Anyway, at the Bible study, Peter asked me to share a bit about myself… So, IN HUNGARIAN I introduced myself – shared my name, where I’m from, how old I am, what I used to do and what I am doing now in Budapest. Then Peter asked me, “as a pastor”, to share some spiritual lesson with the ladies. *woah! Caught off guard!* But God shared through me the need to step outside our comfort zones and take giant leaps of faith that sometimes land us in other countries, away from things familiar and away from loved ones. It moved one of the ladies sitting there and she responded that when we dive into something new, not only is hard for the person diving, but it’s hard for all those that love us as well.
Then, again I was caught off guard. I was asked how my mom felt about it. Keep in mind these are all women about my mother’s age, probably with children about my age or a little older. I replied that it was really hard and that Karacsony (Christmas) was going to be very hard for my mom and for my entire family. It reminded me of the second night I spent in Hungary. We shared a meal with the pastor, Erzsebet, of Sárszentlörinc (who is actually giving Kristy a Hungarian lesson as I write this). Her son had just recently left to do European Voluntary Service in the Netherlands for a year. She relayed this information and then told us that she is praying for our parents because she can relate to how they must be feeling.
I am here, and so often I forget that this is not only hard and new for me… but there is a whole ‘world’ that I left behind that this is new for. This will be the first Christmas that my family will not all be together and that’s sad. I often joke that my mom jumps when I call or say “yes, mom, I’m being careful” only because I know she’s probably my biggest fan right now. Visiting with those ladies last night made me miss her so much, even though it’s only been 3 weeks since I’ve seen her. So, anyway, if you see my mom, will you give her a hug for me? She needs all the hugs she can get. I love you, mommy!
*~*~*
It’s hard to update with some random pictures after that, eh? Well, I’m gonna try. This is a “Budapest At Night” display. These were all taken at ground level (the pictures from Citadella are coming later, promise!) during various adventures after the sun has set.
This is from the boys’ flat in Ujpest (New Pest – north of the city center) just after sunset. You can see the Buda Hills in the background and it’s just beautiful. My favorite part about the boys’ balcony (besides the fact that they HAVE a balcony) is the speed meter on the light post that you can see near the lower left portion of the picture. I truly enjoy judging people based on their speed as they enter the city. I think that’s a sign that I spend too much free time on the boys’ balcony.
This is a blurry night shot of the Buda side of the river from the Margit Hid (Margaret Bridge). You can see a cruise ship on the left and in the center, you can kinda make out the Budai Var (Buda Castle).
This is the Pest side of the river from the same bridge. Parliament just looks so amazing at night!
This is Zoltán. He’s pretty cool. He’s from the Ukraine and decided that he wants to be a statue when he grows up. We decided to let him practice for a few minutes… silly kid!
This is a view of the Árpad Hid (Arpad Bridge). You can also see Citadella up on the hill. Also, you can check out – compact cars are everywhere! This is from the Buda side of the river and you can see the Danube River and part of Pest. It was such a beautiful night!
No comments:
Post a Comment