Lábnyom Kispestben

Footprint in Kispest

We (my church family called Golgota) are preparing for a huge outreach called Lábnyom leading up to the start of a church plant in the Budapest neighborhood of Kispest. The events will include a children's ministry like a VBS, a sport ministry, concerts, an English camp for high school students, and more. I am extremely eager to be a part of this outreach by helping to teach at the English camp and getting to know local high school students. Rarely am I able to join in the church's ministry events in the city because I don't speak Hungarian. On this occasion, though, I am relatively qualified and very excited.

Now, I've never taught English as a Second Language before, so there is much to pray for and consider as the week approaches. Please join me in praying for creativity and wisdom as I prepare the lessons. I am thankful that basic lesson plans exist; I'll just be augmenting them and adding to them for my specific class level.

But before any of this can begin, we need students! Currently, only 5 kids have signed up. We need at least 10 to hold the camp. The English camp is August 3-7, and leaders will be deciding this coming Monday if we will continue. There are other possibilities. Maybe God has another plan for the use of English and the love for Kispest. I don't know. Our team leader, Bruce, is content in the knowledge that we follow after God. We won't create our own event because we want to. Instead, we see where God is going and follow.

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127:1

So, we will pray and wait. Students will sign up at the last minute, or we will have some other opportunity. In the meantime, please join us in prayer for the English camp, the other outreach activities, and of course the culminating event: the new church in Kispest!!

We want to leave footprints in Kispest, footprints that lead to Jesus.

A flurry

Wow! In the last week or so, I've finished school for the year, packed up my classroom (temporarily. I get to return in about a month to do prep for next year.), enjoyed the help of friends to move to a new flat, learned how to get hot water (temporarily) to flow from the bathroom faucet at aforementioned new place), unpacked a bit, randomly enjoyed a chamber concert under the dome at the Parliament building, tried to say goodbye to friends who are leaving, and packed for a month in the States. I fly out tomorrow. Whoa.

Just this morning, I realized how little time I've taken during this time to be still, to listen to my loving and sovereign Heavenly Father. The list above is pretty self-focused or at least logistical. It hasn't been very relational. May I slow down even as I want to see many people and share all kinds of stories from this first year at the International Christian School of Budapest. May I--as I was challenged this morning at church--stop and consider what my life is worth. This life or my own plans and interests are not more valuable than one other person's life for eternity. Am I living with eternal significance? Am I "seizing eternity" as I've often encouraged others to do?

A frenetic flurry is no excuse to lose perspective. Busyness--even in the name of ministry--does not honor God. Listening to him, accepting his love, and loving him with all that I am is what he requires. I'm looking forward to a 12-hour flight to ponder this a bit more...and fit in a little sleep, too.

See you Stateside!

Család

Family

There are many different types of "family" here in Hungary. First, I remember my own relatives: family I miss very much and will see in a few short weeks! Next, we have the family of God. At a joint church service on Sunday, our church of three services met together in a park and studied Acts 2:42:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

We talked about true and real fellowship, the purpose of the Church, and the family of God. Then, I'm feeling the connection to my ICSB family--friends and fellow teachers as well as students with whom we labor daily. They are so special to me and grow in significance as the time approaches to say goodbye to some.

Finally, the first form of family arrives again as ICSB hosted Family Field Day last Wednesday. Classes were cancelled for the day, and all students and families joined the staff in a nearby field for games, food, and time together. Fun and sunburns ensued!

I was the black team leader, which meant that I got to go with my kids to each station, keep them organized, encourage sportsmanship, and cheer loudly. Oh yes, cheerleading experience comes in handy at moments like this!

Before the games started, each team created a team cheer complete with skits or stunts. All the teams had great creativity, and displayed a beautiful love for their fellow students of all ages. Elementary students were flying all over the place. :)

Here I am using my vast knowledge of stunting to plan the "basket-toss" of a young student. I had to fight the urge to climb in myself. Oh to feel the wind in my face once again as I go flying through the air. (Sorry, old high school habits die hard.)



And the end result:

B-L--A-C-K, Go Black!

"Family" has taken on new depths and meanings for me as I make a home in Hungary. I'm so thankful that God is my Heavenly Father everywhere and heaven is my true home. Until then, I'll enjoy all the "families" I can get.

My Love Affair with Coffee

My college years--a time filled with late-night conversations, streams of appointments with students, and other such spiritually and intellectually stimulating activities--produced a sincere and deep-rooted love of coffeehouses. My association with coffee shops is one of quality interaction with other people or alone with God. The ambiance, the fragrance, the caffeine. I love it all. The European model of the small cafe or even independent bakery each with an espresso machine and little white mugs filled with $1.50 cappuccino suits me well.

Lately, though, as my room in our flat is utterly disorganized with the preamble to packing, I've been heading out more often to a Central European (Polish, actually) coffee house chain called Coffee Heaven. And, for me, it is just that. The comfy chairs, the hilariously nostalgic music loop, the caramel macchiato...

Sorry, I'm back. For many of my friends and family members, the attraction to such a place is an oddity. But for me, the means and atmosphere for writing in a journal, talking with friends, or being still before the Lord are a strong draw. I watch my budget carefully and will do so all the more as my housing will be getting quite more expensive soon. The money set aside for coffee shop trips is worth far more to me than the contents of a big paper cup.

All that being said, here is an interesting article that shows one perspective on the recent coffee-shop-chain-in-Central-Europe phenomenon.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050402941.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Cheers!