Student papers

For your enjoyment, here are some awesome quotes from student papers and quizzes:

Quiz on food:
Where do Americans eat?

A lot of people eat fast food in the street or Chinese restaurant, or ate brown when they however ˝the best cool˝ take some from them. Huh??

How is this different from Hungary?

The Hungarian people try to care they health and they the breakfast is always cold, the lunch is always hot, because in Hungaryan this is the 2 important eat time, the first is the breakfast, and the 3rd eatting is the dinner...sometimes we eat hot or cold things.

Hungarian people don't eat lot of fast food. Fast food makes your fat Americans are the fattest people in the world. Ouch!


What do Hungarians eat?

Hungarian people usually eat more cornflakes than the Americans. I'm sure they do!

goulash soup, meat, smashing potato! Yeah baby, yeah! Funny part is, it's true! That's about it! And those potatos are a smash!

A quiz on family. I kid you not. This is what it said:

I have got a sister. She has got medium legs, red hair and brown eyes. She is for sale. I'm not sure if she works in sales or she really hates her sister.

Made up travel advertisement for travel unit:

5 day in a cottage in breast of the Alpen countryside. I think she meant ˝heart,˝ not breast. The Austrian villages, slip tea in a café, and experience the peace of country life. Mmmm..slipping tea!

And my personal favorite from my American student:
Canada EH??
Come to Canda! Come and...Pan for gold in the Yukon! Snowboard at Whistler! See a hockey game in Alberta! Go cow tipping in the plains! Search for Sasquatch in the NW territories! Hunt moose in the Canadian Rockies! Enjoy maple syrup with bears in Ban Forest! Fish for the one that got away in the Bering Strait! Hail the Queen in Ontario! Canada, come for a while, stay for life! :) Only an American could make of Canada so well.

The best part was the responses. I had them vote on their favorite place to go and why. A Hungarian wrote:

I want to go to Canda because I haven't seen sasquatch yet. I want to hunt for moose and then eat it or I would take it to Hungary and I'd keep the moose like my pet. I'm going to hang that one on the fridge.

Vienna

This weekend I spent two days in the lovely city of Vienna. I didn't go as a tourist, oh no, I did that 5 years ago. I went to see some very special friends I hadn't seen in years, the Hoefflers!!! You see, the summer before my senior year of high school I went on a missions trip to Vienna. I worked with Stefan and Judit and Open Air Campaigners, a group that does street evangelism. We were there for two weeks before going on to France, but I remember the trip a great deal as a very important time in my life, my first trip to Europe (which grew to be very contagious), and the time I knew God was calling me to missions. I thought about going back right after high school and working for OAC, but decided to go to college instead. So much has happened in five years, and I had the opportunity to share with them the struggles and the blessings, to meet their two kids (they were only engaged to be married 5 years ago), and see Stefan and his team doing street evangelism, which is still his ministry today. So much has changed, and so much remains the same.
Life thought #5,253: The days are long, but the years are short.
There is already tentative plans to return in December to see a Viennese Christmas market, a supposedly beautiful and romantic event.

