Topic of Discussion: Hospitality
If you don't already know Mandy Szabo, chances are, if you DO meet her, you will be invited over to her house for dinner that same night! ;-) And after dinner with Mandy, her Husband, Marc (of 4 1/2 years) and their one year old daughter Mabel, you will feel like family! The Szabos are a godly, Gospel-focused family that loves to share their joy... and their home with others! I was able to sit down and have a video chat with Mandy one afternoon and ask her some questions about hospitality. Our prayer is that you will be encouraged to open your home to outsiders after reading what Mandy had to say.
Sam: Mandy, was your family hospitable growing up?
Mandy :Yes. So, my Mom always encouraged people to be at our house. And we lived far away from our family. So we had our Grandparents down for a month at a time. Or we had our entire family down. We always had the resources to handle that sort of thing. We always had sleepovers at our house. She was always like, "Come to our house!" So she could know our friends and see who we hung out with and see what they were like. Every party, everything, was always at our house! For church, for cross-country growing up. People in high school knew that about our house. And there were MANY times,...few times...some times, they would even come over and I wasn't even there! Or like a ton of people would get there before me, because I am always late for everything! *laughter* "Oh yah, just come over to my house and I'll be over there when I can!". And they are over there eating our food and talking to my Mom or something. And one time they were playing video games with my little brother! It was just always, open door, all the time, always a ton of food! She always made extra of whatever food she was making incase someone was going to show up. That was just the way I always grew up.
Sam: That is awesome. And I feel like that liberty has definitely filtered down to you, because I always felt like going over to your house wasn't a burden to you. It's not like you were saying, "Oh, let me check my schedule. Let me make sure my house is perfect.", or "Let me check the cupboard, cuz, what am I going to feed you?". It wasn't a stress. It was, "Just come!".
Mandy: It's just natural.
Sam: Yep, natural.
Sam: Besides your own family were there any other influences that influenced you, as far as hospitality goes?
Mandy: I guess, my Grandmother also. I think it must run in the family. My Grandmother was the same way.
Sam: Your Mom's Mom?
Mandy: Yes, my Mom's Mom. She would always have cookies or something. She was always prepared. If you came to stay for a little while she would always have your bed made up and have little chocolates or little soaps laid out on your bed for you. Your towels all laid out. Just cute stuff like that.
And then, I think Mike Schadt, (Director of SOS Ministries) spending time with him, you learned hospitality, as far as missions goes. Hospitality is key to missions. When I went on missions before Mike Schadt, we were in people's homes but it wasn't the same as when we went with Mike. When you went into some one's home with Mike it was relaxed, a slow time. And that wasn't him being able to invite you in, but part of that is kind of how you get to know people, love people. Being in their homes, being with them for an extended period of time without having anxiety over having to leave for this or that.
Sam: It's kind of seeing the flip-side of it, with Mike Schadt. That is cool.
So, since you've been married, what has hospitality looked like in your home?
Mandy: I just wanna open my home; have people there. So, we would open it to anything for church. Like we always said we are willing to host if you need someone. Depending on the person, it can be a burden. And it never was for us. We've always enjoyed having things at our home. And Marc was the same way. He didn't grow up having anyone at his home, ever. But Marc also loves having people over and is very good at cleaning so that aided in the hospitality growth! *laughter* I'm not always very conscious of that, and Marc is!
I think it started with hosting things for church. And if we needed a bigger space we would work with my Mom and use her house. We just used the resources we had.
Sam: I met you at a Missions Meeting in your first small apartment with everyone crammed in there!
Mandy: Yeah, I always felt like it was never a struggle to have people to come to my home even if it wasn't large. It isn't about the size of your home or how incredible the meal is, but how you prepare your home.
Sam: Do you enjoy hospitality or do you kinda make yourself do it?
Mandy: Nope, I love it every time! I think your front door should be a revolving door...but have a latch! The door just keeps revolving and you just shut it sometimes when you need family time. Now that we have a child we face different challenges than we did before.
I read in a blog somewhere that hospitality and entertainment are two different things and sometimes we confuse the two. Hospitality is when you have someone over and you burn the rolls because you are so engaged in the conversation! There is a vulnerability and you make yourself an open book.
Sam: That is awesome! I love it! Alright, so what is some of the fruit you have seen from hospitality?
Mandy: I think from childhood it would be extended family, that wasn't blood related. We had a good friend of mine who had an eating disorder live with us for three months. Our home was a better environment for her at the time and she is a sister to me now. And she considers my Dad her Dad! So you gain family you didn't have before!
To be continued...
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