birthday project

My birthday is coming up.  Many of you who know me well know that I don't like to make a big deal of it.  And I have to confess that over the past number of years I haven't necessarily enjoyed my birthday.  The actual day makes no difference in the span of my life, but maybe it's the feelings of longing for more of life as one year fades into another that depresses me...  Whatever it is, I don't want to live that way.

I was talking with a friend here in Prague who put together a list of things she wanted to accomplish during her 40th year - 40 of them, in fact.  Some dreams, some ways to connect with people, some things she's been wanting to do but never got around to, some fun and random activities.  Her idea inspired me.  I love that it makes the year not another one to bemoan the passing of time, but to celebrate life for what it is and find joy in the moments.  I love that it makes it intentional and yet potentially spontaneous; making the year "full" in a satisfying sense.

And so I want to try it. I too easily get distracted by the mundane in life to enjoy it fully and even though I'm reminded every so often, I quickly forget.  I don't know how ambitious I'll be (so I might not have a list as long as my age!), but I want to enjoy the journey of the adventure it might bring.   And I also need YOUR help.  Because one thing I'm not good at is the brainstorming/ideas part.  So I solicit your ideas - how can I make the most of my next year of life?  Any suggestion is good, and if I can't use it, I will still love to hear your ideas!  Those that are less expensive/free are more likely to actually take place, but to dream of big plans is always fun, too.  :)  Email me, message me, post a comment on this blog.  In some initial thinking, one that will go on my list is enjoying a classical concert in one of theaters or churches in the city.  I'll post the list I decide on shortly after my birthday (November 14, for those who don't know)..

 Looking forward to dreaming with you!

I've got a lovely bunch of... beginners.

A few weeks I had the opportunity to teach Beginner English lessons to Czechs.  Now Czech people generally want to learn English, and these were no exception: 11 adult students, most of them over 40 (including a cute old couple), all Beginners.  Meaning they knew essentially no English.  Well, maybe a little bit:  they were enthusiastic about their "hello"s every night and most knew enough to say "My name is..."  the first night.  But basically anything we wanted them to say, we had to teach them in the lesson. Things like "Where is the milk?",  "The milk is in aisle 5", and "Is this an arm?" "No, this is not an arm.  This is a leg."  Fun stuff.  (And yet now I'm learning similar sentences in Czech.  How useful "This is a leg" will be in Czech, I'm not sure, but at least I'll be learning vocabulary!)  And then there was friendly Majka (pronounced like "Micah"), who at the end of the first night said, "Good-bye.  I will see you tomorrow.  Have a nice night."  What a fun surprise to be able to communicate with her!

I taught 4 lessons to them throughout the week, and though admittedly nervous about it, I actually enjoyed it by the end of the week.  Such a sweet group of people and I was so grateful for God's grace in calming any anxiety that could have surfaced.  Though it wasn't a perfect week, I've learned that the mistakes are helpful - they give me a goal to work toward, to better my teaching and to keep me humble!

Since then I've taught 2 more weeks of lessons, each night learning a little bit more about teaching English and about my ability to appreciate the feedback, as each night we were observed by a trainer and given scores and feedback.  A perfectionist by nature, I generally want to get it all "right" the first time around.  But as this teaching course progressed, I realized that somewhere along the way God has showered me with much grace, especially for myself. Grace to make mistakes, to be content with less than exceptional, to just do my best without being consumed by stress and anxiety about making it perfect.  I'm so grateful for this grace and the ability to recognize the grace.  And I'm so thankful that it's spilling into other areas of newness in Prague.  I can't say that I'm stress and anxiety-free, since this is most definitely a journey, but I praise God for what he gives as I need it.

Update on language now that I know a very little bit

If Czech could be used in Take One, I would be winning (I would say Scrabble, but I don't really play Scrabble... Take One is as close as I get!).  Never have I seen so many j's, k's, v's and z's in words.  Though q and x are pretty non-existent, but still, rack up those points!

Most difficult for me is this fun letter: ř.  This letter sounds like "rž", which is a combination of a rolled r and the "ge" sound in rouge.  I think I've gotten to the point of being able to say it on it's own, but put it in a word and my tongue doesn't know what to do.  They also like to put these letters together that seemingly are missing vowels, like čtvrtek (the word for Thursday).  Yep, you just say the sounds the letters make (and that č sounds like our "ch"), but even in hearing the word spoken I think it's missing something - most specifically an e after the v. Can I buy a vowel?  I can manage the rest of the word, but please, even one more letter?  

