A young Indian shepherd boy spent a bitterly
cold night lost on a mountain. Astonishingly, he returned to his family the
next day, alive and safe.When they asked him how he survived he replied: 'When
all the skies were dark, I saw far off another shepherd's fire on another
mountain.I kept my eyes steadily on the red fire in the distance and I dreamed
of being home.'
We all need a fire on another mountain to keep our hopes alive on the nights
when our struggles are dark and bitterly cold, but we must each discover that
fire for ourselves.For each of us it is a different fire, a different dream,
a different hope.
- Sister Staninslaus Kennedy
This quote is from a daily devotional that I received for Christmas. As soon
as I read it, I couldn't help but think of Tiszaroff.
I have talked with Péter and Tünde a lot about their past ten
years of ministry in this village - 10 years with little or no response from
a community in which, fifty years ago was extremely involved in their little
church. In short, Péter and Tünde have lost their hope.
What happened during those fifty years? As an American, I blindly grasp at
Communism to be the answer to all the woes that Eastern Europeans now face.
As one mother told me
"We were always taught that the government would provide us with everything.
There was no God. The government was all we needed. I've never read the Bible.
I don't know if God exists. And I don't know what to tell my children. How
do I teach them something that I know nothing about?"
However, I can't help but believe that there's so much more to it than that.
Something that has not yet been revealed to my eyes.
I must admit that I am a little lost with what to do with the adult group
in Tiszaroff. I have about 5 adults who come regularly - but never on the
same weekend, leaving me with an average attendance of 2 on Saturday afternoons.
A few want to practice English, a few barely speak English and just want to
hang out. What do I teach them, how do I teach them? We can only bake so many
things, and one lady that comes faithfully every week desperately wants to
lose weight, and so I feel guilty baking all of these delicious yet fattening
American goodies.
Every Friday night is wonderful, and I praise God for having sent me to Tiszaroff.
Every Saturday afternoon I find myself frustrated at my lack of ideas, my
youth, my inexperience. If anyone has ideas as to what we can do on Saturday
afternoons, please let me know!
However, I do have a fire that I see far in the distance. Troff is not random.
It is not some weird game that fate is playing. I know that God had this planned
ever since I landed in Budapest in August. His work is never in vain. This
fuels my fire and keeps it burning.
May you all have a good week, God bless!
Kim