Language Learning Experience

It has been awhile since I have placed anything on the blog, so yesterday when this funny language experience took place I thought it was a perfect story to share. Yesterday, was amazing! The sky was blue, bright, and beautiful. So as soon as we could get ready we went into town to shop for some Christmas stuff and enjoy the blue skies. Well I needed some batteries for my camera, because I knew I wanted to take a bunch of pictures. So I asked Stephen how to say batteries and went in search while he waited on the tram. I went into one store and did not see them, so I then ventured to the next. As I did a walk through, I did not see any. So I decided to ask “Gdzie jest batteria?” Which loosely translates “Where is the battery?” Then the babcia (grandmother or elderly lady) answered “Jakie batterie?” Well I have no idea what jaki means so I stand there, smile, and say “Tak” which is yes. She looks at me very strangely; she probably thinks I am not that smart. Then she says very slowly and very clearly, “Jakie batterie?” Again I smile, because I have no idea what she is asking me. And again I answer “Tak” (Yes). Well she then pulls out some double A batteries and some triple A batteries and I point to the double A. Then she asks “jedno?” Thankfully I know this means one. Well I thought she meant one pack which would have been plenty, so I answer “Tak”. What she meant was one battery. So she pops one battery out of the pack and then I have to say “Przepraszam dwa” which means “sorry two.” Thankfully she pops out one more battery and I have the two I need to make my camera work. Well then I realize I have no money. So I have to ask her to wait because I have no money and I will be right back. Except I do not know how to say any of that! So I say “Oh, nie mam. Un momento.” Well saying this I am pointing to my money (I do not have) and then using my fingers to illustrate wait a minute and walking away and coming back. I run outside get money from Stephen come back in, pay, get my batteries, and make it just as the tram comes. When I get on the tram I am telling Stephen what happened and asking him what “Jaki” means. You might have already guessed it but jaki means what kind. So she was asking me what kind of batteries and I would look at her, smile, and answer yes. Once I found out, I just laughed and laughed. I am not sure exactly what she thought but I am glad that God blessed me with such beautiful skies so in that situation all I could do was laugh. My spirits were high; it was a great day, and a funny story. Here is a little language level comparison for you. This morning we get to church and are talking with a few of the Americans there. One of our colleagues was preaching today, which I was thrilled about because it meant the services would be in English. Stephen was praying for our colleague on the ride to church and the translator who would be presenting the sermon in polish.  Well out of the people that usually translate, none of them were there, so the speaker came to Stephen and asked if he would translate. He had no idea what the sermon was going to be about, and he didn’t trust his abilities to take on such a task. But he agreed as the last resort and did an amazing job, only struggled with words like melanoma, pimples, and acne. Not words in the Polish language he was super familiar with!  God has been very gracious to bless him with so many abilities like being able to speak the language. I know that God was with Stephen during that trying time giving him the words he needed. And I am so blessed to see all the ways Stephen is going to be able to reach people. For all of us that have to learn the language, we tend to be a little bit jealous as we realize no matter how much we study we are probably never going to be at that level.  Oh well, we will make up for the jealousy with all the funny stories we will have instead!

Church Adventures

Today we were blessed with the opportunity to experience a different aspect of city life. This morning we woke up, got ready, and rushed to the tram stop. On Sunday mornings we have to be at the tram stop before 9:59 or we will not be able to make it to church on time. Being late does not mean we will just walk in a little late. Being late means we will miss the transportation we have to get to church. Being late means we will have to find another tram that will take us to another stop where we will either have to get on another bus or tram to get to our final destination. This morning we were walking fast and hoping that our watches were set ahead so we would not be late. We got to the tram stop and we waited. Stephen said we had three minutes to spare. Three minutes passed and then a few more and still no tram. We started to realize that no one is waiting at the tram stop; they all just kept walking by. This was extremely interesting to us so we decided to see if the times had changed. Then we noticed the sign that let us know no trams were coming by our stop at all this day. At this point we were dumbfounded as to what we were supposed to do. We did not know how to get to the church any other way; we didn’t even know where the church was exactly. We just knew which tram would take us there and which stop we got off at. We walked back home, searched for buses, searched for alternative routes, and then finally realized, as it is time for the service to start, that we are not going to be able to make it to church. Going to church has been different here than in the states. Here we go to church to support the local believers, to meet people, and create relationships. Due to language barriers, church is not a time of growth or even understanding. This morning not being able to go caused mixed feelings. I was sad that we were not leaving the house, confused on how hard we needed to work to get there, and then kind of relieved because I do not have to go for show. We decided to have church on our computer. We watched a great American sermon on Job from Newspring. This was so comfortable and comforting to have church the way I remembered it. We sang songs I knew, I understood everything the pastor said, and it had some similarities to Marathon. I know we will still need to go to church here every chance we get so we can support the believers and build those relationships, but I also know it was great to feel like my hungry soul was being fed. I am so thankful that even across an ocean, in a foreign land; God still speaks to me, cares for me, and feeds me. I just hope I do not grow proud like the people in Hosea I read about today, but remain humble.  

