beginning the journey.

Well today finally came, the day that I’ve been preparing for and anticipating since I started training back in July, my first day of teaching at Levay Josef Gimnasium in Miskolc.  I woke this morning to a beautifully thoughtful note from my roommate wishing me luck… and she also set her alarm for 7:15am (even though she had nothing to be up for) just to be able to pray with me before I left for work.  I was feeling quite nervous about the day because I had received very little information about school procedures and didn’t get a tour of the school, so I had to guess where my classrooms were located.  Upon arriving at the school and heading into the staff room to get my things organized, I walked into and interrupted the mandatory staff devotional/prayer session that I was never informed of, but instead of getting angry the headmaster graciously took it as an opportunity to introduce me to the rest of the staff and welcome me.

My first class of the day was an 8^th grade class with a pretty beginner level of English.  In Hungary, the students are assigned a classroom and the teachers move around from room to room, just as the students do in American high schools.  When I got to my classroom the door was locked and my students were nowhere to be found, so I had to hunt them down.  Since the door had been locked, they decided they would just find a random open room to occupy, so I had to ask another English teacher to help me find them.  After a short introduction, I began my first class as an English teacher.  I could tell the students could understand more English than they were willing to try speaking, but eventually got them to write down their names and a few other bits of information and collected their papers to take roll call.  Because of the Hungarian students’ accents, it’s much easier to figure out names by reading them; however, the way they write some of their letters is slightly different as well, so I had to ask a student to help me call each name.  I made it through the class, but with minimal English usage from the students…

After a 3- hour break to go home and recharge, my next class was a combination class, a few students from different 11^th grade classes.  I had a total of 4 students today, all of which spoke very good English.  I ended up ditching my entire lesson plan, and just sat down and chatted with them for 45 minutes, and we all shared about ourselves and learned about each other.  One of the girls noticed my WWJD bracelet and asked if I was a Christian.  I was excited because I didn’t know if Hungarians would know what it meant, so it was cool that she inquired. It was really great to get real with the students and hear about their lives and their interests, and of course, they were also practicing their English simultaneously and working on fluency… my favorite class of the day by far!

My 3^rd period I ended up sitting in my classroom alone for quite a while until another teacher informed me that my students’ class master had gone home ill and told the students that they could leave as well…

The last 2 classes of my day were 10^th graders, and I can tell already that they will be my hardest classes in the area of behavior management.  It’s not that they are naughty or act out, but I felt the least respected by them of all my students today, and I remember from coaching softball that the sophomores were the hardest to handle when it came to attitude.  I think that my mom could verify that it was probably around that time in my own life that I was the hardest to deal with as well. 

It’s amazing that with all the differences I have had to learn to adapt to in Hungary, I’ve failed to realize how many similarities there are among the different cultures, but I’m beginning to become acquainted with the many parts of culture that are universal throughout the world.  Things like the invincible attitudes displayed by 16-year-olds in the presence of adults, flirting that goes on between teenage girls and boys as they mingle in the city center, having to take a number and wait for hours in the tax office the same way we would in the DMV, men holding doors for women, and the way that children play… my first morning in Budapest I awoke to the voice of a child outside the window of the room I was sleeping in, and based purely on the tone in the child’s shouts I learned that the Hungarian word for ‘mom’ is ‘anya.’  Some things never change…

During our closing ceremony at ESI training in Pasadena, the president of TeachOverseas pointed out that, “When God is about to do a major work in us He will take us on a journey.”  This is just the beginning of my journey with God, and though I don’t know the exact path that He will lead me, or the precise destination that will result, God does, and His desire for me is that I will run His race at the pace that He gives.  Please pray that I will stay focused on Him and His direction and purpose for my time in Miskolc… that I will remember in the times when I feel like the Lord isn’t speaking that the real problem is that I’m not listening… and that I will be able to love my students abundantly and teach them with all my heart. 

So for now I won't worry about the small details that my school fails to inform me of, or how I will possibly learn the names of my 100+ students before Christmas, the whereabouts of my security guard at the times when I feel like I need his help and he is nowhere to be found, or why the internet has such a bad connection during certain times of the day, or even what exactly is waiting for me at the finish line of this journey.  Instead, I want to be content in waiting on the Lord and resting in Him, taking each day a step at a time, living in the moment, and learning to rely on God in the times when I feel restless, anxious, or lonely.  This is my prayer...

Finally!!.. an update!

1 month of ESI training in Pasadena, 20 hours of travel, and 2 amazing first days in Budapest have gone by since I last spoke with many of you.  God's hand has been so present in the things I've learned, relationships I've developed, and growth I've experienced thus far.  I'll start from the beginning..

