updates 2004-2006

October - Archaeological Project

My fifth grade student is studying Ancient World History.  History can be a little dry, but one afternoon when I was on a walk around the grounds of the Kastely, an idea came to me.  I wanted all my students to go on an Archaeological Dig! 

With the help of a friend, I found some old mugs that no one wanted..  smashed them... buried them... made it look like the ground hadn't been disturbed (it was fun to feel a little sneaky)... then launched the project.

My students did some internet research on archaeology.  Then I explained that I knew were there were some archaeological artifacts, and they were going to excavate them.  Excitement FILLED the classroom! 

We grabbed our gloves and spades and paint brushes (to carefully remove dirt from the artifacts), sprayed the mosquito repellent, and adventured out to the excavation site (a.k.a. the woods in the back yard).

The excavation went well.  The artifacts were uncovered and carefully placed in the tray.

When the dig was finished, we returned to the excavation headquarters (a.k.a. the classroom), and cleaned and reassembled the artifacts.  I was thankful that my friend Rose Sanchez was willing to assist in the reassembling process.  We all had sticky fingers by the end. 

The final product were some globby and cracked old mugs, but much learning, imagining, and excitement took place too.  The memories will last much longer than the old mugs. 

My students are clever little birds.  They had been thinking, and were curious as to how these mugs actually got into the back yard.  The day after the project, I revealed what I had done.  They were a little disappointed, but they decided to remember the fun they had, and not that Miss Lynn 'tricked' them.

Wed 6/29/2005 7:49 PM

I've been back from Cambodia and Thailand for a week now, and I still don't know how to write it all down. I'll give it a try...

The day after flying back to CA I met up with the outreach groups from CC Visalia and CC Chino Valley at LAX. We flew to Bangkok, Thailand via a layover in Osaka, Japan. After a nice night in a hotel in Bangkok, half of the group went to the area of Thailand hit by the tsunami, while the other half, myself and my parents included, piled into vans and drove four hours east of Bangkok to the Thai/Cambodian border.

The city where we ministered is called Poipet, Cambodia. It is a rough and tumble border town. The main road is wide and dirty, full of pot holes. There are no road rules, there are no road signs. The numerous bicycle taxis, carts, trucks, etc, go where ever is necessary to get where they are going to go.

The hotel was very basic and clean. It was a refuge from the crazy street below. The bathroom was a bit moldy, but I didn't mind since we had a standard 'loo', and not a squatty-potty.

Each day the team (there were about 27 of us), would split into two groups. Half would go on the road with Pastor Chumno, and the rest would go to the preschool. Pastor Chumno took the group to village schools where the team would do VBS-type activities with the kids. The preschool team would also do VBS-type activities which included face painting, crafts, sports, a bible story, and/or a puppet show that would present the gospel to the kids. There were interpreters at each of the schools, but the kids were very excited to learn any English words they could.

Each day we worked hard for about 8 hours. There would be a morning and an afternoon session. Between 100-150 different kids would come to each session. Throughout the whole week, we estimate that we worked with a little less than 1,000 different kids. The kids were so sweet. They melted out hearts! Before the first session, we were a little concerned about how the kids would behave, but that fear quickly disappeared! They were very well-behaved and well-mannered. They listened carefully to instructions, and were good thinkers and problem solvers. It was truly a delight to work with these sweet ones!

There were unique challenges wherever we went. To get to the preschool, the group had to walk through a squatter's settlement. There are many displaced people in Cambodia due to the wars and terrible things that have happened. These people have nowhere to go or to live, so they find some unused land, and set up home as best as they can. The result is something Americans only see on TV. There are easily several thousand people living in this one particular squatter's settlement. The shacks are up on stilts. The roofs are either corrugated iron or grass. The 'road' is dirt, mud, trash, and refuse. There is no plumbing. The dogs and chickens and children run around freely. Surprisingly there are TVs in many of the huts. The electricity is tapped from nearby power poles. Two things that struck me as we squished our way through this place were the children and the flower pots. When we walked through, cute little voices would call out 'HELLO!' from inside the shadows of the huts. The kids would run to the doorways and wave at us. In front of many of the 'homes', there were pots of flowers and other plants. They are trying to make life a little nicer for themselves in any way that they can.

Those who went on the road with Pastor Chumno had different challenges. My dad went with the first group out on the road. As they were driving along they noticed some red warning signs. When they asked Pastor Chumno about it he motioned with his hand at the fields on either side of the road. He explained that those fields are full of land mines. The school that the team worked at that day was literally a clearing in the middle of a land mine field.

