Our Journey to Jozsef

We finished our flights on Saturday and received a warm welcome. We took the weekend to recover, get settled in, and do a few neglected tasks around the house. So far it’s going really well at home. Joseph loves his new home, bedroom (which he has never had), and of course our puppy Ruby. It will be another adjustment this week as the girls go back to school. Thank you for your continued prayers, they are working! 

We made it to Brussels for our layover and Joseph enjoyed his first flight. Sadly the poor guy’s ears hurt on the way down but he otherwise loved it. He’s in for a big treat with the jumbo jet. I think these updates get archived soon so please keep in touch via email/phone. Our friend Bethany offered to organize a meal plan so if you would like to participate please email her at Bethanytrigilo@gmail.com . Thank you for your support and prayers, please keep praying as we transition home.

Yesterday we got on a train and went to Vienna for the day. It was a good practice run with Joseph and we got to see a few of the amazing buildings like the Belvedere Palace. Today we are packing up and I have to run to the embassy one last time to get his visa. We leave for the airport at 3:30AM Saturday morning, here we come! 

Today our sweet Zoe turns 10! We are having a fun day celebrating her birthday with some yummy treats, reservations to the zoo cafe where I’m pretty sure I’ll need allergy meds, and more fun things after. We are so thankful for our precious Zoe. I also had to go to the US embassy again today to submit paperwork for Joseph’s visa. Just a few more days and we will be home! 

This morning Joseph officially became a Pushak! We are heading to his birth town to get his birth certificate and then we head to Budapest for final embassy stuff! 

Zoe’s grade (4th) is supporting missionaries in Hungary and we had the privilege of spending the day with them! We attended their church, had an amazing lunch, and then did some sightseeing with them. It was truly so cool to see God at work in their lives and to hear some stories! They serve in a lot of ways at church with worship and teaching sermons, the local population with English camps, and Ukrainian refugees. I can easily see us taking people back here for short term mission trips. Who’s in? 

I took Gabriella and Angelina to a local football game and we were in for a wild experience. Football is much bigger around the world than in America and people act crazy. The girls loved every minute of it and the home team won 3-2.

It’s always interesting to explore new playgrounds in different neighborhoods. Zoe and Joseph liked this one!

As of this update we have 11 days until we return to the U.S. on September 28^th. We are excited to get back to our home and new normal.

Please pray for wisdom and discernment for Kristin and I as we follow a soft plan for Joseph. Our thinking is for him to start 1st grade at our local public school since they have an ELL (English language learners) program.  After this first year, Lord willing, he can join the girls at their school. He will stay home for at least a week or two as he acclimates to his new surroundings. It will be tough for him when the girls return to school. Kristin immediately starts back up teaching and I’ll get back to work with DOMA and real estate. Fortunately, Kristin’s mom is kind enough to come stay with us for a little while and help us with the transition. Please also pray that we are able to finish strong. 

The weather has changed here in Hungary and it was a cold and rainy weekend. We went to the Tirpak Festival at the local plaza which celebrates the different cities within northeast Hungary. We enjoyed traditional food, crafts, and performances. We also went to church for the second time in a row and it was great to worship with other believers. The message was on Luke 7 where Jesus brings the boy back to life and how spiritual healing is most important thru salvation by trusting in Jesus. It was interactive and the children stayed in the service and were asked questions. The answers were simple yet profound like “Jesus is the best doctor”. The Luthern hymns were very pretty but the translation when using google translate was pretty funny for one of them.

“If you shut up once a day, With God, You would be very quiet, Questions would be solved, this silence would be the way to life, pray without ceasing, And the peace of God will keep it.”

We are in our last week in Nyiregyhaza and then we have 4 days in Budapest and then we make the journey home as a family of 6! 

Last night we went to the city center as we often do to walk around and get ice cream. The kids often end up playing on this statue, yes the one with the railing all around. Hey everyone else is doing it! 

I’ve always had this rule for the girls, if they can’t climb up it themselves than they can’t do it and they should be able to get down themselves as well. Joseph climbed up to a higher part as seen and he really wanted me to help him down. I assured him I was there if he fell but he had to do it by himself. It took him about 20 minutes but he did it and he was so proud of himself and so was I. 

