At the Paulus Center we were all able to be reunited or introduced to the missionaries and their families. Andras started us off with some information about Paulus and prayer. It was amazing to start the trip off with such community and by spending time together in prayer. Zoli followed with a brief overview of our week and some cultural and professional pointers to teaching English.
During Andras' intro he also shared a specific request we can all be praying for this week (you may have seen Tyler's post on The City). The large Catholic and Reformed churches of Hungary put together a bill/law and sent it to Parliament that places restrictions on what can be considered a church for tax purposes. Only churches that are at least 20 years old and have a 1000+ members are "technically" churches according to this bill, therefore they are the only ones that receive large tax breaks. If the bill passes (which right now it looks likely that it will), the Paulus movement would need 50% more financial support than it is receiving right now. The vote is Thursday, so please be praying this week that Parliament will be swayed to vote down the bill.
We were excited and surprised to find out that we would be having a short lesson on Hungarian to model teaching and help us understand how difficult it is for our students. Edit, Zoli's wife, taught us some basic words (Hello, my name is... etc.). It really allowed us to see what it is like to be a student.
Right after our time at the Paulus Center we headed off to Lake Baraton (the largest lake in Central Europe and a popular vacation spot). We stopped for some authentic Hungarian food on our way at McDonald's and learned that even in Hungary men do not read directions (Endre paid to use the bathroom when all he needed to do was read the sign that told him to show is receipt to use the bathroom for free).
After a scenic ride through the Hungarian countryside we made it to the lake. We were able to spend all afternoon and evening walking around different parts of the lake. We started in Tihany, a small town on a hill above the lake. The town was filled with the amazing aroma of lavender and was centered around a beautiful Baroque church.
Then we drove down and walked along the shore spotting fishermen, sunbathers, and speedoes along the way. Finally, we drove into a another popular town on the lake with a giant garden and shops lining the shore. Here we were able to split into small groups and venture around the town, taking everything in that we could. We finished our day with dinner on the water (most enjoying a Hungarian favorite, Langos) and then headed back to the hotel for the night.
It was really amazing to spend time together as a team and with Zoli and Endre, who were out tour guides for the day. Being able to see more of this beautiful country and learn more about its people will help us as we form relationships with our students throughout the week.
We are all going to bed excited about church tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to worshiping together with our extended church home and hearing God being glorified in English and Hungarian.
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