You Don't Say...

Houseguest

2008-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

This past week I've had a houseguest! And she's so cute! Kyle was planning to visit some friends in Columbus over the weekend, so I said I'd keep his dog, Brutus (don't let the name confuse you; she's a girl, she's just a big Ohio State fan and REALLY enjoyed the game this past weekend). Well, we figured I might as well keep her for the rest of the week since he'd be back up this way on Wednesday for Thanksgiving and I'm doing...well, not much of anything right now!
I've loved having her around and am amazed at what a good dog she is. To be real honest, I think we were all a little unsure about Brutus's mental stability last Christmas, which is the only time I'd ever met her. She was insane. But, she's calmed down so much and is really a great little girl! And have I mentioned that she's so stinkin' cute! Here are a few pictures to prove it.

I was folding some laundry this morning and she crawled under my bed and just stuck her head out and watched. There's absolutely nothing under my bed, but I guess it just looked cozy to her!
What a little lady, sitting with her paws crossed and enjoying the heat! She learned this from her time with Aunt Jessica. She needed some "girl time". Too much time with all those boys at Kyle's house!

Her favorite spot: in front of the door waiting to go out. She loves taking walks. Also, I think she likes my boots. (you can't really tell in any of these photos, but Kyle has a black and white polka dot and pink trimmed collar on her! I applaud him for embracing her girl-ness, even with a name like "Brutus"!)

How cute is this girl?

I am a proud aunt. So sue me! But seriously, having Brutus here gave me my dog-fix for a while and I think her master got himself a great little dog!

Ohio Days

2008-11-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently I'm in the blogging mood today, because I'm going for two posts in one day! So, to pick up where I left off...since I returned from Florida and visiting friends and family, I've been here in Huron, Ohio, where I lived before heading over to Poland. I'm back in my little cottage, so it's really strange. Some nights, I lay in bed and think "was that all real? Did I really live in Poland for two years?" It's that weird feeling of everything feels the same, yet it all seems so different too.
Anyhoo, I've been spending my time still visiting people and getting settled, as well as starting to work on a job search. I've applied to a few pre-school programs and am waiting to hear about some positions open. I don't really have a long range plan at this point, just to get a job for the next few months and go from there. I read this the other morning and it brought me comfort as I wait on the Lord:
"Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139:16
Even though I have no idea what's going on, I'm going to believe that the Lord does!

So, meanwhile, while I have a little free time on my hands, I've been just trying to enjoy the rest that the Lord has provided in this time. Today, after walking down to my parent's house to put away some thawing meat (that's the luxury of living down the street from one another!), I bundled up and headed down to the beach and tried to take a few pictures. But, as with most things in nature, a photo just absolutely doesn't do God's creation justice. It was amazing. And, yes, I do understand that not everyone finds beauty in the muddy brown, cold waters of Lake Erie, but for whatever reason, I just love it and find it absolutely beautiful. We've had cold weather and a little bit of snow over the past few days and I'm even loving that. Of course, I loved laying on the beach in Florida, but I am also enjoying the approaching winter here in Ohio. There's a different kind of beauty to winter, but beauty nonetheless. And add in there a strong northwest wind and a stirred up lake...well, here are a few weak attempts to capture it.

The Huron Lighthouse (although, to keep it real here, I must add that this isn't really much of a lighthouse. I was with some friends coming in one really rough night and we didn't see the "lighthouse" until we were pretty much right next to it. It wasn't exactly the beacon of hope, guiding us safely to shore, that I had always romantically dreamed it would be. Oh well!)

This buoy got washed ashore sometime and is just waiting in the grass until next summer.

Floridays

2008-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, just in case there is any one person still remaining in the world who actually checks this thing, here is a little "catch up" on what's been going on since I returned to the west side of the pond! I know it's been three weeks, so I apologize that it's been so long and thank you SO much for those of you who have asked how I'm doing, what I'm up to and prayed for this transition. It surely hasn't been easy, so thank you and please keep praying!

I returned to the states on Tuesday October 28th, to see my parents waiting with sheer joy and excitement at baggage claim at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. It was a good sight. My little legs couldn't carry me fast enough down the corridor to baggage claim! Anyhoo, on Thursday, my parents and brother and I headed to Florida for a few days to unwind and spend time together before everyone runs off to work and whatnot. It was FABULOUS! And, as is usual if you know my family, we created quite a few memories. Let's just say that we started calling ourselves the "Griswolds". If you've ever seen the National Lampoon's movies, this should give you a feel for the kinds of things that happened. I wouldn't have it any other way! We laid on the beach, collected shells, Kyle fished, ate good seafood, played cards (my dad and I were victorious, I might add!), and just generally enjoyed being together and relaxing.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip. I should also mention that we stayed at an over-55 only mobile home retirement community. All I'm saying is that I'm pretty much ready to be 55 and retire to Florida and get a golf cart.

This was a quiet little beach that my dad and I rode our bikes to. My mom and Kyle had to get back to work, so they left Monday, while my dad and I stayed until Tuesday. This quiet little beach had TONS of different little animals swimming and crawling around. We had fun just exploring.

I hate to say it (for my fellow Ohioans anyways), but this was my view from my beach blanket in late October/early November. A girl could get used to that.

Ok, so this is a pelican. I took this picture before I knew how closely intertwined (literally) my family would soon become with a pelican. These guys are pretty big and really tame. They were just walking all over this pier where Kyle was fishing. Ask him sometime about his pelican fishing adventure. I think enough time has passed that he'll laugh about it and tell you a great story. I think.

Kyle and my dad "talkin' fish". This was right before the above-mentioned pelican incident. Seriously, ask him sometime. It's classic and goes right along with the "Griswold" thing.

My mom and dad and I went on a little walk one morning. We were scoping out the "retirement villa" and were on our way to see one of the pools, when a kind lady told us about this bridge and the alligator that lives there. We looked for Al the whole time we were there, but as far as I know, no luck. Maybe next time we can have a run-in with a big, scary, meat eating alligator--if we're lucky!

As I said, my dad and I returned on Tuesday evening, and the following Friday I headed down to Dayton to see some girlfriends from college and go to a bridal shower for one of them on Saturday. It was so great to see these girls again and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them at the wedding in a couple of weeks! I trekked from Dayton to Urbana to visit family and had another great reunion. I got to visit with my grandma, aunt and uncle, cousins and their adorable kids! It was great to see them and I'm glad I didn't have to wait until Thanksgiving to see them.

Well, I think I'll end this "quick" update here and add some more in another post!

Ole!

2008-10-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night, we had Ala and Nina over for Mexican night! We dined on fajitas, burritos, chips, refried beans, and salsa. All topped off with a nice pecan pie. I know...who eats pecan pie with Mexican food???? Girls who have pecans to use before they leave in two weeks. That's who.

Anyhoo, we were very cautious to not make anything too spicy, but like a trooper, Nina added jalapenos AND hot sauce to her fajita! Atta girl!
It's always so much fun to have these girls over, and I'll admit it got a little emotional at one point in the evening. However, we hung out with them this afternoon for a bit, and are making plans to see them at least one more time. I really can't put into words how strange it feels to be leaving here. I don't think I ever really thought it would happen. And, here it is, time to pack and say goodbye. Please continue to pray for Ala and Nina, that their eyes and hearts would be opened to see Jesus and grow to know His love for them and love Him more and more. Also, please pray for Amber and I as we wrap things up here. Please pray for the transition and how to end well. It sure isn't going to be easy to leave these people (especially these girls!) or this place =) Thank you!

Ala and Nina serving themselves some Mexican! They really liked the refried beans. I really liked it ALL!

Amber, Ala, me, Nina on our mini-couch

A Surreal Reality

2008-10-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday our whole team headed out to nearby Olsztynek for church. It was a goodbye for Amber, Patsy, and myself. It's getting very real, day by day, that I'm leaving this place in just under three weeks and may not see my friends again, this side of eternity. It's such a strange feeling. I guess in the states you know that, if wanted, you can travel fairly easily to see someone. Not so easy to get here. It's a very surreal feeling.
Anyhoo...the church prayed for us and Marcin presented each of us with three beautiful doilies that his mother made. Then, we headed upstairs for tea and coffee and cakes, then down to Marcin and Monika's home for soup, kotlet (a fried pork-steak of sorts), potatoes, tomatoes, homemade pickles and salads. It was such a wonderful day. It has been such an amazing blessing to have gotten to know them. They are such a neat couple (who will expand their family in March!!!) who just genuinely love people and long for the people in their town and villages nearby to meet Jesus in a real and life-changing way. And they are such people of faith. They truly trust the Lord to provide for their needs and have experienced Him in amazing ways doing so. I'm going to miss them. I've learned a LOT about loving, giving, serving, and ministering from them both. I've also laughed a lot with them. If you think about it, please pray for them, as Marcin is going to Siberia next week (Oct. 15-Nov 17), and for Monika, who is pregnant. Please pray for Marcin's safety as he travels and for Monika and the baby. She's had a few problems throughout her pregnancy, but seems to be doing better other than still having low iron. But again, their outlook through the whole thing has been to look to the Lord and trust Him. Did I mention that I love these people?!?!?

Group Shot: Monika wanted to be sure to get a profile picture so "baby" is included too =) They're going to be amazing parents!
Some of the ladies of the church working to prepare coffee, tea, and cakes. They are such examples of hospitality and service. Amber, Patsy, and I have all learned lots about hospitality and service from these ladies and many others in Poland.
Sean (our "boss") and Marcin. The Lord has really done a neat thing in putting these two together. They are ministry partners, but friends too. And, as a sidenote, Sean is standing up against a ceramic heater that is awesome to stand by in the winter! This is how Marcin and Monika heat their home and it's still fairly common here in Poland. There's a little door on the side where you put in the coal or whatever you're going to burn and it heats the whole place up! There's also a little shelf where you can keep baked goods warm...or dry out wet clothes!
These are the doilies Marcin's mother made for us. We each got three, two white and one with different colors. They are absolutely beautiful. I'd wanted something pretty like this to take back with me, but I never would have dreamed of having something as beautiful as this and so special! I'm planning to have them matted and framed when I get back to the states.

By Request

2008-10-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

As requested, here is a picture of the ink. Please excuse my chubby, red toes. Feet just really aren't all that pretty...

The REST of the Story....

2008-10-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've been waiting in anxious anticipation (or been checking FB like Jill!), here's the scoop on the "something special" that Amber and I did on Friday. (also, if you've really been waiting in anxious anticipation, I'd really like to suggest finding a hobby, because this really isn't all that exciting! There's got to be more out there!)
So, here it is: I got a tattoo!!! Yes, it's true. Amber got one too. We went with our friends Ala and Nina on Friday and, would you believe, I have woken up every morning since and checked...and it's still there! It doesn't come off in the shower. Yep. It's there for good.
I got the word "hope" (with a little heart in the 'o') on the top of my foot. Amber got the word "faithful" in the same spot with a little red flower beside it (and the "tattoo guy" as well as another guy there asked if that was the right way to spell it, with only one 'l'. We said yes...then double checked to be sure!) I chose the word "hope" because it's something I've learned a lot about here in Poland and will remind me of my time here and it's something that has become even more precious to me. If I may bend your ear for a moment....
"Hope" means a confident expectation and I love knowing that the word "hope" tattooed on my foot isn't coming off. I can confidently tattoo this word on my foot because my hope in Christ will never, ever fail me. He will never fail me. No matter what happens in life, Christ will never change and His promises will still stand, and in this is my hope; this is my confident expectation. It's so easy to put hope in other things, but there's always an uncertainty about it. Money (the current economic situation says it all!), people, jobs, stuff, my own abilities...whatever. BUT, I can't fully rest in any of that because it can change and fail! In Christ, I can exhale and rest and stand confidently knowing that He will never change, will never fail me, and has made amazing promises in His Word to me...promises to never leave me, to direct my steps, to hold me and not let me fall, to be near to me, and on and on. Throughout my time here, I've needed to lean on Christ more than I can say. And I will be the first to admit that I didn't always do it so well (this is a good time to add that this hope in Christ has NOTHING to do with me or anything I've done or with being here in particular...it's to all of us that His hope is offered--freely and abundantly which is yet another reason I wantd this word as a tattoo!). But, it's just been a time of discovering that, when you have nowhere else to turn and are in a foreign land without family and familiar friends, with a language you cannot speak or understand and you feel like it's all chaos...there's hope. Because Christ hasn't changed and His promises haven't changed either. I've learned to just sit down and, when I didn't know what else to do, to hope. And not that "wow, I hope we have nice weather this weekend" kind of hope. The kind of hope that you can stake your whole life on and know that He will come through.
I don't know if any of that makes any sense, but I just wanted to try to share my heart a little bit about something that I've learned here, and I'm sure will continue to learn throughout my life. And, of course, there are MANY other things I've learned. I could probably fill up my whole body with tattoos about things that have been significant over the past two years...but, don't worry mom and dad, I won't!
Now, for some pictures of the "big" day =)

Nina, Ala and Amber waiting for the big event to begin. Ala was more scared and nervous for us than Amber and I combined!
Amber went first and noticed how surreal it was to be sitting on a table, getting a tattoo, in Poland, looking out the window at the steeple from a 14th century church. This has definitely got to go on the "never thought I'd be doing that" list!
The "tattoo guy" (we never even asked his name!) getting ready for me. He did a great job and, at the end when he was giving us our after-care instructions, broke out some of the best english!
work in progress
The results! We later read on the internet that wrapping them in plastic wrap is apparently pretty bad for tattoos, so we took it off quickly. Then we sat around all night saying "what??? we really have tattoos???"

*Ok, not that this post isn't already long enough, but here goes. Does anyone else (i.e.- cousins who spent time at the trailer in the 80's) remember the poster we used to have at the trailer of the little guy from Fantasy Island? You know, the "De plane, boss! De plane!" guy?? I have NO idea why that was hanging up in the trailer, but talking about tattoos made me think of it and thinking about it brought a smile to my face. Just thought I'd share =)

I just really can't think of a title here!

2008-10-04T00:50:00.000-07:00

So, here's another quick little update of things going on around Northeast Poland...which will only be my home for about another 3 weeks and is CRAZY! Anyhoo...here are some pictures of what we've been up to.

This is our language partner, Bozena. We have met with her off and on for about a year and spend some time practicing her english and our Polish. It's always nice to spend time with her in her home. We got to visit with her for a while last week and I got to give her a pair of my grandma Davis's world-famous baby booties for the little baby girl she's expecting in November!
This past Thursday, Bailey, Amber and I went out to our friend Agnieszka's school to help with European Languages Day! (don't tell...but we were there under the cover of British English!). Agnieszka teaches english there and we got to visit several classrooms and were pretty impressed by the english skills of these kids.
And, last but not least, a little picture of Amber and me in a special place doing something pretty special. More details to come.... =)

*and, yes, in answer to some questions, I did get a haircut! A couple of weekends ago, we were in Riga, Latvia for a retreat. There was a small group of Americans that came to help, and this group included an awesome hair stylist who was giving free haircuts! He also chose two random people for a make-over (where he has free reign to do what he wants to the hair) and I was one of them! He cut off several inches and it feels SO much better. He also showed me a picture of his daughter whose hair color is similar to mine, with dark black streaks in the front. I opted out on that one and, thankfully, he didn't have any hair color with him! (it actually looked pretty cool, but I just don't think I'm the black streak type!). So, that's the hair story. And check back soon for the rest of the story about the picture above!

Speed Update!!!

2008-09-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated this thing in, um, quite a while. =) I go through blog burnout every once in a while, so please forgive me, if anyone is still reading this! =)
So, in an attempt to catch you up on what's going on here, here are the past few weeks in pictures!

I'll tell you what, if it's not one thing, it's another with us. For those of you that know, Amber and I have quite a history of "mishaps" and we now have another to add to our list! A couple of weeks ago, I was getting some water to start washing the dishes, when I moved the faucet, the thing just snapped and broke and water started squirting out of the top! So, until Sean (thankfully!) came and rescued us and fixed it, we were hauling jugs of water from the shower to the sink to wash dishes. Needless to say, it was a four hand operation and made us feel like we were real "pioneer women"!

The Tour De Pologne rolled through Olsztyn again last week. It was a super cold day, but we all bundled up to head out and check it out. The hi-light was seeing this monster truck roll through. No, not with the bikes. There are several different vehicles that come through first for advertisements. I mean, nothing says America like a big monster truck, right?!?!

Last weekend, I was blessed to be able to attend a retreat for singles all throughout this region in Riga, Latvia (confession: didn't know Latvia was a country until I came to this part of the world!). It was so wonderful to get together with old friends, meet new friends, and just have a time to be refreshed and refocused on Christ. Sunday we celebrated Bailey's birthday before we headed to Vilnius, Lithuania where we stayed for the night, then headed back to Olsztyn the next day.

Another picture of some wonderful ladies I got to hang out with in Riga. Definitely one of the best parts of this experience has been meeting so many amazing people. I am blessed.

Bailey, Sarah (a journeyman from Krakow) and Amber in the van on the ride from Riga to Vilnius (thankfully we had a couple of great guys to drive and navigate...left more time for us to talk and sing!). And here is where my sentimentality (is that a word??) comes in...I took this picture, because as I sat there looking at these ladies, I was overwhelmed with how much I'm going to miss them and these experiences. For those of you who don't know, I'm headed back to the states on October 28th, so my time here is running very short, and it's becoming more and more real that this chapter is ending. I'm not too sure what to make of it. It's such a strange mix of emotions to be thinking of right now. Please pray for me as I finish my time here, it's going to be rough. Amber and I are trying to make connections this last month and I'd also ask you to pray for that. I really want to make the most of these last meetings, so please pray for open doors and boldness, yet sensitivity to the Spirit of God as we connect one last time.

Pay it Forward

2008-08-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm borrowing this idea from Amber, who also gave me a head's up this morning about some free music to download. Among many other things, one of the best things about living with Amber has been hearing some different music that I probably wouldn't have otherwise known about or listened to. People like Dave Barnes, Colbie Caillat, Coldplay, Matt Kearney, Damien Rice, and Matt Wertz just to name a few. Anyhoo, she also likes this girl, JJ Heller and found some of her music on itunes a while ago. JJ has just released another album and is offering it on her website for free until November! I downloaded it this morning and really, really like it. She's kind of folky and relaxing. I guess you could say she has Christian lyrics, but her music is really good too (sadly, those two don't always go hand in hand!). So, kind of like that movie "Pay it Forward", I'm passing this head's up along to you (whoever "you" readers may be!). Just click on the link below to check her out. (no matter what, you should go to her blog...there are some of the cutest things on there, especially if you're crafty and creative and looking for inspiration, which I am not, but "you" might be!). If you decide to give her a listen, I hope you enjoy!

Bust a Move

2008-08-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a day we'd been waiting for for quite a while here in Olsztyn...the Crush Moves Break Dancing Competition. Yes, it's true. We first saw the advertisements for this event at the beginning of the summer as we were looking at the poster for the summer arts events and have been waiting for it ever since. The morning broke cloudy and ominous and we were disheartened by several rain showers, threatening our trip to the ampitheater to see the competition. Around 1:30 we finally decided we had to take the risk. If something is important enough in your life, you take these chances. We bundled up (yes, I did say "we bundled up" on August 30. I wore a sweater and a scarf and wasn't too warm!) and headed up, hoping that the rain would hold off. And, boy, let me tell you how thankful I am we took this risk. It was SO worth it! The rain did indeed hold off and it turned out to be a really nice afternoon. We enjoyed some kickin' break dancing (with a cup of coffee at a little cafe during the freestyle rapping--not my favorite) from girls, guys, young, and not-so-young. Now, I do have to say that some of the moves looked similar to some of my dance moves, which is kind of embarassing, but by and large, they were good dancers and had some moves! Here are a few pictures to enjoy:

The ampitheater stage with the castle in the background. I think Copernicus would have joined right in and shown off his moves.

They competed in teams of three and would dance for five minutes, taking turns. Then the judges picked one team as the winner. You can see the little guy in red dancing in this picture. He looked to be one of the youngest dancers. All of the teams had names, such as: "Twisted Feet", "Rock On", and the like...most in English!

I had to get a picture of this guy dancing. He had a Shaquile O'Neal jersey on. There was a LOT of USA apparel. We saw I heart NYC, Oakland A's, Dickies, Yankees, all kinds of stuff!

And, after the excitement of this afternoon, Amber and I enjoyed the view from one of the benches in the park near our building. It was a beautiful, early fall afternoon and it was fun to see the kids out playing and just sit and watch the world go by and enjoy a few peaceful moments. Sitting on park benches is a common pastime here, and today I finally began to understand why.

It was a good day.

Memory Lane....

2008-08-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

So, I've been AWOL from the blog world for a while...first, we were without internet for about 12 days (the first few days were kind of fun and "rustic"...but then I grew somewhat crazy without it, so all of mankind should be thankful it's back!), second, there just hasn't been much going on lately, so I've been rather uninspired! However, all it took was some fun with this great website (www.yearbookyourself.com) for the inspiration to return. Check out these fun/disgusting pictures of my family as we would have looked throughout different years and styles. Kyle's picture worked so well, he got a small slideshow dedicated to himself! Also, it's his birthday today, so he gets the extra honor =) I'm sure this is just what he wanted!

Dad--1960. I'm pretty sure this one's actually pretty accurate!
mom--1962...I'll bet she used pop cans and an iron to achieve that look!!!
Me--1994...this is Amber's handiwork and it's absolutely disgusting! Gross!

And, finally, Kyle. I think he was destined to have a mullet!

