Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Thoughts to ponder and pray over

    We have had a very mild winter here in Hungary & lo ‘tis now spring. It seems like everything is trying to bloom at once, nearly out of order with when plants normally do so. As I write this, I am in our backyard near the garden area in the sun (with a sweater on) and swinging on the bench swing.
 Horse and Wagons in many places still

    This year has been one of many trials - not just language, but in our relationships with those here and those at home as well as with each other. It has been an excruciatingly lonesome year for me, especially since phone calls (even with a local number in the states) have been few and far between.  Messages have been left, but it’s tough to keep a time change in mind. Letters have been even fewer. Of the many we sent ‘home’, we know of three that made it. In this world of ‘instant’ communication, I guess I expected more chances to talk with many here as well as at home. Life goes on and I try to wade through as best as I can & keep trying to reach out, whether anyone listens or not.

    It reminds me of sitting on this swing - if I just push with one foot, the swing goes crooked, out of kilter & eventually you crash into a post if you push hard enough. If I swing with both feet pushing, it goes straight and trouble free, mostly. Relationships take pushing together, even for introverts. If one is always pushing, eventually they are tired and give up.

     I had also never expected to go through such an intense grief process this last year. There has been a grief of letting go of EVERYTHING we have ever known. Allowing God to keep us pushing forward for His kingdom. When you follow, there is a price to pay. There are pray-ers, nay-sayers, supporters, scoffers, listeners, doubters, encouragers, false accusers, people who think you are downright crazy, prayer warriors, false friends; prayer warriors, supporters, those friends who stick by you anyway, prayer warriors, new people you have the privilege to meet and more supporters. It’s not an easy road, but you see the value of those who are truly praying for you, for those who are your supporters and the people who are true friends.
My Homemade GF Pogacsa (special biscuits)

     People can be some or all of the above at different times - including us as we kept challenging ourselves before heading to the field (Is God really calling us out there?), which is a good thing because there have been times this last year for both of us when we would have packed it in if we didn’t KNOW that we were called to be here.
  
     We have seen fruit of our efforts and those of others, even in our first year, though, PTL! We feel blessed because we know some have been on fields where it was 10, 20 years or a lifetime with NO visible evidence that they were making any difference for the Kingdom. Thank you prayer warriors for your help!  Thank you supporters, for your help! Without ALL of you, (every single one of you), nothing we have done/learned this year would have been accomplished!

     I will update you more in our newsletter, which I am also working on at this moment, but I also knew there are those of you who follow this blog, and for that, we are also grateful and humbled! If you would like to get our emailed newsletters (or snail mail ones), just let us know your email address and we will include you.


    Still trusting in Him and others.....
Homemade Broom in Ukraine