Back in Hungary

Miraculously, bags are unpacked already! I'm back home in Hungary after 26 hours of travel on FREEZING COLD airplanes. You know it is cold when nearly everyone on the plane is putting on coats, hats and huddling under blankets...not sure why it has to be THAT cold on the plane.

My last day in the U.S., which was also my travel day, I was blessed to be able to meet 3 friends in Atlanta during my 7 hour layover. We enjoyed lunch together and catching up "in person" on what's happening! Bless you dear ones for being God's gifts to me!

School begins tomorrow....nothing like hitting the ground running! It's good to be back, to see my boys, and I'm looking forward to all God has in store for this next year!

Only in America.....

In Kansas City, I'm staying in a guest house and the other day, I decided instead of driving to the International House of Prayer, I would don my IPOD, backpack and walk...seeing as I'm european...hee hee hee. It is an easy 25 min. walk, no problem.

As I was walking home, a man stopped in his car and yelled out to me, "Do you need a ride someplace?" I smiled and replied, "No, thanks, I love walking!" He was clearly taken aback a bit. You certainly don't see many people walking places here, even short distances like mine from the house to the prayer room! Interesting......

Orphan Justice Ministry

How amazing does this sound? Rescuing kids from all over the globe out of the sex trafficking industry and adopting them as well as other "unadoptable" kids, bringing them into a home in a community where worship, prayer and training in the Bible is the "heartbeat" of life.

IHOP and my friend Michael

I'm spending two weeks in Kansas City at the International House of Prayer. http://www.ihop.org/

I "snuck" a couple of pictures of the main prayer room, which is an amazing place to go, sit, stand, worship, pray, or read and just soak in the Lord's presence with worship music being played 24/7.

I've also spent some days with a dear and precious "new" friend, Michael. He's a biker for Jesus and yes, I got to ride on the back of his motorcycle a number of times!

5 more days before heading back to Hungary...planning to relish every moment!

Food

As I was driving in Charlottesville, I saw this sign. For some reason it struck me as odd, then humorous, then quite powerful.

This sign does not tell you what KIND of food; nor does it tell you exactly WHERE to find it...it's to the right somewhere.

So many are searching for food, some for physical, and ALL for spiritual food, whether they realize it or not. Even believers need their daily bread...food from heaven...do we know where to get it? And when we do, do we ignore the sign and our hunger? Or do we make that turn and seek that we may find the true food from heaven?

August 20th in Hungary...I'm not there....

August 20th is a national holiday in Hungary. It is St. Steven's day. Steven was the first Christian king in Hungary.

As I write this, I am sitting in the Justice Prayer Room at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. (www.ihop.org) I cannot help but think as I sit here and a team of 10 young people lead us in intimate prayer and worship and pray for God's justice and mercy, that the words Steven penned to his son, Imre, are appropriate even today! (By the way, I "borrowed" these from MJ's blog...thanks MJ!)

St Istvan was the first Christian King of Hungary and here is his advice for his son Imre:

''My beloved son, delight of my heart, hope of your posterity, I pray, I command, that at every time and in everything, strengthened by your devotion to me, you may show favor not only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent, be they leaders or rich men or neighbors or fellow countrymen, but also to foreigners and to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way you will reach the highest state of happiness. Be merciful to all who are suffering violence, keeping always in your heart the example of the Lord who said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Be patient with everyone, not only with the powerful, but also with the weak.

''Finally be strong lest prosperity lift you up too much or adversity cast you down. Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. Be truly moderate and do not punish or condemn anyone immoderately. Be gentle so that you may never oppose justice. Be honorable so that you may never voluntarily bring disgrace upon anyone. Be chaste so that you may avoid all the foulness of lust like the pangs of death.''

''All these virtues I have noted above make up the royal crown, and without them no one is fit to rule here on earth or attain to the heavenly kingdom.''--(Excerpt from Saint Stephen's admonitions to his son Imre.)

This is excellent advise for our current governments,too!

The Father's Heart

They had communion...the Lord's supper...at Trinity on Sunday. I love watching the people go forward to receive the bread and the cup. The picture above captured my heart because it is such a picture of our Heavenly Father's heart, as well as how WE should rest in His arms.

As I spend time at IHOP in Kansas City...not the house of pancakes...my prayer is that I too rest in my DADDY'S arms like this little one!

All smiles!

Arden and Diane after church at Trinity in Charlottesville!

