High School Graduation In February......?.

Tonight I went out on the town!.... Not really, but I got dressed up for a high school graduation where most of the students I taught last year were "pinned" and performed a special dance, among other things.

All the graduates dress up in suits. They look so great! I love it. I was very proud of two students of mine who recited Hungarian poetry. They just look so handsome all dressed up in their suits. Here's Tibor and Adam. Adam has come out and played American football with the guys last summer and we've been building a friendship with him and actually two other Adams in this class. Sorry the pictures are so blurry. I can't figure out my camera!





Anyways, high school graduations are a bit different here. First, they have it in February. It is a bit of a varsity letter/pinning/dance party event. It's definitely a great experience! First, let me explain one thing about the classroom set up because it's quite different from the way we experienced high school in the states.

Imagine that your freshman year you are introduced to your "class master" and to the group of students you will spend the next four years of your life with in classes. The only variation takes place in subject matter or if someone moves away, gets kicked out, dies, etc. These kids KNOW each other really well. I'm not sure what I think of it. For example, one girl in my class last year ended up dating one of the guys. It was obvious after a few months that something went wrong. When it didn't work out, there was this really awkward atmosphere in class. Can you imagine four years of that? It would be hell -- especially if you didn't particularly get along with the students in your class. So for this night, each class comes up to be pinned separately by their class master. Much more of a personal touch on that because it is almost like a school within a school. You are closest to your class and class master. Interesting huh?....

So their last big project together is this "dance". Every kind of student in the class is forced to work together on this....you have your student musicians who have longer hair than me, organizing with students who are much more prone to play soccer and football and they have to come up with something together.

Tonight there were six sections and everything from traditional Hungarian dance,



to Michael Jackson,

to Sister Act the movie

to I can't even remember but hilarious.


And without fail every single one except the traditional Hungarian dance, the guys came out with a white shirt over another shirt and peeled it off once the funky music started. I wondered if they all saw the same video and copied the moves???? ha ha.

The one class I taught last year did a number where the girls came out all slithery in these black dresses (kind of scary how "grown up and sexual" they acted) and the men were supposed to be all coy too. I sort of felt I was in a bright, sleezy bar at one point. And this was high school. Definitely different social norms when it comes to things sexual here. Of course I took a lot of pictures of them because I just have such a soft spot for this class. I noticed of all the classes, they are the biggest graduating class/section and I just think there's definitely something special about them. Maybe I'm like a biased mama, but they won my heart the last few years.



I was a bit blown away that this was allowed, when one of the classes all came out with shirts in English that said, "Smile when you're 'horny'"!! No JOKE!!! And they did this jig to a bunch of rank songs. I just wonder how much of what the kids get away with is because besides the English department, the Hungarian administration doesn't speak English. I doubt they know what that word is.

On a more noteworthy note, one of the things they do is carry a light and walk around in the gym together to two Hungarian songs. It's kind of boring but the picture to me is clear.....Each one of these lives represents a life with potential for the future and they can add their light to the rest of the world. We keep a beat to the songs by clapping as they pass us in the gym. We can hoot and holler too.


It's sad because this past summer two kids committed suicide. And I thought about the light of their life snuffed out prematurely. Actually Hungary no longer has the highest suicide rate. So that's good but they are still in the top 10 of nations per capita around the world. I think it's even more damaging when you are in a class like that together.

Unfortunately, by the end of the night when I wanted to get pictures with the class I taught and some of the individual students, my camera died. So that was a bummer but I got some great ones of their dances and the lit candles! I have been spreading the news now. I want to have a graduation party for them at my flat this year - maybe in April or May. So, that should be a ton of fun too.

But I find these graduations to be inspiring! I think it's because there is the potential of your whole life right before you and knowing that the choices you make can really shape your future.

My senior year was NOTHING like I planned. I had been planning to leave high school with a trail of final parties and craziness for my sisters and brothers to reap the benefits when I was gone....out with a bang. I had "friends" and lots of parties I was planning for senior year....but the spring of my junior year something amazing happened and I'm glad it did. My heart got captivated by the truth of God's love, purpose and design for my life and things changed. When I had a stronger desire to go learn about God with "church people" my "friends" thought I went crazy. Instead of walking with this guy Chris, I walked with my cousin Cheri at graduation and that actually turned out good because we have good memories from it now. Don't get me wrong. I had a blast my senior year just in a completely different and unexpected way. I found a whole group of other high schoolers in Reno at a place called "the lighthouse" and some of my best friendships today are from that group.

And I guess these are the life changing experiences I'm hoping for the students tonight. There's enough pain and brokenness that I'm sure they will remember but it's these life changing, significant things like finding out about the creator of the universe and His powerful plan for your life that make life worth living every day. Wouldn't it be great to have it happen now at a younger age than later? Of course anytime is good. Anytime is the now time. As tough as it is in Eastern Europe, the future really is bright for these students. I just see their potential and love them so much. Good things are ahead for these talented kids and I just hope nothing snuffs it out. It's tough in Hungary and I just pray to God they find their creator along the way to make sense of life in it all.