I have a niece!

Click the title of this post to see pictures of my new niece, Lorien Adele! I just realized this, but we have the same initials for first and middle name. Awwww! I am thrilled for Sarah and Charlie and Joshua, and for myself, too =). I can't wait to meet her!

(if it doesn't work to click on the title, go to the link in the right margine titled "My Lil' Sister's Blog")

Sweet People!

This is Gábor, our landlord, and his family, the people talked about in the last post. From left to right, Kriszti who works with us at ICSB, her husband Gábor (the III), Gábor the II and Elszö his wife, Dora with Lýdiá and her husband Belász. Dora and Gábor the III are twins. They all are just the sweetest people! We have experienced the goodness of the Lord through these people in so many ways.

Boldog anyák napját!

Happy Hungarian Mother's Day!

I didn't find this out until halfway through the day, but today is Mother's Day here in Hungary. (Interestingly, they don't have Father's Day at all here). We were invited by our landlords to join them for church and a meal afterwards. Our landlords are the sweetest people, and they are really more like family than people we do business with. Their daughter-in-law, Kriszti, works as an OT at my school, and she is the one that told us about this place. She and her husband, Gábor, are fluent in English. Gábor's twin sister Dorá, who just had a baby, and her husband Belász, are also fluent in English. So the 9 of us congregated at the Baptist church down the street where they attend, and then after the service we all went to our landlord's house for a meal. This was no ordinary meal by my standards, but apparently this happens every Sunday for them. Here's how it went:

appetizer: "pig cheese" on bread with a slice of pepper. Okay, so pig cheese is only cheese in the way it looks encased. It is actually all the leftover parts of the pig, including the tail, ears, nose, and whatever else is not used for the oh-so-many things you can make from a pig. I seriously had to make myself think about anything BUT what I was chewing on. But now I know what pig cheese tastes like... not bad tasting, but I will never again eat it, know what it is!

1st course: chicken vegetable soup. So tasty and healthy
2nd course: beef stew on speatzle (dumpling noodles). Also very tasty. cucumber salad on the side.
3rd course: pork loin stuffed with kilbasa (sausage) with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies
4th course: homemade chocolate cream torte and coffee

They almost had to roll us out of there. It was all so good! The Hungarian kitchen is quite gourmet and complex, at least at Elszö's. I love these people. More than anything it was just so fun to sit around and talk, having the young couples be the buffer between Gábor and Elszi's lack of English and my roommates and my lack of Hungarian. We all had a great time, and nobody really wanted to leave 4 hours later. I am so blessed. God and His people are so good!


On a different note, I have lots to catch up on, I know! Be patient. This is crazy time at the end of the school year with every weekend holding some sort of event or obligation, so my time is being drained even faster than usual. Nonetheless, I have neglected this blog unnecessarily, and I intend to get caught up soon! So stay tuned. Coming up: Orphanage Trip, Travels, and more!

best of times, worst of times

I ran my first race in Budapest today! It was a 12k (7.2 mi), and I ran it in 1:04. I haven't been very consistent in my training, especially after being sick all winter and having to contend with weather up until now. So, when I clocked 8.8 minute miles for 7.2 miles, I was very pleased. I was so nervous beforehand, especially since I can't really communicate with people here still, or not very well, anyway, and before the race I had no idea where anything was or how they had things set up. But I made it to Margit Island, the site of the start and finish, with plenty of time to spare, so I just wandered around and figured everything out before hand. The race itself was hard but therefore so good. We ran all through the city, so there was plenty to see along the way. A TON of people were out and about, as it was a gorgeous, sunny day, just a little cool, perfect for exercising. Many people were present for the races, (well over 1,000 people participated in the 12k), but so many people were just out to enjoy the parks on Margit. I ran by some guys fully suited out in American football gear, shoulder pads, helmets and all, running plays. I don't know how necessary the gear was, as there were only 6 of them...they weren't playing against each other, no tackling going on... But everyone and there dog was out to take in the sun. I loved it. And I ran across some little old ladies selling tulips on the way back to my car, so I brought home a bouquet of red and yellow for our dining room table. Just a perfect Sunday afternoon!...

