Trams, socks, Jewish people and Trabants

It’s Tuesday evening.   I get on the tram to head home after Bible study in Budapest. My friends stayed in the city to eat dinner together.  I punch my ticket; scan the tram for a possible seat.  There are no seats available.  I find a place to stand and hold on before the tram jostles forward towards Kelenföld and then Diósd.  Immediately, a fellow traveler recognizes me.  It’s Leevi’s dad, Jouni.   Leevi was in my class last year.  We shake hands.  He offers me his seat.   Jouni and his family a natives of Finalnd, serve as missionaries in Hungary.  They arrived in 2011, near the same time as me.  Then introduces me to his guests, Eva and her husband, as Leevi’s teacher from last year.  They are visitors from their home church in Finland.  Jouni, reaches into his bag, pulls out a pair of green and red woolen socks and gives them to Eva saying something in Finnish.  Eva hands them to me and says they are a gift for me from Finland.  She doesn’t make them but gives them away.  Jouni tells me the three of them had just come from a Holocaust survivor’s choir concert in the city.  They were special guests at this concert.  After listening to the music, they were introduced and had a chance to engage in conversation with the people present.  They shared their love and care for these Jews, along with beautiful handmade woolen socks brought from Finland.  

Jouni goes on to tell me how important ICSB has been for their family.  He appreciates that the teachers give and invest in his children.  It frees him up to focus on his ministry.  I smile and say, I am thankful to be here and serving him and God in this way.  I am thankful that I can use the gift God has given me of teaching, to enable him to do ministry more effectively.   He smiles and translates for his friends who nod in understanding.   

The tram stops to let people on and off.  Jouni continues to share with me his passion to reach the Jewish people of Budapest.  He works with a Jewish social society.  According to him, they are the most unreached people here and Budapest has one of the largest Jewish populations in all of Europe.  

The tram stops and the driver appears and announces something in Hungarian.  People begin to exit the tram.   The four of us follow not really understanding why or what is happening.  Once outside we see that there are several trams stopped and a bus on the tracks.  We are only one stop from the station we needed.  As we are walking towards the station, Jounni asks if I have a car and then offers me a ride back to Diósd.  I thanked him and accepted the ride.  It would be nice not to wait for the bus.  I was also enjoying getting to meet his guests and hearing more about their ministry to the Jews in Hungary.  He smiles and they all chuckle a little.  He tells me that he owns a Trabant.   A Trabant is an old soviet-era car that was designed and made in Eastern Europe when they were allowed to make cars.  They are made from motorcycle tires and cardboard.  I’ve always wanted to ride in a Trabant.  I smile and tell them I’m fine with that.  I look forward to the adventure.  The four of us pile into the car ready to head home.  Jouni proudly explains to me about the car and how its has been a dream of his to own one.  

A picture of a Trabant that I saw last year.  Jouni's was similar.

The ride home was full of stories about Jouni's church in Finland and his friends.  I heard about Eva's conversion by way of doing sign language interpretation at church for a job.  Their church in Finland prayers regularly for the Jews to come to know Jesus.  Soon, we had arrived back in Diósd where I parted ways with them to head home.  

What a wonderful blessing it was to spend a bit of time learning more about Jouni and his ministry.  It just made me think of all of you.  As you partner with me in my ministry here to my students, you are also partnering with parents like Jouni.  Your partnership with me extends farther than you or I know.  

It reminds me of the closing of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, 

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV)

God is certainly doing more than you or I can ask or imagine through your partnership, by his power, and your willingness to love, serve and honor him, to the praise of his name.   Thank you for your partnership with me and on behalf of Jouni and his family.