New Life

Almost one year ago, Monte missed the bus and had to wait for the next one. While waiting for the next bus, an elderly man walked up to wait for the same bus. They began a conversation and continued it after boarding the bus. Then the bus was stopped because of an accident ahead on the road, which caused the bus to take a thirty minute detour. They had more time to talk because of the delay, and they became friends, exchanging phone numbers. Gyuri (pronounced Jury in English) is Hungarian but lives in Norway, and travels back and forth for various reasons. Even though Gyuri was agnostic, he acknowledged that it was not by chance that he met Monte. Gyuri is 78, he escaped communism and found asylum in Norway, and has lived his whole life in search of peace and joy. In his search he acquired many things that he thought would bring him happiness. Over and over he and Monte had long spiritual talks, but he still had so many questions and much opposition to accepting Christ. He asked us to pray for him because he was "haunted" by this decision to accept Christ or not. So, we sent a prayer letter to our praying friends, and we continued to wait.

July 31, Sunday evening, Monte went to visit Gyuri in his home, and stayed 4 hours. Monte came home after midnight, and said that Gyuri had prayed at 11 PM to receive Christ. Gyuri had said, "I don't know what I'm waiting for, this is really a simple decision!" Now the really amazing part is this - We had just received an email that night from one of those praying friends, telling us how burdened he was for Gyuri, and that he was prompted to pray for our friend.

We are so encouraged that God raised up someone across the world to pray at the right moment, and that that our dear friend put his faith in Christ. He said that he now has Jesus with him, before him and behind him.

In Self We Trust?

After Steve Jobs died last week, I couldn't help but notice all the news articles which highlighted not only his company's achievements, but also his personal philosophy. I can appreciate all his hard work, his technological advances, and his motivational ideas that led to the success of Apple. I personally benefit from his life's work, as do millions of other people.

Many people find purpose for their lives in their work. Good works are marvelous, but I tend to compare myself to Jobs and other successful people. Then I realize that I will never change the world to the same degree that he did, I will never invent something that will benefit the entire world. I am not nearly as intelligent, experienced, or as motivated. I will never amass great wealth, nor be able to give away wealth. My own competitive spirit and personal motivation to be "the best" only leads me to self-pity. My achievements are no match compared to theirs! I am sure others feel this way, and this even leads to depression, low self-worth, and lack of purpose in life. It can even be the reason people step back and don't get involved.... we feel too small, too insignificant, too weak, or too unimportant to make a difference. At my high school graduation, I heard the same moving speeches that were meant to spur young people on to make a difference in the world, because life is short....embrace it and live life to the fullest!

Most people believe that if they do enough good on earth, then they will have a good afterlife somewhere. But what scale is God, karma, or any other thing using to decide this? In the end, how is success measured? Did I do enough? Did I do enough good? Do my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds? Did I make a mark in the world? If the value of my life is measured by my works, if the purpose of my life is shaped by my works, and if my hope and trust lie in the scope of my achievements, then I am indeed to be pitied the most. The truth is that earthly successes are short lived and only provide temporary relief to our insatiable appetite to excel and be a cut above the rest. One must continually seek purpose and salvation in the next big thing.

My own list of achievements - education, family reputation, marriage, children, jobs, awards, experiences, etc., can cause me to be covered in pride, temporary happiness, and self-exaltation - certainly nothing that brings lasting joy, peace, or hope for the future. Besides, my failures often overshadow them. The Apostle Paul had a great list of achievements, Philippians 3:4-9. However, he called them all trash compared to knowing Christ! He found the secret to living well now, and to living with eternal peace. It was not based on his achievements, but on Christ's achievements. Christ was the object of his faith, and gave him a "right standing" with God. Like it or not, we all put our faith in something. If our faith focus is not in God, then it is usually on self. I agree with Paul, the value of knowing Christ is far greater than all my works, and my righteousness is not based on my good works. I am not "good enough" because of what I have done. I cannot find salvation in my work, marriage, or in any other successes. Contrary to popular belief, it's not what you do that makes you successful, it's who you believe in. I have found that nothing satisfies like the resting place of Christ. Good works are simply that - good works. But they should not be a resting place for our faith.


