August 2 -- Exhausting - Amazing - Awe Inspiring -- Budapest, Hungary

Good Morning !  I am sipping my second cup of coffee on what I am sure is at least a three cup morning.  The sky over Budapest is mostly cloudy.  This is Tuesday.  On Sunday we awoke in Szczecin, Poland after a very short but not very restful sleep.  We ate and packed and cleaned up the flat we had been using for a while.  We then went to the Sunday morning meeting and were surprised I was asked to speak a little and then later asked to pray for  people.  After a little break to get a bite to eat, we went to spend our last two hours intensely sharing with a marvelous young family.  We took a short taxi ride to my train.

On the train, the seats were already converted into sleeping shelves.  Much like a triple deck bunk against 1 wall.  Much to my surprise my sleeping companions turned out to be a young woman who climbed a steep ladder all the way to the top bunk and a young man who occupied the bottom bunk with me stuck in the middle like ham in the sandwich.  Despite my earphones, the train was old and very noisy.  I know I slept a little.  But the sleep was neither continuous nor restful.  I arrived in Kraków about 5:00 in the morning and had coffee and a bite to eat before Mariusz met me in the Burger King.  By 7:30 we were finding and boarding our bus for Budapest.  The 7 hour bus ride was swaying and bouncing and nauseous.  Fortunately I was so tired I fell asleep for a little while.  But that only after crying out to Father for some relief of the nausea.  Finally we arrived in beautiful Budapest.

When we arrived I slipped into a coffee shop to wait while Mariusz joined a thirty person line of people trying to buy tickets for the subway system we would ride to our hotel.  I was sipping my coffee as I watched a young woman approach Mariusz and then lead him away from the long line.  He followed her and in a little while they both came into my coffee shop with our tickets in hand.  Kata, the young woman, had shown Mariusz a much faster way to buy our tickets.  As they came in I invited them both to sit and join me for coffee.  Kata spoke fluent English.  She is a university student majoring in Spanish studies.  The three of us sat and chatted for most of an hour.  Kata is wonderfully knowledgeable about the culture of Budapest.  Unlike many of her university colleagues she is not interested in spending her evenings drinking and partying.  We enjoyed starting the process of building a friendship with her.    She was to us an amazing gift of God to start our visit in this wonder filled city.  Mariusz and I both hope we will see her again before we leave Budapest.  We currently believe we will be leaving here next Monday morning; but, as you have seen that remains subject to change by the boss.

After our wonderful chat we headed for the hotel.  The same one we stayed at during our previous visit.  But this time our public transit passes are good for all forms of transit throughout the city.  Therefore, after very refreshing showers and a change to fresh cool clothing, we hopped back on the subway and went to cater to our Calvinist friends by having supper in a sidewalk cafe on John Calvin Square.  We were seated just a few meters from his statue.  He looked so stern in his academic robes.  But, we relaxed and enjoyed having been set free.  Being in Hungary, we, of course, ordered a goulash soup.  Sadly it turned out to be much more like soup than like goulash.  After dinner we strolled up the street to a bridge across the Danube. At the other end of the bridge we saw the world famous Gellert Hotel slightly to our left.  It is a beautiful building.  But personally I found the buildings and statuary built into and on the cliff face to the right far more awe inspiring.  I hope you agree.

 

 

After our stroll we were both quite ready to ride back to the hotel and find our beds for a good night of sleep.

This morning after breakfast we have returned to the area along the Danube.  Here in Budapest the Danube is a major transportation area.  There are often three or more vessels moving along the river with in our short span that we can watch.  As we were walking along to our coffee shop, we passed a group of floating hotel vessels.  The sign advertised that one would be departing to the Ukraine this afternoon at 1:30.  I was sharing with Mariusz my long time "dream"of one day getting on such a boat with a group of friends to spend several days cruising along the river eating and talking together.  Taking time to play games (miniature golf was on the top deck of the vessel we were walking past.) and to soak in the jacuzzi while watching the beauties of the river bank scenery.  It seems like such a fun way to share about the Kingdom of God and to build friendships and relationships.

That led us into a brief conversation about the difference between relationship and fellowship.

Here is a simple way to think of the distinction.  Imagine yourself on a ship underway at sea.  It is a wonderful cruise liner with a great chef and a phenomenal buffet lunch each day and a mouthwatering formal dinner each evening.  In the mornings there are a dozen different little places to have breakfast.  Each has a sitting area near by where you can chat with friends over coffee.  On the cruise you meet new people at meals, alongside the pool, while dancing under the stars.  And every one of these people you meet is going the same direction you are going.  They are your fellow travelers.  With each you have some level of fellowship.  But when the cruise is over each will leave the ship and go on with his or her life.  With most you will never again make contact.  With one or two you might meet again on another cruise, but that is unlikely.  With each one on the ship you have fellowship.

Now again imagine yourself on that exact same ship.  But, this time instead of imagining yourself as one of the passengers, imagine yourself as one of the crew.  You might be keeping the engine room clean, or passengers staterooms clean, or you might be the captain or the first mate, or you might be the chef or one of the food service waiters.  Whatever your job description, you know how you fit into the crew.  You know what hours you are on duty and what hours you are permitted to sleep.  You know whom you are caring for.  And you know who is caring for you.  On this cruise you do not merely have fellowship with everyone on board, you have a relationship with each and every person on board.  Whether that person is crew member or passenger, you know what to expect of him or her and what he or she should expect of you.  You have a relationship with each one on the ship.  And, when this cruise is done, the passengers will all go home.  But, you and your fellow crew members will continue in your relationships and be ready to serve the next group of passengers who join the next cruise.

Fellowship is wonderful. However, Holy Spirit is seeking to build relationships among the saints.  Ones that last through the last cruise.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart