In seminary, my wife and I made friends with a couple from Hungary. The man is also a pastor and was studying abroad at our seminary. Years later, we took a trip to visit them, which was actually our second trip. On the first trip, they made a long drive to pick us up from the airport in Budapest, even though they live quite far from there. For the second trip, we told them we’d take the train to their small town. They were concerned, but we assured them we were excited about the adventure.

It ended up being more of an adventure than we bargained for. Our train broke down, and we had to get off with instructions given only in Hungarian, in a small town where we couldn’t find anyone who spoke English. We saw people getting on buses, but we had no idea where those buses were headed. We eventually boarded another train and managed to get to a larger city where we did find someone who spoke English. Eventually, we made it to our destination, but hours later than we originally planned.

What we discovered was that while we were lost somewhere in the train system, our friend’s father had personally called every single train station along that line to see if they had seen two Americans. I had never experienced such care and hospitality. It was amazing to feel so valued that he would go to such lengths to help us.

I carry that spirit into the work I do as MI Benefits Guy. In the Benefits Office, we frequently assist people who are experiencing issues with health insurance, pensions, or navigating the system after the loss of a family member. Every opportunity I get, I strive to reassure people that no matter what, we are here for them and will do whatever we can to help.

If there is one thing I wish all clergy knew, it would be that we have you covered! If you run into any issues, please reach out to our office. We can’t fix everything, but more often than not, I find out after the fact that we could have helped with something if we’d known sooner.

We are here to advocate for you. We are here to solve problems. We are here to educate.

If you aren’t sure what benefits you have, please reach out, and I’ll take a few minutes to share with you the benefits we offer. We’re here to help you navigate this complex system and hopefully make life a little easier.

The care I have experienced in my life, especially during that time in Hungary and other moments, has enriched my work with all of you. I want you to know that we are always here for you. No question is too small to ask. Sometimes, we don’t even know what questions to pose, so we will continue to educate you as much as we can to ensure you don’t feel like benefits are a foreign land where you don’t speak the language and feel lost.

Last Updated on February 28, 2025