Cold, hot, cold, hot....

This week's blog will just be some random ramblings as nothing outstanding happened this week. Oh, if I am going to be honest, the most noteworthy thing is that I hit bottom this past week. We have had such a wonderful experience so far and really love living here, but I guess it was just time for a good cry.

I have really missed Chris and Kate, my Dad, Queenie and Pa, and other family members this past month, and it just built up. I realized that I am going to miss all of them like I have for the past month for the next 15 years! I've been worried about my Dad's health too, and wish I were able to help him like before. I appreciate my sister Elizabeth and brother Jay, and recognize that my share of the care for him has fallen to them so that I can be over here. I know we are where God wants us to be, and I know that this will pass, but in the meantime, it is hard. I would appreciate your prayers for me. Glenn would appreciate your prayers for me too, as he has had to deal with my tears this past week!



On a lighter note, I did get my hair cut this past week by one of our missionaries. That, in itself, made me feel better! A lot of the Hungarian women my age color their hair a wonderful magenta but Glenn hasn't come around to letting me go that color. Yet. Maybe when Kari and Jonathan arrive this coming Friday, she might be able to talk her Dad into letting me do something wild, like magenta. If Kari wants something, all she has to do is ask her Dad!



For the past two weeks we've had a road crew working on the street in front of our house laying sewer pipes. Currently, we are on septic. Even though we've had lots more dust and noise due to the work they're doing, the good news is that once the pipes are laid, we can hook into the lines and then take the washing machine out of the bathroom and put it in the basement! That will double the floor space in our bathroom!



Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning I walk for an hour with a friend, Kristie. Believe it or not, the temperature this past week has been dropping into the 60's during the night, and so I've had to pull out my winter clothes to wear in the mornings! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous during the day, getting up to mid-70's with lots of cool breezes! The weather turned hot (86 degrees at 3:00 pm) again today, but we are supposed to have another "cold front" blow through on Wednesday. Ahhhh! I sleep so well when it is cool at night since we don't have any air conditioning.



Our supervisor and his wife came through town on their way back to Prague (where they live) from our meeting in Greece. We had them over for dinner and I fixed my all-time favorite dessert, American Chocolate Eclair. You may remember from an earlier blog posting that my wonderful friend, Kristin Cook, sent me a care package for my birthday with all the ingredients to make this dessert! Chocolate graham crackers, vanilla pudding, Dream Whip, and chocolate frosting in the tub. Yum! Everyone loved it, and were especially pleased that we were willing to share such a treat using my American ingredients with them. Thanks, Kristin! We enjoyed your gift!



Glenn and I went to Ikea this past week to buy a couple more pieces of furniture and Glenn has been using his handyman skills to put them together. What we can't buy, he has been building himself. Boy, he sure misses some of his tools! I think the only furniture that we are still needing are two chairs for the "living room" that will go with our oak futon. (Glenn can't build them.) I'm holding out for the American Embassy sale that is in August, hoping to pick up something that will go with the futon. (I know-fat chance.) We've looked at lots of furniture places here, but the Hungarians like all this uncomfortable, contemporary, boxy looking stuff in bright orange, green or gold. I want something comfy and not in orange, green or gold.



Our grass is coming along beautifully. This is our yard. You see all of our yard in this picture. When we moved in, this was all dirt, and nothing was planted in the yard except for the tree on the left. Since then, we've been planting flowers galore and



this apple tree that was from Glenn for my birthday. This tree is what I am using to count the days until my Dad comes to visit (assuming his health improves). The fruit on the tree should be ripe about the time he comes, so the riper the apples, the closer I get to his visit. When I was growing up and living in Virginia, our yard had two apple trees, and I remember those fall days when I would come home from school and climb one of the trees to pick me an apple for a snack. There aren't many things that taste better than a freshly picked apple, so I am really excited about having another apple tree of my own!

Well, that's about it for another week. The Doyles fly out next Sunday. As always, pray for someone to come help us with the the guest house, The Eden House, and to help with the medical care of our missionaries.

Pray also for Kari and Jonathan to have a safe, smooth flight to Budapest on Friday. Kari isn't crazy about flying after one particularly rough flight.

Pray for my Dad's health to improve.

Chris and Kate are wanting to come to Europe next summer for 4-6 weeks to visit and do some volunteer work while they are here. Pray that the Lord will direct them to the right ministry opportunities and that their finances will allow them to do this. Chris has gone back to school and is working towards a nursing degree, so pray for him to balance his time with work, studies and wife!

Pray for us to meet a Hungarian couple with whom we can become good friends.

We appreciate your interest in what God is doing in and through us, and thank you for your prayers on our behalf. We ask you to also pray for our missionaries serving across Europe. Until next Sunday, God bless you!