People are People
“Lord, please give me people to help me along the way,” I prayed.
It was my first time flying by myself. Even though I had prepared as much as I could ahead of time, I didn’t know how the travel to Hungary would go. As I was waiting in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, I saw someone wearing a Santa mask. It was red and a long, white beard hung from the front. It made me smile, and when the plane began boarding, Santa mask man was boarding ahead of me, so I watched him and copied what he and the other more experienced flyers did. It’s strange, but this little quirk comforted me in my fear.
On the flight, I sat next to a woman from Germany and she was a reassuring presence as well. She had flown many times before and spoke English well, as she had worked in the U.S. for a year. She also gave me advice about the Amsterdam airport where we landed eight hours later. In Amsterdam, I was able to help a girl who looked about my age, which boosted my confidence. We struck up a conversation; she was from Washington, D.C., originally from Israel, and flying to Budapest on the same flight as me.
God’s small kindnesses continued on my second flight. I was struggling to get my carryon into the overhead bin, but a kind man behind me helped me with it. The girl I sat next to on my final flight immediately pulled out a book and didn’t look up from it, so I assumed she didn’t want to talk. Towards the end of the flight, I thought, “I’m never going to see this person again, so there is no loss if I try to talk to her and it goes poorly.”
I asked where she was from, and am glad I did, because for the next half hour until we landed, we had a great conversation. She was from the Netherlands and was visiting her father in Budapest. She studied neuroscience in the U.S., and currently works for the government. She gave me advice about Budapest and life advice. When we landed, she helped me at baggage claim and made sure I met the team members who were picking me up before she left.
The mission team in Hungary was welcoming and considerate, and I especially enjoyed a hike I did with one of the team members and a group of internationals shortly after arriving. I interacted with people from thirteen different countries, made new friends, gained new perspectives, and explored a cave on the hike.
I learned that people are people, wherever you go. The Hungarian church we attend, Golgota, has been wonderful, as has the experience of worshiping in another language and hearing sermons in Hungarian with a live translator on stage.
The kids I work with in English Klub continually surprise me with their kindness, English proficiency, and desire to discuss deep topics. I am thankful to God for providing this opportunity to me and aiding me every step of the way. Looking back on all of these little things, I am learning to trust Him more and more each day.
