The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy, but really wonderful and I feel like I am finally starting to build some ideas and context for what ministry will look like here in Hungary. My team spent five days a couple weeks ago at a conference in Bled, Solvenia. The area was so beautiful and relaxing, but the best part of being there was meeting other people who live and serve all over Europe and hearing about their ministries. The conference was structured around a lot of discussion and although I felt like I didn’t have a lot to contribute yet, it was good to listen to the stories of those who have been here longer. Some of the big ideas that I took from the week include:
“Always keep a direct line of sight to the vision.”- since our vision as Reach Global is to disciple, disciple makers and plant churches, I need to ask myself how the work I am doing will line up with this.
“We don’t own anything, control anything or count anything as ours.” – this means that in ministry we are not about promoting only Evangelical Free churches or working only with other Reach Global people, but it frees us to work with other churches and ministries to make the most impact for the gospel as long as their vision lines up with ours.
“Relationship before resource.” – This is the take away that will be the most difficult for me I think. Since I am a doer I tend to like to get to know people through activities. When I first meet someone and I find out that we have common interest I think ‘We should do that together.’ It can be difficult and stressful for me to sit around and have a long conversation with someone I just met. The idea behind this however is that we care about the person not just what they have to offer us. It is not a good idea to walk into a relationship thinking ‘Oh they could totally help me with organizing this... so we should be friends.’ It would be much better to come into a relationship not expecting anything, and find out later that they have some of the same goals in mind and that you could help each other.
So overall, I feel that I learned some really good things from the week and am so thankful that I was able to go.
On our return home from the conference, we were in for a surprise. While we were in Solvenia, one of our radiators started leaking and we had a small swimming pool where our living room used to be. Luckily the water was coming from the bathroom and none of our bedrooms flooded, but we had three soaked rugs to deal with and lots of mopping and wet vacuuming to do to get rid of all of the water. The heat for our apartment also had to be shut off until the pipe could be fixed, so we are enjoying cuddling under lots of blankets and going around the apartment in slippers, sweatshirts and winter caps. Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon, and maybe at the same time we can get the radiator valves fixed since a couple of the radiators in this apartment were unable to be adjusted.
Yesterday was a Hungarian holiday that commemorates the failed Hungarian revolution in 1956. It is a big holiday and most people don’t have to work, but a very somber holiday honoring those that died and remembering that the country suffered another 34 years of communism. There are no parades or celebrations, but there were some displays up around the city with pictures of Budapest then and now as well as stories from people who lived during that time. All museums in Budapest are free on October 23 so we wanted to go to Terror House, a large museum that captures life during the communist reign of terror, but so did everyone else and the line was almost two blocks long. Instead we ended up going to an art museum, which was quite fun if maybe not so patriotic. I also rode the ‘underground’ for the first time, which is the oldest metro line of the four in Budapest, and as I found out, the oldest metro in continental Europe. Unlike most metros which are deep under ground, this one was built by excavating a road, building a U shaped tube for the metro and then laying down steel support on top, which double as the foundation for the road above. I am curious to know therefore if Andrassy Street, the street above, ever freezes or gets covered in snow. I think the line opened in the late 1800s and the quaint stations remind you very much of that era.
Since next week is already the end of October, I am busy planning a pumpkin carving party for people from English club, teens that went to summer English camp and the youth group that we work with. I was surprised by how many pumpkins they have around the city and decided that this was an opportunity that I could not pass up. I am not sure of all the details yet, but am excited to get to carve pumpkins even though I am far from home. Also hopeful that my freezer will get some pumpkin puree for cookies and pies after all! My mom also sent me my first package and it was wonderful! I am now well supplied with real brown sugar, MN wild rice, chocolate chips and loose leaf tea! I feel very loved and not quite so far from home :)
So that is life for me in Budapest right now. It is getting colder here and I am starting to believe it is actually fall. Take care and God Bless!