Another Interesting Week

This week has been another interesting week of new experiences. I started this week by going with a friend to a Polish preschool to observe her teaching English. We had originally planned to use this preschool as an outlet of ministry for me. One day a week I would teach the students English, and as a result of teaching I would be able to build relationships with students, parents, and teachers. It was an early morning but a great day. I was able to spend some time with some wonderful kids, practice a little bit of Polish, and use a lot of English. I really enjoyed this experience, but I think I am going to wait a semester before trying to take on another commitment.

Tuesday was originally going to be our day off but a change in schedule moved Bible study to Tuesday night instead of Wednesday. So we have to change our mindset. Instead of a whole day off we will have the majority of Tuesday off and then Wednesday evening off. God is expanding our outlook on life. We are no longer given a Monday to Friday work week. Now Friday and Saturday are our busiest days, but even in these experiences He is blessing us and teaching us. Tuesday we enjoyed being around the house then we ventured out on a big grocery shopping expedition all by ourselves. We took two different trams and forty minutes later arrived at the grocery store. Of course the grocery store did not have everything we needed, so we went shopping again on Thursday, but it was good to try to get out on our own. After shopping, we had dinner with another family, and while Stephen was in Bible study, I looked at recipes and enjoyed some girl time. It was a very nice night.

Wednesday was filled with new experiences. We had our first Polish lesson. It was long, exhausting, and very difficult, but it was good to start. I have started to learn the names of food items and how to dialogue in a grocery store. I am also working on colors, numbers, and days of the week. It reminds me of working with my kids in Hendersonville. Colors, numbers, days of the week, and the alphabet were some of the first lessons we had. After Polish, I was able to go out with my first Polish friend. It was fantastic! I was able to teach her some English, and she was able to teach me some Polish. Her English was a lot better than my Polish. We went to a bakery to have some cake, and it was so good! Later that evening her friends, Stephen and I, all went out on the town. It was a great way to meet new people and start new relationships. I am so glad we had the chance to get together. I really hope to get to know this girl and spend some more time with her.

Thursday was a great day! We went to the mall to shop for a birthday present. Then when Stephen went to practice I had an opportunity to go to town to meet some girls for coffee. A girl from Mosaic had a birthday and she invited me to come along. I was so honored! And had a fabulous time! It was so great to sit, talk, and get to know so many interesting people. These girls are so smart. Most of them speak at least three languages, and a few of them even spoke up to five languages! It was so humbling and amazing to see what these girls were capable of. They are talented, pretty, and very smart. I hope I am able to spend more time getting to know them.

