Leaving

       It is Wednesday, November 7th and my husband and I are leaving Hungary in 10 days.  As excited as I am about the move, the change of seasons, and the bundle of excitement that awaits us, I can't help but feel a little weepy and sad. I have lived in Hungary for nearly two years, and the Lord has changed my life in every way possible. When I think about the 19 year old that came to Hungary on February 3rd, I hardly recognize her. Her heart was in a totally different place, her own hopeful dreams could not have even begun to conjure up the plans that the Lord had for me. I cannot even begin to express the thankfulness I feel towards the Lord for all the changes He has brought to my life in two years. If you would have told me two years ago today that I would be a married woman and an expectant mother living in Budapest, Hungary, I would have laughed at your. My life was not heading in that direction, but as we know...the Lord has many other plans for His beloved.

       I know many of you were aware of our move to Arizona, but for those of you who were not, allow me to tell you about the biggest decision that Travis & I have made as a couple (besides getting married that is :)) it was about two weeks after arriving from our honeymoon, our home was broken in to and Travis had been acting weird. After our morning devotion time, Travis told me that he felt the Lord calling us back to his home in Arizona for a season. But he wanted to pray about it for a month and see what the Lord spoke to us about it. We prayed and waited a month; we both felt that it was our time to go home. We were not really surprised about this decision; we had both felt that our season in Hungary would not be a long one, ever since Travis and I started talking about marriage and ministry together. Our plan and desire is to spend two years in Surprise, Arizona and to get really connected with a church. Our hearts are rooted into Europe, I cannot imagine never coming back and serving the Lord. But who knows, maybe the Lord has other plans for us. We will see what the Lord has for us at the end of these two years! 

     So here I am, 10 days away from moving to a different country, 10 days away from starting a whole new life and a whole new season. We are starting to give away our furniture and pack away our clothes. It really hit me today that we are leaving, I look at my cute little newlywed apartment on Dohany utca in the VII district, and I look at the furniture that Travis and I bought with our wedding money, and I remember all of the memories made in my first home, and I am reminded that I will be leaving it all behind. I couldn't help but get a little overwhelmed with the thought of it; I am going to miss Hungary so much. I am going to miss Cserpes milk, kakaos csiga, kurtoskulacs, and I am going to miss looking over the city at night. I am going to miss looking out my window and seeing Gelert Hill. I am going to miss the people that have become my family over the past two years. I am going to miss it so much. Although my heart is heavy and I am trying to cover up the little tears that are falling (I love how my mind decides to get emotional in the middle of the church's coffee shop...I'll blame it on pregnancy hormones), I am reminded that the Lord is faithful!! I am going back to America with so much to look forward too! I have my husband with me that will be there to keep me smiling, I am going back to his wonderful family that loves me like their own, I am going back to start my own little family! And my family is coming to the states for six months in January! God has provided EVERYTHING we need to start our lives in the states, and I am incredibly grateful for that. Through this whole transition of moving, God has had his hand in it every step of the way!

With a heavy yet hopeful heart,

Autumn

Ps- I'll write about our babymoon to Salzburg soon!