So, a couple more weeks have gone by and Uzhgorod is becoming my home more every day. Last week, I was in Budapest again, this time Tim and Helen came with me! I went to apply for my visa and they came along to explore a new city.
Applying for a visa, you would think, is an easy task. Well, I guess that depends on where you are and who you are. I have a great attorney helping me out with all my paper work, which is so awesome because I would have no idea what I was doing without him. I am pretty sure there was a time when he was getting annoyed with me because I called him so much… =]. Anyways, for the visa you have to fill out the application, makes sense, right? Well for some reason I had a hard time doing this. I would put an answer in the wrong box, make a mistake on a phone number, or something silly like fill the document out in a black pen when you’re supposed to use blue. I ended up filling the application out like 10 times. When I went to Budapest, I brought one filled out in black, one filled out in blue, and a blank one just in case!
We arrived in Budapest Sunday night; it’s a 5 hour train ride from Chop (the border town in Ukraine). First you take a 10-minute train across the border, then change trains to go to Budapest. It’s not bad as long as you either have good company, something to do, or can sleep on trains. I dragged Helen and Tim first to the hostel we were staying and then on a quick run through of where I had to go the next day to get to the Ukrainian Embassy. I just needed to make sure I could remember how to get there. They were great to go along with me. Monday, everything went fine, I got to the Embassy an hour and 15 minutes early, I thought they opened at 8, but they open at 9, so I went on a walk and figured this was God telling me I needed some extra time with Him. After I passed in my application and paperwork, I had to go back down the street to a bank to pay for it, then go back to the Embassy to give them the receipt. Once this was done, I had the rest of the day Monday and all Tuesday to wait. So, Helen, Tim, and I were tourists and shopped and walked around Budapest. Wednesday morning I went to pick up my visa and then later in the day we headed back to Uzhgorod! Successful trip! The next step is to wait 2-3 weeks to get my permit, then get registered. After that, I will be done! (until I have to renew next year)
Last Thursday was my first trip with our team to an orphanage in Svalyava. We try to have a team go there every week. The first trip, we played outside with the kids, not many came outside to play and we were only able to stay with them for about an hour or so. The second time I went (yesterday) we got to play inside with them, which meant we got to stay longer! This is quickly becoming my favorite part of the week!
Last weekend there was a Honey and Young Wine festival in Uzhgorod. We had a “Real American Burgers” stand along with fried chicken sandwiches and grilled cheeses. Clinton is a great cook and made all of the burgers and chicken sandwiches, and we had a great group of people working the stand too! Clinton also made a ladder ball game the day before and it was a big hit!
Things are getting started with the student ministry, which is really exciting. Today we had our first meeting with people who all feel that student ministry is something God has put on their hearts to participate in. It was a really neat time to hear about how God directed our paths to this place and specifically to student ministry. Join us in praying for building/establishing relationships on our team and with students. Due to the unrest in the East, this school year there has been an influx of students, which include 400 Indian students. Every Sunday at church, there has been a small group of these Indian students and they are among the 15-20 believing Indian students that are interested in some type of ministry geared toward students. There is also a group of about 50 Indian students that are not believers but are interested in joining us if we start having events and English Bible studies/church services. God is already at work here in the students’ hearts, so pray with us that He keeps kindling that flame!
Our team is currently participating in a course called “The Leadership Journey” and recently we talked about our identities and if we place who we are in what we do, what people say about us, or that we are beloved children of God. I will admit that this is something I struggle with. I shared a story from my training in Chicago. We were split up into pairs and were told ok you have 30 seconds to tell your partner whom you are. The first thing my partner said was, “I am a child of God.” He didn’t say his name, he didn’t say his occupation, or tell me about his family. He told me exactly who he is, a child of God. I’ll be honest, that’s not the first thing that comes to my mind when someone says, “Who are you?” But it should be, because without that statement everything else doesn’t matter. I so easily base my identity off of what I do. When I do that now, I get discouraged because I think I’m not doing much at all. I have to remind myself that though I came here for a specific reason, I came here because I was being an obedient child of God and because I am a beloved child of God- that is my identity. When I put that first, everything else will fall into place and He will equip me for what He has planned for me to do. Some lessons we learn are life long lessons, so I’m still learning this one.
Next week is Thanksgiving and I know it is a popular time to say what you are thankful for… but I hope that you know everyday I thank God for the prayer support, encouragement, and financial support from all of you!
In Christ,
Julie