Gone to Greece. Be back soon!

It seems I usually start off our blog with "It's been a busy week." Well, I'm not going to be redundant, but by the number of pictures I've uploaded for you, you can tell it...........


Country road out to Telki Hospital

Most of this week was spent taking care of one of our missionaries that had to be hospitalized again. Something else came up as a result of the first procedure that was done last week. Telki Hospital is a very modern hospital (which is why missionaries come to Budapest if good medical care is not available where they live), but it is out in a tiny village about 45 minutes outside of Budapest.

Telki Hospital-It's small but provides excellent care.


Glenn and I wait for her to come out of the anesthesia

On Wednesday though, we welcomed Bill and Susan Viser to Budapest and to our home. Bill has been one of our volunteer counselors at our AGM's (annual general meetings) for several years, just like Glenn and I were in Poland last year. We had actually met Bill in 1993 when we attended a Stress Management conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas that he led.



When we met up with Bill last year in Poland, we invited him to come stay with us if he ever wanted to see Budapest, so he took us up on our offer!

They arrived on Wednesday morning, and after resting in the afternoon, we hit the streets doing all the touristy things. Of course, we started on Vaci Utca (pronounced Vatzi Ootza. Utca = street)

Pedestrians stroll down Vaci Utca

Handmade Hungarian lace for sale on Vaci Street

Night view of the Danube River

Dinner at our favorite cafe

Tourist Menu for two

We usually order the Tourist Menu which has three different kinds of meet, rice, potatoes and "salad" (which is made up of pickles, sweet peppers, cabbage and grated carrots) Ymmm!

The 100th picture of the Parliment

Fisherman's Bastillion

City Park

You may remember a previous picture of a huge outdoor ice skating area. Well, this is it! The place becomes a outdoor concert hall and restaurant during the summer to draw and entertain the tourists!

On Thursday night, as we were heading home, we got caught in a rain storm that included hail about the size of dimes! I learned long ago that the only thing rain should dampen is your clothes, so we laughed at how wet we were all the way home. A blessing in the rain was that it pushed out the heat wave we were having and made it much cooler for sleeping that night! (We don't have air conditioning.)

Malev- the Hungarian Airline

On Saturday morning, the Visers and the Borders met up with all our co-workers in Hungary and flew to Greece for our AGM. It was a one hour and forty minute flight, and we landed in the middle of their stiffling heat wave!

Those are Olive trees! They are everywhere!

I know, it's a rough job. Glad we get to do it!

This picture only shows you 1/7th of the pool! There are about 7 pools that are connected and wind around an island of paradise with beautiful shrubbery. You cross over the pool by footbridge to get to the island in the middle. I don't know that we will get into the pool during the day because of our work schedule, but we will probably find/make some time at night, if for no other reason than to cool off before going to bed!

Bungalows

We are staying in bungalows that are attached to one another at various levels and we share a common courtyard. There is a walking path around the outer edge of the complex that we enjoyed in the "cool" of this morning.

I know, it's hard to feel sorry for us with all this beauty. We understand! We are so blessed to be able to share in this ministry, and are thankful to the Lord for calling us to this work.

Now, on a more serious note, our co-workers Mary and Alvin Doyle leave for their stateside assignment of 6 months on July 15. We still do not have anyone to cover for their ministry of running the guest house in Budapest, and so we ask you to seriously pray for this!

Doyles gone crazy-in need of recovery in States!

Their ministry is so important to the 400 CEE missionaries, and it is often a thankless job. If no one is found to cover for them, Glenn and I will need to step in and try to fill their shoes, and do as much of our job as possible. If we don't get help, we may look like the Doyles when they return in 6 months! Please pray for us to rest in Him, to recognize that God knows our limits and will expect us to do only what He equips us to do, and to let the rest go. Easier for me to say than to do!

I don't really like what this sign says (because I don't want to do it my way, but rather, God's way) but it tickles me every time I see signs written in English. Do the Hungarians even know what it means????

We return to Budapest on Saturday, and then have two weeks before Kari and Jonathan come for a visit. Yea!

How many more days until the Doyles return???

First off, we would like to wish our fathers, Bill Borders and Jim Brown, a very Happy Fathers Day! We wish we could be there to celebrate with you and honor both of you for being the wonderful father that every child should be so fortunate to have!

