Whew!!

   Wow - July flew quickly! We had lots of camps, a conference, a too quick visit with one of our sons and his wife and back for more camps!  Plus, we did our normal ministries of 'helps/service' and hospitality in-between.

Ladies' "Chat" at English Camp

Patchwork Camp

English Camp

  Now, Kurt is off for more kid's camps - minus a couple of soccer balls that only lasted two camps - the kids love to play SO much, and the chance to play with an actual soccer (futbol) is so rare, that they just plain old wore out in 3 days from all the use!

Kurt helping to rotohammer out some walls at a friend's home.

   Now, off to do some laundry before we head to more adventures! We covet your prayers and thank you for your financial support!!!  (If you would like to help - we could really use it! There are two links on the right:)

What Joy to be Gathered with the Brethren!

  We have been astounded and encouraged by meeting together this last week with other servants in many lands at a conference with International Ministries.  There are SO many God stories that we have heard and shared. Life that God has worked His heart into, weaving His compassion into compassion for others; Calling unbelievers into the Kingdom of Heaven; Special 'interruptions' into God appointments; Normal life into Life Everlasting; encouraging some who came for a music seminar into looking deeper into their lives and presenting different opportunities to allow them to catch a glimpse of what it's like to serve overseas. Plus, just thinking of the International Ministries' 200th year gathering celebration….. 200 years of missionaries being sent out from the US! Wow!
  This was just a small glance at this past week. Now we head back early to serve with Hungary's largest national outreach (English Camp), with people from Pioneers. It is a bittersweet leaving. We made a commitment to assist them, but we are leaving this conference at a tremendously crucial time for us. Next week is THE WEEK to be here at this conference at Green Lake! We would be able to mingle and meet many people from many churches and regions around the US and Puerto Rico, places that could provide vital prayer support and possibly financial support for us - and we have to leave, trusting God (once again) that He will provide places for us to speak, people for us to meet this coming December through March. This is frustrating, but we are called to honor our first commitment we made.
  Will you pray for us and with us that God will provide fabulous, miraculously wonderful appointments for us? We are below our minimum support, so you can see why this is so important. Language school has come out of our own salary for this last year, we need to upgrade old computer equipment when we go back among many other things, and it looks like Carrie will need to move up a time for her knee replacement.  So, please pray!
     

Things We Are Getting Used To (Part 1)

   There are some anomalies that occur when you live anywhere. Some are colloquialisms, like "skosh" from the Pacific NW; "fixin' to" from the South; "Pahkin ya cah" from Boston.  There are other things you scratch your head and mutter, "Well, this must be what it's like here…."  such as perfectly good roads where you stop every few miles, throw in change to a funnel and proceed on (or off) & thank Heaven you have saved up your change!  Or, driving miles and miles without having to do that… now what do you do with all that change??  Or, espresso stands on nearly every corner….. or not, and you haven't seen them for days & are going through withdrawals… Or going into a really popular restaurant that is 'local' and nearly everything is fried but the coffee… or nearly everything is fresh and says whether it is vegan, Gluten Free, Lactose free, Free Range, Politically correctly raised/grown, or helps keep small insects from being annihilated from the planet.

   Well, there are things to get used to here as well. Like saying "Hello, szia, szia "(pronounced, see-ya) when you say 'good bye'  and saying "Szia!" when you say 'hello'.

   Then there is getting used to cars being dirtier after it rains than beforehand… this is due to the Sahara   as it ever encases the continent of Africa & the prevailing winds suck up some of the sand to deposit it elsewhere in the rain… like Hungary.  It is also taking some getting used to when there isn't sand deposited on the windshield after a rain - I find my self thinking, "Hmm, something's odd here…. oh yeah!"

   Then meat shopping is quite different here - and also different than many other places even around Budapest - they all have their 'local cuts' which may be totally different than somewhere 10-20 km away! (These are in large, supermarket- type stores) There are neighborhood meat stores as well…
I never really expected to find chicken feet (cleaned) and other odd bits as a marketable item. So, sometimes, as a mostly spur-of-the-moment-cook, we have mostly vegetables and rice… other times, I have been able to guess what this part of meat could be, so we give that a go, or pass.

   You get used to stocking up when you can - an oddity here…. especially when it is something on sale during "English Days" at the store, or, "Italian Days" or "Asian Days".   Sometimes the items just aren't in, even though they are advertised to be so…

   You get used to being looked at as though you have grown three heads all of a sudden - especially when you are asking for an item at the pharmacy or the store that you thought was carried everywhere!
(This is after the 'victory' that they actually understood your Hunglish!)

God is So Good

Hello!

