On a Friday afternoon I sat in McDonald’s having coffee with a friend. I explained to her that mission trips were really not my thing, that I felt like my ministry is at home. I am very comfortable being home and it is really hard for me to leave my family.

My sweet friend laughed when she saw that I had signed up to go to Hungary just two days later.

You would think that I would get it by now, NEVER SAY NEVER! Especially when it comes to God!

For you see, when I saw the sign up list for Hungary, I KNEW He was telling me to go. . . . so I signed up.  

Later on, when I found out what we would be doing in Hungary I really got excited.

We were going to be teaching English in the public school. But the exciting thing was that we were going to be teaching English through bible stories and through our own testimonies.

And so after weeks of preparations, this team of four women were on their way to Hungary!     

We flew into Budapest and was picked up the next morning by two of our Lord’s trusted servants.   They drove us to what would be our home for the next seven days.

After an amazing lunch (feast) we were taken to the Teglas public school.    

We were given a tour of the school before we met with the children.    

The next morning started with worship, as did every morning after that. It was led by an amazing music pastor, Barnabas. The youth from the Baptist Church also played and led us in worship.  They sang in both Hungarian and English! I loved the worship time and hearing the same songs we sing here in America being sung in Hungarian. 

It was an amazing start to an incredible week!          

The mornings were spent in the classrooms teaching.      

This is my AWESOME class!                           

Then we would meet in the cafeteria and a couple of us (not me) would teach them dances and games from America.  The “Cupid Shuffle”, the “Chicken Dance” and the 
“Cha Cha Slide” were done every day.  They had a great time with this and even the principal and some of the teachers would join in the fun.

And then is was lunch time  .  .   .   .   .    It was a great feast  and I think I offended the cook because after the first day I asked for 1/2 portions. It was SO much food!

And the Principal and the teachers were so amazing . . . and open . . . and warm . . . and loving!! They took us in and welcomed us and we felt so accepted, we were one of them and we bonded with them very quickly. I am so grateful for these beautiful women. They are  now a huge part of our everyday face book life!   

Our time with them was too short and we vowed to come back next year.

At the end of the week there was a talent show and we watched and cried and laughed and clapped and clapped!                         

And we sang Amazing Grace for them and they showered us with gifts!            

They made us these awesome shirts with a picture of a heart made out of the hands of all the children on the front and a group picture of all of us on the back. We wore them on Sunday at our home church as we told about our trip and recounted to our church family all the wonderful things we had experienced and all the amazing people we had met.

At the end of the last day, as the four of us climbed into the van to head back to our temporary dwelling, with our hearts heavy and tears in our eyes we all swore to come back to our new found friends.

And how AMAZING is our God?  It is so like Him to cover us so completely, to minister to our hearts and bring into our midst people that will forever hold our hearts and that have forever changed our lives. 

Yes, you can bet that if there is any way at all, you will find me in Teglas~Hungary next summer, and every summer after.

Our group picture.

Matt: 5:6