Taking time to breathe

We're back "in harness" now; we got home Sunday night around 6pm, repacked our bags and made off for Jekyll Island for the Georgia Association of Educational Leader's conference. It provided everyone a chance to debrief and get our heads back on straight after getting off of the plane.

I returned to school on Thursday of this week, and have already had 3 interviews. I'm a little pressured at this point given we still have three teacher openings to fill, but the same God that got me to Hungary will provide the people He wants at Jackson High School. I'll keep emailing, calling and interviewing in the near future, getting ready for the kids to return on August 6th.

We have appreciated your prayers, emails and thoughts more than you know. Ministering to our friends in Hungary is a job far bigger--and more important--than one family of four can tackle! Thanks, and stay tuned. A few more pictures and the promised videos yet to be posted!

Celebrating with extraordinary friends

 

 

 

 

We had a great week, and ended with a wonderful end-of-camp party. Edit brought the apple ciderish children's champagne,and we toasted friendship on both sides of the ocean. Then we all went downstairs to the cafeteria and ate Hungarian donuts, danced, took pictures and said many goodbyes that weren't easy. We're planning for next year already!

Last class for this camp

 

 

 

 

We got together for one last class where we talked about God's help in planning for the future. Our friends are concerned for the future of their families and their nation. We spent a remarkably open and clear discussion time talking about God's hand in our lives. A wonderful opportunity to point to the power of prayer...and seeing it answered. I blogged earlier in the week when we only had 7 students join us on the first night. God then blessed us by sending a new student every night except one; Anne and I ended up having the opportunity to minister to 18 or 19 students...the most we've ever had...humbling and wonderful. I am left wondering just how to say thank you to my awesome creator...

Another long story...

 

One of the things we like to do when sharing the gospel in our classes is to be as open as possible, personally, spiritually, emotionally. And then the openness comes back to haunt me :) Our dear friend Edit decided that it would be fun to write a send up of "Cinderella" where I was the main character, Anne was the wicked stepmother and Edit played the prince...I think the camp enjoyed it (we did it for the camp talent show), and certainly it was a highlight for us...

Things taken for granted...

 

include the size of our toileting areas. European buildings often have a separate room for the "loo;" I was standing at the opposite wall of the "room" when I took this picture--there was quite literally not enough room to turn around...at least for me :)...

Dance contest for Jesus???

 

 

 

Sure! Why not! The teens have been playing the "Game of Life" this week, having to make several life decisions and facing the "consequences," earning life points (or seeing them taken away...) and participating in silly moments where they can show whatever rare talent is called for, like cucumber carving or, in this case, dancing. Gettin' down...I love it...

The class of 2007

 

Well, last night was picture night at camp...each of the individual class groups smiled for the camera. I took the chance to get a quick snapshot that I could post so you could see our friend. I'll post a list of names with the picture a bit later. We're wrapping up camp today--already!?--and we hope that we have been faithful servants of the word while here. Anne and I did our very best last night to explain the need for Christ, the conviction of the law and the saving grace of Christ's death...and the glory He shares with us in His resurrection! What a great story to be able to share. By the way, I have a biblical "Aha!" moment for you...I'm studying Joshua presently...hmmm...in a foreign land, reading about a leader who had to go to claim a foreign land for God??? Hmmm....anyway, today I read chapter 5. One of the great jaw-dropping episodes in scripture, I think...check out Joshua 5:13-15, and let me know what you think--I won't spoil it for you!

Camp Faces 2007

Members of the Mr. Bunny gang...

 

 

 

 

or bank heist gone horribly wrong? Neither, really. A wild camp game where competitors had to whirl stocking legs around their heads in an effort to latch on to other players stockings and rip them off of their head...wild fun! Then, of course, there is Mr. Bunny who is Emma Domian's constant companion and confidante....

Morning aerobics...

 

 

 

 

And you might have thought that all we do is sing! NOOO!!! We dance, too! We've (okay, actually, "they've") learned three moderately modern, active dances that those of us with bad lower backs avoid like the plague! Proof that we move as well as sing...and check out Aaron Kline with the smooth dance floor moves! (Did NOT get them from his dad...)

What we come for...

 

 

 

 

Here you see Anne and I in our natural habitat...a classroom, working with our extraordinary group of friends from this side of the ocean. We are sharing God's word, talking about the hope that he gives us all, praying for one another and encouraging each other as we face the challenges the world gives us, all in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. If Anne and I can think of a better 15 days a year that we spend fully connected, I'm not sure what they'd be. Thanks for praying for us, and for our friends. We continue to grow in size; tonight, we had 15 adult students, the most we've had in three years. Please pray that the Holy Spirit is using us to full benefit, that our words are his and that we not be a hindrance to any of the people who come and share their lives with us...

Me and Ellie

 

 

I've written of Ellie in an earlier blog; a beautiful young daughter of Nathan and Cydil Waggoner, adopted from an Albanian orphanage. For the first 1+ years of her life, Ellie's world consisted of the walls of her crib (in a corner of the room, so only two sides were able to offer any interaction or stimulation) and the ceiling above her, with only temporary respites for the changing of diapers and/or clothing occasionally. Needless to say, she has faced a challenging time dealing with all of the stimulation that our world offers. She is often overloaded by new faces and new voices, and she deals with the overload like any sane minded person does, with a desire to get away, to cry or, as we say down south, "pitch a fit." This isn't unusual, particularly for two year old people, so any chance I get to help her cope, I try to take.

Tonight, success. We learned from each other that we both like to psssshing and woooshing sounds, and that sharing those sounds, one with the other, gave us great joy. So here's Ellie, laughing and smiling, intrigued by the amazing sound talents of Bocsi (uncle) Duane...

My Bonnie lies over the ocean...

 

 

 

Each morning we have our morning program, which highlights a bunch of "camp songs" with a variety of english vocabulary, and of course, motions to go along. As we sing "My Bonnie" we either sit down or stand up each time we say the word "Bonnie," singing each time faster and faster...a real aerobic workout!

Learning Hungarian...

 

 

 

I learned how to count to ten in Hungarian today. While the majority of our campers are in English lessons with other teachers, one of the translators has been kind enough to teach us english speakers some Hungarian, like "I am" (En vagyok) and how to count to ten (egy, ketto, harom, negy, ot, hat, het, nyulc, kilenc, tiz--umlauts and accents are missing, but I'll do it for you when I get home!). Jo estet kivanok!

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it...

 

Okay, so like I was sitting there with my back aching and someone threw this bottle at me. I just figured you took 2 tablets every 4-6 hours, right? Like, that's what you do with every other medicine on the planet...

Well, after 10 tablet in the last 36 hours, I finally read the instructions only to find that you're only supposed to consume no more than 3 tablets every 24 hours. Oops! No wonder my back is feeling so much better! I think I'll temper any further medicinal consumption to what the label says...I can't even get sick right...

INTERNATIONAL Christian School of Budapest???

 

You bet! You can see the collection of bibles--hungarian, english, russian, chinese and ???--just in one classroom. What an amazing ministry opportunity. Plus, it's very cool to be surrounded by the word of God in so many languages...