Krakow

2008-07-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

After the week of ministry in the different villages, Amber, Patsy, Juanita, Bailey and I travelled with the volunteer team down to the south of Poland to Krakow for a little sightseeing and shopping. I had been there once before when my parents visited last summer, but it was great to make the trip again. While we were there, we got to meet up with another of the girls (Sarah) doing the same 2 year program that I am (the Journeyman program) that we'd met for the first time in Finland. It was so great getting to spend time with her and she did an awesome job showing us around the city and pointing out interesting facts...most of which I have since forgotten! I do know that we got to see the castle, the former Jewish district (where many Jews lived before WWII), several old churches, a large indoor market called the Cloth Market where they used to sell cloth...and now it's TONS of traditional crafts and souveneirs, the team went to Auschwitz while Bailey and I stayed back with Sarah (since we'd both been there before), and we enjoyed some yummy food. We were only there for just over 24 hours, so it was a busy time, but fun to see a different city nonetheless. However, I must say I was happy to return to our (relatively) little Olsztyn. There's definitely a different feel here...maybe more laid back, smaller, more rural, less trendy, more traditional...more my style. And it amazes me how the Lord knows these things and sovereignly and wisely put me here in Olsztyn, on a team where I fit in, and with a roomate that I fit with. This knowledge reassures me, as I look ahead to what's next after this time in Poland, that He knows what He's doing!

So, that being said, here are some pictures from my quick time in Krakow. Enjoy!

Platyny Update

2008-07-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back from my adventures in Platyny and then taking the volunteer team to Krakow! Wow, what a week. I'm not really sure how to sum it up, so I will try my best to give you a run-down of what went on throughout the week!
-Tuesday--we headed out to Olsztynek (where we were staying at a campground of sorts in small cabins) and stopped over at the church in Olsztynek for coffee, tea, and delicious blueberry cakes that left all of our mouths bright blue!
-Wednesday--we visited an ethnographic park in the morning, then headed out to Platyny for the first day of the outreach. Kola and Juro, Christian Polish rappers, performed, the volunteer team performed some dramas and shared testimonies, the kids sang songs, made crafts, and played games. And the rain held off until we were literally putting the last bit of equipment away for the night! Praise God!
-Thursday--we were in Nidzica (a town near Olsztynek) for a Kola and Juro concert. We passed out bracelets that had different colors used to tell the story of Jesus and papers to explain the colors. Then, once again, headed to Platyny for more of the same as above. Another good day with no rain and lots of kids and adults hanging around!
-Friday--Kola and Juro performed one last time with us in Olsztynek. We gave out more bracelets and had lots of kids and adults stop by to check out what was going on. This was the last day in Platyny and it was another good one. A little more low-key without Kola and Juro there, but still good.
-Saturday--we rested and packed in the morning, then headed out to Jemiolowo for the afternoon for a mini version of what we did in Platyny. No Kola and Juro, but we did have games and crafts and singing and a campfire complete with kielbasa and s'mores!

I think that overall we were well received, and I'm so thankful for all of the kids and adults that came out--even just out of curiosity to see what in the world was going on! I believe that the love of Christ was definitely shown and I'm clinging to these truths of God's Word from Psalm 29:

"The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic" and "The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of (Platyny)" Psalm 29:4,8
I know that, throughout the week, the word of God and testimonies of His work in people's lives, have been shared and this verse assures me that God's word that was shared is mighty and powerful and He can use it to do great things; to reveal Himself and His ways to the people who listened.

Here are some praises from the week:
-we were well received
-good weather
-LOTS of kids and many adults came out
-we didn't have any problems with the AA camp that was meeting on the same field
-the volunteer team did a GREAT job; they had great attitudes and came well prepared; they were a HUGE blessing
-many new contacts were made
-we got to talk (through a translator) to a teenage girl from Jemiolowo named Magda. She said that she's not sure what she thinks about Jesus yet, but she believes more and more every day. She's one of the older girls in this village and definitely has influence among her peers. She also seems to really be seeking the Truth and dealing with some things in her life. Please pray for her eyes to be opened to who Christ is and that she'd be drawn to trust Him.
-some great time with the kids in these villages; that was a huge blessing to me, to see how persevering through English classes throughout the year allowed us to bring the gospel to these kids; and they're so stinkin' fun!

So, thank you all for praying for these people throughout the week. As you think about it, please continue to pray for them, that these truths would take root in their hearts.

Platyny

2008-07-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Throughout my time here, some of you have heard about our ongoing saga with a tiny village called Platyny. I have no idea how to make this long story short, but I will surely give it a shot. So, starting right when Amber, Patsy and I arrived we (as a team) began working alongside a Polish pastor named Marcin in this tiny village most Poles don't even know exists. Platyny is home to about 200-300 people who all have very low income and high alcohol abuse rates. The village used to be a communist cooperative where the whole village farmed together and shared the results. Perhaps due to this fact, there is still a lingering sense of "survival of the fittest at any cost". Therefore, the behavior we see is oftentimes horrific. We see fighting between children as young as 5 years old, hitting, spitting, yelling, name calling, door slamming. It's a very rough place to live, to say the least. However, in the midst of all of this darkness, Marcin and his wife Monika have a huge heart for these people, to go and minister Christ's love to them and fight for them, not against them, which is something they're not used to.
As we've worked together to minister there over the past year and a half, we've encountered all kinds of opposition from the city leader, including being locked out of the community building where we teach english and being asked not to come back, although the parents from the community eagerly want us there! It's been an up and down ride, to say the least. All along, as this summer outreach was being planned, we all kind of knew that this was a huge "fish or cut bait" time. It's going to either go really great or really, really bad. We wanted to completely lay the gospel out there and offer these people an opportunity to respond so that if the door to Platyny was indeed closing and we were run out of town, we could at least leave them with a full understanding of the gospel. Since planning has begun, we've found out that there will be roughly 300 recovering substance abuse addicts staying in Platyny for a camp and that the city guard of a neighboring village is going to use their van to transport children from Olsztynek and Jemiolowo (two other villages we've been working in) to Platyny for the activities. The Lord is definitely at work here and I am really hopeful. However, just a few weeks ago we also learned that several youth had been killed in a drunk driving accident, which is heartbreaking.
I don't know how much sense any of this makes, but all this is to say, please pray this week. If you're checking out this post, please pray for:
-the people of Platyny; for hearts that are open to life, healing, freedom, and forgiveness through Christ and that God's Spirit would sweep through there in an undeniable, mighty way
-the team from America and us who live here in Olsztyn--it will be a loooonnnnggg, busy, intense week; please pray for us to find our strength in Christ alone and just be available to the Lord to do as mighty a work as He pleases this week
There's a verse from the Bible that I've been thinking about a lot lately, and it's been my prayer for this week:

"When You came down long ago, You did awesome things beyong our highest expectations. And, oh, how the mountains quaked!" Isaiah 64:3
There are definitely mountains in the way that need to be quaked, but our God is able! I'll be sure to update and share what has happened, but until then I'll leave you with some pictures from last year's camp in Platyny.

Suomi (read on to find out what that means!)

2008-07-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I hesitate to even post these pictures, as I still have a certain friend who is convinced that all I do is galavant around Europe and goof off. So, when I told her that I was going to Finland for a week of meetings, she didn't really buy the whole "but we'll be in meetings all day! It's not really a vacation" thing. And, she was right. It pretty much was a vacation. We were in a little town three hours north of Helsinki and I can't even describe how beautiful it was. It was a refreshing and encouraging week and here are some of the highlights:
-worshiping in english with some amazingly gifted musicians from a church in Tennessee
-getting to talk with lots of different people about the work they're doing throughout this region and be encouraged by the work the Lord is doing throughout this area
-having an impromptu country music concert; his name is Paul Bogart and you should search him on itunes and buy his music! He's great!
-the campground we stayed on was on a peninsula, so we were surrounded by water; I got to jump off the dock and swim one afternoon and it was wonderful to be in the water once again. Ahhhhhh
-trying out a Finnish sauna (for only about 5 minutes and we all went American style. If you know anything about Finnish saunas, you understand what I mean)
-meeting some new friends who are serving in Poland
-enjoying Finnish black licorice (it's apparently a specialty there and we ate lots of it!)
-daylight 24 hours a day! No kidding! It's the strangest feeling. One night, we were getting ready for bed at about 1 am (4 of us girls slept in a loft in a cute, little cabin) and this is a true conversation:
Amber: Jess, is there a light on downstairs
Me:no, that's the sunlight
Amber: where in the world are we?!?!
-canoeing all around the lake
-getting make-overs and pedicures from a Finnish lady working on her beauty school portfolio
-paying $200 for a Finland t-shirt (it says "Suomi", which means Finland in Finnish); it's a long story, but I'll just say that the money goes to funding people to head overseas and do what we're doing here, so it's well worth it, right?!?!

So, in a nutshell, those are the Finland highlights. It really was an amazing, blessed week that I'm so grateful for. And, I have to be honest, it was really strange to think that it was the last meeting of its type that I'll be at. My time here is drawing to a close and it's becoming more and more real. And more and more strange! As I've said before, these are memories I will cherish for a lifetime and blessings that have shown me more of who God is that are precious. Enjoy some photos (again, thanks to Amber for sharing her pix!) although photos just cannot do the beauty of this country justice.

To Hel and Back

2008-07-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

So, first of all, sorry I haven't been so great about the blogging lately. I really do have quite a few things I want to blog about, but just haven't sat down to do it! We have a few relatively free days before everything gets crazy for the rest of July, so I'm trying to play catch up and let you know what's been going on around here!
A couple of weeks ago our whole team packed up the two vans and headed north to Hel. No kidding. And we had LOTS of fun with that name. But yes, it's true, we took the highway to Hel and spent three nights just relaxing and taking a little retreat together. It was beautiful there. Cool, but wonderful to be on the beach and see the sea. I didn't swim (the kids did!) because it was still just a little too cool even for me, a self-professed beach bum. But, we all enjoyed sitting on the beach and spending time together. We also saw lots of wind-surfers and kite-surfers, which was pretty neat.
Probably my favorite part of the trip was the last night when we ventured out to a little town near where we were staying. We went to the fishing docks where the commercial fishing boat brought their loads in for processing. The smell of fresh fish definitely hung in the air and was a little ripe at times, but I loved it. There's something about commercial fishing boats that I absolutely love to see; I love seeing them all tied up for the night and sitting peacefully in the harbor. The only bummer about the trip is that my camera, after three years and numerous drops, bit the dust. Thankfully, Amber was gracious enough to see the sheer joy in my eyes and hand over her camera to my itching trigger finger so I could snap some pictures. I'm trying out one of those slideshows for the first time, so we'll see how it goes. I hope you enjoy!

Puzzles and Pierogies

2008-06-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

So, a little over a month ago, the Intemann's gave me a 1,000 piece puzzle for my birthday. It was a beautiful puzzle with 7 different lighthouses on it (clearly they've noticed my interest/obsession with all things water related!). Well, May 3rd the first pieces were tediously laid out and this past Sunday, the last piece perfectly fit into place! Woo-hoo! I've only done one other big puzzle like this and forgot how much I like it. We both really enjoyed just being able to sit down and put a few pieces together as we had time. It's addicting though, I tell ya. You always just keep thinking "one more piece, just one more piece!" We're ready to get started on our next puzzle, one that I brought over with me and was given to me by a family friend. Mom, Dad, you can tell Mike that we are determined to finish that puzzle and I'll take pictures when we do!

We were pretty proud of our accomplishment...even if we did often joke that we could probably move into a nursing home where we could drink coffee and do puzzles all day.

Also in exciting news from Poland, the fresh strawberries have arrived! We bought our first kilo (2.2 pounds) and enjoyed them sliced and served over Ritz crackers, sprinkled with sugar (or Splenda, as is my preference), and topped with whipped cream. This is a little treat that Amber taught me about and it's delicious! We call it a hillbilly strawberry shortcake.

After enjoying our first kilo of strawberries, we decided that we wanted to try to make strawberry pierogies. Fruit filled pierogies are really popular here and, you know what they say..."when in Poland!" Well, something like that anyways...So, this past Thursday, the two girls we were supposed to meet with cancelled, so we had some free time on our hands! We got to work and created strawberry pierogies. It's not really a complicated process, but it definitely works best with four hands to do the work. There are several steps. I rolled and cut out the dough while Amber filled each pierogi with sliced and sugared strawberries and gummed the edges together. Then we boiled them, then toasted them in the oven to dry them out. I'm not sure if this is the official Polish grandmother technique, so don't tell! I'm pretty sure you're supposed to fry them, but we opted for the oven.

The filling and gumming process in our tiny kitchen.

And this is a shot of the remains of the finished product. We were so excited to eat them, I forgot to take a picture as they were all pretty on our plates and only remembered about two pierogies in! We both agreed that they tasted best topped with powdered sugar. The whipped cream was ok, but not the crowd favorite.

And, finally, to leave you all--a little story. So, the other day as we were purchasing our strawberries from the vendor outside of our neighborhood grocery store where we usually do our shopping, our favorite cashier was walking in as we were walking out. She definitely knows that we're not from around these parts and seems to get a kick out of us. So, she said hello and asked if we'd already been shopping and...with my very limited vocabulary, I didn't know what else to say, so I suddenly found myself blurting out "we have strawberries!", saying goodbye and walking away. I'm sure she had a funny story to tell when she returned home that night. And so, moral of the story: the next time you're in one of those awkward situations where you don't know how to reply, just blurt out "I have strawberries", say goodbye, and off you go! Works every time.

Just for Dad...

2008-06-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

This short little post is for my dad (we'll see if he checks this!). We were walking home the other evening and what did we see, but a man with a pony giving pony rides!!! No kidding. Dad, I thought of you and wanted you to know that, at least in Poland, neighborhood pony rides are still an important part of childhood =)

This is the view of the pony rides from my bedroom window. The next day, we found some "presents" left from the ponies =)

Block Parties

2008-06-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

In response to some recent teasing (ahem...Teresa!) that I don't do anything besides galavant around on trips to Warsaw and goof off with Amber, I'm posting some pictures of some of the "work" that we're doing around here =) We finished our english lessons in the villages the last week in May and have been in two different villages, Waplewo and Jemiolowo, last Saturday and today doing block parties. They were a great way to celebrate the end of the lessons and serve the communities there. We had games, prizes, songs (we taught the kids to sing "Our God is So Big" in English), Marcin shared the gospel, and we gave out a youth version of the gospel of John.

This was the stage at Waplewo. Sunday, June 1st was Children's Day here in Poland, so the school in Waplewo was already hosting a children's party that we got to come along and be a part of. So, they had quite the set up! And, do you notice the American flag along with the Polish flag on the sailboat? =)
Definitely the biggest hit in Waplewo was the relays that Bryan organized. He had some really creative relays and the kids had a great time! It also helped that it was an absolutely beautiful day! The girl in the front of the line on the left was one of my students in english class and is named Sandra. She is a super sweet and really special girl and I was so excited to see her there last Saturday. She took a gospel of John, along with another of my students named Alan, so please pray that they'd both be drawn to read it and that Christ would open their eyes and hearts and see who He truly is.
These are some of the kids that came out in Jemiolowo today. I think they are learning the motions to a song in this picture. After we sang some songs, we had relays again for the older kids, and several different games for the younger kids. It was a pretty relaxed afternoon and a great way to provide some fun and activities for this community.
It wasn't just the kids who came out to play today! The man on the right...ok, the only man...is the head pastor of the church in Olsztynek where Marcin also works. I believe he is 86 years old and, like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going and going and going....
This is a group shot of us Americans (minus the Intemanns who were picking a friend up at the airport in Warsaw), Polish believers, and some kids and friends from the village. As you can see, Jemiolowo sits right on a lake and it was absolutely beautiful. I'm so thankful to have been able to be a part of this event and serving the people in this community. I know I still have over four months remaining here, but I'm feeling pretty nostalgic as I write this and man, I've met some great people here! I know I will cherish these memories for a long time to come =) Please continue to pray for the people in Waplewo and Jemiolowo who heard the message of hope and grace in Christ and who received the gospel of John books...that their hearts would be opened and they'd have a desire to talk more and grow in their relationship with God.

Warsaw

2008-05-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Patsy and I took off for Warsaw to meet Amber at the airport on Monday. We left Olsztyn Saturday morning and spent the day Saturday and Sunday hanging around Warsaw. To be real honest, Warsaw is not my favorite city...it's a typical big city, and those just aren't my favorite anywhere! But, we did get to eat some good food, look around the mall a bit, and enjoy people-watching in Old Town. And, of course, the hilight was picking up Amber at the airport Monday! Here are a few shots from our weekend away:

As we sat in Old Town Sunday afternoon, it was great just to watch all of the people walking around and to see the town come to life after being so dead throughout the winter. I enjoyed watching the horses as they waited for customers to take carriage rides. The horses were huge and, honestly, I felt kind of bad for them. They just looked bored to death and when they tried to walk on the cobbleston, their shoes slipped so it looked like it was really hard to walk. I also noticed that they would shift their weight from one back leg to the other. If you look closely you can see that this horse is doing just that. It was so interesting to me. I didn't know that horses did that!
Also in Old Town Sunday, we saw all of these bears! They are large fiberglass bears from countries all over the world through UNICEF. An artist from each country designed and painted a bear, and they are being displayed in different countries to promote unity and peace. They have the bears all set up to look like they're holding hands, to show unity. It was really neat to walk through and see all of the different countries. In this picture above, you can kind of see the lines of bears. There were TONS of bears...and people!
This was the America bear. It was a beautiful sight to see =)
And, finally, on Monday morning before we left to meet Amber, I took a walk and ended up by some water!!! There is a river that runs through Warsaw and, I'm telling the truth here, walking by it was almost like walking along the pier in Huron. Almost.

The Birthday Continues...

2008-05-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post pictures of my "Lake Erie in a box" birthday package from my parents! Sheesh!
Have no fear, here they are.

Let's just start with the center, the coup de gras: a piece of genuine Lake Erie driftwood, with a message spelled out in alphabet noodles!!! Does anyone reading this blog remember doing that on seashells??? Yes, my mom did this for my birthday and wrote: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA, LOVE AND HUGS, MOM AND DAD". How great is that?? She even glued some genuine Lake Erie sand on there, too, as well as sent a little bag of sand, a few shells, some lake glass, and two lucky stones that my dad hunted down! There was also a Beach Towel scented candle (it smells great but cracks me up...my beach towel NEVER smells good!), foot lotion (to be ready for sandals), sunless tanner, a little notepad with a lighthouse on it, and Tranquil Waters scented oil. Ahhhhh...it's almost like sticking my toes in the water. Thanks mom and dad!
Now, let me first preface by saying that I'm not a huge fan of just slapping a picture of myself on here, but I wanted to show off the pretty shirt my grandma Davis sent me. It's so cute! And, it is perfect for summer here, as it's not usually too hot. I love it! Thanks grandma!
Also, if you look close enough, you can see my other birthday present from my parents: earrings and a necklace made of Lake Erie lakeglass! Seriously! I love it--it's a great gift and so special! You can check out the website where they bought it here.

Flying Crocs and A Spring Day in Olsztyn

2008-05-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

Amber is in the States right now for a little visit and to celebrate her brother's graduation from college and her friend's wedding! Fun stuff! So, I decided to post a few other photos that I had just to make it feel a little bit more like she's here=)

This is a self-explanatory picture. But, I must mention that this wasn't staged at all! I was diligently working at my computer one day, and there was an incoming Croc that landed just like this! Good thing the window wasn't open!
Now this picture shows another one of Amber's favorite tricks...the hairband snap. We will frequently be sitting at our weekly team meeting, and WHAM! She gets me. I will admit that this one is staged, but I'm pretty sure she let it rip for real after the picture was taken!

These other pictures are some shots of a great afternoon we had last Sunday. The weather was absolutely beautiful...in the low 70's and sunny! So, after church and a little lunch, Amber and I packed up and headed out without a definitely plan except a McDonald's McFlurry and making our way out to the Intemann's house for team worship by 5 o'clock. (I should add that, for Amber and I, to have a plan as loose as that is pretty "wild and crazy". We felt like real adventurers!) Our first stop was the McFlurry (we needed energy of course!), then we headed over to a park to sit in the sun for a while. It was absolutely wonderful. And, believe it or not, I didn't even get burned! (At the beginning of every summer, I inevitably labor under the delusion that I can sit outside in the sun for endless hours without SPF 522 sunscreen and walk away with a golden glow. Heck, in reality I'm doing good to be able to walk at that point!)

Anyhoo, after soaking up some rays for a while, we started on our journey out to the Intemann's. Just to put it in perspective, we usually have to take a 25 minute bus ride to get out there. I'm guessing that, from the park, it was about a 4 mile walk. It was great. Here are some of the shots from along the way.

This is the view from where we were sitting at the park. I don't know if you can tell or not, but it's a sandbox. Not quite the beach, but it was the closest we could get on short notice =)

This is in front of one of the post offices in the city. Every spring, they spell out "Olsztyn" in flowers and make the city symbol with flowers as well.

As we walked we came upon a circus! Circuses and carnivals frequently pop up on random corners here throughout the spring and summer. And this was literally a travelling big top circus! They just roll into town, throw up the tent, and...well, do whatever you do at a circus in Europe. We saw some elephants as we walked by. And, when we were on the return trip (on the bus this time!) there was NO sign that there had ever been a circus there. Everything was gone...well, except for the smell, according to Ala who lives nearby.

