A day in the life of my year in Hungary is so different from how I lived in Texas...even though when you think of Texas, you think of farming or ranching and country living. This year, I am living in the small town of Nyírtelek, and also serving in the small village of Görögszállás. Both places have people who have gardens and animals in their backyard, even if Nyírtelek is a town with houses close together. There are a lot of fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat here. Beef is expensive and limited here in Hungary. Not a lot of people eat beef, like in Texas. Here you will find pork, chicken, duck, goose, and some turkey. So far, in the past five months: I have planted strawberries and picked weeds in the amazing year-long gardening/agriculture project (giant greenhouse) at the Filadelfia Lutheran Church in Görögszállás, which supports work for many people in the village. I have learned to know when the fruits and vegetables are ready to be picked and how to garden. I have worked with some amazing people learning how to get sunflower seeds (napraforgó mag) out of a sunflower (napraforgó). The sunflower has to be "dried-up", so this harvest usually happens around September or October (before it gets too cold). The sunflower is even used for oil. To get the seeds out, you just hit a dried napraforgó (sunflower) "head" with a stick/pipe, on a tarp to catch the seeds. It is good to wear gloves as the dried sunflower may hurt your hands. The seeds are collected, put into a machine to pull out excess leaves, bugs, sticks, and dirt; then bagged up to be sold. I have learned the preparation and production of the natural part of life for people in this community: to kill animals with their own hands, do all of the work to clean it properly, take out/cut the necessary and unnecessary parts for cooking, and to have a food for their families or to be sold as a source of income. Chickens: Chickens, ducks, and geese are common animals that people have for food. They are either found on the land of the house, or in a backyard of a house in a neighborhood. You wouldn't usually find them in the city, but they are common in the small town and village where I am. They are pretty useful animals whether it be for the eggs or an enjoyable meal of meat. For my experience, I got to help take care of the animals by feeding them at one house in my community. At another house, I watched the whole process as I saw a chicken alive one minute, killed, and in many pieces the next. This process, can be quick, or slow, depending on how often a person has killed a chicken. Usually to kill a chicken, you hold down the wings, pin it to the ground, then cut it at the neck to let it bleed out slowly. Then, you chop the head off to get the rest of the blood to drain out. After, you burn the end where the neck and the head used to be. You take it inside to a boiling pot of water. Then, you drop the whole chicken, feathers and all into the boiling pot. It creates this "not so great smell" as the aroma fills the room. After a few minutes you take the chicken out, start pulling off the feathers, and to my surprise, they easily came right off. You can put the chicken in the water and take it out again, to continue the process until the chicken is clean of feathers. Next, it is time to cut up the chicken, to separate the meat from the organs that are not needed. This process still had the smell that I will remember and the process was tedious. I watched Annita work with bravery, strength, talent, and grace. It can be a one woman work effort. I will remember this day, the process, and how to have fresh chicken to eat. I am glad Annita took the time to show me everything...even if the whole process was only took two hours. Pigs: Pigs are larger animals. When it is time to kill one pig, let alone two pigs, be prepared for it to be a full day process. Here in Hungary, I got to witness a pig killing. One of my friends from the village of Görögszállás (who also gave me a makeover one day- make-up, hair, nails, and eyebrows) invited me over to her house to help her family kill two female pigs. I arrived a Saturday morning, December 9th, from the bus from Nyírtelek that has limited times on a Saturday morning. When I got there, they just killed the pigs, drained the blood for cooking and set a flame torch to the pigs to remove the hair. As much as I wanted to watch the complete process, I am kind of glad I didn't see the pigs killed. I don't know if I could take the dying shrill. The sounds I would hear. There was one pig on the table already and one pig on the ground. They were cutting into the first pig. First: cutting into the pig sideways. The body was letting off steam on this cold morning, since it was still warm. There was also a smell that I will never forget. As I was watching the men cut into the first pig, there was something cooking inside. It smelled good. The women in the house would carry buckets of the pig pieces from outside to inside, not to be cooked yet, but to keep away from the dogs and cats that came from all over, to be around the meat. I helped as buckets began to fill, to carry inside. I am not a huge fan of blood: when I see it, I usually get nauseous, but surprisingly I was fine the whole time. I think it was the smell that kept me from thinking about the blood. The men offered shots of cherry flavored drink – which turned out to be brandy. There was also wine being passed around. As I watched, took photos and shared a “red” drink with them (which after seeing the blood and drinking a “red” drink, I am glad I didn’t get sick), it was heart-warming. The first pig was finished in 3 hours (with three men working), then it was on to the next pig. I got to help pick up the pig from the ground to put onto the table. It took about five of us to lift it. I held two of the legs…it was a pretty heavy pig. I was pretty numb from the cold, but it was worth it. Before I left to go to the church for our Advent event, I went inside to try what was cooked from the pig. It was “meat” called “disznó vér” with onions and mushrooms mixed in. I ate it with bread. It is usually the first that is eaten from a pig killing, usually in the morning for breakfast. They kept asking me if I liked it and I said “yes”. It was full of flavor. Later that evening, I found out I ate pig’s blood! If I knew what it was earlier, I probably wouldn’t have eaten it, but I am glad I can say I definitely tried something new. Although no English was spoken, I understood everything about the day. I just met the family that day and in just a few hours we were friends. It was nice to be welcomed and included in this special event that is common around Christmas time in Hungary, especially Görögszállás. It is usually a weekend event. Chopping Wood:
