Well, we're sitting here right now in Budapest airport waiting for our flight. I think it's coming around sooner or later. Most likely in a while. I will have to put up an entry to mention some things about what has transpired while we've been here in CentralishandWestern Europe. Oh, for those wondering about my stomach problems and my ankle, i'm not entirely better, but I have definitely improved. Whee! lol, signs around Europe are crazy. If you're looking for an important road, there are often signs two or three streets before that for any of us looking for directions, we end up on entirely the wrong roads. We even got lost trying to find the airport... not for long mind you... And we arrived to find the airport basically empty...and once it filled to the brim we found out that our flight was 'lost' as well. Cancelled. However, we are on the 9:30 flight and this set back doesn't interfere with our connecting flight back to Canada... that's a huge... HUGE... blessing.
It's been a hard few weeks... Good few weeks... Hmm... here are some simple highlights.
The first few days we were at Pista's (Peeshta) we were able to help with some of their haying stuff out in the fields. That was sweet. They had a horse and cart... and horse flies LITERALLY an inch and a half long. A fleet of those could carry off a horse. On that note, i also that day saw the biggest flying bug I ever saw. It was longer than 2 inches and the hugarians described it to be as the 'Oh, the one that sounds like a helicopter?'.....it was big.
And I clubbed it with my hat... Never the less, it picked itself back up and flew away. I could still see it a hundred feet away.
Did I mention it was a big bug?
Ok, so getting away from the bug thing, we had the opportunity to go to some orphanages and churches and youth groups. It was fun. The kids loved the silly songs ... though the teens did too... And they loved balloons and music... It was really cool to hang out with these kids.
In Romania we went to the farthest Hungarian speaking villages. They had never even seen an evangelical Christian before. As such, in the one village especially we had a particularly unfriendly welcome... They wanted us to keep off their grass too... That's when Pista turn to us very confused...'What for is the grass but to stand on?!' It was pretty funny. Sorry if the humor is too removed from this situation. I suppose you'd have to hear him say it. Grand I tell you.
Anyways, about this lady with the unfriendly welcome. When we finally brought over some kids, we got down to business. We did games and balloons and ate chocolate... sang some songs. And suddenly our host lady changed. She stopped frowning and started to be excited and supportive of what we were doing. We weren't able to share the gospel there at that time, but we were able to build valuable bridges for the next time Evangelical Christians come to visit. I don't think they've ever met a foreigner... most of them anyways.
I know Jesus will visit them again.
A last quick note...
One night we needed to sleep outside on our trip around South Central Europe. As such we were looking for a building a bit out of the way with some roof in case it rained. We stayed that night in a ruined 150 year old ish Jewish Synagogue. The entrance was covered in Anti-Jewish/Christian slogans, sybmols etc. I have the distinct feeling that whoever did it though was pretty out of it. On one wall they had tried to spraypaint 666, but it ended up 665. Sad.
Point of all this?
We reclaimed it for Christ. Karina and some of the others prayed that night that Jesus would protect us there again where for many years had been worship of the same God that we worship. Then in the morning... (after a GOOD sleep I might add) Myself, Jeremy and Beth picked up some chalky stones and rid the Synagogue of the terrible graffiti.
Truth being rediscovered... Being reclaimed... It was a beautiful thing to see Jesus' name on that wall instead of Satan's.
This whole trip we have seen God at work. There has not been a day when we needed Him (even knowingly) helping us some way some how to get through the day... or find something... or to open our eyes to something that has always been there but that we just haven't been able to perceive.
To see God actively involved beyond anything I can or could ever do on my own was amazing. Awe Full.
Looking forward to hearing from you all... If you have questions, please write, and I'll try to answer as best I can.
Please pray for Pitti (Petey) and Pista as they're still travelling and Pitti's back really bothers him from time to time.
I'm almost home everyone! I hope to see many of you soon.
Oh... and Please, pray for my Dad's family...especially my Grandma. My Grandpa Witherow passed away the same day I became an Uncle. And if Grandma is reading this, I love you very much, and it's going to be terrible landing in Toronto and not being able to see you again yet. I love you and Grandpa, and I'm praying for you. Jesus will be with you as surely as he has been here to protect me on this trip...
*And despite all this driving (over 4000kms...I'll find out for sure how many later), I STILL haven't had any back trouble... despite other sickness... lack of sleep... sitting too long... sleeping sitting... tenting climbing and walking...
Man is He faithful or what?!
He's worth trusting. :)