Land mines are not the only thing lurking in the fields. Cambodia, we learned, is also home to the world's most poisonous snake. Spitting cobras also live in Cambodia. They live in the sugar cane fields because they hunt the mice that live there... farm workers have to be very careful! Snake is a very common snack too. I was afraid I might have to try this dish, but fortunately I never had to! (Praise the Lord!!)

There is so much to say! I can't even begin to describe the squatty-potties, the afternoon monsoon downpours, having dinner in a parking lot of a casino, seeing the red-light district, digging holes for trees on the property of the new orphanage, riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi, or through the countryside in the back of a truck, the coconut-jelly in the soda drinks, or the bird in the hotel room (there was no window - figure that one out!), OH! and the drunk man with an ax yelling at a woman who was holding a baby... he was blocking our path through the village, but he eventually left, and no harm was done (sometimes it's nice not to understand the language!).

So, with all these extra-ordinary things, many of them quite horrible, why does everyone who went say they had a most amazing time and would go back in a heartbeat? We were on God's errand. Go into all the world and share God's love with the unloved, untouchable, with the forgotten, with the unwanted. God loves these people so much! It was truly an honor to be able to go to these people and give them some love through a smile or a hello. Almost 1,000 kids have now heard the gospel, and many of them prayed to receive God's forgiveness and eternal-abundant life. There is an small but amazing group of missionaries who live and work in Poipet. Rose Martinez, Gene and his family, an Australian girl named Tam, along with Pastor Chumno were our hosts. It was an honor to meet them, and come along side them and encourage them. Please pray for them as we've just heard that some of them are quite seriously sick, probably with dengue fever. Gene's wife had to be taken to the hospital in Bangkok.

Thank you for praying for me and all of us on this trip! We definitely felt safe and protected. The unity among the team was sweet fellowship!
Praise the Lord!
Love,
Lynn

Fri 6/10/2005 5:47 PM

Hello everyone!

It has been way too long since I last wrote! Last semester everything was exciting and new. This semester life settled into a more ‘normal’ pace. I struggled with knowing what to ‘write home about’. I didn’t think that people wanted to hear about writing out lesson plans, and administering tests. Yes, I was mostly consumed with school this semester. I was also able to establish more and deeper friendships with the staff here, as well as many of the Bible College students. It was special to be apart of their lives.
The Lord blessed me with one holiday in the middle of the semester. A small group of friends and I rented a car and went to Austria and Italy for a weekend. It was great fun. I didn’t realize how much I was needing to get my head out of the books until I was riding a water bus in Venice and I noticed my senses coming alive again.
The winter was very cold yet bearable. The nice part of living and working in the same building is that I didn’t have to go outside in the cold if I really didn’t want to. Playing in the snow with the kids was definitely a highlight of the winter season. But, on the other hand, it took a lot of time to get the kids ‘suited up’ to go outside for recess! What an ordeal it could be!
The spring has been wonderful! The flowers have been beautiful. It amazes me to see how fast the countryside is transformed from bare sticks and snow-covered fields to lush green gardens and thick growing crops.
What a privilege it has been to be here. I have become more acquainted with the most amazing people. The lives of some of my new friends remind me of something I would only see in a movie or read in a history book. One guy I’ve gotten to know is named Prince. He is from Nigeria and came to Hungary as a political refugee. He was a journalist who exposed some government corruption. When the government found out about it, he had to flee. The Lord led him to the Bible College in Vajta where he was a student and later an intern. In the last month, the Lord has lead Prince back to Nigeria to begin a Calvary Chapel in Abuja, the capitol city. Prince is an incredible man who loves God very much. I am honored to be able to know him.
The amazing thing is that there are many other people that I’ve gotten to know here who have equally amazing testimonies and lives! I know guys who were in the Bosnian-Serb war. One guy was only 13 years old when he was drafted. He helped make bread for the solders. I’ve met guys from Kosovo, and heard many stories from the war in that area too. These wars were happening when I was in Jr. High and High School. At that point in my life, my biggest concern was whether I was having a good hair day! I am growing in my perspective on life.
Tomorrow I will be flying to California to join the outreach team from CC Visalia to go to Thailand and Cambodia. Your prayers are greatly coveted! After the outreach I will be in California for the rest of June and July. I hope to see you all!

