Budapest

It's been long since I left Budapest now, well less than a week, but it feels like long ago (I have been without internet since I left). Here are some of the photos I took for Golgota Budapest and some artwork for the internet radio station they have.

PhotoGalleryLink

crazy last day

I have done so much planning today my brain hurts.
But I have all my train routes planned (almost) all my reservation taken care of

I ate a yellow watermelon

sour milk [and not for the faint of heart]

there are many things in life that you know about and talk about, and understand what is meant. But then there are moments that you finally understand why words and phrases are said the way they are. This week, my revelation; sour milk.

I love milk and drink a lot of it, but I can be touchy about it when I'm in a new or unfamiliar place. However, I decided to just jump right in and buy some here in Budapest. My first glass was good, a little different, but good. Two days later...I poured a big glass, drank, and had no clue what had just entered my mouth. It was like drinking liquid sour dough bread. I've had my fair share of bad/expired milk, but I never knew it could be of the sour variety. Now I know and it all makes sense.

budapest

The minute we arrived, I decided that it's my favorite city I've been to in Europe yet (but maybe that will change as I live here the next week and a half...). It is beautiful, I love the buildings and the feel of the city. I don't know what I'll be doing yet, I'll get the scoop on that tomorrow. I'm working with Calvary Chapel Budapest.

here's a short video of my new accommodations
(the sound is very low, I had to whisper because the girls I'm staying with were sleeping)

Romania

It was my first stop on my journey to photograph and it was great. I met some great people (Cornel & Karen Bucur are amazing!) and saw impacting ministry taking place. It was interesting learning a little bit about how I want to approach this whole thing I'm doing. This trip has been one of those experiences where you really have no clue what you're getting into, but you just decide to go for it anyway and hope for the best. I'm definitely figuring it out as I go. I think I'm growing a lot on a few different levels but right now I'm more reflective about that, as if I was sitting on the outside of everything, trying to make up my mind about how it's all effecting me. I have quite a few photos posted on my gallery. Most of the photos are from three ministries of Pathway to Joy Ministries; one of the orphanages, the hospital, and Sabolciu, one of the gypsy village they work with. Their ministry is amazing, if any of you have the chance to go and help them out on a missions trip or whatever, it is totally worth whatever it costs; monetarily or otherwise. You can find them on the web at http://www.pathwaytojoy.org

For Photos:
Romania Gallery

2 new photo galleries

one to finish up my stay in the NETHERLANDS

the other for my TRAVELS

a strenuous journey

Probably one of the hardest things I've ever done was to get this far. I'm taking refuge at a McDonnalds in Budapest while I collect my thoughts and wait for my next train to Romania (only for a soda, I don't eat the food there). I'm in need of a refuge because I've been carying an extra 30lb (no exaggeration, it was weighed at the post office) of packages that needed to be mailed back home from my stay in Leiden but couldn't be because it was Sunday yesterday and the post office was closed. The bags that I have with me (2) are even heavier (I can lift my suitcase but not over my head) plus I bought a somewhat weighty tripod to use over here. When I left my dorm in Leiden I sat down on the front steps, ready to cry because I couldn't fathom how I was going to carry it all; the distance, up and down stairs, in and out of trains, etc. I just prayed that God would give me the strength to do it and send anybody that would help me along and keep ones who would be trouble away. My walk to the train station from my dorm is at least a mile so I slowly began my journey. I had my packages in one of those large blue IKEA bags and the only way I could carry it without it falling off my shoulder was to put one of the straps on my shoulder and the other around my neck. About a third of the way there an older lady asked me if she could help. I warned her that is was heavy, but she took pity on me anyway. This lady, however, was trying to catch a train and we were walking so fast, I thought I might faint or collapse under the weight.
Getting on and off trains was a bit of a challenge, but in two steps I managed. On my first transfer, I got really nervous about getting everything off the train before it left the station and through it all ended up leaving my newly purchased tripod on the train only realizing it 40min. later. I slept in a train, not in a bed but a chair. The car was illuminated by florescent the whole ride and I was across a really smelly man (he was very nice though). When I went into the bathroom, I could finally see the damage I had done to myself by the weight of everything. On my neck I have lovely new bruise markings in the shape of the straps and a few elsewhere. I ache everywhere, my neck, shoulders, I did something to my hip that hurts a lot and my ribcage feels like it got crushed. But I'm alive, safe and finally mailed my packages (for way too much money I just found out thanks to currency converters). I've also decided that I'm out of my mind for doing this, but I guess thats what happens when you follow after God. And I know His body hurt so much more when He had to carry the cross.
Sometimes we have to get really uncomfortable to understand a little more how much our God loves us.

Familiarity in Friends and Starbucks

My second last day here I met up with some old family friends in Amsterdam who happened to have a layover there on their way to Italy.  I showed them around town a bit and tried to make their very limited stay in the city worthwhile.  However, it was their visit with me that redefined my experience here.  If you ever choose to travel by yourself, good luck, it's tough.  Seeing my friends was like being home with family again.  We even had Starbucks when we went back to Schiphol (the only starbucks in the country).  Riding back to Leiden on the train after it all, I was quite satisfied.  I'm leaving for Romania today around noon.  It will take me about 27 hours to get there.  Packing to leave was a huge hurdle to get over, but I'm just about done.  I'm very excited and a good deal nervous to move onto the next stage of my journey, but ready or not, my train leaves at 14:23 and there's no turning back.

Final Project for school

this is my final project for school.  It's only a study for the work, it will change later because I want to record my own music for it but am laking a piano right now (it just wouldn't fit in my suitcase).  Anyway, take a look.  
[it should be played in a loop]