"For by grace you have been saved through faith....not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2"8-9

A Little Child Will Lead Them

Two of us Bakers just took a quick trip back to the States to visit family. Stephen is three years old, and even though he is so little, I see God using him and leading through this little child. While we were visiting Mimi and Poppa's house in Florida, Stephen suddenly said, "We need to worship God. Let's go!" I asked him what he meant by this, and he said, "We need to sing, let's go to Poppa's room." So, the three year old led Mimi and I to my Dad's room, where he was sitting. We each pulled up a chair, sat down, and chose praise songs to sing. Jesus Loves the Little Children, Nothing But the Blood of Jesus, Lord You Are More Precious Than Silver, and The Lord Is My Shepherd, were just some of the favorite songs that we sang together. He didn't ask to sing the ABCs, Twinkle Little Star, or Skip to My Lou, or much less the latest song from a pop star. There was no music, no instruments, no great harmonies, just our simple voices stopping in the middle of the day..........together.........praising our great God. I am still amazed to understand that within each of us, is a built-in longing to be in relationship with God - whether or not we realize it. Even a small child can sense the divine, the closeness of God, and desire His presence. And even a little child can lead us to worship in the simplest way with quiet songs full of great theology.

Heroes' Square

Heroes' Square is such an iconic place in Budapest.....everyone really needs to see it up close and marvel at the sheer size of the statues and be amazed by Hungarian history. We've driven around it and around it many times, but we finally stopped to let the kids run around in the square. There is a great flash mob Christian video on YouTube that was filmed here, and a scene from the movie, An American Rhapsody, was also filmed here.

The archangel Gabriel is actually at the top of this column holding St. Stephen's crown and a Christian cross. All the figures pay tribute to renowned Hungarian leaders, and was completed in 1929 to commemorate the Millennium Celebrations of 1896.

Our kids always enjoy statues, especially when they share a name with one of them. This is our Stephen standing below King Stephen with his left arm raised, holding the Christian cross. He is the one who transformed Hungary by converting the country to Christianity, at least a form of it.


While we ran around, we also ran into many people to talk to about real Christianity - which is about knowing Jesus personally. Wherever we go, whether as a local or as a tourist, there are always opportunities to pray as you go and tell what you know!

Vajdahunyad Castle

This summer while we do still have language study, the children are enjoying the relaxed routine of not having school and ovoda. We have tried to do some fun outings with the children that have been on our to-do list. Budapest is such a great city for families to vacation in because there is so much to see, experience, and even taste. It's really nice that we can enjoy such interesting places on a Saturday morning! So, become a virtual tourist and join us during the next few posts as we explore some more of Budapest.
Since I grew up with Disney World, Sea World, and other entertainment parks, I didn't realize how much children could enjoy just architecture, ancient history, statues, and art. When they see that we, the parents, are fascinated by such beauty, they too become enthralled.

This castle is surrounded by a real mote, and a bridge must be crossed to reach it.....imagine that this is a fairy tale you can experience. Instead of a sea monster in the mote, there were friendly mother ducks with their ducklings who were quite happy to eat some of our morning rolls.

This castle is actually a series of pavilions designed for exhibitions in 1896. Each section of the building showcases a different style of architecture, from Romanesque to Baroque. This is a part of Varosliget, one of the largest city parks in Budapest.

Beauty is all around us....take time to enjoy the view!

