On the road again...

It is truly a small world, full of delightful surprises! We had Mike and Linda (guests at the Eden House) over on Monday and found out that they knew our co-workers, and next door neighbors,



the Pinkstons, in Daloa, Ivory Coast! Let's just say that they were "good" friends :).

Tuesday, we hopped on a train and headed into southwest Hungary to the town of Nagykanizsa to visit with one of our families.



Budapest is the yellow-orange spot, so following the train line southwest along the edge of Lake Balaton and going almost to the border of Slovenia, you will find the town of Nagykanizsa. We have never been to Lake Balaton, but it is where everyone in Budapest goes for their family vacation and as we passed by it on the train, I could understand why!!!



The train was packed on the way to Nagykanizsa, but on the way back it was almost empty. We were able to get some real work done during the 4 hour train ride!



I love seeing all the little train stations along the way...



...and I enjoy looking at the various styles of houses out in the country!



Paul and Tena were a wonderful host and hostess. Their house has a revolving door that Hungarians come in and out of all day long, all week long for their various Bible lessons in English. I have found in our travels that some of our folks teach English using the Bible whereas the Brock's teach Bible using English. When folks ask the Brocks to teach them English, the Brock's tell them they are here to teach the Bible, and they do it in English. If the person isn't willing to use the Bible, then the Brocks don't teach them; this way, they aren't wasting their time teaching English to someone who isn't open to spiritual things. It made a big impact on me!



We did get to take a day off while in Nagykanizsa to go to another thermal spa. This one wasn't as big as the ones we've been to in Budapest, but it is every bit as nice and relaxing!!!



Paul and Tena prepared the most awesome barbeque one night and we totally "pigged" out. The next morning she fixed a wonderful breakfast, even though I was still full from the night before. I include this picture because it is a typical Hungarian breakfast with slices of cheese and sausage. The only things missing were the tomatoe wedges and slices of cucumber and peppers!

We returned to Budapest on Thursday to gorgeous spring weather! After working about 12 hours on Friday to get caught up on emails and errands, we took Saturday off to play.



We had the great idea of going to Margaret Island to walk and jog on their rubber track that follows the edge of the water.



Evidently, all of Budapest had the same idea as Glenn and me! The island was a mass of humanity that had been waiting for the first beautiful Saturday of the year so they could get out and enjoy the sunshine that had been missing for so long!

After we made the loop of the island, we decided to walk to Vaci Street to buy some souvenirs and these are some things we saw on our way:


A place where a movie was being filmed


Cafe's along the streets were open


Some cafe's were getting ready to open


The International Pillow Fight!



We've never heard of this in anything we've read about Hungary, but evidently 300-400 people had because they came out with their mother's pillows and were having a good time whacking anyone else with a pillow :).


Everyone uses feather pillows in the fight

Then we came to a square at one end of Vaci Street where we found the Spring Festival in full swing. That was a really nice surprise too! Great place to buy gifts and souvenirs, but it is usually the same things that we've seen before. :(


We enjoyed the street performers


We rested and listened to the concert


We enjoyed a typical Hungarian dinner

We love these kinds of festivals because we get a chance to eat the local fare. Yes, we could prepare them at home, but everything is fried in deep fat, so we try to limit eating it for when we go to the festivals. I got a chicken breast fried in oil (without breading) and Glenn got keblasza sausage with mustard and an order of french fries, and we shared a plate of vegetables. (I let Glenn eat all the brussel sprouts!) Something worth mentioning here: The cost of your food is based on its weight rather than by the slice or spoonful. For the vegetables that Glenn and I shared, we just had the lady heap the plate full and then she weighed the plate and told us how much we owed based on the number of grams. That way, if I get a small piece of chicken and Glenn gets a big piece, we pay different amounts, which is fair. I really like it this way.

I saw this reminder that while Budapest is celebrating spring and the newness of life that comes at this time of the year, there are people dying so that we may live. It was cool to see this little touch from America, but it was also good that I be reminded that there is still a war going on and that I need to be praying for those who are fighting for me. You see, in our world here we are very sheltered because we cannot read the newspaper nor understand the news on the tv, and even though I could get the news off the computer, I don't. (If anything drastic in the world happens, we hope someone will call us and tell us!)

We will be leaving on Tuesday for another trip-this one is a long one. We will go to Moldova and Romania to visit some of our families and to attend the Romania Team retreat. Please pray for us.

While on our trip, Glenn will turn 54. I can't believe how young he looks. He still has a full head of black hair with only about 6 gray ones mixed in. (He says I gave them to him.) What can I get for a man who has everything? (He doesn't need Grecian Formula, for sure!) Any ideas???

