Happy in Hungary

Trains, buses and planes. Well, not exactly, but when Margie and Marissa travelled to the SHARE conference in Sopron, Hungary, it was certainly interesting getting there.

First, it was a car to the bus station. Next, a bus to a subway station in Austria, a missed train, then different train to a bus and finally, a bus to their hotel! It was an interesting trip for the dynamic duo.

The scariest moment was when we boarded the bus in Sofia. Why? Well, there was an announcment that all children traveling with one parent must have some notarized documents from the other parent.

Naturally, this document which we have was neatly filed away at home in Stara Zagora...

Yikes!

And, this legal paper was needed was in order simply to cross the Bulgarian border.

Oh, boy!

Immediately, I began praying, and they never heard another word about this needed document from a customs offical or anyone else. Thank you, Lord!

SHARE has become a family tradition for the Browns. The people there do educational testing, provide helpful seminars and an entire deligation of educational specialists. These experts are ready to advise, suggest, and correct us along our unique education journey for Marissa and Josiah.

Undoubtedly, the most valuable minutes were connecting with other moms and educators so I can hear how they have done it in unique settings.

One of the more interesting seminars was called "Third Culture Kids: Being Green in a Yellow and Blue World."

So, what does this mean?

Basically, third culture children are kids that grow up in a second culture rather than their own. For example, Marissa and Josiah are growing up in Bulgarian culture even though they are Americans. So, they make a "third culture," by pulling in things from both American and Bulgarian culture to create their own unique culture.

So, now you know why the seminar mentioned "being Green in a Yellow and Blue World." In simple language, kids making their own culture out of two others just as yellow and blue make green.

Admittedly, my battery was running low when Marissa and I left, but by the end of the conference, I was filled with new hope, stimulating conversations, amazing testimonies, American cookies and delicious Hungarian cuisine.

Of couse, I was able to swap curriculum we no longer needed for biographies of Blaise Pascal and Isaac Newton, as well as historical novels that our children love.

And, since Josiah loves physics, I was even able to get some good material for him on this subject.

Also, Marissa was able to be refreshed by the teenager program while in Sopron. She even played flute with the worship team there which was a first for her!

In fact, she proved her German lessons and studies are worthwhile as she translated for me while we were briefly in Vienna waiting for transportation. Thank you, Marissa!

Next, I was reminded more than once that our schooling is represented much more than SAT scores and GPAs. God pointed me again to the big picture-namely, launching my children towards God's call in their lives.