A Little Hungarian Lesson

Happy Fall, y'all!!

We've been back to school here in Romania for the last two weeks, and we've had a great time restarting English classes and all of our other year-round ministry activities that took a break in the summer months.  The weather's turned cold and grey, and with the wind blowing and leaves changing, it really feels like fall.  Last week, I got to celebrate my birthday in Romania for the second year in a row!  Paul did an incredible job making me feel special, bringing home fresh flowers and preparing an unforgettable Greek birthday feast for two.  This past weekend, we were excitedly preparing for some very special guests: my parents!  They will arrive this week, and it's their first ever trip to Romania since I've been traveling here for the last 8 years. We absolutely cannot wait!

In the spirit of getting back to school, I thought we'd do something a little different this week.  I want to share a little language lesson with all of you!  For our Hungarian friends in Romania and Hungary, this will be your chance to correct me if I'm wrong about something :) For our English-speaking friends in other parts of the world, here's a little taste of what Paul and I have experienced while learning Hungarian (thanks to Orsi for this amazing graphic!):

And while we've got you laughing, here's the very first thing I was told about the Hungarian language by a Hungarian friend I met in 2008: "Did you know Hungarian is the language of heaven?  Because it takes an eternity to learn!" At the time, I wasn't able to appreciate just how true this little joke has turned out to be!

Hungarian is not a latin language like Romanian is (along with Spanish, French, Italian, etc.).  It's not a Slavic language like Russian, Czech or Polish.  It's not an Indo-European language at all, instead belonging to the Uralic family of languages (like Finnish and Estonian).  Practically speaking, this basically means that we, as American English-speakers, don't see or hear familiar words or parts of words almost at all in Hungarian, except for some of the most modern words or words that are actually taken from English/popular culture.  Want to see what I mean??  Take a look at some of these Hungarian basics:

Greetings

Jó napot - "Yo nah-poht" Good day

Jó reggelt - "Yo reh-gelt" Good morning

Jó estét - "Yo esh-tate" Good evening

Jó éjszakát - "Yo ay-sa-kaht" Goodnight

Szia - "See-yah" Hi

Viszontlátásra - "Vee-sont-laa-taash-rah" Goodbye

Hogy vagy? - "Hoydge-vahdge" How are you?

Jól vagyok - "Yol vahdge-yoke" I'm well

The Basics

Igen - "ee-gen" (g like in "gate") Yes

Nem - "nehm" No

Köszönöm - "Køsønøm" (Click here for pronunciation) Thank you

Szívesen - "See-vesh-en" You're welcome

The numbers

1  egy

2  kettő

3  három

4  négy

5  öt

6  hat

7  hét

8  nyolc

9  kilenc

10  tíz

Phrases we find ourselves saying a lot

Finom - Delicious!

Nem tudom - I don't know

Americaiak vagyunk, de itt Romániában lakunk. - We are American, but we live here in Romania.

Isten áldjon meg - God bless you (How we greet older people in our churches)
Békeséget - Peace (How we greet church friends in Apalina)

Ok, I think that's enough for now!  Is your head spinning yet??  We're not kidding when we say Hungarian is not an easy language, but Paul and I have both grown to love it.  We've even found that our Hungarian is starting to rub off on our English a little bit!  Lately I've been accidentally constructing sentences in English using Hungarian structures (For example, in English the other day I said "Understand!" instead of "I understand!" because "I understand" in Hungarian is just one word, "Értem.").  While I know I still have a long way to go before I feel like I've mastered this language, all of the hard works pays off when we're communicating better and better with our students, friends and loved ones in their own language.

Szép napot! (Have a nice day!)

Love,
Katie

Whew...what a week!!!

As you saw in last week's blog, this week was the start of all of our yearly programs here in Romania. We hit the ground running Monday morning and didn't really slow down all week. Let me just dive in and share some of the moments from the week.

After a busy Monday with meetings and planning for the year, our after-school program started with students on Tuesday. We had 53 children take the beginning-of-the-year placement test! That's a record! By Wednesday afternoon, we had the children divided into groups based on ability, and we started going over rules, expectations, and procedures all together. We also spent some time with our own groups getting to know the students better. Claudiu and Cristina are back as teachers this year and they have a middle level group and advanced group, respectively. I have 24 students on my class list (although the most I had in one day was 20). My students are all in the 5th-8th grade and do not know how to read and write. There are some in this group that do not know how to write their own name. I have a big task ahead of me, but I'm excited about the challenge. It's also been a great opportunity to use some of the ideas and skills from my teaching life in the States. I've already done running records of reading (a common type of assessment in the States) with many of the children, and we are using strategies that I learned in the States to talk about the letters, the sounds they make, and how to read and write them. I'll write more on all of this another time...for now there's still so much to talk about.

