Easter People, Easter Praises!

Since my Spring Break was spent mostly in Budapest, it was a whirlwind week.  I absolutely loved the trip but it was not particularly restful. So I was incredibly grateful to have a long weekend to celebrate Easter only a week after Spring Break!

 Easter has always been a special holiday in our family.  My hometown church always has services both Thursday and Friday evening, an Easter egg hunt on Saturday, and worship on Sunday morning.  So for as long as I can remember, our Easter weekend plans are pretty well set!  There is something comforting about doing the same each year for a holiday. If all goes as planned with Budapest, I will be celebrating Easter away from home next year for the first time ever.  So this year I really tried to soak it in and enjoy each special moment with my dad, my sister's family and my cousins!

I think of my mom often, every single day, but I especially think of her over Easter weekend. My mom was a big fan of Easter.  She would put my sister and me in matching dressses and make a bunny cake for dessert. She made everything special and fun for us on holidays!

 "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. 

We are the Easter People and Hallelujah is our song."

 St. John Paul II

My mom especially loved the joy of singing hymns on Easter morning.  The Easter hymn that makes me think of her the most is "Christ the Lord is Risen Today."(I could write so many blog posts on hymns and songs that make me think of my mom...) Easter feels different now because I imagine her in heaven among the saints, singing these triumphant songs of praise along with us!  My mom was an Easter person on earth if there ever was one! 

There is a reason followers of Jesus write so many songs and sing so often - we simply love to tell the story of His love. He alone is my hope, and the reason that I strive to never abandon myself to despair, no matter the circumstances.  The love of God through the cross of Christ always draws me near to Him.  

One last thing: I updated this in my "Prayer Corner" page but I want to share here as well.  I have a huge PRAISE to report:  I am currently at about 70% of my fundraising requirement for my mission to Budapest!  God is so faithful.  I say a prayer over every stack of letters I send!  I pray that God would call people who care about His kingdom around the world to partner with me, to glorify His name and share His love with children and families in Budapest.  Thus far, God is preparing a way for this journey and I am feeling so blessed!  

Thank you for reading about the latest news around here, for caring about my life and sharing in my joy!  

Spring Break in Budapest!

This trip was a HUGE answer to prayer! Having the opportunity to visit Hungary before I move was wonderful. And having my sister Meredith along with me was a source of support and encouragement. It felt different than just visiting a new place because I know God has called me to serve there and that I will be returning in about 5 months!  I had prayed that this trip would be an affirmation of my call to serve as a missionary teacher, and it was! I am full of gratitude and I am also still processing the entire trip! 
Here is a day-by-day breakdown.  I put in lots of pictures so it wouldn't get too boring! :) 

Saturday March 12th and Sunday March 13th ~ Getting to Budapest 

We left Houston at 4:40pm on Saturday.  We were over the Atlantic during the night, and I kept looking out the window at the stars.  They were spectacular! After a brief layover in Munich on Sunday morning, it was onto Budapest.  By the time we settled in at our hotel, it was about 2pm and we were exhausted!  We unpacked, rested a bit and then walked around the area. 

The view from our hotel included the beautiful Matthias Church  and the Danube River in the distance. So pretty! Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest.  We were staying on the Buda side in the Castle Hill district.  It looks like something out of a fairy tale!  There were lots of tourists but it was very quiet at night. Apparently the Pest side has more nightlife but Buda suited me just fine. :)

We ate an early dinner at a restaurant in walking distance to our hotel called 21 Hungarian Kitchen. We were asleep by 7:00pm!  I could hardly believe we lasted that long with how tired we were! 

Monday March 14th ~ Touring the City 

We woke up to blue skies and bright sunshine!  We ate breakfast at our hotel and set out to walk around the city.  We found a few souvenir shops to check out. We walked across the Szechenyi bridge (also known as the chain bridge) and walked down to the Parliament Building.  

Parliament Building from the Buda side 

On the bridge 

Parliament building from the side

In the afternoon we did a city bus tour (in honor of our dad who loves a city bus tour in a new place)!  We learned a lot about Budapest and I made a mental list of places to visit when I return - the opera house, museums, the zoo, parks, and so much more to see! I am most excited about going to the City Park Ice Rink in the winter! :) 

 View from Gellert Hill/Citadel

 Heroes Square in City Park

That night we walked to another restaurant called Pest Buda for dinner and it was delicious! 

Tuesday March 15th ~ National holiday in Hungary, marking the beginning of a revolution against the Austrian empire in 1848

We woke up to light snow and were so excited! We bundled up and headed out to the busy streets, full of food vendors and music for the holiday.  We walked over the chain bridge to Pest and had a quick breakfast at Starbucks. 

We were so excited that they spelled my sister's name correctly! :) 

Photo credit from http://www.untours.com/blog/house-terror-remembering-unspeakable

Then it was off to the Terror House.  This building was used during the fascist and communist government regimes for interrogation and torture.  Now it is a national museum meant to memorialize the victims of these regimes.  We met up with Steve and Barbara Johnson (missionaries with YWAM) and their daughter Rachel, along with a group from St. Martin's Episcopal in Houston.  Everyone was so nice and we enjoyed getting to know all of them.  We had a terrific (English speaking!) tour guide named Attila who is also an administrator at my future school. He helped us understand more about Hungarian government and history over the past 100 years.  

From there, our group headed south to the town of Diosd to Steve and Barbara's house for a late lunch. (Diosd is also where my school is and where I'll live when I move!) The Johnson's home is lovely and we had wonderful lunch of goulash and bread (perfect for such a gloomy, chilly day)!  Goulash is like a beef stew with vegetables.  It was delicious!  