Birthday '08...Part 1

2008-05-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

How can you go wrong with a Birthday Week??? That's right, I had a birthday week this past week and it was great. Here are a few hi-lights from the festivities:

On Saturday the 2nd, we had a birthday party for Sean, Lydia and me, as all of our birthdays are in May. Sean and Lydia celebrated a significant birthday milestone (I won't say which one, but I will say that we used black plates and napkins) which is why they're wearing these ridiculous glasses. I promise they don't really look like this! And, I got to wear the princess crown since Sean and Lydia had fun glasses to wear. I had to take it off because it was giving me a headache. Apparently I'm not meant to be a princess. Bummer.
On Thursday, we met with Ania and Alina (the two new girls we've been meeting with for about a month) and, through Facebook, they knew that it was my birthday, so they brought me a gift! How sweet are these girls?! They brought me a cute coffee mug and a beautiful candle holder with some scented tea lights. They are really wonderful and it's been great getting to know them.
On Friday, the Big Day, we were planning to meet with Nina and Ala for a bit. Amber and I were in our kitchen, getting things ready, when we thought we heard laughter out in the stairwell. I peaked out the peep hole and didn't see anything. Then, a few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and there were Nina and Ala with this cake, with candles lit, singing the Polish version of "Happy Birthday"!!!! Again, how sweet are these girls?!?! I was truly shocked and overwhelmed with just how blessed I am to have met these girls a year ago. This was definitely a memory of Poland that I will never forget.
And, might I add, they baked a pretty stinkin' delicious cake! They said it was their first attempt and they had to call Nina's mom for directions, but I would say it was a success! The top of the cake said "Sto lat", which means " 100 years", as a blessing or wish for 100 years of life. I took this picture of the inside of the cake so you can see the different layers. There was a layer of a creamy filling, then a layer of forest fruit jam. It was delicious!And, on Friday evening, Amber, Patsy, Alethea and I headed uptown for dinner, then went back to Patsy's flat for cake, ice cream, and coffee. We had a great time just talking and laughing and enjoying some good food. I really appreciate and am grateful for these ladies. They really made my birthday a special day.

I also got many birthday cards and wishes, which truly do help so much, being so far away from home. And, of course, I got to talk to my mom and dad and got a package from them which is pretty much like Lake Erie in a box. I will work on a post about that one soon =)

You Might be a Loser If...

2008-04-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, the other night Amber and I were sitting around munching on some M&Ms. We were discussing the new colors that they came out with several years ago and how silly it was that there used to be dark brown and tan. Why two browns? I then commented that I knew someone--I couldn't remember who--who only liked the brown M&Ms because they seemed more like real chocolate. This mystery person didn't think chocolate should be other colors than brown.
Amber looked at my for a second, then said "Jess, I think that's Matthew McConaughey in The Wedding Planner".
Hmmm...sure enough, that's who I was thinking of. Gosh, I really need to get out more.

Meet Kid Sis

2008-04-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I often refer to "we" when I write about things going on here. I do work with a team of 12 other Americans, but the vast majority of my time here is spent with Amber. She is my roomate/teammate/friend/kid sis/partner in crime and just all around great girl =) One of the first things you'll notice if you spend any amount of time around Amber is that she definitely has an ornery side and you know you're loved when she feels comfortable enough to let that orneriness loose! I caught some photos of Amber's favorites in action, although as a disclaimer I must first mention that these photos are dramatic reenactments. No Team Northeast Poland team members were harmed during the process.

#1-The Seatbelt Tug-If you are ever sitting in front of Amber in one of our team's big white VW vans, fully expect her to pull on the seatbelt. As you can see, Patsy is the recepient here and Amber seems to be quite enjoying herself.
#2--The Bathroom Light Switch--I have to say, in all honesty, one of the strangest things about Polish life is the fact that the light switches for the bathrooms are almost always outside of the bathroom. It didn't take long for Amber to realize what fun this could be. This trick has become an Amber Trademark and has spread throughout our team, even to the kids! (I will add that Amber always turns the light back on, but that is unfortunately not always the case when the kids do it!) I think it's her personal favorite and, for the record, she does not discriminate: men, women, children, Americans, Poles, family, friends, guests, Americans, Poles, young, old...all are fair game.

#3--The Croc Kick--As far as I know, I'm the only one on the team who's experienced this one. This action shot was taken from my desk chair and Amber is standing in the doorway to her bedroom. I've had to take cover many a times from flying Crocs.
#4--The Shoulder Tap--Ok, as I said before, all of these pictures are dramatic reenactments. But, sadly, this picture is often pretty close to reality. I've lived with Kid Sis for almost 16 months, yet I still fall for this waaaayyyyy too often. It's one of the originals and, again, a classic Amber Trademark which has been passed on to other team members. Would you believe that Patsy got me with this one just this past Sunday at church!? At church for crying out loud!!

I hope you enjoyed catching a glimpse of some of Amber's favorite moves. All joking aside, I really am so thankful and so blessed to be here with her. I really don't know what I would have done here living by myself. Our teammates sometimes call her my "Kid Sis", but she really does feel like a sister. It's not always easy living here (or anywhere in America, for that matter!), but it helps so much to have someone here to go through this experience with. She's always got a listening ear, a smile or laugh to cheer, CNN updates to share, a song to sing, perspective to share, an eagerness to help out in any way, and that human GPS thing going on! I'd still be wandering the streets of Olsztyn trying to find my way home if I were on my own! We have spent much time talking, crying, thinking, planning, praying, and LOTS of time laughing. Like I said, I'm so thankful the Lord knew what we would both need in sending us somewhere where we'd be together. He is aware of our needs and, just like a good Father, faithfully provides. He even knew I'd need a friend with some orneriness to keep me laughing. =)

Malbork Castle

2008-04-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately, and I sometimes feel a bit like Brutus when she chases her tail. (and, for the record, I had never actually seen a dog do that until I met Brutus. She's special) =) So, yesterday, we decided to take a little break and head out of town for the day. Amber, Patsy, Alethea and I jumped on a train Saturday morning and, about two hours later, arrived in the town of Malbork to see the Malbork castle. The castle was built in the late 13th century and was the fortress for the Teutonic Knights...and, if you know what that really means, feel free to let me know! I do know that they were a Germanic Roman Catholic order of Knights that were responsible for many of the crusades in the Middle Ages and had a strong presence and influence here in Poland(thank you Wikipedia!).
Anyhoo...we spent a few hours walking through the castle and checking things out. The things I noticed were that it was COLD and dark! I have no idea how people back in the day survived the harsh Polish winters without adequate heat and inside a drafty, dark, damp castle. I was also amazed at how large this castle is. There are no pictures to effectively capture the enormisity of this place! However, I tried to capture a few to share with you.

This is a drawbridge over a moat.
This picture is what the castle looked like after WW2, when the Germans retreated and pretty much destroyed most of Poland. Many of the places were able to be rebuilt based on old paintings and photos, but you can still tell where newer brick and materials were used to repair the damage.
Ok, so I don't think the Teutonic Knights drove Dodge Ram trucks, but this was as exciting for me to see as an 800 year old castle. We don't see many trucks around here and it was a sight for sore eyes =)
This is by no means a full shot of the side wall of the castle, but all that would fit in the picture!

Some Random Pictures (and how many times have I used "random" in a title on here!)

2008-04-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

As usual, it's been a while since my last post. It seems like things here are just the same old, same old, so I have a hard time thinking of anything interesting to post about. Well, for the record, I still haven't found anything too interesting to post about, but here I go anyways! These are just some random things pictures of some of the things that have been going on the past couple of weeks.

This past Monday was absolutely gorgeous. It was one of the few days lately that have inspired the hope that, yes, spring really may show up here! In honor of the beautiful day, Amber and I went into Old Town to a coffee shop to get a cup of coffee and sit outside and work on planning english lessons for the week. Mondays are our "get organized" day. We use that day to go to the grocery store, bank, post office, and things like that, as well as plan our lessons for the week. We also meet with Ala and Nina that night, so it often turns out to be quite a busy day. But, it was so refreshing to be able to enjoy some fresh air while we worked on plans.
Last week, there was a team of seven Americans from Arkansas who came to prayer walk for the week. They were great people and it was a huge blessing to get to spend some time with them. Amber and I didn't get to actually go out with them as they prayer walked, as we were busy teaching classes! But, we did get to spend some time with them in the evenings for meals. On Thursday, they came to Nowe Kawkowo and Szalstry and prayed for the people while we taught classes. After our class in Szalstry, one of the men there had prepared cucumber soup and served it to all of us! It was DELICIOUS. And this Thursday, he had prepared a traditional Polish dish called Bigos, along with some really good cake. Amber, Bryan, and I were treated to two helpings of Bigos. It was delicious and we didn't have to cook dinner when we got back! This town is like a breath of fresh air. It's beautiful. There is a small lake, it's right near the forest, the people are so friendly, and it's totally quiet. We were there one day a few weeks ago and, as we stood still, the only sound we could hear was the sound of the wind in the trees. It was wonderful.
This is a sign inside the swietlica (like a community center where they hold an after-school program) in Szalstry. Do you know what these letters are? These are all of the vowels used in the Polish language. Looks pretty fun, huh? I will say this though: the letters don't have different sounds for certain words, as ours do in English. It's pretty hard to explain why 'a' sounds so different in the words "bat" and "car", you know?! It really doesn't make sense, and I have a whole new compassion for people who are learning english!
And, last but certainly not least, Nina, Ala, and introducing Stefan Tweety. I answered the door Monday night to welcome Nina and Ala for our meeting and, lo and behold, there was Ala holding a giant inflatable Tweety, almost as big as she is! Nina had brought Tweety back from Warsaw as a gift for Ala and Ala wanted him to meet her American friends. So, he sat in on our conversation. And, yes, she gave him a name. She said there were too many Tweetys in the world, and he might get confused with the others, so she named him Stefan Tweety! How fun is that?!? I seriously love hanging out with these girls. They are so fun and it's great to have some friends just to be goofy with.

Axl Rose in Poland!?!?!

2008-04-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

The first time I noticed this guitar was about a month ago in Jemiolowo. We walked in one wintry, cold afternoon and some of the kids were playing around with this guitar. They looked like they were having fun, so Marcin jumped in with his own efforts on the guitar.

I didn't really think much about it, and the guitar resurfaced here and there over the past month or two, until we walked into the meeting room this past week and I caught one of the girls strumming a little ditty. Well, as well as she could strum with several of her fingers wrapped up in a bandage.

The big surprise came as I peeked closer at the guitar. I looked closer and, lo and behold, there was Axl Rose staring back at me on the guitar! I mean, if that wasn't a photo op I don't know what is! So, while this is a totally meaningless and pointless post, enjoy a few photos of the Jemiolowo Axl Rose Guitar...I mean, you just don't see one of those every day.

...Out Like a Lamb!

2008-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and March did indeed go out like a lamb! Woo-hoo! Over the past few days, as we've been out and about, it's been very apparent that spring is in the air in Olsztyn. And it's a pretty welcome feeling, let me tell ya! I don't recall being so eager and excited for spring last year, but after spending the whole winter here this year (even though it wasn't a particularly harsh winter), I find myself noticing the little "signs" of spring around town. So far, these are the things I've noticed:

*first of all, there are a LOT more people out and about; it seems that everyone has re-surfaced after a winter of hibernating
*we were on the bus Sunday afternoon and some of the windows were open
*there are buds on all of the trees, and some are even starting to look a little green
*the ice cream stands are open and people are walking around throughout the daylight hours eating it (I love this place!)
*as you look at the many apartment buildings near us, you can see lots of open windows and clothes hung out on balconies to dry
*we actually had a (small) thunderstorm Saturday! I saw one huge bolt of lightning and heard a couple rolls of thunder. It's small, but you've got to start somewhere and I'll take it!
*I wore my contacts (which frees up the eyes for sunglasses) today, probably for the first time since Italy in September...I must confess I sit here tonight with a bit of a headache, but I consider it a small price to pay for sunshine
*there were tables outside at one of the coffee shops in old town today
*Amber broke out her favorite sandals (Chacos) today
*the ladybugs (or whatever the technical name for those obnoxious bugs that infiltrate every home apparently across continents) are out in full force
*the storks are returning to Poland (and it is here that I must confess that I didn't think storks were real until moving to Poland. I mean, of course they fly around delivering babies, but I didn't know they did normal bird-like things such as build ginormous nests and, well, fly back to Poland and whatever else it is that birds do.)

So, as you can see, spring is here. Now, in keeping with my realist tendencies, I will say that I am fully aware of the fickle nature of nature. So, I won't be shocked or disappointed if/when snow returns...but I know that it will only be for a short while and we are well on our way to summer! Here are some pictures from our walk in town this afternoon.

When the cotton candy/balloon animals/other random junk seller is out, you know it's spring.
The street flower vendors. Some stay out pretty much all winter, but there are even more as the weather gets nicer.
Pretty tulips. Amber bought some yellow ones to brighten up our living room.
A local street performer. Our favorite is when we walk by and he's singing Oasis-Wonderwall. Nice. We didn't hear it today, but we did hear a little Red Hot Chili Peppers and I'm not going to write on here what the song title was!

Happy Spring!

New Villages and Easter

2008-03-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

The school in the small village of Nowe Kawkowo, where we'll be teaching English on Thursday afternoons.
We went prayer-walking in Nowe Kawkoko (which means NEW Kawkowo! There is an OLD Kawkowo as well!) this past Thursday with a Polish believer named Radek. As we walked past this rock, he pointed out that this tiny village is older than America. Crazy!
This is the swietlica in the even-smaller village of Szalstry, where we'll also be teaching English on Thursday afternoons. Amber and I will also be making the short (about 4 KM--although it takes about 10 minutes to drive because the road is so bumpy) drive from Nowe Kawkowo to Szalstry solo...in a standard VW van! Thankfully though, the road is so bad we won't have to go any higher than second gear =)
Lydia, Patsy, and Lydia's good friend Ela at Easter lunch. Ela is the professor who invited Amber and I to her classes to invite her students to practice English and study the Bible with us.

I have a few minutes this morning, so I thought I'd sit down and do a little "catch-up" blog. It's been a while! Sorry! We're getting ready today to head out to two new villages, Nowe Kawkowo and Szalstry. It's always nerve-wracking to go somewhere new, but I'm also looking forward to meeting some new people and seeing what God will do in these villages. Bryan and Radek have been meeting with some ladies from these villages to practice some english and study the Bible. Please pray for these villages and for open doors to share the gospel with them. We're at the point now, in many of these villages, where we're really looking at where to go next. Obviously, teaching english is a great service to the community, but we're also wanting to gain the opportunity to share God's Word with people and looking for creative ways to do that. So, please pray that God would open doors and give us some creativity as we plan for the summer.

This past week, Amber's parents came for a visit. I got to tag along as their second daughter, and it was great. We didn't do too much out of the ordinary, but they got a chance to see what "everyday life" is like in Olsztyn, Poland. We even took them to the grocery store! They missed out on fun events like the post office, but maybe next time =) We did get to play a couple of games of euchre, which Amber's mom and I won! Woo-hoo!
We also, obviously, celebrated Easter this past week. The three evangelical churches in Olsztyn had a joint service in the morning at a local hotel. Then, in the afternoon, we all went to the Stevenson's house for a DELICIOUS lunch! After eating too much, and drinking coffee to stay awake, we had a time of worship to celebrate Christ's victory over death on our behalf, then Amber, her parents, and I headed back home for the evening.

So, in a nutshell, that's what's been going on here. As you can see by some of the pictures above, there is still snow here! It's actually gotten really cold and has snowed almost every day for about a week now. I know that it's almost April, and I'm totally ready for some warm weather, but I still think the snow is pretty. Well, when the sun shines on it anyhow!
By the way, on a sidenote, over the Easter break from school (which was Thursday through Tuesday), there was another camp for kids held in Warsaw. Marcin took ten kids with him and his wife and six of those kids trusted Christ! Two of the girls are involved in our English club in Olsztynek, and one of the girls comes to our club in Jemiolowo! Please pray for these kids, that they'd be drawn to spend time reading God's Word and grow in Him.

Star Light, Star Bright

2008-03-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, but I'm back with a little update of sorts. I want to say that we haven't been up to too much around here, but I guess we really have. It's pretty much the same old, same old, but it's been good. We started meeting with two new girls on Thursday nights to speak English and do a Bible study. We've met twice, and it's been really great. They're super sweet and their english is good. We've also still been meeting with Ala and Nina, which is a blast. They're just great. And, we're still going out to four villages, and looking at adding two more! Last Tuesday, after our final lesson for the day, we went to the home of the village leader, who is into astronomy as a hobby! When we first arrived, it was pretty overcast, but as we were leaving the skies cleared up a bit. We were able to see Saturn, Mars, several constellations, and the moon. It was pretty stinking amazing to see. I mean, we live in ONE galaxy and it's just unfathomably huge. I can't even wrap my little brain around it. But, it reminds me of Psalm 8:

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your finers--the moon and the stars that You have set in place--what are mortals that You should think of us, mere humans that You should care for us? For You made us only a little lower than God, and You crowned us with glory and honor. You put us in charge of everything You made, giving us authority over all things--the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents."

It was just amazing to see the vastness of the night sky (I should also mention that it's something we don't often see here, either because it's cloudy or because we're in a city with many lights) and realize that, though I am so small, God sees me and knows me and cares for me. Amazing!

So, let's see, anything else going on around here...our friend Iza called us this past week and asked if we'd come help her clean up our church. They had done some remodelling over the past two weeks, and needed to get it cleaned up and put back together for church this Sunday. Amber and I were thrilled to be able to help out, so we gladly said we'd be there. Obviously, we can't do...well, anything that requires speaking! But, give us a rag and a bucket of water, and we're on it!

This is a picture from this past fall of the outside of the Olsztyn Baptist Church. The dark brown door is the entrance to our side of the building. The left side is some kind of men's only sauna, I think. I try to stay away from those.
This is the sign for the church. Needless to say, it's a little hidden and tucked away, a little difficult to find! This is also where we meet on Sunday nights for International Fellowship.
This is what we walked into on Friday morning. It looks great! Freshly painted walls and new light fixtures really help. This is the sanctuary, worship center, whatever you may call it.
And this is the dusty mess that was hidden behind the door in the picture above. Yuck. They had apparently sanded down the plaster walls in the sanctuary and the dust from the process was on EVERYTHING! I'm so not exaggerating about that one. I mean to tell you, the crayons and pencils were covered in dust. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. And this is Iza, surveying the damage and wondering where to start. This is the bathroom/kitchen where I was put on dish duty. Every Sunday after the service, people stick around to drink coffee and tea and eat little sweets and fellowship. And, since the cups, plates, and utensils fall under the category of EVERYTHING mentioned above, they desperately needed washed. There were five of us who worked for several hours Friday morning, then another group came on Friday afternoon, and more on Saturday, but the work got done and everything looked great Sunday morning!

A Night Out and an Idea for America

2008-03-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

Last night, we got to go to a concert with Ala and Nina at their university. It was a man by the name of Grzegorz Turnau and another-guy-whose-name-I-don't-know. Both men sang and Grzegorz played the piano BEAUTIFULLY and G.W.N.I.D.K. played the guitar, equally as BEAUTIFULLY! It was really a great night. Yes, every song was in Polish; yes, they would talk and tell stories between songs that apparently were pretty funny (it's always a weird situation when everyone around you is laughing and you have no idea what's being said!). But, it was still beautiful music--kind of a blend of jazz and folk--and it was just calm and relaxing. It was a great night and I'm so thankful Ala and Nina thought to invite us. If you live in Ohio and are snowed in for the weekend, you can search Grzegorz Turnau on YouTube and hear some of his songs.

Nina, Amber, Ala, and I after the concert. Aren't they cute?!?
Grzegorz is on the left and G.W.N.I.D.K.is, obviously, on the right. Grzegorz played the accordian for a couple of songs as well, which was awesome. I will admit, I really like the accordian!
Ok, here is the other big blog-worthy news. Here in Poland, almost everywhere you go has a room called a "szatnia". It's a room where you check your coat when you go into a building. Now, I know that some places in American have these...namely, theaters. But here, most places offer a szatnia and it is so nice! As I was sitting last at the concert last night, I thought "this is so wonderful! Live, relaxing music, friends, and I'm free to move around in my seat, unhindered by the bulk of a big winter coat, scarf, gloves, and hat! What a great idea!" I was so inspired, I took a picture of my coat-retrieval tag (I'm sure there's a much better Polish word for this thing...heck, I'm sure there's a much better English word for this thing!).
And, here are the hordes of people waiting to retrieve their coats with their coat retrieval tags. I should also add that the coat retrieval process is done with great efficiency here and is highly impressive. America, can we get on that?

So, there's the big news of the weekend from Olsztyn. Well, that and the karaoke event that was held at the KFC downtown today. Yes, that's right. KFC as in Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's Women's Day here in Europe, and what better way to celebrate than karaoke at KFC? Sadly, Amber and I didn't make it into town today. Maybe next time!

