борщ, budapest, and the berlin wall

 

Tonight’s menu is борщ (borsch) made like the Russian babas taught me at the dacha so many years ago. Almost every good memory of Moscow that I have, and there are a plethora, involve this Russian staple. Tonight, I am serving it to my family in Bulgarian pottery in our Hungarian home. Over the past twenty years, these three cultures have had an integral voice in who we have become and are becoming. They are a precious part of us. As each Autumn teeters on the verge of winter, we take a moment to remember the end of the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was the beginning of our journey in eastern Europe.

Moscow.

The heartbeat of the Communist experiment and in the fall of 1994, it became our first Eastern European home.

Sofia.

The Eastern Bloc country most sympathetic to Moscow’s political ideal. According to local legend, “When Moscow sneezed, Bulgaria was the first to say ‘на здраве’ (to your health).” We made our home there for thirteen years.

Budapest.

The Eastern Bloc country that most stubbornly rejected the Communist system. On Wednesday, the country celebrates the 1956 revolution against the Communists. In August, we began our third year in our new home in Hungary.

Jay and I have the privilege of serving the leaders and the missionaries of the former Eastern Bloc nations; today it is called Central and Southeastern Europe.

Destinations.

Over the next three weeks, we will be posting more frequently as we celebrate the stories birthed out of this amazing history. Come with us as we conduct interviews, as we share photos, as we attend District Assemblies in Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, and Kosova. Join us as we learn about culture, the language of miracles, the beauty of hospitality, and all that it means to be a part of the Central Europe Field.

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Enjoy the борщ, Budapest, and the Berlin Wall.