Sikerül! (Success)!- Our latest half year of language classes was very helpful, whether that was from the way things were taught or that the initial culture shock of the last year has worn off - only God knows, but we are done for now. Continuing on will be determined by costs. We have been paying this last 6 months out of our own salary, since the extra money allocated for us was used up with last year's classes.

We have also been able to complete the purchase of our vehicle, thanks to many of you helping out in that matter. It is a 2000 Opel Zafira and is easily adaptable to our many ministry uses that we employ.

(This weekend, it will be used to help move it's former owners to their first house that they purchased).

Thanks to some of you as well, Carrie's knee replacement surgery last fall has been very helpful. Recovery has been daily improvement.

We covet your prayers for:

There are lots of camps coming up this summer - The Bárka's retreat; Patchwork Camp (quilting); English Camp; and many smaller day camps around for Hungarians and it's speakers in nearby nations. The latter type of camps are day camps where children may have never had a chance to go to a camp. They are served breakfast and lunch, with lots of activities and teaching about God's word.  We will be assisting our local friend and brother "P" with these camps in word and deed.

We will continue to host a number of people coming through the Budapest area - some we have never met before… all daily life!

We ask for prayer for "Bones" and "Non"- two young men Carrie saw on the metro last week. Both extremely lost. Pray also for "Double Crosser" and continue in prayer for "Blackbird",  "Upside Down" and all the people who 'hang out' with these mentioned. God is at work here, but so is the enemy. The more Jesus makes an impact, the more the enemy's cage is rattled - especially since the enemy knows it's a losing battle!

 "

... Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. … " Ephesians 6:18

Life 102

Christine lends a hand

Friends from Hungarian class learn how to make US pizza

  Making pizza - I had no idea it would be of interest to others!  Well, one rainy April day I decided it would be a good time for a second cooking 'lesson', and this time there was more than one student:)
  Our language class has had people literally from all over the world. This leads to many interesting conversations, topics and ideas. One is food, another is customs.
  So, when I asked one of the ladies what she would like to learn how to make, pizza was the first thing that came to mind.
   We had such a fun day, and it was a great break from classes, yet continuing to spend time and enjoying our growing friendships with each other.
   We had the added blessing of one of our  guests from 'home' join us while we learned from each other.
   I think we have all acutly missed some special occasions from our native lands that have made life more special, but we try not to think of them too long, lest the longing for home overtake us. There is a bravery that comes from living overseas along with special flexibility and adaptability that must take place. I have learned from "N" that no place is really the same - ingredients you get in one country may not be available at all in another, or at a very high price. "G" has taught me the privilege of keeping some traditions alive at home. "I" has encouraged me with finding joy and life by delving into the culture. "T" has taught me that it's ok to miss home and some of the people & to let them know as well as others around you. "V" has taught me the value of the time spent in one place (these traveling shoes may learn yet). "N" has taught me the emphasis of maintaining what you believe, even if others may disagree. "P" has taught me that life is precious, and freedom is even more so.
   "and do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.  For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you."  Luke 12:29-31
 

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

Those Wild Bikers!

    One of the first days we were here in our little town, I saw a mother and daughter riding their bikes through the town and they proceeded to shop. The daughter was in her 50's, I suppose, and the mother was in at least her 70's. "How cute! "I thought, "Good for her!" (the mom) to be riding a bike so late in life…

    What I once thought was an anomaly - it certainly would be in the States- is more the norm here! People have been riding their bikes or walking everywhere for a very long time, especially during the times of socialism and communism, when having a car was only for the very privileged.  It also makes great sense in a country where gas is at least $7.50/gallon. No need to use all that gas if you are only going a little way. You will often see people of all ages - especially 'older' people- riding their bikes many places.

   The variety of bikes is also quite astounding! When I was a kid, my folks refitted an old Schwinn to make it look pretty new… gold with a gold banana seat and those high wing handlebars with gold handle grips.  I swear, that bike is over here by the thousands, but the seat has often, though not always been changed out! There are also old rusty contraptions that have been pieced together from many a dead bike, new bikes (though they get stolen quite easily), bikes with a lower to the ground gearing, and electric bikes.

   It is nothing to see a number of older people riding along to/from the local market [called the piac (pea-ots)], local woven baskets on the handlebars, and a sturdy plastic/fiberglass bag in the holder over the back tire. They wave to the ones they know and say, "Jo napot kivánok!" (Good day I wish you)

and sometimes may even stop in the street or off to the side to chat.

   You can tell we are still foreigners from 'the sticks' here, we say "Jo napot kivánok!" to everyone! Sometimes we get people to say that back, or sometimes we try to strike up a conversation about the weather or whatever. Thank Heaven more and more people are responding to us as though we really know what they are talking about! We get glimpses into the conversations, but we have a long way to go with the language.