Hello there! Sarah here.
For those of you who don't know, we have arrived safely to our destination (city of Kecskemét if the title didn't give it away).
We traveled a total of 18 hours to arrive here. Phew! Between the drive to Chicago (with a guitar between my legs and a kennel door at my back mind you), 2 flights/1 layover consisting of 15 hours put together, a dog/large kennel (with no handle) in tow, it was exhausting to say the least. But God was with us the ENTIRE way and His PEACE was very evident. From Copper meeting the sweetest lady who ended up taking care of him up to the plane, to the check-in woman who gave us 2 extra bags checked for free, to smooth flying, to ALL of our bags/dog arriving unharmed and our easy entry through customs, we were blessed to say the least. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a large welcoming party (picture to come), who were so kind to bring us food, help us with our bags and give many hugs and well-wishes.
Our apartment is more beautiful and perfect than we expected. We were able to meet with our landlords yesterday. Imré and Csilla are an older-ish couple who speak very little English. Their daughter Vivien (who is exactly my age) was very helpful in translating. They were so incredibly accommodating and generous and went above and beyond normal landlords. They ended up buying us everything (and I mean everything) we needed for when we arrived (towels, dishes/pots, basic food, beds/bed sheets, cleaning supplies etc). We ended up talking for almost 3 hours! Everybody here has also been kind enough to let us rest and explore the city this weekend.
And explore we did! At least, as much as we could without a car or bike. We were able to see the downtown/city center, find an amazing coffee shop (NANO coffee), some restaurants / dessert places to visit and a mall! All within walking distance. And the weather was perfect as well.
Prayer
PTL (Praise the Lord)
Thank you for praying for our fundraising! We have made our fundraising goal for the first year! However, we are far from being FULLY funded for the duration of our 3 years here! Thanks to all who have given their time and money for us to be able to make this possible.
Your prayers for safe travel for us and for Copper were (as stated above) answered! No hiccups or surprises or challenges met us on our way to our new home.
Up to Date
Please continue to pray for Cullen and I: that we would continue to grow in the Lord and in our marriage together. It has been made very clear to us that our marriage is the foundation of this mission, as without it, the rest of it falls away.
Please pray as we transition into a life of working and building relationships within our mission. We need energy, strength, clarity and patience as we transition into a new lifestyle, culture and language.
Please pray for large desire and growth within us to learn the Hungarian language. It is no easy feat!
Please continue to pray for us, our families, and friends as we all adjust to life without one another. Pray for innovative ways for us to stay connected.
In Closing
I would like to leave you with a life lesson I learned from Tyler Staton:
"God does not show up when I show up. We join God where He is already going."
That's all for now folks!
Cullen, Sarah and Copper