Let me start by being completely honest . . . I am tired. But, I've been meaning to get an update out for a week. So here it goes . . .

I had a wonderful birthday! A friend, Doini decided to have a small dinner party for me at her flat. It was very nice of her. Here's a link to some photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/hungaryteacher/tags/birthday/.

March 15 is a national holiday in Hungary, so many of my friends went away for the 4 day weekend. I decided that I wanted to stay for my birthday, but the next day I took a train to Bratislava, Slovakia. I went to visit some other American teachers. We had a nice time together. Then I came back home on Saturday night. Then on Sunday I went to church and spent the afternoon with some friends.

I'll just say the weekend was too much for me . . . because I ended up getting sick. The following week, I stayed home from work three days. I either had a bad cold or the flu. I am feeling better now, but trying to make sure I have enough rest and vitamins!!

I'm going to start language school this week. It is two nights a week for ten weeks. I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully it won't be too much for me on top of teaching. I think it will be good for me to be back in the students role again . . . so I can improve my own teaching skills! ;-)

Time for a hair cut.....
So, I've been in Hungary now for four and a half months. The last time my hair was cut was in October. So I finally decided that I better go get it cut. I have been procrastinating... It's difficult when you speak the same language to communicate to the hairdresser what you want...oh my gosh, it is so much more difficult when you speak a different language. I bought a magazine so I could at least point to a picture, but even with that there were questions. I'm happy with my hair cut...but I'll be happy to go back to Sherlyn in June!! Here's a before and after picture for you...

Erin and I had people over for lunch after church again today. We made chicken soup. I think it turned out pretty good. It was the first time for me to work with a whole chicken. I guess you can say I over estimated how much we would need. I think Erin and I will be eating soup for lunch and dinner all week.

Since the snow was so pretty at home today. . . I decided to take my camera to school. I hope you enjoy the pictures!!

http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?nsid=70257130@N00&set_id=&text=&tags=school&tag_mode=&user_id=70257130@N00&favorites=&group_id=&contacts=&frifam=&single=&firstIndex=&firstId=&sort=&v=1.6&code

SNOW . . .

I never know what to expect being that in California we don't get "real" winters. Today it snowed a good part of the day, pretty nice considering it's almost March. And of course I took some pictures so you all could see. . . :-)

For all of those Americans who miss me. . . I'll be back in California on June 22, 2007!! I changed my flight this weekend. I was originally supposed to be flying back on July 5. But since I will be doing some schooling and training this summer, I thought it would be better to get home earlier. It will be so good to see all my family and friends again! I love you all!!

Numbers 21:4-9:
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

How many times do I grow impatient with God's timing. . . Reading this passage made me think about the things I'm missing out on because I'm not looking at the greater picture of what God is doing. We all know that the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years because they kept complaining about what they didn't have. They didn't receive his promise because they were looking at their difficult circumstances. We all have difficult circumstances, but do we see what God is trying to teach us in them? Do we see the light at the end of the tunnel, do we see the promises that God has ahead for us? Today I'm making a choice to not look at the difficult circumstances, but to trust in God and remember the promises that he has for me. Have a blessed day!!

Decision time. . .

TeachOverseas needs to know by March 15 if the current teachers would like to come back next year.

I have made my decision. . . I let them know on February 9 that I will be back next year. I hope to have the same school, flat, and flatmate. Right now it's looking like that will happen, but things can change.

It's the little things that do my heart good. . .

Erin and I had 11 people over for brunch after church today. She made her famous waffles. It was so nice, we just hung out and talked and ate lunch. I just love having people over...oh, and I finally bought a coffee maker with some gift certificates the school gave me for Christmas. So I was able to brew coffee for those who wanted some.

. . .what can I say. . . I'm easy to please.

It's a beautiful day to live in Budapest!!! I thought you would enjoy some pictures of a warm winter day in Hungary... :-)

Erin took this picture of me while I was chatting online with my aunt and working on some lesson planning. Isn't my cousin so cute!?!? She will be 1 this week.

I have to write about this because it's kind of funny to me. . .

Erin and I are both sick. We have colds. She has stayed home from work the past few days. But, I haven't felt that bad, so I've been going to work. Well today (Friday) I only have one class. . . and it's cancelled, so I don't really need to go to school. . . but I need to be there later this afternoon for picture day.

All that said, we were both sleeping in today. We don't feel well, we need to get some rest. But what we didn't plan on is our neighbor doing some work on their flat. At 8:00am I was woken up by some drilling into concrete walls, pounding on metal pipes. . . it is 9:20am as I write this and it still hasn't stopped.

It's pretty crazy, the walls of the building are all concrete. I'm not sure what the metal sound is coming from, maybe the heaters or something. But you know, back in California we have insulation so we don't hear each other. It's not like that here. I have been woken up at two or three o'clock in the morning from a baby crying. Then I just pray, Lord please comfort that baby so I can get some sleep.

It is a little annoying, but I don't really mind that much. I feel rested. And since I'm awake, I can work on somethings I wanted to do this weekend anyway. This reminds me of a Precious Moments Figurine called Praise the Lord Anyhow, I found a picture of it:

. . . just when I started thinking I might not see snow this year, I woke up to this . . .

I even forgot that snow was in the forecast for today . . . well, snow has been forecasted for the past few weeks, but always a 30% chance. So, it hasn't happened. But lately it has been VERY cold and the chance of snow was a little higher.

1 Peter 3:8-22

8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,

"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

...more adventures in public transportation...