So, coming from Texas, we don’t use a fireplace all that much. Even if I did, my parents have a gas fireplace with “fake logs”. My Aunt & Uncle have a wood-burning fireplace, but I am not at their house that much and they already had the wood-chopped. For families in Görögszállás, chopping wood is an everyday activity, especially in the winter on cold days and nights. The wood is used in furnaces to warm the house and in wood-burning stoves for cooking/to keep the room warm if there is not a furnace/fireplace. At the children’s house, we have a fireplace and the stove/oven is electric. This fireplace started to be used in October. Usually wood is delivered to us in pieces that we just carry inside to use for the fireplace, but some days the pieces need to be chopped into smaller pieces for “fire starters”. The women at the children’s house know how to chop wood and they are very strong. They have done this for years, whether it be at their home or the children’s house. One of the staff members, Monica, showed me how to swing and chop. You need to try and hit the same spot every time. Once you have the ax in the wood, you hit the wood with the ax in it against a flat tree stump, to get the ax all the way through to make it into a smaller piece. This could definitely be a good stress reliever, or if you need a day to test strength. She showed me with such ease, but even though I could not chop like her, she was patient and loved showing me.
1 Comment
I never imagined what Christmas would be like without being with family. Only once have I been away on Christmas Day, to go on a trip for a high school graduation present, but I was still with my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin (still with family). We were able to celebrate together at least before we left for this amazing trip. This year was a little different. This year I will be away from family for a whole year! This Christmas I am in Hungary, which is about 6,000 miles away from Texas. For the past few months, now being at my site for officially 4 months, I have gotten to know the people in my communities. As Christmas was drawing near, a few people in the community asked me what I would be doing for Christmas..."would I be going back home to America?"..."would I be meeting up with the other volunteers in Hungary?" As I have gotten to know my community, I have been welcomed into many homes and sometimes I even have just asked if I could come over. As Christmas was getting closer, I was wondering what I would be doing. No one asked me to their house yet. I knew though, that no matter what I wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone, that something would work out. I could always ask. God is with me too, now and always. Our YAGM program director, Julie, sent us a message: "The birth of Jesus brought a light into our world, an amazing mystery of God with us in human form. As you reflect on what Christmas means for you, I hope you will remember that the light of Christ shines in each and every single one of us, no exceptions. As always, we are grateful for the lives you’re leading, for the relationships you’re building and for the love you are sharing." Immanuel - "God with Us", our thoughts for this YAGM year as Christmas is upon us. Where do we see God during our YAGM year? I see God through and in many ways in the past four months. Christmas is just one part of this year. I shouldn't worry what will happen at Christmas, but what the whole meaning of what this year is for. What I am doing here? How am I leading this life as a Missionary? Through the relationships I am building and the love I am sharing. Christmas time away from family and friends might be challenging, but it could also be exciting! I had a few sad thoughts, but I was also excited to celebrate Christmas in another country. How it would be similar or different than in America with my family traditions. I was excited to celebrate Christmas in a new way, with my new "family" and friends in my community, no matter where I would be. I was excited to make memories that I would always remember during this YAGM Christmas. I never know what other years may hold....some Christmases may be away from family again, but there will always be people around who I can share Christmas with. December and the holiday season in its entirety were pretty busy for me. The pictures above are events that have happened in the month of December leading up to Christmas. The youth put on a Christmas program (of Bethlehem) during our advent day (csendes nap), at the church in Nyírtelek, at the beginning of December. Being a girl from Texas, who has hardly seen "actual snow" (enough to build a snowman), I got to see snow and took pictures with friends/places from my communities. They were happy for me, and more is yet to come :) In Budapest, I attended a symphony with the staff of the children's house and my mentors. Talent is shown in many ways! Members of this symphony were Roma, who are usually considered minorities in Hungary. It was good to be with my friends of the children's house (in a Roma community) and see how talented and special they are. At the end of the evening, we took a picture together at one of the Christmas markets in Budapest, by St. Steven Basilica.