We are learning just how great Hungary is. People here are pretty friendly and there is so much to see and do. They have thousands of baths (thermal pools) and yesterday we went to Takaj, a historic wine town with tons of wineries and vineyards. Many of our adventures are a first for Joseph. It’s a blessing to see his excitement and enthusiasm for most of them. We tried going to another local football game as well and again he was so nervous when we got there. But this time I communicated we were there to watch the game and not actually play and with that he was just fine. In fact the next day he wanted to go back. 

We continue do do fun stuff with Joseph. We went to a really neat castle high up on a mountain and then the girls walked this crazy bridge. Guess who was scared the most? Her name starts with an A! Joseph and I cheered them on. Communication continues to get better and better and hopefully he will learn English quickly. We had requested to pray before meals which is so cute. Of course none of us know what he is saying but regardless it’s in Jesus name.  We also went to a local church yesterday which was really cool. We met the pastor in a coffee shop and he invited us. It was great to worship with fellow brothers and sisters. I think we plan to go back next week. Someone was kind enough to translate so that was great. 

Yesterday we drove 2 1/2 hrs to Budapest for a 10 minute appointment at the US Embassy. We had to submit some paperwork and photos for Joseph’s passport. We did enjoy a nice lunch and playground in the city before returning. Kristin wasn’t quite ready for my photo but we both agreed it was a pretty good Zoolander pose so we went went with it. 

Like many 7 year old boys, Joseph gets excited every time he sees a fire truck, train, plane, etc. While Kristin helped the girls with school work, I took him to a train station and overpass to watch in awe. He is counting down the days until his first plane ride. Tomorrow we drive back to Budapest for our first US embassy appointment. Time is flying by.

Yesterday 8/31, Gabriella turned 17! She woke up to flowers, cards, and sweet treats. After picking up her cake, we headed to the historical town of Eger where we were eager to celebrate her birthday. We explored a castle/fort, got some amazing street food, and went to a Turkish bath. These baths were built in 1617 and the indoor baths had a dome that is gold plated. It’s been a week and two days since Joseph came into our custody and everyday life seems to become a little more “normal.” We are all still growing in patience but as we learn to communicate a little better everyday, it helps. God is faithful.

I (Joe) have been getting some extra time in with Joseph as the girls started school and are trying to keep up. With no AC at our house we found it better to work from a coffee shop and me take Joseph to playgrounds, the mall, etc. I found a great local place for lunch off the beaten track and learned he enjoys a good veggie mix. It’s been fun. Happy Friday! 

The girls are learning what it means to have a brother, especially a younger brother who loves attention. Here is a photo of Joseph confirming he is indeed eating food by showing it in his mouth. Angelina is not impressed. We will teach him manners eventually, baby steps. 

And just like that it’s already the start of our 4th day with Joseph! Kristin and I have taken turns sleeping with him. We tried going to a football (soccer) game last night and he seemed excited about it but when we got to the stadium, he wanted no part of it. It was quite loud so it was likely too much for the poor guy. So we pivoted and went downtown for some ice cream. We definitely need more things to do at the house as the girls try to keep up with school and me with work so we got a kiddy pool. In his own way, Joseph told me there was enough water in it and wasted no time diving in. We will have to teach him how to swim pretty quickly at home, baby steps!

Yesterday we took gaurdianship of Joseph. The Hungarian government requires a 30 day in country time with him so that is what just started. It was a very hard morning as his loving foster parents said their final goodbys and left the agency building. The girls played with him before we left ourselves. It was tough on Joseph but I don’t think he fully realized what was happening. The rest of the day went pretty well. We kept busy at multipe playgrounds, walking around, and getting ice cream. We cooked a healthy dinner at our air bnb and then Kristin and i took him for a walk. When we got back to our place and it was time to get ready for bed is when it really hit him. Not knowing what he was saying, we knew what he wanted. He cried in my arms for a while, we cried with him. He communicated that he didn’t want to sleep alone which we anticipated. I told him I’d stay with him and he almost immediately had peace. (there is so much to unpack with that) So after he complied to a well needed bath we went to bed and got a pretty good nights sleep! God is faithful!