...until I started doing my taxes. Granted, the deadline is almost upon us, but don't think that I haven't done anything up until this time. I have tried to work on them, but constantly run up against a wall, if not 6. I tried again today, and I want to throw something through a window I'm so frustrated. How in the world are you supposed to file when: you live in a foreign country for most of the year, but less than 330 days, but your income is from a US source, but you're not employed by an organization, but you are not self-employed either? Furthermore, you need to file a Wisconsin return, but you're a nonresident who worked in Illinois, and your permanent address is now in Kansas? It's so complicated that the spiffy software put out by the spiffy online tax filing services can't even handle it. They are making me print something out and mailing it in... The day started off great, and will end on a very bad, low note. I hate taxes.

crazy kids

In Biology class we are studying plants. I was trying to come up with a good review assignment that would tie in all the various vocab words that they are learning regarding structure and types of plants. The night before I had NO idea what to do, but as I was falling asleep I had a brilliant idea pop into my head, which I carried out the next day in classes. I had my students make up a plant. I told them to imagine they were in an unexplored area of the rain forest and came across this crazy plant. They had to draw it, name it using binomial nomenclature, label it using all our vocabulary words, and then describe the plant using the vocabulary words as well. I wish I could scan some of these in, but as I can't I will just tell you a few of them, as they are hilarious.

Mason, and avid basketball follower, "discovered" Lebronus jamius, an angiosperm with red and gold flowers in the shape of a '23'.

Robert discovered Flyus swattus, a flowering plant that looks like a fly swatter and catches flies. It is a carniverous plant.

and my personal favorite...the iPodus, discovered by Tina. It is also a flowering plant in the shape of, you guessed it, an iPod. It's outstanding feature is that it actually plays music! to attract bugs.

Okay, so it was somewhat of a silly assignment, but these kids are just so funny. And I was sick of grading multiple choice worksheets...

Magyarul

So I'm taking Hungarian lessons, and we had a lesson on telling time today. I'm thankful for my Czech experience for many reasons, but I was especially thankful this evening when instead of saying "it's 10:30" we had to say, "It's half of the 11th hour". That's how we say it in Czech. I caught on quickly to that much and was ahead of the class because of it. That was easy. But in addition to saying things backwards (because of course, that is obviously the backwards way of saying it), Hungarians will tell time in reference to the quarter hour, regardless of what time it is. If it's 5:12, they will say "in 3 minutes it will be 1/4 of the 6th hour". If it's 9:52 they will say, "it's 7 minutes past 3/4 of the 10th hour"... Isn't that crazy? It's so complicated and uneconomical. Your brain has to work HARD just in order to know what time it is. My brain is working hard just in order to remember what I'm supposed to be doing right now...

It's not bad. It's just different.

It was a good day

(the title is for Paula)

I say it was a good day, even though nothing great happened. I was just dreading it, but everything proved to be just fine, actually good. I taught my classes, which I still feel so underprepared for on a constant basis (proves to be very draining), but they were fine. Then I judged the middle school science fair projects for 3 hours, which I was originally dreading but found myself really enjoying. Then I went on a walk with Izabella in our beautiful 60 degree weather we're having right now, carrying on a heart-to-heart conversation that I found really encouraging. And the day was topped off with breakfast for dinner with the Welshes. I am surrounded by such sweet, godly, amazing people. God is so GOOD! And I am more and more aware of my need for Him every hour.

Why doesn't the media report on good things happening around the world?

I have many reason why I resent the media. I don't have time to thoughtfully articulate them all here, but I have stumbled accross a link that epitomizes their bias and agenda. There ARE good things going on in the world. Even by G. W. Bush. It would be a nice change to hear about them. What the media withholds is as influential as the bent with which they do "report". While this isn't a full story, it makes a good point. Scroll down and read the comments, too. I found the comment by David Newton especially insightful. Click on the title of this entry to go to the article.