My first reactions to California after getting off the plane were that California is awesome, the weather can't be beat, but there's no grass!!  My roommate, Abby, and I met in the airport and traveled by shuttle to the William Carey Campus where we met the rest of the ESI teachers and staff.  Our first two weeks of training we started with what they called discovery groups, which are meant to learn about ourselves and each other.  This time together each morning was a really awesome way to connect with our teammates and experience growth together.  Following Discovery groups we usually had worship (I'm on the worship team!) or started our TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) sessions, which were where we learned all about teaching!  Following a lunch break everyday, we then had our TeachOverseas sessions, which consisted of discussions on cultural, language, and Spiritual factors related to teaching in our individual countries.  These times really forced me to reflect on growing and being transformed into a completely selfless servant for Christ... it really got me thinking about how few material things and financial means we actually need to further God's kingdom, put others first, make them feel comfortable, and just purely serve them.. which was encouraging and challenged me.  In a couple sessions we had some hard talks about the realities of the depression, alcoholism, and even sexual conduct and tone that is present in Europe.  We talked about how it's very likely that being in the situation that we'll be in (overseas, away from comforts and support systems, feeling isolated at times, culture shock, communication barriers, and other hardships we might face) we will likely experience insecurities and struggles that have been a part of our past.. even if it's something we've dealt with and found healing in.  It's going to really force me to rely on the Lord to renew me and give me strength during those times, which is what I've been looking forward too, but for the first time I had developed some feelings of apprehension and nervousness.  They also discussed the sexual freedom and openness in Europe, and some alumni shared their experiences.. some of them very shocking and discomfoting.  The thing that gets me is the numbness and hardening to those sorts of situations that I can see is very aparent in the alumni's temperament and attitudes because it can be unsafe in some situations to react in a way that we normally might, so it's sometimes best to just ignore it and pretend like its not there and not affecting us.  This is something that I pray I will never become desensitized to, so finding a balance between safety in situations I encounter and staying grounded in reality is something I could use prayer for. 

Although most of our time at training was spent in the classroom and various culture/spiritual sessions, our weekends were mainly free for exploring California, developing relationships and community with each other, relaxing, and having some fun!  We visited Newport Beach, Hollywood, Santa Monica Beach, went to a Dodgers vs Astros game, and got very acquainted with Old Town Pasadena.

 Newport Beach

 Night hike in the mountains!

 Enjoying some shade between classes.

 Universal Studios in Hollywood

  Dodgers game!  Followed by the best firework show I've ever seen!

Santa Monica Beach 

Last night in Pasadena.. we went downtown to Cheesecake Factory for a nice dinner with the group.

At 3:45 everyday was when we found out whether we would be teaching that night and began our lesson plans based on which level we would be teaching.  God really revealed Himself to me through my teaching practicums.  One of my biggest apprehensions about teaching in Hungary has been that I won't be able to connect with my students and they won't be able to feel my love and care for them because of language and culture barriers.  On the first night of practicum, one of my students, Omar, who had only been in the United States for 19 days, approached me in conversation.  At first I felt really overwhellmed because I couldn't communicate with him at all (I don't remember any Spanish from the 2 years of it I took in high school).  I told him that I didn't understand any Spanish but that I did know some sign language.  He was incredibly intrigued and asked me to sign his name and mine.  The next day at practicum, he came up to me and finger-spelled the word 'como', which is the Spanish word for 'how', and pointed to me, asking how I was.  The following day, because of his extremely basic level, one of the teachers took him aside to teach him the alaphabet.  Following his lesson that day, he found me and pulled me over to his work station, pointed to the letter 'A' and signed it and told me to show him the rest of the alphabet in sign.  I was so encouraged by his desire to communicate with me!  The next week, he brought with him to class one day a gift he had made for me.  It was two pieces of aluminum pasted together with flower designs, a feather pen, and ink well drawn on both sides with the words "a moment of happiness begins with the birth of our friendship" on one side and the Spanish translation of it on the other.  God revealed His power to me that day, and showed me that He can use me to love despite language barriers.

Omar (Level 1) and his sister Lucia (Level 4).. Omar is also a TWIN!

For the second half of practicum, we were assigned a specific level class to teach for the remainder of our training, which meant we would prepare lessons for the same group of students each night.  My class consisted of 4 girls between the ages of 16 and 21 and then a couple other women and one older man at the very end.  I discovered early on how well I connect with and desire to impact the high school aged girls, which excites me since I'll be teaching in a high school in Miskolc. 

Leaving Pasadena was harder than I imagined it might be.  I thought I had already said goodbye to all my friends and family back in July and didn't realize how close I would become to many of the teachers at training.  The group at training this year was amazing.. and I'm so blessed to have gotten to connect with so many wonderful people.

Finished our TEFL training!!.. gonna miss these wonderful friends!

Waiting to board our first flight out of LAX!

Abby and I just after landing in Frankfurt.

Szabadsag Hid

BUDAPEST!  The view from Gellert Hill.


After about 13 hours of air time and 9 hours of waiting in airports, we finally arrived in Budapest where we were greeted by our alumni teammates!  They would not let us sleep, so we immediately set out to explore the city.  Our tour guide and alumni teachers, Hope and Justin, showed us some really neat monuments and historical sights and taught us a little about the culture and history.  We were exhausted and walking around like zombies the entire day, but it was well worth the adventure.  We ended the day with some Hungarian goulash and bableves (bean soup) for dinner.  After a good night sleep we were ready for some more culture and practice with the language!  Justin took us to buy metro tickets and to the market to practice our Hungarian.. it was quite an experience! 

Kerek harom darob paradiscomok? (May I please have 3 tomatoes?)


We spent the rest of the day at a couple of the girls' house where they invited over some of their students to help us get acquainted with the Hungarian accent and answer any questions we had about the language and culture.  It was great getting to talk with them!

Abby and I just arrived in Miskolc about an hour ago and are trying to get things figured out now with the flat.  It's absolutely beautiful here.. the school where our flat is located was built in 1721.  It's right in the middle of the city center, and we're going to do some exploring tonight after dinner.  The head English teacher at Frater (one of the school's that Abby will be teaching at and where our flat is located) invited us over for dinner in her garden.  I will post some more photos as soon as I figure out how to get internet in my flat.

Blessings,
Alyssa