Things are really beginning to take shape and my heart undoubtedly beats faster when I talk about all things BUDAPEST. I still cannot believe the Lord has opened the doors and said it is my time to GO. It has been such a long time since I have been called into the mission field. In fact, 9 years ago TODAY was the Great Send Off from NAMB for the New Orleans Team - my last summer as a World Changer. Those 4 summers hold some of my very favorite memories - there is nothing more powerful than spending your life serving the Lord and giving every ounce of your being to building His kingdom. He planted seeds in my heart that have forever changed the trajectory of my life and captured my attention. I know I am His and I am rooted deeply in His family not just in my home church but all over the world because of my time serving in the mission field. It is truly an incredible thing.
This trip will be brief and yet I know it will change me. This will be my first time working with refugees and that context will change everything. I am trusting the Lord to equip, to prepare, and to go before me and my team. We know the Holy Spirit is the only one who can bring light to darkness - but we will boldly go and plant seeds and ask the Lord in His infinite mercy to allow us to be love in a place of desperate need. We get to spend a week serving in a transitional home with approximately 80 refugees who will be transitioning to life in Hungary. We’ll be having meals together, playing games, teaching english, singing songs and telling stories, and exploring a bit of the city. Ice-breaker type games are my responsibility and I hear the UNO is a big hit. I wonder how they’re going to feel about SKIPBO. I cannot wait to find out. September feels so far away and yet I know it will come in a blink.
This team, these people have already become near and dear. We saw each other yesterday for less than 10 minutes to take this picture and I so wanted to have coffee and catch up and hear everything. We are walking together toward Jesus and they are going to claim pieces of my heart - we are going to become family in a deep and profound way - and it is SO worth it! This is what being part of the family of Christ looks like and I am grateful to be touched and changed by each one of them and their stories.
If you are reading this and you would like to know more, or you feel compelled to support my team in this great adventure, please email me: shelly.swope@gmail.com - I would love to share my heart with you! If you feel led to contribute financially, you can use this link: https://linux.fefcful.org/projects/give and then select LE Budapest I & II as the Project and Shelly Swope as the Team Member from the drop downs. As always, I will keep you posted and look forward to sharing more as the Lord moves and works and sends us out!
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