However, it's been kind of fun to figure out what words are, how to say them, and be able to "master" a very few simple phrases.  My Czech-English dictionary is a constant companion - necessary after my first trip to the grocery store and I had to guess at most of what I was buying!  But I enjoy looking up new words and attempting to remember them.  And I'm actually looking forward to learning more to be able to communicate.  Remind me of that in a few months when I'm exasperated. :)

El Roi

I've been in the Czech Republic two weeks now, and I've been completely blown away and blessed by the number of conversations with people I've met that have been an encouragement and confirmation about being here.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised. God is, after all, El Roi: the One who sees me.  And he wants to bless his children with good things.

Just a few of my encounters:

• Foreigners (other mission workers) who have affirmed taking time to learn the language, as they regret not knowing more. 
• Other workers who have worked with the Prague 13 church (where I'm attending and will be involved) and who really love and appreciate the people there.  
• A host family who generously gives me suggestions on how to learn the language or  places to visit. 
• My pastor, who is genuinely happy to have me here, has seemingly unlimited options for my involvement and cares enough to be available if I need anything. 
• An enjoyable and inspiring conversation with a Czech woman who wants to practice English as she shared her testimony with me.  I am very much looking forward to getting to know her more.

As I'm grateful for the ways in which I've noticed God meeting me, I want to be aware of how he is meeting the people around me.  How can I participate with him in "seeing" these people?  Lord, open my eyes to see fully.

exploring

This is the view from the front of my house.  My first day here I saw people at the top, so of course I had to explore. There are all kinds of trails at the top - I'm so blessed to live in an area that doesn't feel like city!

My house is the one to the left of the bright yellow one in the middle.

Setting up house

For one who has a hard time spending money, setting up house in a different country is quite the process. I don't know that I've ever had to buy almost EVERYTHING (except the furniture and the few bags of clothes and misc items I came with).  So shopping at IKEA, with dozens upon dozens of options for every room of the house, was a bit overwhelming. Especially considering it was my first day in the country, I was going on maybe one hour of sleep, and we were shopping because I definitely needed sheets and towels in order to sleep and shower but knowing I needed a lot more.  Fortunately Stacy made some decisions for me. :)  And since I got a chance to unpack and organize a bit, I feel a bit more settled.  I would still like a few more things, like a lamp, maybe a small rug or comfy chair.  Oh, and a clock (desperately need a time-keeping device other than my phone!).  And the kitchen is still pretty scant.  But at least it's starting to look lived in.   Any suggestions about how to make it more "home"?

Front of my house.  The two windows on the ground level are mine.

Kitchen area.  If you sat down, you would be on my bed (it's one very small room!).

backyard garden

Countdown

Seven.  I'm officially counting days now.  I've been counting weeks up to this point, but now that there is only 1 left... unbelievable!

If crazy schedules are any indication of departure drawing close, though, this week may have done it.  In the past 3 days:

• 26 hours spent at Raystown Lake with a friend (can you say sore?  not quite used to being on the water...)
• 15 hours spent in Philadelphia and New Jersey for last visits with college friends (at 3 different locations)
• 7 hours spent in Lancaster doing last minute shopping (thank GOODNESS that part is over) and saying good-bye to a dear friend
• 9 hours on the road by myself (plenty of time to sing and pray (no radio) and enjoy the lovely humid weather (no air-conditioning))

I thought the coming week was going to be better, but I already have a list of last-minute details, friends to see, suitcases to pack...

People keep asking if I'm ready.  What is "ready"?

• Most of the items checked off on my to-do list and shopping done: pretty much.  
• Some good-byes said; many more to come in the next 7 days: not quite in that aspect. 
• Not a clue what to expect of the first days and weeks and months: I'm not sure I'll ever be ready! 

Amazingly, though, I'm at peace.  I'm the type of person who can easily get worked up and stressed out about the unknown.  And though I know I could probably get there pretty quickly if I let myself dwell on a new city, foreign language, so many people I don't know (save for one teammate!) and what I'll need to accomplish in the midst of all this newness, I'm choosing to trust that God is placing me there and will work out the details.  That in itself is evidence of God's work (contrary to my inclination to worry!).  And I realized tonight that I would really love not to be stressed this week and to be able to spend quality time with people, so I started packing.  This is also unbelievable, since normally that would be a day-before activity.  Maybe I'm more ready than I realize.