The Shepherd is Mighty to Save

Recently we went with our Hungarian church on their annual retreat, and this year they went to the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. On the way north, we stopped at a little resort town for bathroom breaks and ice cream. In a distant field we saw a flock of sheep and a shepherd with his sheep dog. It was an amazing sight to us who have never been close to seeing sheep grazing on a hillside. The children immediately wanted to walk over for a closer look, which the shepherd allowed. Stephen was one of the last ones to arrive at the field. The fluffy, round little creatures were indeed bleeeeeting and grazing their way through this field, the traditional shepherd was very poor, and the sheepdog was welcoming, but the most amazing thing was hearing little Stephen singing, "The Lord is my shepherd, I'll walk with Him always..." He was very bold in his singing and very sure that this was the appropriate time to belt out one of his favorite tunes. At first I thought that maybe Stephen thought this shepherd was Jesus, but he just kept telling me that "this is a REAL shepherd." He had been wondering what a shepherd was!




When we arrived at our destination, we admired the breathtaking view of mountains with peaks hidden by clouds. Stephen's response? He began singing, "Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, mighty to save...." What could be more appropriate than a response of praise to our Creator and Savior? How simple life is for a child! Just a pure, honest response when he was moved beyond his own ability to speak of such wonders.


"From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou has prepared praise..." Matthew 21:16
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

Graduation

A kindergarten graduation is a big transition in childhood. Our Hungarian "ovoda" is similar to an American preschool, and children usually stay in the same class between the ages of 3-6. After this, they can go to first grade at the elementary school. Elizabeth has attended for one year and will go to first grade next year. The daily routine consists of playing, learning Hungarian poems and songs, eating, brushing teeth, and napping together. Hot tea or warm milk with bread is served in the morning, a hot lunch at noon, and a snack for the afternoon. For the graduation ceremony, each child brought bouquets of fresh flowers to decorate their building for this special occasion. Greenery, large leaves, garden flowers and florist flowers were brought and hung from the ceiling and doorways. We did not fully understand how big of an occasion this was! Parents even brought specially made bouquets for their child.

Parents were invited to the classroom to listen to the children recite the poems and songs. We heard stories of hedgehogs, flowers, trees, and chickens.


While this was a happy occasion for us, there were many tears! It was unbelievable to hear Elizabeth recite her poems, how well she speaks Hungarian, and how well she loves her friends. It was hard to say goodbye to her teachers and classmates, but we look forward to what will come in the future.

Curly Haired Pigs and Thatched Roofs

We visited the Hungarian Open Air Museum in Szentendre and enjoyed a beautiful journey back in time. This open air museum features buildings and village segments based on the different regions of Hungary during specific time periods. Even though the weather was cold and rainy, the kids loved sloshing through the mud and discovered lots of treasures from Hungarian culture......like curly haired pigs, the mangalica pigs. They are really cute close up!

Peeking into wells, looking through windows, going into houses, cottages, barns, and village churches, and seeing the chairs, beds, and dishes that once belonged to someone else make us mindful of those who once lived here, and of those today who seek to carry on their traditions.



The museum really is dedicated to preserving Hungarian traditions - folk dancing and singing, traditional village dress, handcrafts like wood working, spinning wool, egg painting, sewing, and language preservation through story telling and poetry. Our children got to make flying birds using real hollow egg shells, which is a traditional Easter craft.


A walk through a slow, unhurried village, touching the thatched roofs, eating langos and kurtos kolacs baked in outdoor ovens, hearing the pigs and the chickens, and admiring the skillful determination of cultural preservation is a nice reminder of our humanity..... a walk through the past is always good for the present.

Wonderfully Made!

We first learned about Turner Syndrome in 2004, when our daughter was officially diagnosed right after her birth. Prenatally, we knew there was a problem but we waited until after her birth to have genetic testing done. We had just come home from the hospital after her birth, when a nurse called our home to tell us the genetic test results. That was one of the strangest phone calls I have ever received. The conversation was all so matter of fact, as if she was telling me when our next doctor's appointment was. What could I say but, "OK, thanks for the information!" But when I hung up the phone, I burst into tears. After wondering for four months, I finally knew exactly what was wrong with our baby girl, and it was the moment of acceptance.

