WINTER OR SPRING?!!

Snow days with Noémie!! <3 <3 <3 

Wow. This break has been oh so wonderful. After coming back from Vienna I moved into the assistant dean of women's house with a coupe of other girls. Yana Osipenko opened her home to Stephanie, from the midwest, Noémie, from Quebec, and myself! Noémie and I were inseparable. When it snowed a few nights in a row, right away we got all dressed up and went to play in it. Our host, Yana, had twisted her ankle stepping off a bus coming from Budapest the first weekend of break so she was put on bed rest. She successfully tore all ligaments in her left ankle! Parabéns!

Esther de Visser and I on a canon in Veere

The 22nd of December I left for the Netherlands! It was so lush and green. No snow in Amsterdam. I hardly needed a jacket that first day I was there. The weather only got better and better. I spent one night in Amsterdam and then went on Friday morning to Middelburg. It is about two and a half hours away from Amsterdam by train. I met Esther de Visser, a good friend of my family, in Leiden, about 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam. What a great young lady she is! She is full of the Lord all the time and such a great example of love, dedication, and Godly living day to day. I was totally and absolutely blessed to stay in the De Visser home. They are all so hospitable and kind. I really loved being in their home! Esther and Isaak took me to Veere where I said that I'm going to retire because it's so beautiful! Mariah joined us three on our trip to Brugge, Belgium a few days later.
I came back to Toálmás on Thursday the 27th. I was so happy to be home and see that Yana was walking again! Since coming home it's been just her and I in her house hanging out, inviting people over, and having a jolly good time! Yesterday, Friday, January (already?!!!!) 6th, was spent with Dezső, Yana, and Attila. We drove into Budapest and shopped, shopped, shopped. What a blessing it is to have older and wiser people around. At about 11:00 p.m. Yana's roommate flew in from Brazil.

Myself, Yana, and Katie spending
New Year's Ever together <3

So I'm back here on campus sitting by the lake that at this time should apparently be frozen wearing a tank top and leggings listening to Attila explain the game of disc golf to some Hungarian visitors. As I look up from my seat I see a yellow castle before me. This is home. There's no other place I'd rather be at this moment. I am so thankful that the Lord has given this opportunity to me. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of love and joy and generosity that encompasses me. I'm ready to dive into this year head first. I'm excited for what God has for me and where He wants me to be!!

VACATION!!

My father so nicely reminded me of my lack of writing! So here I go!!

Vienna!!

So far I have finished the first quarter, started the second, gone to Vienna for a weekend, and started my holiday break! For this break, because I am not going home to California, I am staying at the assistant dean of women's home about a five minute walk from campus. I am really having a great time there. We watch movies, make food, walk to the castle for internet and just really enjoy each other's company. Although I cannot be home for the break, I still feel very much at home where I am  at. I have a bed to sleep in. I have a kitchen to clean. I have a regular-sized bathroom to shower in. I'm certainly a happy camper these days.

Last Thursday I went into Budapest with one of the girls from Quebec, Noemie, into Budapest to meet with my cousin Doctor Caleb Roberts(: Noemie and I took the 11:24 bus and then the metro to Kossuth. From there we took the tram to Sofitel Hotel right on the Danube River. It was a gloomy, rainy, wet, cold day. We met up with Cousin Caleb and his friend Jener (from San Fran!!!) and walked across the Danube to a cable car that took us up to some museum/castle/historical place. (I don't really know what it was because well, I don't speak Hungarian.) Up on the big hill looking East was the Danube down below and the Parliament building and, of course, Caleb and Jener's beautiful hotel. It was a great day talking to Caleb about everything under the sun, or as we saw it, under the clouds. We went back across the Danube eventually and walked to the Christmas market and had some hot drinks while listening to Michael Buble. (Who would have thought that Hungarians liked that guy?!!) It was such a marvelous day for me! Just walking and talking and seeing part of my family made me oh so happy!


Plans for this week: get over this annoying cold thing. But that might be difficult since I'm so obsessed with even the little bit of snow that fell last night!!!!

Thursday morning I take a flight at like 7:00 into Amsterdam!! That should be pretty cool. I'll actually keep it updated, I think.

I miss my family. I am so grateful to God that He has given my sister, Mary, and her husband, Victor, a healthy baby girl. What a blessing. Wish I could see little Beatrice Grace!

raking leaves, a campfire, and thanksgiving

"I know that everything God does will remain forever; 

there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it." 

