A Conversation with Cori

The language class school room.

NAOMI: What have your first few months as a missionary been like? 

CORI: I've been pleasantly surprised in many ways. I knew the process could go smoothly, and I had a good idea of what to expect. But, since I had a lot of connections to the missionary world before becoming one myself, I knew all the things that could go wrong. I kept bracing for the worst, but that hasn't happened yet. I've felt supported by the team, which has made a huge difference. They're always checking in, asking how I'm feeling, and have become my family here. Whether it's going to IKEA to pick out furniture or installing my washer, it's all been smoother than I expected. 

NAOMI: You kind of hinted at having a lot of connections, and this was because you grew up as a third-culture kid with parents who were missionaries. How do your initial experiences as a missionary compare to what you had experienced as a kid? 

CORI: The comparison is really interesting to me. I'm still in the middle of this experience, so my perspective might change over time, but I've already noticed how much things have shifted, even generationally. The expectations for missionaries in my parents' time, and how people got into ministry, are very different now. I was a missionary kid for four years in Central America, where my parents worked at a missions hospital. They had specific, vital roles. Back then, it seemed like the only things needed on the field were teachers, doctors, pastors, and church planters. 

I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a designer—I wasn’t passionate about being a teacher or church planter. I always thought I’d be the one supporting missions financially and through prayer, but never as a missionary myself. Then in college, I realized design is actually really helpful, no matter the context. It has a huge impact, and it's everywhere in our world. At the same time, the idea of business as mission has grown a lot over the past decade or two. While there’s always been an element of that, using less conventional skills like design in missions has become more common. The biggest shift I’ve seen is how missions have expanded beyond needing just a few specific roles to embracing a broader range of skills.  

NAOMI: Settling here in Budapest. How are you learning to navigate the local, culture and what has surprised you the most? 

CORI: I’m navigating this experience in a fumbling manner, but I expected that. Humility has been a big lesson throughout this whole process, even before getting to the field. As an adult, it’s rare to feel like a child again—not knowing how to interact, not knowing the language. It’s all very humbling, but I knew this was part of the deal. Still, it’s one thing to know it in theory, and another to actually live it. 

I’ve come to see myself as a child in this new culture. I don’t know the expectations, the right words, or how to have a formal conversation. It’s about having the humility to try, and then let others correct me. Hopefully, people see that I’m here to learn from them—about their culture, values, and way of life—rather than trying to blend in perfectly, which isn’t realistic. 

NAOMI: And what's your initial impression of the locals? 

Cori alongside Hannah, the other OMS missionary currently doing language studies.

CORI: It’s actually pretty similar to where I used to live, in Seattle. People would often talk about the “Seattle Freeze”—how everyone seemed a bit cold, standoffish, and not interested in small talk. That could put some people off. From what I’ve seen, there’s something similar in Hungary. People tend to be more private and hold back until they have a genuine relationship with you, rather than immediately opening up like many Americans who are like “Let me tell you my entire life story”, and everything being public knowledge. 

Some might find that off-putting, especially if they’re from a warmer or more close-knit culture. But for me, it feels familiar because that’s how Seattle was, too. I actually appreciate the value in taking time to get to know someone. When you do, you’ve truly gained their trust. The people I’ve met here—like my landlord or people at church—are still warm; they just go about it in a slightly different way.  

NAOMI: I think that's a really graceful way to put it, because when we talk about the "freeze," it often comes with the idea that there’s a right way and a wrong way. This 'coldness' is usually seen as negative, but I think it has its own value and a reason behind it. 

CORI: Exactly. I’ve experienced both warm and cold cultures. I’m originally from the Midwest, but I’ve lived in Seattle, and I know when people from the South talk about the Seattle Freeze, it’s often negative. But I think it’s just a different way of showing politeness. In the Midwest, people will tell you their whole life story, even if you haven’t really reached that level of closeness yet, because it’s their way of showing connection. In both cases, the level of understanding or intimacy is the same—it’s just that one approach respects privacy, while the other invites you in right away. 

I see the value in both, but I’m naturally more reserved, so the Lord has blessed me by placing me in a culture where I fit in that way. I like being on the metro and not feeling the need to make small talk—it’s really comfortable for me. So, in that sense, the transition has been smooth.  

NAOMI: What are some of the challenges that you've faced so far that you were not anticipating? 

CORI: What hit me the most wasn’t when I first arrived, but after I got back from a short trip to Spain. It ties into the whole humility thing—I knew I wouldn’t know the language here, but when I travel, I can usually speak at least some of the local language. In Spain or Latin America, a lot of words are similar to English, so you can stumble through conversations. When I first got to Budapest, I thought, "It’s fine, I don’t know anything." Then, after 10 days in Spain helping with a prayer team and seeing how a camp operated, I could get by in conversations there. But when I returned to Hungary, I couldn’t even manage a sentence. I knew maybe three words! When someone spoke to me, I didn’t even know how to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” which was a first for me. 

