November 2016

Hello again from Budapest!

It seems this month has just flown by. We had a much needed fall break at GGIS, there was a Korean festival and youth group event that I led, and we had an amazing harvest party at school.

School started at the end of August and we hadn’t really had a break until last week. Let me tell you, it was much needed! You don’t realize how tired you are until you have a chance to rest, and then it’s like, “wow, what just happened?”

The Saturday before the break I went with the youth group from the Korean Church of Budapest, where I have been ministering as a youth leader, to an escape room. An escape room is one of the coolest things ever. You are locked in a room, which usually leads to other rooms and have to find clues and keys to get yourself out. This is usually done in teams of a few people at a time. We split up into two teams-boys against girls and the one who escaped the quickest won with the losers buying them ice cream. We all had such a great time working together and getting to know each other all a little better.

Right now the way the service on Sundays goes is that I sit in the message (with translation) and then the teens separate after and talk about the message. I am there to kind of facilitate this talking time and also just be a friend to them. It’s really a great privilege and I have really enjoyed my time so far. I think we are really starting to click.

The following Saturday, at another international school in Budapest, all of the Korean community got together and had a sports day. I was invited to attend and am so glad I went. It was great seeing so many people from so many different churches, schools, jobs all coming together and enjoying each other.

Every year GGIS puts on a harvest party where we invite families and friends to come to school, dress up, play games, dance, and eat lots of candy. I look forward to this event every year, it’s an incredible opportunity to connect with students’ parents in a nonacademic fashion. After the festivities, we have started a new tradition-watching a movie on our sports field with the high schoolers. This is the event that really makes the whole night worth it. Last year we watched God’s Not Dead (actually a surprisingly good Christian film) and we had such a great response that this year, we watched God’s Not Dead 2 which just came out. After the movie I got up in front of the students and spoke a little bit. One girl accepted Christ as her Savior! Praise God!

My friends, Tim and Myriah, were able to adopt their baby! Her name is Agnes. Maybe next month I will be able to send a picture!