Sunday was a blizzard here in Hungary and as we drove from Budapest to Vienna, there were plenty of reminders along the road as to how bad it was.
EB and Elizabeth outside the hospital in Vienna
Before the surgery Elizabeth could not straighten her finger
After surgery in the recovery room, Elizabeth was groggy but awake while Mom looks on.
The day after surgery Dr. Egkher inspects his work
A close up of the finger a day after surgery
Elizabeth, who has her learner's permit, drives us part of the way back to Budapest.
ATLANTA: "Dan, the man, the Romanian" (on the left) shares his testimony and ministry with John Kerns at a popular diner in "East Cobb."
Tonight at dinner was the first time our family sat around the dinner table together since February 15th and it will not happen again till after the upcoming weekend. Life is not usually this hectic but it is during this particular stretch.
EB and I attended our sending church's (Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia) missions conference. It was refreshing, encouraging and strengthening for EB and me to be there. In addition to being "ministered to" instead of doing the ministering, we had a chance to reconnect with dear friends and lay the foundation for some future trips.
After the conference EB returned to Budapest but I stayed an extra week. I was helping one of our Romanian staff get networked across Atlanta. Dan's last name means something like "Rabbit Hunter" in Moldovian (not even a Romanian last name) so I gave up on ever trying to pronounce it right. Instead, I just referred to him as "Dan, the man, the RomaniAN." Others knew quickly who I was talking about. Dan is moving from Bucharest to Hungary to become the CFO at Campus Crusade's headquarters for Eastern Europe and Russia here in Budapest.
I really do appreciate what Dan is trying to do. He is moving his family (wife and 2 kids) out of their home country and culture to a different country, a new language and a strange culture. All because of Jesus. (Not sure what is stranger, Hungarian culture or working out of an office where the majority are Americans!) Yet before he does that, he must go to ANOTHER foreign culture, country and language: America! Then, on top of all he must use his second language, navigate a strange city, operate inside a foreign culture. Then on top of that the PRESSURE of support raising BEGINS! Now THAT IS COMMITMENT!
Yet I am convinced that as our national staff tell their stories, tell how the Lord has changed them and how they desire to be used by Him in far away countries, that the American church opens their hearts. Then a God-glorifying partnership begins! America's wealth is invested in "heavenly treasure" (Matthew 6:20) when they invest in the foreign mission field! I LOVE MY JOB!
So...I get bumped from my flight on Friday night and then almost get shoved off the next one on Saturday as I lost my paper ticket. I found it literally buried in my suitcase at the last minute before they closed boarding. After no sleep Saturday night, I arrive back to Budapest on Sunday to the worst March blizzard in a generation here in Budapest. I stayed up late on Sunday to spend time with the family but had to get up before dawn to shovel our driveway so we can get the kids in school by 7:30am! Right after that we left for Vienna for Elizabeth's second finger surgery; a tendon failed to heal properly after the first surgery. All went well and we made it back home late yesterday. I guess sometimes life doesn't give you enough time for jet lag!
Thank you for making it possible for EB and I to raise our family out here and labor in the foreign mission field! March is a big month for our ministry here in Budapest. And they have begun without us! I heard of two outreaches that both attracted over 70 students to two different dorms here in Budapest! Pictures and stories will follow later in the month! Thank you and together lets thank our Lord who, in His great mercy, instead of condemning us, He chose to redeem us! Of all the gods that men chose to follow, none can compare to our God! Amen!
