Pentecost Monday outing to Hollókő

Young couple in native costume in the village

This is a photo from our Pentecost Monday (June 5) outing to Hollókő castle and historic village, up in northern Hungary.  Our full photo album is here if you'd like to see more.

We had already visited there last year as a part of cultural re-entry after being in the US for 10 months, but a group from the Karcag Baptist Church circle were going for the holiday and we went with them. It was a beautiful, bonding day with our friends,  leaving super-early to meet them in Karcag, going on from there on a chartered bus.

The folks at Hollókő were doing a lot of re-enactments in full costume, very dramatic. In the morning there was a ceremony welcoming all of us to the castle..."you came as free men, you may depart in peace as free men!"  (I was glad to hear that.)

There were some pretty warlike confrontations on the village streets between marauding bands of warriors from different parts of Hungary, as well as some Turks. One squabble was over some captive maidens, but after threatening speeches, saber rattling, guns fired into the air, and double-dog-daring to meet later by the castle gate, it all turned out OK.

Hungarian history is very long and interesting -- often tragic -- and learning more about it helps us to better understand the people we live among and minister to.  

Pray with us that God will move in a mighty way in Hungary, showing the people that He loves them and has had a purpose for them since the beginning of time; ask that they will turn to Him with all their hearts.