Tuesday and Wednesday were also big days for the start of our English programs. We are starting new groups in another village (Gornesti) this year. Tuesday night, Katie and I were able to talk with those interested and administer a placement test. It was fun to talk to people about their interest in learning our language even though it's not the language of their country! We repeated this meeting and assessment on Wednesday night with a group of new students in Reghin. This week Katie will start teaching lessons to beginners and advanced speakers in both communities.

In addition to all of this, we were starting children's meetings, taxiing people, and preparing for church meetings on Sunday, while also readjusting to our school-year schedules and routines. We are both exhausted, but we are optimistic about the coming weeks and months of these programs.

Just another note, last week a 15-year-old boy died in Apalina when he walked under a high voltage electric line with his fishing pole. This is a boy who occasionally attended our after-school program two years ago. His death was a big shock to the Apalina community. It has also been an eye-opener for me that we need to talk more about general safety in our program. Please be in prayer for us and the community as we deal with this tragedy. Since this boy's death last Thursday, another person has already died in the same spot, bringing the total number of victims of this particular electric line to 9.  You can imagine our frustration and concern about this.

As always, thank you for your support and prayers for us as we work here in Romania.

Love, Paul

Cristina and her group

Claudiu's group as they share their writing assignment

Paul's group working hard on their first assignment of the day

Working on reading and writing

Lunchtime!!!

Paul with a part of his group

Back to School

Paul and I have returned from our beautiful honeymoon/one-year-anniversary vacation in Greece!  It was an incredible trip to a truly amazing place.  We have almost 800 pictures to prove it!  One of my side projects this year is going to be attempting to recreate some of the delicious and very, very fresh Greek food dishes we tried and loved!  First step: start growing some oregano on our balcony!

At the Parthenon (Athens, Greece)

Today marks the first day of the 2015-2016 school year here in Romania!  The after-school program in Apalina is starting up again, along with most of our other year-round ministries like English classes, children's ministry, and worship team training and practice.  Tomorrow night, we'll have an introduction meeting for English classes in a new village!  We're excited to start classes in Gornesti as an outreach ministry for the congregation there.  On Wednesday, we'll start back English classes in Reghin.  At After-school, we've hired a friend from the Gornesti church to cook lunch every day for the kids, so Paul will be free to do what he does best: teach!

Last week, we spent several days preparing for the new year.  We held meetings with the leaders of the children's ministries in our area as well as with the teachers in the after-school program.  We prayed, planned and dreamed with them about the opportunities God will give us during this year to reach out to the children and youth in our four main towns and villages.  We shopped, cleaned, organized and brainstormed, and now we are ready to go!

Here are some prayer requests you can keep in mind for us as the fall progresses.  Please pray for:

• Hearts and lives that were touched this summer through the many camps that were held
• New church members in Apalina and Gornesti as they grow in their faith
• The new school year and the start of After-School, English classes, and children's meetings
• New workers to come alongside us in this very busy ministry
• The current workers here to be strengthened and encouraged

We'd love to hear from you if you enjoy reading these updates and keeping up with us in your prayers.  Any word from our supporters and encouragers is a big blessing to us!  We treasure notes and emails in our hearts for days and weeks after we receive them.  They really do make a difference!  Thank you for caring for us!

Love,

Katie

Summer 2015 Newsletter

In case you missed it, you can check out our summer newsletter here!  

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One year together in Romania

I can't believe what I'm about to write! Katie and I have been in Romania together for a year! There are moments when it seems that it has gone by so quickly, and then other moments it seems like we have been here much longer. No matter how it feels, one year ago today we arrived back in Reghin!

This year has been full of great new experiences, challenging lessons, and growth in love. I have learned what it means to truly love another person while also learning what it means to be loved. Experiencing life so closely with another person has added richness to my view of the world. I have been challenged in the realization that I'm not nearly as together as I thought I was. I remember thinking that this whole marriage thing would be so exciting that any challenges would simply be conquered by the fact that we were together. While I'm happy to say that we are loving being together, this does not always make everything simple. Life can be hard no matter where you are. It can be especially hard when you are facing new circumstances all around you.

After one year together, with all the joys and challenges, we have so much to celebrate!  In fact, we have never had the chance to formally celebrate our honeymoon!  So tomorrow we are finally leaving for Greece to do just that! Greece is a place we have both always wanted to visit, and now we get to do it together. This is the thought I want to end on...togetherness. We are learning to live our life together, no matter what's going on around us. For this reason, I'm so grateful to wake up each morning next to my love. I can't wait to live this next year with you, Katie!

