Bank Robbery in Buda - Friday, November 26

I kept some news off of my blog so as not to make my parents worry, but like the government and the whole information leak incident, the news was relased on The Ippel's blog, (my teammates and next door neighbors -- the link to their blog is at the bottom of the page) which my parent's frequent often. So because of this, I will no longer withold this news:

After several months of living in one place, following roughly the same routine, it is easy to get comfortable and complacent; however, as you know, God always has His way of putting a rock in your shoe; two weeks ago, He did just that. He reminded me that feeling safe is really a false sense of security.

There was a bank robbery in Budapest. To be more specific, three men with one machine gun at 3:30 in the afternoon robbed one back. To take it one step further, these three men robbed one bank two blocks away from my panel house, one man died.

On Fridays, I finish with classes at 1:30. This particular Friday I had to run errands. So I went home, changed my clothes, and took the 50 tram east to a store similar to Aldi's called Lidl. This is away from my flat (of course) and from my school. (I get my cereal at Lidl). Now because I don't have a car to store the items and because Europe is very strict about bringing unkown bags into stores, I had to stop at my flat before going the opposite direction (toward my school) to go to Interspar (comparable to Kroger's or Safeway).

To get to Interspar, I have to take the 50 tram west toward/past my school. After this back and forth, to and from my flat, I left for Interspar at about 3:40. As I was passing the first stop, I noticed a crowd gathering in between two panel houses along with severl ambulances. Immediately, I took out my cellphone and texted Jack -- "5+ ambulances and a crowd two panel houses over." I was on the tram so I couldn't become another number in the corwd, but I figured Jack might want to or he could at least see if anything was showing up on the news. His reply said, "I heard what could have been gun shots earlier."

Something went down and due to our lack of Hungarian, we had no way of finding out. So I continued to the store. I was looking for an item that I had never puchased at Interspar, which seems to often be the case when I end up there, and somehow after an hour of looking, I walk away empty handed. At about 5:30 I headed back to my flat. By the way, it is night at 4:30 here. Pitch black and misty, I passed the panel houses one stop away from mine on Tram 50, and the same crowd I saw earlier became a huge crowd with roads blocked off.

Something huge went down. I got back and told Jack, so we decided to call our co-worker that lives right in the area that the crowd was gathering. She told us that three men robbed a bank on Fö utca (Main Street); however, someone saw them enter and called the cops. These men ran from them and were right in front of our co-workers flat when her husband heard shouting outside the window, "Drop the gun!" Minutes later gun shots were fired and the man with the gun was killed on Szigligeti Street. One of the other men was caught while the third was not to be found right away.

Witnesses thought that the third man ran into a block of flats (about 35 flats) so that panel house was evacuated and searched over night. The people in those flats had to stay in a nearby school.

I went to school on Monday and asked my students about it and several said they were in the area when the commotion was happening. )It happened at 3:30, barely an hour after school ended) One of them said he saw the gun and the dead body. It truly is amazing that no one besides the robber was injured or killed; there is a lot of foot traffic in our area around 3:30.

For My Grandpa

Every year for the past four years I have neglected my impending school work to go to my Grandpa's and help him bake banket. (If you don't know, banket is a bar with almond filling in the middle.) As long as I can remember, he has baked banket every winter; he normally bakes over 100 bars a year. During my time at college, he was my desperate distraction during the last weeks of the fall semesters. Baking with him was my escape from the busyness and my place of peace. I think he is one of the reasons I love baking so much; however, now that I am in Hungary, I was not able to join him this year -- a difficult fact for me to cope with. Because of this, I decided that I couldn't let him down. The show must go on.

If I couldn't bake banket with him, I could at least bake banket on my own as a way to remember the last four winters with him. (He has not passed away; I assure you.) So I did just that. Luckily, and I am ever thankful for their assistance, the Baker parents were coming to visit their daughter Arielle, who is on the Calvin semester, and they were willing to bring almond paste from the states. I know of no item similar to it here; if there is a similar item close to it, it is beyond expensive.

When I got the almond paste, I went to work. After some learning curves and small kitchen mishaps, I was successful. I made 8 bars (8 more to go) and cut them in half and gave them to my colleagues. It was a big hit. It was something they haven't had, even though, all of them love almond flavored baked goods.