Time is flying as we prepare for Jozsef to come live with us tomorrow. The foster parents gave us some toys and I guess we will see what clothes he comes with. We bought the 3 healthy foods he eats (bananas, cucumbers, tomatoes) It seems there are few “rules” for him so we are definitely praying about creating healthy boundaries. He is a very good boy but we have had to say no a few times which led to some resistance. Navigating that with the language barrier is tough. He is a precious child and it is a privillege to bring him into our family. We are learning and growing, God is faithful! 

We have been in transition that last couple days since we couldn’t find one air bnb for the entire stay. We left the farm house yesterday and went to an apartment near the center of Nyiregyhaza. The walkabilty was great but now we are in a larger home back outside of town with a nice garden. No AC so hopefully the weather cools off soon. This home has more bedrooms and will be better for when Jozsef comes into our custody on Friday! Today when we picked him up he had a soccer ball in his hands so we went to a park where he could show off his skills. He’s no competition for Angelina but give him a year or two and it’s game on! 

This morning we picked up Jozsef and went to the local zoo which happens to be one of the biggest in Europe. We had such a fun time and bonds are truly being made. Yesterday I told Adam how well I thought things were going and he said he’s never seen anything like this in all the years he’s been doing this. We were at a large playground and he was playing with the girls and he said “Mommy?” so they brought him back to us and once he saw we were still there he was good to go.  Adam said, “right now it’s the girls job to to protect Jozsef but one day it will be his job to protect his sisters”.  After the zoo today we had pizza and just hung out in a park. We took Jozsef back to his foster parents house, gave lots of hugs and said goodby. As I was about to pull away we heard a knock on the van. It was the foster Mom and Jozsef who was crying because we were leaving for the night! So after many more hugs and assurance we will see him tomorrow, he was ok. We are so thankful to God for how things are going! 

This morning, after an official meeting with the Hungarian Social Services Agency, we drove to where Jozsef has lived since he was 3 months. We met him and his foster parents and as expected he was quite shy at first. Adam, our in-country liason did a great job making introductions and facilitating the process. At first it was a quick glance at us and then back into the foster mom’s lap. Then he was giving us high fives. Before I knew it I was holding him and then into Kristin’s arms. We showed him photos of us and our home in Virginia and said our names and he would repeat after each name, as well as other English words we taught him. Adam and the social workers were in disbelief. Jozsef also loved showing us his trampoline skills. We didn’t have any expectations but this first day surpassed anything we could have imagined. We will continue to do day visits for the next week or so before he comes into our custody.  For the most part, everyone seems to be feeling better so thank you for your prayers! More to come!

P.S. We are not allowed to post any photos of Jozsef’s face until he’s officially our son!

Today we arrived in Nyiregyhaza, about 2 1/2 hrs NE of Budapest. We rented a van for our time here and checked into our first of three air bnb’s while we are here. This first place is very cute and has a couple acres and some farm animals, of course the girls love it. The plan is to meet with local social services and then have a brief visit with Jozsef on Tuesday morning. This will be the first time we meet him! Tomorrow is a rest day which is well needed, a few of us aren’t feeling great so prayers for that please.

Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Budapest. After a short rest we took to the streets for some exploring. It was refreshing to see all of the beautiful churches with crosses on top and we all could immediately sense the cultural difference between here and Istanbul. Overall we are doing well but of course tired from all the traveling. We will be here for 2 days and then drive to our final destination where we will be for a month and a half. There we will meet the newest adtion to our family! Thank you for your continued prayers. 

Last full day in Istanbul, Our hotel had breakfast up on the roof top that had a view that blew us away! We did a little more sight seeing and took a 20 min ferry to the other side of the city so technically we were in Asia today. Our time has been really good. Challenging but is bringing us closer together like a team building exercise. Tomorrow morning we go to Hungary! 

We have started our journey to adopting Joszef. We had a 3 hour delay leaving DC which made the 10 hour flight pretty long and now have a brief 3 day layover in Istanbul prior to our final destination in Hungary. 

We went to the Hagia Sophia which is an amazing building and was origianlly built to be a Christian Church (built in 6th century) but is now a Mosque. 

More to come but I’m not sure how many people “subscribed” to this platform. Those that did will recieve updates via email. 

Please pray we fully recover from the trip over, stay healthy, united as a family, and for me (Joe) as I manage working remotely as much as possible.

Blessings to our community,

The Pushaks