Ecclesiastes 3:14

another great 9 days have passed since i've written. 

what have i done since then?! hmm...

this past friday morning was a morning full of practice with Sing Team. friday afternoon was filled with leaf raking!! the whole campus, including staff, were required to rake leaves either in the morning or the afternoon. my time was bitter cold. thank God for the Parrishes that gave me gloves about a month ago for the bitter cold. 

Sing Team made the half hour trip to Pánd saturday after lunch to put on a concert for one of the churches there. the mayor introduced us and we sang. Andrís Tóth gave his testimony during the set. i realized while he was talking (because I couldn't understand three words in a row) that someone had to give the good news of Jesus Christ to those that are lost. i was so uncomfortable during this ministry because of the setting and because of the distractions going on in the crowd. i was so preoccupied with how i felt instead of remembering about how these people need the Word and salvation. from now on i don't care how i feel but will remember that it's the difference between life and death for some people. 

sunday morning i filled in at sunday school for felipe at danube international church and then went shopping with a couple of girls at the Arena mall. monday was regular school with a new professor teaching 1 & 2 Thesselonians. i also practiced with two separate groups on two separate songs for a special thanksgiving chapel that took place on tuesday. i sang a song about blessings. it was fun, fun, fun! and then i sang backup to a song about...more blessings and praise to a faithful, wonderful God. 

immediately after this special chapel the whole campus (including students, teachers, teachers' families, and maintenance workers) all had a great meal together in the castle. what a precious time of fellowship to be had there! 

it's thanksgiving this coming thursday. i'm so thankful for my family. increasingly so for my parents. i see how wonderful they are even from way far away. i am so grateful for what they have done for me and for the marvelous example they have shown to me throughout the years. the love that comes out of them for everyone is so overwhelming and pure. i am thankful for the hard work my parents put in so that i may be over here. i am thankful that they have never given up once on any of the eight kids. i am thankful for them in so many ways it's insane. serio.

twin castles, Penn State football, and Szolnok

whoa wow whoa.
this past week has been craziness. i'm reading like there's no tomorrow and all that good school stuff. it's great!! yesterday, Sunday, i went with the Sing Team to Szolnok about an hour and a half away from home. the founder of the baptist church that we sang and attended is american! in fact, he has family and connections back in California <3

part of Sing Team <3

sing team packed up the van and left home at about 7 in the morning. Alex Konya, the director of WOL, drove us as he was going to be the guest speaker for the baptist church's thanksgiving sunday. we got to the church and started unpacking. as i walked inside i was surprised to see how tiny the room was. along the back wall was a long table. the middle of the room had three tables parallel to one another but perpendicular to the long table. all tables were set up with plates, utensils, napkins, cups and drinks. it was so clean and neat and wonderful! the front of the room had a little podium and a little area for the Sing Team. we made do and set up with  joyful hearts. as the time neared for us to start women came in with plates of food. one of the woman, Eva, came in with a huge sheet cake!

And I watched Penn State with Nate Street
before going to Bela and Ildiko Dobos's home

Lelkipasztor Dan Peters presents a first-time visitor
with a brand new Bible!

Anywayyys! this day was all about thanksgiving to the Lord for what He is in our lives and for what He has done. three people gave their testimonies in the first service. i didn't understand, of course. but there were 14 unsaved people there that clearly heard the gospel. the gospel was stated through each testimony and again by the preacher and Alex Konya. directly after the first service was meal time!!!!! yummy it was. and there was plenty of dessert to last even through the second service.
as i sang our Sing Team songs, i looked up into the crowd a few times and noticed a couple of the women wiping their cheeks. i have no idea what i was singing about but it truly touched them. right before we left, after the second meeting and a time of fellowship with everyone, i said goodbye to the women working in the kitchen. one of them gave me a hug and had Pam Konya translate that i should come serve in Szolnok again very very soon or else she was just going to have to come to WOL and be with me there. It was an absolutely amazing day. the people are so hospitable. the food was absolutely scrumptious. and singing for them was an absolute honor.

Oh! and I went to a ruined castle about 10 minutes away
with Nate Street

Early in the Morning...

No Prague, but Budapest indeed! This past Sunday I woke early and went to Budapest with the Sunday School teachers. We walked into Tóalmás to catch the bus that goes clear into Budapest. From the bus I totally saw California poppies in someone's garden!!!!