In with the wind...

A few years ago 3 people in Budapest were killed by the high winds that swept across the continent of Europe. Each day Glenn and I are amazed at how strong the winds are, and you'd think by now we would used to the noise as it howls outside our windows. NOT SO! And because of the winds, I am soooo glad that for our trip last week we went by train rather than by plane. Nothing scares me more than to be taking off or landing when the wind is blowing against the plane!


Melinda and Larry

Previously, Glenn and I have traveled a good bit outside Hungary but this past week we got to visit one of our families in western Hungary. On Tuesday, we hopped on the train and went to the town of Gyor (with two little dots over the o). Larry and Melinda showed us the sights of their city and fed us as if we hadn't eaten in weeks! Our favorite spot was at this hotel swimming pool. No, we didn't go swimming. This is where they hold their baptisms!

One of the most beautiful buildings in Gyor

Wednesday morning we hopped on another train and went to Baden, Austria, a little south of Vienna. We don't have co-workers in that town, but it is the home of the Barnabas Zentrum, a counseling ministry for expats and missionaries.



JoLynn and Karl

The Kraus's run the counseling ministry. We spent several hours with them, getting a feel for their program to see if it would be a good option for our folks who need some in-depth, intensive counseling beyond what Glenn and I can provide. They have been doing this ministry for 6 or 7 years now and are looking to retire. They asked if we were interested in taking over the ministry. Glenn has always had an interest in running a retreat center or camp so it kind of piqued our interest, but we like what we are doing for now. We told them we'd check back when we are ready to retire (which is a long way away!)



Linda and Cile

Then we hopped on another train and headed into Slovakia, to the capital city of Bratislava where we visited with three of our families. We spent the greater part of one day with Linda as she showed us around her beautiful city and shared a meal or two with the other families. I can't remember all the names of buildings and places we saw, but I still wanted to show you pictures of them!

Love the tile roof!

No wind in this courtyard!

Wouldn't you like this over your window?

Looking through the gate of one of the churches

Hats off to Glenn!

Why is that car on the pedestrian walk-way?

A memorial to "not working"?

For Chris

And this is for our son who likes to rollerblade. It is a pair of inline skates that looks like a motorcycle!

We returned to Budapest on Saturday and have just enough time to run a load or two of laundry before we head out again to another town in Hungary on Tuesday. We'll return on Thursday, so it is another short trip. Short and sweet.

We are gearing up for a busy spring and an even busier summer. Our biggest news is that we will be going to Israel this May for 8-10 days as guests of friends of Glenn's from college days. If I could choose a vacation anywhere in the world, my top choices would be either a trip to Israel or a cruise to Alaska! This is a trip of a lifetime for me and I am overwhelmed by God's goodness in blessing us with this trip! Even on my best days, I've never done anything to "deserve" this kind of trip!

Have a good week. Be back soon!

Eden House ministry

We've spent a good bit of time at the Eden House this week in an otherwise regular week at home.



One of our moms has been here for a week with a 3 year old son and they are going stir crazy so I took them to a couple of of playgrounds in the area.



The weather started out with the sun shining but in the middle of the afternoon it turned cold and cloudy so we headed in search of an indoor playgound and found one at a mall next to the food court. Issac seemed to really enjoy the afternoon and got lots of running out of his system!



Wednesday is cheap night at the theatre so Glenn and I went to see Marley and Me, and then noticed the movie He's Just Not That Into You was also playing so we went to see it on Thursday night. (Wednesday we are heading out of town on a trip and therefore we couldn't wait to hit cheap night again so we had to pay full price which is $6. What do movies cost in America now?)



Now, did you notice how I was dressed on our night out? Cordoroy pants and a sweater with comfortable shoes. I had to be the most UNDERdressed woman there. Most of the Hungarian women (especially younger ones) dress up when they leave the house, even if they are just going to the grocery store. This is one thing noticeable difference between Hungarian and American women. It seems Americans are more concerned with their comfort than looks :)

Saturday, Glenn and I joined the families at the Eden House for a cook-out of burgers, dogs, chicken and all the sides. It was a great time of fellowship and the food was dee-licious!

We had quite a spread!

Beginning this Wednesday Glenn and I begin traveling again. (The past 5 weeks have been very nice at home!) We have traveled in the past year to places way far away and not been to see many of our folks that live in Hungary and surrounding countries, so in the next couple of weeks we are going to visit friends in eastern and western Hungary and Slovakia. We are also going to spend one night in Vienna, Austria to go check out a place call Barnabas Centrum, a counseling center that specializes in marriage. No, it is not for us. We just want to see if it would be a good resource for our families.

