Temporary Visa
Our tent pegs are being lifted, folks.
We’re no stranger to this! We’ve sold everything before, and we can do it again, even if it’s unexpected. The instability of how we live has roots in even the most stable living environments. In New Zealand, even owning a home came with the nagging fear that “an earthquake could ruin us,” often peaking when multiple rates bills arrived. Renting was even more insecure, a fun dance with the landlord—thankfully, we had more than our share of good landlords. But rent was always rising according to interest rates, and sometimes a pipe broke or an appliance fell apart, reminding us just how unsettled life can be.
But God is preparing a place for us.
Living in a foreign land is peppered with even more instability. Every time our reapplication for residency starts to loom, I am reminded that we are just guests here. I get to walk these now familiar streets and nod my head at the same shopkeeper at my local butcher, perhaps attempting a bit of banter if the mood allows. But if the government here decided I was superfluous to needs, my family and I would be beckoned right back out of the EU, straight back to New Zealand. In order to survive without multiple hernias and stomach ulcers, I have to shuffle these concerning ‘maybes’ gently into the back corner of the forgotten room in the recesses of my mind.
But God is preparing a place for us.
“The shift feels both bittersweet and inevitable, as if all the changes in Hungary were actually steering us towards this opportunity. Maybe that’s just how I like to see things, but God’s hand has been evident throughout this journey.”
This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life, and I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic. Missions has to be one of the toughest jobs I've ever set my hand to, and this past season has been deeply unsettling. One of the main reasons for that is the untangling of my vision for the future from the actual future God seems to be leading us towards. There might be some pride attached, as we aren’t here alone. Many of you, both financially and spiritually, have supported us after hearing our vision and feeling a sense of camaraderie. So here we are in Budapest, backed by good people. But when the plan changes, so does the vision we’ve communicated for nearly seven years, and maybe my pride is slowing me down. I want to show consistency and perseverance, follow-through and integrity. I want to be one of the few who stays.
But God is preparing a place for us.
Spain is beckoning. The shift feels both bittersweet and inevitable, as if all the changes in Hungary were actually steering us towards this opportunity. Maybe that’s just how I like to see things, but God’s hand has been evident throughout this journey.
On one of our trips to Peña de Horeb this year, it became very apparent that the field there needs us. Well, it needs Glyn. One Mission Society has had a camp in Spain for close to 50 years now; it has a beautiful heritage, along with many stories of impact, restoration, and salvation attached to many of the local churches. But times have been tough, and it needs a lot of hard work. Thankfully, we’ve had some very enthusiastic short-term work teams making their way over to help with the bigger jobs of repairs and maintenance, but it really needs long-term invested missionaries to make their way out to the plains of Spain and dig their heels in. It’s not easy soil, both physically and spiritually. The religious history of Spain is rich but complex, making it a deep and intricate read. And for the evangelical church, its even more complicated. We will need to be ready to face these challenges and more, but there is space for us there.
He is indeed preparing a place for us.
Despite the challenge of moving again, Spain really is an answer to prayer. Throughout our time here in Budapest, Glyn has been able to keep a semi-consistent flow of out-of-town work going, but that rhythm of life meant that Glyn was happiest when he was away working hard, which made for a difficult home life. I thought the answer was to adapt and knuckle down, which can sometimes be right. And at the time, even if we had wanted to move, my role was fixed in Budapest. But that changed this year. There was a great upheaval in Hungary which caused a cascade of change, and we felt the tent pegs start to lift.
We love Hungary; it has given us many new friends and a perspective on the world that has only made our view more beautiful. However, as the ground shifted beneath us, all we could do was cling to what mattered most and ride it out. Some people are aware that our Hungary field has faced significant challenges this season, and we were not exempt from that experience. It has indeed been tough, but not due to the local temperament. Did you know that the primary reason missionaries return home is challenging team dynamics? It’s true. Managing local ministry, mastering a difficult language, and establishing an entirely new life are not as challenging as the seemingly mundane task of navigating personal issues and team dynamics. Somehow, it’s both surprising and not surprising at the same time.
In missions, this challenge is even more pronounced because our entire lives are intertwined with our work, much like military life. If things go awry, we don’t just lose the job; there’s a significant risk we also lose the role, the city, the country, and sometimes even years of our lives recovering from a vision of the future we believed was a done deal. Well, Hungary is no exception to this. Much of our upheaval this year has arisen from changing team dynamics, which missionaries don’t often discuss. It almost seems, well, too ordinary to share. But it’s the reality, and it’s often a significant part of the puzzle. Our entire team experienced a major shake-up this year.
But through it all, God is preparing a new place for us.
We feel vision slowly starting to bud up within us. Glyn is beginning to see the potential of the camp in Spain, imagining how it could serve as a hub for connecting with the surrounding community. I can see cloudy visions of how I might be able to help while investing in the local community, where Minna will once again take up a new schooling challenge. Meanwhile, I’m finding hope in the idea of a new balance—one where a steady and happy home life can thrive alongside ministry. Sometimes, it’s about persistence and pushing through challenges, but other times God offers a smoother path forward. This time, it feels like He’s inviting us to embrace the challenge of Spain.
God is preparing a place for us, and I'm so excited to take him up on his offer.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. ”
