For Thanksgiving, we had a chance to meet with other volunteers working in Slovakia. I bonded especially well with one of them. We had many opportunities to talk and share stories… and one of the most fun days in Budapest was had in showing them around. It’s been interesting to analyze who I have bonded with here and why. In any other circumstances, I’m not sure I would have befriended those that I have, but in the process of becoming friends, trusting each other and experiencing things together. One great thing is that we are all so different. Each of us comes from extremely different backgrounds, with different beliefs and different hopes and dreams. We all have different ideas of what this year means to us. Some of us are here to follow a calling. Some of us are here to learn to live simply. Some of us are here to decipher what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Some of us are here as the beginning of a missions lifestyle. Some of us are here because we want to feel important for once. Some of us are here in order to get away from home. Some of us are here because we are ready to leave our past lives behind us and start new with doing good for others. Despite all those differences, we are all still here together.
What must the kingdom of God look like if we are just a small section?
One of the things we talked about this weekend was “what does it mean for us to be here?” There seems to be some judgments that are passed every day. Spiteful words are shared, glaring eyes roll… and things happen. What would this year look like if, instead of complaining about differences, we started to embrace them?
I think about our stipend money, for instance. Some of us are spending each cent on anything and everything. Others are saving for things like travel or computers. Even others are just living simply and seeing how much they can put away in a year… and yet, I find myself rolling my eyes when we invite someone who says “I have no money.” Or, when someone complains about something that I enjoy… or when arguments push us to start avoiding each other. It’s an interesting thought, really.
This week, I’m challenging myself to embrace differences in beliefs, culture and lifestyle. What will that look like? What will that feel like? Hmmm…
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In other news, I made a huge decision last night: I am going to travel to Auschwitz around my birthday. I’m thinking about taking off April 8th – 12th. It would involve a day trip to visit a volunteer in Slovakia, hanging out there for a day… and then traveling the rest of the way to Krakow, Poland. Then maybe spend a couple days couch surfing in Krakow before heading back. The goal is to save 50.000ft in order to make this trip possible. That’s about $278. I’m really excited to start this process of living extremely simply. This means every forint will be counted and I will make a very conscious choice as to whether or not I really need to spend each forint. Why is this so important? The Holocaust intrigues me and deeply saddens me… and it has been a long-standing goal to see Auschwitz before I die. I may not get another chance. So, here’s to a birthday vacation with a rockin’ new friend. :)
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One day at school, the teachers asked if we wanted to go see a play/musical. Silke and I responded that we would love that if there are extra tickets. Turns out, the entire school was going to see Beauty and The Beast in the Operettszinhaz (a fairly big deal). It really looks like this on the inside. It was sooo beautiful!
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