Learning from a Dog

Over two months now. Two months since I hopped on a plane at one in the afternoon, and arrived in California a little before midnight. Back in the United States, in my home with my family; walking familiar streets, surrounded again by people speaking English (and Spanish and Chinese). I realize two months is quite some time to go without writing anything - to go without even telling you all that I’ve made it back to the states, but honestly, some things take time, and it hadn’t felt right for me to write anything yet. So, I waited and waited for it to feel right, and one day it hit me.

I drove past a dog on the side of the road a few weeks ago. Two dogs actually. On the side of a two lane road – not dirt, but not quite nicely paved either. Golden fields on either side of the road, sparsely dotted with homes here and there – out in the middle of rural California. A few houses lined the street, a produce stand, a couple people walking about, to their tasks. Cars passing by, some moving with us, others headed in their own directions. As we got closer to the dogs, I looked out my window – naturally inclined as I am, to look at all cute animals that happen my way. One was dark chocolate brown, the other light and golden. I thought it odd for them to be reclining so close by the side of the road. But as we got closer and quickly drove past with the flow of traffic, I realized why that was. While the chocolate lab sat vigil, his head up, and tongue hanging out, the golden lab lay without life in his limbs – hit by the side of the road and forgotten. People went about their lives, cars drove by – myself included – and no one even seemed to notice this poor, helpless, innocent dog, lying by the roadside. His only companion, the one sitting steadfastly beside him in harm’s way.

The scene struck me hard, and tears filled my eyes. Not really for the family that had lost their dog, but for the dog itself, in its forgotten state, and for his companion there, sitting so unswervingly beside him, as if still holding on to hope. The chocolate lab sat there, while his friend lay dead, as if, even though already lost, he still wouldn’t leave his side and desert him. The scene struck so hard, I realized, because it’s frighteningly similar to how I imagine God loving us, and standing firmly beside us, even when our spirits are dead and lost. We pass by people every day, without seeing their brokenness; without giving a thought to their need, and yet I know that Jesus is sitting there beside them, and us all, every second of our lives, hoping for us, and praying for us – waiting for us to come back and find life in Him, even when we think we have no chance.

I can’t count on my two hands the times that I encountered such broken and lost souls over the past year, nor, I imagine the number of times I passed such people without even seeing the brokenness. Nor can I count on my own two hands the number of times I felt so hopeless and lost myself. But I’m reminded, by that heart-wrenching scene, that even when we don’t see the brokenness in those around us, Jesus is standing there steadfastly by their side. And even when we’ve lost all hope ourselves, and feel broken to the point of no return, God still holds on to that hope for us, and waits patiently, steadfastly by our side.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Loving the Leper

The little boy stared at me, four years old, standing on his tip-toes, his eyes peaking in through the upper half of the door – glass smeared with sticky hand-prints. Half sheepish and hopeful, half cunning and sly – trying to sneak in, to play with the kids, while also knowing that he was not allowed to. This boy had a rash of some sort. Tiny little blisters and red dots, covered his arms and legs – exposed due to the attire that comes with the warmth of summer. The problem was, no one knew exactly what the marks were. No one knew if they were contagious. Parents didn’t want their kids coming to the Children’s House if this boy was there. It was against the rules anyway, for children who were sick to come to the Children’s House, not because we want to be exclusive, but because it’s common sense, if you don’t want every kid there to get sick. But, regardless of the ‘rules’, this little boy still appeared in the Children’s House every day. We tried telling him he had to go home, but he would continually re-appear – his eyes peaking in through the window, waiting for the right moment to slip in. Some adults were saddened by his predicament, but most agreed that he should not be there, interacting closely with the other kids. I myself was scared about touching him too much – fearing that the rash, or whatever it was, might spread to me, but also knowing that if he couldn’t be at the children’s house, his next option was home, where he would be ignored, or maybe even alone, or playing on the street. As I watched him sneak in every time, something interesting happened. The other kids, who usually either fight with, or ignore him, quickly ran over to play with him, holding his hands, spinning in circles with him, not thinking for a second, to shun him, or avoid contact with him because of his sickness. They weren’t scared of interacting with him because of his rash, but rather, it seemed quite on the contrary – they seemed drawn to him because of his sickness! Maybe it’s just because little kids like rebelling against what their elders tell them to do, but I can’t say that I ever told any of the kids not to touch, or play with that boy.

