Olsztyn

     Over the weekend we took a five and one half hour train ride to a town northeast of here to visit a group of Christians whom we had met on the Hope Singers tour.  They are a group who have just started meeting together and who hold similar beliefs to those of Mennonite groups.  They have been inviting us frequently since tour to attend their services some Sunday and so this past weekend we made it a priority.  Maria, Corleen, Les, and I went with Andzej (good Christian friend of ours) to visit them on Saturday evening.  We got up there at about six o’clock in the evening and had a delicious supper with part of their fellowship and some youths from another church nearby.  Then we spent the evening talking and singing together.  It was such an encouragement to meet people who have the light of God in their hearts and are so interested in making a difference by the way that they live their lives.  Mateusz and Ada were the pastor’s two teenage children.  They were such interesting and warmhearted young people.  I wish that the Polish language did not pose such a huge barrier when you want to commuicate abstract ideas.  Concrete ones for that matter!  It’s not the language; it’s me!  Sunday, we went to two worship services, one in the morning just outside of Olsztyn (we had dinner in the home of one of the families with the whole church) and then the one in the evening started at four o’clock in Olsztyn.  By the time the last sermon was finished at seven o’clock, I could barely even recognize any verbalization, English or Polish.  I was “language shocked”!  It gets that way sometimes.  That really was a pity because the last message was very meaningful and I know that I did not give it the attention that I should/ would have liked to.  On the ride home, Les and I were contemplating hanging ourselves out of the train window and trying to pull ourselves back inside later.  We did not do it, just thought about it.  Les did refuse to wear a coat that I proferred for that purpose, even though it was 0 degrees and falling.

Another week,  G.K. Chesterton is my hero.  I am reading quotes by him about life and about Him who created life.  That life is you and me! We have purpose.

Update

    I am back on Dogma again.  Due to some resilient viruses hanging onto semi-permanent files, I had to send her back to the computer hospital.  Now things are working as well as ever with her!  This is great!  Classes yesterday were interesting.  I taught from three in the afternoon until eight fifteen in the evening.  There were six classes with students ranging from about 13 to 25.  I like the mixed classes because there are usually some older students who are more engaged and they actually help with classroom management because of their own desire to learn.  I think it is good for the “unruly” ones to “face off” with fellow students instead of having me, as the teacher, ruling them with an iron fist.  No, my students are usually great!  I enjoy them although to always be on high alert while teaching is a new experience for me.  We have had great discussions about important topics like computers, belonging/ attachment to native town and environment, appreciation of nature, Polish women (this is a favorite with my students; they ask me to give my opinion), alcoholism, styles, and many others.   The reasons that my students ask me about Polish women are probably: 1)Polish women are known internationally to be exceptionally beautiful; as a general rule 2)they think that I must be falling in love with one 3)the women that ask this question probably want their beauty to be seen; they want to be loved and appreciate.  They have great fun watching/ experiencing me as I try to grapple with this question and explain myself.  I had a great guy yesterday who was from the poorer side of town, but who had an insatiable desire for knowledge.  He is a rough character, but I could feel a real sense of loyalty radiating out of him and well as a good attitude.  He is the kind of guy that gets me really excited because he could be sullen and totally unmotivated, maybe he is, but he seems to be moving forward.  What kind of psychology is in this one!  I guess that the major thing is: he has a powerful/ wonderful spirit that God has put within him. A spirit that is searching for meaning.  I want him to have that!

I got a bicycle helmet the other day because of the danger of riding on these roads over here.  I owe the idea to my Mama because she reminds me of the danger that is involved with getting used to cars wizzing close by.  My life could be snuffed out so easily and I think I do not even realize it.  Two things fairly recently made me aware of danger: I watched a young man almost get crunched by a car (the driver stopped in a cloud of tire smog; just missing him) and I hit a little boy who was riding his bicycle the other day.  I was cycling and he cross the road about three feet in front of me.  I had basically no time to even hit my brakes before I broadsided him.  He was fine, albeit quite shaken.  I set him back on his cycle and saw him on his way, but I felt very bad about hitting him.

I must go study if I can focus!

Battle! Brave, clumsy man

No knights, no luck!

Happy

   I am very happy because “Dogma” is back.  She has been residing in the Impet computer shop for the last several days.  I contracted a number of viruses as well as some spyware, Trojan Horse Downloaders.  My “Dogma” was overwhelmed by the many and varied approaches that many meaningless advertisers used to access her screen.  Oh joy, I have let the Rebel yell roll at the return of her presence.  Frankly, I am not sure that all of the viruses have been removed, but she is on the voyage to recovery.  That is something to be very thankful for!

School has been going well.  I think that that I am learning to engage with my students and yet at the same time leave myself some reserve to give to the next class.  The classes that have about two or three young folks who are not interested in learning take about double the amount of energy from the teacher; myself.  Much to be learned.

I am going to attempt the publication of a video on my blog.  Let us see how things go! It’ll be about knights if it works.  I am learning.

Teacher, teaching

It is very strange for me to be calling myself a teacher, but this week I started my teaching here in an English school in Minsk. I teach three days a week with an average of six classes a day. The first day was a real challenge for me because I must admit that it takes alot of energy to teach in an environment where I am the foreigner. I am the only native English teacher/speaker in this school of 2 to 3,000 students and I am a “floating” teacher so I will be seeing many different groups of young people throughout the year. I am learning to enjoy this new experience but I would appreciate your thoughts/ prayers as I move along this new path. I have developed some friendships with the teachers already.

Last night, Les and I went over to the Gals apartment in Katolina to spend some time with them before Alison goes home. It is hard to think of Alison leaving this place because she is such a part of the group. She is a very enjoyable and genuine person to know! I think that she has also taken a real interest in the Polish peoples’ lives, especially a few, and they know it. We had a nice time sitting together and enjoying eachother’s company. Les brought some nice fruit bread, Alison made some of her famous sugared popcorn, and I whipped up some peach milkshake. It felt like a real break to me! Later in the evening, we watched a few movements of “The River Dance”. What grace! What artistic excellence! I was inspired.