English in Olsztynek and the Heaviest Sweater I Own

2008-03-05T02:04:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, Amber and I headed out to Olsztynek, as usual, to teach our English lesson to the kids there. However, this particular week was a bit different! We had been told the previous week that there was going to be a special presentation about Polish folk clothes, so our lesson would be shortened to only a half an hour long. We were then invited to attend the presentation, to which we agreed. Now, at this point, I should mention that Marcin (the pastor we usually travel to these villages with) was out of town last week. So, through our Polish friend Iza's translation, we arranged to come and see the presentation, then teach a shortened english lesson. No problem, right? Well, when we arrived at the building where we usually teach (and where we thought the presentation was), we were right on time and ready to go and....NO KIDS! No one at all was in the building! At this point, I'm starting to sweat (and not only because I have on the heaviest sweater I own, along with my coat and scarf and we just climbed three flights of stairs!). I was afraid that we missed something in translation (it happens quite often) and, since we're still relatively new to teaching these kids, didn't want to make a bad impression. Thankfully, Marcin quickly called Iza, and found out where the kids were meeting...at the Museum in town! So, we high-tailed it over to the museum, just as the presentation was starting. The directors of the kid's program (it's kind of an after-school program for specific kids who qualify--due to low income, family issues, things like that) welcomed us warmly and the tour guide at the museum was extremely gracious and excited to get to explain to us the different traditional clothes worn by people in different regions throughout Poland. Marcin translated for us, and it was really interesting. I learned that the people from the region where I live typically wore more basic, cheaper clothes, because they were out working on the farms and caring for livestock. This region is one of the poorer regions in Poland, to this day (or so I've been told).
The clothing was beautiful, and it was a lot of fun to get to share the experience with the kids. Then, after the tour was finished, the directors asked if we would mind to just teach the english lesson right there in the museum! (no one else was there). So, we got to teach in an extremely old building (it used to be a church, although I couldn't find exactly how old--Google let me down) and Marcin snapped a few pictures that I thought I'd share! Enjoy =)

Amber and I with the kids. They are great kids and so much fun! Right now, their favorite game is Around the World with numbers 1-20. I'll tell you what though, some of these kids get vicious! They definitely get into the game!
As the tour director was showing this dress (above) she was pointing out the detailed embroidery on the scarf and telling us that when a woman was nearing the age to be old enough to marry, she had to start making shirts for her husband because he had to have enough shirts to wear a different one every Sunday to church. Yes, that's right, before she even got married, she had to have a stockpile of 52 shirts! Can you imagine?!
More beautiful clothes, typically worn by people in the mountains. And, can you see the pictures in the background? Amber and I kept commenting that many of the pictures looked like Mexicans. It was interesting.
Me and Amber. I dont' know if you can see the grates in the floor, but there was some serious heat pumping out of those things. And remember the aforementioned "heaviest sweater I own"?? Yeah, I was warm, to say the least. Sometimes, you just can't win here with the clothing selection. You think you've got it just right and you end up either freezing or melting!
In action. It's always a lot of fun in Olsztynek, and the kids seem to really be interested and enjoy learning english, which definitely helps =)

And, before I go, in answer to the questions on the previous post:

--yes, the purse is Vera Bradley. Love it!!!

--the boots: my friend, Teresa, back in Ohio introduced me to them. Then, when I was home for Christmas, the good old TSC (Tractor Supply Co.) in Sandusky had some in stock. Woo-hoo! If you have some free time (or a slight obsession with Google, as do I) just Google "fat baby boots" and you can check out the many different designs and colors. They're so fun!

--the tea: I don't know if you can buy it in stores, but I ordered it online Here and it's SO worth it!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-02-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been relatively uneventful. Kind of the same old, same old. We got to reconect with our friends Ala and Nina, and that was wonderful. We made an unexpected trip to Warsaw Monday morning and I got to visit Ikea for the first time (I have mixed thoughts about the store....but I did buy a pair of kitchen shears, which gives me much joy!). We went to Olsztynek and Jemiolowo and Waplewo and all went well (we didn't go to Platyny because Marcin was out of town for a meeting and didn't think we needed to go there without him...good call). We've nearly gotten blown away by some seriously strong winds. We watched a movie that Amber rented and downloaded from itunes (on a side note: it worked awesome, but took 9 hours to download. You definitely have to plan ahead for that one!). Hmmmm...well, as you can see, kind of a slow week for some blogging fun. SO, I decided that I'd share with you all some of the things that I'm loving right now. Yes, I know...shallow and really pretty boring for both of my readers, but what they hey! Here we go...

...from left to right:

-my FatBaby boots. I love them. They are comfortable, even for walking long distances around here, warm, dry, and just so darned cute! They are well worth every penny spent!

-my new pink ipod arm band holder thing. This was part of Kyle's Christmas gift to me and I've used it several times to run already and it's great. The whole reason I needed a new MP3 player for Christmas was that I dropped my previous one while running! (have I ever mentioned that I'm not very graceful?)

-my "winter" Polish pottery mug. It makes me so happy to drink tea and coffee from this mug. I bought it back in November anticipating many winter nights, sitting around sipping a hot beverage, as the wind and snow swirled about outside. Still waiting on that one.

-that little slip of paper is a pierogi recipe a friend of ours gave us. It's actually her mom's recipe and we tried it out this past Saturday. They turned out pretty good. Lots of work (at least for a rookie such as myself), but we think that next time, we'll try using some fresh fruit. The potato filling was good, but it won't be long until fresh raspberry season here and that would be delicious!

-the "It's a 10" miracle hair product from Lori. Short of having a personal hair assistant to do my hair every morning, this is the best thing that has happened to my hair in a long time. My hair is very happy.

-the purse Amber gave me for Christmas. I smile every time I sling it over my shoulder. I just love it!

-my copy of Lord of the Rings. This wouldn't have ordinarily been my typical choice in reading material, but a friend suggested it and it's so good! I've read The Hobbit and am almost finished with Lord of the Rings. Definitely enjoying it.

-Good Earth Red Tea. Wonderful. Fabulous. A party in my mouth. A celebration of taste. I could go on, but I will just say that Alethea introduced me to this tea, and upon tasting, I quickly ordered some online, had it sent to my parents, and had them send it to me. If you like red hots in your apple cider, I think you will like this tea. Just a hint, if you ever try some, taste it without sugar in it first...I personally think it doesn't need any, it's great just as it is.

-my bottle of Mountain Mourning body oil (ok, it's actually massage oil, but I call it body oil). My friend Brandi gave me this for Christmas and it's been wonderful for the dry skin. It's from a company in Fremont, Ohio called the Not Just a Soap Company. The oil smells like patchouli, which is one of my favorite scents...even though someone once told me I smelled like a Grateful Dead concert. You just keep on truckin' man, and I'll keep wearing my patchouli.

As I was piling my favorite things onto my "bed" for the photo shoot, I thought to myself: "self, people probably don't know exactly what you sleep on and what it looks like". So, I put my self to work and took a "before" and "after" shot of my "bed". (that was a lot of quotation marks). This is what my bed looks like from roughly 7 am until 11 pm...

...and this is what it turns into as darkness falls upon Olsztyn. A couch by day, a bed by night. Tricky, eh?

Before I go, I feel the need to apologize to anyone still reading this post. I have wasted several valuable moments of your life. But, hey, these are the things you do to entertain yourself when you live in a foreign country. Enjoy =)

Waplewo

2008-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Waplewo. It's a really little village near us and we've been invited to come teach three different classes of English once a week. Amber and Patsy are teaching the younger kids, Bryan and I are teaching the teens, and Alethea and Lydia are teaching the adults. So far, it's been a great experience and there has been a really great turnout each week. In fact, the first two weeks, Amber and Patsy had kids sitting on the floor! As for myself, I'm in a very unfamiliar position in Waplewo. First of all, I'm not working with Amber, which is a little strange since we've worked together on nearly everything since roughly January of 07! Also, I'm teaching teenagers, which is a HUGE stretch for me! I'm totally not used to teaching teens and definitely having to learn how to relate to them and how to teach them without cheezy songs and games that I'm used to using with kids. Thankfully, I left the apron* I used to wear when I was teaching school, back in Ohio. Now, I'm just 90% un-cool with youth, as opposed to 100% while wearing the apron.

(*in defense of the apron-wearing...it was awesome. It had three large pockets where I could stuff pencils, erasers, markers, chalk...you name it. AND, it was a defensive shield against a wide assortment of bodily fluids and dirt)

I don't know if you can read the buletin board in the back of the room, but I can't either. I think it's a German classroom.

I've included some shots of one of the elementary classrooms, for all of my teacher relatives. I thought you might like to see the inside of a Polish school. We've been in several schools here, and I think this one, in this tiny village, is one of the nicest!

Another shot of the classroom (and Amber and Patsy--for the record, I did not abandon my own class to run around snapping photos. Marcin used my camera and got some great shots of everyone in action). This shot was taken from the doorway. Pretty small, huh?

And this photo was taken from the very front of the room. Yup, that's the back wall you can see. I don't know how many kids are in this room during the school day, but yikes! It's close quarters for sure!

Please continue to pray for the people of Waplewo. As I mentioned, we've only been heading out to this village for three weeks now, so it's all kind of new to us. However, Marcin has had some great opportunities to talk with some of the teachers and the director of the school. Please pray for more opportunities to meet and build relationships with the people here. And please pray for me as I work with Bryan to teach the youth. Please pray for relationships to grow, for wisdom in how to plan and teach, and for some small degree of coolness with them. I mean, God can do anything, right?!?!

Sand, Pigeon Jewelry, and Snow!

2008-02-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

These are just some random photos and things I've wanted to share with you all. (Please keep in mind that "random" is the key word here)

For those of you who have known me for any amount of time, you may have picked up on my love (ahem...obsession) for anything beach, water, Lake Erie related. Has anyone noticed? Well, when I lived in Huron (about two blocks from the beach!), my love/obsession stemmed as far as enjoying sweeping up the endless amounts of sand that was tracked into my little house. I seriously liked it. It felt like having a bit of my beloved beach right there in my house.

Well, let me just say that they use sand here to spread on the snow to make it less slippery. Can you see where this is heading? Yes, it's true. I still get to sweep up piles of sand...and I kind of enjoy it!

This is one of the many storage containers scattered about where the sand is kept. Not quite Lake Erie, but I'll take what I can get here!

Now, this next picture is pretty self explanatory. Kind of. Amber, our friend Izabela, and I were walking through Old Town last Friday and saw this poor little pigeon walking around with his buddies. Yes, that is a crust of bread around his neck. Your guess is as good as mine as to how this occured, but his "buddies" were actually coming up to him and pecking at the bread! Sheesh! It's hard to find a good friend these days!

And, finally, just a shot of the snow that actually showed up last week! It started snowing on Thursday evening, but it was only a dusting. Then, Friday afternoon, it started again and we had snow showers throughout the afternoon and into the evening. As far as winters go, this one has been kind of a dud here! I was actually hoping to have a real Polish winter and have been looking forward to snow. Who would have ever thought I would actually want snow! Wonders never cease =)

Polish Hospitality

2008-02-13T01:56:00.001-08:00

There's a saying in Poland: "A guest in the house is like God in the house", and I would have to agree. I have definitely enjoyed experiencing Polish hospitality and have learned much from many gracious hostesses and hosts. Any time we visit someone's home, we are immediately warmly welcomed and offered tea or coffee and typically treated to some type of cookie, cake, chocolate, or other goody. At times there is even the offer of different foods. When we head out to the villages, we typically stop at Marcin and Monika's home (which is a small apartment in the church building) at some point. Yesterday, Amber and I travelled out and arrived shortly before our first class. So, Marcin suggested we start the class early in order to finish early and be able to go to his home for coffee and tea. We also were treated to some homemade pancake type things that Marcin whipped up for us! When we go to Jemiolowo to teach english, the Soltys (village leader) has coffee, tea, and some type of goody for us, and yesterday was no exception (for the record, that was cup of coffee number two for the afternoon). After our lessons in Jemiolowo, Amber, Marcin, and I headed to the home of some of our students to visit with the family. And, as we sat down at the kitchen table, the tea, coffee, and cookies came out! (cup number three---four years of teaching has somewhat trained my bladder to be patient, but after three cups of caffeine, I was shot!).
And, in case you're wondering, this isn't something the Poles do only for us Americans, this is how they treat everyone! I really like it and have enjoyed having opportunities to practice hospitality to our friends here in in our flat.

This is a photo from Marcin's birthday party last week. Here you can get an idea of the "spread" put out. The Poles don't typically use plasticware, so it's always fun (well, except for the dish-washer!) to drink tea from pretty cups!

Ok, yes, I know there's an arm reaching right through the middle of this picture, but it's actually a telling picture. I was trying to just get a shot of the table, but it was so hard to snap one, as Marcin or Monika were in constant motion making sure that everyone was served and happy. This is Marcin's hand reaching for a spoon to serve someone some of his birthday cake...the birthday boy/girl is the one to serve on his/her birthday! And, they usually provide their own cake!

One thing is for sure: when you leave a Polish home, you definitely feel special and as though you were a welcomed guest...even if your bladder is about to explode!

"Give it to Mikey, he'll eat anything"

2008-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Well, as promised, here are the pictures with the guard in Prague. You know, the ones where they said "send Jessica, she's from the north! She'll be an obnoxious tourist!" (and, just for the record, I even have a little "northern tribute" on my ipod, complete with Youngstown by Bruce Springsteen and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot) Enjoy!

It's Fun To Stay at The...

2008-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

...Swietlica? Well, we don't technically meet at the YMCA, but a swietlica could be similar (it's a community center with after school programs for kids). I will say that it seems our team has officially morphed into "the village people". We had our first week returning to two of the villages and meeting the people in two more and it was great! On Wednesday, we headed out to Waplewo for what we expected to be three groups of students. However, silly me, I forgot to remember the Golden Rule of Work in Poland: always expect the unexpected. So, I shouldn't have been surprised when we showed up and there were only two rooms reserved. It was totally no problem and worked out really well. There were about 32 kids (wow!!) and around 20 adults (12 were teachers and the others were people from the village). All in all, I think it was a great first meeting.
From Waplewo, we piled into the big while VW van with our fearless driver, Bryan, and headed to Platyny...unsure what to expect (see: Golden Rule of Work in Poland--I learned my lesson after Waplewo). Platyny is the village that we've had a pretty long...hmmmm, shall we say "history" with. The first good sign when we arrived was that the lights were actually on! Woo-hoo! (we've previously had to wait while Marcin would go hunt down the key to unlock the building) And, once we walked inside, we saw a rule list posted, as well as a sign for our english lessons! Woo-hoo, yet again! And, lo and behold...there was heat, too! Then, when we were finished, some of the wonderful ladies in the village had prepared tea, coffee, cappuccino, and cakes for us. It was such a special night and will surely be one of my favorite memories of Poland.
On Thursday, Amber and I headed out with Marcin to a swietlica in Olsztynek (the little town where Marcin lives and pastors) which was great. Then, we headed out to Jemiolowo and had a great time with the kids and the Soltys there. THEN, we headed back to Marcin and his wife Monika's home where we joined them for some delicious, homemade cucumber soup (a Polish speciality that I've got to get the recipe for!) and their homegroup meeting with members from their church. After the meeting, we celebrated Marcin's birthday! It was, once again, a precious memory and great time of fellowship. During the previous month, while things have been so slow, I've been missing out on really spending time in the Polish culture. I know it sounds funny since, um, I live here. But, it's true. So, this past week has been a "breath of fresh air" if you will.

Me and Krystyna...a believer who attends Marcin's church and lives in Platyny. She's a very sweet lady. Please pray for her, that she'd shine the Light of Christ, as she lives among her neighbors and friends in Platyny.

This is kind of a dark, lousy picture, but I wanted you to see what these ladies in Platyny did for us. It was so sweet!

Amber and I in action in Olsztynek.

In Marcin and Monika's home with some of the members of their church.

And, last but not least, Marcin and Monika, whom I love. I'm really looking forward to getting to know them both better. Please pray for them as they continue to minister in Olsztynek. They are such a neat couple and definitely love the Lord and people!

Ever Wondered What Earthworm Tastes Like?

2008-02-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Kristin checking out one of the coolest parts of the cathedral in the Prague Castle. There were these huge arches and if you speak into the arch, the person on the other side of this HUGE room could put their ear to the wall and hear you! It was so fun!

This is a view from the castle, which is located on a hill. Wise place to build a castle. But, again, a picture just doesn't do it justice.

These are some of the ladies I was at training with in Virginia. It was such a blessing to get to hang out with them for the week. Good times, good times.

And, more of the ladies I was at training with. Fun!

Ok, this picture definitely needs some explanation. One of the girls brought a bunch of boxes of Harry Potter jellybeans. I don't know if you've heard about these or not, but apparently they have something to do with the books/movies (I've never actually read/seen any of them, although it was required--some may say it was more of a suggested, really--reading for one of my early childhood education classes). There are flavors such as vomit, sausage, black pepper, rotten egg, soap, sardine, ear wax, grass, earthworm, dirt...I'm so not kidding. What's even more ridiculous is that we voluntarily, and for FUN, played a game where you took one out of the box and had to eat it, no matter what. After earthworm, sardine, black pepper and vomit...I was out. I threw in the towel. But, it definitely proved for many laughs and lots of fun!

Prague, Bold Northerners, and Christmas Carols

2008-02-02T07:36:00.001-08:00

Train riding. Dierks Bentley sings a song about this and, trust me, it's not nearly as glamorous, nostalgic, or romantic as he makes it out to be. But, it got the job done! And notice the bottle of Dr. Pepper. Amber knew it was going to be a loooong trip, so she brought some "comfort food".

Do you know who this is?? It's King Wenceslas....you know, "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen..."! Imagine my surprise to find out that this was a real guy! And he was apparently really a good king. Way to go, King Wenc!

There was no snow, but it was brisk walking through Prague!

A view from one of the bridges. Of course, a photo doesNOT do this city justice.

At the Prague Castle, there is a changing of the guard every hour, which we got to see. It was pretty impressive. As we were leaving the castle, someone wanted to get a picture of a few of us standing next to one of the guards. A few were hesitant and said "Jess, you go do it...you're from the north." What?? Apparently, southerners (which pretty much qualifies EVERYONE I work with) think that we northerners are bold, blunt, and will do anything! Well, I didn't want to let them down, so I'll try to get ahold of that picture =)

Well, I am back from Prague and, in a word, it was: WONDERFUL! Seriously, it was great. We all survived the looooong train ride (we left our flat at 4:30 and arrived in Prague around 6 that night!) and thankfully made the connection we needed to make in Warsaw. Actually, one of the best parts of the trip was the scenery in the south of Poland and into Czech Republic. It was beautiful and it reminded me--now don't laugh--of the ride down to Athens, Ohio. Yes, I was riding a train through Europe and it reminded me of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It was beautiful to see, although I had hoped for a little snow. Oh well!
The week in Prague was great. We had a church service together on Sunday morning, then had the afternoon and evening free to explore. We got to see some of the sights, eat some American type food, then walked back over the Charles Bridge in the dark, seeing the river lit up. It was beautiful!

Throughout the week, we spent the days in meetings hearing from several different speakers, and it was great. It was refreshing, refocusing, and definitely encouraging. It was also awesome to hear about how God is working through ordinary people like us all over this region. I made some new friends and connected with some old friends. Then, at night, we were free to go out and eat (there are some WONDERFUL restaurants in Prague!) and hang out together. I loved getting to hang out with some of my friends from training and talk, laugh, and talk some more.

On Thursday morning we headed out of Prague and spent the night in Warsaw to take care of some VISA things at the embassy on Friday. So, technically, you could say I was in America for a few minutes on Friday! I broke into a little rendition of "God Bless the USA" in honor of the visit. In fact, now that I think about it, even though I was in an even more foreign country than Poland (to me at least), it felt more like America! There were Americans and english speakers EVERYWHERE. And I don't just mean the Americans I was with at the conference. At one point, we were in a bagel restaurant and literally everyone sitting around us was American. It was really weird. Then, on Thursday night, Amber, Patsy, and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe in Warsaw for dinner, which is about as American as you can get in Warsaw. I guess we were all needing a little slice of America this past week =)

What to do? What to do?

2008-01-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

Amber and Abby enjoying the world's richest hot chocolate.

So, what do you do when pretty much all of the people you are trying to meet are on vacation for the month, you may ask? Well, that's a great question!
Yes, it's true. Things here have been a little slow. The school age children (which would include the kids we normally teach english to in Platyny and Jemiolowo) have been on winter break for all of last week and this week. Rather than having a long break at Christmas, they have a few days off around Christmas, then a two week break later in the winter. Also during this time, the university students are preparing for and taking finals. The way things work here, you have several chances to pass your finals if you don't pass the first time (pretty good deal, huh?!) and after the several weeks of final exams, they have a 2 week break. All in all, regular classes won't start again until the last week in February!
So, yes, things have been S-L-O-W! In general, the pace of life here is slower than in America, but these past few weeks have been exceedingly slow paced. However, it's been a nice time to hang out with my teammates here and there have been some exciting things going on. So, here's a little rundown of what's been going on here:

-Amber and I hung out with Abby, one of our "nieces" here. She just turned 11 in October and is super cool. We got to have some girl time and went to a little cafe and had some yummy treats. I had ice cream, but Amber and Abby had these hot chocolate drinks that are popular here. Now, these are no Swiss Miss powder packet hot chocolate mixes. This is the real deal, as you may be able to tell from the picture. It's literally melted milk chocolate bars and cream! It's intense...a little too intense for me! We also played a game called Farkel (a game of sheer and simple luck, which I never fail to lose at!) and Abby helped me set up my Webkinz site! Do any of you mothers of young children know about Webkinz? My friend Angie got me one for Christmas and it's so cute!
-Amber and I have gotten to hang out with all of our nieces and nephew over the past week. We hung out with the Stevenson girlies last Saturday while Sean and Lydia went out, then hung out with Mikaila and Ethan while Bryan and Stacey went out last night. Theses kids are seriously SO fun, even if Ethan does kick my tail playing ANY and ALL video games! (did I mention that he's 5?)
-Amber and I finished watching all of season 2 of the Office! (yes, I am aware that we are, like 3 seasons behind--but it's a long story!) and season 3 of Deadliest Catch (thank you, thank you, thank you Aunt Barb and Uncle Tom!!!!--and can I just add that I found the official Discovery Channel Deadliest Catch blog? Um...SO EXCITED! I mean, the show's theme song is Bon Jovi's "Wanted: Dead or Alive". It's got to be great, right?)
-We have also watched my very own copy of "Bride and Prejudice"! Woo-hoo!
-Our team had our first meeting of a church service we're starting on Sunday nights that will be in English. We're calling it IF (International Fellowship) and are hoping to reach out to internationals living here and english speaking Poles. Amber and I taught the kids and it was a great time.
-On Saturday, Amber and Patsy and I are headed to Prague, Czech Republic, for a meeting called Ebenezer. It's for all of us in Central and Eastern Europe who have just finished one year living overseas. I'm super excited for it. I've heard that Prague is a beautiful city AND I'll get to see some of my friends from my time in Virginia at training (and meet some new friends). What I'm NOT excited about is the 13 hour train ride that it will take to get there. And as if that's not horrendous enough...the train pulls out of Olsztyn at 5:15 AM (which equates leaving our flat at 4:30). Um, I'm pretty sure I'm not even human at that hour. There is not enough coffee in the world to help this girl at that hour.
-Ok...here's the truly big, exciting news: remember the girls (from the previous post) from Jemiolowo that went to the camp? Four of them met Christ and trusted Him as their Savior while they were there! How awesome is our God?!?!

