Thanksgiving update…

Yesterday, we got to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at the Krzesinski’s home.  Robert and Rachel (R&R) prepared a feast and the rest of us brought a little something to it.  Joy and Anna came and some of R&R’s neighbors.  After sharing what we are thankful for and prayer, we enjoyed a good meal and conversation!  I got home late, so it is a good thing class is later today, it gave me time to finish my homework!  LOL  Sorry – you are probably tired of hearing updates on my Polish classes.  Here is a fun fact: most missionaries go to their mission country and just study the language for 2 years!  I am blessed to study AND work in the mission field already!  Last Sunday as I walked to church, I passed by a circus tent.  We talked about going to the circus this week, but it must have just come in town for the weekend and I missed it!  Ugh!  Oh well, it was not meant to be.  The weather has been cold and we are always excited to see the sun.  I thought it did not shine much in Rochester… LOL  As the pictures show, there has been some progress in the “new church” and Lord willing we will start painting very soon.  We are praying that we will be somewhat ready to open the doors on December 8^th.  Please join us in prayer for this…we hope to start off with a family activity and then start holding English Discussion Groups more often.  As the Lord allows, we will expand the ministry for Bible studies and so forth.  There will be a brink in honor of “ODBC” and “Charity BC” – added to our wall of faith in the near future!  I am so thankful for the love and support that I receive from home…this was a little token of my appreciation.  For without you, I would not be here and able to be a part of the church plant that is needed and wanted by the community.

Cup of Coffee version…

There really is not a lot more to say.  Please keep us in prayer, as we are far away from family and friends.  God has allowed me to meet a number of people through ministry and through my Polish classes.  Please keep these people in prayer, many do not even attend church and my heart breaks that they do not even know Christ.  Even though I miss being able to jump in a car and get my errands done within a short time, the walks to the store or rides on public transportation – allows me to pray for others.  When you see the number of apartment complexes here (and several are still being built)…the number of people that just go through their daily routine and not have a lot of hope for the future…  I am thankful for all the Lord has blessed me with and knowing in my heart that I have a hope.  As the doors open to our new church, we pray that the Lord continues to bring people in our lives to encourage and give that same hope to.  Thanks again for your prayers, encouragement and support – YOU are making a difference in Poland!

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.”          Psalm 92:1

new church

main area facing out to street - DOM is home in Polish



church area - door is to hallway



kids' wing

not everyone passes a circus on the way to church

New location updates and Poland

new location...under construction

doorway to kid's wing

studying Polish on the train

Pope John Paul II - salt sculpture

Krakow on a holiday

Krakow cloth hall

dragon at Wawel Castle

inside Wawel Castle

wall on road into castle

Gubalowka mountain

streets in Zakopane - yes, the light poles lean...

Oldest wooden church

cathedral in Wieliczka Salt Mine

Krakow - Basilica of the Holy Virgin Mary

Answered prayer…

As you already know, God does answer prayer, but not always as we think He will.  I had been praying for a friend and for a joyful spirit.  Now I have a friend named Joy! Thank God for answered prayer!   She and I got to experience some of Poland’s culture and got to know each other better last weekend.  We talked about the intensity of the Polish classes and how quick she is catching on.  She has told me a lot about her flat mates and the owner.  It is neat to hear all that she is shocked by and how we see things similarly.  Her experience in being Chinese, living in Switzerland and having the opportunity to travel a lot…has given me insight on things I would never know.  The new location is starting to take shape…doorway to kid’s area is up and some electrical work has been put in place.  Due to various circumstances, we hope to open on December 1^st.  Please continue to pray that the finances come in and that God continues to bring people to us (OK – contact Robert & Rachel).  Plans are being made on classes that we will offer, Bible study times, church service and kids/family activities.  We are praying to have more workers, as we are 3 adults and 3 children at this time…  It was a blessing to have service and prayer time in the new location.  The sun was shining and it was like the Lord was encouraging us to trust Him that all will come together.  My Polish classes and bible study is going well and Lord willing I will have a speaking partner soon – so that I can practice my Polish and they can practice their English.  Also went to a conference this week on “Relationships” and it has been a huge blessing.  So much information and now to sort it out and apply it to my life…yes, now the work really begins.  LOL  A special thanks to all who have sent encouragement and things through the mail!

Cup of Coffee version…

On November 1^st, it was All Saints Day…the tradition here in Poland is to put candles and flowers on their family graves.  Our teacher said that it is a sight to see, so Joy and I went to a cemetery during our travels.  It was very beautiful, but it was also very sad.  For those of you who read Robert & Rachel’s update on Facebook – people go to the cemetery often to pray for those who died – in hopes that their prayers will help the dead make it to Heaven.  In the cemetery, we went to – there were benches at the end of some of the graves and I learned that some people sit for hours to pray.  On our venture, we got to see various things, learn about history and culture in Poland.  I had the opportunity to get to know Joy, practice Polish and felt that it was a productive long weekend.  Joy may not take me with her next time – she not only got to see more churches – but went into them too!   Joy likes shopping with me – she describes what she is looking for and I am thankful that I have been able to help her find them…it is easy to help someone spend their money.  LOL    It has been a very nice and warm weekend – temperature between 10 – 13 degrees celsius.  Today the sun was shining and it is a holiday for Poland – there were parades downtown for the National Day…but my teacher suggested staying home, due to violence between political parties last year.  The blessing of not living downtown – I went to church at the new location and take a nice walk in the sunshine.  The new location is coming along and we pray the finances will come in to allow us to continue with the progress of getting the construction completed.  The conference that I attended about relationships was very interesting – especially how parents and teachers relate to children – that if you win the child over, they are more often obedient and wanting to please you.  Kids do want to be good and we do need to believe that they do and teaching becomes a little easier.  I am making progress in my Polish.  As a friend shared, first you feel stupid and can’t understand a word, then you get overwhelmed with the grammar and all the vocabulary…then you advance to the “spy” stage – where you catch a word here and there…and you try to crack the code…(this is the stage I am at – kind of like being a spy).  LOL  It will be better when I can have a little more confidence in speaking.  Well time to get back to my studies – Bible and Polish…tomorrow I will work on bookkeeping.  Hope you have a great week and thanks again for taking time to read my updates and for your prayers!

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”           Jeremiah 33:3