I’ve been in situations where I didn’t know the language, but I could usually at least apologize for not understanding. Here, I couldn’t even do that. I just had this deer-in-the-headlights look, using my face to communicate instead of my voice. I didn’t fully realize how much I relied on that until after Spain, where I could at least express that I didn’t understand, but here, I couldn’t even do that.  

NAOMI: How are how are you balancing these challenging demands of a missionary role, with taking care of yourself and trying to stay grounded? It’s tricky to even say ‘grounded’ because you're creating new ground as well, so what even is staying grounded in this new context? How are you balancing those things? 

CORI: The biggest thing is that OMS USA gave us some training on what to expect—tools and tactics to navigate obstacles in a new culture. But what I’ve realized most is how quickly you grab onto anything around you when you feel unsettled. As you try to recalibrate, you instinctively cling to whatever’s closest. The key for me has been going back to my anchor. I had a lot of anchors in Seattle—my friends, my church, my identity, my work—but all of those shifted, which has been good in a way because it’s forced me to rely much more on the Lord. I can’t pretend that anything else is giving me security, so it has to be God. 

But it’s surprising how quickly those old anchors can be replaced by new things that aren’t God. I arrived here, and I have a great team, an apartment, and I’m building community and getting comfortable with my role. Those can easily become new anchors that aren't God. If I start to feel secure in those things, I can lose focus on my relationship with God. So, I’ve been trying to balance being grateful for all the blessings He’s given me here while not letting them become what I rely on for security. 

NAOMI: I totally get that. It’s easy in this kind of work for your colleagues to become more than just coworkers, more so than in any other job I’ve experienced. In the short term, that can be really helpful because you need that connection, but it’s not a healthy long-term missional approach. Still, it happens so automatically. 

CORI: It’s tough. In ministry, things can easily get blurred because, as the church, we’re called to be brothers and sisters—family. 

NAOMI: That’s an intimate term. 

CORI: Exactly! We’re meant to be the same body, not just coworkers like in a regular office. But that can get tricky, because I might start relying on you for more than you can realistically give. Then, unmet expectations arise because no one realized there were expectations in the first place. It makes me wonder: Is full-time ministry really the same thing as the New Testament church? In some ways, yes, but it often operates differently in a modern context like 21st century Budapest. So how do we let those two things interact in a healthy way, working in harmony without depending on each other so much that we take God out of the picture? 

NAOMI: Even though you’re just starting out in the field, have you noticed any meaningful changes in who you are as a person? Between the preparation process and the few months you’ve been here, have you seen any shifts? 

CORI: It’s interesting to think about, especially because I’m in the honeymoon phase of being here. It’ll be fascinating to look back six months or a few years from now and see how I feel, especially if I hit a wall later. But lately, I’ve noticed something. I’ve found myself getting back to that social equilibrium/middle ground much more seemlessly, and that surprised me. I’ve never been that person in a group—I’ve always leaned toward being sarcastic, pessimistic, or realistic. People still know I’m sarcastic, but it got me thinking: is there something different about me in this situation? My friend Emi mentioned that when you’re speaking another language, you kind of become a different person because your brain is working differently, and your personality shifts with it. I’m curious to see how that develops as I continue language school and, hopefully, become fluent in Hungarian. 

I’ve also realized that I usually feel emotions pretty intensely, with high highs and low lows, but lately, I’ve been more balanced. I wasn’t expecting that in a new context, but I think it’s because I feel a strong sense of purpose here. Even with little challenges, like buying a bagel and struggling with the language, I know I’m supposed to be doing this. That certainty helps a lot. I know I need to learn Hungarian and interact well with the people here, so even though it takes time, I’m confident in the purpose behind it, and that’s brought a lot of harmony to my life. 

I’ve also shifted in how I view the present. I used to be more focused on the future, wanting to get to the end product as quickly as possible, but now I realize that the present is just as important, maybe more. For example, I’d love to be fluent in Hungarian right now, but I’m learning to ask questions and embrace the process, even if it doesn’t feel directly related to my goal. Struggling through things now is what will make my understanding stronger later. In the past, I’d get stressed about wanting to be done with a project, but right now, I’m more aware that God is working in the present. It’s not just about the final result—it’s about glorifying Him in the process. That realization has given me a lot of peace.  

NAOMI: What are your hopes for the future as you settle into your new position? 

CORI: It’s always humbling to think about because whatever I imagine will likely be very different from what actually happens. But I’m excited to see how design can be used to enhance ministry visions. I don’t need to be the one with the vision, but I know there are so many incredible people within OMS and among our partners who have amazing visions God has given them. I’m eager to help make those more impactful, to connect with people on a personal and emotional level—which is what design is all about. That could take many forms. Right now, I’m excited about working with the camp in Spain on their 50th anniversary next year, but there are already so many potential opportunities to ask how design can make things even better. Hopefully, it will enhance the experience for people and make the ministry even more effective. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.