Barbara and me 

By the time we were back our hotel, it was about 5pm and we were exhausted.  Lunch was so filling that we just had a few snacks before we went to sleep that night! 

Wednesday March 16th ~ Visit to the International Christian School of Budapest

We slept in late, did a little shopping and then took a taxi ride to Diosd.  

We had lunch at Johnny's Bistro which is an American style resturant (as you can see from the menu)!  I was so anxious about finally getting to see my new school that I couldn't eat much. All the sudden it became very real to me that this is happening! 

When we walked over to ICSB, we accidentally used the high school entrance.  I immediately saw Psalm 43:3 painted on the wall, which I have chosen for my blog theme verse! I whispered to Mere and she had noticed it too! I felt like it was a little sign that God had brought me there. The receptionist pointed us to the other entrance, which thankfully was the right one!

The elementary curriculum coordinator gave us a tour of the entire building and I had a chance to meet adminstrators and teachers. Everyone was friendly and warm.  The campus is beautiful!  

I spent about an hour talking with my new principal and had a chance to ask questions about things like curriculum and lesson plans.  I spent another hour visiting with the current 1st grade teacher, who was fantastic.  She gave me helpful information and made me feel so excited about taking on this position! 

Their playground is awesome and runs the length of the school! 

I also met the future 1st graders! Their teacher graciously allowed me to spend time with them in the middle of their afternoon.  While Mere talked with her, the kids showed me around their room! They counted to 100 for me, read words from their word wall, and showed me all of their wiggly teeth.  Little children are the same all around the world! :)

I exchanged email addresses with several of the people I met before we said goodbye.  I left feeling excited about returning there in August!  

We made it back to the city and relaxed a bit before heading out to dinner at Riso Ristorante.  There are a lot of Italian restaurants in the city and I had been wanting to try some! We both had tomato soup and cheese pizza - delicious! 

The next morning, we were up at 3:30 (!!!) and off to the aiport for our first flight to Munich. It was much better flying through the day time on the way back. Mere and I were so thankful that all of our travels and connecting flights went smoothly! 

If you really made it to the bottom of this post ~ thank you for reading all about our Spring Break journey to Budapest! 

Budapest & Psalm 138:8

New Year's Resolutions have never really worked for me.  I never commit to keeping them and they fade away over time.  So in 2013, I started choosing a word of the year and a verse of the year.  I like having something to keep in mind, something to strive for and remember throughout the year.

On New Year's Day of this year, our family gathered around for brunch and shared New Year's resolutions and words.  I told them I was still thinking about mine.  My brother-in-law said to me "Pretty sure your word of the year is Budapest." I laughed but as it turns out, I think he was right from the start!  I never thought my word would be a place.  God has turned my life upside down by calling me to serve as a missionary teacher in Budapest, Hungary!

It has taken me until March to determine my verse of the year!  Interestingly, so far, all of my yearly verses have been from the book of Psalms.  It is definitely one of my most-read books of the Bible, and one of my very favorites.  I remember learning as a child that Psalms were really songs and that made so much sense to me. Songs and poems are my love language!  Maybe I should just start calling it Psalm of the year?

When I found this verse this past week, I knew it was the one I would memorize and keep with me all throughout the rest of 2016. All of Psalm 138 is wonderful but this verse stood out.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; 
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. 
Psalm 138:8 

I am preparing to get on a plane in a 2 days, to a country I have never visited, to prepare for a job in a school I've never seen.  I am going because I feel called by God to do so. Simple as that!  It is hard to explain this but know it is from God.  My prayer is that God confirms this calling when I visit Budapest next week! Here is what I know from this verse: God will fulfill His purpose for me and that His love goes with me.  I pray that having this verse written on my heart will sustain me and keep me following God's lead, step by step!
______________________________________________________

Word of the year:
2013 - Gratitude
2014 - Joy
2015 - Mercy
2016 - Budapest


(Written inside my Bible)

The Story Behind My Blog Title

Lead Kindly Light is the name of my favorite song by my favorite Christian musician,  Audrey Assad. If you have never heard of her - take time to look her up.  She is a totally unique, independent artist and her voice is flawless.  She calls her music "soundtracks for prayer" and if you listen to any of her work, you will hear why.  

I wanted to name this blog Lead Kindly Light because this song has been so influential in my walk with the Lord.  The domain was already taken though, so I came up with Led by the Light instead.  The song is actually a nearly two-hundred year old hymn. Audrey Assad changed the lyrics slightly but the message remains.  

When I first fell in love with this song, I was still deeply grieving the loss of my mom.  I felt lonely and confused.  I knew in my heart of hearts that God was a loving, kind Father.  And yet, I was struggling to trust Him.  I was getting through one slow day at a time, and related to the line "the path ahead, one step enough for me."  I just needed each day illuminated before me by the light of God.  The way He carried me through that incredibly dark time strengthened my faith in Him tremendously! And He carries me still as the landscape of grief after a traumatic loss is ever-changing...

I have always loved Scriptures about light and this song so beautifully expresses Psalm 43:3 - "Send out your light and your truth, let them lead me."  I am still drawn to this song because it is a simple plea for God to lead me on, and a recommitment of my heart follow Him.  One step at a time! I do not need to see the whole path.  I realize now, it is better for me that I do not see what all lies ahead.  

The final verse is my favorite. It is a beautiful reminder that Christ himself walks with me through my fears, through the valley of the shadow, and through each part of my life that remains unseen.  And this path is leading me towards my true home in heaven someday!  So I keep pressing on, one step at a time and seek His light to guide my path.  As I share about my journey to Budapest on this blog, this song reflects my belief that the light of God is truly leading me each step of the way.  

I hope you will enjoy this song and find encouragement in its message!