So, there you have it. That's pretty much what's been going down in funky-town. I hope to have a much more exciting post upon my return from Prague...but no promises =)

Operation Christmas Child in Jemiolowo

2008-01-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, we all piled in the two vans and headed out to Jemiolowo, one of the two villages where we've been teaching English to the kids. We went out to pass out Operation Christmas Child packages and a few of the people from the church here in Olsztyn put on a puppet show, which the people loved. There were quite a few people from the village there, and the kids put on a brief presentation for us, which was really great. Of course, pastor Marcin organized the whole event and did a great job. He's such a neat man and just genuinely loves people. It's been great being able to help him in any way as he finds different ways to minister to people and show them Christ's love.

Amber and some of the girls we've been teaching and hanging out with. The three girls sitting in chairs are at a winter camp this week (they have 2 weeks of break from school). Please pray for them, and for the other kids who are there and for Marcin, that they would have a great week and have an opportunity to meet Jesus and know His love for them.

Me and one of the cute little girls...and Ethan hanging out in the background!

Alethea and the Soltys of this village having a conversation...in Russian! This lady is so kind and so helpful to us! She is definitely a blessing and a "person of peace" who has welcomed us into her village. Please pray for her (I'll be real honest here...I have NO IDEA what her name is!) and for the people of this village. We are planning to do some block party type things this summer and are hoping that they'll open up connections and opportunities to start Bible studies for those that are interested.

This is kind of a dark shot, but here is pastor Marcin introducing the puppet show. You can see some of the kids in the background.

Christmas-Part 4

2008-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is the last of the Christmas Extravaganza '07. These are just some pictures of one of my favorite places on earth...Lake Erie; Huron, Ohio in Particular. It was great to be home and spend time with my family and friends and Bruti, but it was also just great to walk down the quiet beach and hear the water and just feel the breeze off the Lake. It was definitely a great trip, and I would have to say that I enjoyed every minute of it. So, here are a few of the sights that I got to enjoy during my time in Huron.

I was definitely excited to see this freighter coming in. We also saw one heading out, late one night. I really like seeing them at night, with all of their lights, but it's a little hard to photograph!

The Huron Pier and Lighthouse

Nickelplate Beach

I LOVE being on the beach in the summer, with lots of people around and enjoying a summer afternoon, but I think I may like this scene even more. It is absolutely still, quite, and beautiful; it's a great place to spend some time with the Lord and clear your head.

Christmas- Part 3

2008-01-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

Not only did I get a chance to see my family and friends while I was home over Christmas, I also got to meet my new dog-niece, Brutus! (yes, I agree...Brutus is a rather masculine name for a female dog, but I'll get to that later). She's about 7 months old and is a Beagle/Lab mix. I must admit, my first introduction to my dog-niece was a little overwhelming. It was Saturday morning, my first morning waking up at home and I suddenly had this crazy dog jumping up on me and tearing through the living room. One second she's jumping up on you and literally the next second she's running this crazy course around the living room and down the hall. My dad called those little episodes her "brain farts". However, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her (and for her to settle down). She's the CUTEST dog and, I have to say, I miss her. We went on a couple of walks on the beach, she chewed on some of my socks, she hung out with me while I ran on the treadmill...good times. Here's a few pictures of Brutus for you to enjoy!

Yes, this really happened. Kyle yelled upstairs and we all thought something really serious had happend. Nope. He'd just figured out how to get Brutus on the treadmill!!

Me and Bruti. Yes, that's the name I've chosen for my dog-niece. It's just not right for a GIRL to be named Brutus. Now, I am all for team pride in supporting the Buckeyes...but, really. SHE'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!! And, if you ask me, some of her "brain farts" stem from her confusion...my dad kept calling her a "him" or "he" all week. SHE'S CONFUSED, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Fortunately she has an aunt who loves her and gave her some girl time. (Also, please notice Kyle's cheezy grin in the background. He cracks me up.)

The day after Christmas, Kyle, mom, Andrea and I were all sitting around that night playing euchre and suddenly realized that we hadn't heard Brutus for a while. That's when we noticed that she'd just hopped up onto the "forbidden" couch to lay down and literally put her little head on the pillow! It was SO cute, and she looked so tired and comfy-cozy...how could you tell a face like that to move?!?! She was one tired puppy (get it?) =)

For any of you who know my dad, we all thought he was a dog-hater. Not true! He definitely liked having Brutus around and Brutus LOVED him. They bonded. In fact, after Kyle and Brutus left on Saturday my dad actually said he missed her! Well, actually, he said "I miss little wingnut". Same difference.

This picture isn't too clear, but you can see Kyle and Brutus pulling away in his Jeep. I included this picture, because it was about this time last year that he got his Jeep and I blogged about it, mentioning that the only thing he needed was a dog to ride along with him. Mission: Accomplished. (on a side note, Kyle said that Brutus was so tired after her busy week with her family that she was asleep about 10 minutes down the road.)

Christmas Part 2

2008-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Me and the beautiful Angela Claire. She's the only girl I know who would ASK to be picked up in my dad's big van. I love her!

Amanda, Me, Sarah, Jenn (and Baby Reese), and Julie in the lobby of Bob Evans. Thank you girls SOOO much for making this get-together happen! I love you all and will definitely be making my tour of northwest/southwest Ohio in about 10 months!

Ok, at first glance this picture is ridiculous. Oh wait...it really is ridiculous. This is Brandi "neck dancing"...it's our version of dancing in the car and works best to classic rock when you're also singing along with the guitar solos. We have fun together, what can I say?

Sharon, me, Teresa, and Brandi. Hanging out with Teresa was all I could have asked for...Mexican food, coffee, seing their new church, and hanging out in her living room with a fire in the fireplace. I just wish she would have played The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on her pretty new guitar for me. Maybe next time.

In between lots of great family time last week, I also got to spend some time with some amazing friends. They were all so great and made time to hang out and I SO appreciate it!! The first evening I was home, I was treated to some homemade chocolate and enchiladas at Brandi's house. It was wonderful to see her and her kids again! The next day, Kyle and I headed south to Mansfield and saw some of our friends from back in the day. It was so great to see Carrie, Eric, and Lauren and Mr. and Mrs. Peffley too! Then, on Christmas Eve I got to hang out with my Angela Claire. This girl is such a joy to me. I love her! Then, on the 27th, I got to get together with some of my friends from my OU days (you all are the BEST!!! anytime any one of you wants to head to Poland....there's always a free bed!) AND hang out with Brandi as we drove (and got a little "sidetracked" along the way) the 3 hours together. And, last but not least, time with Tim and Teresa and Sharon. Phew. I soaked up every minute of it and had a blast. I really just wish I could have packed them all up and brought them all back here with me.

Christmas, Part 1

2008-01-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

Here's my Quinn cuddle-time. I'm not sure why Amy has this expression on her face. All I'm saying is that Quinn was a little gassy. I'm just saying...

I just think this is a cute picture!

I'm not exactly sure why we all ended up crouched down on this one. There are several pictures like this that we tried to take and actually get Brutus to look up. It was a no-go.

Again, I just think this is a cute picture. Kyle was putting up the rest of his ornaments and Brutus was tagging along, watching intently. If only she listened this intently!

Christmas morning hug. That's a bear hug, for sure.

Well, I've made it safely back to Poland! I'm here in my cozy little apartment enjoying watching kids sled down the hill next to our building. I'm also trying to figure out how to blog about the past week. It was a great trip, and there's so much that I want to share! So, stick around for a few installments of pictures and play-by-play of the past week!

First of all: family. I am blessed. I have a wonderful family and it was great to get to see so many of them while I was in town. On Saturday, my dad's side of the family got together. I have to confess...I was still a little out of it and forgot to take many pictures! Bummer. But, it was a great time and I really appreciated all of the people who travelled and made the time to get together.

Then, on Sunday my mom's side of the family came to my parent's house for a little Christmas celebration. It was wonderful to see everyone (even though the Texans were missed---but, in honor of y'all, I went out and bought my fat baby boots!!!! I brought them back here to Poland with me and I love them. They're brown on the foot and a color called tigerlilly on the rest! Just wanted to share that with you) Ok, where was I...oh, yes, it was wonderful to see everyone. It was fun to have Jacob, Jenna, and Rylee running around, and I LOVED my Quinn cuddle time. And, of course, it was great laughing and catching up with cousins and aunts and uncles. (This is totally random, but I just have to add that it was great talking to my cousins and finding out that blog-stalking is in my genes).

And, last but certainly not least, time with my immediate family. Wow. I couldn't have asked for a better week with them. It was WONDERFUL! I am so blessed and so thankful. I have no clue how to sum up the week, so here are some of my favorite things:

-laughing--few people make me laugh as hard as my mom, dad, and brother. Kyle nearly got me kicked out of the Christmas Eve service at church. All I'm saying is that there was a reference to "more cow bell" and the "Rhymemaster Rev. Al Sharpton". Unreal.

-playing cards--it's official...my dad and I are the euchre champions. Of course, we only played one game because we were so tired, but I'm confident that we would have won other games as well. I guess we'll just have to continue play in a few months. It was also a great time playing Phase 10 with grandma, too. She was letting the one-liners fly and I think she was even talking some Phase 10 trash. There was a LOT of laughter that night!

-eating--I love sitting down to dinner with my family and we did plenty of that throughout the week: perch, walleye, salmon, fisherman's stew, turkey soup...yum!

-spending time with Kyle driving to Mansfield and to pick up his girlfriend. He's a great guy!

-sitting around together watching movies--we watched We Are Marshall, Ocean's 13, The Guardian, and The Prestige...all good ones

-playing with Kyle's dog Brutus (she gets an upcoming post all to herself!)

-lots of real-life bear hugs from my mom and dad, rather than just the imitations over Skype

-running on their new treadmill

-waking up in the morning, taking it easy, and just enjoying coffee with my mom and dad

I could really go on and on. Like I said, it was just a great week home. Thank you to all of my family for their love and support and encouragement and prayers. You all are a blessing and I love you!

Christmas Sights Around Olsztyn

2007-12-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, before I land in America and see all of the decorations there, I wanted to get out and take some pictures of the Christmas decorations here in Olsztyn. As to be expected, they celebrate Christmas a little different here. Here are some of the differences I've noticed so far:

*The decorations come out a little later here. Many of the stores and streets have been decorated for a couple of weeks now, but most people are just now putting up their decorations at home. They just really started selling the Christmas trees this past Saturday.

* They celebrate the bulk of their festivities on Christmas Eve

*There are vendors selling misteltoe EVERYWHERE! The funny thing is, I just learned that misteltoe is actually a parasite! It just sucks life off of the trees where it grows and it grows everywhere here. I'm still unclear if they have the same tradition with mistletoe here as we do in America. I'll work on figuring that one out (not by experience, mind you!)

*On December 6th, the kids set out their shoes (after they thoroughly clean them, of course) and this is the day they believe Micholaj (again, wrong characters for the letters, but close enough!) comes and leaves little sweets or goodies for the good kids. If you're not good you get a twig off of a tree. I think it's just a ploy to get kids to clean their shoes...let's just say there are a LOT of dogs here in Poland and I don't think Pooper-Scoopers have made their debut here.

*The Poles do not randomly throw around salutations of "Merry Christmas!". They only say it once, so they have to wait and strategically plan when to say their Christmas greetings on what they figure to be the last time they'll see you. The other day, we were all meeting over at the Stevenson's house and one of our Polish friends came over. He said good-bye and walked out of the door, only to return and give his "Merry Christmas", knowing that he wouldn't see us again before the holiday! So, when a Pole says "Merry Christmas", you know he means it!

*As I said before, Christmas Eve is the big celebration here and families have a traditional 12 course meal throughout the night (eating lots of food to celebrate is definitely a common factor across all cultures!) mainly consisting of different dishes made with carp. Starting about 2 weeks ago, there were large pools set up in many of the grocery stores selling live carp. That's right. You pick out a live one. Hmmmmm....I'd better stop here on this one.

So, those are some of the different Christmas traditions that I've learned about so far here in Poland. And here are some pictures that I took tonight. Amber and I both liked to drive around in America with a cup of hot coffee (or hot chocolate for Amber) and look at Christmas lights. Since we can't do that here, we put on the long johns, grabbed a travel mug, and hit the pavement to see some of the lights in beautiful Olsztyn. Enjoy!

This is the view on one of the main streets here in Olsztyn. This is the street we walk down to get to the mall (it's on the left hand side of the street here) and to Old Town. The tall building at the end of the street is Ratusz, or city hall.
This is a closer picture of ratusz and one of the many city busses passing by.
This is the view looking up the street in Old Town. These lighted swags are hung across the street almost all the way down the street throughout Old Town. It's so pretty, no picture does it justice, of course.
This is actually the sign outside of our neighborhood grocery store. It says "Wesolych Swiat", which is Merry Christmas in Polish! (and actually, these aren't all the correct characters for the letters, but I can't get them to work right on here!)
This is another view down one of the streets in Old Town.

God Bless Ohio

2007-12-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

So, as most of you know, I'm getting ready to make the big trek back to that grand state of Ohio in just over two weeks. In order to help me prepare for the trip, my mom sent me this email and it's hysterical. Just read this and, honestly, how many of these things are the absolute truth!

According to Jeff Foxworthy, "You Might Be From Ohio If..."

You think all Pro football teams are supposed to wear orange.
You know all the 4 seasons: winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.
You live less than 30 miles from some college or university.
You know what a "buckeye" really is, and have a recipe for candy ones.
"Toward the lake" means "North" and "toward the river" means "South."
You know if other Ohioans are from southern or northern Ohio as soon as they open their mouths.
"Vacation" means spending a day at Cedar Point in the summer and deer hunting in the fall.
You measure distance in minutes.
Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
You carry jumper cables in your car.
You know what "pop" is.
You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires six pages for sports.
If someone says something you don't understand or hear, you say "Please?"
You call it Kroger's even though it is Kroger. (Is this true?!?! I have ALWAYS called it Kroger's!)
Your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May.
Someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there.
You've worn shorts and a parka at the same time.
You've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number.
You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
You can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.
The speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you.
You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
You find 10 degrees "a little chilly".

How funny is that?!?! And yet, how true! Enjoy these and have a great weekend!

Thanksgiving Part III

2007-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Two new posts in one night! Oh my!
I call this: Thanksgiving Part Three.

Yes, it's true. Tonight we celebrated Thanksgiving again. Amber and I whipped up a mini-Thanksgiving meal consisting of roasted turkey breast, candied yams, green bean casserole (just a tip: crushed up onion flavored potato chips work just as well for the topping...we couldn't find fried onions), jellied cranberry sauce (thank you Aunt Barb and Grandma!), stuffing (again, thanks to Ciocia Basia and Babcia), and pumpkin pie. We invited Asia and Iza over to experience an "American" Thanksgiving and we all had a great time. I'm seriously so thankful for these girls. They're such a blessing.

Iza lived in America, up near Boston, for a year working as an au pair, so she has experienced a Thanksgiving. She was so funny...she kept going around smelling the foods- especially the stuffing-and just revelling in the delight of the memories of her time in America that the smells brought back. Here she is investigating the candied yams and trying to figure out what in the world they are. They don't have such things here, so we tried to explain what yams are, yet at the same time stressing that this form of yams--with brown sugar and marshmallows on top--are pretty much as far from resembling a vegetable as you can get.
Here's the spread. In my book, the best news is that we now have leftovers to enjoy!
Me and Asia and Iza enjoying some whipped cream. And somehow we all ended up wearing matching shirts. We could have been back-up singers (which, if you didn't know, would pretty much be my dream...or maybe to be June Carter or to sing in a bluegrass band. Hmmm...too bad I can't sing. Well, there's always the tamborine and an unplugged mic--that's for you Teresa)
Ok, other than the fact that this is the back of my head, this picture really is, well, just bad. BUT, it represents something I MUST share with both of you who may be reading this. Are you sitting down? This is big. Did you know Billy Ray Cyrus has a new song? It's definitely called "I Want my Mullet Back". Um...I want this song!!! This picture is of Amber playing a bit of the song for Iza and Asia...directly followed by, yes you guessed it, Achy Breaky Heart. I'm packing my bags tonight, because I'm pretty sure we'll get kicked out of Poland for that one. There's got to be some sort of law against that one. I mean, you can't bring fruits and vegetables into a foreign country...pretty sure you can't bring Achy Breaky Heart either. But, it's worth it. It's all for you Billy Ray...all for you.

Thanksgiving Part II

2007-12-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday we were invited to Thanksgiving Day at our friend Magda's school. Magda teaches English at a sports school here in Olsztyn (it's a school where training is tied into their daily schedule of learning...some of these kids are serious athletes. We saw two girls do a gymnastics floor routine and it was amazing...I'm talking Mary Lou style. One of them was the Polish champion or something like that!). Magda is an amazing woman that we were put into contact with through another friend that we practice Polish with. And, through being at the school on Tuesday, we met another woman who invited us to her school to talk with high school students. One of the coolest things about this job is seeing how God opens doors with people and makes connections with people. Anyhoo...Magda is super-sweet and speaks AMAZING English. She planned a program for the school to learn different things about America and wrapped it all up with this program. These kids were awesome. They performed a little skit of "Little Red Riding Hood" and it was so sweet! Magda put a lot of work into this day, and it was great. Here are a few pictures from the day to enjoy.

Obviously, the little girl on the left is Little Red...but you may be wondering who the little guy with the shotgun on the right is. Good question. I guess he's the hunter. It just looks so funny to see...I can't imagine seeing a kid from Sandusky City Schools walking onto stage with a pretend gun. I'm thinkin' it's not gonna' happen.

After the performance of Little Red Riding Hood, the younger kids performed a couple of dances. They were really good and check out the little stud in the front row with his tie! How cute!

More mad dance moves. Seriously, this little dude is the stuff.

And, to cap it all off...a quiz. Woo-hoo! But really, they took this thing seriously and Amber and I panicked when Magda asked us to grade the quizes. They were quizzed over different facts about America and, thankfully, we did know all of the answers. (you may also notice that they're working in teams of three...ummm, why didn't I go to Polish schools? I am all for teamwork on quizzes and tests. In the wise words of my dad: When in doubt, look about!) =)

An Ode to Dealiest Catch...

2007-11-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is a post about nothing, really, just sharing my love/obsession with the show Deadliest Catch. In case you're not aware (which, to my utter shock and awe, many people are NOT!), Dealiest Catch is a "reality" show about the men who fish on the Bering Sea through the Alaskan King Crab and Opelio Crab fishing seasons. It is a show pretty much totally filmed on boats and has a Bon Jovi song for it's theme song...can it get any better than that? This post declaring my love is spurred on by the fact that my Aunt Barb and Uncle Tom recently sent me the second installment of this season's shows that they've been recording for me. Woo-hoo! You have NO idea how excited I was to receive them!
My love with this show started about 6 years ago when I was a junior in college (I think that was the last time I lived in a house that actually had cable!). The Discovery Channel aired a show about the Dealiest Job in the World and it was all about crab fishing. It featured boats on big waves. I was hooked. However, at this point, it wasn't a series. So, imagine my bliss when I came to learn, three years ago, that they were going to air a series all about crab fishing. Wonderful.

Of course, as I mentioned before, I didn't have cable in my little house in Huron, so getting my weekly fix of Deadliest Catch required trekking all the way down the street to my parents' house to watch it (I conveniently found a way to be fed while I was there too!). Getting my fix nowadays proves to be a little more troublesome than a walk down the street, but many, many profuse thanks to Aunt Barb and Uncle Tom for keeping me hooked!

Happy Turkle Day!

2007-11-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! (Or, Happy Turkle Day if you're Amber...she struggled getting "Happy Turkey Day" out today and said Turkle several times. It has a nice ring...)

As I sit here writing this, Thanksgiving Day is coming to a close, but most of you reading this are just sitting down to "watch some football" (a.k.a.--take a nap). The day was great. It all kicked off yesterday evening when most of our team house-swapped. The Intemann's went and stayed with the Stevenson's, so Amber, Patsy, and I (Alethea wasn't feeling well) invaded the Intemann's house. You're probably wondering why 7/13 of our team packed up to go 10 minutes across town to stay for the night. Good question. And honestly one I didn't even think twice about, until Bryan pointed out that it's really just not "normal" in the States for people to go stay at a colleague's house, only 10 minutes away, on the night before Thanksgiving. But, when you live in a foreign country and are celebrating a holiday that the rest of the country doesn't acknowledge, you're driven to do some abnormal things. And it was fun. =)

Amber and I are proudly showing off our first-ever Pecan Pie. And, for the record, this was no regular pie plate...this thing was a beast. It practically took 2 of us to lift it! One of the benefits of staying at the Intemann's house was using their kitchen...slightly larger than our apartment-sized kitchen! We also were responsible for the mashed potatoes (I learned from the master...my dad!) and the green bean casserole. Yum.
Do you know what we call this? The Polish Winter Refrigerator. That's right. The drinks are actually cooler when left outside than when stored in the refrigerator. And think how much space is saved! (Notice the cans of Jellied Cranberry Sauce...the Winter Refrigerator works for food, too! We stored cheesecake and plates of leftovers out there as well.)
Here it is! The celebratory spread. Do you think the Pilgrims used Polish Pottery? There was so much delicious food, there wasn't enough room for everything on the table, so Stacey had to hold up the mashed potatoes for the photo op. Everything was wonderful. The food was just like Thanksgiving in the States. We had lots of people send us different ingredients we needed to make it official. Pleast take note of the ginormous plate of cranberry sauce. Yum!
And, the coup de gras...the desert table! There was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, spiced pecans, fudge, cherry cheesecake, buckeyes, pumpkin roll, and a large bowl of whipped cream. Need I say anything else? Behold, it is a thing of beauty.
And, finally, this photo just makes me smile. This is Becca, Ethan and Mikaila at the kiddie table. They were having a good old time and it totally reminded me of many Thanksgivings at Grandma Davis's house with the cousins...laughing hysterically and being utterly obnoxious (not that these kids were obnoxious at all...but I think it's fair to say that, at times, we probably fit the bill). And, please notice the bottle of ketchup on the table. As the kids were sitting down with their food, I distinctly heard one of them ask for ketchup. It was like music to my ears...a child after my own heart. Everything's better with ketchup. Even Thanksgiving.