Bill Borders

I am not the eloquent writer in our family (I think that distinction goes to our daughter), but hope to express to Pop and Pa how much we miss you, especially today when our thoughts are turned towards fathers, and how much we love and appreciate you. Thank you Pa for the influence you had in Glenn's life and for helping him to become the man he is today. If for no other reason (even though there are lots!), I love you for that because I love your son!

Jim Brown

To my own Dad, I thank you for showing me what to look for in a husband by being a good husband to Mom. All those times when you thought I wasn't listening, well, I was, and I was watching too! Because of you, I did not settle for anything but the best. Thank you!

On the homefront, it has been an incredible week! We have been covering for the Doyles while they are on vacation, running the guest house and taking care of our co-workers who are here for medical care.

This week we had two hospitalizations that kept us busy, not to mention a couple of folks who came for doctors appointments. Fortunately, I was NOT one of the two admitted into the hospital (I just laid a hospital gown over my clothes and laid on the bed). Glenn is practicing his good bedside manner (although, I did get another picture of him sprawled fully out over the empty bed while we were waiting for our "patient" to return from the lab, which is not good bedside posture! Hopefully, our life will return to normal, whatever that is, when the Doyles return this week; if not, I might really be a patient in the hospital, having collapsed from exhaustion! This week has given Glenn and me a greater appreciation for the Doyles!

Cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cherry soup, cherry delight...

Glenn and I did find some time one evening to pick more cherries off our tree. We have already picked about 5 gallons that will soon find their way into our freezer for use during the year. We have really enjoyed fresh cherries!

This week we woke to the sound of heavy machinery outside our bedroom window as the crew began digging up the asphalt and laying pipes to hook our street up to the sewer system. They begin work at 7:30 am, , make loud construction noises all day long, work even on Saturday, and create layers of thick dust all over our furniture, but the good news is we will then be able to move our washing machine out of our bathroom and put it in the basement!!!! I love this picture of the worker wearing shorts, no shirt and tennis shoes as he handles the machine that saws through the 6 inches of asphalt! We've been told that when the weather gets really hot, it won't be unusual to see men working on a construction sight wearing nothing but Speedo underwear!!!! Now that is a picture that I call "blog-worthy".

This is a sign down the street from our house that is advertising the " new Smart Car". Don't know if you've ever seen any there in America, but they aren't much bigger than a Matchbox car or Hot Wheel! Don't you just love the length of that word? No wonder we struggle with the Hungarian language.

And here is one in real life. Aren't they "cute"? (My Dad taught me that the word cute really means small. He's in real estate.)

In closing, we ask you to double your prayers for a volunteer couple to come run the guest house during the Doyles' 6 month furlough that begins in July, or better yet, to stay for two years! This past week has shown us that it is a definite need, and if it is not filled by someone, that "someone" will become "us", which will mean we will not be able to do what we came to do!

Also, if you have sent us an email in the past month or two and have not yet heard back from us, please be patient with me. We appreciate each and every email, and it is my desire to respond to each one personally, but I am finding it hard to keep up. With integrity as an employee of the IMB and a desire to be involved in ministry to our co-workers, which is what we came to do, the largest part of our day needs to be spent doing our jobs. We hope you will continue to lift us up in prayer even if you don't hear back from us quickly.

We Passed!

This has been a very stressful week, but because it was also my birthday, I had WMU ladies around the world praying for me, and God was faithful to give us what we needed to make it through! We had several Member Care issues to deal with in addition to our language evaluation, which we passed. Other than those two biggies, it was a great week!



The week started off wonderfully with a care package from my great friend, Kristin, who I worked with at NCCS for 3 years. We went through a lot together and I have missed her very much. For my birthday, she sent me the ingredients to one of my very favorite desserts, American chocolate eclairs, because she remembered how much I loved it!


Thanks, Kristin!



For exercise here in Budapest (so I can eat desserts like American Chocolate Eclairs!), I walk 3 mornings a week with friend and co-worker Kristie. She and two other friends here, Kesha and Karen (hey, all my friends' names begin with K!) threw me a surprise breakfast after we walked on Wednesday morning. They had prepared waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, bacon, petite quiche, potato cakes and fresh cherries. I ate until I was stuffed; it was sooooo good. Usually, I jog home from Kristie's house to mine, but NOT this particular morning. Thank you ladies. You made my birthday special!