Blessings to you!
Love,
Lynn
=^)

Prayer requests: *For safe travel during the next 3 weeks: I will be traveling from Austria to Hungary, then back to California before joining an outreach team that’s going to Thailand and Cambodia. *For the outreach teams to be unified and supportive of the leadership. *For blessing and peace for the people on the outreach team who have never traveled before. *For the hearts of the people in Thailand and Cambodia to be open and willing to receive Jesus. *For physical safety as we travel and eat and sleep in foreign lands. *That we would have the armor of God in place during spiritual battle. *For the team’s leadership to have God’s divine wisdom to know how to plan and what to take with them. *For the children’s outreach ministry teams. *That we, as a team, would have a clear and unified vision. *That doors would be opened for the Gospel to taken to more people.
Praise reports: *Thank you Lord for an amazing year of teaching the Pastor’s kids in Vajta, Hungary. The school year had its ups and downs, but it was an incredible experience, and I learned many, many things! Over all I have had a wonderful time here, and I am looking forward to coming back next August to begin another school year.

Fri 4/1/2005 8:34 PM

I had a wonderful Easter! I had Friday and Monday off - my first vacation since Christmas! It's been a long haul, and we were all very ready for a break. I didn't realize how much I needed a vacation until I was in the midst of it and realized how good it felt to be doing something completely different from school. I realized that there were parts of my brain that I hadn't used in quite a long time. I felt like I was becoming mentally lop-sided. But now that I'm back, I feel much more balanced than before! Praise the Lord!

The weekend was quite a whirl-wind. Four countries in four days! On Thursday Amber, Rose, Christian, and I drove to the castle in Austria. The next morning we drove to Venice, Italy. It's only about 3 hours away, so it makes for an amazing day trip. Venice was surreal! It looks just like the pictures, and there's magic in the air. We walked all around, and easily managed to get lost. But getting lost is the fun of Venice. It's only made up of a few hundred very small islands, so you can't go too far out of your way. We took a water bus to Murano where we watched the men make the famous glass in their factories. After having gelato, and pizza, and cappuccino, we went back to the castle for the night.

On Saturday we shopped and toured around the Spittal and Millstatt area. For dinner we went to the Himmelbauer. See the attached picture. The restaurant is perched on the top of one of the Alps, the cars in the valley below look like ants. The food was great. When I go to different places I like to try the food that the place is known for - so I had wiener snitzel and apple strudel. Both were very yummy.

On Sunday we drove to Salzburg. We attended Easter Sunday Mass at the Catholic Cathedral. The music, written by Mozart, performed by the organ, choir (with a real soprano singer!), and orchestra (with trumpets, cellos, you name it!) I could not help myself - I cried through the opening Hallelujah. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard... and to be standing in such a beautiful building, and watching the sunlight stream through the windows over the high alter... unbelievable!

After the service, and a short cappuccino break, we when to the top of the fortress and toured around it. It's a must-see for anyone who goes to Salzburg. It has the best views of the surrounding countryside. That night we had dinner in Germany. Germany is only about a 10 minute drive from Salzburg, so we decided to go and say hello to Germany. It's a little difficult to find a restaurant open on Easter Sunday night in the sleepy part of Germany, but after a little adventure, we found a cute little town with something open, and we had a nice dinner.

On Monday we drove back to Hungary. We spent over 20 hours driving in the car, but well worth it!

My head has been spinning from what I just did over the weekend. It has been hard work to refocus on school after not thinking about it for four days. Now we're getting ready for Ana and Linda's (overseers from CCA Ft. Lauderdale) visit. The classroom is looking good. I hope they are blessed by what they see here.

Keep praying for me!
Love,
Lynn

Fri 3/4/2005 5:17 PM

It's snowing AGAIN! Come on. February is over. It's March now. The blossom is a'blossoming in California. When I woke up this morning, and pulled the curtain back I gasped! It looked, and still looks like a furiously shaken Snow Globe. I have a feeling that I have things a little backwards - the snow globe looks like the weather outside, and California is the odd place in this world because most of the Northern Hemisphere is still covered with snow.

It's another Friday. Life keeps going by very quickly. The last two weeks, however, have been a struggle for a lot of people her at the campus in Vajta. A lot of people are struggling with being sick. I have had a few kids absent in the last two weeks. We, the teachers, have been struggling with exhaustion. I have been having the hardest time getting out of bed in the mornings, even when I go to bed at 9:30. Some of you know that I'm not normally a morning person, but this has been a lot worse than normal. Many of us here are realizing that the sickness and lethargy that many people are struggling with may be spiritual warfare. The chapel services we've been having have been very powerful. We've been unified as a body, and we have been praying fervently for the lost. Obviously the enemy isn't too excited about all this. I've realized that when I'm as exhausted as I've been, my focus is on myself. This is not good. Please pray for us, not necessarily that the attack will go away, but that we would be strengthened through it.

