Friday Evening

After the Open Air museum, Agi, Ava and I got dropped off at the same restaurant that Agi, Zsuzsi and I ate at yesterday.

I needed some good food and I couldn't guarntee getting that at the base as it is usally Pork. It was lovely getting nice food again and I was just praying that it would stay down unlike yesterday - but thankfully it did.

Once we had finished, we went to collect Agi's car from her parents and then drove back to Nyritelek.

We drove back via churches and Agi made us stop at them all and take pictures of them - it was quite a mad night - and I was the one who had to get out and take the photos!

Even More Open Air Museum Pictures

Two Cute Girls


Misi playing the flute

Agi trying to teach Adam to play the flute

Vivien, Ava, David and Jaimey

Agi making a tuneful noise!

An old schoolroom

Everyone

Its Agi and Jo - oh no cover your ears!

More Open Air Museum Photos

Here are some more photos of the afternoon at the Open Air Museum.

Arpi and Ava


Agi, Pinoki, Steve, Ying Hwie, Ava and Arpi

Steve, Ava, Tim and Me

Agi and Arpi

David and Vivien

Inside one of the old houses

Inside another house

Jo and Arpi

Agi

An old Cemetry

Open Air Museum

Most of the team went to Gorgonzallas, but as I was feeling ill last night I stayed at home and rested so did not go again.

I wanted to go out in the afternoon, so I just spent the morning resting in order to gain strength to go out.

So in the afternoon we went to the Open Air museum. I was struggling whilst I was there but am glad I went. It was good to be with the team again and spend time with the gypsies.

However, when we there we kind of split into two groups, but not deliberately - most of the team went together and we were joined by Arpi, David and Vivien, three of the gypsy children. They are so sweet, especially Arpi. It was nice spending time witn those three, they are nice and I forgot they were gypsies or hungarians -and it felt like I had known them a long time.


Anna Marie, Eva, Jamiey and Ava


The Very Cute Arpi

Arpi, Pinoki and Uri

Arpi

Sicky bad no well

When we came back we had team devotions but for me this was cut short as I felt really ill, and it came to the point where I had to leave the room in order to be sick. I then took to my bed, however I was shiverng and felt so hot and miserable that I could not sleep. And as Agi heard a lot that afternoon/evening... 'I really was not well'!

I felt bad, because Agi had taken me for a nice meal and then I come back and throw it up, but I think that no matter what I eaten I would have been ill anyway, because I had definately caught a bug of some sorts.

I read my bible and was reading Job Chapters 13 & 14. And 13 vs 5 says, that it is right to know when to be silent, but I think God was telling me here, that you need to know when to rest.

For me the day was full of challenges, frustration, pain, illness, anger but also due to things that went on through chatting to Agi, it was also mixed with revelations, tears of relief, joy, happiness, awe and wonder at how the Lord works in us.

What a lovely lunch....

I was still not feeling strong today so I stayed at home instead of going to the Gypsy camp. I was really really frustrated and angry for not being able to go. But in the end I am thankful I did not go, as I started to feel bit worse during the morning.

Agi and Ava both stayed at home as well, so I wasn't alone. Then the rest of the team came home and had lunch, but Agi and I did not stay as we went to collect Zsuzsi from the train station as she had been at home for National Day with her family.

On the way back we stopped at a nice restaurant for lunch. This was so I could eat some food which was not Pork. I have not eaten very well the past week due to this, but have lost some weight which is always a good thing!

It was a lovely meal. I had steak, chips and grilled vegetables. Agi ordered a side of grilled fruit, which despite my reservations about it was actually very delicious.

I was in heaven whilst eating this. I was so happy having lovely food with great company, and even though I was full from the main course, I decided to have desert as well.

The desert was pancakes with apple and cinnamon covered in a caramel sauce. It was gorgeous.

All Souls Performers

We then went on stage and sang our songs, then Pinoki, Jamiey and Nemiah performed the sin drama. Then Tim, Dave and Steve did a drama presentation based on 'Two ways to live'.

I was starting to lose energy again so I came home with Agi and Ava and went to bed. The Lord was definately working in me today. Although my Wet Foot experience isn't as full as I want it with the team, my individual Wet Foot experience is about growing in God. He is using my weaknesses to make me listen to Him and become stronger and grow in Him.