One celebration in Hungary, that is not celebrated in the United States is Mikolas "Santa Claus" Day, which is on December 6th. In Hungary, "Santa Claus" comes on the 6th of December instead of Christmas Eve night. The night before Mikolas nap (Santa Claus Day), you are to leave your winter shoes by the door or window, but they are to be cleaned/shined, so that Mikolas can leave a present in them. Usually this present consists of chocolate, other special snacks, or little gifts. "Mikolas" came to visit the children at the Children's house, where I volunteer, on December 6th. He brought the children chocolate and a stuffed animal. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the birth of Jesus, is what is celebrated. At Christmas, presents do not come from Santa, instead the presents that are found under the tree, come from the Christmas angel, Baby Jesus, and family. I like how Christmas is celebrated here a lot better! Instead of having Santa Claus and Jesus's birth at the same time, what is most important about Christmas, is the only focus at Christmas. "Jesus is the reason for the season." Also, a Christmas Tree is not decorated until Christmas Eve here. Families decorate the tree together, either during the day or at night. There were even presents for me (winter clothes, ornaments, homemade gifts, and perfume). I even got hand-made jewelry from Pastor Misi's family from Slovenia. It was a very nice thought and things I will always cherish, but I didn't need anything. I just enjoyed being there. The photos, below, leading up to Christmas, are Advent Day (csendes nap at Görögszállás), an advent concert with a famous Hungarian Christian singer, decorating the tree a few weeks early at the Children's house, Christmas markets in Nyíregyháza and Debrecen (with an advent wreath and Nativity scene at each market I saw, including Budapest), making a snowman with a family in Görögszállás, and Christmas celebrations at the church and Children's house. The past few days of celebrating Christmas were busy, but in a good way. I was not celebrating Christmas alone, but were with four different families! We shared meals of traditional Christmas food in Hungary (fish or stuffed cabbage, even trying baked goose fat); we played games that were familiar to me from the U.S., but even some new games (Christmas present game-roll dice and take a present if you roll a 6, steal if there are no presents left in the middle, direction reverses if you roll a 1); and I attended services at the three different churches our church is apart of in my community (the Sunday School had a play on Christmas Day, that I helped with); and I just enjoyed the presence and traditions of Christmas in Hungary. It has been 500 years since the reformation of the Protestant church through Martin Luther. We have been waiting to celebrate this anniversary, and a few days ago, the big day arrived. It is not over though! We need to keep on reforming and continue to carry on the spirit of the reformation into the next 500 years through faith and God's grace. I have the privilege of being in Europe during this anniversary of the 500th year, but by chance. I did not travel here to celebrate. I have been called to serve this year in Hungary. Gathering in front of the Reform church in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary with a few members of the Filadelfia Evengélikus Egyházközség in Nyírtelek. We carried torches from the Reform church to the Lutheran church for a 500th Reformation service. In this event of moving from the Reform Church to the Lutheran church, we carried torches. Torches could be viewed as a symbol of retaliation/rebellion. It could be viewed negatively, but in this case it was a beautiful moment. It was a time of spirituality and I am glad I got to be a part of it. As we walked, we sang hymns. "God with us" - Emmanuel. People stopped along the streets and watched. When we got to the Lutheran Church, we had a service to celebrate the Reformation. I even got to see one of my fellow volunteer friends sing in the choir. This took place on the eve of Halloween. Halloween is not truly celebrated in Hungary in such a big way as it is in the United States. It can be viewed in a negative way, especially in Christianity. Singing at the Lutheran church in Orosháza, Hungary with the choir (in Hungarian) from Görögszállás. This was a service at the beginning of October for the 500th Reformation of the Protestant church.
|
AuthorHello, my name is Megan. I, along with 92 others, are apart of the Young Adults in Global Mission program through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America! Through God, I am called here in Nyírtelek and Görögzállás, Hungary. I will spend a year here to serve, share God's love with others, and walk along side my global companions. ArchivesCategories |