Tomorrow, if the roads are cleared, a group of us Staffers are planning on going to Szekeshfehervar (sp?). Every few weeks it's necessary for me to 'get out' of the Kastely. 'Fehervar is becoming a normal hangout. They have some good restaurants, and a mall. Oh, but I have to say, the food here at the Kastely has been improving greatly! Today we had a killer burrito with beans and rice and everything! Thanks to two amazing cooks on staff! I lost weight last semester, but probably won't this one. Yikes.

I hope and pray that all is well with you. I would love to hear how life is going.
May God richly bless you,
Lynn
=^)

Sun 1/16/2005 10:19 PM

Hello All!

I'm back in Hungary after a wonderful and busy three weeks of being in soggy CA. It was so good to see so many of you! I am very disappointed that I didn't get to see everyone though. I knew that no matter how long I stayed, it was going to be too short.

I was very encouraged during my trip. I felt so welcomed and loved. Now that I'm back I am much refreshed and excited to get back to work.

School starts tomorrow. I've already seen all my students (hugs and hellos all around). I missed them while I was away, so it's fun to see them again. Most of them told me that they couldn't wait for school to start!

In the midst of lesson planning this week I've had to pause and go to a birthday party and a wedding. We've had quite the hustle and bustle going on here. So, I guess I'm ready for school to start. The cool thing that I'm finding is that when I don't have time to make the lesson plans as perfect as I want them, God fills in the gaps with His plan, which is much better than mine.

I hope and pray that the Lord is blessing you this new year.
God Bless,
Lynn
=^)

Thu 11/25/2004 3:53 PM

Hello!

Thanksgiving has been bright and sunny and bitterly cold here in Hungary. I don't mind the cold so much when I see the sun brightly shinning.

Class is in session today. The kids are at P. E. as I write this. They are playing games in the adjoining room. This is the first Thanksgiving where I've had to work, so it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving, but then again, what is a Hungarian Thanksgiving supposed to feel like anyway? Tonight we are going to have a formal dinner in the upper dinning room which is reserved for conferences and special occasions only. I'm looking forward to dressing up and going to dinner.

After dinner I'll grab my bags and meet my team and go to Serbia for the weekend. I would appreciate your prayers!
-Strength and energy to have a great and busy weekend after a busy week.
-Strength and energy for teaching next week after a great weekend.
-That God would work out all the details of packing and organizing and shopping and cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for Calvary Chapel Subotica.
-Team unity.
-Safety in travel.
-That God would use the team to minister encouragement and fellowship to Calvary Chapel Subotica.
-That God would provide opportunities for the team to share the gospel with unbelievers, and that people's lives would be saved.

Last Tuesday I was able to go to a hockey game. I have always wanted to go to a hockey game, and I love the fact that the first one I went to was in Hungary! We went to Szekesfehervar ('Fehervar' for short) to watch the game. The Fehervar team is 2nd in an international league. They were playing against Croatia who were placed 7th. Fehervar scored first. Then Croatia tied it up. Soon after that Croatia scored again! Ahh,... The Fehervar offence was great. All the action was around the Croatia net. They HAD to get another point... but no, they were not getting the puck in. Despair was setting in. One minute left in the 3rd period... and Fehervar scored!!! Yes! So they went into sudden death overtime. Fehervar got the goal! 2-1. So awesome! What an exciting game! The only thing that could make a night like this better would be dinner at the Italian restaurant. The pasta was delicious. What a treat!

Well, the kids are finished with P. E. I best be back to teaching.
Love ya!
Lynn
=^)

Fri 11/19/2004 9:17 PM

Hello everyone!

I truly felt like a teacher in the Hungarian outback today. This morning the power in the building kept going off. My classroom is in the roof/attic of one wing of the manor. The only natural light we have comes from high dormer windows, so there really isn't a lot of light when the power goes out... but we survived. The kids were great. At first they were a little bothered, but soon they were saying that they liked it better with the lights off. They thought it was more like an adventure, or Little House on the Prairie with the lights off.