Finally we arrived at Danube International Church 30 minutes early so Nate Street and I went to Burger King for ice cream. Only 150 forints. Score. Then church where a Jews for Jesus representative preached about being in the midst of a storm. Sometimes the Lord doesn't take us right out. Sometimes the ship totally crashes and breaks apart. He always keeps us though. 

The rest of the day was so weird. Nate Street, three Brazilian girls, and myself wandered around Budapest after eating at Burger King (so not authentic Hungarian food!!!). We walked the back streets; we rode the subway the wrong way; we rode the right way; and accidentally saw the Parliament building. Eventually we made it to the mall for a little bit of shopping only to miss the train back into Tóalmás. Then we hung out a bit only to miss the 7:15 train because it really came and left before 6:50. MAL. So we waited around for the 9:15 train that actually came at 9:50. We got back onto the WOL campus at 11:00. Good times. 

Now this has been an interesting week! No school Monday and Tuesday but we made up for lost time by having school on Friday and Saturday. This week we went through the book of Galatians with a pastor from Jerusalem. It was really awesome being in his class. Plus, he gave chocolate to the whole class like...every day!! :-)

Today, Sunday, is the students' only day to rest before another week of classes. We will be going through the book of Psalms and are required to read the book before we are through with the class. That sounds like a big task, but I'm excited to dive into this wonderfully written, oh so poetical book. 

mal

Lies. I didn't get the chance to go to Prague for this five day weekend. There are three more days left for this break but I literally have nothing to do. I've studied my brains out, played football with nine guys, and sat in my room for more hours than I would ever like to do again. I Skyped with my mother on Thursday like three times for 6 minutes each. And then on Friday morning I Skyped with her again because she was up at 1:30 her time or something crazy like that. So when she got tired she gave the computer to my sister so we Skyped til her time 3:30 in the morning!! Crazy Irene(:

The good thing about this weekend is that I am going to Budapest Sunday to go to Danube International Church in the morning and then shopping with a group of people after!!! Sight seeing is in order as well, I'm sure. 

Really, I'm just bored this weekend and writing to fill in time. Cause the only set things I have to do is breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mal. And I learned some more Portuguese this week! I learned how to say "I'm pretty" in kind of a sneaky way. José, Felipe and I were hanging out Monday night after we took our exams and they kept telling me to say "Eu sou bonitinha." They didn't tell me what I was saying so apparently I've been walking around saying "I'm pretty!!"

Also, I say "mal" too much. In Portuguese you say it "mau." It's a fun word to use for anything! haha

I also have learned how to say something to the effect of "I'm a kitty." Você é gatinho. But apparently its more like "I'm cute like a little kitty." Kevin taught me that one.

beautiful Hungarian weather we are having

As I wrote previously, we went through the book of 1 John this past week in our studies. It's all about fellowship and being bonded with the brethren. Also, it talks a lot about being in the light and the fact that God's love is perfected through us. We have to learn five memory verses for our exam on Wednesday so I should get on that. But now that I think about it, I probably know more than I think I know. It's a really encouraging book to study and I'm so ready for the exam(:

And I really want a Teddy Bear to sleep with. 

Amelia Sent me Socks!!!!

So many crazies after lunch(:

A whole eleven beautiful, magnificent, marvelous days have gone by since I have written. I promise I'll get good at this at some point in my life.

Last Thursday, the 20th, was a day without school for us here at the BI. Instead of being at school for five hours I spent my whole day practicing six Hungarian songs for about six and a half hours. Although they were two very long practices (with a lunch in between, of course), I am grateful for the time the group spent together. My throat was giving out on me because of the freezing cold and from the singing. Friday was a three hour practice and Saturday as well. Sunday morning at about 6:45 in the morning I headed over to the meeting hall 15 seconds from my dorm to meet the rest of the "Sing Team" and drive out to a little town about an hour away from Toalmas called something with a V. We made it safely there but when I was helping unpack the car I realized our tire was flat. Mal. But thankfully we were already there and someone from the church helped fix it. For the first service we sang three songs throughout the time. Then we had lunch. YUM. For the second service at 2:30 I sang "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and then we sang two other Hungarian songs. After the service we packed up and ate some more (YUM) and had fellowship with the people there and then made it home before dinner on campus! Monday started a class on the study of 1 John. Our teacher is from Long Beach but works at the Dallas Seminary and is quite entertaining at times.

This weekend I am planning on going to Prague and Vienna with the Brazilian girls and boys. Gotta love them!!