The Road

There was a writing competition for students from 5 different countries on the topic "Road". I joined the kids while they wrote and thought I'd share some "road thoughts".
Some claim it's long and difficult, with imposing mountains and dark, terrifying valleys, thieves at every turn waiting to capture the unsuspecting and naive; others muddle through, barely noticing the twisting turns and slipery slopes that send them reeling---picking themselves up again, brushing off the dust and morosely continuing on; while those adventuresome few relish the peaks' panoramas, drink in the lush valleys' life and shout for joy at the chance for another day to sing and dance with both the beasts and the butterflies, and soar with the eagles.
Let me hold the hand of the skeptic and shine The Light on his path; whisper words of encouragement to the wistless wanderer, speaking the Words of Life to lift his heavy heart; and let me be bold enough to step out with the daring into the unknown, for knowing Who is there is all that matters.

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Orphan stories

We had a little get-together last night at a friend's house. Two of the "kids" from the children's home came; this is the second year we've invited these two particular kids to enjoy a family dinner and give them small gifts for Christmas. B. is struggling quite a bit right now as she tries to "make life work"; she has a job as a hairdresser, has "sort of" moved out of the children's home an in with her boyfriend, but life is a battle as customers are few, bills have to be paid, and building a relationship with someone when you have few if any models in your life of what that actually looks like, only adds to the stresses already present. B. left early, a troubled spirit accompanying her out the door.
L. stayed, and as dad and the kids went upstairs for bath time, my friend K. and I talked to L. about his recent decision not to finish the computer school he is in and instead, study for university entrance exams and apply to the Math department at the University. As we shared with him just how difficult "real life" is, and that he is going to have to work REALLY hard, while at the same time reminding him of how much we love him, his eyes began to well up with tears. L. has no family to speak of. He's 20, and unlike other kids in the home, when he turned 18, he did not get the "large sum of money" most of the other kids get to help them get on their feet and buy a small one or two room flat. He's quite motivated, but obviously scared as well. When I asked him how we could help and encourage him, he broke down sobbing. Through his tears, he said that on days when he feels down or depressed, he just thinks of us and the few others that he knows love him and are "for" him. "When I wanted to quit high school, I just thought about how much that would disappoint you two, and so I stuck with it," he continued, sobbing, shoulders shaking as emotion overcame him. With three of us now bawling, I was struck, once again, by how much of an impact each of us can have on someone's life, sometimes without even realizing it. Yet heartbreak hit again when, on the bus ride home, I asked L. where he will spend Christmas. "In my room, playing my guitar."
I know there are millions around the world, alone and many will spend Christmas alone, just like L. Please remember to pray for them!

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Santa Claus and Christmas

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Here in Hungary, and I believe in most of europe, Santa Claus has already come!!! December 6th is known here as "Mikulas", or Santa Claus day, and on the 5th of December, all the little boys and girls clean their boots and put them in the window sill. Santa comes during the night and fills them with chocolates and other candies, as well as fruits and nuts sometimes. The "naughty" children receive switches, but most of my students who have received these say they got them only as a joke. On the morning of December 6th, the children are thrilled to find that indeed Santa has come and filled their clean boots with goodies. I believe there are a few things to glean from this tradition.
First, for me it is wonderful that Santa and Jesus come on different days. Here, the baby Jesus delivers the gifts on the evening of December 24th, not Santa. It's refreshing that the focus is on Jesus and NOT on Santa on the 24th, even though most of my students say they are "not religious" and don't celebrated the religious aspect of the holiday.
Second, the cleaning of the boots. If a child has dirty boots, he won't receive the sweets....there is real work involved. However, for me this points directly to the Truth that Jesus has done the "cleaning" in our lives through His death on the cross. We are holy vessels by His grace and mercy, ready to receive all the sweetness that the Lord wants to pour into our hearts. Yet we too have a responsibility to care for this temple which God has given us, and this Christmas, I pray that we all prepare Him room, just as the children here prepare their boots, to receive the wonderful gifts that the Lord wishes to give us from His amazing abundance.

God's ways are higher than ours!

