Pay it Forward

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

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....

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

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

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

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!)

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

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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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

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 =)