It was an eye-opening thing, to see how the children’s lack of fear allowed them to better befriend this young boy while everyone else was telling him to leave, or go home, or trying carefully not to touch his skin. I still don’t think having a sick child in a daycare, where a bunch of other kids are, is a good idea (within the week I saw those same dots on two other little boys), but I do think we can learn something from the way they loved that boy who was covered in dots. Jesus didn’t fear the leper, or tell prostitutes to leave his presence. He embraced them. While I think we should take the caution not to contract the spiritual or physical diseases or sicknesses of those we have the opportunity to interact with, I think we also need to see past those things in order to love and serve God’s children as he calls us to. Like the kids at the Children’s House, who were innocent enough to run to the boy and hug him and hold his hands to play without the fear, or prejudice that comes with knowing someone is sick, we need to find the courage and strength in God, to overcome those fears and prejudices, so that we can interact with those in our lives – ‘diseased’ spiritually or physically (let’s face it, we are all diseased in some way or another) – in a loving, compassionate way.

Without God

The past month has been…well…interesting, to say the least. For the past nine months, circumstances at my placement had been pushing me and challenging me. A few weeks ago, a specific incident took place at the school where I worked, which opened my eyes to the possibility that maybe God had been pushing me and growing me throughout those nine months, in order to now call me to serve and learn in a different place.

For four weeks now, I have been serving at a new placement. It will take more than just a blog post to convey all the things I’m learning from following God’s pushing to this point, but I figure I have to start somewhere to share my experiences! I now live in a town called Nyirtelek, and am connected closely with the Lutheran church here (I live in an apartment over the church and my front door is literally 4 steps from the Pastor’s front door if that doesn’t give you an idea of what ‘closely connected’ might mean). Throughout the week, I travel to a small town nearby, called Görögszállás, which has a majority Roma population. My work in Görögszállás primarily takes place in the children’s house (something like a day care, or preschool). On occasion, I also journey with the Pastor, to events in Nyirtelek, and surrounding areas, in an effort to encourage dialogue around the situation of the Roma, and to stimulate the building of relationships between Roma and non-Roma people. It has been an incredible blessing to see the work that is being done here, to see people truly dedicated to living out the mission of God, by reaching out in the name of Jesus, and seeing people come to know him as a result. I am reminded again and again, that no matter how much we try to teach morals, or advocate for social justice, it all adds up to nothing without the power and name of Jesus Christ behind it all.

Many of the teenagers involved in the youth group here struggle deeply with things like smoking, gossiping, fighting (verbally or physically), and having sex outside of marriage (some of their parents even encourage it because having a baby would mean that the teenager no longer has to go to school). It can be easy to look at those around us who are struggling with immoral behaviors, or who are caught in unjust, or inhumane circumstances, and think that the best thing we can do for them is to rid them of those immoral behaviors, or to ‘fix’ those less than ideal circumstances. I think the pastor here has the right idea though, when he says that his real and primary concern is their salvation. We should not be complacent when we see people in unjust, inhumane circumstances, or in bondage to sinful behaviors, but we must remember that the only thing that can genuinely free them, and us, from such things, is a relationship with God.