Eger

Fall is quickly sweeping into winter. Without warning, the mornings have turned bitter cold, while each day is beautiful and crisp with falling leaves and breezes. I've learned how to turn the heat on in my flat, but unfortunately, my winter coat is still in the mail. I'm learning to layer my sweaters in the meantime. Of course, I am having trouble loading pictures onto my computer, on a day when I have so many to show you. I am at a friend's house, and they have very intelligent anti-spy-ware, which of course makes my pictures evil virus carriers that cannot be downloaded. I'll have to wait on the pictures, and see what I can do. Meanwhile, you'll have to use your imagination.
I've been asked a lot recently if I've done a lot of travelling around Hungary, and the answer is always, "No, just Vác and Budapest." That's not very exciting. So yesterday I went to a little village called Eger, which has a castle and a basilicum, and a lyceum (I think I spelled that very wrong, but it means library). Typically, after being in England for a while and travelling around the United Kingdom, I came to the assumption that once you've seen a few castles you've seen them all. Ok, this is till true, but yet this one was slightly different than any others I've seen, making it all worth the trip. Exploring the top of a castle always brings about great views, and this day was cloudy and foggy, and not good picture taking weather on top of a castle. I made the climb anyway, and took some rotten pictures, but as I was walking around, the sun came out, and the clouds parted. For a few brief minutes, the light shone on the still slightly hazy town, and I went back and retook every picture in this incredible new lighting. As I walked along the wall, on top of a hill there shone in this fog three castles on a hill. I never expected to see three crosses on top of a castle in Hungary, and it shocked and delighted me. Even in a tiny Hungarian village, Christ is Lord of all. It was a beautiful sight.
After the castle we went to the library. I wasn't excited about paying to see this little library, but when I entered, again, my jaw dropped. If you know me well, you know that I love the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. If you've humored me and watched this movie, you know when the Beast takes Belle into the library with her eyes closed, pulls back the curtain, and she looks up at walls and walls ofbooks stretching to the ceiling? Well when I walked into the room, there were golden books reaching up higher and higher, and as my gaze followed them, I saw the colorful painted ceiling mimicking the Cistene chapel.
This town is also in the middle of some incredible wine fields. Ifyou weren't aware, Hungarian wine is some of the best in the world. The town of Eger has a valley with wine caves where there are restaurants and wine tastings. I sampled some of the finest wine I've ever tasted.
Over all, the day was fabulous, for the sights and the wine, the meals and the conversations. I was reminded of how amazing it is to be living here, not just travelling and seeing the sights, but actually being a part of this country for a little while. It was pointed out to me that of everyone on the team, I'm supposedly the odd man out. This may be true in the sense that I don't have a best friend on our team, or even anyone I feel compelled to turn to. This doesn't bother me in the least. I have such wonderful best friends at home to email and write and talk to, why do I need new ones? They may not be here with me, but right now I need to be on my own, be independent, and experience the incredible closeness of my Father, and turn to Him for all my needs and venting and strength. There is something absolutely incredible about having none of your usual comforts (winter coat, a real salary, comfort food, that best friend to hug and talk to) and yet having everything. I haven't felt this completely in the center of God's will except on those summers I got away from college and spent as a camp counseler with my inner city kids. The most incredible thing about Messiah college was not the learning and books, oh no, but the high school youth group I helped out with and the kids I ministered with. It was where I felt completely fulfilled because I had purpose. Here I have this purpose and satisfaction, and I'll gladly give up everything to live my life with this perfect peace and contentment and closeness to my Savior. All else is rubbish, as Paul says, and I can understand him more than I ever could before when I did finally throw off all encumbrances and embrace the calling I received from God. Someone at church today in Vác told me I was awfully brave, and I'm tired of people calling me brave. Coming here wasn't "bravery." It was obedience, and I'm not brave, I'm completely blessed.
As for University of Maryland and graduate school, I've been given till the 1st of the year to make my decision, and I intend to use all that time before I make a decision. The goal is to stay where I am until God calls me elsewhere. If that's one year, two, or five, I don't know. I can always reapply if need be, but I will wait and see what the Lord has for me, and continue to adore and love and serve these students of mine as long as I'm called to do it. Speaking of which, I have two of them that want to go on a bike ride or a walk on this lovely Sunday afternoon by the Danube, and that sounds perfectly lovely. I got a few pics of Eger up on webshots. Check those out. I close with some words by Jennifer Knapp.
When I'm weak
I'm broken
I'm poor
Lord but I am Yours

Do you plan to enroll?

Joy Jones is getting pretty testy over there in University of Maryland Enrollment. I deferred my acceptance for a year, and she keeps sending emails to the wrong account, which I finally checked today. Do I plan to enroll for June 2006? Do I plan to enroll? Do I plan to enroll? How can I make that decision right now? I just got to Hungary. Just one year here, then back to Maryland to get my masters in education? They want to know so they can request a possible masters certification cohert, teaching while I study education for a little more dough. Nice thought. Do I plan to enroll? I guess I'll say yes, I mean, that was the plan, one year in Hungary. Will I regret that decision? Things are just getting started here. A year doesn't seem like much, but who knows what can happen in a year? I plan to enroll. Have to keep telling myself that. But maybe I want to stay. I have to decide. I don't want to yet. Too early. What do I do?

