Living Large in Budapest

Romania Team Friends and Family,

We apologize it has taken us so long to post. Since beginning the debrief leg of our journey our schedule has been jam packed between digesting all God accomplished in and through us and taking advantage of the choice opportunity to enjoy beautiful Budapest.

Our overnight train ride from Turgus Mures, Romania to Budapest, Hungary was an unexpected blesssing. Most of the team slept for the majority of the 12 hour trip. We arrived in Budapest a bit grimy but replenished physically. Pat made arrangements for the team to stay at a wonderful little hostel nestled near the city center in the Pest section of Budapest. After a well needed hot shower the team hit the town. Budapest is home to over two million people. It dates back to the 8th century and is rich in cultural and historical significance. Along with Prague it is a celebrated stop for anyone desirious of experiencing European highlights. We spent the afternoon debriefing at the city's largest park. Susie is doing a wonderful job leading the team through discussions and exercises designed to allow us to fully appreciate and meditate on the last two weeks while also preparing us to reenter our normal lives. At the center of the park is a large castle. Lief scored us a deal and we enjoyed a fabolous Hungarian feast at a restaurant connected to the castle.

After a hearty night of sleep we attacked the city with vigor this morning. We played the role of tourists and signed up for a bus tour of the city. While we have a few days here it is not nearly enought time to see all the worthy sights. We figured this would be the best way to get the most our of our time. We spent much of the day traveling by double decker bus throughout both Buda and Pest. We had the freedom to get off at any stop for closer examination and explanation. We spent the majority of our time the older Buda part of the city famously known as the castle district. Many of us got to visit and pray in Matthias Church which was built by a king in the 15th century. We also bought some handcrafted gifts by local artisans at a summer craft fair. We concluded out time in Buda by doing some personal debrief on at a citadel that is located by a park far above the city. It was pretty surreal to overlook this beautiful ancient city split by the Danube that holds so many secrets, treasures, and lore. After finishing our bus tour we explored the vast labrinyths under the city by oil lamps and then walked across a bridge that when originally constructed was the first suppension bridge in all of Europe. Lief again scored us an amazing Hungarian feast on a boat anchored in the Danube. The city was lit up like a Christmas tree and provided a breathtaking backdrop to our food and laughter.

Yeah, I know, missionary work is pretty demanding. We recognize that we are living large and that we are indebted to all of you for allowing us this opportunity. Just know that the team deserves it. I cannot begin to tell you how hard they worked and served over the last two weeks. They literally poured out their lives. I am incredibly proud of them. We hope to share the countless stories of how God worked over the next days and weeks. Presently, I have two more minutes before the internet cafe closes and I need close.

We love you and are incredibly grateful for your prayers and support.

Grace and peace.

John for the Romanian Team