Meeting New Friends and Neighbours

New Friends and Neighbours

As we look back over the past few weeks , we realize that our lives have been greatly enriched by a number of new and very satisfying relationships with folks here in Hungary. We'd like you to meet some of these new friends now.....

Tuesday, October 30th

Tuesday, October 30th and time to blog again!

Seems each time I attempt another blog there are new challenges to face and new things to learn! Thankfully we still have O.J. at home sending along helpful advice. And some things he has even been able to correct from home, so we are thankful for his continued help in so many ways. He has been reporting that winter is settling in there. The garden is now mostly harvested but the scarlet runners are still blooming!

Here in Hungary the days are finally beginning to grow colder too. And yesterday we awoke to a fresh dusting of snow on the rooftops! So it seems our lovely Indian summer is finally behind us here in western Hungary.

As we continue on this amazing journey each day seems filled with new opportunities to learn patience as well as to reach out to others around us. Gradually we are getting to know our neighbours and that is a very good feeling. Let me introduce you to Gizi, a little lady that I met our very first morning, here in Tapolca. Then it was September 10th and very warm. As I peered out our kitchen window early on that first day, there was Gizi out in her zinnia garden. So grabbing our camera , I dashed across the street to meet and greet my neighbour. If she loved flowers she had to be nice! Once at Gizi's gate I tried to explain that we had just come from Canada and would be here for three months.....but alas, I think all she really understood was that my name was Lynn (this I wrote out for her and had her do the same for me). She also added that her husband's name was William. It was obvious she was very fond of William.

Gizi in her zinnia garden-- Sept. 10th

Visiting Gizi and William at their apartment last week......

 Some seven weeks later I know that William is 80 years old and used to be the head postmaster here in Tapolca while Gizi worked as a midwife at the local hospital. Now they are both retired and seem very happy together after 56 years of marriage!

I'm so thankful for this good visit last Friday afternoon, made possible because my ESL student and friend, Ildiko, was willing to go with me to try to find this couple.  Finding them meant ringing more than one doorbell and wondering if we were even at the right entry?  But in the end our persistance paid off and we were not only invited in with many smiles but also served tea and treated as honoured guests.  I know it was an encouraging time for Ildiko as she got to be the translator for all of this and seemed to sense and understand my excitement at finally connecting in a more meaningful way with these neighbours.

Though I did ask several questions through my friend, mostly they chatted and Ildiko filled me in on the details.  This couple have four children and one is a girl who happens to be named Ildiko and lives in Budapest.  Then there are three sons; one in Germany; one in Ireland and the third in Canada!  We also discovered that Gizi and William used to attend the Christian Reformed church here in town, but now don't like the priest there so are content to stay home.  However, Ildiko assured me they had a Bible which they read.  So all of this was really quite wonderful news for sure.

Finally we said we must leave but we did want to invite Gizi to our home for tea on Monday afternoon...would she be able to come then.  She eagerly agreed to this but it was William who then interjected and asked if he could come too?!  So we assured him he was welcome too and carried on, hoping that they would indeed follow through and join us at our house on Monday.

Now it's Tuesday and I'm thrilled to report that both neighbours were here for our tea, plus Ava, our landlady and owner of the beautiful Turkish tea set and several others as well.  For sure it was a very special time of reaching out and sensing God drawing us close as new bonds of friendship were formed during our hours together.

Wednesday, October 24th

Wednesday, October 24th....Just two more months and it will be "the night before Christmas"! And just six more weeks and we'll be home again and back to our home and family in Canada. In some ways it is hard to believe that we are now half way through our time here in Hungary. But it is true! During these weeks far from home I've been learning so many things. Typing on the laptop is even easier for me now, but the blogging is all still a bit of a mystery. Some days things seem to come together so easily and quickly. But then there are the other times (like yesterday!) when nothing seemed to fall into place. So after several tries, I gave up and posted my photos and comments even though the second paragraph insisted on appearing twice!! Yes, we are missing all the patient technical assistance that O.J. was always there to provide while we were home. But we are pressing on and really most of our "frustrations" and problems here are very minor ones. For sure our lives are filled with SO MUCH blessing and good.

Before leaving Canada, dear friends of ours gave us a special relaxing overnight retreat at their home in Chilliwack. Then during our last breakfast time together they presented us with the gift of a devotional book entitled, THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU...A treasury of God's Promises. This has been a booklet often read and much appreciated during our days here. I personally have daily poured over the many Scripture promises within this little volume, knowing I needed God's Word to comfort and guide me each day.

