Dear Friends and Family,
Thanks for taking the time to open your email and reconnect with us here in Hungary. It is gratifying for us to know that you remain interested and invested in our work here in Budapest.
We hope that you are enjoying the fall no matter what your situation. Hungary has a different kind of autumn; we really have never gotten used to it. We miss the beautiful changes in tree color, missing especially here in our neighborhood. We can hike in the Buda hills to see some of the maples turn yellow, but the trees here slowly turn brown it seems, finally dropping their leaves in November. We are surrounded by csörgőfa or “rattle trees”, whose leaves stay green but produce huge clumps of brown rattles. Visually our fall is mainly greens and browns.
School has finally settled into a routine at Trefort Ágoston Két Tanitási Nyelvű Szákközépiskola for Jack. This year he sees 94 different students, 16 of whom are girls. The new 9th grade group has five girls, bringing the percentage up from previous years. Girls always create a more positive classroom chemistry in Jack's experience. The school's title has changed for the third in the last five years. It's difficult to explain why it changes so frequently; something in the school's philosophy has changed, or perhaps in the school's relationship to the city or national government. All of Jack's classes are going well and students are being challenged. This past week two of his more advanced classes “acted out” a play about Christopher Columbus—his theory of how the earth was not flat, and his ultimate discovery of America.
Jack, Paul, and Erin are meeting students after school every Wednesday for 75 minutes of games, conversation, and snacks in what is known as “English Club”. They have come to realize the importance of having a place where students who are often neglected or excluded by their classmates can get together with others who accept them in this unique context. To be honest, some of these kids are simply misfits in their own classes, and they have found friends in English Club. We hope you will pray specifically for English Club, that the participants will experience acceptance and experience the love of God through Jack, Paul, and Erin.
Our recent reading of David I. Smith's “The Gift of the Stranger” and “Learning from the Stranger”, as well as Miroslav Volf's “Exclusion and Embrace”, has shown us how our lives need to be open to embracing others, especially those who are excluded by others. We desire to build relationships that are intentional as well as transparent in reflecting God's love. We know that this comes at a cost of giving up our own comforts and wants. Pray that God will continue to open us to the relationships that He desires for us.
Cindy continues to grow in her role within EDYN. There are many opportunities for her to use her organizational and editing skills. It continues to be enriching as she works along side her Hungarian colleagues. Cindy will have some new opportunities over the next month to participate in EDYN meetings in Ukraine and the Netherlands. She looks forward to meeting and getting to know other EDYN members from around the world. Pray that she will be a blessing to those she meets.
As for the events of the past month, we hope you are staying informed by reading our blog. We are enjoying the opportunities that are presented to us by living here.
God bless you!
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