Love,
Paul

Late-Summer Ice Cream Recipes

Paul and I have spent a lot of the summer away from home, whether we were staying overnight at sleep-away camps or sleeping at home but being gone for most of the daylight hours.  That meant we had to settle for a lot less time in the kitchen!  Cooking together has always been something we've enjoyed, but in the last three months, about 95% of our meals have been away from home!  However, in the last two weeks, we decided that even if we don't have the time or opportunity to make a hearty home-cooked meal together every day, at least we can try to make a few treats here and there!

The temperatures have been in the mid-90s, and our fourth-floor corner apartment doesn't have an A/C, so when it's hot outside AND inside, who really wants to fire up their gas-heated oven?  Not us! Instead, we dusted off our ice cream maker and put it to work!  Below you'll find the two delicious ice cream recipes we've been enjoying lately.  They're both extremely easy and the ingredients are simple and inexpensive.  If you ever wonder what we eat here in Romania... here's your chance to find out :)

Fresh Mint Ice Cream (Recipe from Joe and Cindy Crook)

1 cup whole milk

2 1/2 cups packed fresh mint leaves

3/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups of whipping cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (we usually half this, and we've even omitted it with good results!)

1 1/2 cup chopped peppermint patties or chocolate-mint candy (like Andes or After-Eight)

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk just to a boil. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves.  Let steep for 20-30 minutes. Strain and discard the mint leaves after steeping.

2. Add the sugar and salt to the steeped milk/mint mixture.  Use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the whipping cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight.

3. Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl.  Let mix until thickened, about 20 minutes or according to manufacturer's instructions.  Five minutes before the mixing is complete, add the chopped candy. The ice cream will have a soft creamy texture.  If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.  Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

We have doubled and tripled this recipe with great success!  You just have to re-freeze the ice cream machine's freezer bowl between batches.  This recipe is hugely popular among our friends here!

Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks and Biscoff Bits (adapted from this recipe)

We might have gone a little overboard with this one, but talk about delicious!!!

For raspberry swirl:


12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries


1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

For cheesecake ice cream:


8 oz. cream cheese


1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk


2 cups half and half
 (I can't buy this here, so I used 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup whipping cream)

Juice of 1 lemon


1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract




About 1/2 cup chocolate chunks

About 1/2 cup crushed Biscoff cookies (or graham crackers)

1. Place the raspberries in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Let sit until the raspberries release some of their juices. Refrigerate until ready to use.


2. Let cream cheese soften slightly and beat with an electric mixer. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk, while beating on low speed. Add the half and half, beating on lowest speed. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Cover the bowl and chill for about an hour, or until very cold.

3. Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl.  Let mix until thickened, about 20 minutes or according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container. Fold in the chocolate pieces and Biscoff crumbs.  Remove the raspberries from the fridge. Pour the raspberries and any juice over the ice cream. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a blunt knife to swirl the raspberries throughout the ice cream. Cover tightly and freeze for 2-3 hours until firm.

The original recipe was for raspberry cheesecake ice cream, but who doesn't love a little touch of chocolate, too?  And if we're going to add chocolate, why not throw in some Biscoff cookies to remind us of the crunch of a graham cracker crust?  The result is decadent, for sure!  Enjoy!!

Baptisms in Apalina and Gornesti

It's a very joyful privilege to be able to share that we have celebrated the baptisms of 14 new believers in our area in the last two weeks.  These new Christians heard the Gospel several months ago, believed it, repented and have spent months studying more about God and what it means to follow Him.  They have given their lives to Christ and desire to become part of our church family!  As we read in John 6, no one comes to faith in Jesus unless God the Father draws them, so we rejoice in God's powerful work in their hearts and lives!  13 new believers were baptized in Apalina on August 16 and one new believer was baptized in Gornesti on August 23.

Here are the 13 new believers in Apalina (wearing white) with Attila and Sandor, a church member in Gornesti

Izolda, the new believer in Gornesti with Attila and Miklos, her father-in-law and a pastor near Brasov

In Apalina, we had a large baptism event on the afternoon of Sunday the 16th.  The church was packed from wall to wall and dozens of people were standing just outside.  Joe P. from the visiting English group preached a powerful message while Adel N. translated, Zozo and Miklos from Sarmasag led the music, and Paul and I even got to sing a song, as the other English team members did too.  It was a special afternoon, and many visitors heard the gospel for the first time.  Izolda's baptism in Gornesti was a part of the regular morning worship service, but there were some visitors there as well who expressed a desire to learn more about Jesus and to follow him!

Joe preaching

Paul playing the piano and singing along with me and Zozo playing the guitar

Please pray for these new disciples as they continue to learn and grow in their faith.  Please pray they will be a light in their communities!  Please also pray that we, along with Attila, Adel and the other leaders in our churches, will have wisdom to help lead them and that God will continue to work in the hearts of those in our communities of influence, drawing them to Him through faith and repentance.

Love,

Katie