Below is a series of banket pictures from beginning to end. I will tell you that my flat (and the Ippel's flat) is to small to make banket, but it doesn't matter. If I am here next year, I will make it work again all for my Grandpa.

I had to move to the dining table.

Here's the dough cut out.
The almond paste filling and three sticks ready to go.

Three sticks ready to go.

Three sticks done.

Numbers 6:24-26

"The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace."

November Update: Windows of Opportunity

Greetings from Budapest,

Over three months have passed since I have arrived and become a conversational English teacher at Trefort Agoston. I teach nine groups of students, ranging from ninth grade to thirteenth grade and beginner to advanced.

The first three months have been a learning period for me as I try to understand the Hungarian school system and teaching – it’s coming to me slowly. At the same time, it has been an important time for me to create opportunities to build relationships with teachers and students. And boy, have those opportunities taken shape!

First, my love for baking has been able to start a lot of conversations in the English teachers’ office. Soon after I arrived, I decided to bring in a baked good at the beginning of every month. My colleagues have enjoyed this; in fact, they look forward to it every month just as much as I do. This opportunity has helped me break down that initial barrier between strangers. I’ve found out that many of the teachers have a love for baking and cooking as well, and it has given me the chance to swap recipes and learn cooking tips.

The second opportunity came with my students. Sharon Bauer, Jack Ippel, and I started an after school English club that the students have dubbed JUBAIP – figure that one out. It’s an hour and a half a week of homemade American treats, fun activities, and English conversation. It has been an amazing time to hang out with the students and to get to know them more. On October 26, we celebrated Halloween with pumpkin carving and a costume contest – it was a big hit! Jack pointed out that the most important thing about JUBAIP is that it is a comfortable place for the students to talk and spend time with their friends instead of sitting at home and playing computer games or doing some other mindless activity.

Being able to call Budapest home has taken time; however, these windows of opportunities have brought a comforting breeze into my life and have helped me find God’s peace here.
Thank you all for your constant thoughts and prayers, and bearing with me as I figure out what it means to be a missionary with supporters. My blog will continue to grow as I continue opening

windows, so please stop by and stay awhile: desperatedistractions.blogspot.com

May the Lord’s face shine upon you,

Justin

Note: If you did not receive this newsletter as an email and you would like to, please let me know.

Support Goal: $4500 to go.

Cheb - The Beginning of Fall Break

I had fall break from October 30 to November 7. I began my fall break by going to Cheb, Czech Republic. (From my understanding, you say the Ch in Cheb like you are hawking a loogie) This smallish town is as far west as you can get in the Czech Republic; it is a 2 mile walk to Germany, I believe.

We visited two and a half other ESI teachers who work in Cheb. (I say half because the third teacher was with ESI last year.) Cheb is a beautiful place with supposedly one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. To note the size, we were given a tour of the city and we ran into several people that the teachers there knew.

I know that I live in a place filled with an elaborate history, ranging from Roman civilization to Nazi occupation to the reign of communism, but the history of the places that I live and have visited didn't hit me until I visited Cheb. When I stayed in Cheb, I was in a dormitory/class building that I found out was occupied by the Nazi offices. Upon further investigation, we found a picture of the town square with a huge crowd "heiling Hitler."

I'm living in a place with a huge history...

Garages

Lenin
The Town Square

If you have not done already, continue reading to find out about the rest of my fall break.

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Karlovy Vary. Our first day trip of two while we were in Cheb. This place is beautiful, yet bizarre. It is about 45 minutes east of Cheb; Cheb is as west as you can get in the Czech Republic, which means that one must travel through all of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belarus or Ukraine to get to Russia -- that's a long distance.

If you want a hint of Russia, though, you can go to Karlovy Vary. This spa town has almost every sign translated into two languages: Czech and Russian. Three countries to cross, yet a huge Russian population is there. It's not like a Chinatown or a small area devoted to another culture, this whole city is largely influenced by Russia. (There was even a beautiful Russian Orthodox church.)

