Come one, come all, and get a taste of what life is like at Word of Life Hungary! October at the Bible Institute means one thing: it’s time to rake some leaves! Not just some, but thousands, probably millions of leaves! With a campus that stretches for seventy-seven acres, you can be certain that there are a lot of leaves to rake. Every October, our students and staff get-together and devote one entire morning to raking-up the property. We did just that this past Friday, working hard as though working for the Lord, not for men! We had fun, singing together, jumping in the leaves, and enjoying each others company. It was a lot of hard work, but in the end, we got a lot accomplished and had a good night’s sleep! Make sure to check out the pictures below to see all the fun we had!
Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. There’s just something that rubs me the wrong way with the whole concept of celebrating evil. Call me old fashioned, but I think it is a shame that America makes such a big deal out of a horrible holiday. In Hungary, they do not celebrate Halloween, but rather “Halottak Napja” or Day of the Dead. Originating from the Catholic religion, this holiday is meant to commemorate martyrs of the faith, and remember loved ones who have passed away. November 1st is a national holiday, meaning that all businesses and stores must be closed. However, the cemeteries are packed, as relatives visit their loved ones’ graves and adorn them with flowers and candles. Unfortunately, many believe that if they pray hard enough, the candle’s smoke will carry their loved one’s spirit to heaven. They are praying for the dead’s salvation. What a tremendously sad and hopeless prayer that so many Hungarians believe! Hungary needs hope! Praise the Lord that we can have true hope in Jesus Christ and his blood. It is a message of hope that must be shared with Hungarians who are searching for true peace in all the wrong places.
We were recently blessed to have a visit from the Apostle John! That’s right, John of Zebedee, straight from the New Testament! Paul (my husband, not the Apostle) has been teaching a sermon series in chapel called “Fellowship with the Almighty: the Richest Privilege of a Believer”. It was a three part series in which he took us through the book of I John, explaining John’s special relationship with Jesus and how we too can have that same fellowship. For the last part of his series, Paul decided to dress up as John himself. Boy, were the students surprised! Paul did a monologue as the Apostle John, and his experiences with Jesus. He expressed the great joy we can all have with true fellowship in Christ and the great suffering that sin brings. It was a great way to wrap-up the series and personalize the message. What a creative husband I have! Don’t worry, I got in on the creativity too… his costume was made from our living room drapes and duct tape!
Life in Hungary sure brings a lot of special opportunities our way. We consider it a great privilege to be serving with Word of Life and we are loving every minute of it!