God calls us to act justly and walk beside our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds and circumstances. It’s important to remember, however, that God’s great commission is for us to share the Good News, and make disciples throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19). On their own, justice, equality, and morals do not lead us to our Lord and King. Rather, our relationship with the Heavenly Father gives us reason and ground to act in a just, morally up-right way, and to see and treat everyone around us as equals. It’s a scary thing when the cart comes before the horse, and it is a beautiful sight to behold when it follows smoothly behind. Many Christian churches today seem to be taking a hard turn toward goals of social justice, equal rights, and eliminating the ‘problems’ of this world. Those are all great things which God calls us to pursue, but we must remember that in the end, the only thing that can and will get rid of all the problems in this world is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Christ’s followers, we need to remember that God does call us to show our neighbors love in all of our words and actions. Take James 2: 14-17 for example: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Our faith is made complete by what we do (James 2:22), and opportunities abound to act on that faith every day, whether it be a neighbor in need of food, a friend seeking a shoulder to cry on, or a complete stranger, desperate for a voice who will advocate for them. God calls us to be his hands and feet on this earth, and as God’s messengers and servants, we must remember that what this world really needs is a relationship with the Lord. We can show the love and hope and peace and strength of God to those around us through the way we act and speak, but we must always give credit to the reason for why we act in such a way – pointing them to the Father.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I (Jesus) have commanded you.

Matthew 28:19-20

Magyarmecske Tanulda

The flowers are budding, the grass is sprouting up green, and the kids are all but too eager to get out onto the soccer field...it can mean only one thing: Spring has arrived!!

And with it, for your viewing pleasure, are some pictures!

One of the activities that takes place at the tanulda* where I spend my afternoons, is foreign language learning! In the picture above, an array of third graders are working on their English homework (some, perhaps more enthused about it than others :)

Along with the scheduled English lessons and homework sessions at the tanulda, I'll often find myself pulled into this side room, where a wall-to-wall chalk board resides, and many a little girl wants to draw animals, or play school, or 'hang-man'...all of which turn out to be great opportunities for teaching the kids, while also having fun and playing :)

Stay tuned for more pictures from Magyarmecske!

*Just as a reminder, in case you're wondering what in the world a 'tanulda' is, here in Magyarmecske, a tanulda is something like an after-school community house/center, where mostly kids (though at times, people of all ages from the community can be found there) come, to learn, work on homework, play, use the computer, and sometimes, just hang out, in a safe environment.

What's in a Man?

A few weeks ago, while listening to a Focus on the Family radio broadcast, I was struck by something one of the men spoke into my little ear buds. He claimed this idea: “real masculinity doesn’t conquer and dominate, it protects and defends.” Masculine power, what it means to “be a man”, has been one of those subtle, yet ever nagging things that I’ve been wrestling with throughout my time here in Hungary. Never was this idea of real masculinity, and how it can either help to build a woman up, or tear her down, so brought to my attention, as it was today.

I walked down the hallway, surrounded by 7 little second graders, heading with them, and the English teacher, to go through the indoor quad area, and up to the library where we would have our lesson. As I chatted lightheartedly with one little girl about the furry tiger slippers she was wearing (the kids all have indoor and outdoor shoes), we passed through the doorway into the quad, and my attention was abruptly torn from our “cutesy” conversation, as the sound of shouting rang in my ears. At first I didn’t think much of it, because there are often girls bickering about something, or boys wrestling around, but as the English teacher started yelling at them, I looked up from the little girl by my side, and was shocked by what I saw. There across the room, was a 15 or 16 year old young man, standing over a similarly aged young woman. She was huddled in the fetal position on a bench in a corner. The boy was slapping the cowering girl repeatedly, while she cried out and yelled at him. When we entered the room and the teacher called the boy off, he backed away, but only after giving the girl a full kick to her side. The girl then scrambled off the bench and away from the boy, crying and yelling at him, while he quickly faded back into the crowd with his friends, who were playing ping-pong near by.

Upon hearing all the commotion, another teacher came out of the nearby office, and immediately went to the girl, restraining her, as if she had been assaulting someone. The teacher I was with proceeded to quietly shepherd the second graders up to the library, and away from the troubling scene.

I have no idea what took place to put those two teenagers into that situation, but not once did I see anyone confront the young man about what he had done, nor assign any punishment for his behavior.

On days like today, when I am reminded of the disrespectful view some of the boys hold in regard to girls, and women, it seems almost hopeless for me to really develop strong friendships with those kids, and make a positive impact. Having a total of four male teachers on staff at the school, also adds to the difficulty of proper discipline, and, sadly, many of the boys also lack a good role model of “real masculinity” at home.