I've known Diane Gilliam for years...and she has been praying for me for years! We also prayed for her and her family last year when her grandson, Jude, was struggling for life after having fallen into a pool. Two days ago was the anniversary of Jude falling into the pool. After a year, much has been healed, but there is more healing to come! There's nothing like friends who've stuck by through the years! Thank you Lord!

Former student now an Olympic gold medalist

You know how parents sometimes live their dreams through their kids? Well, sometimes teachers live their dreams through their students. When I was a kid, I always wanted to go to the Olympics.

I taught a wonderful young lady named Lindsay Shoop at The Covenant School years ago...she was in my 9th grade English class. Now she is a GOLD MEDALIST in the 2008 Olympics on the U.S. Women's 8 Rowing Team!!! Congratulations Lindsay! I am very proud of you! For those interested, click the link below and see the gallery of pictures of the medals ceremony. In the 4th picture, Lindsay is on the far left, dark hair, kissing her gold medal!


http://www.nbcolympics.com/rowing/photos/galleryid=226756.html

The Call in Washington, DC

Just a small taste of the crowds at "The Call".

Luis and Jill Cataldo, vital workers for the ministry of "The Call", and more importantly, dear friends!

Looking out over the crowds from our special seating!

Lynn and me...enjoying the day!

Yep, that's Jill Austin and Stacey Campbell...I got to say hello to Jill!

Thousands of people gathered on the Mall in Washington, DC today for "The Call"...a solemn assembly to fast and pray for the nation and for nations of the world! I met up with George and Lynn Ainsworth, dear friends, and we made our way toward the stage, looking for friends Jill and Luis Cataldo. I realized very early on it would take a miracle to find them...as we approached the stage, the Lord whispered: "Look to the right"...I did, and my eyes immediately saw Jill Cataldo! We were blessed to be invited to sit in the section with ministers and speakers. It was a wonderful day with amazing worship, prayer and repentance for our nation.

Good friends

Ashley Hall...we met at UVA in 1993 when she was an undergrad and I was an intern with Fraternity/Sorority Christian Fellowship!

Barb Armacost and Cynnie Westmoreland...friends since the mid 90s.

Kathy Puerner, another mid-90's friend!

Heather Gildea....former colleague!

Lynn Ainsworth, fellow missionary and friend!

These are some of the good friends who have been a blessing to me this trip to the U.S.

Wedding pictures...finally

Klari and Franci after the civil ceremony!

Klari and her father, entering the church!

The sun streams were amazing!

Klari, my precious friend and former student, happily married!

A kiss at the reception!

I finally found some time to download pictures. Here are a few from Klari and Franci's wedding a week ago!

Cleaning out

Eight years ago, when I moved to Hungary, I put a LOT of belongings in storage in a friend's brother's basement. Today, I went there and filled a car FULL of what I will call "unnecessary" items...those things that can be easily replaced...pots, pans, glasses, pillows, sheets, towels, etc. It felt GREAT to take these things to the Salvation Army and make a donation of good things for someone who really needs them!

Some may ask why I'm doing this. Simplicity. Weeding out things I really don't need and getting down to the core of personal belongings! I still have quite a few boxes...books, journals, pictures...but it felt good to clean out and trim down.

God often wants to clean out the stuff in our lives that we may "think" we need, but we really don't...when we finally let go, there is such a relief and weight that is lifted off.

For those keeping up with my U.S. trip via my blog, tonight, I'm going to a Bible study group meeting of some folks from Christ Community Church here in Charlottesville. Looking forward to reconnecting with this small group who welcomed me last summer and have been praying for me and Hungary this past year!

I have a breakfast meeting, lunch meeting and dinner meeting on Friday...whew. Saturday, I'm heading to Washington, DC for "The Call" www.thecall.com to join thousands of others in fasting and praying for our nation!

Busy but great times!

Grace and friendships

I've had an "interesting" year this past year...very challenging in many ways, primarily relationally. However, God has used it all and continues to do so.

This trip to the U.S. has been a HUGE lesson in seeing God's healing balm of grace through friendships. Not only did a good friend in Hungary volunteer to take me to the airport, but friends in Northern VA pretty much worked their entire schedule around me when flights were delayed and cancelled, and went out of their way to pick me up, feed me, etc. Then, I've got friends putting me up for a week, others working around super busy schedules to make time to see me, and friends with kids volunteering to travel HOURS to come see me, just to get a couple of hours with me! I'm humbled and floored by the love all of these friends are pouring out, the sacrificial time they are giving, and that they WANT to see me and spend time with me.

