Kid's Saturday and blankets

Super Dog

Pinky the pig

Captain Cat

Bunnies are hopping

reviewing English vocabulary

one box of blankets

second box of blankets

Third box of blankets

Thank you, ODBC!!!!

Blessings during the winter blahs…

I am so blessed by all the ladies who made blankets!  They are all so wonderful and so appreciated!  We are excited about the opportunity to donate them to young Mom’s and those in need.  The people at the post office are surprised that I get so many big boxes.  It is a blessing to know that you are loved from so many miles away and eager to pass on all your love to others.   I cannot thank you enough for all you do!   Past few weeks have been busy with Daily Grind and English Discussion Group (EDG) starting up on Tuesday and Thursday nights…along with kid’s crafts on Saturday.  As we have come to expect, it will be a slow start, but the people that have been coming are excited about the opportunity to practice their English is a relaxed environment.  One of the young ladies that is attending EDG, I met when I was here in 2011!  It is exciting that she is coming.  For those on Facebook, you already saw the craft from Saturday.  I was so excited because it was inexpensive and practical…the kids had so much fun playing with the puppets.  My Polish teacher asked me about American football.  That is a hard game to explain in Polish.  The blessing is that I am letting her borrow the movie “Facing the Giants” and Lord willing she will have more questions – not so much about football.    Thanks again for all your support!

Cup of Coffee version…

Well, life is always an adventure.  We are doing a study “Life Interrupted” and it was great to hear someone say that Life is an adventure.  Not only is it more positive, but it helps to keep you motivated to move forward.  I so appreciate all your work in sewing, knitting and crocheting the blankets!  I know a lot of love went into each one!  So I was so excited when I got a notice to pick up a box from the post office.  Then I got a notice that I need to go to a main post office to get the rest…that was an adventure.  Needless to say – today I have all the boxes and all 74 blankets!!!   Thanks so much!!!  It has been fun and a challenge to find a craft to do each Saturday.   This past week, I was super excited about making the coffee filter finger puppets!  Not only did it not require a ton of supplies, it still allowed kids to be a little creative and make them their own.  Thank you also for your support of the mittens for Marie project.  I am working on finishing things up for that and pictures will follow.  I am thankful that God is allowing me to get to know my teacher better and the challenges she gives me to help me gain confidence to speak.  I have been able to give someone directions, tell them what time it is and have mini-conversations.  I donated some of my Christian books to Daily Grind and one of the parents on Saturday noticed and thought it was great to have them available for people to read.   A few friends have stopped at Daily Grind, to have a nice place for their kids to play and we can fellowship.  We are excited that more people are stopping in and asking about the EDG and events for kids. After Daily Grind on Saturday, I went grocery shopping.  Not sure whether I am just spoiled or tired, but when I saw all the chicken that was available either had skin or bones…so I opted for the ground turkey meat.  Ugh – the chicken looked like too much work for me.  LOL  The adventure on Monday  included a visit to the doctor – just needed a doctor to sign off on some paperwork and the blessing was that my Polish friend, that went with me to the doctor – as my interpreter, found out that she should also do the same test.  As a way to show my appreciation for her help, I treated her to a latte and then we went for pizza.   That’s about all for now.  God is so good!

“I wait patiently for the Lord: and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up out of a horrible pit, our of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps.”        

Psalm 40:1-2

Photos of crafts, after crafts and Bremen

crafts from the last few weeks

boy's sign sample

girl's sign sample

cupcake fish sample



Saturday after kid's craft time



Rachel's birthday

Roland in Bremen

Bremen

Bremen

Welcoming in 2013…

The year started with fireworks that went off from about 10:30 PM New Year’s Eve to about 2 AM!  It was only a few blocks away, so I could just look outside my window.  I was blessed with an opportunity to go visit family in Germany for a long weekend.  It was great to spend time with my family, met the Baptist pastor in their hometown and met their neighbors, who spoke some Polish with me.  Daily Grind has been open for kid’s crafts the past 4 Saturdays and we have been ministering to a few families.  We officially opened to the public this week and we are getting flyers out to the community to make them aware of the EDG, Saturday kid’s crafts and Bible studies soon to begin.  On Sundays, we meet for church service.  My Polish is coming along and I am so thankful for my teacher, who has been giving me new challenges and tons of homework.  Thank you to all who sent cards and packages – it has been a blessing to make cookies with the chocolate chips, peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies!  The craft supplies have been a great help for kid’s crafts on Saturday.  Thanks so much!!

Cup of Coffee version…

The New Year began with a bang – OK, fireworks and lots of people celebrating on their balconies.  Then I had a few more days of the intensive Polish classes, before going off to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Germany.  It was so great to visit them, being able to communicate without much of a language barrier, and get to see some things I have not in the past. It was great to have a low-key birthday with family.  Thanks so much for the cards and well wishes!  When I came back to Poland, Rachel made me a chocolate cake and got to celebrate again.   Then we started with the kid’s craft Saturdays.  These are free events for kids and an opportunity for parents to sit back and relax.  We made paper cut out penguins the first week.  Rachel taught the kids English as we made the craft – whether it was having them say colors, shapes or penguins.  The kids had a lot of fun and parents were able to socialize.  We celebrated Rachel’s birthday and everyone got to try American carrot cake…our baked goods are more moist and richer, than many of the Polish baked goods.  Then started Polish classes with Iwona and she has been teaching for more than 20 years and worked for the Peace Corp.  She has given me a challenge – if I start speaking in Polish, she will come to our church service.  So I am really trying to get the words out…   There are 2 young Christian girls that will be helping us in our ministry, Karen (who is from Kenya and studying economics at Warsaw University) and Ania (who is from a small town north-east of Warsaw and finishing her horticulture degree).  Please pray for Ania this week as she finishes exams and papers.  Ania has been helping me practice Polish and helps me make craft samples for the kids.  Most of January was very cold and snowy, but this past week, it has been warmer and rainy…the snow is gone and with the wind – the water puddles have gone too.  Due to the weather and people being sick, I have not been able to meet with others as I had hoped.  Lord willing, now that the weather is improving and it is light till about 4:30 in the evening…more people will be willing to get together.  I have been sewing the curtains – shortening most and lengthening others.  I had a great time of fellowship this Sunday and we even had communion.  I am so thankful that God has given me so many Christian friends full of wisdom and helping me see things from a different perspective!  God has blessed me with great friends and opportunities to meet others.  God is so good!

“You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.”        

Psalm 115:11