So, in a nutshell, that was our Thanksgiving. After enjoying all of the yummy food, we drank coffee, visited with a Polish friend who stopped by to wish us all a Happy Thanksgiving, then started the mini-euchre tournament. Amber and I were on a team and were 1 and 1. It was a great time and, while I definitely missed enjoying the day with my family back in the states (but did enjoy talking with some of them via Skype--thanks for saying "hi" everyone!), it still felt like family being with our team here.

So now, I guess this means the Holiday Season has officially kicked off. Amber has been chomping at the bit to break out our few Christmas decorations and let the music rip, but I've been holding her back. It just doesn't seem right before Thanksgiving...and besides, you end up burned out by the week before Christmas. At least that's my experience. But, in an effort to spread Christmas cheer, I'll share this link with you. Just check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ice Skating and English

2007-11-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

Last week, we headed out to Jemiolowo-a little village nearby-to teach English to some of the kids. We plan to be there every Wednesday. I haven't gotten to see much of the village, other than this little community building, but so far it seems really neat. The kids are a lot of fun and have come both weeks with their notebooks and pencils, ready to learn some English! The leader of the village is a really neat lady who is an amateur astronomer and has a telescope in her backyard. (I'm hoping we'll get invited out to do some star-gazing sometime soon. One of the things I miss--because we live in a city-- is seeing the stars on a clear night!) She's also apparently an amateur archaeologist, as she's discovered the remains of an ancient tower in her backyard! (Like the ones they light in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). The picture below is of Marcin explaining something to the kids before we got started with the english lesson.I'm sure it initially took you by surprise, but-believe it or not-this picture below is not of me. I know, I know...it's hard to believe. I didn't have a camera with me, so I found a photo that is similar to what I looked like out on the ice the other night. JUST KIDDING! Tuesday night after meeting with Ala and Nina, they invited us to head over to the ice skating rink and give it a whirl. We checked our schedule, reckoned that we'd have enough time to squeeze in a trip to the ER, and hit the ice! It was so much fun, and it even began to snow while we were skating. Perfect.
This is Nina gearing up to do some serious ice skating. These girls are absolutely great. I love hanging out with them and am so thankful for their friendship! They have definitely given us some serious laughs and some serious fun times!
Ok, remember that problem I used to have with figuring out how to order pictures on here??? Well, I still have that problem. This picture (below) was supposed to go with the picture of Jemiolowo, but ended up down here for some reason. Anyhoo...these are some of the kids we're teaching english to out in Platyny. The past couple of weeks it has been really encouraging to see their english skills improve! They're starting to get it. I'm sure they'll far surpass my Polish skills before long. Tonight we had to choose 4 of the best behaved, hardest working students to go to a camp in January down in the south of Poland. Two of the girls in this photo (in the pink flowered shirt and the white shirt beside her) were chosen. Please pray for these 4 kids, that they'll be open to the Good News about Christ and they'll see the hope He has for them.

No Lame Apology This Time...

2007-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

I am going to spare you another apology for my weak blogging efforts as of late. To be honest, I just plain haven't felt like doing it. I haven't felt like doing a lot of things lately. I have just felt kind of "blah". I can try to attribute it to lots of different things (and they may all factor in slightly): the decreasing daylight; the cold and damp weather; getting into the rut of the routine...all valid points. However, the truth of the matter is that I've taken my eyes off of the Lord and wallowed in the darkness of discouragement and just the general "funk". However, our gracious and faithful Father has shown His mercy once again and opened my eyes and shined His light on my heart. He just continues to speak to me that what He's looking for is ME. Simply ME. All of ME, but just ME. He is calling me to walk with Him, love Him, and know Him. And I so often want to run ahead or off in another direction and miss Him completely. I am so grateful for His mercy and the amazing ways He pursued me to bring the state of my heart to my attention.
In light of this, I came across this poem (actually it's a monologue) on YouTube the other day. We were going to be reading about the Samaritan Woman (in John 4) with Nina and Ala this past Tuesday, so I thought I'd check out YouTube to see if there was anything that went along with it. This monologue came up (which you can check out here) and it's amazing. I love the story of the Samaritan Woman because it paints such a beautiful picture of what I love about Jesus. This poem says it way better than I could, so I'll just leave you with it. It's a little long, but well worth the read, especially after you check out the real story in the fourth chapter of the book of John.

Woman at the Well
I am a woman of no distinction, of little importance.
I am a woman of no reputation save that which is bad.
You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances, though you don’t really take the time to look at me.
Or even get to know me.
For to be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known.
And otherwise what’s the point of doing either one of them in the first place.
I want to be known, I want someone to look at my face and not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears, but to see all that I am and could be; all my hopes, loves, and fears. That’s too much to hope for, to wish for, or pray for so I don’t, not anymore.
Now I keep to myself and by that I mean the pain that keeps me in my own private jail, the pain that has brought me here at midday, to this well.
To ask for a drink is no big request, but to ask it of me, a woman unclean, ashamed, used and abused, an outcast a failure, a disappointment, a sinner.
No drink passing from these hands to your lips could ever be refreshing, only condemning, as I’m sure you condemn me now, but you don’t.
You’re a man of no distinction, though of the utmost importance, a man with little reputation, at least so far.
You whisper and tell me to my face what all those glances have been about and you take the time to really look at me.
But don’t need to get to know me.
For to be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known
And you know me, you actually know me.
All of me and everything about me.
Every thought inside and hair on top of my head.
Every hurt stored up, every hope, every dread.
My past and my future, all I am and could be, you tell me everything.
You tell me about me.
And that which is spoken by another would bring hate and condemnation, coming from you brings love, grace, mercy, hope and salvation.
I’ve heard of one to come who would save a wretch like me, and here in my presence, you say I am he.
To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known.
And I just met you but I love you.
I don’t know you, but I want to get to.
Let me run back to town, this is way too much for just me.
There are others; brothers, sister, lovers, haters, the good and the bad, sinner and saints who should hear what you’ve told me who should see what you’ve shown me, who should taste what you gave me who should feel how you forgave me.
For to be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known.
And they all need this too, we all do, need it for our own.

Hi, My Name is Jessica and I'm a Bad Little Blogger...

2007-10-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

So...um...ahem...sorry for being AWOL from Bloggerville for so long. I have a big cheesy grin on my face right now, if that helps. I just was bloggin' uninspired...but no worries! I'm re-inspired with all new pointless nonsense to share! =) Here's a little insight into what's been going on around here lately:

This may seem to be a rather ordinary picture, which is what I once thought as well...until I noticed the mound of chocolate in the middle of the table (some great guys we were with at the retreat last weekend--see below--discovered Paty's passion for chocolate and shared some of their favorites with her!). Friday night we went over to Patsy's for homemade veggie soup, followed by a second course of chocolate and coffee. We pretty much solved all of the world's problems over coffee and chocolate. I wonder if this is what they do in the oval office....

Ok, it is totally fair to be wondering at this point...why did Jessica include a picture of her hand and Amber drinking soda (did you hear that..."soda"...do you see the influence these midwestern/southerners are having on this Ohio girl?!?!). Valid question. This is to commemorate the only local eating establishment in Olsztyn that offers fountain sodas...with free, self-serve refills (granted, it is a KFC/Pizza Hut...but the vegetarian pizza is really good!). Betchya didn't know that there's no such thing as free refills or fountain soda here in Poland...it's true! I know, we're really suffering here.

These are two of the sweet girls we've gotten to become friends with here, Ala and Nina. They have been coming over on Tuesdays to meet with us to practice English and study the book of John. This past Tuesday, they came over with a beautiful flower, a pin (that says: Girls Need Polish Boys!!!!), and a beautiful silver bracelet...and sang Sto Lat--the Polish version of Happy Birthday to Amber (her birthday was the 11th)! How sweet are these girls?!?!?!

This past weekend, we went to Vilnius, Lithuania for a retreat. We met up with co-workers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland. It was an amazing time of fellowship, encouragement, worship, and lots and lots and lots of fun catching up with new/old friends. We went to a huge indoor waterpark on Saturday with a bunch of the kids (and some adults) and had a great time. It reminded me of having kids up to the beach...how much fun it is because the kids are having fun. My dad would have loved it =) We did have to say good-bye to two of our friends that are finishing their two years and heading back to the states. It's not like we even see them often at all, but I guess it's just a reality of the temporary-ness (did I just make up a word?) of this program. Kind of a bummer. It was also rough seeing the kids say good-bye to all of their friends that they rarely get to see. Sigh.

Now, you would think that I would have some pictures to share, right??? Well, sadly, this pathetic picture is honestly the ONLY picture I have from the whole weekend. I was just way too busy having fun to stop and take pictures!

And finally, another cultural food story. So, shortly after I posted the last post about the potatoes, Amber and I made the trek over to our local grocery store to stock up on water. (by the way, you may or may not know that the water here isn't drinkable. Actually, that's not true...the water is drinkable, but the pipes aren't safe.) We usually buy 4 of the big jugs at a time and that lasts us about a week. They only had 1 jug left, so we picked up that jug and went for three packages of 1 liter bottles instead. As we walked up to the register, the lady looked at us as though we had just landed from another planet. Apparently people don't stock up on water in these amounts, because she didn't even know how to ring all of this water up. She honestly sat there for a minute and did the classic Polish stare down (which I'm getting pretty good at if I do say so myself!), waiting for us to give up and walk away. From what we can gather, people typically buy one or two of the 1 liter bottles...not the whole package, and she really didn't know what to do with us. Moral of the story: we are clearly still Americans stuck in our Sam's Club mentality...buy in bulk!!!

So, there it is. Olsztyn in a nutshell. We are also really busy trying to pull together all of the details for starting some groups to meet with students. My Father has been doing some amazing things here lately: 3 people from a nearby town trusted Christ, there have been several new groups of people studying the Bible, we're looking at starting 2 new groups to study the Bible, Bryan has become our new University Team Leader, we are hoping to be working with two friends here, Iza and Asia, to meet students, we are meeting with Ala and Nina, we are spending time back out in Platyny, and are possibly going to be invited into several classrooms to invite students to meet with us. Praise God for His faithfulness!! He truly is gracious and kind and I know He has a plan and power to draw many Poles to know Him deeply and freely. Thank you for praying!!

Cultural Smack Down

2007-10-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been about a week since I last posted...and I really do intend on writing a real post eventually. But, until then, I thought I'd share this little story with you all for a little laugh and insight into Polish culture.
Some of you have asked, or maybe haven't asked but lie awake at night wondering, what we eat here. Well, for the most part, we eat the same kinds of things that we'd eat in the States. Actually, I think I eat better here because we actually cook. Cereal and peanut butter sandwiches (or a trip down the street to my parent's house or to Brandi's house!) were o so convenient back in America. Also, there was always the luxury of jumping in my car and driving down to Subway or picking up some quick and easy pre-prepared meal at Wal-Mart. No such luck here. So, needless to say, we've been learning to cook, which has been great. We've got some great chicken recipes, some good soups, always enjoy Mexican (we can buy tortillas here and there is a World Kitchen store that sells refried beans...unless your other teammates beat you to the store and buy them ALL!), a veggie sandwich that's delish, a pear and feta sandwich, apple pie, homemade pretzels, peanut butter cookies, pastas...the list goes on. I've really enjoyed learning to cook and Amber and I will have quite a collection of recipes when we're through here. HOWEVER, while we eat foods similar to those in the States, the Poles typically eat just what you'd think they eat...meat, cabbage, and lots and lots of potatoes. Keep this fact in mind.
So, the other day we decided to finally make the trek across town to check out the market that's held bi-weekly in Olsztyn. It's a cross between a flea market (you know what they say: one man's trash is another man's treasure!) and a farmer's market. There were people selling antiques, old clothes, shoes, cosmetics, meat, and fruits and vegetables. It was a beautiful day and turned out to be a great opportunity for Amber and I to practice our Polish skills. We bought some fruit, made some new friends, and just enjoyed shopping around. Everything was going wonderfully. We were understanding some of the language and successfully managed to buy some peaches, apples, the head of a sunflower, and some pears. The only thing we were missing was potatoes. So, feeling fairly confident and impressed (if I do say so myself) with ourselves, we sauntered over to a man and a woman at a table selling potatoes. There were several tables selling potatoes, but we chose this particular table because there were no other customers (so maybe we weren't that confident in our language skills!). So, I give her my classic cheezy "I'm an American and I can hardly speak your language...please be merciful" smile and ask for 2 potatoes. Easy enough, right? WRONG! This is exactly where the cultural difference between two American girls and the Poles comes into play. I see the lady pick up a huge white bucket and the 2 kilo weight to put on the scale. At this point the alarm sounded in my head...she intended to give us 2 kilograms of potatoes!!! For all of you non-metric people, that's 4.5 pounds of potatoes for two girls...who are taking public transportation! Now, for the Poles, this is nothing...this is probably one meal. We just wanted two baked potatoes. I quickly spoke up and said "no, not 2 kilos, only 2". She stopped what she was doing, looked at me as though I had lobsters crawling out of my ears, and laughed quite possibly the loudest and hardest I've ever heard a Pole laugh...until her boisterous laughter was drowned out by the man with her.
This would be what Amber has coined a "cultural smack down...WWF Monday Night Raw style".

I'm glad we could provide a good story for the potato sellers to share around their dinner table that night...as they passed the potatoes.

Ciao Bella

2007-09-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

I had my fill of pasta, pizza, art, history, air/bus/train travel, walking, and hostel stays and am now back in good old Olsztyn. It was tough, but I picked 5 pictures from my trip to Italy (which included time in Rome, Venice, Pisa, and Florence) to post here. (however, if you'd like to see more, you can check out Amber's blog for a slide show...I figured that, since she already did all that work, why re-invent the wheel, eh?) Anyhoo, while these are not necessarily the best pictures taken that week, they are of the things I found most interesting. So, here goes...

Kristin, me, and Amber in front of the Coloseum. It was amazing to see. It's so ancient, it's honestly kind of hard to wrap your brain around how old it really is.

This thing that looks like a sewer hole is actually the hole that Peter and Paul (you know, the guys from the Bible) were lowered into to be held in a Roman Prison. There originally was no other entrance/exit, but they've since added a staircase and built a church above the cell. Again, hard to really wrap your brain around...

This picture shows how there are layers and layers to Rome. This was taken from current street level, but you can see that the original city was about two stories down. They are building another subway line, but progress is very slow since they keep running into ancient ruins that must be first excavated.

This fountain was one of my favorite things of all that we saw on our trip. It's called the Trevi Fountain and it's beautiful. It was sculpted in the 18th century and "marks the end of the 19 BC Aqua Virga aquaduct, built by Agrippa...". The statues are of Neptune and two triton.
Finally, my favorite part of the whole trip was our two days in Venice. Amazing. There are no motorized vehicles...no scooters (which everyone drives in Italy), no cars, no trucks...nothing. Everything and everyone is shuttled in by boat. I fell in love. However, I'd better not get too attached, since the city is sinking at an average rate of 1 cm a year. That's significant. Of course, it was built on top of a marsh! Anyhoo...I loved riding on ferries instead of busses, walking along canals, seeing some beautiful wooden boats, and taking a gondola ride! Our driver didn't sing, but he whistled a little and did wear a blue and white striped shirt. It was just a quiet, peaceful place and I'm so thankful I got the opportunity to experience it. Ahhh...

Now, it's back to the routine, which is good. The students start back in less than a week and we're still putting together some details as far as meeting with students and praying for more opportunities. Please pray that God would open doors and stir a hunger in the students He's calling to Himself.

Tour De Pologne 2007

2007-09-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

The girly-girls having a little pre-race fun.

These pictures show you how close the racers came to us. It was awesome to see. You could literally feel the wind from the pack as they went by.

Having said that, I know these guys are some serious athletes. And I respect them for that. But really...as if wearing spandex isn't bad enough...which sponsor chose pink spandex for these poor guys? Really. It's hard to look manly in pink spandex.

This top picture doesn't do this race justice at all. To see all of the racers together was really amazing.

And, last but not least, this is what happens when you are a foreigner and accidentally make eye contact with a clown on stilts. He comes over, grabs a chunk of your hair and ties a balloon in it. Let this be a lesson for anyone else planning to travel abroad...never make eye contact with a clown on stilts. Remember that.

Queen Song Title Goes Here...Can Anyone Guess Which One???

2007-09-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I mentioned that I would hopefully have something more interesting to write...and, good news, I do!
A few weeks ago, Sean and Lydia mentioned that there was a bike race coming through Olsztyn. They said it was a race consisting of several stages throughout Poland and was kind of like the farm leagues of professional bike racing and a mini Tour De France. Not being an avid bike racing fan, I said "oh, that's neat" and, although I was interested in seeing it, didn't really think too much about it.
A couple of days ago, Amber and I saw a poster advertising the race and remembered Sean and Lydia mentioning it. And then this morning, as we were out and about running some errands (including a trip to the World Kitchen store to buy refried beans...we had to go back today since we were there last week but someone--who shall remain nameless, but who's name starts with S and ends with ean--had bought them ALL), we saw that they had the streets blocked off and were busy setting up. It was at this point that we began to realize that this whole event is a lot bigger than we had thought. A lot bigger.
It was amazing. I wish I had pictures that could really capture how neat this event was. My guess is that there were about 200 racers and they were f-l-y-i-n-g on these bikes. My little legs would have fallen off I think. Lydia led us to a great spot to stand to watch, right on one of the curves of the route. As the racers came around the curve, you had to pull any and all body parts back away from them road, as I think they could do some serious damage! There were pace cars that had replacement bikes on top of them, a helicopter hovering and filming, tons of film and camera crews, clowns who took joy in harassing Americans and tying balloons in their hair (see pictures above!), and lots and lots of bikes. You could hear that wheels whizzing and their gears clicking as they flew by. It was really amazing. I have no idea who won, or really any of the details of the race. But, it was sure neat to see! Definitely not something I would have thought "Gee, I'd like to go watch that", but I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance!

Hello Bloggerville!

2007-09-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

My, how times does fly these days! Actually, for a while there, time felt like it crept by. Our internet was out of commission for almost two weeks, so that put a damper on keeping up with the blog. And, in all honesty, I haven't been very blog inspired lately! Even now, I keep switching over to another tab to Google random things. 'Tis so sweet to have Google back. I mean, how else would I find random information like where to store Tahini...in the 'fridge or in a cupboard?!?! (and, in case you're interested, proper Tahini storage is in the 'fridge). Nonetheless, I'll do my best to give you a brief rundown of what's been going on here the past three weeks...

-I spent the week after the three week tour basically recuperating and trying to get things back in order. That Wednesday, team Northeast Poland ventured out to Skansen, an enthniographic park near here (if you're not sure what an ethniographic park is...Google it!). It was very interesting. We saw lots of old artifacts from this area that actually looked pretty similar to old artifacts from Lyme Village in Bellevue, Ohio!
-We've gotten to meet with three of the girls from the youth camp. We're hoping to connect with some more this week
-It's officially turned fall in Poland. The week my parents were here and the following week were H-O-T! It's a good thing I enjoyed it while it lasted, because it's gone now. It's been in the low 60's and kind of cloudy for the past few weeks. It's also getting dark earlier and earlier. I've already found myself wanting to go into hibernation mode and it's only September and Amber has already pulled out her sweaters and used a Hot Hands packet! It's not good, folks! However, on the flip side, I did buy a new pair of black boots for the winter weather and that's always fun...=) (and, by the way...to my Texas cousins--are you familiar with Fat Baby boots??? They are darling and I'm already planning to buy myself a pair as a "welcome back to America" gift when I return!)
-We made an apple pie...well, actually we made two. The first one didn't turn out great, and since we had 7 pounds of apples instead of 7 cups (ummmm...my bad. Guess I should have looked closer at that recipe, eh?) we gave it another shot. This one turned out great. The only downfall is having to use shortening--which Amber's mom brought over since we can't get it here--and I loathe shortening. I hate the smell, look, feel...ugh, it makes me noxious just thinking about it! Even when I was little and would make cookies with my mom, I hated getting the shortening out. Yuck. Ok, moving on.....
-We had a volunteer team here to prayerwalk and it was great. They are wonderful ladies and I had a great time getting to know them a bit as well as praying together. It was a great week. AND, they brought me a 12 pack of Diet Coke w/Lime, because it's of course way easier to have a 12 pack brought several thousands of miles than to actually slice up a lime and put it in a glass of Cola Light!
-ummm...I am taking Flamenco dancing lessons. I cut my lip real bad on the rose I was holding in my teeth. Just kidding. That's not until week 4, of course.
-I am drying out. I miss the water. I miss the Lake. I miss boats. I've been reading a book called Stormy Seas: Triumphs and Tragedies of Great Lakes Ships and it's kind of hitting the spot. But, this is one of my favorite times at the Lake. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer at the Lake. But, having lived there for four years, it's always nice when things slow down, the tourists leave, the weekend people close up their houses for the winter, and the weather changes. I love waking up in the morning and being able to hear the waves pounding and the wind blowing (even from my little house down the street from the waterfront!); I love looking out and seeing grey skies that match the color of the water; I love how quiet and desolate the beach is; I love watching the big freighters come in. The good news is that the Stevenson's recently went to Hel. No really. That's the name of the town, and it's right up on the Baltic. I saw some of their pictures and there was a lighthouse and a commercial fishing fleet and it looked beautiful! I can't wait to go next summer. It's on the list of things to do.