I have a few options on how to get to school. What I usually do is walk a few blocks and then take two different trams and then walk another block. Then I arrive at school. I can also walk to the front of the next block of flats (aka apartment building), take a trolley bus, then a regular bus, then the two trams. Well today, I decided that I would take the trolley bus to the regular bus. But while I was waiting for the regular bus, I changed my mind and decided to walk a couple blocks to the closest tram stop. That way I would only have to make one more change.

So there I am riding along on the tram as planned thinking this worked out. I'll only need to change one more time and I didn't see the bus pass me as I walked so I'm no further behind than I would have been.

Then all the sudden the tram conductor comes on the speaker and says something in Hungarian and everyone gets off the tram. I, not knowing the language, can figure out what is going on. I got off the tram too. Then I have to go across the street to the bus stop, with everyone else and catch the next bus. So, I get on the bus. But this bus won't take me all the way to my school. So at the end stop, which is also a form of a transportation hub, I had to find which bus would get me closer to school. Praise God that I had previously taken a bus from that point with a student on our way to school once, so I could kind of remember where to catch it. I found the bus, got on and rode that to as close to the school as it would get me. Then after getting off that bus, I walked down the street a little and caught the tram that takes me a block away from my school.

So...all that to say, I took 5 forms of public transport today. I'm just glad my first lesson for today was cancelled, otherwise I would have missed half of it. But all was good...I made it to school and had plenty of time to do what I needed to do. Life is an adventure!! And I'm enjoying every minute of it!!

Like many languages, Hungarian does not have the 'th' sound that the English language has. So, you can imagine my delight when I found Heather (the plant) being sold on the street. Then I knew there was a Hungarian equivalent to my name, which is Erika. (News to me) While I was talking to Erin about this new revelation, I came across a website that has more information than I could ever imagine about Heather (the plant). This included this cute story that I have included below. My desire is that my response to God would be the same as in this story, and that from that I would have the strength, fragrance and sweetness of a woman who is pleasing to the Lord.

When God first made the world, He looked at the bare and barren hillsides and thought how nice it would be to cover them with some kind of beautiful tree or flower. So he turned to the Giant Oak, the biggest and strongest of all of the trees he had made, and asked him if he would be willing to go up to the bare hills to help make them look more attractive. But the oak explained that he needed a good depth of soil in order to grow and that the hillsides would be far too rocky for him to take root.

So God left the oak tree and turned to the honeysuckle with its lovely yellow flower and beautiful sweet fragrance. He asked the honeysuckle if she would care to grow on the hillsides and spread her beauty and fragrance amongst the barren slopes. But the honeysuckle explained that she needed a wall or a fence or even another plant to grow against, and for that reason, it would be quite impossible for her to grow in the hills.

So God then turned to one of the sweetest and most beautiful of all the flowers - the rose. God asked the rose if she would care to grace the rugged highlands with her splendour. But the rose explained that the wind and the rain and the cold on the hills would destroy her, and so she would not be able to grow on the hills.

Disappointed with the oak, the honeysuckle and the rose, God turned away. At length, he came across a small, low lying, green shrub with a flower of tiny petals -some purple and some white. It was a heather.

God asked the heather the same question that he’d asked the others. "Will you go and grow upon the hillsides to make them more beautiful?"

The heather thought about the poor soil, the wind and the rain - and wasn’t very sure that she could do a good job. But turning to God she replied that if he wanted her to do it, she would certainly give it a try.

God was very pleased.

He was so pleased in fact that he decided to give the heather some gifts as a reward for her willingness to do as he had asked.

Firstly he gave her the strength of the oak tree - the bark of the heather is the strongest of any tree or shrub in the whole world.

Next he gave her the fragrance of the honeysuckle - a fragrance which is frequently used to gently perfume soaps and potpouris.

Finally he gave her the sweetness of the rose - so much so that heather is one of the bees favourite flowers. And to this day, heather is renowned especially for these three God given gifts.

Story copied from:

http://www.electricscotland.com/gardening/heather.htm

The end of one chapter, the beginning of another...

Many times at this time of year we think about what has happened in the past year and what we would like to change about ourselves in the following year. In the states, many people will be purchacing gym memberships, exercise equipment, nicorette, or some other things to help them adjust their lifestyle. We as a people want to become better, to look better, to feel better. But how often are we looking at how we can change ourselves, when we all know we can't.

As I have been contemplating where my life is right now, I believe that God is calling me forward. He doesn't want me to look at the past, or even really ways in which I may want to change myself. He wants me to focus on him.

Isaiah 43:18 - 19: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Looking forward to what God will do in 2007!!

I was so blessed to spend my first Christmas away from home with the Weaver family. They accepted me in as one of their own. Among a few other things, they gave me a calendar as a gift. That was so special to me because my mom always gives me a calendar every year for Christmas. They didn't know that, but God does. He knows exactly how to minister to me and how to speak my love language even though I am five thousand miles away from my family.

I have six keys for one flat...when I was in California, I had four keys, one for where I lived, two for my dad's place and one for my mom's place. If this isn't security, I don't know what is!

Szalagavato

Last weekend, my twelfth grade students had their szalagavato. It is a type of coming of age ceremony. They receive ribbons from their form teacher, the teacher who has been a type of mother/father to them their entire four years of school. The students perform silly skits or dances for their families, friends and staff members. They also have a beautiful waltz performed while wearing beautiful white dresses and tuxes. Here are some photos for you to see.