The Great Pumpkin Cookies

So my absolute favorite cookie out there is the chocolate chip pumpkin cookie. Growing up, my mother would traditionally make Choco-dot pumpkin cake for my birthday, seasonally appropriate for November. I still love that cake! The combination of pumpkin and chocolate is just amazing. Well, I stumbled upon a pumpkin cookie recipe about 4 years ago and I knew we were bound to become very close friends. I changed it around a bit (not something I always try to do to my friends...) so that it was healthier. The amount of butter and sugar in the original is way more than necessary, and you don't even miss it in the final product. Pumpkin itself is sweet and bakes into something soft and chewy and delectable. BUT, I had to incorporate CHOCOLATE. The original recipe with just the icing is also very good, but you can't get any better than the heavenly combination of pumpkin and chocolate. You cannot go wrong with these cookies; everyone loves them. And so I give you my recipe. While there is no truly healthy cookie out there, this is certainly a much healthier alternative to regular chocolate chip cookies, providing lower calories and more vital nutrients than their predecessor. Indulge below:

Lisa's Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup dark brown sugar

¼ - ½ cup butter

15oz canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tbsp. grated orange peel

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. or more =) dark chocolate chips

Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, egg and orange peel and mix together. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix. Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Iced version, also very delicious:

Ice with frosting after they are cool. (If adding chocolate, don’t ice at all)

Frosting

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1-2 T milk

Heat margarine in med heat until light brown. Add other ingredients until smooth consistancy.

Dependence is a good thing!

I have been greatly encouraged recently through the following passage by C.H. McIntosh:

"Now nothing can be more fully blessed than the position of hanging in childlike dependence upon God, and being entirely content to wait for His time. True it will involve trial; but the renewed mind learns some of its deepest lessons, and enjoys some of its sweetest experiences, while waiting on the Lord; and the more pressing the temptation to take ourselves out ofHis hands, the richer will be the blessing of leaving ourselves whollydependent upon One who finds infinite joy in blessing us.

"How little Jacob knew, in the opening of his history, of this blessed mind!How little was he prepared to wait for God's time and God's way! ---he much preferred Jacob's time and Jacob's way He thought it much better to arrive at the blessing and the inheritance by all sorts of cunning and deception than by simple dependence upon and subjection to God, whose electing grace had promised, and whose almighty power and wisdom would assuredly accomplish all for him.

"But oh, how well one knows the opposition of the human heart to all this! Any attitude for it save that of patient waiting upon God. It is almost enough to drive nature to distraction to find itself bereft of all resources but God. This tells us in language not to be misunderstood, the true character of human nature. In order to know what nature is, I need not to travel into those scenes of vice and crime which justly shock all refined moral sense. No; all that is needful is just to try for a moment in the place of dependence, and see how it will carry itself there. It really knows nothing of God, and therefore cannot trust Him; and herein lies the secret of all misery and moral degeneration. It is truly ignorant of the true God,and can therefore be naught else but a ruined and worthless thing. The knowledge of God is the source of life---yea is itself life; and until a man has life, what is he? or what can he be?

"This is a true picture, so far as Jacob was concerned; but it only gives us one side, and that the gloomy side. Blessed be God, there is a bright side likewise, for God had to do with Jacob; and in every scene of his life, when Jacob was called to reap the fruits of his own plotting and crookedness, theGod of Jacob brought good out of evil, and caused His grace to abound over all the sin and folly of His poor servant.

"When Jacob had made all his prudent arrangements, we read, "And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." This is a turning point in the history of this very remarkable man. To be left alone with God is the only true way of arriving at a just knowledge of ourselves and our ways. We can never get a true estimate of nature and all its actings until we have weighed them in the balance of the sanctuary, and there we ascertain their real worth. No matter what we might think of ourselves, nor yet what man may think about us; the great question is, What does God think about us? and the answer to this question can only be heard when we are "left alone with God."