I can understand why Russians would flock to Karlovy Vary. It is gorgeous. It weaves through the hills following a river; it is a spa town -- there were tons of 4 star or 5 star hotels and resorts advertising relaxing spa treatments; Karlovy Vary has money -- it shows. It also has the Grand Hotel Pupp. You might say, "What the heck. Who cares?" I'll tell you the significance. This hotel has been featured in two movies, most notably is 007: Casino Royale. Yup, I know, right?

The Russian Orthodox Church

A Sweet View

Probably Another Resort

Like I Said, A Sweet View

Behind the Grand Pupp

The Grand Hotel Pupp The River that Runs Through

Regensburg, Germany

On Tuesday of my fall break, we took a day trip to Regensburg, Germany. We had a difficult decision to make. Go to a small town and spend the afternoon there or go to Berlin and experience it all in one day. After experiencing Karlovy Vary, we quickly decided that we wanted another small town.

Regensburg was an excellent choice. I don't know the exact details, nor will I look them up so that I can bore you with them, but I will say this. Three major items to note:

1. The Danube passes through the town. If you don't know, the Danube also passes through Budapest. I was tempted to either find a stick and tie a bright string around it and see if I could spot it when I got back to Budapest, or make a raft and sail back to Budapest.

2. The bridge that you see in the photos below is, in fact, a medieval bridge that was built during the crusades. It was used to crossed the river during two of the crusades.

3. The cathedral is St. Peter's Cathedral. It reminds me a lot of St. Vittus in Prague; however, I think that St. Peter's has much more amazing stone work. I wish I could have taken pictures of the hundreds stone wall carvings in the cathedral because the intricacy was spectacular. I don't think any work had to be done to renovate the cathedral after the World Wars; Regensburg was not significantly bombed.

St. Peter's Cathedral
David and Goliath...ON A WALL!

Graffiti Lovin'
The River, The Flag, and The Spires

Me, the Bridge, and the Spires

Reflections

Prague's Second Chance

It's been ten months since I last visited Prague, and my first experience was hard to enjoy; it was a cold blur. It was meant to be two enjoyable days in Prague during January, but we quickly found out that Prague in January is bitterly cold -- We left after an afternoon.

I finally had a chance to return during my fall break and make some warm memories. I spent three and a half days in Prague staying with several other ESI teachers (Ben Nielson, Ryan Troglin, and Dave). The weather was wonderful.

On Wednesday, I was given a mini tour of Prague and then I sat outside, finishing The Book Thief, until the guys were done at school.

I took full advantage of being off on Thursday and lounged around the flat, taking my day of rest. I also took a walk in an awesome park by the guys' place. (That is where the first picture is from). In the evening, I joined Ben and David Reynolds (another ESI teacher) at their pub talk; it is a chance for students from their classes to come and talk about anything in English with each other.

I walked all around Prague on Friday. I sat on a hill overlooking the city for lunch and I was able to feel my hands and feet the whole time -- a rare occurance during January's visit. In the evening, I went out to dinner with all of the ESI folks in Prague and played darts after that.

Staying in Prague made me realize how much I have learned about Hungary so far. I don't understand the meaning of what people are saying, but I can understand the words of Hungarian; where as, Czech sounded like mumbling. The public transit makes perfect sense in Hungary, but the public transit in Prague seems like a maze of trams and metro trains. I also found that Prague is a lot more touristy than Budapest is -- I heard tons of english.

In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed traveling, eating, reading, writing, and spending time with friends, but all these things made going home a comforting thought.

Fall in Prague. Nice.
Memorial, St. Vittus, and the Castle.

The Charles Bridge.

I think this message is clear.

The John Lennon Wall

Charles Bridge and St. Tyn's Cathedral.

The cross and St. Vittus.

Starting the Gears Again

I got back from fall break a happy person -- as you can tell from the picture above; -- however, I still felt behind. It's one of the worst feelings to go on a break and return feeling behind in everything you have to do. Break was suppose to be a relax and catch up time; instead, I'm still chasing after the ball rolling down the hill; I kicked it and missed my shot. Because of this, I decided I needed a change. I needed to start anew, strip myself of my security. So as a way to do that and say goodbye to the Ippel's guests (Dave and Mary Bosscher), I had Dave Bosscher cut my hair.

Bring it on rolling ball, I'm more aerodynamic now!

