What a Week!

JILL'S LIFE

My sanity has officially been consumed by cherries! I am one obsessed chick, and I really do think I have a few issues. Somehow, I got it in my head that "this is free food = get as much of it as you can." So every morning since last Friday, I have been outside with my big mop bucket and step ladder, picking the ripest specimens of the day. I do have to say that the hour or so that I have spent in the mornings picking away, has been a very nice time to meditate and pray; just me, God, and my cherries.

Pitting those cherries is another story! My wall above the kitchen sink is completely stained with splattered cherry juice! Phew, I am sooo sick of pits. It is totally the pits! I have officially picked, washed, de-stemmed, pitted, and stored four buckets of cherries, which is equal to about 100 cups of cherries! With these I made 27 jars of cherry jam (Canning was a first time experience for me. Thank you so much to Karen James for all her help and advice. P.S. I'm blaming you for any cases of Botulism). I also filled two quart size ZipLock bags with dried cherries, for baking purposes. And I froze 16 bags of pitted cherries for later use. I may pick a few more to give to students, but after this, I am done! And I don't feel guilty!

MARRIED LIFE

It is the last week of school here at Word of Life Hungary Bible Institute. My poor husband has been running around, trying to wrap up teaching, grade quizzes and homework, record grades, and hand back papers. Not to mention, he has to deal with all the sorry students who are coming to him in dismay about their grades and questions on graduation. Please pray for Paul if you think about it. He's going to need some major energy in the next few days. Maybe some cherry pie will help!

Saturday will be graduation, so all the students are bustling around about getting packed to go home, tying up loose ends, and taking pictures of friends. It's a sad, but also happy time. Tomorrow night we will go to the Al and Pam Konya's home (director of WOL Hungary) to have a mini good-bye party with the second year students and staff. It should be fun!

Paul and I will officially be starting language school after graduation, June 9th to be exact. I am so ready! I think!

FAMILY LIFE

Big congratulations to my brother, Jeff Prebeck, for graduating from the Coast Guard Academy this past weekend. Jeff, I am sooooo proud of you! You have turned out to be one extraordinary young man and I am so excited to see the way God is going to direct your exciting future!

The graduation was held on campus in New London, Connecticut. Mom, Dad, my sister Jane, and her husband all went out to see the big event, plus my aunt, Carol. It was a total bummer that we couldn't be there with them to celebrate this huge accomplishment, but, fortunately, through the wonder of technology, we were able to watch the ceremony live online! Vice President Dick Chaney was the key note speaker, and the director of National Defense was present as well. Pretty cool!

From what I hear, the whole weekend was pretty amazing. There were a bunch of events leading up to the graduation, such as a ball/dance, dinner cruise, and various award ceremonies. Jeff won the "Coaches Award" for basketball (I think he's their favorite). He had an awesome year, beating the school record for rebounds and most points scored. Way to go bro!

Gardening Adventures

Oh my goodness! The cherries on our tree are almost ripe! I just realized this morning that there's only a few days until pickin' time! I'm feeling excited and overwhelmed by this at the same time, because 1) I'm going to have to get on a very large ladder to get all these cherries down 2) I need to learn how to can since our freezer is very small 3) There are going to be a lot of pits to remove! Of course, this all needs to happen within five days or so because ripe cherries only last so long. I want to preserve as many as I can because they are so delicious and, hey, this is free food!

My peas are coming in too! So exciting! This is my very first go-around at gardening, besides the one tomato plant we had on our balcony last summer. So far so good. I started tomato, pepper, and egg plant from seed indoors back in March. They were transplanted into the garden a couple weeks ago, and for the most part, they seem to be adjusting just fine. Of course, I did have some casualties along the way. Besides the seedlings, I also planted peas, onion, and green beans. God and His creation is so cool!

Becoming Hungarian

Hi Everybody!

Here is my very first post for my new blog site. Hope I am doing this right! I thought I would let you know what it is like to live as a Hungarian.

Living in Toalmas, Hungary is somewhat like taking a step back in time. Life is slower and more simple, but at the same time, it can be harder and more complicated!

Hungarian people live at a slower pace, especially in the village. A majority take time to have a garden, talk with neighbors, and cook a full meal for lunch. In a world where fast food, cell phones, and instant gratification seem to rule, village life is refreshing. However, adjusting to a new culture, language, and way of life has not been without its difficulties. I have learned to be the ultimate house wife, the old fashioned way. I now use the line for the wash, instead of a clothes dryer. Most of our meals are cooked from scratch, no cream of mushroom soup or instant pancake mix! Plus, the nearest Wal-Mart type store is thirty minutes away. We have no television, and our heater is run on a wood burner (although we have radiators too). Actually, even though some tasks can be difficult, I think old fashioned living is the way to go! I fully enjoy working with my hands, whether it be cleaning, cooking, or landscaping. It only gets frustrating when time constraints are an issue. Everyday living here just seems to take longer!

All things aside, I fully believe that God has given me a very blessed life. I know the Lord has brought Paul and I to Hungary with big plans in mind, and I am so excited to see them all unfold. At the end of the day, when I lay my head down on my pillow, and think of all the blessings God has given us, I can only be filled with thanksgiving for His provision and perfect will.