Blessing of the Bread

There was a blessing of the bread ceremony, this was the first loaf of bread that was made from the first wheat of the harvest. I did not really understand everything that was going on as it was all in Hungarian, but it was a very interesting experience.

Evening Celebrations

At 4pm we left the church to go to the evening celebrations which were happening in the grounds of our base.

Even though I was struggling I decided to go. I am glad I went as it was a good experience of the Hungaria culture.

There were women in traditonal dresses, and cooking traditional food. Most of the food was pork but there was a venison dish which I ate and it was gorgeous.

Nick, Ying Hwei, Nemiah, Steve, Jamiey and Pinoki all went on a food tasting mission, they ate every dish and rated it, it was all part of a competition. I think they had fun testing all the food.

More practising

In the evening there was to be a whole town celebration, and we were to sing and do a drama here as well. So we went down to the church basement to practice our songs for this. Again we were singing 'God is so Good' and we also learnt a new one called 'Day of Jubilee'

Again, I was moved to tears. The Day of Jubilee's lyrics were so moving, they are:
"This is the day of Jubilee, the day of jubilee for those in Jesus Christ, the day I am free, this is the day of Jubilee"

I am free in God. How I know this but still need to hear it again and again. Hopefully not it will sink in,

After this I lost energy and had to go and have a rest in Misi and Anna's house.

Lunch time

After we sang, the church youth group got up to sing. During this time a little boy came and sat with us, and sat on Ruth's knee and then my knee.



Lunch time arrived, and it was Ghoulash, I was looking forward to trying this national Hungarian dish, but unfortunately this time I couldn't as it was made with Pork. However, I did not go hungry as Anna made me some chicken noodle soup. She is so considerate and loving.

National Hungarian Day

Wednesday was National Hungarian Day - St Stephen's Day, so there were no official children's programmes for us to run. Instead we were invited to take part in the church activities.

The church had a service which started at 10am, so the team went down to join them but because I was still not feeling so good, I stayed at home to rest. But Agi and I did join them at 11am.

The team were in the basement of the church practising the drama and singing. We were going to do a drama (Bench Drama), sing two songs and Tim was going to give his testimony in front of the church.

The songs we were singing were 'God is so Good' and 'Soon very Soon'. When we were practising these songs, the tears were running down my face. We sang 'God is so Good' in English, and Jamiey and Pinoki sang a verse in Korean, Ying Hwei in Malay and Ava in Chinese - this was very moving. Our team are one in body yet we come from 9 different countries, this is so amazing.

The other song was 'Soon very Soon'. the lyrics are....
"Soon and very soon we are going to see the King, no more crying here, we are going to see the King, no more pain here, we are going to see the King.'

Wow, how true, we are going to see the King. All the pain, frustration and tears will be no more. God will bring rest. However, he can also bring rest now on earth if we give all our pain, frustration and tears to him now. The Holy Spirit was definately with me during this practice session.

I could feel God's love come down on me and I was wondering if there were tears whilst we were practising, would I be able to sing the songs in front of the church without crying!

We went out to our 'performance' - the gathering was held outside because it was hot and also because there were lots of people there. Nick introduced us first of all, saying who we were and were we came from - All Souls, London but also that we came from many dfferent parts of the world.

We then sang our songs, again the Holy Spirit seemed to be there, woking inside me, and the tears were there. We are going to see the King, no more pain and no more crying. Through the Lord, peace will come.



Pinoki, Nick, Tim, Dave and Ava then performed the Bench drama. Pinoki is so great at drama, a complete natural. No wonder she is a drama therapist.

The Bench drama speaks about someone who is lonely and looking for a friend and someone to share her life with. Along comes a painter, a reader and a jogger - the all show a little interest in her, but finally leave without accepting her offer of friendship. She is lonely and dejected every time. At the end she is depressed and when someone comes alog who want to get to know her, she rejects their offer. But as they persist and she sees that they meat it, she accepts their friendship and walk away together, very happy.

God wants friendship with us. He will pursue until we accept. Fulfilment in life is through our relationship with Him and no one else.

Tim then gave his testimony which focused on the ministry he does with the homeless through All Souls Local Action Network (ASLAN). It was amazing, very profound and challenging. We are called to help those in need, but we do not have to do it alone as God will always be with us helping us.