In the last few months, the questions have been coming from our daughter, and she is coming to that place of acceptance too. Advice can be so freely and callously given from a variety of sources, and parents must decide what advice is worth taking. During the pregnancy, the genetic counselor told us that she was an accident, meaning there was no one to blame for this "mistake." Therefore, it was acceptable that we could have an abortion because it was "a mistake." That was one piece of advice I have never accepted. To accept that her life was a mistake, because she wasn't "perfect," is to not believe that God is in control. Is God good or isn't He? Is He good all the time? Does He really care about us? Do I believe that God will help me through difficult times in this imperfect world? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. The best advice came from a nurse. She told us to have our answer ready before the questions come. Many people will ask questions, and if we prepare our answers now, we will be ready to face the questions. I took this to heart, because I knew that my own daughter would have the most questions, and I wanted to be ready.

There were several difficult topics that we knew we would have to tell our daughter about as she grew older. I wondered how and when I would have to explain these things to her. I contemplated this when she was only 6 months old, and I was already overly concerned about it. I felt that I needed some wisdom on this matter. What will I tell her? How will I answer her own questions? How do I explain why she must have a daily injection? How do I explain that she will probably never be able to give birth? How do I explain why she must have strange tests at the cardiologist's? Amazingly, the Lord answered me immediately with this, "For You formed my inward parts, You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well....." Psalm 139:13-14

This answer was the all purpose answer to every question - the very foundation that would guide every discussion. You are wonderfully made.....purposefully made......miraculously formed......God's creation is beautiful, and I can be thankful for who I am. And now, six years later, as the questions begin to unfold, I stand ready with God's wisdom which marvelously puts our lives into the right perspective. While mystery is woven into understanding God's sovereign plan, the truth is that this world is a sinful, broken, place where suffering invades every person's life in some form, and the truth is that God is still in control and will one day bring an end to all suffering. In the mean time, we live by faith, trusting that God did fearfully and wonderfully make us, and we will praise Him rather than despise what we are.

The Surrendered Life

The surrendered life is......

accepting what God gives,
adjusting your life to the unexpected plans,
joyfully laying down your own plans,

not despising the suffering that God gives,
not despising the work that God gives,
not despising the provision that God gives,
not delighting in something else,

looking for joy in what you are given,
listening quietly with open hands,
moving beyond the temporary,
receiving hope in things that are eternal,

letting go of the disappointments,
loving the present gifts,
looking past pain to find joy,
looking past self to find Christ,

......this is an exchanged life.

Galatians2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."



The time leading up to Easter found us stricken with a strange virus that left us (the parents) quite unable to do anything. Extremely painful swollen joints made even sitting, standing, and sleeping difficult. Opening bottles, bags, and bananas was unthinkable! With much painful pulling we had to take off our wedding rings. Thankfully, we took turns with the virus, leaving only one of us ill at one time so we could take care of the children. Thank you to those who prayed for our recovery!
The real test was not so much the physical pain, but what to do with loss of time. There is so much work to do. We know the seriousness of our language study, we see our unbelieving friends, we know that time is fleeting. It was very difficult for life to come to a sudden halt in our house! At least when we have a cold we can throw some dirty clothes in the washer, and when we have the flu we can boil water to make some soup. But this time, I wasn't able to do anything but sit and feel the pain! I suddenly can relate to those who suffer with arthritis or autoimmune disorders. My thoughts were also on the cross. I could not imagine the depth of Christ's pain and the lingering suffering leading up to his death. And in a unique way, the physical suffering brought me into deeper fellowship with Him.


As for the "loss of time," God is able to redeem what Satan tried to scheme. I believe it is no coincidence that our family becomes ill at important times. God is able to work everything to conform to the purposes of His will, Ephesians 1:11. God is sovereign, and His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are deeper than my thoughts. What to do with the suffering? Embrace it and trust Him. Habakkuk, whose name means "embrace," knew that terrible suffering was coming to him and his people. And he chose to say, "Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places." Hab. 3:16-19

"Suffering is a mystery, but not so much a mystery that I cannot trust you." Joni Eareckson Tada