Vienna

We are finally in Hungary, and it's so nice! I loved Vienna last year, but this year was really kind of beat... just for me, though. The team had an AWESOME time - sightseeing, hanging out, shopping, eating cheaply, etc. I made the mistake of overdosing on my bp meds... sort of. I just didn't take into account our delayed flight - which made my Tuesday evening dose even later, and our early Wednesday bedtime in a 6 hour earlier time zone dose only 12 hours (instead of 24 hours) later... equals - lots of nausea and dizziness. It took me some time to figure it out, but let's just say our wonderful hostel was about all I saw in Vienna. That and the airport!!

All while I was sleeping, I learned that my family got to visit Shonbrunn Palace again (I SO wanted to visit the gardens), my youngest daughter almost hopped off the subway at the wrong stop - well, actually she did jump off and T just made it out in time to grab her!, she also walked into a pole - not pretty, and Kt went all out navigating her team's trip to City Hall - very enthusiastically. I'm sad to have missed it all, but I also know that everything happens for a reason.

So, while back in my hostel closet, I mean room, I started reading a book about being foolish. I mean, what better time to pick that up than when I'm hauling my family half way around the world with 22 other people to run a kids program? It led me to John, where I read this:

There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:9-14

I read these words a few times and then reflected on the idea of what truth really is. It's really why we - T and I - do what we do. We don't take students to far away places to make them better people or turn them into the future leaders of the world - not that that's a bad thing. We do it, really, out of our love for truth. Our desire to share truth with the world.

This passage in the Bible speaks of only one person, Jesus. There is not, was not, nor will there ever be any other like Him. For me, there is so much power in this passage - the Word became flesh - and so much love - and dwelt among us - and so much awe - and we beheld His glory - and so much humility - glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. We do what we do because we believe these words with all our heart, and we believe it's an all-inclusive message for every single person. We do what we do to further truth.

Sure, we have many other reasons why we give up vacation time, hours of personal time and put blood, sweat and tears into this volunteer stuff, but in the end if we aren't doing it for this reason alone - because Christ did so much more for us - then it's all in vain.

I'm excited to be here in Hungary. It's so great to see all these families from last year, meet some new ones and serve with some amazing students. Already, as a leader team, we are awed by things we never noticed in these students - and when we turned our backs for one moment, there they were in spontaneous prayer outside our hotel, and we were humbled. God moves here, and I'm so excited to serve Him in this capacity because I really and honestly believe that we are going to further truth in a dark world, that we can shine a light where one has not yet been lit. It's exciting. Don't you wish you were here with us?

And... I'm feeling much better, now that I've just finished my first Fanta Citrom of the week! ;-)