THIS is God's amazing grace in friendship...His amazing love....His amazing hand in allowing me to see that these friends are here for me through thick and thin and will drop everything. I've not always been the greatest friend TO these people; I've made mistakes, and I've had to be forgiven much. But God, in His Grace, has poured love and grace in THEIR hearts to love, accept and forgive me and they have shown much love and grace toward me!

Bless ALL of these dear ones who radiate God's healing grace!!!

Lots of "firsts"

I've experienced lots of "firsts" this trip to the U.S. It was my first time experiencing a cancelled flight after having waited 5 hours for it to take off. First time I'd been in Penn Station in NYC...and the first time I ever rode a train in the U.S. However it's not the first time I've had delayed luggage....AND, I just checked Delta website and my luggage has made it to Washington and is scheduled to be on a flight to Charlottesville, VA, where I am, soon! Yes, I'll have my own clothes! Yes, another first, is this is the first time I've worn Anna Foley's clothes. Thanks Anna!!!!

Lost luggage

Wish I wasn't writing about this....but so far, no luggage has arrived! PRAY!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes I really don't like traveling! Going out to shop for some clothes! Joy.......

Wedding fun!

I'm leaving for the U.S. in less than 2 hours...so I don't have time to download the plethora of pictures I took at Klari and Franci's wedding yesterday...but I will and get some up on my blog in the next couple of days! For now, know that it was an amazingly beautiful wedding...numerous times tears welled up in my eyes as this precious woman of God, whom I've known for 8 years and her wonderful new husband, who, every time I see him amazes me even more with his maturity, carried themselves with such grace, love and beauty, testifying to God's amazing grace, love and beauty!

The festivities started at the city hall...that's where the "legal" wedding must take place in Hungary...at 2:30 p.m. Then it moved to the church, and to make a long story short, I left the reception at 1 a.m. just as two Hungarian folk dancing pairs and Klari's sister began entertaining the guests at the reception with traditional wedding folk dancing!

What struck me most as I sat at the reception was the reality that this was a small picture of what heaven will be like! There were people there from sooooo many different nations, and everything was translated into three languages: Hungarian, Italian and German. Thankfully, at the wedding feast of the Lamb, there will be no need for translation, but to see the nations gathered for a party and people meeting and greeting and rejoicing in this celebration with Klari and Franci gave me a small taste of heaven and how wonderful it will be!

Scazzero again....

"Loss marks the place where self-knowledge and powerful transformation happen---if we have the courage to participate fully in the process....We numb our pain through denial, blaming, rationalizations, addictions, and avoidance. We search for spiritual shortcuts around our wounds. We demand others take away our pain. Yet we all face many deaths within our lives. The choice is whether these deaths will be terminal (crushing our spirit and life) or open us up to new possibilities and depths of transformation in Christ."

I realize the last two posts have been pretty 'heavy', but these are questions we all must face, I think, if we are going to grow in our relationships with God AND with each other. I believe true healing of the inner person and true healing in any relationship can only come through true seeking of God and allowing Him to do ALL that He needs to do, in His time and His ways, to bring healthy, lasting transformation.

Thoughts from "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality"

Peter Scazzero has written a couple of excellent books which I've read more than once now in the past few months. One is called "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" and is a must-read, I believe, for every Christian believer, who is ready to come face to face with him/herself and allow God to do deep work inside. Here's just a couple of quotes from the book to make you ponder...

"Ultimately God chooses the length and level of intensity. He has a unique purpose for each of us, knowing how much there is to cleanse out of our inner being, and how much he wants to infuse of himself into us for his greater, long-term purposes. Our Father knows how much we can handle...."

"I rarely realize how attached I am to something until God removes it....When we put our claws into something and we don't want to take them out, we are beyond enjoying them. We now must have them.
The Wall, more than anything else, cuts off our attachments to who we think we ought to be, or who we falsely think we are. Layers of our counterfeit self are shed. Something truer, that is Christ in and through us, slowly emerges."

Ah the freedom of experiencing freedom only God can bring us to, out of the clutches of the past, the sin and the strongholds which can so easily entangle us! The "dark night of the soul" time is not enjoyable, but oh so necessary for growth! Thoughts?

Gettin' ready!

Francesco and Klari at ICF!

Anyone who has ever travelled much knows that getting ready, i.e. cleaning, doing laundry, packing, paying bills, cleaning, etc., can be tiring. I love the challenge though, and my bag is basically packed, except for toiletries, swimsuit (which I just used at the pool and is drying outside), and of course last minute things. Even though I don't leave til Sunday morning, tomorrow will be a full, fun day!