"Hence, though Jacob is called to tell out his name,--to own that his nameis "Jacob," or a supplanter, he received for himself the name of "Israel,"or "prince," which was a great step in advance."

And I serve the same God Jacob served!

Christmas 2007

The entire family met in Lawrence, KS, for Christmas 2007. Words cannot describe how special a time it was to have everybody there. So fun. The snowstorm of the decade blew through early on, and so we had lots of cold and snow to make for a true Christmas.

Here we are, in all our glory and splendor! and Mom and Dad are matching again...they're so cheesy like that! =) They actually didn't plan that at all. They're just basically two versions of the same person. That's how solid they are.

Most of the festivities took place at Sarah and Charlie's house.

Stacy and Noah wait patiently for their turn to open presents =()

Pyro Pete promptly palliated the penetrating cold by building a fire.

This kid loves books. Cars and trucks were semi-entertaining, but looking at books (or playing chase) was far more fascinating for the Joshers.

See what I mean?
Babi and Dedo relishing the duties of grandparenting.

Here we are getting ready for some serious sledding. Erik is especially intent.

Brian and Jake making the climb after a run

21st century Dorothy

In many ways I can relate to Dorothy of the acclaimed story Wizard of Oz. A week ago I just wanted to go home, and 4 days ago I tapped my heels 3 times and said, " there's no place like home", and then 2 days ago I woke up in Kansas. But really, truly I can't relate. Kansas is not my home. And in all honesty I don't know where to call home. That's been the case my entire life, but it's just so interesting how it has persisted until now, with my parents moving from Kenosha to Lawrence. They are the only home I really know. There is a lot of significance to a "place" that is called home. The memories, the scenery, the smells, the sounds, the people, the familiar roads and buildings all contribute to our sense of belonging and security. And in that regard I am priviliged to be able to call so many places around the world "home". But the home that I refer to anymore when I say "I just want to go home" simply means being with my family and relaxing in the security of their presence. I am just a little girl who needs to be taken care of, and my family knows how to beautifully. The comfort and security I find in them is the best safe harbor in the world. I think Dorothy would agree with me on that.

Transportation trivialities

How about the time when...

...our gas tank leaked our full tank, $70 worth of gas, on the side of the road, and we didn't get it fixed for a week? And then when it was fixed, it only stayed that way for a day before it broke down again? And how after 3 days it's still sitting out front waiting for the car shop guys to come pick it up?

...or how about when we were sprinting through the puddles to catch the bus that was five minutes early, only to see him pull away without us? And then immediately out of NOWHERE there appears another Volanbusz, who's driver had witnessed our plight and graciously gave us a private ride into Diosd?

...or how about the time when I was dreading the 2o minute walk back to the house only to have Gabor and Kriszti coincidently stop and give me a ride home?

It's snowing!

It started off like just another ordinary Sunday here in Budapest. We made the rounds picking people up to go to church and cruised into the city. It was a cold day, but not especially cold. Sara walked the few blocks from our less-than-stellar parking spot without her coat on. It still wasn't winter. Church was refreshing and encouraging as usual. After it was over, we walked out into the foyer, and Paula exclaims, "It's snowing!!". Boy were we all surprised to turn and see that her statement was true indeed. "Golly gee, Paula!" cried Sara, "you're right! How splendid!" "Let's go snowboarding today!"I said emphatically. "Patience now, dear Lisa" the more sedate and sensical Minkee admonished. "This is just the first snowfall. Let's give it some time to accumulate." "You're right, Minkee" I conceded. "I am just so happy that we actually have snow". "Me too", agreed Paula, with a sigh. " We hardly had any snow last year. In fact, it snowed TWO times. That's it. Neither time did it last more than two days." Sara turned around and with a thoughtful look on her face said to us, "fantastic, isn't it? to enter church in the Fall, and exit into Winter".

