What to do? What to do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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!

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

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...

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...

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!!