Friday has been a good day. This morning I had Polish again. So we woke up early, bundled up, (because it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and headed out. My polish lesson was at a farmers market. I had to find six different fruits or vegetables that were yellow, white, brown, red, green, and orange. Then I had to go and take pictures of twenty-eight different fruits and vegetables. The next activity Stephen and I were competing against each other to try to find the cheapest price. We were given a list of different items. We had to find the item, find how much it was, write it down, add all the items together, and the cheapest total won. Thankfully I won by .50 grosz which is only about 16 cents but it was still fun. During this activity the Lord blessed me with a person of peace. This lady saw that I was struggling, and even though she did not speak English and my Polish was not very good, she was so kind to help me. She spoke very slowly. She repeated herself a thousand times, she smiled, and she did not get frustrated. She helped me finish my activity, and I think it was my favorite because of how great this lady was to me. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to meet her and feel God’s love pour through her. It was awesome! Thank you for all your prayers for language study. Your prayers have helped me to be brave, bold, and blessed me with people like this. Being at the market today was a lot of fun. It was very cold but very fun. I am excited to learn more of the language and have an opportunity to get to know more people. Today I also had the privilege of trying to make pumpkin cookies. It was a rough start, but the end product was quite tasty. Working with canned pumpkin is a lot easier, but it is pretty cool to know what can be done with a pumpkin. I am not sure if I will still make stuff from real pumpkins (I will probably just buy the canned pumpkin), but still it is very cool to know it can be done. Tonight we have our Halloween Mosaic. I wish we could dress up like we do in the States. I am definitely going to miss dressing up, but I am glad people are interested in our holidays and traditions.

Tomorrow I am going to visit another part of town with another girl from Mosaic. Sunday, Stephen is going to a football try-out for another team to offer advice and support.  Then Monday is my first cooking get together. God is blessing us with so many opportunities. Sometimes all the opportunities are overwhelming and scary and other times just exciting. But overwhelming or exciting I am just amazed at all the things God is doing here. I feel so blessed! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We can feel you support even being so far away. Thank you for all the recipes and kind words. They have really helped, and I am excited to start trying all these delicious recipes. We really appreciate all the ways you have encouraged us and supported us. Thank you thank you thank you. We miss you guys!

Our Interesting Week

This week has been filled with many ups and downs. In a lot of ways I wonder if the honeymoon stage is over. I wish I could only write to tell you all the happy positive things that happen here. And while I want to spend most of my time writing about those, I know I also want to tell you honestly about the hard times. The challenging times that we see God’s loving hand in the mist of the struggles, tears, and difficulties we are facing. The first struggle for me has been in the change in weather. It feels like the middle of winter in Greenville right now. So there have been no more sunny days and beautiful skies. Instead we have had gray skies, cold breezes, and rainy weather. But even in these struggles I can feel God’s hand and your prayers as I go outside. I can feel guidance in what I should wear. I can feel a hope that I will survive the cold of this winter. And thankfully we still have long days of light.

Another struggle of this week has been trying to create a new schedule and live life here in Krakow. I am really starting to understand that nothing here is similar to the states. From cooking, to transportation, to life, everything is different, everything, is new, and everything is at times scary and overwhelming. The hardest thing for me has been cooking. It takes me three times as long to do anything. First I have to search for a recipe. This is the hardest and longest step. I never know what I want to cook or bake, and I never feel like I can find anything. So I search for what seems like forever. Once I find a recipe that sounds somewhat interesting, I then have to check all the ingredients to make sure I can get whatever it calls for. Then I have to translate words and undoubtedly I have to leave again to walk to the grocery store because I never have everything that the recipe calls for. Then after returning from the store the actually baking is not that difficult. In fact that is the part that I enjoy. And God has been so gracious! He has blessed with good recipes that have turned out very yummy! The way He has blessed me reminds me that God is loving, and He will not give me more than I can bear. I feel so blessed to know that He loves me so much that He is healing and helping me as I transition into the new and unfamiliar. I know that a lot of this new life should be easier. I mean we no longer have full time jobs, we do not have kids, we are living the opportunity of a lifetime. But to be honest I do not know how mothers do this. Every mom here makes everything almost completely from scratch. I am so blown away by their abilities to cook (which takes forever), to care for their family, to have time for their husband, and then to go to all of the ministry activities they have planned. I am still not sure how to do it. I am trying to learn how to cook everything from scratch but it is not an easy process to learn. I got very spoiled in the states being able to make a cake from a box or a dessert from a shelf. I have a new found respect for families and people who always cook from scratch. And any recipes that you have and would like to share I would love to have!

