This morning the team begins the long journey home!
Begining at 0800 (that’s 2am in the ‘ville) in Budapest with four different types of public transit, flying to London (on BA 867) and then connecting to Washington (on BA293), the team will land tonight at Dulles at 19:59 (7:59pm) for the ride to Charlottesville or wherever. That’s at least a 18 or 20 hour trip!
This small band of travellers have done an amazing job. They have served with diligence doing all sorts of tasks and have connected with new friends.
This has been thought of as a trip of reinvention. A new way to serve the partners. It was really a bit of an experiment. Smaller than past teams, we were, I think, more focused.
Our partners were wonderful hosts to the ladies. And we thank the Coppages, Joanna, the Newells and the Nemeths for opening thier homes to the chaos that a team brings to a place. We hope we cleaned up after ourselves pretty well.
This team was cooperative. They sought to learn. They embraced that which was different. They struggled with the difference in culture, especially sometimes the food. We struggled with the cost of things. Here in Budapest, EVERYTHING is more expensive and the dollar fell further while we were here.
Thanks to this team the doors to new hearts have been opened a crack in some cases and in the case of others, these hearts for the Gospel have been opened wider. And in EVERY case, we know that connection exists that will further the Gospel into those hearts.
The experiment of re-creating the trip model was a success. This is because the Father paved the way. He gave us the patience to work in unfamiliar ways with new people who we didn’t always understand. The Holy Spirit guided circumstances in more that one occasion to keep the journey on track. Jesus name was lifted up to some people for the first time and again for others. The Lord was ever present with us (as He always is) and took good car of us and, I think, used our willingness, if not our abilities. On this trip we saw gifting emerge and the Lord use this for His glory.
So, Jasmine, Elizabeth, Steve and Lauren: well done, good and faithful servants.
Will there be an EE09 to further hone the new model? Rule one.
