A sweet weekend

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

An opportunity came up for us to go to an orphanage in Budapest every other weekend. Only 7 could go because of limited van space. They had mentioned it last week, and then I was sick and missed the sign up but one of the girls couldn't go, so a spot opened up! We went for the first time Saturday, and it was such a sweet time. Before we went they had told us it would be mostly teenagers, which honestly made me a little nervous...but when we got there we walked into this room full of 60 something little kids.

There were some older ones, but most where 10 and younger. We got there and it was a little chaotic, we had met up with another team and it was their first time as well. So we didn't really know what all to do at first. They broke us into different groups, just to kind of get to know one another. It was of course all in Hungarian, so I never had any clue what was going on, or what was being said, but I loved it! The kids asked me to say some sentences in english, and then asked me to say what words I knew in Hungarian ((which consisted of like four)) and then they laughed at how I pronounced them.

After that we got to go to a their dining room, and set up a place for them to paint, and also to make bracelets and necklaces with beads.


I spent most of my time at the bead table which some precious girls. This one here below wouldn't ever tell me her real name. She'd say ((in english)) "My name is...- and it was a different name everytime. I'd laugh and tell her Nem (no) or Igen (yes) and she'd just laugh and giggle.

This little one was absolutely precious.

She loved giving me thumbs up, or thumbs down.


They LOVED having their pictures taken, and I wish I had gotten more. It was so chaotic that it was hard, but next time I think I'll be able to take more. They would ask me to take pictures with them, or just of them. Then they'd ask if they could take pictures with my camera.


It was just a sweet time, and I'm so thankful we got to go. We only got to spend two hours there, but I'm hoping as we go more they'll allow us to stay longer. It isn't a Christian based home, so they told us we couldn't talk about our faith with them, but if they asked us we could tell them. I can't wait to go back, we're supposed to go back this next Saturday, and then we'll start going every other week.
Pray that they'll see something different in us, and ask questions!

Today 7 of us went to Calvary Chapel Budapest! They were having a baptism service, and it was so cool! I love that church anyways. The guy that is the director over this college, is also the pastor for that church. He's American, so he preaches in english, and then they have a translator. The music is all in Hungarian though, which is really cool! and their worship team is great. One girl played the flute, and one guy played the mandolin for a few songs.


After church we had a couple hours to hang out before we came back to the college. We all ended up going to a mall, and eating, and walking around. Then my friend Callie and I walked around outside some waiting for the others.

Aren't they the cutest thing?? Of course me being my creeper self had to get a picture.

Me and Callie!

So that has been my weekend, and a sweet weekend it has been.
Tomorrow starts another week, and I can't believe I'm already starting week four!
I have some homework I had better get to...it is due tomorrow! Have a great week friends!

Just a little update from Hungary

Hello friends!

I’ve wanted to post for a few days, but my internet ran out. It does that, and then you have to wait a few days for it to build back up, and then limit my time on it so it doesn’t run out again. So if you don’t hear from me for a long period of time…that is probably why…or I’ve been carried off by a band of gypsies…

:)

So I wanted to tell you a little more about my classes…but I don’t really know where to begin. To just be blunt, I love them. There isn’t a class I don’t enjoy, or one I don’t get something out of every time. I honestly love being in a class room ((never thought I’d hear myself say that!)) I sometimes don’t feel like I can get enough, and then I sit there and wonder how I’m supposed to process it all.

I’d have to say Nehemiah and our Missions Class are my absolute favorites though. I just love seeing Nehemiah’s life, and we talked about last week how he allowed God to stir him up, he was given this burden, he felt it, fasted, and prayed, and then he moved on. He didn’t allow himself to be guarded of the things of the Lord, but was open to them. That video I put up below was one he showed in class. With the question, what do you allow to stir you up? What impacts you? I think most all of us were pretty impacted by that video. Mission’s class is held in the teacher’s home, and we have coffee, and tea, and pie, and it’s more of just a casual environment. It is a lady that teaches it, and she has been on the mission field for years. She was in the Ukraine for most of it, with her husband, and then after he passed away she came here. It is going to be so great to get fed her years of experience in missions. Apologetics class is so interesting. We studied for a couple of weeks how to determine truth…we couldn’t just say “the Bible” but we really had to dig and think, and really it was just that we need evidence to back it up. Does it hold up over time? The used the illustration of gravity, gravity is an absolute truth, it is the same for every person everywhere, it never changes, and how do we know this? We test it. We studied the view of relativism…it is so crazy that people actually believe in it.

This week we are getting into the existence of God, and how atheism really fails logically, and doesn’t help us out at all. Because without God, there is no purpose in life, man is an accident, our mere existence is absurd. There would be no right or wrong, and man could just do as he pleased.

Then we have Romans, and the more I read it, and the more I’ve had to pick apart the verses I have concluded that Paul is just hard to understand! I love the book of Romans, but Paul is just all over the place in it, and it’s just been going to the teachers with a lot of verses and having them help me understand them. One of the teachers told me that he’d been a Christian for so and so many years, and there was still stuff in Romans he didn’t understand. So, it’s good, and I enjoy it, but it is challenging.

