Peace, "Public", and Fireworks

August 20 is a National Holiday here! Saint Istvan (see the link here to learn more about Saint Stephen) was the first king of Hungary around 1000 AD. He also made this a "Christian" nation. I felt like celebrating because the high was only 71 degrees!!! After this last heat wave (second one I've had here), the cool, breezy temps brought welcome relief!

I also worshiped at Danube International Church on Sunday (with the Jantz family leading worship). It was a blessing beyond what I could have imagined! I had such a hard week last week - exhausted, hot, overwhelmed, and (sadly) very fearful of the unknown. I was able to spend some time Saturday resting and allowing myself to breathe after all the work I'd been doing at school. Sunday, every single song had to do with peace and resting in the Lord.  

Ok, Lord, I hear you...

Several verses that the Lord kept bringing to my attention are:

Pslam 91:1-2 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust."
Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Psalm 46:5 "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early."
Psalm 46:10  "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Do you see the major trend?
I was so thankful that I was able to take some time Saturday to be still, and rest. I needed it. We are encouraged to make sure we are taking care of ourselves to keep us from burning out. That is key - spending time alone, and resting, basking in the presence of the Lord!
I was incredibly blessed by one song we sang. This is Kari Jobe's version, which I love, and I strongly encourage you to listen to it! [click here to listen]

That evening, me and three others (two veteran teachers and one other newbie) went downtown for the festivities. This was my first time navigating "public" and I was terrified...but survived (that is what they call public transportation)! Buses and metros, Hungarian and coins, tickets and passes, oh my! So thankful for the two wonderful ladies that guided us patiently through the process.

Below are some of my [many many many] pictures from the evening. 

 

St. Steven's Basillica

 The beginning of the parade for the Holy Right Hand (see the article at the top of the post about St. Steven)

 

This. This right here is how close I got to the Holy Right Hand. So amazing. (Not pictured: all the "secret service guys" who were flanking the hand and were checking everybody out like crazy)

 

 "Pot-bellyed man" statue

Rose Gelato - mine was nutella and strawberry!

 

Erzsebet Bridge (the "newest" bridge over the Danube) - we stood in the middle watching the fireworks

 Standing on the Erzsebet Bridge (means "Elizabeth" in Hungarian)

 Our {stunning} view for the evening - this is the Chain Bridge. The fireworks were set up on it and on the next bridge, and also on barges in between those two bridges.

 I still can't believe this was real!!!! (Buda Castle on the left and Parliament on the Right)

Sigh...it was so magical I can't even describe it. The above picture is the Buda Castle.

And then the real magic began!!!!

 Be. Still. My. Heart.

I can hardly believe these were real!!

I forced myself to only choose six to post, and it was soooooo hard!!!

It was such a blessing to be able to witness this, and to hear "The Blue Danube" played over a loudspeaker while standing over the Danube watching fireworks in Budapest!! I still have a hard time believing that this is my life. 

I am aware, however, that my life will not always be as fantastic and fun and memorable. There will be hard times. Thank you for your continued prayers! I am continuing to work in my classroom and it is coming together! I am hoping to be able to post some pictures by the end of this week!

We begin school next Wednesday!!! I will be keeping you posted on that front!

First official tourist outing

The Lord blessed me with a precious friendship with the Jantz family four years ago in Montgomery, AL. We began attending the same church within a few weeks of each other, connected at a Labor Day church potluck, realized we had mutual friends, and have kept up ever since. They moved to Europe (I thought it was going to be to Brussels...so did they, actually) a few years ago.
Last summer, I was able to have coffee with the director of ICSB and his wife while they were visiting friends in Montgomery. We sat in Cafe Louisa's in Old Cloverdale and talked for over an hour. As we finished, David said, "You know, about this time last year, we sat in this same coffee shop at this same table talking with the Jantz's." My mouth dropped open. "How do you know the Jantz's?!" I exclaimed. He asked me the same thing! Instead of Brussels, their job had shifted and they were sent to Budapest. I was so excited to know that I would not only know the director and his wife once I arrived, but also this wonderful family!
Becky had been messaging me and encouraging me over the last few weeks in the US, and had mentioned wanting to take me to dinner once I arrived. We coordinated and settled on Saturday night, Aug. 12.
I didn't realize how exhausting that day would be when we planned it (physically and emotionally), but what a blessing it was to spend the evening touring Budapest and catching up with Becky and her daughter, Deborah.
Let me just tell you about the magic of this city! The history, architecture, stories, and views are stunning and completely fascinating! I don't remember all the facts and names, but I will share some of the pictures I took from that evening.

 

21 Hungarian Kitchen in the Castle District is where we ate dinner

 Started the meal off with malna lemonade (mahl-na lee-moh-nah-deh) - which was tart and refreshing. Then I had the chicken paprikash, which is one of the most traditional and famous meals here! It was also delicious! We finished off the meal with a cappuccino and excellent conversation!

I've been enchanted with this building since I saw pictures of it while researching Budapest. This is the Parliament building on the banks of the Danube River! It is absolutely as breathtaking in real life!

There are too many things to say to describe it all, but I'll just leave these pictures here.

The gorgeous Parliament building on the banks of the Danube!!!!!