A new home

Friday 29^th January

Surreal would be a good word to describe the last day and a half. It hasn’t actually set in that this massive castle of hallways and stairwells and couches will be my home for the next year. And that the lovely people I am stuggling to remember all the names of will soon be as familiar as my sisters and brothers. My ‘just one day at a time’ mentality is still proving most effective in coping with change, I don’t know what to expect or what the Lord will do but I am assured by Him it will be great. There is a verse that has been used many times in my walk so far to reassure me, and of course as a ‘welcome verse’ I was handed a little card with Isaiah 26:3 on it: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”. Okay Lord, I’m going to keep trusting.

Anyway, to update you a little, my luggage and I arrived safe and sound in Budapest. Airports, along with airplanes, are a modern wonder. It is simply incredible how they co-ordinate that many people and planes and bags internationally. I guess I should give some praise to God too, all the prayers for safe and smooth travel were perfectly answered!

Oh yes, it is cold. But I love the snow. When I arrived in Zurich before hopping on the plane to Budapest it was actually snowing, so beautifully. Rain falls to the ground, but snow dances; sometimes softly and gently, sometimes hurriedly and excitedly, but it’s so pretty. I looked out the plane window, and stuck to it were actual tiny snowflakes, just like the paper cut-outs we made when we were kids. It is again, surreal, to wake up in a place and look out the window to see bright dazzling whiteness. Today we went for a walk through the tiny village of Vajta, I look around and seriously have to pinch myself that I’m actually here. And then we played Ultimate Frisbee in the snow- so much fun! But i was like, guys two weeks ago I was playing this at the beach in the hot sand!

Meeting everyone has been good, but of course relationships are a slow process. I’ve had some good times of sharing with the girls in my dorm- Lydia, Katie and Niki (a fourth named En Li is yet to arrive) and I love thinking about the fact that God’s hand specifically chose us to be together. About a third of the girls here are Hungarians, which is so cool, we really are all one in Christ. And girls are girls no matter what country you are from. So I’m looking forward to getting to know people better and growing and serving with them. But yes, it has begun to set in how much I will miss my Aussie friends. What a precious family of believers I have back at Aldgate.

This weekend will be registration and orientation, then classes start on Monday. I’ve been told to strap myself in because it is going to be full-on and time will fly by. I can’t wait! Right now I am rubbing my eyes, seriously jet-lagging, so thinking I might sign off and have another early night.

Much love,
Jemma

Travel Tales

I don’t know whether it’s appropriate to start this blog about my adventure in Hungary whilst sitting in the large, modern and spacious, bustling Hong Kong International Airport but this is where I find myself, laptop out with around half an hour til boarding. This is a curious and rather amusing place. It is mostly just an enormous tunnel with a big white dome roof and glass walls, with gate lounges, shops, and travelators (in case you want the sensation of casually strolling but flying at twice your normal speed) stretching as far as the eye can see. I started out at gate 60 and lugged my bags all the way to gate 21. I sat down for a few minutes to relieve my shoulders then decided I was dying for minty fresh breath and had to go find some toothpaste or mints or something. Grabbing a trolley (i should have done this in the first place, but common sense struggles at 1am in the morning) I began to venture, musing at things such as the shuttle service “we’ll take you straight to your boarding gate” where buggys beeping and flashing madly make a beeline through the crowd, daring anyone to stay in the way! And glass-enclosed rooms engulfed in cancerous cigarette smoke for those who stuggled through their 10 hour plane flight and are making sure they didn’t add a single minute to their life.

Having never more desired minty freshness I exchanged some money for the colourful notes and oddly shaped coins which are the Hong Kong dollars, and found some blessed mints! Resuming my place in Gate 21 I now await my next 13 hour trip, on route to Europe.

(A few hours later, on the plane)

The trips so far have been very pleasant. Flying out of Adelaide was great with a window seat, my spirits soared as I watched Adelaide and its sandy shores fly into the distance. I spent some time meditating on God being our protector and deliverer. I opened up my promise journal to read these verses:

Psalm 3:2-3 ‘many will say of my soul “there is no salvation for him in God” But You oh Lord are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.’

Psalm 144:1-2 ‘Blessed be the Lord, my rock...he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge.

Duet 33:12 ‘Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him...’

There may be those who would suspect I am foolish for making such a venture of faith, but rather I have confirmation from an almighty God that he will protect, love and fiercely guard me! I was reminded of Pauls confidence in 1 Timothy 1:12 ‘for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.’

From Adelaide a stopover in Melbourne was required so, being directed to the transit lounge I began to settle in for a 1 ½ hour rest. At this point we begin to see the divine hand of God in placing certain people in our paths- something I am sure to expect a lot of this trip-as I recall my conversation with Wayne. A very friendly middle-aged bald man carrying a guitar case sits down and strikes up a conversation, to which I am happy to oblige in. He seems quite excited to hear of my missionary-training ventures, explaining that he himself teaches English in China to both rich and poor. He says his greatest fulfilment is in helping people, and he knows that ‘someone up there’ is in control because everything has just been falling into place in his life. He has had quite a few ‘spiritual experiences’ and it definitely sounds like God has his hand on Wayne, I am praying he is able to receive the gospel. For as much as we can be morally good and giving and serve the poor, if we are doing it to satisfy or glorify self then we are as much a sinner as the morally corrupt. As I was also just reading in Tozer’s ‘Knowledge of the Holy’, sin in essence is self-promotion and self-rule.

Wayne did not know how he would answer God if questioned at the gate of heaven, other than to fall back on his good works and what he presumes to be (and possibly is)the hand of God on his life. After pondering the conversation I was reminded that even if we do things in the name of Christ, saying “Lord, Lord, have I not done this is or that?” if we do not know Jesus personally, as our saviour, we are on a road that leads to destruction. I am hopeful though, Wayne said he has a bit of involvement in an underground church group in China and I think God will continue to seek him out and draw him.

Apart from that I have just enjoyed the time in reading, resting, eating (I’ve always heard plane food is meant to be gross but I have quite liked my meals, and the novelty of opening all the little packaged bits and pieces never grows old). I love watching the air hosts and hostesses too, I don’t think you get better service anywhere then 10000 meters above sea level. They are always polite and smiling and happy to be serving us.

I managed to get around 6 hours sleep this flight, so feeling okay and we have just received word that we’ll be landing in Zurich in 40 minutes where it is 3 degrees and snowing lightly. I am praying my bag has caught all the same flights as me and I will find it safe and sound when I finally arrive in Budapest, which is just one more plane flight away. It feels surreal that in a few hours I will get to meet those who will become my family over the next few months, and see my new home. How great is the goodness the Lord has stored up for those who will deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him, wherever that may be!

Thank you for all your prayers, they are most definitely being answered. May God bless you all!

Jemma