Well, for being blogging uninspired, I sure managed to fill this post up with utterly random nonsense. Thanks for sticking with it and I'll try to come up with something more interesting next time (which I think I can follow through on, as we're leaving for Italy in a week!!!!).
In parting, I'll leave you with the beginning from a song I've been listening to a lot lately--what with the nostalgia for the Great Lakes and all--and for which I'm sure I'll be relentlously teased, especially by a certain friend whose name starts with "T" and ends with "eresa"...

"The legend lives on
from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee"...

Can anyone name that song?????

Lap 2--Mom and Dad

2007-08-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

The top photo is my mom and dad in the courtyard of Wawel Castle (where the frescos from the 15th century are). It was pretty amazing to see!

This is my dad standing on a bench of this ancient castle, peering into a window.

This picture above is our main form of transportation for the week. They rode a total of 4 trains during their time here and are old pros at the Polish train system, which involves being ready to tuck and roll at your stop...the train waits for no one.

Below, a picture of mom and dad in Old Town Olsztyn. My dad bought an Olsztyn baseball hat. It's official: he liked it here =)

After just getting warmed up in Lap 1, the Tour continued with a lap spent with my parents! We "reunited" in the lobby of the hotel in Warsaw and it was wonderful! They arrived safely, with a whole suitcase of goodies from America =) I am now supplied with new running shoes, my flute, socks, a travel coffee mug, soem of Grandma Davis's infamous chocolate chip cookies, more hair repair instrumes from Lori (thank you!!!), and the first four episodes of Deadliest Catch--my FAVORITE TV SHOW!--from Uncle Tom and Aunt Barb (thank you!) and lots of other goodies.
Not only was it great to be back with my parents for the week, we also got to see some beautiful sights in Poland and experienced a lot of history. Our first full day together, we caught the express train to Krakow and arrived, checked into our hotel and headed into Old Town. It was beautiful. Way bigger than Olsztyn or Warsaw! We walked around, went through a castle with frescos from the 15th century(!), and enjoyed dinner outside. The next day was not what I would call "fun", but powerful. We went to Auschwitz concentration camp. It's actually a series of three camps, and we saw two of them. It was...hmmmm, I don't know what to say. It definitely left an impact. I'm glad I got to see it, but wouldn't want to do it more than once. I'm also glad that I got to experience it with my parents.

The next day, we spent a little more time in Krakow, then caught the express train back to Warsaw, where we spent the next two days. We saw lots of different monuments and learned more about what happened in Warsaw during the German occupation in World War II (by the way, if you're ever interested in learning more about this, you can watch the movie "The Pianist"--it's strong and intense and a little hard to watch, but worth it nonetheless). Then, we headed back into Olsztyn and went to the Intemann's house with the rest of our team to celebrate Ethan's 5th birthday. It was a great chance for my parents to meet everyone and we all had a great time.
In Olsztyn, we had some time to just relax, but we also saw Old Town and went through the castle here. We got to go up into the tower and saw some amazing views of Olsztyn.

The visit with them was amazing. I'm SO thankful that they were willing to make the big trip. It was wonderful to see them, for them to see where I'm living and what my life is like here, and for them to meet my "family" here. Thanks mom and dad! When are you headed back? =)

(I can imagine that their answer is along the lines of: when Poland discovers ice cubes, air conditioning, and starts getting Cleveland Indians games broadcast...oh, and starts speaking English)

Lap 1: Camp

2007-08-18T08:01:00.001-07:00

The photo above is us and the Americans that came for the week. They were awesome. They shared some powerful dramas, prepared English and drama workshops, brought food for an American Day at camp, and just loved on these kids. It was also a blessing to me to get to spend time with them.

The photo below is my cabin and group that I was a part of for the Alfa discussions. They were each so sweet and a lot of fun. I had a great time with them. Please pray for them, that the Lord would continue to draw each of them closer to Himself.

The photo above is a rainbow that showed up one afternoon during our Alfa group discussions. It was COLD pretty much all week, and it rained for several of the days. Anyhoo...the girl on the left is Agnieszka and she is a new sister in Christ. Next to her is Viola, the leader, and beside her is Karolina and then Magda.

The photo below is of the Polish believers who worked at the camp. They were great and put a LOT of hard work into this week. Please continue to pray for them as they follow up with the new believers and continue to meet with those who are interested in continuing to study the Bible.

So, the first stop on the Tour '07 was a little village called Swietajno where we worked with people from the Polish Baptist church here in Olsztyn at a camp for youth aged 14-18 from three cities in the area. There were about 50 students that came and it was an amazing time. Because it was older students, there were many who spoke English remarkably well, which made our task much easier! We had a team of 7 come from Jonesboro, Arkansas, including 3 youth and 1 college student, which was great. These 4 spent SO much time with the kids, it was awesome to see. They all lived with the students, along with Amber and I. I was in a cabin with 7 other girls who all had either just finished high school or only had a year or two left. They were great and all except for one spoke great English. I got to know two of the girls, Magda and Karolina, really well and am hoping to continue meeting with them. They are what would probably be considered "postmodern" thinkers and are interested in reading and talking about the Bible. Please pray for them, that we'd be able to connect with them (they live in Olsztyn) and that they'd be drawn to read God's Word.

Throughout the week, we met in small groups to discuss different topics in something called Alfa Groups. It was a great way for open conversation and to be able to point these youth to God's Word. At the end of the week, we had 14 new brothers and sisters in Christ and many others who are interested in continuing to talk about these topics. Please pray for the church here, that they'd be intentional and faithful to following up and continuing in discipleship with these students.

And, just for fun, here are a few random hi-lights of the week:
-Amber fell down a few steps as she was sending a text message; she was o.k., so it was permissible to laugh, right?
-I actually saw a couple of horse-drawn wagons in this village...no kidding
-eating lots of delicious home-made Polish soups for lunch each day (carrot, cucumber, chicken noodle...yummmmm)
-America Day including s'mores, Jif peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, eggs, bacon, and pancakes and getting to eat the remaining peanut butter throughout the week
-I also found someone who is very similar to my Grandma Davis: she was the "chief" back in the kitchen for the week and is 80 years old...I walked into the kitchen one morning to find her slathering peanut butter on a piece of pastry and topping it with syrup. She must be on the Grandma Davis/Buddy the Elf diet...the more sugar the better =)
-hearing DiscoPolo for the first time; it's a genre of music that everyone here talks about and usually knows the words to, but won't actually admit to listening to---let me just say that I now understand why
-playing Phase 10 and winning!!!!!!!! woo-
-learning how to yell "look out!!!!!!!!" in Polish because you've just thrown the frisbee and, although your father actually spent time teaching you how to NOT "throw like a girl" you still do! Sorry dad!
-waking up to a rooster crowing; eating lunch to the sound of a rooster crowing; going to bed to the sound of a rooster crowing...I think this guy was a little confused because he kept at it all day long
-getting to see stars as far as your eye can see; we can't do that here in the city and it was something I was really looking forward to out in the country (I definitely miss being able to see them out over the lake)...a lot of the nights were cloudy, but there were a few that were clear (and cold!) and it was wonderful

-

Tour De Poland 2007

2007-08-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I've officially completed the Tour De Poland 2007. It was about a year ago this time that I was on the Tour De Western Ohio. Things sure have changed in a year!
Anyhoo...the Tour '07 is in the books and, as usual, what an amazing thing it is to be a part of the things God is doing among us.
In case you missed it, here is the '07 touring schedule:
July 27--volunteer team from Arkansas arrives; meet team in the evening and head out into Old Town Olsztyn for dinner
July 28-Aug. 4--youth camp in a little village about an hour away
Aug. 4--return to Olsztyn and have dinner at the Stevenson's house
Aug. 5--leave for Warsaw; Amber and I took an early train and met her family at the airport, then I met up with the volunteer team and Patsy and spent the evening in Old Town Warsaw
Aug. 6--touring Warsaw with the volunteer team; Patsy and I played tour guides; my parents arrived!!
Aug. 7--get the volunteer team to the airport, then leave with my parents for Krakow
Aug. 8--Krakow
Aug. 9--return to Warsaw
Aug. 10--Warsaw
Aug. 11--on to Olsztyn and Ethan's birthday party at the Intemann's house
Aug. 12--Olsztyn
Aug. 13--my parents boarded a train and headed back to Warsaw where they stayed for the night, then flew over the pond on the 14th; I spent the day doing laundry and taking off my acrylic nails
Aug. 14--Amber and I head out to Olsztynek to be a part of a week of outreach in this little town
Aug. 15-17--Olsztynek
Aug. 18--slept in 'til 10 and enjoying the day in my own home

Phew! There it is. That's the last three weeks in a nutshell. I'm going to post something about each adventure in a seperate post, but I will just say that it was a time filled with meeting new people, ups and downs, lots of learning about the Polish culture, and about trusting the Lord for each day...not worrying or fretting about days to come. It was a wonderful experience, but I'm glad to be home for a while!

So long, Farewell, ...(um, I don't know how to spell the rest of the song)

2007-07-27T06:12:00.001-07:00

Can you see us??? These our are new beds for a couple of weeks. You take what you can get here!

Well, I don't really have anything too exciting to blog about right now, but wanted to touch base before I check out for a few weeks. Right now, we're hanging out in our flat waiting for the volunteer team from America to arrive. They're coming from Arkansas and are here for a little over a week to help out with a camp for high school students. We're leaving tomorrow for the camp and will be MIA for the week. Then, after a quick night back here in Olsztyn next Saturday, we head to Warsaw where we'll say good-bye to the team and I'll meet my parents! They're heading in on the 6th, then we'll hang out for the week until they leave on the 13th. Then, right after they leave on the 13th I'll head out, with Amber, to a little town near here to spend the week helping out with a mini-crusade-ish-type-thing. Phew! It's definitely going to be an action packed few weeks, but I'm looking forward to some good times.

Like I said, other than that, there's nothing too exciting going on here right now. I'm sure I'll have more to post after the next three wild weeks. But, before I go, I have to share about one of the best books I've ever read. Now, I'm not an avid reader, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy a good book. And this is one amazing book. It's called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and I think every female checking out this post should read it. It's amazing. It's a big 'un (about 400 pages) but I read it in no time at all. The only warning is that you should be ready to be up really late reading, because once you pick it up it's really hard to put it back down and actually go to sleep. I think it would be an awesome book to read in a book club type thing (not that I've ever actually been a part of one of those, but they sound fun!). So, there's my two cents for the day =) But seriously, if anyone is looking for an amazing book to read, go find this one!
Well, I'm off to go finish packing. I'll check back with you all in three weeks! So long!

Jazz in the Castle

2007-07-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have a day or an event that you just know was a gift from the Lord? I had one of those last night. It was wonderful. And I'd love to tell you all about it!
Well, first of all, yesterday morning Amber and I went to visit with Bozena, our new language partner. We trade off Polish conversation for English and so far (we've met twice) it's working out really well. She has a 12 year old daughter who we're also going to help with English as well. They're both super sweet and we're having fun getting to know them.
So, after our brains were mush from over 2 hours of conversation, we hiked back in the smokin' hot heat (side note: so, I've learned that heat here just isn't as fun as it was in Huron when I pretty much just spent the day in the lake or with a beach chair parked in the water on the shore---again, I'm learning that this is how the rest of the free world lives! Who knew?!?!), grabbed some lunch, and headed to Old Town to drink some iced coffee. As we were sitting outside and watching the Polish world go by, we got an SMS from one of the girls in our English Club, Ala. She said that she had 2 tickets to a jazz concert in the castle that night and wanted to know if we wanted them. So, unsure of what to think about the whole event or what it would turn out to be, we said "sure!" and off we went.
Let me try to set the stage; picture yourself inside a 600 year old castle, late evening as it begins to cool down, a bass, guitar, and a drumset, great jazz, and free tickets. Yeah, it was wonderful. These three guys were awesome and they played with such passion, it was so neat to see. Amber and I just sat there saying "this is great". It was such an absolute blessing from our Father. It truly felt like just a little gift; a little time out to stop and just enjoy a totally unexpected blessing.
Today, on the flip side, we got some bummer news. We once again travelled out to Platyny and were once again denied. Marcin (and all of us) is praying about what to do next. There is so much involved here, it would take a few posts to explain, but please continue to pray for Marcin to have wisdom to know what to do here and for the people of this village, especially the kids. We spent some time out there this afternoon and what we saw among the kids was disturbing. Please pray that they'd be set free to true life in Christ.

Please Pray!

2007-07-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of a little gift that was given to each of us that worked at the camp in Platyny. I have a feeling that it will be one of my most prized posessions from my time here in Poland. I wanted to share this with you and ask you all to pray, once again, for this little village. Marcin, Sean, Bryan, Patsy, Amber, and I all headed out to Platyny yesterday afternoon, planning to go and visit some families and teach the English lesson. We were told to bring a copy of our college diplomas with us, which the Soltys (one of the village leaders) needed to see. As I'm sure you can guess, given the previous track record in this village, it didn't quite go as planned. When Marcin took the copies to the Soltys to trade for the key to the building, he was told that he needed to have a letter of permission from the mayor. Ugh! So, no english and no meeting with the kids yesterday. We all met together in the home of one of the members of Marcin's church, who lives in Platyny, and talked and prayed. As far as I know, Marcin was going to try to get in touch with the Mayor today to discuss the situation with him, but I'm not sure what the outcome was.
As we met together and prayed, I was reminded of a couple of verses:

"He (Jesus) opens doors, and no one can shut them; He shuts doors, and no one can open them." (Revelation 3: 7)

"But the word of God cannot be chained." (II Timothy 2:9)

I know that God is in control of even this, and no decision from man will change that. Of course, we have our plans and strategies to get into this village, but "we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9). Whatever the verdict, I know that my Father reigns and that He is not bound or hindered by man's decisions and rulings. His Word never comes back void, even in a little village of 400 in northeast Poland!
Please continue to pray for these people. Please pray for the boldness and encouragement of the believers who live there...they obviously have the most influence and easiest "in" with the people! And please pray that the Lord would use all of this to stir a curiousity and interest in the people of Platyny...to use even this, in His mercy, to draw people to Himself.

**ok, so we talked with Lydia and Stacey at our little "Girls Night Out" tonight and they shared with us what Sean had heard from Marcin. Apparently, Marcin got ahold of the mayor and the mayor now says it needs to be addressed at a meeting of the Rada (kind of like the city council, to the best of my knowledge), which will meet again in 2 weeks. I guess that means we won't know anything more for two weeks. However, Marcin will continue to be able to meet with the home Bible study group in the home of one of the believers in Platyny.**

Beyond Random

2007-07-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

I know I just got finished posting an entry today, but these were a few random shots I wanted to share that really have no meaning whatsoever. Enjoy!

I saw this store in Old Town Gdansk and thought for a moment that I was back in Huron! Believe it or not, this isn't the first IGA I've seen in Poland. There's a tiny one here in Olsztyn and I've seen one in Mikolajki, where we had our meetings back in April!
I don't know if you can read this sign, but it's advertising an upcoming Jethro Tull concert. Now, I know I've been out of the states for six months, but I honestly wasn't aware that there was still a big Jethro Tull following, which is sad. I mean, how much better does it get than a rock band whose lead singer plays the flute? Apparently, the Poles see it this way too!
And, last but not least, you may think that the funny thing about this photo is Amber's cheesy thumbs up sign, or even the two people in the background drinking Cola Light (the Polish version of Diet Coke), but no...does anyone else think that it might be Bono behind Patsy in the sunglasses???? Maybe he found what he was looking for in Sopot.

Gdansk

2007-07-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Amber, Patsy, and I decided to take a little trip to celebrate being finished with our language classes and just to get away and see another part of Poland. We caught the train Friday afternoon and headed up north to Gdansk, a town near the Baltic Sea. We stayed in Gdansk Friday and Saturday night, but spent the day Saturday in Sopot, a town a little farther north and right on the Baltic. We had a great time and enjoyed walking through the old town, walking down by the river, seeing lots of boats!!, eating good food, eating ice cream, sitting and relaxing and drinking coffee, buying amber jewelry, sticking our toes in the sand and frigid Baltic sea, and just enjoying a nice weekend! So, here are a few pictures from our weekend trip. Surprise, surprise...I once again am having trouble moving these things around, so here's the rundown: Amber and I in old town Gdansk, a picture of the river running through Gdansk, boats at the harbor, my toes in the Baltic Sea, and yes, you see correctly...Sea Doos!!!!!!! I was tempted to go beg and plead for a ride, but held myself back...I didn't know how to say "I'll be your best friend forever if you'll just give me a ride on your Sea Doo" in Polish...a lot of good those language classes did! =)

Hello Mother, Hello Father, Here I am at Camp Platyny

2007-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well, a few days have passed, but we've closed the books on the camp in Platyny. What a great week. Exhausting, yes, but wonderful. We finished up with the camp on Tuesday and filled the days in between with a kielbasa roast, a volleyball game (against the same beastly MEN that showed up to play soccer--once again, for some odd reason, I wasn't recruited for my mad volleyball skills...I was camera girl this time around), more crafts and music, games with water balloons, an impromptu English lesson with some of the older girls and some of the women of the village, more DDR, and just more general FUN! The final day was rainy and cold, so we spent the time inside with DDR, watching the Jesus Film for Kids (in Polish) and watching a DVD of the week that Sean had put together. It was great. All of the kids who came each got a copy of the New Testament to take home with them, which they were really excited about. We're also planning to follow-up with the kids and their families by taking a copy of the DVD Sean put together. It was an awesome week that, in many ways, went NOTHING the way we envisioned it. I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again: living here in Poland I sometimes feel a bit like Gumby (you know, being flexible and all...not that I'm green, plastic, and have a horse named...what was that guy's name???). But, as Bryan put it, it's usually when things go exactly like we've planned them that they are just that....exactly as WE planned them. However, when we're allowing God to have His way and have things to His liking, things may indeed be a bit unexpected, but we see Him at work and are forced to lean on His power, not our own. So, in that sense, the craziness of the week was definitely good.

Anyhoo, here are some pictures from the remainder of the week. There are so many I'd love to show you, but I'll settle for these for now!

Quick Update...

2007-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the end of day two of our camp out in Platyny and it's late, I'm tired, and I should really be in bed by now....BUT I wanted to post some pictures and updates of the past crazy week! So, in short form, here's the rundown:

-Sean and Bryan have literally covered nearly all of the fine country of Poland trying to work out the details to pick up our team's new van (upon which most of the schedule for this week was based upon)--this meant several trips to Warsaw, a nice three hour drive

-the volunteer team was stuck in JFK airport for a couple of days-ish and arrived in Poland 2 days behind schedule, missing the first day of the camp which was a major bummer for them and us (and let me just say that they are troopers...after all of that, they came straight to Platyny this afternoon with awesome attitudes)

-the minute we pulled into Platyny on Friday, the old van (now affectionately known as the "hoopty") got a flat tire

-the first day of the camp was rained out...we had to move everything inside and busted out the Dance Dance Revolution mats---the kids (and I!) loved it!

-I got to share my testimony yesterday (via a translator) about why I'm in Poland

-there were lots of kids (and some adults) yesterday, and even more today, as the rain held off utnil we were nearly finished and we were able to do everything but the kielbasa roast outside...hopefully we'll do this tomorrow

-everyone survived the USA vs. Poland soccer game-I'm sure you can guess who the winner was, but I honestly can't say for sure. I didn't play and was busy being the water girl

-one of the men who came with the volunteer team and his 12 year old son did a Tae Kwon Do exhibition today which was really cool....I'm pretty sure most of the kids went home and "practiced" their newly learned skills on one another tonight.

-I love these kids. They're awesome. Please continue to pray for them =)

So, here's the hoopty minus some air.

Ok, so we figured the soccer game would be us goofing around with some Polish kids. WRONG! They brought out the pros...I mean, we're talking uniforms, painted lines, a ref from a town an hour away. No joke. As we drove up, we saw the team doing organized warm up drills and stretches. Never a good sign. (And, by the way, if you look closely at the pic., these are clearly not children...these are MEN!) In all seriousness though, everyone had a good time and it was really neat to get more of the people from the village out and involved. Hopefully some good contacts were made.

This guys is awesome. They call him Bialy...which means Whitey. As Abby says, that's what they call skinny little white kids (as opposed to the skinny little non-white kids, of which there are few) here in Poland. This guy fits the description.

No, these are not new member of team Northeast Poland...these are some Polish kids (including Bialy) that we had to recruit. I'm so not even kidding.

Red Sky at Night....

2007-06-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Think of this as a picture of the "calm before the storm" (and, by the way, who can say that Lake Erie is not beautiful!); that's what we're experiencing here these past few days. We've been getting ready for a volunteer team coming from Virginia on Thursday. They're coming to help put on a day camp for the kids in a nearby village, Platyny. Two of the ladies from the team will be staying with Amber and I, so we're also getting ready to host house guests for a week, which should be a good time! I have to say that I'm really excited to see what God's going to do in this village. Spending time out in villages isn't something I really thought much about in coming to Poland, but I have loved every moment of it. It's something I always look forward to and hope to get to do even more. Please pray for the kids and families out in Platyny; that their hearts would be opened to Christ and that we'd make lots of contacts and connections to follow up with. We'll be there Friday through Tuesday doing all sorts of things: crafts, music, Bible stories, games, Tae Kwon Do demonstrations (yes, I took one quarter of it in college, but I will not be demonstrating!), a USA vs. Poland soccer game (that should be painfully humbling), an English lesson taught by Amber and me, crowd control (come on, it's a group of kids on summer vacation!), and lots of other fun-ness. I'll be sure to update and let you all know how it's going!

