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!