Kit Kat Bars

I have my first extended break from school this week. It is a week long, in honor of the October 23 revolution and All Soul's Day on November 1. I'm spending my time in the Czech Republic -- Cheb and Prague -- with fellow ESI teachers.

I've spent most of my time travelling so far on a bus or a train, but this travelling has reminded me about the comfort I find on the "open road." Seeing passing villages. Following a glistening river. Weaving through the hills and fields. Peace fills me up as the sun sweeps across my face.

The attributes of the week will be the following:

1. Relaxation - It already feels so good not having to think about class for a week

2. Writing - Currently, doing it

3. Reading - The Book Thief (highly suggest it!) and The Magician's Elephant

4. Picture taking

I never realized how important the weekend was to recovery for another week, so I'm excited to see what a week has to offer.

Note: I wrote this on October 30, but I didn't have some substantial computer time until today. So since this post I have gone to Karolovy Vary (Do you remember the hotel in Casino Royale? It's located here) and Regensburg, Germany on day trips. I am now back in Prague until Saturday.

The following pictures are from Cheb.

I get weak in the knees for good graffiti.

A view of supposedly one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic and two steeples of a cathedral.

The town square.

Peace Through Humility

I've always said that the best way to get to know a place is to get lost in it. In that same sense, I have learned, since I have moved to Hungary, that the best way to find comfort/to feel at home is to force yourself into moments of humility.

I say this because I feel at home in Budapest, and it is not because I have sat at home, reading and drinking a cup of tea. I have gone to the market and stared blankely at a stand owner until he said a word I vaguely understood; I have struggled with a beginner student to arrange one-on-one lessons; I have gone to T-mobile and have been stopped in my tracks because the employees spoke no English; and I have gone to the banks, forced to go to a teller because I froze my debit card, and successfully withdrew money, and, on top of that, I learned a new Hungarian word.

It was these moments that reminded me that I'm a normal person. I'm not special; I'm not the English expert that the Hungarians tell me I am; I'm learning and living just like everyone else. I'm just trying to survive just like the seed couple I buy my dried cranberries from, or the butcher I buy my chicken from, and it gets easier every time I go and make a fool of myself as I try to talk to them with the language barrier.

Even though we don't speak the same language, I can see our relationship building. They know who I am and greet me with a patient smile as I try my hand at a new word or sentence -- it's too bad I don't understand their response. I'll figure bits of it out slowly if I keep stepping outside.

----

"People don't grow when they're wrapped in cotton wool. They grow when they confront the world." - Russ Rymer's Genie: A Scientific Tragedy. (I think of this quote every time doing something or going somewhere intimidates me.)

The following pictures were taken today at Heroes Square -- statues of Hungarian heroes who weren't sipping tea at home.

The Importance of Imagination

I'm working on a couple big posts currently; however, this is a big week for the American teachers at school because we are beginning an English club -- one of those big posts to come. So to show that I am still alive and kicking, and to give you something to think about, I want to offer an excerpt from a blog post I just read yesterday. This except comes from a post on Banned Books (last week was banned books week) by Sara Zarr. Sara Zarr is a YA author, currently serving as a judge for the national book award. Here you are:

"Imagination is a prerequisite for…everything. Without it, there is no chance for change, growth, hope, faith or peace. If those who have religious reasons for challenging or banning books want to raise up a generation that has religious faith, they’d better be on the side of imagination. If you have a faith, as I do, that centers on a in a God you can’t see, touch, or hear, you’d darn well better have a limber imagination or else that faith will be dry, impersonal, and academic. Which will make it easily lost in the thick of life. If you want a Godless generation, the surest way to achieve that is being anti-imagination, being scared about thinking about things beyond your direct experience.

Books that are about people exactly like us—who believe like us, live like us, love like us, think like us—don’t require very much engagement of the imagination. Sure, they might trigger self-centered fantasies that since we’re sort of like the girl in the book, maybe we could have that boyfriend, those clothes, that social status. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Entertainment is good. But it’s not the same as deep engagement of the imagination, which is the first and most powerful stepping stone to empathy, compassion, and the beginnings of creative problem solving, and thereby hope for change where change is much needed. In the world or just in our own little spheres and communities. "

If you would like to read the whole post, go to sarazarr.com. She also has other fantastic posts that I encourage everyone to dive into -- one recent post about faith that gives links to some other interesting posts.