More Breaking News From Poland...

2007-06-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

My goodness, has Poland been in the news lately or what??? Good grief!
Well, I once again have nothing earth shattering to blog about, but I thought I'd share some news from Poland that, for some odd reason, you may not have heard about on CNN:

We're coming up on the longest day of the year here in Poland. The other morning I happened to be awake at 3:20 (don't even ask!) and got a shot of the morning sky. And the sun doesn't set until around 10. It's crazy! You know what else is crazy???...my bedroom faces east.

In other news...McDonald's now sells pierogies in their Happy Meals. I have to say that I don't frequently visit McDonald's--it just seems better that way--but Amber and I had a craving for a little grease today, so we stopped in. I wanted the McKielbasa sandwich, but that's the Monday special. If the craving ever hits on a Monday, I'll let you know how it is. As for the pierogies, they were filled with spinach and cheese and not bad. AND I got to choose my own toy. I'm lovin' it!

And, for the final news of the day...have no fear, I have found a beach in Olsztyn. Now, you must realize that this little blogger has lived on the beach for the past 27 summers of her life. I got my first sunburn before the age of 1. My backpack still has sand in it from last summer. So, imagine how happy I was to find this beach today. Amber and I had tried to find the beach here a couple of weeks ago, but it just didn't go so well. Our first inclination that something wasn't right was the fact that people were laying down their towels in a patch of weeds, there was no actual sand in sight, and the ominous dark clouds looming overhead. So, today we were much more pleased when we found this. Fortunately, it's not as convenient as the beach in my parent's back yard, so I won't be tempted to spend too much time here. It was really beautiful to see though, and felt like a whole different world outside of Olsztyn. I'm sure we'll be back!

So, that's the weekend update from this side of the world. Other than the man who woke up from his 19 year coma, missiles, presidential visits, and CIA secret prisoners, that's what's going on in Poland. Oh, and we bought more strawberries today. Have a great weekend!

This Just In...

2007-06-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Now, I don't know how much Polish news reaches the rest of the world, but if you haven't heard about the man who woke up from a 19 year coma in Warsaw, you've GOT to check out the article here. It's pretty amazing. It's not only medically amazing to me, but it's also such an amazing picture of love. His wife cared for him and moved him every hour for 19 years to prevent bed sores! That's romantic! (insert sarcasm here) I mean, really! That's amazing, self-sacrificing love. She demonstrated her love for this man for 19 years, getting nothing in return. No "thanks, honey, you're the greatest"; no flowers; no gifts; no shared laughter...nothing for 19 YEARS!! This may sound crazy, but in a way it reminds me of God's kind of love for us. There's a verse in the Bible that says:

"But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

Just like this wife, God demonstrated how much He loves us by caring for us and meeting our greatest need through Jesus...and all for nothing in return--we had nothing to give Him. Just because He loves us. Amazing.

In some other exciting news out of Poland: it's fresh strawberry time here! Let me just tell you that I'm amazed at what fresh strawberries actually look like. For the record, they are not supposed to be 3 inches in diameter like the ones at Wal Mart and are not supposed to last for more than 2 days. I never knew this until now. It was news to me. We bought a bunch this afternoon (almost 1 kg...mainly because we didn't know how to ask for anything else) and are going to have some for dessert tonight. Yum!

Whole New Depths of Randomness...

2007-06-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well, to be real honest, I feel bloggin' uninspired. It's a cloudy, cool day (I told you it would get cold again!! If you're wondering about the weather in Olsztyn..think Ohio; it's pretty similar). So, we're just spending a Saturday afternoon relaxing, I suppose. Amber is painting and I'm, um, blogging.
We got to spend some time with some friends last night who all speak English! One is the secretary at our language school (she took me to get my nails done the first time--and, by the way, Amber has decided to get her nails done, too, so pray for Marzena as she'll have to put up with us for three hours!!!), one is a friend of hers that we'd met before, and the other two are english teachers at our language school that we met for the first time last night. One of the girls lived around New York for about 2 years! She had taken some road trips, so we talked about eating lobster and seeing lighthouses in Maine and about Taco Bell!! Do you know what kind of a bonding moment it is when people of different cultures can talk about Taco Bell. It was a beautiful thing. They seem really excited to get together more often to talk and hang out. They're really sweet and a lot of fun. Please pray that we'd get to build relationships with them that would point them closer to Christ.
Let's see...other than that, not too much going on here. We had 2 girls over Monday night to celebrate Memorial Day. We introduced them to their first s'more experience. It went well, I think. Poles don't typically like really sweet, sugary things (you know, like marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker all mooshed up together!). It's the weirdest thing for us. We'll see a huge piece of chocolate cake and have an idea what it will taste like, only to dig in and say "well, that's different".
I told you I was bloggin' uninspired. Hmmmm. I could make some things up. Wait, to have more fun, I'll make some things up and include some truths and see if you can guess correctly! Won't that be a fun Saturday afternoon activity?!?!? Ok, here goes:

The other day I found a diamond ring on the ground. Then a woman came up and starting going off in Polish, so I assumed it was hers. Who knows!
I am really thinking of going to Italy, specifically Rome and Florence and Venice.
I heard Sweet Home Alabama coming out of a pub the other night.
I saw a 6 inch slug on the ground. I only wish I had salt.
Sting is coming to Olsztyn and I'm going!!!!!
I'm learning how to do my own nails.
I've seriously fallen in love with the mullet. I'm really thinking about it. After all, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
We saw a man propose the other afternoon. She said "tak" (that means "yes"), then he got back up off of his knee and they ate their ice cream.

So, what do you think???
Well, I think that's enough, um, lying for one day! Have a great Saturday afternoon!

More Hot Fun in the Summertime

2007-05-25T11:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, so some of you already read this post in its former life as the top ten list. I decided to change it, for a little twist, and instead list the top ten things I love about "almost summer" in Poland. So, again, without further ado...drum roll Paul...

10) sandal tan lines (one of these days I'll put a picture of Amber's on here...she's got some great tan lines on her feet!)

9) running outside on really hot, humid days...it really feels like you did something!

8) eating outside--most of the restaurants in town put out tables and umbrellas and I love it! It's so pretty, too.
7) the occasional afternoon thunderstorms; they don't happen often, but when they do I like it--I can't say I love it because I still have some remaining phobias stemming from many storms spent in the trailer

6) that the sun doesn't set until almost 10!

5) late evening walks with Amber to pray

4) the smell of the flowering trees and fresh cut grass

3) ICE CREAM!!!! ("I smell ice cream"---any takers on the movie this is from???)

2) the fresh fruits and vegetables available

1) sleeping with the windows open! (until a moth flies in and makes a bee-line for your face!)

So, there you go. This are some of the things I am loving about Polish "almost summer" (I can't bring myself to actually call it summer, because the "realist" in me knows it will get cool again!)According to our language teacher, it's supposed to be the hottest summer in 100 years. I say...bring it on!

I think this "spirited" little girl is ready for summer too! She also says "bring it on!"

On a slightly more serious note, we went to a local village on Wednesday with Sean and Bryan and a pastor named Marcin. Marcin has been working with some children each week at an after-

school program and meets with several adults for a Bible study every Wednesday. We got to go out and help with the kids and be a part of the Bible study and it was wonderful. It was a much needed breath of fresh air...literally. It was so nice to get out of the city and see the countryside. And the kids were great. We're going to do an evening camp for the kids at the end of June with a volunteer team coming from Virginia. Please pray for these kids, that the Lord would open their hearts and they'd be drawn to know Him and trust Him.

(Marcin was telling the story of Noah and brought out the Super Soaker. The kids had a great time!)

Update from the Front Lines

2007-05-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Have no fear...hair care help has arrived. Many, many thanks to my cousin Lori who has stepped in and saved the day. We've been engaged in a fierce and seemingly unending battle against the evil powers of the darkness of fried and damaged hair since day 1 in Olsztyn. Our defenses were virtually destroyed when we sent out a desperate S.O.S. for backup. Lori sent us an emergency arsenal of secret weapons and detailed instructions on how to use the secret weapons. Already, we have seen the enemy cower in fear and begin their departure like a dog with it's tail between its legs. Ahhh...the sweet smell of victory.

Lori, Amber and I salute you and owe our renewed sense of hope for healthy hair to you. Thank you!

Bedroom doors, Hedgehogs, and pretend boats

2007-05-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I always have good intentions of getting on here and blogging more than a once a week update, but so far, not so good. Our internet is still shaky, but we're still working on figuring it out.

Right now, Amber and I are sitting in our living room with the door and window open and LOVING the sunshine and cool breeze (I will add that we are also playing hostess to a number of flies...or fleas, as our language teacher calls them--as we have no screens on our windows). It's sunny and actually warm outside today! One of the things that I don't think I realized would be weird about being here is how much I would miss the end of the school year. It's weird not having an official "finishing point" to be working toward and thinking "just x number of days and I'll have a break for the summer!". While it is true that we'll only be meeting with our group of girls for about four more weeks before the University is out for the summer, we won't really be on vacation...we'll still have plenty to do. So, this is how the rest of the world (non-teachers) lives....

Anyhoo...things here this past week have been...well, a week. The Lord has been so gracious and has continually reminded me that my joy and hope are in Him, and He never changes or leaves, no matter the circumstances and how unenjoyable or undesirable they may be at times. That's just a part of life. He never promised that my circumstances would be perfect, easy, or enjoyable, but He did promise that His presence and strength. He also has been reminding me that the whole purpose of these hard circumstances in life is to grow to know Him more and be changed into the woman He wants me to be. In a nutshell, things here are still no longer "quaint" and "interesting", but God is faithful and there is joy in the Lord!

So, as usual, here's the rundown:

~we went to a HUGE party with some of the girls we've been meeting with at the University called Kortowiada; y'all, this was WAY beyond anything I've ever seen. I don't even know where to start. There were around 10,000 students, fireworks, large amounts of beer and other substances, concerts...they hold all of these events on the campus and cancel classes for three days! Wild!

~on the way to Kortowiada, we saw a hedgehog running around! He was really cute!

~I finally have a bedroom door! Well, some people call it a curtain on a shower rod, but after three months with nothing, I call it a door!

~we met another American! We were on the bus the other day and being tossed around (I like to pretend I'm on a boat...it makes it way more fun) and I crossed over to the other side to grab ahold of a handle, when I heard someone asking me in English where I'm from! Turns out, he's an exchange student from Fostoria, Ohio! Whatever! There are a few other American students here, too, so we'll hopefully get to meet them and maybe they can introduce us to some of their Polish friends, too!

~we met again with three girls on Thursday and found out that two of them may be around for the summer, so hopefully we can continue to meet with them (the picture above is of three of the six girls we've been meeting with)

~we had houseguests for three nights; a couple with the IMB came here to train us in how to recruit and use volunteer teams from the states and stayed here at our flat. It was nice having some new people to visit with and get to know them and we learned a TON!

And now, we're finally relaxing a bit after a busy week and getting geared up for another busy week. And, on that note, I think I'll publish this post and sign off! Bye!

Birthday Pictures

2007-05-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

This is me (duh-and by the way: sorry you have to see my bare feet!) wearing my new outfit and using all of my new "toys" that my OU girls sent to me. Thanks Jenn, Sarah, Lisa, and Julie! I love you girls!

This is my birthday present to myself...good ol' Tabasco.

These are my presents from Patsy and Amber. Amber had her mom send over the Splenda and the Hemp lotion! And how much do I love Pride & Prejudice?!?!?!

Sean, Lydia, and me ready to dive into the cake!

My nieces and nephew enjoying their meal together at the "kid table".

We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto

2007-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

So much to blog about, so little time!!! Yes, this is true. Since our internet availability is pretty unreliable these days, minutes are precious, so I'll try to get this out before our internet goes out! So, let's see what's been going on here...
Last week was a week long holiday for most Poles, especially for the students. The first and the third are national holidays (something like Labor day and Constitution Day), so they just decided to go ahead and cancel the whole week of classes! Unfortunately, that meant that most of the girls we've been meeting with were travelling or went to their hometowns for the week. However, we did get to hang out with two of the girls throughout the week and got to spend some time with a friend from church named Ula. It's been really great getting to know these girls better. I know I've said this before, and it seems SO obvious, but it's still amazing to me how people are people. Doesn't matter what language barriers, what cultural differences come up---people are people. Listening to Ula share her testimony about how she met Jesus was so neat, because it's so similar to mine. Different country, different culture, different language, but the same Christ and the same hunger for something that's missing in life. Good stuff.
Anyhoo, this past week has been another interesting week in Northeast Poland. I guess the best way to sum it up is to say that the honeymoon is over. It's no longer "SOOO European" to wait in line for 45 minutes at the Post Office or nearly get pushed off the bus as old ladies get off. It's just plain frustrating and annoying. I knew that this feeling would come, yet it still came as a shock! All of a sudden, living in Poland isn't like the beginning of a vacation, but real, day-to-day life. I think I've come to the point where the reality is hitting me that, in the wise words of Dorothy "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto".
It's also been another holiday week of sorts for the students. The University here hosts a weekend-long party called Kortowiada that starts Thursday and goes through Sunday. There were no classes on Thursday and Friday and there are concerts and fireworks and LOTS of partying all weekend long (kind of like Halloween at OU, but even bigger and without costumes and not in Ohio). Needless to say, we cancelled our study for Thursday night! We may be going with some of our girls to check it out tomorrow night. I'll be sure to let you all know what it's like if we go!
That pretty much sums up what's going on here in Olsztyn. Here are a few odds and ends that you might like to know:
**we picked up our karta pobytu (residence cards) today...how crazy is that?!?! I'm an official resident of POLAND!!! WHAT???
**I had a wonderful birthday, thanks to all of the great birthday wishes!!! Thank you all for the cards, e-cards, and emails. They all brought a big smile to my face. For my actual birthday, I went to language class (15 more to go! woo-hoo!), hung out here at the flat, then went to dinner at a Greek-with-a-Polish-twist restaurant with Amber and Patsy, got some delicious ice cream, came back to our flat to hang out (and open presents!!), then talked to my parents on Skype and opened the package they had sent.
**tonight we had a team birthday for our three May birthdays (Sean, Lydia, and me) at our new teammates' (Bryan, Stacey and their kids Mikaila and Ethan) house. We had an authentic American cook-out with burgers, kielbasa (ok-not so American), veggies and ranch dip, Jelly Belly jellybeans, cake, ice cream, iced tea, and scalloped potatoes. Yum! We had a great time AND I got 6 delicious homemade cinnamon and raisin bagels from Sean and Lydia and an American brownie mix from Bryan and Stacey (are you noticing a trend here...apparently people know that I like food!)
**tomorrow we're having a kid party at our flat. We're having all of our little nieces and nephew over for a few hours for some no-adult fun (I know I'm 27, but I still don't know if I can bring myself to admit it!)
**we experienceed (as in were out walking in it!) our first Poland thunderstorm today. Apparently they're pretty rare around these parts, but the sky put on a pretty good show this afternoon!

So, I think that's about everything! This has turned out to be one looooong post, but if you're still reading, thanks! As usual, I'll post some pictures that go along with this post in another post and completely scramble around the captions.

Random Thoughts...

2007-04-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is just a random picture of one of my favorite scenes here in Poland...after dinner coffee and conversation with Amber and Patsy. Amber and I have really enjoyed learning to cook here in Poland and have enjoyed having Patsy over frequently to sample our creations (pray for Patsy!). I, of course, love eating the food, but the best part as far as I'm concerned is sitting around after the meal, drinking coffee (and maybe eating a little chocolate) and visiting. I've loved getting to know these two women and am so thankful that God has put them in my life. They are truly a blessing and I am grateful that God knows our needs and has plans to meet these needs before we even encounter them. It's so easy for me to fret and worry about the future, but that's when I need to remember God's promise:

"Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." Matthew 6:32-33

The more I get to know Amber and Patsy, the more I see God's wisdom and sovereignty in putting us all here together and it encourages me to trust that God is in control and has perfect plans for my future.

"The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you' " Psalm 32:8

Warsaw Pictures

2007-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is our fearless "Magellan" getting directions to TGIFridays from Sean. Notice that I was so clearly not involved in the direction process that I was free to snap pictures. I would have been the village idiot who tagged along with Lewis & Clark and said "what are we doing next guys? Where are we?"

Above: New purses!!!
Left: needs no explanation!

OK. This was the sign for the women's restroom in the Warsaw metro station. Ummm...who really wants to look at this sign and think "yeah, that looks like me, it must be the women's room!"

Amber and Patsy and I (that's my hand) shared some kind of turtle sundae thing at Friday's. Yum!

An American in Warsaw

2007-04-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

We survived our first ever solo trip to the big city! Amber, Patsy, and I braved public transportation and went to Warsaw together this past weekend. This summer, there will be lots of volunteer teams coming to Olsztyn from the States, and we'll be responsible for picking them up in Warsaw and getting them back, so we needed to go try it out on our own this weekend! It was a great time to get away for a while and enjoy some "American culture". I know, it sounds funny in Warsaw, but I'll explain.
So, we left early Friday morning and caught the train from Olsztyn to Warsaw. It was about a 4 hour trip and was really neat to see the Polish countryside as we travelled. What was NOT cool was the woman next to me whose TWO cell phones continually beeped and buzzed and rang. I promise you I was within an inch of grabbing BOTH phones and chucking them out the window.
We safely arrived in Warsaw and emerged from the underground train station to...utter chaos. We decided that the best plan would be to head over to a huge mall nearby and get some lunch before we headed to where we'd be staying. Simple plan, right? Too bad we couldn't figure out how to get across the street! Amber (who has earned the affectionate nickname of Magellan, although being from Missouri she prefers Lewis & Clark) had all kinds of maps and bus lines and plans for how to get to the important places we needed...what we did not have was a way to cross the street! Needless to say, we found a way and got some lunch (Subway!!!), and found our way to our room. After a cup of coffee, we headed back out to see some sights in Warsaw, then found our way to TGIFridays! (after a stop over at a little Indian shop where Amber and I bought the most beautiful purses)
Saturday was another busy day, including meeting a family at the airport (they've lived in Poland for almost 2 years, but will be moving to Olsztyn this weekend!), hanging out with our friend Joe, going to a huge mall, riding all over Warsaw in trams, busses, metros, and a Fiat, going to the Harley shop (I would NOT make something like that up!), and eating dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe. It's so funny, but when you're living in a foreign country, anything American is suddenly your favorite and feels so familiar. I didn't spend a lot of time at Harley shops in the states, but going to this one felt like home.
Sunday, Amber and Patsy and I had church together, then headed out one final time to yet another mall where we did a little other shopping and ate some lunch. Then we headed to the Warsaw train station, caught our train and headed home.
It was a great weekend and I'm looking forward to going back again this summer!

The Purse or the Toilet Paper????

2007-04-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

This is why I love Europe. To my knowledge, in the States we don't have packages of toilet paper with handles for convenient carrying. What a great idea! Clearly, this is marketed for the pedestrian shopper, which includes us!

The only question is: which to carry for an afternoon out? The purse or the toilet paper? Hmmmm...

(and mom, you will notice that this is a new purse...it was the equivalent of $3! What a deal!)

Friday afternoon we went out to Nowe Kawkowo to do an after school program for the kids there. It was a great time! There were about 12 kids (a lot of the kids left after school...it was a beautiful day, can you blame them? Meanwhile...the teachers were having a meeting at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. How do you think that would fly in the States???) and we had a blast. After we were finished, I got to run around with some of the girls and they showed me their classrooms and their school work. There is a precious girl named Kasia who speaks good English and translated for me. Please pray for her. She's 13 and has been to the summer camp the church has done for the past few summers and is the sweetest thing! Please pray that she'd put her trust in Christ and find her real life in Him.

It was a great time with the kids and the best part for me was a bear hug from a little first grader as we were leaving! I don't know if there's anything better than that.

Easter and Not-So-Wet-Monday

2007-04-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I had to quickly get another post on here to replace the ginormous picture of just me. I just couldn't take it any more!

So, in its place, here are some pictures of Easter and the notorious "Wet Monday", which in fact turned out to be not so very exciting after all. Perhaps because we woke up to snow on the ground Monday morning, it deterred the "Wet Monday" festivities. Whatever the cause, we didn't get to see any action, which was kind of disappointing. I was picturing a song and dance scene from a musical or something, but instead we got this. Notice that there is NO ONE out walking, which is very unusual for Poland. That's how hugely anticlimactic this day was. Nice. (by the way, this is the view from my bedroom window...check out the striped buildings...almost like a Barbie dreamhouse, huh mom?)

We spent Easter afternoon with the Stevenson's and had a great time. We ate yummy food and helped the girls with their indoor egg hunt. The best part of the day came when Becca made Amber her very own pinata. Apparently, Amber's family Easter tradition is to have a hot dog roast and break a pinata (which is often a Christmas-themed pinata that was bought at an after Christmas sale) that is tied to the back of a tractor. She didn't know this wasn't "normal" until about two years ago! So, after hearing this, Becca retreated to her room for a while and came out holding a homemade pinata constructed of construction paper and lots of scotch tape. She ran outside and returned carrying two sticks; one to tie the pinata to and one to hit the pinata with! How funny! So, I can officially say that I've had my first Easter pinata. Good times.

(this is Amber thoroughly enjoying herself and this is me freaking out and waiting for someone to end up with a massive head wound...just imagine my dad freaking out about all of Amber's family running around eating hot dogs and sure to choke...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!)