Cryptic Thoughts

I hope I don't make anyone too mad, but due to the fact that the Internet broke at school and I have to go to the Internet café in order to get online, and that costs money, and I still haven't gotten a salary, suffice it to say that the story from last time is going to be summed up succintly and unclimactically for all the wait I've put you through. A homeless man walked into English club and in translation, Jackie presented the gospel to him. It should be expected coming from the pastor's wife in the church in Vác, but somehow I was unprepared for this direct approach. He asked for money, she gave him what he really needed, a changed life, but he didn't take the invitation, he took the train ticket offered and left. I brought my one English student to English club, who is Catholic, and I was more worried about her reaction than the homeless man, because she's my one English speaking friend. Let's just say I had a good talk with her, and with Jackie, and with God about what I'm doing here, about ministry, about sitting down with someone and sharing the gospel, and why it frightens me. I'm excited to spread the love of Christ, but what does that mean? For some reason, my mind rebels against calling the gospel a formula, and telling people they're sinners, even though it's obvious we all are and I'm the best of them. I want people to know this love that God gives, and I struggled with this sin and judgement thing. But Jackie and I talked for a long time the next day about why this is important, and I need to spend some time reflecting on this pretty heavy material I've been given, and think more about what I'm doing here besides playing games with students about family and travel and smiling a lot, and hearing them say "Good morning" in English to me in passing. So I passed out the flyers this week for English club. I think a lot of kids will come. This Friday, they'll come to a real English club if no homeless men walk in, and then have a chance to stay for the high school youth group and talk about God. If this happens, what is my part in this? I didn't start English club, but I can bring the students. Easily. It puts more responsibility on me, heavier than being a good teacher. I didn't come here only to be a teacher, or I wouldn't have come with a missions organization. I came to love people, but I think God requires more than that of me. Love is sacrifice, being uncomfortable, risking much to give the best to others and not self. Hmmm...this is over because I'm already uncomfortable for putting this much online and written so poorly and cryptically even to myself, because I can't really think right now.

English Club

I had an incredibly emotional and spiritual weekend, and I feel the need to talk about it here, but I'm not sure I have all the right words at the moment, being that I have 5 minutes before I have to catch my train to Budapest. How can I sum it up quickly and meaningfully? Well, I can't, so bear with me.
My church here in Vác has an English conversation club on Fridays, and the pastor and his wife have asked me to help out with it. Of course I said yes, because first of all, I can finally talk to my students outside of school in real conversations, and secondly, bringing them to church gives them an opportunity to stay after English club for the high school youth group and actually hear about God, which is another thing hard for me to do in school. It seems the perfect way for me to combine teaching and ministry, since the church doesn't have that much connection with high school students, and I see 176 per week.
Anyway, this week I just came to watch, and I only told my American student, Barb, about it and she came with me. There were only two other students there, one of which goes to my school, and while we were sitting and chatting in English, a homeless man comes in begging for money.
And this is where I leave you in suspense, because my time is up and I have to catch a train, but I will write part II tomorrow, so stay tuned for an incredible story.

Medley of Prague

(Songs listened to and from Prague)

And I have to speculate
That God Himself did make us into corresponding shapes
Like puzzle pieces from the clay
And true, it may seem like a stretch
But it’s thoughts like this that catch my troubled head
When you’re away when I am missing you to death

This city’s made us crazy and we must get out
Let’s go away for a while, you and I
To a strange and distant land
Where they speak no word of truth
But we don’t understand anyway
Holiday far away let’s go today
In a heartbeat, heartbeat, heartbeat

And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I’d like to say to you
But I don’t know how

I have run; I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
Only to be with you
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

They will see us waving from such great heights
“Come down now,” they’ll say
But everything looks perfect from far away
“Come down now,” but we’ll stay

How would this be if I was alone tonight?
Maybe then, everything would turn out right

I was in love with the place
In my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
In my mind, in my mind
If I was crying in the van with my friend
It was for freedom from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes

Today was gonna be the day
But they’ll never throw it back to you
By now you should’ve somehow
Realized what you’re not to do
And all the roads that led you there were winding
And all the lights that lead you there are blinding
There are many things that I’d like to say to you
But I don’t know how
Because maybe
You’re gonna be the one that saves me…

You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
You know I believe it
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

You left me on the shelf
And now there’s no one to rely on
But if it’s all the same to you
Here’s what I’m gonna do
This could be the last train…

This city’s made us crazy and we must get out
“This is not goodbye,” she said
“It’s just time for me to rest my head”
There’s only so much I can do for you
After all the things you’ve put me through
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out

Heartbeat, heartbeat
Let’s go today, let’s go away, just let’s go away in a heartbeat

You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our minds set
All things know, all things know
You had to find it
All things go, all things go

For I’m bound to ride that northern railroad
Perhaps I’ll die upon this train
Will I ever see you again?
I’ll see you on the other side

Everything will be alright
For now, Goodbye
Friend, Goodbye

Songs from:
Keane “See You Again,” Will Hoge “It’s a Shame,” Weezer “Holiday,” The Postal Service “Such Great Heights,” Maroon 5 “Must Get Out,” Travis “Last Train,” U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” Oasis “Wonderwall,” The Soggy Bottom Boys “I am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” Seyfun Stephens “All Things Go,” and Dave Matthews Band “Spoon”

Jon, me, Amy, Courtney, Kassidee, Laura, Ben, Zac, Brady, Mike