Beauty

Movement. Drive. Production. Efficiency. These words are all engrained into American society. If someone is not constantly busy, constantly moving, constantly working toward the most efficient production, then that person is lazy, inefficient, and run over by the American drive.

This drive is something I want to question. Is efficiency really what it is all about? Is perfection something that should be reached?

Today marks one month of living in Budapest, Hungary, so I'd like to try and share the insights that I have had this month.

I began writing this entry while listening to music, and the first song that played was "Snails" by The Format. I admit that this song is about being too quick to kiss, but I want to note another part of the chorus: "Snails see the benefits, the beauty of every inch."

During my month here, I have found that the greatest production is not possible. I came to Budapest expecting to go directly into school related things, -- get my residency permit, fill out paper work, get a tour, talk about the school's expectations, receive a textbook to begin lesson planning -- but that wasn't howt hings were going to work. I got off the plane, met my boss, and asked when I should be at school the next day, and she said, "No need. Just get situated and come in Monday."

"What time Monday?"

"Whenever."

Getting straight into the swing of things, working toward the most efficient production of my time, became sporadic moments at school and unsure feelings of what to do next. Right from the start I wasn't able to be the well-oiled machine that I have been trained to be. (Ok, maybe I've never been well-oiled, but I've been oiled.)

These speed bumps are still occuring. I had to sub one of my classes, meaning I needed to come up with another lesson during a ten minute break. Better yet, I got to a class and found out that my students were already taught, twice over, the information I was given to teach them; this means that I had to come up with a lesson on the spot. More recently, I found out that my first pay check was deposited, so I planned my day knowing that I would finally have money and wouldn't be scraping the bottom of the barrel, only to forget my PIN, freeze my card, and have to get a new PIN (1-3 weeks in the mail).

I am ever thankful for these speed bumps, though. They slow me down and remind me of several things. First, I don't need to be perfect in the things I do. I can and sometimes will have to come up with a lesson plan with very little time. Second, the efficient way is not always the correct way. Third, and building off of a previous post (A Black Widow's Story), sometimes I must let God do his work and be reminded of his amazing beauty. A quote from Jostein Gaarder's The Christmas Mystery helps me understand what I am trying to get across; I hope it does the same for you: "Whenever there's too much of anything, you can stare at it without appreciating it. That's how it's possible to be out under a starry sky and fail to see a single star because of a shower of shooting stars."

These bumps have helped me slow down and see the joys of the small moments -- a three minute conversation with students after class, an extended conversation with a colleague, or even a successful journey to the market without using any English.

These bumps slowing down my American way of efficiency are truly where I have been able to see the beauty of God's work and God's creation. One of these bumps even produced these pictures: (These pictures, in fact, are a perfect example of how sometimes slowing down [freezing time, really] highlights God's beauty.

Life in the Slow Lane

For those who have not heard, I have made it to Budapest safely with no flight or baggage problems. It is my fourth day here and my flat is feeling more like home everyday. (My next post will hopefully show pictures of my flat and my first few days.)

Shifting gears.

I keep a journal of quotes that I find inspirational or memorable; they are quotes that make me think, make me smile, or make my eyes water. Sometimes, though, the quotes I want to keep are too long for this little black book. Jon Foreman (the lead singer of Switchfoot) writes a blog for the Huffington Post that causes that exact problem. One of his latest posts talks about gardening and the human soul. Are our souls not going deep enough? Are we losing our story, trying to disconnect from the root, only wanting the end product?

If you are interested in the whole post it is called "The Economy of the Garden -- Part One." The website to all of Jon Foreman's posts is www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-foreman. I'm just going to take quotes from this post.

"My wife and I planted a garden this year. This tiny patch of dirt has become a space where small miracles occur daily. The slow and steady growth of the garden contradicts almost everything about our fast-paced world. The constant rush of the freeway traffic nearby seems to grumble in disagreement with the slow and almost imperceptible growth of the garden. The trucks roll through, the beamers and minivans fly past, and all the while the green fingers quietly reach for the sun. Slower than a speeding bullet, slower than the Internet, slower than a snail; the progress that these plants achieve has no advertisement, no PR. In fact, if I put my cell phone down long enough to examine the growth, it appears that nothing is happening. But gradually, a transformation has taken place; over the course of a few months, the ground has become thick with plants.