...Okay, okay, enough. Sorry about the cheese. I was just having a bit of fun. But it has been snowing now for 2 hours straight, and this is just thrilling my soul. It's beautiful.

Your trivia for the day

We are experiencing beautiful fall weather here currently. I was out for a walk today, enjoying a little reprieve from a very busy and stressful day. Walking has become my solace, my means of de-stressing. So I was happily soaking it all in, the smell of smoke, the feeling of the crisp fall air on my face, the vibrant colors in the trees and the sunlight streaming through...it was so blissful and romantic. And then a bug flew up my nose.

Did you know.....
That tomato and paradise are the same word in Hungarian? I'm not sure which was assigned the word first...I need help seeing the connection. I love tomatoes, but there are better things to eat, like chocolate. That would make more sense if paradise and chocolate were the same word. But even then, I have bigger expectations of paradise than what I get out of a bite of chocolate.

Little Norbi Jr.

Here are some long-awaited pictures of Esther and her new baby, Norbi Jr.

Sarah, she LOVES the carry pack that you sent her.

I had a chance to visit her about a month ago, when these were taken. I wish she lived closer. But I hope to go visit her again soon!

Please Pray for Esther

Please pray for Esther and her new little family, as they are all sick. I just got off the phone with her, and she was at the hospital, where they are keeping little Norbi for a couple days. He apparently has a lot of fluid in his lungs. Esther was trying to sleep in a chair, all that they could do for her without charging her more for a bed. Her husband is also sick, but still going in to work. They are just off to a REALLY rough, tight start, and Esther is under a lot of stress. Stress never helps healing, and when mommy is stressed, it effects baby and husband, too. I know Norbi, Sr. is under a lot of stress, trying to provide for everyone, but he's having a hard time finding consistent, reliable work. Esther is such a strong person, but she broke down briefly when on the phone with me, so I know she's feeling the pressures of life in a big way. Please pray for them!

Did you know the Chicken dance is a volleyball practice cool-down?

I just remembered something from today that was so funny it made me laugh as I was in bed and falling asleep. I decided it was worth getting up and documenting. At the end of volleyball practice today, we coaches were trying to figure out who should be our captains, based on team member vote and our own insight. We made the girls laps while we had our little pow-wow. Usually I have them do different drills like high knees and grapevine and shuffles, but we just told Liz, a junior, to lead them in whatever she wanted to do. We were anticipating she would follow my example... She starts them off just jogging the first few laps, but as we're standing there in a serious discussion, all of the sudden we notice the girls not running by, but walking by, and doing the chicken dance! We just laughed, shook our heads, and went on with our deliberations. Next time around, the girls are now doing the Skooby-Doo/Shaggy walk, with their heads way forward and their hips way forward. They looked hilarious, all in a row like that. Leave them to their own volition and this is what they choose to do. I couldn't help cracking up at them. I love the freedom that they embody. Sigh. So funny. And good night.

tired but happy

I come home spent every day, after volleyball practice and grading papers and unit planning and everything else. I'm so tired. But I LOVE what I do here. I love teaching for so many reasons, but the biggest one is the opportunity to invest in these kids lives. I love these kids! I love my job.

Ratatouilli (the real stuff)

As I sit at my desk in my classroom at 7pm after a long day of classes and volleyball practice, I am thankful for ratatouille (the food, not the movie). It's so delicious and so nutritious. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it's a combination of any number of vegetables cooked down on the stove top and lightly seasoned. The main ingredients are tomatoes, zuchini, onions, and I really like mine with eggplant and summer squash. Some olive oil and garlic start it all off, and then there really is nothing more to add, because the flavors of the vegetables take it from there, and it's SO good. I really should say I'm thankful for Beth Weaver, one of the missionary ladies here who makes this ratatouille that is my dinner. She has an appreciation for nutrition like I do and in addition to ratatouille makes peanut butter (a very expensive commodity here) from just peanuts, salsa (also rare and expensive here), and sells these items at the school. I have her to thank for providing some nutrition to my hurried days.