Back in Budapest!

We started out this week still in Prague for our Ebenezer.



We had a large group of folks that have been on the field for 12-18 months. We enjoyed the topics that we covered, but we especially enjoyed getting caught up on everyone's news.


What a great group of friends!

Last year from October to December there were 14 of us at ILC together for training before going out to our region of the world. A year later, there are 11 of us still on the field. We really missed the 3 that returned to the U.S. and I sort of grieved our loss while I was in Prague since their absence was so noticeable.


Member Care Team-Dan, Kyle, Glenn, Cile, Mary and Alvin

This was the first time that ALL 6 of the Member Care team was together and it was great! Dan and Kyle live in Russia and cover most of the work there. Dan was able to come to the Member Care conference in December in the U.S. but Kyle was not able to join us so we were thrilled when things worked out for Kyle to come to Ebenezer to help Dan/us with the counseling. I really, really enjoyed getting to know her and sure wish we lived in the same town!! I think we would be wonderful friends! Dan was a forensic psychologist in his former life and adds a lot to our team.

Ebenezer ended on Wednesday and we immediately headed back to Budapest (5 hours driving time) because the next day we had 10 volunteer ladies coming from Prague to the Eden House to sightsee in Budapest for 3 days. We had to beat them back to make sure there were clean beds for them!! There were already 12 others in the Eden House with another agency. From Thursday to Sunday we had every room filled in the Eden House with 21 adults and one teenager so things were BUSY! That is the largest number in the Eden House since we arrived!


Making Hungarian goulash soup for 16 is an all-day family affair!

We invited the 10 volunteer ladies, another couple at the Eden House and the Doyles to come for Hungarian Goulash soup. Glenn and I sliced, chopped, and simmered the soup all day and had a great time together doing it! It reminded us of our days in Marietta when we would get in the mood to put a ham bone on the stove to simmer and make a huge batch of vegetable soup! Ahhh! Such memories! (We can't buy ham on a bone here!)


Traveling Grandma's

This group of volunteers is quite unusual! Each year 8-10 ladies come from America for a month two times a year to do childcare for our folks who attend Ebenezer (1 week) and then the Strategy Coordinator's training (3 weeks). Most of these ladies are about 70 years old, with the oldest one being 84! For a couple of these ladies, it was their first trip to Prague to do childcare. Most have come 4-8 times. One lady has come 15 times!!! They decided this year to come to Budapest for the weekend in between Ebenezer and the SC training for a little sightseeing, and they were amazing!

There's not much more wonderful than a man with a vaccum cleaner!

Today is Sunday and all our guests checked out except three people in 1 room. As soon as they left, we had to clean two rooms because we had 2 more families arriving this afternoon. Phew, just in time! We love (or maybe I should say, "I" love...) the Eden House ministry. Alvin loves it too. (Michelle and Brian, will you let Alvin and me help you some once you get here in April???)

Glenn and I have been here a year and it is hard to believe how quickly the year has passed. I find it interesting now to recognize the cycle or the rhythum of the year and to actually know a little about what lies ahead. For example, we know the next big thing is the regional support team retreat that happens every spring. Then after that, the cherry trees produce in abundance. Next come the AGM's where we do more counseling, and then the heat comes, and so on. (By the way, we are part of the regional support team because the work we do supports all the folks in our region rather than in just Hungary.)

Kari and Jonathan are coming for a short visit in 19 days, but who's counting????? Probably the same person who can't wait to see them!