We leave Wednesday and return on Sunday. Have a good week!

What a great week!

A lot of wonderful things have happened this week. First off, the weather is starting to warm up and the sun is starting to burn through the gray skies.

God spoke to me through a wonderful sermon I heard this morning. Glenn preached to a group of our folks from across Europe who were in town for a language conference. He spoke on Mary and Martha. You know the story of Martha who was always frantically running around fixing a meal for Jesus, making sure the table was set just right and the house dusted and swept...(well, that's me), while her sister Mary let her do all the work. Of course, Martha's rationale (mine, too) was that she was serving Jesus! In Luke 10: 41 Jesus says, "Mary has chosen what is better" as she chose to sit at the feet of her Master and learn from Him. Ouch! How many times have I felt overwhelmed with all that "had" to be done that day to serve our folks and skimped on my quiet time with MY MASTER? Good bye Martha, hello Mary.


Shoes at the Eden House

Hungarians take their shoes off at the door before coming into the house. I'm not sure if there is a reason for this other than it cuts down on the dirt tracked in! This sight warms my heart each week as we gather at the Eden House for worship in English. A lot of these shoes belong to our
precious little MK's. (Mine are in there somewhere.)


Avon from America?

I am often amazed at some of the things that have come across the pond! I've seen signs for Tupperware and even found Bed Head hair products in some of our beauty salons. Sometimes I wonder why certain products have made it over here and yet, still no Fritos! (Why on earth would Coleman's mustard make it but not French's mustard?)


Cobblestone streets are a work of art!

I love the cobblestone streets. Each of those pieces of stone are cut into 3 inch cubes and laid into sand in an intricate design. When a hole forms or a piece works its way up, they just pull up a couple of stone cubes and dig out some of the sand, wiggle the cubes back into place and fill in around them with more sand. It does not require jack hammers and a tar truck. It is amazing to me how old these streets are, and how easy the streets are to repair.


Julie and I enjoy the thermal baths

On Thursday, Julie (one of the language coaches in town for the conference) had a free afternoon so we decided to go to the Szecheny thermal bath (where Glenn and I went a couple of weeks ago) for the afternoon. We got there about 3:30 pm and left at 8:30 pm. It was gorgeous as the sun was setting and the mist was rising off the hot waters (38 degrees centigrade=100.4 degrees fahrenheit) and it sure felt good! Hmmmm, since I can't convince you that I was there to minister to someone, would you believe I was there for some Member Care? Yes, I was there to take care of two of our members. Julie and me!


A romantic evening. Next time I'll go with Glenn!

Julie and I met an older gentleman (my grandfathers' age) who didn't speak any English but he sure could communicate with gestures! He led us from one spot to another to show us all the jets that pummeled our backs and thighs with forced water. By time we left there, we were so relaxed that I felt I'd had a body massage! I slept well that night.

Glenn, me and a former co-worker

On Saturday and Sunday, Glenn and I met up with some of the folks that were at the language conference who stayed over afterward for a 2-day meeting to discuss language learning practices and guidelines within our organization. We were there to remind them that moderation should be practiced in making language policies because, otherwise, they might end up with Member Care issues.

The time together was good, but a special blessing was running across one of Glenn's co-workers from the Georgia Baptist Children's Home who is now living in Germany!

Katie is from Marietta!

Another one of the participants was a young lady named Katie who grew up on Scufflegrit Road in Marietta, right around the corner from Glenn's boyhood home! Later, her parents moved out to Stilesboro Road in Kennesaw, just a few miles from where we lived on Dallas Highway! It is truly a small world!

Well, lots of neat things happened this week and I expect this next week to be as exciting. I'm already working on our Annual General Meeting that will be this summer in Greece and would appreciate your prayers for those that God will be bringing as volunteers to help us. Pray that those He hand picks will say, "Yes, Lord!"

Pray for Kate who is on a trip to Ethiopia and Kenya with World Orphans. Selfishly, we pray for her physical health and personal safety, but we also pray that God will use her to bless the children in the various orphanages they visit.

I love Romanian food!

Before I tell you all about the Romanian food that Glenn and I enjoyed, let me show you this photo of Kaylee, a friend of ours. Kaylee's family was in Budapest this past week and while here, Kaylee was able to get her ears pierced. She is so proud of them and they look great on her.


Sparkling earrings-like diamonds!


Freda dishes up the Sorba de Pedisoare

Freda and her husband Floyd invited the Doyles, Glenn and me up to the Eden House for a wonderful, homecooked, authentic Romanian meal. Always up for new experiences (and a meal I don't have to cook!), we enthusiastically accepted.