And then, because I enjoyed the waffles the ladies fixed for me so much, I went to the mall and with my birthday money from Marietta friend, Anne Q., I bought my own waffle maker! Thank you, Anne! It works great and we will think of you each time we eat waffles!!!

Gorging on Greek food!

Our supervisor and his wife, Lynn and Glenda, came back down from Prague for business in Budapest, and took the Doyles and us out for dinner on Tuesday night at a Greek restaurant with a wonderful reputation. The amount of food was incredible, and it was delicious too! Not having to cook dinner on my birthday was a real treat! Thanks, Lynn and Glenda!

Glenn picks cherries for our neighbor

Our landlord's parents live in the house behind us, and they have a huge sour cherry tree that partially hangs over the fence into our yard. Not knowing if it was politically correct to eat the cherries that were in our yard, Glenn offered to pick the cherries in their yard since they couldn't climb the tree or the ladder. They then turned around and gave us the cherries he'd picked since they had cherries up to their ears and told us to eat the ones that were on our side of the fence. Nagyszeru! So, I've been freezing cherries today and will have them coming out of my ears soon! (By the way, we love our neighbors because they remind us of our dear neighbors in Marietta, Ed and Jo Chupp!)

Glenn and a friend begin harvesting our cherries

And this is OUR cherry tree that is just now getting ripe with sweet cherries. Fortunately, we bought a deep freezer a couple of weeks ago so we could freeze lots of fresh fruits. Unfortunately, it is almost full already!!!! Kari had said she would like to cook some desserts with cherries when she comes. I think she will be able to cook a different cherry dessert every night she is here and we'd still have cherries left over.

And this is my birthday present from Glenn, an apple tree. Or, as I told my language evaluator, "Ez az alma fa.

Saturday evening we had a cook-out at Kristie and Mark's house to celebrate the high school graduation of one of our MK's. Robert graduated from the International Christian School of Budapest, or ICSB, and is now headed to the US for college in the fall. His family flew to the US TODAY to begin their year of "stateside assignment" or rather, furlough.

Teri, Karen, Kesha, Kristie and kids

God has blessed us with some good friends here in Budapest for which we are very thankful. This job could be lonesome because of all the jokes about Member Care, but these folks have welcomed us into their fellowship and homes, and we enjoy their friendship.

Glenn "enjoys" a serious conversation with Brad

We are so glad to have Americans as friends, but we have been praying for relationships to develop with Hungarians, and have been "challenged" in this area because of the language barrier. We finally received our first invitation into a Hungarian home! We were thrilled (and a little nervous!) to be invited to our landlord's house today for a cook-out.

We arrived at 3:00 pm and left there at 8:30 pm. Even though our landlord doesn't speak English and we don't speak (much) Hungarian, we were able to communicate through the other guests they wisely invited! They invited Istvan ("Steve" in English, and who is the Hungarian man that Glenn jogs with each Saturday) and a couple who live 3 doors down from our house. The husband doesn't speak any English, but his wife does, so with help from her and Istvan, the 7 of us could carry a conversation.

It really was a lot of fun trying to see how much we could understand of what was being said before it was translated. Between facial expressions, hand gestures and a few words here and there, Glenn and I could usually follow the gist of the conversation. We look forward to the day when we can understand what is being said without all the other clues!!!

We ask you to pray for us often this week as our co-workers, Alvin and Mary, are on vacation and we are covering the guesthouse and medical appointments during their absence. Pray that we will not be overwhelmed by the responsibilites and work load, and that we will be able to serve with joy in our hearts and smiles on our faces! Have a great week!

Czech out Prague!

This past Monday we went to Prague, Czech Republic for a meeting with our Regional Leadership Team. Fortunately, we were able to ride with another collegue who lives here in Budapest that is on the RLT. (You might say, "He drove; we flew!")


Apartment buildings going into Prague

The scenery was beautiful from Budapest, through the country of Slovakia, and on into Prague. It was about 5 hours of driving time. We arrived about 4:30 pm and had about an hour to walk around in the downtown area before the events of the week began. As much as I love Budapest, Prague is even more beautiful!

One of the differences that we noticed was that all the buildings in the downtown area were of similiar architectural style. We were told that if a building is torn down or remodeled, it has to be rebuilt or restored to the original look of the building; that is why there aren't very many modern looking buildings!


