Chapter Two Begins

Okay, in reality, who knows what chapter we are on at this point. We’ve experienced so much in just two and a half months here I don’t know how we’d break it down. And, that doesn’t even include the 18 months of prayer, discernment, applications, support raising, etc. that took place in the States before we got here.

But, we’re looking big picture here, and if we viewed the first chapter of our time here in Hungary as wrapping up the playoffs and fall seasons for our baseball and softball teams, it has come to a close.

Yesterday marked...
...the final ballgames of the 2016 season for our softball and baseball teams. Our softball team, the Wildcats, finished second in the Magyar Kupa (Hungarian Cup). We are so proud of the girls for the way they played and represented the club yesterday. We’d been practicing with them three times a week leading up to this tournament, and it was great to see them put things they’ve learned into action and work well as a team. Despite windy conditions and temperatures hovering in the upper 40s F, they showed a lot of resilience to win their semifinal game and advance to the championship. Although they came up a little short in the end, the future looks bright as we have many talented players, but even more importantly, great girls who are simply enjoyable to be around.

The softball team showing the cuteness of kittens and the ferocity of wildcats... Jessica is on the very right.

Patrick and Suzanne, who has coached the Wildcats for the last six years and has helped us a ton with questions about life in Hungary

Patrick coaching first base

Believe it or not, this photo and the one above were taken on the same day.

The girls mobbing Suzanne after her final game as head coach

Next weekend will be our end-of-year team party where we’ll have food, a bonfire, an awards ceremony, and plenty of games for our players and their families. From what we’ve heard, it’s a great time where everyone pitches in and comes together for the teams. As long as the weather stays dry and is above freezing, it should be fun!

So, if that’s chapter one, what do we anticipate chapter two looking like? Well, a week from today we will begin an intensive three-week language course in Budapest. While we’ll still be far from fluent at the conclusion of it, we hope it will at least provide us with a solid foundation to build upon. This time in Budapest will also give us more of an opportunity to become familiar with the city and enjoy some of the neat things it has to offer.

The thing we are probably most excited for is a weekly night of fun with our softball girls. Because it’s based on having dinner together, playing games and having a devotional time, the team calls it Eat, Play, Pray. It will be a time for us to keep getting to know and share with the girls outside of the softball context and to explore the Bible together. We will have our first meeting this Thursday and it will go through the winter.

We will also be helping with the Three Strikes Club, a similar group designed for some of the younger baseball players. It is actually being led by two incredible young Hungarian men who gave their lives to Christ and are baseball players on the older teams. They have great rapport with the kids and serve as good role models. It is fun watching them grow in these leadership roles!

Finally, there won’t be a ton of time away from baseball and softball, as our winter practices will begin in just a couple of weeks. We will have access to a gym in a neighboring town where each team can get one practice in per week. It may seem like a quick turnaround, but that’s kind of a cultural thing in Europe: Because the vast majority of these kids only play the one sport, many of them are itching to start playing again quickly.

As always, we greatly appreciate your prayers and encouraging notes. It’s been wonderful hearing from some of you, and we enjoy catching up on what’s going on in your lives. Please be in prayer for both Eat Play Pray and the Three Strikes Club. We pray that God will be moving in these meetings and that He would speak through us.

With love,
Patrick and Jessica