But I think the hardest part of this week was learning how to fight the battles that Satan was waging around us as a team. Stephen this week had a minor car accident that resulted in numerous challenges. While Stephen has been dealing with finding our insurance providers information, trying to understand our company’s policies on car accidents, working with the owner of the other vehicle and doing all this in Polish, I was dealing with the battle of trying to fit in and survive in a new culture. We were fighting two different battles on two different fronts and it was dividing our strength. We were not untied, we were not as strong, and to be honest the world seemed a lot darker, hopeless, and scary. Because of the difficulties he was facing, I did not feel like I could lean on him for support, and I knew I could not support anyone because I was barely standing myself. Well it all came to a head yesterday afternoon. We talked, we listened, I cried, we prayed. And God mended our hurt feelings, He reunited us, and He gave us hope. We still had the same problems and issues, but facing them as a team we no longer felt hopeless but instead felt victorious. Thank you so much for all the prayers you have sent as a support for us. I want you to know that they are important. They are what keep us strong. They are often what keep us from giving up. You are such a vital role in our ministry, and I really wanted you to know the impact of all you do. Your prayers matter and they are answered by God every day! Thank you for your faithfulness and your love we really appreciate you!

After that discussion, we left to go to Mosaic and God was so amazing! We had such a great crowd. There was so much excitement and enthusiasm! It was great that no one wanted to leave. Before Mosaic, I was nervous and unsure if I had the energy or ability to do this. But God is so good. The girls that were there, the conversations we had, and the time we spent together actually energized me, me an introvert who is usually energized by being alone. This just confirmed to me that God is Almighty and can do anything with anyone! And then what a blessing to think He does not even need me here to reach these people, but He has blessed me with an opportunity to come here, live a new and somewhat crazy life, and get to know all these amazing people. He has even blessed me with some possibilities for future friendships and relationships. He is so kind, loving, and gracious. I know I do not deserve the second chance He gives me, or all the opportunities He provides, but I am thankful that because of Jesus I am blessed with the privilege to receive them. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support. I know God is working here in Krakow even if it is just in teaching me and Stephen something. He is working. But I also know He is working in deeper ways than that. We really appreciate all you do for us!!

Our First Mosaic

Today was our first day of organized ministry activities. We had our first English Conversational Club, Mosaic. When we woke up, the weather had changed. It was no longer beautiful, blue, sunny skies. This morning the sky was gray, dreary, and raining. And of course the first thing we were supposed to do is handout flyers for Mosaic. We waited a little bit in hopes the rain would stop, but sadly it did not. So we bundled up and headed out. Even with the dreary weather God blessed our efforts. All we had to do is hand people little flyers that tell about our club, and hope they would come. For me this type of assignment is very difficult because I am an introvert that does not want to bother people. However, God is changing me in a lot of ways, including telling me that introvert or not, I am still required to share with people. Even though I was not telling all of these people about Jesus on the spot, I was doing this to hopefully get them to come to the club; so I could create a relationship, and share with them. As I was walking to the place where we were to hand out flyers, I was constantly praying for God to give me strength to ask people if they want to come. I knew the hardest part for me would be the rejection, and I got a lot of rejection. But I started to realize that they are not rejecting me personally. And then I realized that a rejection does not mean I failed. Instead a rejection meant I had a piece of paper for someone else to take. God was amazing at changing my attitude and being with me during this time. But He did not stop there. He went on to bless me by having three girls stop and ask me about it. It was so amazing! I know that God’s hand was completely in that situation. Because it was cold and raining and in Poland most people do not stop to talk to you on the street or anywhere, they mind their own business and get to their destination. God was so good!!

Tonight, we left to prepare and have club. Again I was nervous about how it was going to go. I realized I would have to be super outgoing, of which the mere thought of that was exhausting. So I started to pray. I started to ask God to give me strength, wisdom, and comfort. I kept repeating the verse “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” And reminded myself that nothing I could do would be by my strength or power but it would be by God’s Spirit within me. That was so encouraging because I knew by my own means I would be exhausted, have nothing good to say, and never make it. But with God, the possibilities were endless. We had a great turn out. We had a volunteer team there to help us and add some extra English speakers. Then two of the three girls, that the Lord blessed me with an opportunity to talk to, came!! I was so excited. I was so glad to have them come. I was also able to talk to many other girls and hopefully will be able to see them again. I am very excited to get to know some Polish girls and have friendships form.

I am so thankful that God has blessed me in so many ways. I think it is just amazing that God took someone like me and allowed me to talk to so many people, handout flyers, be rejected, and not take anything personally. If He can do that with me, anything is possible. Thank you so much for all your prayers. We will be doing this every Friday night; so, hopefully, I will be able to make new friends and meet all kinds of people.    