Glenn carefully watches as Freda dishes it up

After the first course of soup, Sorba de Pedisoare, she served us Mamalega (or Polenta-made from corn meal and about the consistency of grits) and Sarmale (sour cabbage with minced meat and vegetables). Everything was delicious! We were so full!


Putting whipped topping on the Clatita

For dessert, she fixed us Clatita's, or as we would call them in Hungary "Palacsinta's", or, as they are more commonly known in the United States, "crepes". She filled some with apricot preserves and some with stewed apples with cinnamon sugar, then lightly sprinkled powder sugar on them, and topped it all off with whipped cream. Talk about delicious!


Showing us her paintings

Floyd and Freda will be returning to the States soon because their term is ending, and we will miss them a lot! We've enjoyed getting to know them during their stays at the Eden House these past two years. In case the name rings a bell, Freda is the one who gave me the gorgeous handpainted tea box she did herself! She is sooooo talented, and our Lottie Moom Christmas Offering auction will miss her contributions! Please pray for them as they move back to the States and readjust to life in America after all these years here in Europe. (Re-adjusting is harder than you think.)



Glenn cuts the wood-

This weekend we are making some more bookshelves to go in the office. Yes, we can buy bookshelves here, but we can't find any the size we need and in the color we want so we are making them ourselves. We are so industrious this weekend!

And I stain it!

Somehow, in years past, whenever I worked on projects with Glenn in Marietta and with Chris and Kate at their house in Tennessee, I always ended up with the paintbrush!!

Bulbs are bursting out of the ground

We had planned to work in the yard this weekend. We haven't done a thing in the yard since last fall and the snow is gone (for good-we think!) so it is time to turn our attention to pruning and planting. The ground is soft because of all the rain we got this week and the sun is finally out, but it is toooooo windy to work outside so we worked on the bookshelves in the basement instead.

Flowers, for me?

Our daughter-in-law, Kate, leaves for Ethiopia and Kenya tomorrow with World Orphans and will be gone for almost 2 weeks. Please join with us in praying for a safe trip, God's protection over the health of her body, and that He will be glorified by all she and her teammates will do in His name in ministering to the orphans on this trip. We'll be praying for you, Kate!

I remember my mother...

...making snow ice cream for us when I was a child, living in Virginia and Germany. You know, places where there is enough snow to enjoy!



white snow, vanilla, milk and sugar



All you do is gather freshly fallen snow into a bowl, add some vanilla flavoring, a little sugar and some milk, stir and voila'! Instant snow ice cream!







Glenn's family made it with more milk than my family, so you can choose for yourself whether you want it slushy or icey. I hope Georgia gets another snowfall this winter and you can try it out for yourself!



Quality control, of course!






Guests from the Eden House

It's been a busy week here in Budapest. We had the folks at the Eden House down for a meal of soup, dessert and fellowship. I fixed potato broccoli soup and turkey noodle soup. Good comfort food for these last few wintery days!


They treated us to lunch at Pizza Hut!




We also had the pleasure of some friends come stay with us for a few days. They were in Hungary to attend a conference and when it was over, they came to stay with us for two nights. They are such nice folks and their kids are so unbelievably polite and well-behaved. I've only met two other kids who were as wonderful as these!



World's largest hourglass



While our friends were in town, we spent Saturday showing them some of the sights in downtown Budapest. We happened upon this hourglass that purports to be the world's largest! The plaque says that the wheel is turned once a year, before the sand runs out. The "sand that never runs out" is supposed to signify the eternal passage of time.




It's pretty big, isn't it?


Swimming with the sharks



We also spent a couple of hours at the Tropicarium that is located in the mall down the street from our house. This was our first time to visit it, and we were pretty impressed. It claims to be the largest Tropicarium in Middle Europe. Hmmmm, I wonder how many there are?






It was a pretty good way to spend a Saturday afternoon with four kids on a cold, gray winter day.



We are home this week and having dinner tonight with more friends from out of town. I was going to fix dinner for them, but they suggested McDonald's so their kids could play on the indoor playground while we talk. We'll come to our house for dessert. I fixed banana pudding.



Looks like all the snow has melted and the bulbs are bursting forth from the ground. Spring is right around the corner. Maybe next Saturday Glenn and I can work in the yard. That would be nice! We hope our friends and family in Georgia are doing okay after their blizzard this past week! Hey Dad, did you make any snow ice cream????

Here today, blog tomorrow!

HEY! It's been a busy day and we're at the end of it, so I promise to update on Monday. Come back tomorrow!