And this sleepy Tuesday night, I am greatly looking forward to my dinner and my bed! But firstly, I must earn these rewards by at least a bit of writing this night! My dinner is quite an epic salad(lettuce, spinach, red peppers, yellow peppers, green peppers, black olives, green olives, cheese, green onions, spices, balsamic vinegar, etc, etc…delicious much? Oh and side note – as much as I enjoy being able to put a whole can of black olives on the salad and eating as many of them as I want, I sort of miss being able to fight with the sisters for the olives. Just saying). Anyway! Enough about my salad! Soon enough I will eat it, but now just a few words about my weekend of loveliness in the great land of Hungary…

And it’s something I said to Anna yesterday, but just to say again, there are some things that just can’t be expressed in words. My heart is full of joy and love and wonder and yet my lips cannot say words enough to echo the depths of my soul. And still I try. So here we go…

On Friday evening, flew late from Aberdeen through Frankfurt(where I had to run, but I did catch my flight, hurrah!) before arriving in Budapest! And breezed through the terminal to the welcoming hall to see Anna standing there! After more than a year, it felt like it’d been no time at all as we spent the drive back to her hometown of Miskolc talking almost nonstop(as tired as I was!!). And now to attempt to paint a picture of the wonderfulness of the weekend…woke up Saturday morning to an amazing breakfast(toast with cheese, scrambled eggs, gorgeous coffee sweetened with honey and milk…) shared with Anna, Boroka and their dad before Anna and I explored Miskolc together! Seeing her church and her old school, wandering through ancient castles and eating way too much delicious ice cream and cakes, walking through a lovely park in the gently fading sunlight of an autumn evening…enjoying a massive dinner of goulash and pancakes and laughter with the family…watching a TV show with classic traditional Hungarian dancing and music with Anna and Boroka and their grandparents and loving every second! And yes, still on the first day! I really can’t properly get my thoughts across, but oh well! A few more fond memories…dipping popcorn in melted chocolate while sleepily watching Bourne Identity(I think Anna only fell asleep twice! Me and Boroka resisted)…worshiping our great God in their church Avasi Reformatus Sunday morning, and while not knowing most of the words(but Anna was a great translator!), still soaking in the love and joy that was oh so present..oh what a joy it is to sing praises to the Lord, no matter what tongue we speak! And I really desire dinner now…but a few more words, I swear!

Sunday lunch was a grand affair(even though I did no work…Anna and I were able to walk Daisy their dog and talk and talk and talk as Boroka and her mother did most of the cooking!) And finally we all(Anna, Boroka, the grandparents and the parents and me!) sat down and enjoyed a dinner of roast chicken and potatoes and sweet pudding…but far better than the food was sitting and enjoying each other. And afterwards, Anna and I eventually got on the train(I think we missed the first few train times, but that was no matter…more time with the family!) to Budapest! And Budapest, oh I wish I had more words to describe it! But Anna and I walked its broad streets that next day and as I marveled at the grand palaces and churches and bridges and structures that man had so proudly constructed, I couldn’t help but pray for the great city of Budapest. Oh so lovely. Oh so needing of our Savior! And as Anna and I walked and talked and ate and laughed and prayed and rejoiced in the knowledge of knowing our Lord…I cannot help but thank God for giving me such a gorgeous weekend. Maybe one short on sleep! But one full of the peace that comes from the Spirit of God…I just think back to my thoughts as I sat in Miskolc Sunday afternoon, piano playing sweetly, as I pondered how much my God and Father has blessed me in this life… Oh what joy is mine!!!

And now it is truly time for dinner…I hope you didn’t mind this slightly rambling post, but I just had to at least try and translate some of my heart to page. A futile effort, alas. But to be blessed so greatly by our God…oh what bliss is ours in abundance, my friends!

Grace and peace and love be with you all. Always.