First Things

Today, Monday October 3, 2011, has been a day full of first things for me. Today was my first day to take the tram home all by myself. And then to take the tram back out to meet Stephen. Taking the tram always seems so easy when Stephen or another friend is there. Most of the time I just look out the window, check for landmarks, and enjoy the ride, but today I had to be on guard. I had to be vigilant. I had to watch for landmarks, figure out where the tram was and where I needed to go, and watch for people on the tram to make sure no one would pick my pockets. It was definitely an adventure. At the beginning I could not remember where I was supposed to get on the tram. So instead of getting on and going the wrong way, I just decided to walk to a stop that I was sure of. Eventually I made it back to our apartment safely and somewhat swiftly. I changed because it was so beautiful and warm that I wanted some summer clothes. Then gathered my things and headed back to meet Stephen. I realized going back to the Galleria Krakowska was a lot easier than coming from it. And thanks to my new cell phone was able to locate and eat with Stephen.

Another first for me today was baking. I love to bake. At home, any chance I got I was trying to make sweets or desserts for any reason. I just loved it! Being here has been difficult because up until this morning I did not know how to use my oven. I have felt so lost without being able to make and enjoy sweets. So this morning Stephen read the Polish oven manual and told me what setting I needed to use and how to use it. So this afternoon after all of our running around and meetings, I baked sugar cookies for Stephen to take to the Football Fellowship. Whenever I bake or cook, I always pray over the things I am making. I pray for God to guide and help me. I pray for the food I am preparing to taste and look good. And I pray that nothing bad will happen to the food, like egg shells, loose hairs, or intense burning. Well this particular cooking experience was going to be ten times more challenging because all my ingredients are in Polish, and I am using a new oven with new temperatures in Celsius and settings. I also talked to many other people here who said how hard it was to get used to cooking with the different ingredients, measurement units, heating units, and ovens. I was actually very overwhelmed and thought that I was not going to have enough time, and terrified they were going to taste awful. So as I walked quickly to Alma to pick up extra supplies, in case I had to make extra batches, I started praying for God to help me with the time, the cooking, and for the cookies to be good. God is so amazing! I had a perfect amount of time. I put the last cookies in the container at 6:25 and Stephen was going to leave at 6:30. Nothing was burned. Nothing caught on fire. I only had to make one batch. They tasted different than the US but they were pretty good.  I am starting to realize that nothing here tastes truly like the US. Some things that may be just as good, like lody (which is ice cream) but it is still a little different than the US. All things considered I was amazed at how God demonstrated love, mercy, and grace to me. He allowed me to work with and create a US recipe in a foreign land, and blessed me with a very decent product. I will have to admit that I did not have tons of faith that it would happen. I honestly thought I would have to call and say Stephen was not bringing cookies because they did not turn out. But God showed me a personal miracle and he was able to take some cookies!  

Going into Alma today was a new experience as well. Stephen had to run by the house so I went by myself, and he was going to meet me there hopefully in enough time to pay because they do not speak English. As I was looking in Alma, I realized this was not going to be easy like going to Wal-Mart. In fact this was the first trip I had taken to the grocery store completely by myself. There was no one there to read a package for me, there was no one there to ask a question for me, there was no one there to speak for me when someone asked me a question. Trying to find what I needed in a store where there was no English was very difficult. I had to rely on pictures to try to make sure I was getting the right ingredients. For once I could not ask questions so I had to just guess on my own. And if anyone talked to me I had to say either Nie Dzienkuje (which is no thank you) or Nie Wjem (which is I don’t know). And who knows they could have been asking me what my name is and I could have answered no thank you or I don’t know. It is actually pretty funny if you think about it. But I now have a new found respect for people who are trying to learn English in America, it is overwhelming not being able to read, speak, or understand. I do not think the Polish people should change for me or that America should change for those people, I just understand that it is hard, and I can be a little more compassionate and understanding, just like I hope and pray the people here will be with me.