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Over the course of the past 3 days, I have received an important lesson in the Truth that God's ways are much, much higher than ours. Thursday I had a "sad" conversation with a young lady there who has become a dear friend. She is just about the only kid in the home who is a Christian. She told me that she will no longer be coming to church, and she is giving up reading the Bible and praying. "In the last 4-5 months, I've read and prayed and gone to church, but things in my life have only gotten worse. God has not answered any of my prayers and my life, every part of it, is falling apart." All I could do was sit and listen.....partially because my Hungarian is still at such a level that I cannot carry on deep theological conversations with people in Hungarian. Thursday was a wake-up call for me. Here is this young lady, who was so hungry to know God and grow, and yet I did not prioritize time with her, I did not learn Hungarian well enough to help her work through her issues/doubts, etc. My heart was breaking Thursday night.
Then today, I received a text message on my mobile phone that a boy named Laci from the children's home would meet me in front of the Burger King to go to church!!! I was so happy to see him there.....I secretly wondered what people would think of this kid with two ears full of earrings and a piercing in his lower lip. He really enjoyed church and is excited to come again! He's also excited about the free English lessons the church is offering on Monday evenings! He also came to a worship service/concert tonight at another church and seemed to enjoy it. He wants to turn his life around and realizes that now is the time!
In my discouragement over my friend M. walking away from the Lord, God chose to show me that HE is the one who is doing the work, NOT ME! HE is the one who is in control! HE is the one who loves these kids at the children's home even more than I could ever imagine! HE is the one who will hold each one in His hand! I'm humbled and encouraged to realize once again that His ways are indeed higher than mine, and both M. and Laci are in the Lord's hands, and I need not worry, but rather be faithful to loving Jesus and loving these kids as the Lord shows me!

The sun and the Son

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I think I can count on two hands (maybe even one) how many days of sunshine we have had here in Szeged, Hungary, known as the "City of Sunshine" during the month of November. Needless to say, with darkness falling at about 4:15 (or earlier), and lack of sunshine during the day, there's a heavy air here of tiredness. Contemplating this today, I began thinking about how for some of these people, this heaviness and tiredness and darkness is an everyday thing for them in their souls. Not only has their been a lack of Sun here, but when one lacks THE SON in his or her life, the only hope that one has is that maybe there will be sunshine tomorrow to lift the burden temporarily. Wouldn't it be amazing to see an outpouring of the Spirit of the Son on this city so that even on the gloomy, "sun-less" days the JOY of the SON would be evident and hope would be permanent?!

Cross-cultural mourning

I've experienced some culture shock in the last few days as I have mourned the loss of a former student, killed in Iraq last Friday. Here's what I've learned about how Hungarians react to someone who is mourning, which is somewhat different than how, typically, Americans would react. When I shared my "loss" with some close friends, they responded with absolute silence....I was stunned....I expected them to say SOMETHING, to provide some sort of verbal comfort. My first response was deep hurt...."They don't care....all they are thinking about is this war and how much they don't agree with it. Can't they see beyond the war to a loss of life? Can't they see I'm hurting?" Well, I've learned some very important and very good lessons as I've "processed" these things with various Hungarians. In general, Hungarians say nothing when told someone has lost someone, because that is the most comforting and honorable thing to do; to say something would be flippant and shallow. To remain silent is to say, through your silence, that you are feeling their pain with them, deeply, and words cannot and should not be spoken because no words can ever convey the depth of the sorrow or tragedy. Additionally, we Americans, in general, are a hugging culture when we are comforting someone. Only the VERY closest of friends in Hungary would even think to give someone a comforting hug. A close friend would sit next to someone mourning, let them cry, but would not hold their hand, put an arm around a shoulder or give that person a hug. A friend would simply sit, let the person cry, and listen if the person wanted to talk about the situation. But, the Hungarian would not ask questions....he or she would simply let the person mourning talk if he/she wanted to talk. To ask questions would be intruding and would be considered, in general, rude and uncaring. I'm so thankful for these lessons this week as I know I've been so "American" with my Hungarian friends and have been quick to try to say a comforting word, which, to many of them, is yet another indication, in their eyes, of American "shallowness". Who was it that said, "The older I get, the more I realize I do not know."? How very true!


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Joys and Sorrows

Saturday, I received a sad phone call. One of my former students from Virginia was killed in Fallujah, Iraq where he was serving as a U.S. Marine. The tears flowed immediately and the memories of this fine young man flooded my mind. My heart aches for the family who have lost a son, but in the midst of sorrow, there is great rejoicing, for a son has gone home to be with his Heavenly Father! For this we can all rejoice! This Thanksgiving, let's remember to give special thanks for every family member and every friend.