I hope that in reading this, your heart and mind are not turned to judge, or to criticize, but that you would be moved with compassion and a newfound encouragement to take action. My hope is that, especially for you men out there, you would have a renewed and reawakened conviction in your responsibility to step up and teach the younger men and boys in your life, what real masculinity is all about. Remember, you are always leading by example for those who look up to you, and you never know who might be following your lead.

Why Just the 14th of February?

Valentine’s day is a little different here from how I remember it, back in my elementary school days. I remember going to the store with my mom, picking out my box of valentines (mom checking to make sure there would be enough to give one to every member of the class.) Disney princesses, Scooby doo, Winnie the Pooh, you choose the theme you want. Then emptying the box over the living room carpet, and carefully addressing a card to each of my classmates, and signing my name.

Here in Magyarmecske, we did things a little different on the 14^th of February. Pink and red papers were still scattered across the classrooms, hearts, and puppies, and flowers, drawn to your heart’s content. But rather than blindly giving a cookie-cutter valentine to each and every one of your classmates (don’t want any kids feeling left out now), the kids were given time, and supplies to make their own valentine creations, and send them, or not send them, to whomever they wished, within the school. You may think this would set us up for an emotional disaster; little girls crying because their valentine box was empty, teenage boys taunting one another over who got the most cards; but amidst the scraps of red paper flying left and right, I saw something spectacular, as I was being pulled at, left and right to draw little puppies in love, and roses, and cupids, shooting their arrows, onto my fourth graders’ papers.

A boy in the class came up to me where I was sitting with another girl, helping her draw two puppies that looked as though they might be in love. He asked me if I would draw a rose for him on his valentine. I was very reluctant to draw it, knowing that he was just as capable as I, and thinking he was just trying to get out of doing the ‘work’. So, we made a compromise. I would draw a cupid on the valentine, if he would draw the flower and write his own message on it. He agreed, and handed me the piece of pink construction paper. I drew a cupid, shooting an arrow off the page, and handed the paper back to him carefully, partially expecting this young man, who can sometimes be a little less than respectful toward me, to take the paper and hand it right back to me, telling me to draw the flower too, then to write the message for him. But, to my surprise, he took the paper, drew a flower on it, and proceeded to write a message on it, to his older sister, a few grades above him.

I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think I would have made, or given anything to my brother in fourth grade, unless maybe it was a mud pie, or something. This boy wasn’t required to send a valentine at all, let alone to his sister, yet he chose to do so, to tell her that he appreciates her and loves her. I think we can all learn a lesson from how these kids do Valentine’s Day. Yes it’s great to make everyone feel equally ‘loved’ on Valentine’s Day, by requiring kids in elementary school to give valentines to all their classmates, but wouldn’t it be even better if we shared “valentines” with those around us, just for the sake of letting them know we appreciate them, and love them. Not just because it’s Valentine’s day, or not just because it’s someone’s birthday. Not because we feel obligated to do so because of cultural norms, and Hallmark’s advertising, but because we are grateful for the blessings of love and joy that God has placed in our lives, through the presence of those around us. I know Valentine’s Day has passed, but why not send a “valentine” to someone in your life, as a way of thanking God for blessing you with their presence….any day…every day...it doesn’t matter that it’s not technically Valentine’s Day.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4: 7-11

Ps. You can read more from me, and other missionaries around the world, in my home church's "Mission Beyond Saint Matthew" newsletter, which can be found here: http://saintmatthew.org/DL/news/MBSMnewsletter.pdf

I spent this past week in Berlin, surrounded by my fellow American volunteers, as well as others from Germany, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and the Ukraine. We came together for a seminar hosted by RGDTS (Roma Gadje Dialogue Through Service), and spent the week learning about Roma history and discussing our placements, and struggles, and ways we can better help serve the Roma community. All in all, it was a great time to be in community with others who are serving in similar communities as I am, and was great to learn and grow from our time together. Stay tuned....an entry about Valentine's Day in Hungary coming soon!