Later in the afternoon was when the Storm really hit. The wind and rain was amazing! Fortunately the power stayed on during the storm, but some of the kids were still frightened of the thunder. I remembered the scene in the Sound of Music when the kids come to Maria's room because of the thunder storm, and they all sing "...these are a few of my favorite things...". I realized that I had my Sound of Music DVD with me. I stuck it in my laptop, and had the kids gather around and we watched that scene. At one point, thunder crashed in the movie, and not a second later thunder crashed outside too! It was some pretty cool surround sound! =^) By the end we were all singing along and feeling much better! These sorts of moments are 'a few of my favorite things' about being here!

I've heard tell that the American holiday called Thanksgiving is next week. We have classes on Thursday, but not on Friday! Yay! This will be our first school holiday this year. It's amazing to me to think that I haven't been counting down the days until the next holiday. The manor will have a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night. After dinner I will grab my packed bags and will go to Subotica, Serbia for the weekend. I have joined a weekend outreach team that will be ministering to Calvary Chapel Subotica. There are 12 of us going. We appreciate your prayers. 'Subo' is only about a 3 hour drive from Vajta, and we will be staying at the church. We're actually going to be putting on a Thanksgiving dinner for the church. I'm looking forward to serving and fellowshipping with the people there. Last Thanksgiving I never would have imagined I would be here doing this!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Glory to God!
Lynn
=^)

Wed 11/10/2004 9:49 AM

Hello All,

The Hungarians were saying that a wolf must have eaten the winter. We have had the most beautiful and warm autumn. For the last few weeks the sun has been in a very warm and cheerful mood. Most of the leaves have turned and gone, but last week's CCA Family Soccer Games were best played in a T-shirt. Those days are now gone. A storm has blown in, and the normal Hungarian autumn has set in. It has been raining and blowing, and down right cold. I've been very thankful for the red wooly hat that I bought in London. Gloves and scarves are no longer accessories, but necessities. I'm sorry to say, the practical is more important than the cute. But I think my red wooly hat is cute. =^)

Last week was Outreach week. That's when the bible college students travel in teams to various places in Europe to do outreach. Needless to say, the castle was VERY empty. School for the kids and I carried on as usual, or as usual as could be. Because the bible college students were gone the pastors, or in my case, the Dads, weren't teaching classes. Beth (1st grade teacher) decided it would be a perfect week to invite the families to play soccer for PE in the afternoons. We all agreed.

The first game had too many adults on the field. The men, being men, became a little too competitive, and a few kids were run over. Oops.

Game two. New rules. Only kids and girls (mom's and teachers) could score. That worked a little better. A few kids still got run over. Rats.

Game three - final game. The grownups were all quite sore and bruised now. The moms would admit it, but the dads wouldn't. The ball coordination was at it's worst due to the bumps and bruises, so as usual, a few kids were run over.

Tomorrow is Picture Day. The difference between Picture Day in the States and in Vajta is that I had to track down a photographer (David Downs, said he would do it), and find a location - we're going to use the Historical Library. There's some pretty cool wood paneling in there. I sent home fliers explaining the expectations for dress for Picture Day ("Can I wear a T-shirt?" - No.) Hopefully the pictures will turn out. We're using a digital camera, so we'll know if we need to erase and take a second picture.

God is doing really cool things right now. He's been giving me some fun and creative ideas for school. I do desire you to continue praying for me. I want to go deeper in my reading and understanding of the Word.

On Thanksgiving weekend I will be a part of an outreach to Vajta. In the next few weeks my team will be working together to create whatever it is we will be doing on that weekend. Right now we're not too sure of what we will be doing, but a few ideas that were mentioned were a VBS or a carnival. Both of those sound like a lot of work (probably because I've done those kinds of things before and I know what they take), and so I will need prayer that God will help me to be organized with my prep for teaching so that I will have time to be a part of this outreach. Also, pray that my team will have unity and good communication. Above all, it is our desire that the people of Vajta will come to know God in a real and powerful way. They need to be rescued from the darkness that they live in.

Thank you to those who wrote back to me with things for me to pray for. Again, I would love to know how to pray for your needs.
Many blessings to you all!
Love,
Lynn
=^)

Wed 10/27/2004 8:29 PM

Hello everyone!

In chapel yesterday the kids were asked what a parable is. One of the first graders replied: "It's a pear, but it's like a ball." I laughed out loud. But it made sense, I guess... Later on Beth (his teacher) told me that they had been studying compound words, so the response makes even more sense. Never a dull moment.

Last week the school went on a 3 hour wagon ride around the Hungarian countryside. It was very exciting for the first hour. The countryside was beautiful, despite the bumpy and sometimes flooded dirt road. The weather was gorgeous - a warm and sunny autumn afternoon. The kids were singing all sorts of worship songs, waving to the villagers, and pointing out plants and berries and seed pods that we have been studying in Science class. Very exciting...

