Yesterday, we landed in Budapest. Feeling the 97 degree weather was our first sensation. Soon after we left the airport, we arrived at the Hotel Ventura, then went to the Montaz Art Cafe and met some of the translators and returning campers. After 2 hours of talking, we were all exhausted and had to head to the hotel. We were very VERY jet lagged, so we all slept like babies.

Since we didn’t have church until 4:30 p.m., we slept in just to make sure that we were ready for the following week. We had lunch at a place that many of the returning team members called the “Hungarian Chipotle.” Throughout the day, we were taking in the sights, and we even saw a few planes that were participating in the Red Bull World Championship Air Races.

When we came back to the hotel, we prepared for the English classes with our teams, then went to church. I found this really encouraging because at the time we were having church (which was 4:30 pm), there was a service at the exact same time at The Orchard – Arlington Heights Campus. It just amazed me that I could be worshipping with the third service even though we were so far away. I am so glad God showed me that no matter what, we are all worshipping the same God, even continents away.

When we finished the service, we all gathered our things and headed upstairs to where we would be teaching, worshipping, and eating during camp. We also checked out our separate class rooms with our different teams to get ready for tomorrow’s first day of camp. Ryan Gilles tried and failed to spell luggage three times. The Hungarian translator had to help him spell the word even though we are supposed to be teaching them!

Ben Solak