This Fall I will be leaving for Budapest, Hungary! I am excited, nervous, honored and feel peace around this decision, but most of all I am grateful for the freedom that I have in doing something that is beyond myself.
Pictured above is a photo of when I felt most like a tourist. We were at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, Ireland. My group and I had our headphones in our ears, cameras strapped around our necks, maps ungracefully in hand, with looks of wonder on our faces as we followed our tour guide throughout the museum. I took a solo picture with a cheesey thumbs up, just for the full effect. There was no question that we were tourists.
The truth is, we were tourists. We were there as students. I am so excited to move to a country where I will be learning by full emersion into the unfamiliar, as messy as that will be. Over time, I hope to step out of the tourist’s persona, and into the posture of a learner and servant for God.
In Hungary, I am going to be humbled by language learning. My Western sense of individualism will be challenged when I will need to ask for help and depend on others. Despite all of the challenges that are sure to come along the way, I can't wait to see how my role as an Artist Missionary can be used to grow the Kingdom in Budapest and to see what is already at work. I can’t wait to join my team in Budapest and learn from them as I contribute what I have to offer.
At Bethel I learned that the Arts are sacred, that images are powerful, and that Jesus loves people in a way that is so radical, it continues to surprise me everyday. We were made in His image. We were made in His image! I learned that recognizing the potential in people is one of the most loving things that one can see in another, and it is a powerful force to live out His Kingdom. We serve a loving God. We serve a big God. This season is going to be an adventure, an opportunity beyond my imagination, and an act of trust in the One who never changes.