Hello Everyone!

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone has had a great week. This week has been filled with joy and excitement as we’ve basked in the glory of God’s love everyday. During my first week at camp, I was blessed to have the opportunity to discuss the messages with my English class. Since two messages were in Hungarian and the majority of my students are almost fluent in English, I was provided with the ability to dive deeper into the Word and I could see interest sparking in their minds as they answered questions such as “Who is Jesus?”. Our first Saturday also meant our first day without camp. Though I know everyone around here was missing the kids, we were also looking forward to a day of adventure in beautiful Budapest!

The day started off with wake up call being pushed back 3 hours, a much needed rest after an extremely eventful week. A few members of our team took advantage with a run through Budapest or a trip to the neighborhood bakery. Collectively, our day started with a trip to the grocery store, a favorite errand of ours. From there, the adventure in Budapest began with a journey to Buda Castle. Our first stop within the castle walls was fisherman’s bastion, home to breathtaking views of the city, Matthias Church, and a statue depicting the holy trinity. A short stroll down the street brought us to Var Cafe, where our bodies were blessed with some pretty delicious meals! As we continued on toward the iron gates of the palace, we passed a spread of ancient ruins where Karl provided our team with the second history lesson of the day. (There really is such a thing as fun and educational!) The palace grounds quickly became a setting for many pictures and petting the palace horses.

James 1:2 tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds and that perfectly sums up what our team did. The bus ride (or sauna) from the castle to our next stop was nothing but laughs as we were pushed up against one another like sardines. After flinging ourselves into the fresh air, we began to walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, which is engraved with the Latin words translating to “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. The next challenge that faced us was a hike up the stairs of the church’s dome. 300 steps and a lot of panting later, an unbelievable 360 degree view of Budapest awaited us. St. Stephen’s not only had a beautiful exterior but also a intricate interior containing the actual hand of St. Stephen.

With time to roam around the square, a majority of the team found themselves at rose gelato enjoying tasty gelato in the shape of a flower. A short time later, we were greeted by Sam and Emilee because Emilee had just arrived in Budapest!

We finished up our day with a trip to Vapiano, a buffet style restaurant with delicious Italian cuisine. A trip down the street brought us down by the river and after lots of pictures and enjoying the company of each other, we headed back home early to enjoy fellowship and for the girls, also face masks.

I am so blessed to be a part of such an incredible experience with such a devoted team. We appreciate all the support and prayers we have received throughout our preparation and our trip. I pray that God continues to bless our time in community with one another as we look forward to another eventful day in Budapest tomorrow!

Szia!