Today has been full of adventures and first, fresh experiences. While these experiences have not always been comfortable, they have been interesting. God has tested my faith and dependence on Him. He has encouraged me to be brave and bold. And He has demonstrated that even in the tiny, yet important to me, things He is right there with me. Tomorrow is going to be a day full of government dealings as we register for our visas. Thankfully Stephen will be there with me the whole time, and thankfully he will be able to speak Polish because from what I hear the people in the offices will not. I am sure there will be some interesting stories that come from that experience. I guess we will have to see. Thanks for reading and supporting us!

My first BIG shopping day!

         Yesterday was my first big grocery shopping day in Krakow. Early that morning, Stephen and I woke up and went to the market. This is a small area that has little vendors who set up with fruits, veggies, cheese, flowers, etc. It is very similar to a famrer’s market. While we were there, we were able to buy three peppers (one green, one yellow, and one red), two Gala apples, two big pears, and a bottle of honey for 20 zl. which is about $6.60. While I was shopping, I started to look through the apples just seeing which ones I wanted. The lady started speaking very fast, very harsh Polish. Thankfully I had Stephen there. I knew she was mad at me, but I did not know why. So after looking at the lady and then back and forth to Stephen, he told me that people do not touch all the fruit here before picking. Apparently the lady had said, “What is wrong with those apples?” I think it would have been a whole lot worse if Stephen had not been there. He has been doing phenominal! It is so much easier having a translator around. After going to the market we walked to the bakery and picked up some breakfast. One apple turnover and one big donut filled with crème, was 3zl. which is about $1.00. It was awesome! I am trying to use the little bit of Polish I have. One time we went to the bakery I practiced what I was going to say: two apple turnovers: “dwa francesco jablko”. I got to the front of the line, said my rehearsed line, and was answered with a lot of Polish I did not recognize. So I looked at Stephen and he was able to translate. It ends up they only had one apple turnover and the rest were cherry.  I am hopefully going to still practice with the Polish I know and end up learning, but it is nice to have Stephen there to fill in the blanks.

After our adventure of shopping together, we met up with some friends who took us to the BIG store here. It is called Tesco and is essentially their version of Wal-Mart. They have groceries, clothes, housewares, etc. I was warned it was going to be overwhelming. So I was trying to prepare myself, but I think in the back of my mind I thought it would be like Wal-Mart. Since I went to Wal-Mart at least once a week if not more, I thought I could handle it without too much trouble. And while I did survive, it was extremely overwhleming. I could not read anything and they did not have familiar brands nor was the store organized in a familiar manner. I did not know where anything was. And the choices, oh my! There were like thirty different kinds of toilet paper. I thought we had a lot of choices in the states but for some reason this store blew me away. Thankfully our friends were able to help us by telling us their favorite brands and types. But before I went on this shopping extravanganza I did not make a detailed list of the types of food things I would need. I did not plan out meals because I was not sure what kinds of meals I could make here or what kind of stuff they had. But with a little bit of patience, a lot of help and prayer, we were able to get a toaster, a fan, a hair dryer, some landry soap, some bath soap, some groceries, some toilet paper, some clorox, a mop, and a few other things. I thought it was going to be very expensive, but it was not that bad. I know in time it will get better and not as overwhleming. In time I will learn how to understand the symbols. I will learn what tastes good and what does not. And I will learn how to plan a little bit better. The funniestafter we did all that shopping (like 2-3 hours worth) that night for dinner I did not have a whole meal to cook. So Stephen and I went to find our local store, Alma. We ended up getting turned around, but found it. We picked up some potatoes and pasta and made our way home.

Some friends here have told me that everything will take longer, be a little harder, and often a lot more stressful. They were right. It takes me longer to cook, plan, and prepare.  Some simple steps that were familiar are not easy here because of small differences. Transportation takes longer because we walk to the bus or tram instead of driving.  Also, the differences in prices here compared to the states is strange.  Some items here are incredibly expensive (mainly electronics, appliances and manufactured items), but other items are cheaper.  There are many difference, but so far I still love it. I love going to market to get fresh fruits and veggies. I love our little bakery. And I love trying to find our way. We have not always been perfect, but we have made it there. I cannot wait to see what other adventures we have. I think I will have to go shopping again on Monday because I only have enough food to cook dinner tonight. Thankfully we are going to a friends on Saturday. I guess Sunday we will get creative.