Lately, I've been thinking that maybe the human soul grows best at the pace of a tomato and not a combustion engine. Maybe the human condition has much more in common with this speechless greenery than I had thought. These silent life-forms really have a lot to say. These days, I've been trying to listen to the slow growth policies of the garden, this incredible place of new beginnings."

"Year round, thousands of strawberries are down the street from most of us at a relatively affordable price. This is amazing! The average American consumes groceries that kings and queens of the past could only dream of: a veritable cornucopia of fresh vegetables and fruits always at our fingertips. Any cut of meat, any beverage, any dairy product -- food from China, France, Australia, South Africa -- all within the reach of the average American salary. How incredible! Everything is available. Everything is for sale. And yet, we have been divorced from the creation of these provisions. Without the garden, I eat my strawberries out of a plastic container at the sink -- devoid of any connection with the earth. My consumption has no personal dedication… a simple, unceremonious exchange: a few anonymous bills for a few impersonal berries. Yes, our stomach and our throats receive these berries the same as if we had grown them ourselves. But are we not more than just stomachs? Are we not more than empty throats?

No, everything matters. The specifics are crucial. Ask your wife if any man will do. Ask a music fan why the Beatles are different than the Stones. Did our gas come from a BP source in the Gulf of Mexico? It matters. Are we buying our electricity or paper products from Enron? It matters. Is your bank using bailout money to pay executives their bonuses? It matters. These are important details. The children's fingers that make our shoes, the migrant hands that pick our strawberries, the repressed souls that mine the diamonds of Sierra Leone: these are not footnotes! No, these are the stories of our brothers and sisters on the planet. This is the fabric of the garden that binds all of us together in this universal ecosystem. We are all connected here on this earth, increasingly so in our global market. Our individual plot lines correspond and cross. Yes, capitalism has brought the world within our reach; but when these products are stripped of context, we begin lose a piece of our own individuality as well.

The fast-food pace of our daily lives cannot replace the slow growth of the garden. When a product is stripped of our narrative, we lose a portion of our own story. We are reduced to an appetite and nothing more. Yes, every anonymous bar code has an intricate connection with the ongoing human story. I'm not trying to swim against the tides of capitalism. And I'm not against grocery stores. I'm simply stating that we lose a piece of our identity when we are reduced to an anonymous pocketbook with a mouth at the other end. The unique identity that every one of us possesses is directly tied to the way we spend our time and our money. Faceless consumerism is hard to call progress. My backyard garden reminds me that my plot is a part of the broader narrative, opening my eyes to the stories that don't fit into a sales tag. The garden reminds me that faceless capitalism alone might not be the best model for our human existence. Maybe the accelerating digital network is not the best soil for the human soul. I want to live with deeper roots even if it means a slower means of travel. Maybe I could spend a little more time in the garden and a little less time in the fast lane. I'm pretty sure that we could all use a little more dirt underneath our fingernails."

Why Desperate Distractions?

Desperate Distractions began as an email to friends during an exam week at school. I needed a distraction from my studying, but I didn't want it to be a mindless activity -- I would never pull away from it. So I searched for something that would speak truth in my life -- a quote, lyrics, a video, a picture, a thought -- and I would reflect on it, reading/watching/listening to it over and over again.

It became a daily activity. I would stay focused until one moment in the day where I needed a distraction; I needed a break. On one of the first days that I searched for a small truth, I found one that I couldn't contain; I had to spread it. After that day, I sent what I found to a group of friends every day during exam week, and so it followed every exam week. And so it follows now.

According to the OED, desperate means suffering extreme need or having a great desire for, and distractions means drawing away from one point to another. This is exactly what I hope to continue in this blog. It is my hope and my prayer that I may suffer extreme need to draw away and search for a daily truth. I want to have a great desire for God to be my distractions, and I want to share these moments.

What can you expect to see on this blog then? Items that have touched my life, that I have found truth and beauty in, and items that I hope bring reflection. This can range from stories, pictures, and journal entries of my adventures to random quotations and videos that speak to me at the moment. The random items might not have any immediate connection to what I am doing in Hungary, but they will surely have a connection to where my thoughts are.