In the second hour the question of when we were to return was asked more than once by the students, especially the first graders. It was then discovered through broken Hungarian translation that we were taking the short route, and we would be back in an hour... hmm... At this point the sun was disappearing in some dark clouds, and the temperature was sinking noticeably. I was seriously praying that there would be no rain. I'm glad I have a God that hears and answers prayer because it did not rain.

The last hour of our "Three Hour Tour" took us through a larger village and onto a paved road, actually, one of the main local roads. Big trucks and busses had to slow down and go around us. I now know what it is like to be Amish! However, there are no little orange reflector triangles on the back of Hungarian wagons. The road was one long steep grade, and every once in a while we would have to stop so that the little donkey and her mule son could have a breather. No rude comments please. There were 11 people on our little green wagon, and the donkey and mule had traveled 11 kilometers! That's a hefty walk.

We finally made it home to our castle. =^) It was a real adventure, and I am very glad that we went. The Hungarian driver said that next time he can have his tractor pull us and we can go even farther! How very kind of him...

So, what's the latest with you? I would love to know how I can pray for you! Let me know!
Love,
Lynn
=^)

Sat 10/16/2004 2:09 PM

Here are more pictures.

The picture called BusStop.jpg is actually a picture of the Vajta bus stop. The shelter under the Palfa sign is the bus stop. Unfortunately I never saw a bus.

The ABC store is like a little general store. We buy groceries there as well as basic needs items like laundry detergent, etc. It's pretty cool how much stuff they have. There are two or three ABC stores in Vajta.

Sat 10/16/2004 2:04 PM

I didn't get to go to sAY-kESH, the bus never showed up...
Oh well, I had a fun day in Vajta.
Enjoy the pictures of the booming metropolis.

Lynn
=^)

Fri 10/15/2004 9:23 PM

Hey!

It's Friday! This was a crazy week. When it was Tuesday I thought it was Thursday, and when I finally did get to Thursday it felt like Friday, so today felt like I shouldn't be at school and I didn't really know what I was doing... I'm so glad that tomorrow is Saturday!

Tomorrow Amber and I are going to Szekesfehervar. We call it /sAy-kEsh/ for short. We're going to take the bus (I haven't taken the bus before!). The ride takes about an hour. It's the city with the closest mall. There's a movie theater and lots of shopping. I am just looking forward to getting out of Vajta for a few hours. The last time I left Vajta was when I went to Budapest, and I think that was about 2-3 weeks ago now.

The weather has turned really chilly. One day this week the High didn't get out of the 40s. Burr. It's fun to wear boots and my jacket and red tartan scarf. Perhaps the only reason I say that this is fun is because I don't have to be out in the cold for very long. I wonder what I'll be saying at the end of tomorrow after a day in town...?

I have truly appreciated how so many of you are praying for me. Please continue! I need it more than I even know! I'm finding that my hardest challenges are all internal. I'm my own worst enemy. But God is faithful and He is gently chipping away at those things in my life that are holding me back from fellowship with Him.

Here are my prayer requests for this week:

-Praise the Lord for how He is helping me to have a greater understanding of what He has me doing here in Hungary. He is teaching me what it is to teach and disciple the children at Calvary Christian Academy, Vajta.
-Praise the Lord for the work that he did during Speakers Week, and that the things that the bible college students and staff learned would go deep into their hearts.
-Pray that the classroom would be a comfortable and safe learning environment, and that there would not be competition between the children, but rather they would be a team and would encourage and help one another.
-Pray that the Lord would open doors as the Bible College students go on outreaches. That visas would be granted to the outreach teams. That the Lord would provide the funds necessary for the students to travel.
-Pray for the Hungarian Christians, that the Lord would raise up pastors and leaders and that they would make an impact for the Lord in their families and country.

Much love to you all!
Lynn
=^)

Sat 10/9/2004 8:47 PM

Hey there!

It's Saturday evening. Autumn is here. It's beautiful! The leaves are turning colors and falling. I try to get out and go for walks, but the weekdays are really busy for me.

