Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Wow! How God can work through pain...


  This is a picture from the 1930's of Chico's (Hungarian "Cowboys") on the plains of Hungary.  The crossed pieces of wood to the right is the counterweight to help get the full water bucket out of the ground. (They have nothing to do with the story that follows, but I thought it was a cool picture!)

   As many of you know, I thought I had just pulled something under my knee when I went to the Dr., only to find out that it is bone on bone! Phooey! I guess my pain tolerance is higher than I thought! Evidently I need a knee replacement...Anyway, part of what the Dr. recommended was to have some physical therapy, so I was following the Dr's instructions and did some physical therapy. I just finished up this past week.

   I walked in a day or two ago & by now the ladies at the front desk actually smile at me, and have been patient enough with my Hungarian (or lack of it), and the patience of me practicing counting money to them. (They were VERY suspicious of me the first few times & I felt like a terrible bother).  So, when I told them this was my last day, they were quite surprised.

  We went through the motions of the physical therapy, and then the nurse who had been helping me continuously through this time double checked, "You - last here?"  "Igen" (yes) I replied.  Before we departed, once again, "You - last here, ma (today)?" "Igen" I replied again.  Then she started to cry, apologizing in Hungarian fervently. My mothering instinct took over and I hugged her, then she started to sob!  "Oh, what?" I asked.  (We have been trying to communicate all these different sessions. Her English is better and my Hungarian is, thanks to these conversations).

  "I will miss you... very much! You give joy."  I prayed quickly, "Oh Lord, what can I say to her that will lead her to You?" The next thing out of my mouth was, "It is ONLY Jesus in me that you will miss! He is the only one who can give you joy." ( Admittedly, this was in "Hung-lish") She looked at me & I asked her if she knew about Jesus. Nodding, I proceeded, again in Hung-lish. So I brought up some different things we had spoken about and turned it all towards Him. I also shared more to her why & how Jesus is important. There was even a cross in the door to use the example of why Jesus died for us instead of us being on the cross!  Through many tears and tissues, the message hit home.

  Maybe we will see each other for coffee. I hope so! When I told Kurt about this, he said, "Use the English/Hungarian Bible we have - some Hungarian Bibles are in such old ways of speaking, they are very difficult to understand!  So, I went back in and gave her the Bible, as a "loan". (I guess Hungarians are kind of funny about loans, so they want to return stuff quickly). I just told her that we could meet for coffee and she could return the book.

  All in all, we went through probably 20 tissues, but hopefully she will have new hope, soon! We entreat you to pray for her as well as many others we continue to encounter. God is opening up some amazing doors and opportunities!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Conference time:)



We are attending a conference with many of our colleagues throughout Europe. How fun to meet up with some we have met on our survey trip, others we went through classes with, and many more that are now new friends!

What really strikes me right now is the atmosphere between the kids and their parents. The kids are just as thrilled to be here as the parents! It is like a big happy camp for a family for everyone! Not only are adults reconnecting with each other, but there is this aspect of being a child on the field in a different culture. They are called "third culture kids".  (It is similar to the children in the military families who move around every few years... not many towns feel like "their" hometown. In this case, not many countries feel like "their" country where they are from.)  My heart became very heavy in thinking about how long it has been since these kids could see "their friends" who completely understand what they may be going through, how often they are in planes, busses, autos, trains  and when they are "home" in the states (which never seems like it is their home), it is being on the road most of the time speaking to churches and groups that aren't familiar to them.

When I was a kid, it took what seemed like FOREVER to get to camp again every year. Many of us are still in contact from 4th grade camp!  This is another reason my heart felt heavy - it may be 1, 2, 3, or 4 years until they get to see their camp friends again - a lifetime, almost as a kid!  I diatribe about this simply for the fact that it is really important to lift up these families in prayer & to do so quite often. A number of the children grow up knowing at least one other language yet may not understand why until they are older. Are you getting a glimpse of what being a Third Culture Kid is all about? What is humorous in one country may not be in another; the concept of some of our US holidays are different to them; why do people talk about an "old house" that is only 100 years old when the one they currently live in was built in the 1500's... you get the picture!

Anyway, yes, it was a true joy to see not only the adults hugging each other and having fun, but also the children.  There were teams from the US and other places who came to let the kids have a blast in a safe enviornment while their parents were attending meetings. Thank you to all of them!! (And if anyone wants to participate in something like that to help, please feel free to email us!! We have many ways you can!)

So, the conference was really great and encouraging.... and I had met some other Hungarians there who weren't attending a conference - so I got to practice my Hungarian during that time! What made us all laugh was one evening we  saw each other & a German couple was sitting with them. Neither spoke the other's language, so when they asked if I knew German, I said "Yes".  So, questions were being asked & I had been trying to squelch my German through language learning so much, all my answers were coming out in Hungarian or Hung-glish (Hungarian - English)..... yep, something must be sticking! Thanks for your prayers!