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Orphan stories

Each Thursday I get to spend the afternoon at a children's home in the suburbs of Szeged. Yesterday was a very special day for me there as I got to "learn the story" of one of the kids I've been spending more time with this fall. A. is 22 years old and was placed in the home when he was just 11. He is one of 7 children, but the only one who has grown up in a children's home. I asked him how he ended up there. "I was a really bad kid! I used to just leave home when I was really little (starting at about age 6) and go hang out on the street with friends, and I got involved with some really bad kids. My mom finally got so frustrated with me because I was not going to school and I was getting involved in really bad things, so one day, she brought me here. At first I thought I would be here for a week or so, or maybe a month, and then, I realized, this is now my home! I tried to leave and do what I always did...go wander the streets, but the social workers wouldn't let me. I really thank God that I ended up here in the children's home because otherwise I wonder where I would be now."
Another boy came to the English lesson and I was asking him about his "story" because I noticed his younger brother is not really "normal". J. told me "Yea, my brother has a nervous disorder and is going to a special school because he cannot be in a regular school." I asked him about the rest of his family. "There are 6 kids in the family, and now my brother and I are here because my dad is in prison." Their stories break my heart, and a part of me just wants to take them home with me, but hearing stories like A's. helps me realize that this home can really be a good place for some of these kids, and so I just keep loving them as best I can and giving them some life-skills, and praying for them.
Finally, there is B. We enjoyed some time together this morning, drinking coffee and eating breakfast. B. has essentially moved out of the children's home and is living with her boyfriend. What breaks my heart though is that she is having such a difficult time building this relationship. As she poured out her heart to me this morning about the fact that she has NO IDEA how to build a healthy, normal relationship with someone, having grown up in a children's home since she was 2 years old and never having seen a "normal" relationship between a man and a woman, my heart was breaking. I praise God I was able to share with her my "vision" of a healthy relationship that I hope to share someday with someone, and that is a relationship where each person's first love is Jesus, and as we each seek Jesus, we grow closer together, building on the foundation of Christ as the center of our relationship. It dawned on me afresh today that I can work hard to give these orphan kids lots of things: a fun summer camp, English skills, friendship, chocolate every week, laughter, clothes, and many other "wonderful things", but what they need most is a relationship with the living Lord Jesus, who will never leave them nor forsake them.

ceo for the kids

ceo for the kids

I purchased an English language newspaper today which I'd not read before. It's called the Budapest Times, and in it, I found the following tidbit which those interested in Hungary's economy may find interesting. "New minimum wage will be raised to 57,000 Hungarian Forints/month beginning January 1, 2005." (This is 233.60 EUROS/month, and is a 9.3% increase.) However, after taxes, 28% approximately for minimum wage earners, the "take-home" pay is quite minimal. In the same newspaper, I saw flats (apartments) being advertised for 1000 EUROS/ month for 2 bedrooms in a high-end section of Budapest. I'm continually struck by the disparity; there are the rich and the poor, basically, and with food prices equivalent to (or sometimes higher) than those in the U.S., and clothing costing MORE here than it does in the U.S., I am continually amazed by these people who continue to survive against great economic odds. It's no wonder that in each household, both parents work at least one job each to make ends meet.


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cultural education

I was teaching my 11th grade bilingual students this morning, and the lesson was entitled: "What Things Do." The lesson proceeded well as we learned that snakes slither, butterflies flutter, wings flap, lightning flashes and strikes, etc. With two minutes left in the lesson, I said, "Ok, here are the last 3 things and you tell me what you think each of these does: arms, lips and life." The shyest boy in the class said, "Arms hug." The prettiest girl in the class said, "Lips kiss." But the most interesting and in a way, the "funniest" response came with the last word: life. Of course I had my own answer, but I wanted to ask the students. One boy piped up, "Life ends!" Another one said, "Life sucks!" My answer was: "Life goes on!" And herein, blogspot readers, is your cross-cultural lesson for the day: the American is the optimist, whereas, true to stereotypes, the Hungarian is the pessimist. It has been said that pessimism is in the Hungarians' blood. Well, I decided to poll some more Hungarians as to how they would follow the word "life". ALL of them (from a huge poll of 4) said similar things: life ends, life dies, or life comes to an end. This is not surprising to me because a few months ago I learned that while American fairy tales end with the line: "And they lived happily ever after!" Hungarian fairy tales ALL end with the line: "And they lived until they died." Here's the conclusion of the matter: LIFE IS INTERESTING!

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Laszlo Presser benefit concert

I sat in a packed opera house Monday night listening to the musical talents of Laszlo Presser, a Hungarian pianist and singer, who volunteered his time to come do a benefit concert. Proceeds from ticket sales are going to the kids at the children's home where I have the privilege of hanging out weekly. For the past 3 years, various artists have donated their time to performing for a couple of hours and in turn, the kids get a $50 gift each for Christmas. For some of these kids, who have no family at all, this gift will be just about the only thing they get, aside from what the government gives them at Christmas time, which is usually quite minimal. In years past, kids have bought things like new shoes, cosmetics, walkmans and discmans, and other "luxuries" which they otherwise would never be able to afford with their approximately $15/month allowance. Laszlo Presser's songs are filled with words of love and encouragement, and as he asked, "Wouldn't it be great if couples would stay together for a lifetime?" tears were flowing from many eyes. In a country where divorce is over 50% and on the rise, I believe his messages and his presence were not only for the kids, but for those of us who are serving as models for them.