Parking on the sidewalks

Traffic was terrible in town! Even with cars parked like this, halfway up on the sidewalks, on both sides of the street, there was still only enough room for one car on the road, which explains why most side streets are one way!


Nathan receives accolades from our Regional Leader, Rodney

We were fortunate enough to arrive in time to attend one of our MKs' homeschool graduation ceremony and reception at the regional office. It was great! Nathan is a fine young man, a super student, and won several academic scholarships!



Above and below are some pictures we took during our week in Prague, which was a work trip, not a vacation! We went to meet with the Regional Leadership Team to present the results of a Member Care survey that had recently been completed by the missionaries and then to attend a "coaching" seminar on Thursday. The only sightseeing we did was an hour when we first arrived, and about 1 1/2 hours on Thursday night, our last night there!

We enjoyed bread cooked on a skewer!

On Thursday evening, we were treated to dinner at TGI Fridays and it was wonderful. We also have one here in Budapest, but we've not eaten there YET. I split an order of cheese nachos and a chicken quesedilla with a friend. Glenn got a jalepenos cheese burger! The taste of America.

And for dessert....Glenn got the brownie and ice cream and I got the Oreo Madness (which was an ice cream sandwich made with Oreo cookies. Deeeelicious!)

I was fascinated with the Prague train station and the trains rolling in every two or three minutes! This picture was taken from the window of our regional office so I could see and hear trains coming and going all day.

Lots of tracks, lots of trains!

Famous Bohemian crystal. Isn't it beautiful?

When Glenn came to Prague in April, he bought a Bohemian crystal flower vase as a wedding present for his niece, Sarah, who is getting married later this month in Marietta. We will not be able to go for the wedding but maybe they would like to come to Budapest for an inexpensive honeymoon!

Notice the castle in the background?

Everyone smile!

After TGI Fridays on Thursday evening, we wandered down to the Charles Bridge under which the Danube River flows. In this photo is our supervisor and his wife, Lynn and Glenda, and the leader of our "coaching" seminar, Jane, and the friend of the stranger we asked to take our picture.

This picture was taken about 9:15 pm and it was just getting dark. At this time of the year, the sun goes down about 9:30 pm and rises about 5:00 am. We love the long days, but have trouble sleeping in the morning with the sun coming up so early!

We returned to Budapest on Friday evening to a stack of junk mail, a long list of emails, and tall grass in our yard. It was fun in Prague, but it was good to be home!

Saturday at noon, we went into downtown Budapest to meet up with my aunt Billie from Montgomery, Alabama who was on a tri-city tour with woman, Carolyn. Hmmm, lets see if I can explain this. My aunt Billie's son, Charlie, is my cousin and lives in Peachtree City, Georgia. His wife is Leslie. Leslie's mother, Carolyn, went on this trip with my aunt (both of whose husbands' passed away last year). Also, Charlie and Leslie's daughter, Nicky (which makes her Billie and Carolyn's granddaughter) is traveling through Europe for 6 weeks or so with a college friend. The two grandmothers decided to join up with the two girls here in Budapest, which just so happens to be where Glenn and I live! So, on Saturday, all six of us spent the day together seeing some sights in town.

Carolyn and Billie

Cile with Aunt Bill in Hero's Square

Glenn with Nicky (Cile's second cousin) and Anna

After an afternoon of sightseeing, walking, catching the metro and riding buses, we all headed out to our house on the outskirts of town to our neighborhood, Budafok, for dinner at the Borders'. After dinner, we accompanied them back into downtown, and said good-bye to them as they boarded the bus that would take them to their hotel.

The girls continued on their journey toward Italy the next day, and the grandmothers went by hydrofoil to Vienna. Wow! What an awesome day we had! It was great to see Aunt Bill and Nicky (who I had not seen for 19 years. She was 2 years old when I last saw her!) and to meet Carolyn and Anna.

We have a busy week ahead and would appreciate your prayers for us. Can't give you any details, but we have several folks we will be seeing this week in our ministry. Pray for God's wisdom, His words to share with them, and His presence to be evident to all.

Please continue to pray for God to call out someone to run the guesthouse ministry at the Eden House while our colleagues, the Doyles, are on stateside assignment ("furlough") from mid-July through December or for Him to enable us to do it in addition to our regular Member Care ministry. Pray also for someone to cover the role of medical coordinator too while they are gone!

This bathroom is for women and men who change babies' diapers!