The Auses:

Hungary for another International Adventure

by Chris Benderev

            Actually, I should clarify.  The word “Hungary” is a pro-noun, a name of a country, that shouldn’t be used to describe the Ause family and their desire for an international trip.  In fact, hungry would have been the proper adjective.  I guess you could say the pun-opportunity (oppuntunity?) got the best of me.

            That aside, this article was constructed to inform the SMES community about what exactly it is that the prominent Ause family is doing next year.  Knowledge varies throughout the school; some don’t know who the Auses are, some know that they’re going to “that place in Europe”, and some are even planning on visiting them….at “that place.”

            Well, “that place” is the country of Hungary, and while their plans there sound unusual, they also sound terribly inspiring.  For those who didn’t know, they have a very extensive history of service with Christian Mission groups and volunteering in Hungary, not to mention that they were married there.  I know all of this because I sat down with Mr. and Mrs. Ause this past week to get an in-depth understanding of why they are going to this unique country, and to ask them some questions on behalf of the rest of the Upper School. 

SMES (me): So, you are moving to Hungary.

Mr: Yes.  At the end of this school year we are taking a one-year leave of absence.  The school has been very generous, acknowledging both our desire for this excursion and also our wish to return after one year.

SMES: What’s in Hungary?

Mr: We lived there before, and so now upon return we have a lot of friends we will see.  Also, we enjoyed our own previous experience of living in another country.  We want our childten to have that too, and a whole year allows for a more significant, deeper immersion experience. 

SMES: Well, what was your history there?

Mrs: Service was what brought us to the region originally.  I was in Vienna doing international work with Christian service organizations.  Both of us met in Austria and we both eventually moved to Hungary to work with a Christian youth ministry called Young Life.

SMES: So then what are your plans for this next year?

Mr: When we were working with Young Life the first time one of the things we were doing was helping to establish a new retreat center that could reach out to Christians, Christian youth especially, who had become disenchanted with the strict Church system under communist rule. 

Mrs: Now the same friend that we helped start this retreat center with has it up and running, but its usage is unfortunately still low.

SMES: So… enter the Auses?

Mrs: Yes, I suppose.  The average Hungarian’s view of what a Youth group is and should be is vastly different from that of the average American.  We are trying to show them ways in which they can use the center year round and make even more out of it.

SMES: Are there any other things you plan to do in Hungary?

Mrs: Besides seeing old friends and revisiting the lifestyle we enjoyed years ago, we also hope to be building a stronger alliance with this Hungarian Church for future endeavors.  It is my own personal dream that we could incorporate service with St. Margaret’s and with our own church congregation in California with a Hungarian sister school and a sister congregation. 

SMES: This is obviously a big change.  How do you think your children and your family as a whole will respond to it?

Mr:  Well, the four of us will be sharing basically one room for a year.  And while there is a level of comfort for us in Hungary, it will certainly be a radical change for our children. 

Mrs: But what you do in these situations is have all that you depend on stripped away.  We think, although it will be difficult, it will be a very beneficial experience for our children.

Mr: None of your habits work anymore.  I don’t know about other people, but that energizes me.

SMES: As we think of who we will not have around for a year, who or what do you think you will miss the most while you are gone?

Mr: I think that both of us, especially having Junior advisories, will certainly miss seeing the very important Senior year and graduation of the current Juniors.  Oh, and the weather.

SMES: Okay.  The big question.  This one is directed mainly at you Mr. Ause.  Is Chemistry the same in Hungary?

Mr: Well, I never really learned the Chemistry vocabulary in Hungarian, but I do know that they have different names for the elements but the same symbols.  Other than different names Chemistry is really the same everywhere! 

SMES: Very disorienting.  Well, to conclude this interview I will ask if there’s anything else you would like to say to the St. Margaret’s community.

Mrs: We, as a family, have been changed by living internationally, particularly when we were really immersed in a culture.  I can think of no experience in my life that has been more important than that.  So, if this trip can be an encouragement to SMES students to do the same and take advantage of an international opportunity, then that is good.  And if you want to visit us while we are there we’d be happy to allow you to take part in what we think will be a very rewarding time. 

So there you have it.  The Auses will be gone for a year.  Yet as I sat there talking with Mr. and Mrs. Ause, they seemed neither anxious to leave nor unconfident about what they were doing.  They knew some of the obstacles an experience like this brings about, but they were visibly excited to be carrying out a goal they believe very strongly in.  I think I speak on behalf of St. Margaret’s when I say, “Good Luck!”