Now let me share just one morning's reading with you:

The Lord has been good. Psalm 115:12-15

"The Lord remembers us and will bless us. The Lord will bless those who respect Him, from the smallest to the greatest. May the Lord give you success and may He give you and your children success. May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth."

 

"The Lord's goodness surrounds us at every moment. I walk through it almost with difficulty, as through thick grass and flowers." R.W. Barber

 

Yes, during our days here our lives have been filled with good things and so many gifts....Our students and others have been so generous and shared much with us. We arrived to find our little fridge and pantry stocked with groceries (thank you Shaun and Sondi!) There were Sondi's delicious home-baked apple muffins and wholegrain bread too, Then later others shared with us from their garden produce: peppers, tomatoes, pears, grapes and home brewed wine. Some have taken us into their homes; with others we have enjoyed touring the country side and going out to eat. Just this past Sunday afternoon we enjoyed attending the annual Trout Festival at nearby Szigliget. This tiny village on the shores of Lake Balaton normally has a population of about 1,500 but Sunday found thousands more there as they celebrated the holiday weekend in the sunshine. Needless to say, we didn't linger in the crowds too long, but soon moved on, choosing to eat out with Szilvia and Miklos in the next quiet lakeside town of Badacsonylabdihegy (no, we won't try to pronounce that one for you!!)

Sunset at the end of a full day of exploring and experiencing new sights and tastes in several little villages near Tapolca.

Tuesday, October 23rd....A national holiday here in Hungary!

Today is a national holiday for all of our Hungarian friends.  No school for the kids and no stores or shops open in town.  The streets usually alive with activity are strangely quiet today, and rather than sunshine the skies are a sombre grey.

Usually we would have our apartment full of teens at this time on Tuesday afternoon, but they are away today and instead Ron and I just ventured out for a short stroll along some of our favourite streets and walkways. Come join us now and enjoy Tapolca on this misty October afternoon.....

R

Shaun and Sondi had thought we'd have no classes of any kind with this being a holiday. And today we don't have our teens and children here for club as usual, however we were delighted when some of our adults who have been attending the Tues. night English only Bible study still wanted to come!

So this morning I baked a special treat for them as I pulled together a Plum/Apple Crisp using fruit purchased at a local market just yesterday. We are learning to enjoy our daily outings to look for produce and groceries now that prices and places are more familiar to us. Overall it has been a pleasant surprise to find most things here priced much as in Canada or even less.

Monday, October 15th

Monday, October 15th---A whole week has now passed since our Thanksgiving celebration here last Monday evening. Shaun and Sondi hosted this event and though our four ESL student guests were rather slow in arriving, in the end they did come and we had a great evening together. Not only was there the turkey dinner, but also a time of sharing our thanks around the table later on. Finally we ended the evening with some lively games including "Family" which we introduced to the group for the first time.

This week we've carried on with our regular classes and clubs. Mostly the response has been encouraging. We started out with just two teens the first week but were up to ten this past Tuesday. Interest remains good in the adult English classes too. So for each of our students we are thankful.

On Saturday we once again spent time with two of our adult students. Sylvia and Micklas own a farm near town so invited us out on Saturday for lunch there, a tour around their property and some horseback riding too. This particular farm was a former Communist operated dairy farm. They now have some chickens and turkeys here plus horses and Black Angus cattle. Like so many here they work very hard at several jobs to try to make a living.

Sylvia with a favourite hen

Ready to ride!

Monday, October 8th

Monday, October 8th....Today is Thanksgiving back in Canada and it was good to be able to chat by Skype with family gathered there at home last evening. Now today we are preparing to celebrate here with Shaun, Sondi and boys plus our friend Magdolna and four of our adult students too. Yes, Shaun and Sondi were able to find some turkey "pieces" and here at our house we have apple crisp in baking, filling the apartment with some wonderful aromas.

As we think on the thanksgiving theme we are thankful we can be here and helping out in small ways. And we've been blessed in many ways too. This week Ron was happy to be able to borrow an old mountain bike from one of his students. With our weather still very sunny he's been out riding several times already.

Then together we continue our daily walks around town. We also ventured further this past Saturday when we took the train from here to another town and enjoyed exploring around the Kesthely area. This is another tourist area but located on the shores of Lake Balaton.

 

 

Ron doing some extra tutoring with one of our students this week.  Tibor hopes to head to England to work later on this month.

Now shall try adding a few more photos for you to view.

 

          Lake Balaton waterfront.....

In and about beautiful Kreszthely...

 

 

 

A street musician in Kreszthely playing Amazing Grace!