10 things on the 10th of October

October sunset at the field

Sziasztok! (Hello, everyone!) It’s chilly and fall-like here in Hungary, and we’re both doing all right – we have up and down days, but we’ve been busy making some good connections with Hungarians and with our OM team. Since it’s the 10th day of the 10th month, we thought we’d give you 10 quick tidbits about what’s happening here and what we’re learning.

1. Here’s what happened with the refugee referendum voting we talked about in our last post. It was a weird result: More than 98 percent of participants in the referendum on October 2 sided with the current Hungarian government by voting against the admission of refugees to Hungary. But less than half of the people showed up to vote, rendering the whole thing constitutionally null and void.
   
   We’re not sure exactly what this will mean for the Hungarian government’s fight against the EU’s refugee policies. The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, still wants to use the high percentage of “no” votes to support his case against the EU and hopes other countries will hold a similar referendum. It’s not only about the refugee policies, either. Orbán is concerned about the power of the EU to tell member countries what to do.
   
   As the above linked article quotes, “The majority of Hungarians stayed away from the polls, and what’s been left behind is a divided country.”


2. We celebrated our third anniversary last week! We went to a steakhouse in Érd for a delicious dinner. The owners of this steakhouse actually went to the U.S. to learn about how places like Texas Roadhouse work and brought back what they learned. So, this place even had peanuts on the tables! (Although, there were no shells on the floor. As one of our fellow OMers said, “That would be way too uncivilized for Hungarians.”) Also, we were blessed to hear anniversary wishes from so many of you. Thank you!


3. October 6 is a national day of bereavement in Hungary commemorating 13 generals of the Hungarian revolution against the Austrian Empire. The revolution was ultimately unsuccessful, and the generals were hanged on October 6, 1849. I found this article about the last words of the generals, many of whom appear to have been Christians. Here’s one of them, the last words of General György Láhner: “Christ’s cross and the gallows are related. And my sacrifice is so small compared to the divine sacrifice.”


4. Speaking of Hungarian holidays, a big one is coming up on October 23 commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution against the Soviet Union. One of our reading/learning assignments for OM has been to read the book “The Bridge at Andau” by James A. Michener. I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s fascinating — dark, but true, and it tells the story of this doomed revolution. It’s Eastern European history that I never learned in school. The author was living in Austria in the 1950s and interviewed Hungarian refugees who fled the country after the uprising.
   
   Here’s what the back cover says: “At four o’clock in the morning on a Sunday in November 1956, the city of Budapest was awakened by the shattering sound of Russian tanks tearing the city apart. The Hungarian revolution — five brief, glorious days of freedom that had yielded a glimpse at a different kind of future — was over. But there was a bridge at Andau, on the Austrian border, and if a Hungarian could reach that bridge, he was nearly free. It was about the most inconsequential bridge in Europe, but by an accident of history it became, for a few flaming weeks, one of the most important bridges in the world, for across its unsteady planks fled the soul of a nation.”


5. Here’s a fun Hungarian word you can learn: “nyugi.” Sound it out, and you’re probably saying it right: “nyoo-gee” with a hard G. It means, “Chill out.” Good word for excited little baseball players.


6. Please keep our fellow baseball OMer and Patrick’s supervisor Terry in your prayers. He leaves tomorrow for a nearly three-month trip in Canada and the U.S., where he will be recruiting for the baseball ministry, raising support, and getting to spend the holidays with family in the States. His wife Rebecca will join him in December. In the meantime, we will be stretching our little wings and trying to keep things going in his absence.


7. Here are the two articles I’ve written so far for OM Hungary: Our club hosting the softball Danube Cup and a refugee family day outreach. More are coming.


8. Patrick is still busy with coaching and umpiring. He drove to the Austrian border twice this past weekend for games, and since this was his first time umpiring behind home plate, he said he was thankful no one seemed to get too mad at his calls. He’s also been joining in a discipleship time each week for a couple of the Christian players.


9. I’ve been practicing my Hungarian through the Duolingo app! It’s free and pretty helpful if you are looking to learn a new language. Although, some of the practice sentences are funny: “Ez alma vagy lámpa?” or, “Is this an apple or a lamp?”


10. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Thanks for reading, thanks for your prayers, thanks for your support — sending our love.
Jessica and Patrick