letusgive!

I don’t even know what or how I’m going to write as I begin typing this.   It’s just that I read through my past blogs and I miss blogging!   Truth be told, I send out a monthly update letter too; tonight I started telling stories in that and I miss that too!   So the first topic (kinda real)….pain.   I have talked to a friend here that I’m getting to know better and she’s had a rough childhood…painful childhood.   She has a lot of healing to be going on.   I have another friend that just had back surgery – he has been in a lot of pain and after surgery had instant relief.   He has healing to be going on as well but…he’s on his way.   I have a knee that my rheumatologist tells me – ‘this one ain’t going to heaven with you Carol’.   I laugh every time he says that and reply ‘At least I’m going to heaven’!   That particular knee has been fairly painful this spring so I have some healing to be going on as well. Second topic…youth....

New year…new me?   Probably not to be totally honest but I do like how 2017 is going so far. I have been living in Hungary for two years.   Now who would have ever believed that when I took off from my amazing company and job of 27 years back in November 2013 that I would have lived six months in Poland, spent six months back in U.S. and then moved to Hungary for two years but planning/hoping on three!? I’m here to tell you – I love how life moves along.   And again to be totally honest, I love moving along with it. So, of course, it must be said; life is good and God is waaaay better J .   If you have read my blogs over the past few years you will notice that 2016 was lacking.   Yet another honest moment – 2016 was tough for me.   I’m not sure if I’m coming out of the fog yet from it all but I know that I will.   I know that I have hope and faith and love.   There are several mission agencies that do not allow their volunteers and/or ...

I got to help put a Lego toy together today with a six year old boy from Syria living in Romania.   It was awesome…our team from Budapest took the day to see this family who made it to Greece earlier this year and are seeking asylum and were ‘assigned’ to Romania.   They are in a small town, and they have 6 months to find a job and a place to live.   It was pure joy – the little boy called me ‘Madam’…how cute is that?   We didn’t talk much, I don’t know Arabic and he doesn’t know much English but Legos has pictures with instructions – it was quite fun actually.   His Dad speaks English and when I was introduced to him, he said isn’t there a saint Carol?   I said – yes, of course there is!   So I will not let that one go for a while…saint Carol - has a certain ring to it don’t you think? That was a good start to this blustery, cold and beautiful December.   I fly ‘home’ in 12 more days and will see most of my family for Christmas.   ...

Hungary is commemorating the 60 th anniversary of their 1956 revolution.   Amazing video footage on this event at ( BBC - 1956 Magyar revolution )…students started the uprising with a demonstration – many joined and moved to the state radio station where some were allowed in but never returned.   The people outside became restless; shots were fired by the secret police and – game on – REVOLUTION.   It was amazing – many joined the freedom fighters.   One of the facts that struck me is that they literally cut out the hammer/sickle (Russian/communist insignia) from their flag and were flying a new flag all over the country.   Russian tanks and troops actually left the country.   10 days later – they came back in force – and took back control of the country…for 33 more years Hungarians lived under communist rule.   That’s history – that is ache, hurt, so much hidden activity, and I have several friends that lived through it – they had and still hav...