Today, Saturday, was such fun. Every weekend the guys have been playing in a soccer league they created. Most of the bible college turns out to watch the games. It only took a few weeks before the girls began to talk of having their own league. So today was the first day of the girls games. I was sitting up on the hill with everyone watching the goings on, when Argow, my Nigerian friend, told me that I should go down and play with the girls. I couldn't say no to Argow, so I went. It was great! I was put on a team, and we WON! Yay! I haven't worked out in forever. I haven't run like that in an even longer time! We played 2 ten minute halves, and I was praying that Tony the Ref would blow the whistle to end each half because I was so out of breath! Now I am very sore! It's not funny. In order to go anywhere in this building there are many flights of stairs, and oh, do I feel it! =^) But it was worth it. I had a great time getting to know my team, and the other girls.

Last weekend was the Bible College Class Trip. The students went to Greece for the trip. I wasn't able to go because I would have missed school, and I couldn't do that. So, we teachers and one of the pastor's wives, and her kids, went to Budapest for the day! It was a beautiful day! The weather was perfect - not too hot, and not too cold. We walked all over the place. We parked under the Erzsebet Bridge, walked to an English tea house and had a scone, and coffee. Then we went up the Walking Street, where they have lots of shops and vendors. I bought myself a map of Hungary and some postcards. Then we walked across the Chain Bridge (across the Danube), took lots of pictures. Continued to walk up to the Royal Palace on the Buda side of the Danube. Took more photos. Walked a long the front to the Royal Palace. More photos. It's a beautiful building. It is now a series of museums, no Royalty living there any more. I found out later that it, and all the surrounding buildings, were destroyed during WWII, and have been rebuilt since. It's quite a sobering thing to realize. But to my uneducated eye, I couldn't tell that they had been rebuilt.

We continued walking past the palace to a church and a place called the Fisherman's Bastion. It was beautiful. So of course, more photos. The Fisherman's Bastion is like a cloister, with covered walkways, arches, and pillars, but it had funny cones rising up from the roof. It was made of white stone, and it overlooked the river. Across the river at that point is Parliament. The same man who build the Parliament building in London built this Parliament building too. My words here are very inadequate to describe the beauty of the places we walked. But wait, we weren't finished. We walked down some stairs back to the bridge, recrossed the Chain Bridge, and then walked up towards Parliament. We were headed to Iguana's for dinner. Iguana's is the best Mexican restaurant in all of Budapest. I have to say that it was really delicious! It was strange eating Mexican food with no Mexicans around, but at least the Hungarian waiters spoke English.

So that was my wonderful weekend. If I couldn't go to Greece, why not go to Budapest!

Here are my prayer requests for this week:
- Praise God for His helping me to adapt to living at the bible college and teaching the children.
- Pray that God will continue to mold and shape me into the person he wants me to be.
- Pray that my devotion time with the Lord will be focused and fruitful.
- Pray that God will continue to be in charge of my lesson planning.
- Pray that I will continue to learn how the curriculum works so that I may be an effective teacher.

I do appreciate your prayers. Your e-mails are encouraging too. Thank you for all the support you give me! I have e-mailed my dad some of the many pictures from the Budapest day. Check out my web site for photos: www.LynnGwyn.com

Many blessings,
Lynn
=^)

Sun 9/26/2004 11:18 AM

Hello!

I realized yesterday that I've been in Hungary for 1 month today! Amazing. A lot has happened in a month!

Last Wednesday was Back to School Night. The parents, who happen to be the bible college pastors, and their wives, came to visit the classroom. They sat in the student's chairs as I shared my policies and procedures with them. "School" is still a new thing to these parents because the school has only been around for 2 years and 1 month, and I think they have only gone to a "Back to School Night" once before. It is a very American thing to do. Out of 8 moms and dads (4 couples), only 4 of them are Americans. It is fun to continue having a multi-national classroom.

My students continue to be wonderful kids! They are good learners, and I continue to be amazed at how much information they retain and apply to different subject areas. What a treat to be teaching kids like this! I am really enjoying them. They make teaching so much easier. They are well behaved, but need refining in areas, just as all kids need.

Every once in a while the kids say the funniest things. This week, Sean, who is in Beth's 1st grade class, was the one who made me laugh. Sean, who is 'all boy' is known for getting into 'scrapes' (stitches, poison, burns, etc), and has been to the hospital more times than anyone can count. During music class this week, the bible college student who teaches the class was introducing the instrument families (woodwinds,percussion, strings, etc). She asked the class what family do the drums belong to. Sean replies: "The concussion family".

