Well, another month has passed here in Nyirtelek, and today I can honestly say that I'm feeling more at home here. The language is still coming gradually and I feel like I'm becoming more and more a part of the village community where I work. It's really a great feeling to be invited into people's homes and to recognize everyone else. I'm learning more and more of the family ties that everyone seems to have, as most people in Gorogszallas seem to be related by blood or marriage. Also, many of the children easily recognize me now and come up to me and start jabbering away in Hungarian, to which I can just nod and smile.
Yet, everything might not be as rosy as we wish it was. The children's house or preschool, as I've been calling it, is at best underused. Two mothers or fathers bringing in their children during a 7 hour day is typical, more than 5 kids at a time is unheard of. Yesterday, there was a meeting between the paid workers at the children's house, the pastor and a social worker from church, and a woman who I believe was from the local Office of Social Services. I believe they were talking about how to make the program more attractive to the community, but the only thing I'm sure of is that, yet again, tensions arose on the subject of Hungarian children compared with Roma (Gypsy) children. As I have seen, the numbers of both ethnic groups in the building have been similar (if not, more Gypsy children have made use of the facility), and there are equal numbers of Gypsy and Hungarian staffers. But aside from the resentment that naturally arises out of this issue, the fact remains that the community is not really making ample use of the facility.
A pediatrician also came for part of the day to be available to answer questions for the parents in the community free of charge and to examine their children if they would like. However, he ended up just sitting there and talking with the staffers for a few hours because no one came. He spoke English and voiced some of his frustrations to me, telling me he was hurt and did not know what to do. He had been visiting this community every once in a while for the past 15 years and still the people would not come to him. He asked me if I had any advice for him, because, even though I may not have much experience maybe I studied this in school. I felt clueless at the moment and lightheartedly suggested that he might go into the peoples' homes and drink a lot of palinka (Hungarian home-brewed, fruit-based liquor) with them. But later, I also had to think quite hard about this question. Right now, to much of the community I'm a funny foreigner (who's probably rich) who can speak a few words of Hungarian and understands only if one speaks very slowly and uses simple words. But what would I have to do to really gain their trust?
I think I would need to become one of them. I can't change my skin color, it's true, but I could live with them. I could speak their language. I could live in a house like theirs, if I had a family and children I could send them to the same school as their children. I could work alongside them, sharing my strengths as well as exposing my weaknesses. It's even possible to take share their poverty, though, how difficult it would be to cut the ties that would enable me to regain my relative wealth! I've heard about Christians who, a long time ago, sold themselves into slavery in order to share the Gospel with slaves and others who joined a leper colony, sentencing themselves to the same fate as the lepers, in order to share the love of Jesus Christ with others. What am I willing to do for Christ, or more importantly, am I fearlessly loving God and following Him in my everyday life? This is the question I find myself asking now.
p.s. Thanksgiving was great! I spent it with friends in Budapest, complete with the traditional turkey and all the trimmings. Also, thank you for your continued prayers and support, I can't tell you how much I appreciate them! And a random weird fact: there are more pregnant women in my congregation here and in Gorogszallas than I thought possible. Seriously, I think I can count at least 6 or 7 off the top of my head. Praise God for baby Mozses (Moses) who was born to Barna and Teri Adam last Thursday! (I got to hold him today, I know you're jealous :) ).