So I hope you enjoy reading and I hope that I might bring some reflection or conversation to the table, but if I don't, I hope you at least enjoy the pitures.

Prayer Requests:
-For safe traveling this weekend for all of the teams.
-For a smooth adjustment overseas.

Blogs to come:
- An excerpt from a blog post by Jon Foreman
- How did I come to Teach Overseas?

A Black Widow's Story

An entry from my journal:

I look for a black widow everyday under the drinking fountain. If it's there I crouch down and watch it, sitting there, waiting, shifting slightly on occasion. Everyday, I notice its web growing more complex, more intricate under the drinking fountain between the outlet and the wall.

I could kill it. I could intercede and end its life immeditely for fear of my life. Or I could wait; I could let it live. Watch it everyday and see how it grows.

Like a freshly planted flower, I must do my part in watering it and providing sufficient sunlight, but after that I must wait. I must let it grow. I can't force it to grow. I can't make it grow any faster then it would, I must watch it. Provide my part and watch.

It's hard for me to do. Immediately, I want to kill the spider -- protect myself. Immediately, I want to see a massive beautiful flower -- the fruits of my labor. But that's not how it works. I must leave myself open to attack, do my part, and wait. Nothing will happen the way I want it to, so why force the hand.

Two good friends once told me this, sometimes we try so hard to create the image we want to see that we don't let God do His work.

Prayer Requests:
- Continuous prayer for support. My support has only inched closer since my last post.
- Energy and the drive to learn during these long days of training.

Blogs to Come:
- Why desperate distractions?
- How did I come to Budapest?

Training Boot Camp

I think I feel the same way David felt when he fell Goliath and said, "Is this real life?" It's unbelievable. Training started and in less than a month I will be flying to Budapest. I've acknowledged that I will be returning to Hungary; I can envision that, but returning to Hungary for my job is something I am just beginning to comprehend. The idea just hasn't set in. Everyday, though, I begin to understand my role better. Living in Budapest -- I can do that. Touring Europe -- I can do that. Being a teammate -- I can do that. Teaching ESL -- I can do better.

Besides challenging my faith and learning about the Hungarian culture, I am learning about how to teach. We have a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) class daily followed by teaching ESL in the evening. (Planning a lesson in one hour for a four minute class). It's a lot of stress, but it is pushing me to succeed as a teacher. With every day that I teach, I learn more about humility and gain more confidence.

The training schedule is strenuous, nerve-wracking, and long -- boot camp. Everyday we begin at 7am and end at 10pm, with small breaks intermixed. It is hard, but it is fun and very rewarding. During this month, your constant prayers are a blessing, and I ask for continued prayers for the following:
- Energy and the drive to continue to learn and to put my heart in my work.
- For the other teams going to other countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kazahkstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and North Africa)
- For open communication in my team.
- For additional support. (I have reached $3,000 of $12,000. Please pray about it and spread the word.)

I'm still learning how to blog well so please bear with me as I find a good length -- I've been dreaming of epic blogs. Blogs that are in the works are the following:
1. Why desperate distractions?
2. How did I come to Teach Overseas?

Welcome.

Hello!

Welcome to my humble abode of words and pictures. Please stay awhile and let these posts settle and ruminate in your thoughts.

In roughly one month, I will be moving to Budapest, Hungary to teach conversational English at a Hungarian high school called Trefort Agoston Kettannyelvu Fovarosi Gyakorlo Szakkozepiskola. (I can neither translate nor say that, yet) This high school is a trade school where I will teach students ranging from beginner to expert (vocab drills to American literature and culture). I don't truly know what the teaching will entail (that is what training is for, and the first weeks of classes), but I seek to learn more and improve my abilities so that I may connect with my students.

My ministry during my time in Budapest is relational. I hope to be an effective teacher so that I may build relationships with my students and be a positive influence in their lives. Besides Jack (Jack and Cindy's blog below) and Sharon, -- my teammates -- I will be the only Christian influence that my students will have. I must first be a teacher to my students, but it is my hope that through my teaching, I may plant a small seed that will grow over time.