Two Sundays ago Beth and I were invited to go to Baja (pronounced /Bai-yah/) with Rose and Doug Martin. Baja is south east of Vajta, on the Danube river. The name Baja means "trouble" in Hungarian. It is, however, exciting to see Calvary Chapel Baja. It is a small fellowship, only about 10 adults. Most of the church is made up of children from a local home for abandoned or abused children. What sweet smiles! In Hungary it is common to greet others with a kiss on each cheek. I'm still getting used to this, and I was a little surprised at how awkward I felt. If I don't speak and just smile, people can mistake me for being Hungarian. But as soon as I open my mouth the know I'm an Angol (English speaker). It's cool to be the foreigner for a change. The pastor of CC Baja and his family are from CA. He lead worship in English and Hungarian. It is fun to hear familiar worship songs sung is such a foreign language. I still only know about 4 words in Hungarian.

After church we were invited to have lunch at the pastor's home. It was a fun time of fellowship with the pastor's family along with some families from the church who also came for lunch.

Last weekend the teachers were invited over to Jordan Walsh's house for brunch. Jordan is the 6th grader in my class. The Walsh family are from England. I have really enjoyed spending time with them. I feel more English here than I think I ever have been before. Gwyn Walsh (Jordan's mum), makes wonderful scones, and her home is the place to go for a good cup of tea or coffee! When we went to brunch, Jordan made English pancakes for us. They were delicious with sugar and lemon!! When I go to the Walsh's I feel like I'm going home. =^)

I hope you've enjoyed some glimpses of my month in Hungary. God is so good, and he blesses amazingly! I know more amazing stories will be coming your way soon. I love you all and miss you bunches! I treasure every e-mail I get from home.
Much love and blessings to you all,
Lynn
=^)

Mon 9/6/2004 7:37 PM

Hello everyone.

The first day of school went great! I'm really tired right now, and there's a lot of work still to do. I'll have time to tell you more about school later in the week, but I wanted to send you some fun pictures of my class.

Enjoy,
Lynn
=^)

Thu 9/2/2004 5:04 PM

Hey all,

I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed. I know that many of you have been praying for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Today has been totally different from yesterday. Beth, Amber and I worked on curriculum and the biblical principles, which are kinda like the state standards in the way that they are the guide for what we teach. I am teaching in a very different world, and it is taking me some time to adjust to it.

All in all, today I feel like we accomplished a lot. We still have a lot to before school starts on Monday. I guess that's the same as Pub school... always a lot to do, and never finishing everything exactly how I would like to... but God is good everywhere! Yay!

Ta ta,
Lynn
=^)

Today was a tougher day. I have been tired. Even when I was busy having a good time getting my classroom in order, I felt a heavy tiredness. I have been missing everyone too... you know how it is. But God is good and he brings people to encourage me and cheer me up! =^)

Each morning a different pastor has come and shared devotions with us at the teacher orientation. This morning Pastor Phil shared that when someone lives and works in the 'regular' world they can run a million-dollar company with ease. But when one tries to clean a toilet for the Lord, it is almost impossible. There is so much resistance against serving the Lord! It is a point well taken with me right now!!

(30 min later) I just had a really cool conversation with Yumi, one of the intern here. She's Japanese. I found out today that there will be 20 different nations represented at the Bible College this semester. The Bible College students begin to arrive tomorrow. Things will begin to get even busier.

Well, my laundry is probably dry by now. It's almost 11pm, way past my bed time. Tomorrow will come soon.
Love ya,
Lynn
=^)

Tue 8/31/2004

9:26 PM

Orientation for the school began yesterday. The mornings are devoted to having devotions with one of the pastors, talking about the school and how it operates, and the afternoons are devoted to working in our classrooms. We moved the furniture in yesterday, and today I was able to put up the bulletin boards. Three boxes of my books arrived yesterday! Yay! It's like Christmas when a box comes. I'm so excited to have some of the books before school begins. I'm hoping to get the room in order quickly so that I can devote a lot of time to learning the curriculum.

Yesterday Amber (the teacher assistant that I'm working with), Beth and I walked into Vajta. It was a pretty walk. All the homes have gardens full of flowers and veggies! I kept thinking of Mum and her garden. There were marigolds lining the sidewalk. Grape vines were laden with fruit. Plum trees were purple with plums! We went to a little grocery store called the ABC. I bought some laundry detergent.

On the way home we saw a wagon piled high with fire wood pulled by 2 horses. Every time you pass someone you must greet them. I'm learning all sorts of things!

Oh my - it's dinner time. I'll write more later.

Love,
Lynn
=^)

PS the photos are of my classroom before we did anything to it! Amber the TA is in the photo named "Classroom3".