-Worship sometime between 9am and 11:30am, marvel at how faithfully God shows up every day during this time
-Get dressed, eat something, down some coffee
-Wait for the Pastor to call or text about when to meet him.
-Continue waiting
-1:30pm: Receive a cryptic text that might mean the Pastor will be there around 2pm
-2:30pm: Receive a cryptic text that, once the teams have collaborated to decipher, must mean the Pastor would like 2-3 of us to go meet him at the bus stop nearly 2 kilometers away.
-Volunteer to go meet the pastor
-Walk through the cornfields to get to the gypsy village you have to walk through to get to the bus stop
-Avoid stepping in fresh horse poo on the way there (it’s abundantly available for the stepping-in, but I think we’ve all successfully avoided it thus far)
-Say “Hi!” to all the gypsy kids running out to greet you in the only English they know: “Goodbye! Goodbye!”
-Meet the pastor, grab a grocery bag or two, begin the walk back through the gypsy village and the cornfields
-Get back to the house, put groceries away, grab your bible and guitar, head out the door.
-Walk to a different bus stop, arrive 3 minutes too late, stand around and pray for a bus for 20-30 minutes.
-Give up, walk 20 minutes down the highway without a sidewalk praying not to get hit by 18-wheelers.
-Make it to the next bus stop 20 minutes early; pray for the ministry for those 20 minutes.
-The bus arrives, it’s full to the point where 4-6 people are already standing, and the 12 of you cram on the bus anyway.
-Mmm, inhale the captivating aroma of blended BO, dust, varying farm smells, and exhaust.
-“Do. Not. Puke. On. The. Bus.” Plays on repeat in your head.
-Get off the bus, thank God for fresh air, proceed to walk 20-30 minutes to a village.
A house in a gypsy village.
-Stop and listen to the pastor speaking in Hungarian for 10 minutes.
The gypsy village we've visited most often.
-Nod and smile like you understand what he’s saying.
-Agree to pray for whatever is going on even though you don’t really have any idea.
-Visit another village, pull out the guitar, play some worship songs and pray over the village.
-Feel tiny fingers wrap around your hand, look down to see the most adorable child you’ve ever seen beaming up at you.
-Play with said child until the Pastor is beyond ready to leave.
-Hug said child and whisper “Jesus loves you so much” in her ear.
One of the babies at one of the gypsy villages.
-Don’t think about the fact that you may never see her again, this can lead to tears.
-Walk 15-45 minutes back to the bus stop, arrive too late, pray for a bus.
-Get on a bus that takes you 2 of the 7 kilometers between you and home.
-Walk along the same highway you walked along earlier, only this time you’re doing it in the dark (say a quick prayer thanking God for remembering your headlamp).
-Whip out the iPod and dance along the highway (this is necessary for the sake of your sanity).
-Arrive home and inhale the scent of whatever the Pastor’s wife has prepared for dinner – you can’t pronounce it, but it’s hot and smells amazing.
-Sit down for a family meal.
-Try not to cry because the unknown hot meal in front of you is so satisfying.
-Gather your whole team in one room for some solid team time.
-Thank Papa for the good that comes out of all his crafty thwarting of our plans, turn out the lights, and rest in His goodness.
My gypsy friend Maria. We have a secret handshake.
For those interested: Gypsies are natives of India who have moved here, there are two classes of gypsies – the ones you think of stereotypically who are often covered head-to-toe in vibrant colors and flowing skirts; and then the poorest of the poor – the social outcasts, the ones we're drawn to from the bottoms of our hearts – the ones pictured in this blog. socially, they're pariahs. it's not uncommon to hear them badmouthed, or to hear "gypsy" as a derogatory term aimed at them like a spear. They live in shacks, but God's taken care of them, and their smiles are more genuine than any we see in the city.
