I have been in Hungary a month!

I have been in Hungary for a month now and wow where to begin. This month has had a lot of small victories and a few meltdowns. I have enter a world that is always cold and grey so the temperature is at freezing or below and the sun never shines.  The world I live now involves leaky showers, two days for my clothes to dry, my washer looks like a cheese grater, and everything I need is in walking distance. I speak a language that to me is crazy. The grammar is really different and one English word could translate into 20 different Hungarian words. I live in the land of soup, all kinds of soup but I can't find peanut butter. To cook in my apartment I have to work with an old gas stove and it's always a battle with it. Sometimes I can cook something and not burn it but other times the stove wins. It is always something everyday.

But the most wonderful part of all this is that the Lord is with me. I know this because He brought me here and working through me. I am discovering who I am for the first time and its weird. The Lord is putting a love for the people here because there is so much potential they have. The are so smart but they are lost in their sin and doing whatever they want. Alcohol, smoking, gambling, and other things that consume the lives of these people. They are a very close people group until you establish a friendship with them. Which I have found can be difficult. This has been hard but wonderful because the Lord has stripped everything from me that I thought I needed. But the beautiful is all I need is the Lord. Through the Lord I am started to build friendships with people. I still have a lot to learn and do. This month is a good start. I have been going through the Book of James and the first chapter is where I am right now. It talks about struggle and pain and being able to find joy in the struggle because it will not last and the Lord is with me. Also it talks about temptation when things get stressful, temptation seems ok but that is a lie from Satan and temptation to sin is always bad. Finally the last part of the chapter talks about holding on to the Word. I think it really sums up everything. We will deal with struggle and pain which will lead to temptation and sin but we must hold on the the Word and the Lord. I am so glad that I have a Savior that will always hold on to me no matter what. Praise the Lord.

Song of the Day: "It is Well" by Kutless

My life is not like mayonnaise!

I have finally had it to Europe! I have been here about 11 or 12 days. This is very different but still somewhat familiar. It is still familiar in ways like the apartments look like some in the states, I have a bathroom in my apartment, there is McDonalds, and the clothes and people and stores look like America in some way. I know people who are in harder places than me. But once you get around the people and into some of these places, this place is very different. The language is really different from English and the people are a lot more guarded than in the states so smile at people is weird to them. I really feel like I am like a 5 year old child because I cannot communicate with the people and I do not know where anything is and I do not know anyone here. I really like my apartment. It is very warm and comfortable. I really appreciate all the work that went into it. Today I started learning the language. I am glad that I am learning the language so I can understand and communicate somewhat. I am sure you are wondering why I wrote the title of this post, "My life is not like mayonnaise." Yesterday someone ask us if our life was like mayonnaise, meaning that life is good but boring. Mayonnaise is good by itself but you cannot live on just mayonnaise, you need other stuff too for your taste buds. Right now God is teaching my to live my life more than just good but amazing. First He moved my to Europe, ok check. Now He is taking away all the comforts of home, ok check. Now I can start to truly rely on the Lord and live my life for Him. So the Lord is adding spice to my life here in Hungary because this is a challenge but a blessing too.  So the challenge for the day: Is my life just mayonnaise or is it more?