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Croatia

One of the amazing privileges I have in living and working overseas is the chance to travel to various cultures and see the lives of "real" people as they live and move and have their being. This past week, I got the chance to see Vukovar in Croatia. Just ten years ago, this city and entire region was engaged in a bloody ethnic war and this beautiful city of Vukovar was almost completely destroyed. As my friend and I drove around and I took pictures of the bombed out buildings standing next to newly constructed (or reconstructed) buildings, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like, and what it must be like even now for the people there who suffered tremendous losses, both materially and emotionally through devastating murders. Driving around in our comfy van, I thought "I have no idea what suffering is, and were I to have to endure what these people have had to endure time and time again, I'm not sure I would be able to do it." It's sobering to see, and yet at the same time, incredibly encouraging to see these people rebuilding their lives as best they are able to do so; what an incredible challenge to me to give thanks for EVERYTHING, no matter what may arise.

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Learning about spiritual battle

For a couple of months, a group of us had been planning a big outreach event for youth in Szeged and surrounding cities. The week prior to the event, lo and behold, I am hit with serious back pain, which put me in the bed for the entire week leading up to this event! I could have responded in numerous ways, but I finally chose to see this as a gift from the Lord: TIME! Time to pray, to read, to pray about the event on the 15th, and it was during this week that the reality of the spiritual battle around us hit home! The enemy thought that he was taking me out of the battle, when in reality, and I'm sure much to his chagrin, it put me right on the front lines: in prayer. The youth outreach was incredibly "successful" as many, many young and old heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached, sung and announced over the course of 5 hours! I was unable to do anything physical in preparation, but the spiritual preparation was even more significant, and we won't ever know this side of heaven just what that battle looked like in the heavenly realms! And one last note, isn't it interesting that the day AFTER the event, my back pain was nearly completely GONE.

Relishing the moment

During my usual rush to school yesterday, I ran into one of my students who also attends a Bible study I hold weekly at my house. We proceeded to walk the last city block to school together, and when I asked her how she was doing, she responded: "Great! I love the fresh air, and the trees are so lovely! I feel like I'm walking along a beautiful tunnel!" I was caught off-guard by this comment as I hadn't really expected this kind of response to the simple question "how are you?" My heart raced a bit as I too joined her in relishing the moment of a crisp fall morning, walking along a path under the archway of tall leafy trees, announcing their glory to the Lord! Ah, that we would stop more often in the rush of daily life to cherish the natural beauty God has thrown right in our paths, and drink in His presence at that moment.

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Funny things I get to teach

Teaching English as a second language has its funny moments. Sometimes they come when teaching words which are different in American English than they are in British English. One such word is "eraser"...you know, those little things at the end of a pencil which one uses to erase pencil-marks? In British English, this is a "rubber"....well, a "rubber" in American English has a very different meaning. So, when I explain this to my students, the snickers begin, and I "warn" them not to go to the U.S. and ask their classmate for a "rubber". The other typical "mistake" Hungarian students make is saying: "I feel myself well", instead of "I feel well." It's always great fun to "demonstrate" "feeling oneself." :-)


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ceo for the kids

ceo for the kids

I'm continually struck by how easy my life is compared to the kids I work with at the children's home. As I sat talking with M. yesterday, asking her about when she planned to move out of the home and find a place of her own, the reality that this is not even an option at this point for her struck the familiar chord that rings every day for them. What we often "take for granted", getting a job, renting a place to live, going to school to get a higher education, are almost "out of reach" goals for many of these kids. They simply don't have the means to be able to think about such goals; survival is their mode of operating quite often. And even that is a learned skill for them. Yet tears welled up in my eyes as S. came and sat down next to me, 7 months pregnant, and asked me if I wanted one of her sandwiches. They've learned how to love in ways many of us can only imagine.

The need for the Gospel

As I sat listening to a sermon tape this morning in my living room on the sovereignty of God, my phone rang. A friend of mine on the other end said she had bad news to share. I braced myself for the worst, and when she told me that a young man from Germany who had been a part of a language studies program here in Hungary had jumped to his death from a window, my heart sank. I don't even know this young man, but the reality of life and death and the reminder that Hungary is near the top of the list of countries in the world when it comes to suicide blasted home to me again the need for the Gospel to go forth into this world. The "sad joke" amongst Hungarians is that if you ask nearly any Hungarian if they know someone who has commited suicide, nearly all of them will reply yes. This is a country and a people that needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, desperately! The air of hopelessness and depression that seems to permeate the very air here is crying out for the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow through and make all things new! May Jesus be lifted up that people like this young man will look UP to the Lord instead of DOWN at the concrete below them.

First posting from Hungary

This is my first attempt at making a blog! My good friend, and former student, J.R. Briggs has his own, and I was so impressed, I decided to try one for myself! This will be a good way for folks around the world to keep up with what is happening here in this small corner of the world called Szeged, Hungary, the city I now call home!