Besides those classes we have devotions Monday-Thursday, Friday morning is evangelism and discipleship class, where we are looking at different characters of the Bible and their examples, then we have our small prayer groups after. Then the weekend is just free. Weekend outreaches are starting to get put together, so I’m pretty excited about that. We also had home fellowships start on Monday night. I love, love mine, it’s a pretty small group, and it’s just a fun time of fellowship.

I feel like I’m writing a book, I’m sorry! I feel like there is a lot more I could tell you! But I’ll post a few pictures. I took a few in Vajta when I walked in Sunday, I’ll take more later on I promise!

(I know, I'm such a creeper)

I do have a prayer request!
I've had a cold and so I've been put in the sick room. I am not by any means on my death bed, and I feel pretty good today. But I have a croupy cough and all that good stuff, so I've had to miss classes today. And I'm really hoping I won't have to tomorrow. It seems like I've been constantly sick since I had mono last fall, and I'd really like my immune system to build back up fully. So for that, it's been going around here, so that nobody else would get it either.

Tears of the Saints from AsiaLink HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

We had some snow here in Hungary!







There wasn't very much, but it was fun to wake up to!
I want to post more later and tell you some more about my classes and such, but I need rest so I'd better go to sleep!

I may not have a valentine...

But I have amazing European chocolate.


Enjoy your sweetheart today!

Guess what I did today??

A group of us went on a adventurous walk.





And the best of all... I took ballroom dance lessons!!




I am possibly one of the worst dancers ever. But it was so much fun!

Ok, I better get to homework!

What is a missionary?

A missionary is a servant that is sent out to do a certain work.
A missionary is a servant who just happens to live in a place that is not where they come from. A different geographical location.

We talked yesterday morning in Missions Class about how missionaries get stereotyped. How when you think missionary you think of someone living in a grass hut in Africa eating bugs, and worms, and all that yummy stuff. The three places most people think about getting called to is, Africa, India, and China. You think about it, and it is so true! But God doesn't call everyone to those places. People seem to think if you don't live in a grass hut, and don't eat bugs, then you are not a missionary.

There is so much work to be done everywhere! In the US, in Africa, in Europe, Russia, Bahamas, Mexico, people need Jesus everywhere!

This week has been overwhelming, and so great. I almost can't believe I have been here a week already. In a way it feels like I just got here, and in another way it seems like I have been here forever...if you can make any sense out of that.

The classes have been great. I did decide to take Nehemiah, and I am so glad I did. There is A LOT of homework. Well duh, it is Bible SCHOOL what was I thinking? Honestly though I did know there would be homework, I did not know how challenging it would be. But is has been so great, it really has been! The Lord has been showing me so much. Who would have thought you could get so much out of reading about 22 different Kings in the Old Testament??

Romans is another one that I love. I can't decide which is my favorite, Romans or Nehemiah. They are both amazing! and the teachers are so good! Apologetics is going to be really interesting, and very challenging. But I am excited for it.

A group of us went to a town about an hour away to get our residence permits. It was nice to be able to get out! We also went to a Tesco ((think walmart)) where I became the proud owner of a tinker bell hairdryer. I have to be honest; I am really excited about this hairdryer. Don't you sit there and judge me.

I have been a little homesick. I honestly was homesick the minute I got on that plane to come here. But it has been so good, and I have already learned so much.
One thing that is hard though is being around people constantly. Don't get me wrong, I love these people! They are some of the greatest people I have ever come in contact with. But I am so used to just being able to go out, and do my own thing, jump in a vehicle and go. I could go out and ride and not see anyone for hours. There isn't just a ton of alone time here. I go walk around the grounds a lot, and that is nice. But still I'd like to just get OUT. I feel like a caged animal!! haha ok so not really, but still it is a different for me. I hope though as time goes by I'll have a traveling buddy and will be able to go out.

I went out and took some pictures for yall earlier. My poor camera has been neglected. All that homework you know...am I beginning to sound like a college kid? At least it isn't like calculus, or trig, or one of those other things I hear college kids talking about. So I shouldn't complain should I? I'm really not, because I actually do enjoy it. Cause it is the Bible, and the Bible is AMAZING. It really is just me learning HOW to do it. Like I did my first every outline!

Chapter one down... chapter two to go...

Try and outline Romans sometime. Just do it.

Ok, pictures.

Yeah I get to live here, no big deal.

((view from the back))

((back))

((front))

I LOVE this entrance. I wish they used it!


And now, drum roll please! Introducing one of my favorite places in the whole castle!

And this is my MOST favorite place in the castle! The Historic library!

I am in love with this cute little entrance.


I want a room just like this in my own house one day... big dream I know.


One last thing before I go. I just want to comment on how incredible it is to worship with so many different people, from so many different places. And on top of that to get to know these people from different places. So much fun!

<3 Good night everyone!