My dear friend and former student Klari Takacs will marry a wonderful young man from Italy, Francesco...and I always forget his last name! (Sorry Franci!) You must understand something about Hungarian weddings...they last basically all night long, or at least until the wee hours of the next morning! Klari's civil ceremony (required for every Hungarian) will start at 2:00 p.m., followed by the church ceremony at 3:00; this will be followed by the reception in another village. I spoke with the bride-to-be yesterday and she was "sad" to hear that I would have to leave before the end of the reception, due to flying out the next day. She assured me that I need to stay until at least 12:30 a.m. because there will be lots of fun and funny events til then! I will hit the road back to Szeged after that to sleep for a few hours before boarding my flight to the U.S. Sunday early afternoon! But first, I'm very excited to share in Klari and Franci's BIG day, and may they be blessed in abundance, walk closely with Jesus all the days of their lives and model what it means to be a couple who loves Jesus first!

Where is our strength?

My nephew, Ollie, and I had a couple of moments of clowning around and in the pictures above, you can see each of us "posing" as "strong individuals", having climbled and conquered the peaks in Torocko, Romania. We were feeling really great as we headed down through the forest...and then we began to slip and slide along the very muddy trail, losing our footing at least twice each and ending up with muddy back sides. The strength and confidence we had at the top was quickly fading, and by the time we were walking the road back to our pension, we were pretty beat. We needed rest and refreshment, and a good shower!

Where do we as believers in Jesus find our strength? Where do we get rest? Where can we find refreshment? Where can we take a good "shower"? The Psalmist David knew exactly where his strength lay: in the Lord. Numerous times throughout the Psalms we read that "The Lord is my strength", "He is my strong tower", "I will rest in the shadow of His wings", "He alone is my hope and my deliverer", and on and on...

Jesus talks a lot about water...the living water...He is that living water, pouring into and through every believer who has made Him Lord of his/her life in the person of the Holy Spirit! As we sit in the presence of God and allow Him to "shower" us with His unconditional love, grace, mercy and kindness, we are strengthened and revived after the slips and falls and challenges. The challenge is looking to Him alone for that strength...we can so easily look to people, methods, things of the world, jobs, relationships, hobbies or even Christian activities to give us strength...none of them will provide the true and lasting strength that only the Holy Spirit can pour into us as we rest in Him and allow Him to fill us up!

More pix

The roof of Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria!

Ollie standing outside the University of Vienna! His parents met in Vienna over 20 years ago!

The evening Mozart concert was in full time-period dress!

The concert was in a beautiful hall!

Beautiful Vienna experiences!

More pix from my trip with Ollie

Castle ruins outside of Torocko, Romania.

Typical Hungarian/Romanian breakfast!

We visited a working salt mine in Romania! Very cool!!!!

Yep, that's salt on the walls!

We went to see a Mozart concert in Vienna our last night together!

Here are more pix from my trip with Ollie!

Whirlwind trip with my nephew, Ollie

Visiting castle ruins in Deva, Romania.

We finally reached our destination, Torocko, Romania, and this is Ollie standing in front of the mountain range we would hike the next day. We hiked up between these two peaks, up the valley!

It was a challenging hike at points! However, extremely beautiful and well-worth the effort!

This "post" was at the top of the peak...the colors of the Hungarian flag, as this part of Romania, a 7 hour drive from Szeged, was once a part of Hungary! All the people in the village of Torocko still speak Hungarian!

One of the panoramic vies from the top!

My 15-year-old nephew, Ollie, and I enjoyed a whirlwind trip to 3 different countries in a week! First we arrived in Hungary, then drove to Transylvania in Romania (used to be Hungary before WWI), and then returned to Hungary and took a train to Vienna, Austria! Our travels included going by plane, car, bus, taxi, trolley, train, tram and underground, in addition to walking, hiking, sliding down muddy paths, scrambling over rocks and boulders, eating "strange" foods, hearing strange languages, tasting many different ice creams and experiencing many different cultures! What a blessed time!

More cruise pix

Ollie, Jennifer, Arden and Kevin on board ship.

Don't they look GREAT??? Can you believe they've been married 50 years?

We had a couple of FUN nights in the disco on board! Me, dancing with neice, Jennifer!

Ollie and his mom, Carol.

We sure had fun!

Some cruising pix

Dinner in the dining room on board ship....

After dinner in one of the boat lounges before going to the disco!!!

The "kids" on a bike trip on Visby!

Yes, we had to practice just in case we needed to abandon ship!

Here are a couple of pix from our fun family cruise. More to come.....