hungarian Christmas candy and a sticker book to each child.

One new Hungarian tradition that we haven't adopted is waiting until December 24 to put up our Christmas tree. We have found that it is such a great teaching tool for our family, and have used it to talk about it's history - St. Boniface, Martin Luther, hanging fruit on the branches, and of course stars and angels. Tradition here says that angels and the baby Jesus deliver the tree and presents on Christmas Eve, and usually only the adults put the tree up in secret to surprise the children. We hope that JESUS will be exalted during this Christmas season and that many will realize that the baby Jesus is actually IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US. Not a baby anymore, not still on the cross, not still dead in the tomb, but a risen SAVIOR, living and interceding on our behalf to God our heavenly Father.

St. Nicholas - Mikulash

Hungary has Christmas traditions that are unique for us Americans. One of our favorite new traditions is December 6, Nicholas' day. Here, everyone's name is somewhere on the yearly calendar to celebrate a "name day." This is a special day in addition to your birthday. Nicholas's name is on December 6, therefore he is celebrated and remembered on this day, just as in many other countries he is also honored on this day. Here his name is Mikulash. Some families have grandpa dress up like St. Nick to visit their children, or you can "hire" someone to come to your house. I always see the signs with a phone number to call, but haven't tried the personal Santa visit. He did show up at Elizabeth's kindergarten class, and she insisted that he was the REAL one! (He had a real white beard and red clothes) Olivia wants to see him too, so we will try to track him down at the local mall.

The children put their clean boots outside on the window sill and go to bed in hopes of getting candy in the morning from Mikulash, rather than the "switch." There is actually a golden stick you can buy in the stores for this very occasion. And just to be funny, I bought four golden sticks this year to put in their boots. It is such fun to see the kids' faces when they find their boots in the morning!


As a family, we have enjoyed reading the true story about the real St. Nicholas, a man from Lycia and a bishop of Myra. Voice of the Martyrs has published a wonderful book that chronicles his life - his desire to share his riches with the poor, his desire to serve God, and his desire to preserve and preach the truth about Jesus Christ. He was imprisoned under the Roman ruler Diocletian for refusing to bow to him. He chose to worship God alone and stayed in prison.He endured years of imprisonment and persecution because of his faith, and was released when Diocletian died and Constantine came to power. Constantine was a Christian, and he released all the Christians who had been imprisoned. The story inspires us to pray for those who are being persecuted today around the world, and to live boldly for Christ. It's good to remember Nicholas. The real story certainly points us to Jesus, and that is worth celebrating.



(The Story of St. Nicholas, More Than Reindeer and a Red Suit, by Cheryl Odden, published by Voice of the Martyrs)

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.

Same But Different

Just in case you ever wondered what living here is like.......we listed some of the differences to give you an idea of what daily life for us is like here in Hungary.


Different:
All bills are paid at the post office. This potentially means long lines every time you go, but it does streamline things.
A truck comes to our house to "vacuum" up our septic tank once a month. It must be emptied or it will overflow into the street.
Doctors can make house calls.
Eggs are always brown, and speckled bird eggs are for sale in the grocery store.
If you want to use a cart at the grocery store, you pay 100 forint. Your money will be returned when you return the cart.
Bring your own bags to the grocery store, or buy new ones each time.
Outside shoes are taken off when you come inside, and inside shoes are put on.
We use a clothesline to dry our clothes.
We ride buses, trams, metro (subway), and trains in the city.
Almost every home has a fence, gate, and a dog.
We eat FRESH bread, not pre-packaged, pre-sliced, spongy, plastic-wrapped bread.
Lunch time means a large, hot meal....sandwiches are saved for the evening supper.
You can buy chocolate infant cereal.
Greeting one another with 2 kisses!


Same:
The setting of the sun, and the evening moon rise, the dark night sky that makes stars so visible.....The same spiritual darkness is here, as is everywhere in the world. Lack of interest in spiritual things, unawareness of a greater dimension outside of this present time, intentional avoidance of the Bible, deep atheistic beliefs that prevent a thorough logical examination regarding the natural world, focus on money and position for a successful life, abortion on demand, and self-preservation instead of community. However, the love of Christ is a shining light and is evident in the affection and unity that believers have for one another. This unity always amazes me - to find people in a different country, culture, language, etc...but who have the same knowledge of Christ and share the same love.....it's breathtaking.