Busy Procrastinator...

It has been over a month since I last wrote. A lot has happened in that time...

Team Mates
Everyone arrived to Hungary safely on August 20th. Since then I have really enjoyed getting to know Mary and Emily better, as well as the rest of the Hungary team. Our team here at the Bazis is getting along very well and I feel so blessed. I do miss Tracey and Lauren a lot, but I am also so grateful that God has sent such wonderful replacements.

School
School started September 1st. This year I teach 21 lessons plus "Open Bazis" which the school decided to count as an hour of teaching for us. I teach seven groups of students, only one of which I know from last year. So far I have really enjoyed the fact that students are new to school, therefore they are scared and behave very well. Of course there are exceptions, and I have had the chance to take away several ellenorzo's in the past week (that is the little blue book that students must carry with them at all time, it has their grades and behavior marks in it.) I feel the difference between being a second year teacher and not a first year teacher A LOT! And I love the second year feeling. It just helps so much to know some colleagues already, know who the Class Master is for a certain class, see familiar faces in the hallway, etc. Also... with expericne comes more responsibility. This year I have already gotten signed up to help with multiple school events: the teacher's dance at Salagavato, the Bilingual Education Anniversary Celebration, and I forsee being involved in the Christmas Talent Show also... So I am pretty busy, but enjoying it all the same.

Open Bazis
We have only had two weeks of Open Bazis so far... but it has been good. So far we have just had students from 10A come, but that is fine. Starting in October Open Bazis will be open for all of the 9th graders too. It has been so good to have the 10A's over after school, because I do not teach them at all this year. It was strange to go from spending 15 hours a week with them to zero. We have had our regulary students attend: Attila, Bence, Ony, and a few others. Hopefully as the year goes on we can build the numbers.

Livia in Budapest
Another highlight of my year: Livia is living in Pomaz, just outside of Budapest. So far we have been able to hang out at least once a week. She likes to come and hang out with my friends at Coffee House, or just chill at my house. It is cool to be able to see her so much... we have not lived this close to each other in five years. I love getting to spend time together talking. She has grown up so much in the past five years and it is so nice to build our relationship as sisters and as friends. She isn't the little tag along anymore, she's nearly a grown up. Hopefully she will learn Hungarian while she is here... but that takes time. :)

So that is the general update on life. I am going to work on a newsletter soon...

Please keep the following things in your prayers:
- Health and Energy - Teaching just sucks everything out of me at this point... I am not quite back into the groove
- Reltaionships with Students - I am really looking forward to building solid relationships with my new students and maintaining and deepening relationships with students from last year.
- Relationships with Colleagues - I have been enjoying getting to know Eva, Eva and Gabi more this year. It is so nice to talk to them now that I have known them for a whole year. I pray that God will open doors and soften their hearts towards him.
- Friends - There are just a lot of relationships with friends who are not Chrisitans, friends who are, Hungarians, Americans, etc, that I feel like God has placed in my life for a purpose. Please pray that He guide me in all of these relationships.

Grace and peace