Szentgerice, 9:06

I just walked the village, running various errands. Arriving at the home Natalie F. is staying in, we were greeted with rapid Hungarian and the insistance that we sit down at the table outside. Then within seconds there were two plates of goodies set out for us. We stayed and visited (Emery was there to help some) as we got the business done. So much graciousness and hospitality here!

The teens are down at the community gathering place (that sounds better than bar...) playing cards. There is also a group of adults there. Everyone is pretty tired from today's excursion. First we traveled to the nearest city, Marosvasarhely. It is a city of about 120,000 people. (There are about 800 in Szentgerice.) Many of the young people from Szentgerice go to High School there. We exchanged money and walked around. Saw a beautiful Orthodox Church in the city square (the Romanians are Eastern Orthodox). Then we found the Unitarian Church. We met the minister there, Nagy Laszlo. It is a large congregation, 1800 members. And in the last decade they split, so now there are two congregations.

We also visited Segesvar. There are claims made about this being a place where Vlad Dracula originated. (You can find the history and the source of the adaptation with a web search...) We climbed and climbed to see an old castle tower and a beautiful Lutheran Church at the very top of the hill. An odd sight was a group of four dressed in Renaissance garb walking through the streets offering greetings to the city in whatever language they thought appropriate. With us they began with German, then tried Hungarian, and then we told them American, so they did it again in English. Caleb RM was with a group of youth wandering around who stopped for pizza. Caleb told me he was suspicious about the real purpose of the "pizza" place. Hmmm.

We have two who are/were feeling under the weather. One of our young adults and Morgan W. (how unfair is that?? Oh, I think I failed to report she got her luggage before we left Budapest.) She was much better by afternoon. She and Andy W. went off with the minister of another village to visit River Road's sister congregation. Their grandparents are part of RR's partner church program.

What a fascinating reality to be like an outsider in your own home. These Hungarians must learn Romanian, the state language. Only recently it was illegal to sing the Hungarian National Anthem. There is much more freedom now--but still, there is a sense in which they are outsiders in their own home.

Another fascinating thing to observe is the "progress." Those on the trip who have visited before tell the stories about how much has changed. There is a regular commuter bus to Marosvasharhely. The road has been repaired, so now the commute is only thirty minutes. As a consequence, (among other consequences) all kinds of foods are available now that these adults wouldn't have dreamed of having. Sandor (the minister here) tells the story of feeling it was unfortunate that there was starting to be trash in the village. (Before there was no pre-packaged food.) He encouraged (as only a minister can...) the young people to go out and clean up the trash. Now there are trash cans on light poles along the streets. This is progress...there is a need for trash cans. The ironies are fascinating.

I'm sorry I'm not able to get pictures posted. We may yet figure it out...

Our thoughts and prayers travel home for Luke W's uncle who is having surgery tomorrow. Sorry Luke can't be with you, Uncle Ralph. Please know you are in our prayers.