Thankful for answered prayers…

Thanks so much for your prayers – the Krzesinski family are healthy!  A lady that I have been gotten to know through a Bible study is coming to Daily Grind on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to practice her English, to understand the English bible study material and stays a little longer to help me with my Polish!  Saturday was a highlight of my time in Poland – being able to go to the Kowalewo Children’s Home.  Not that you could ever image me in the kitchen, I was so blessed to help with baking muffins with the kids.  We made 4 different kinds and they did not like me even washing the dishes.  Ugh!  We ended up making about 8 dozen muffins and they were gone in minutes- after getting permission from the adults to eat.  LOL  The other people that I went with were involved with crafts, ping-pong and board games.  We had a great time hanging out with the kids.  Kind of bitter sweet about the ODBC news, but I know God is in control and so thankful that it may not cause drastic changes in the near future.  There are more people stopping in to Daily Grind and it is neat to see how the Lord will continue to grow our ministry.  This Saturday we had 9 kids and 2 new families!  We dyed Easter eggs and made chick/bunny egg holders, played games and had books read.  Thanks again for all your support!

 

Cup of Coffee version…

Things have been busy the last few weeks and continuing to pray for God’s guidance and provision of opportunities to meet others.  We have found a bakery that makes cookies and muffins similar to ours and we are so thankful that they are willing to work with us.  The other day we had cupcakes from the bakery – I thought they were too sweet, guess my taste buds are adjusting to less sugar here.  LOL  We continue to find new ways to teach and make speaking English fun.  I am thankful for the years of helping at VBS and working with the toddlers on Sundays – it has helped me with ideas.  Also thankful for brainstorming sessions and being able to pick people’s brains – it has led to some interesting games/crafts!   Saturday (at K.C.H.) was a ton of fun – not only getting to work with other Christians, but meeting some great kids that not only love to help and enjoy people coming to stop out to see them.  The adults that work at the orphanage are super nice and one of the ladies kept telling me to sit down… obviously she does not know me!  LOL  A few of the kids spoke a few words of English, so it was great to be able to encourage them to continue to speak.  I met a few of the girls and it was encouraging to have the opportunity to something that blesses others and fills one with joy.  On Sunday, I was able to pass on a few muffin recipes to one of the people from Saturday and they were so shocked that I would remember and think of them.  LOL   Then cried a bit on Sunday – it is sad that Pastor Tom is stepping down, but I am also excited that Pastor Bill (Lord willing) will be the new Senior Pastor!  It is bitter-sweet and exciting to see what the Lord will do next at ODBC!  It was funny the other day I was just wondering how things may be when I return home.  LOL  I am thankful for friends who give me suggestions and help me brainstorm…so that I can give my best with the Lord’s help!   Things are getting a little more back to normal, as Krzesinskis are healthy and able to move to a new home.  I had an oral Polish exam on Monday…I have to laugh because the teacher said that she understood what I was saying, but my grammar needs some work and I need to be sure to use past tense (when applicable).  She has not heard me speak English!  LOL  I thank God that she understood what I was trying to say…that is my goal right now anyway.  Saturday, one of the ladies shared with me that she has been in Poland for 13 years and still waiting for the 10 years of speaking Polish to be fluent kicks in.  J  Here are a few funny things that have happened this week: in Polish class, I learned you do not say “przepraszam!” (which means “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”) when someone is ill – you are to say “przykro mi”(also means “I’m sorry” – more sympathetic response).  My teacher and I had a good laugh over my mistake!  Another funny thing was on the bus yesterday to DG – I had a big Euro cup bag that I bought last year full of craft supplies…an older gentleman asked me where I bought my bag.  At first, I was just caught off guard that someone would inquire about my bag/also embarrassed because people were leaning over to look at my bag.  Then mustered the courage to speak Polish and told him I bought the bag last year at REAL.  It came out as “buy bag last year REAL.”  He smiled and thanked me and then left the bus.  LOL    This week, I got to help my friend prepare for the English Bible study and she started sharing more (even though she feels that her English is not very good).  She has invited me to her home on Monday and God is blessing in so many little ways these past few weeks.  It is so neat to be in the will of God!

 

“And being confident of this, I  know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.”        

Philippians 1:26

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crafts at DG

jumping jack clown

singing "my name is Mr. Clown"

Hello Kitty button

Police badge

Just getting a hint of Spring and back to Winter…

It has been an interesting few weeks…the bad news first – please continue to keep the Krzesinski family in your prayers as sickness has been lingering in their home for about 3 weeks now.  Thankfully the Lord has kept me in good health.  We have continued with the EDG on Tuesday and Thursday nights and the number of people attending is growing slowly and we are grateful.  The kids I work with are very smart and we have to keep things hopping in order to keep their attention for an hour.  LOL  Also have been blessed with opportunities to minister to others – one young lady comes over on Monday nights to learn to cook and she helps me practice speaking Polish.  We call it “Cooking in Polish” – only thing is the meals are usually not very polish – like tonight we are making a chicken stir fry.  On Wednesday, Ania and I do a short Bible study in Philippians – she is helping me to write things out in Polish.  So I may have a complete polish bible study when I return.  J Last week, we had a hint of Spring – there were 5 days of sunshine and temperatures in the 50’s to 60’s!  It helped brighten the days and give a little spring in my step.  Answer to prayer, I will be going to an orphanage this Saturday and help in the kitchen for the day!  Thanks again for all your support!

Cup of Coffee version…

Last few weeks have been busy with time at Daily Grind, putting together crafts for 2 nights a week and bigger project on Saturdays.  Also had the privilege of teaching a few of the kid’s EDG lessons.  The girls know their vocabulary, one does not like to speak in English – so we are trying to find ways to encourage her to try.  Singing songs like “Old MacDonald” or “ABC’s” – are one of the ways to get her to participate.   Unfortunately the Krzesinski family has been battling a sickness that has been going through the whole family, along with some other things.  It has been a challenging time for them.  The Ladies Bible Study has been a blessing in getting to know other ladies and encouraging one another to strive out of our comfort zones.  One of my friends will be moving to Thailand this summer, her husband works for the American Embassy and they have friends in Thailand.  Another friend stops by Daily Grind every so often to study and I am always thankful for the fellowship.  Cooking with Anna has been fun and getting the opportunity to practice my Polish – she is very patient with me.  The spring weather was a blessing, a lot of people were out walking and to see the kids playing in the parks.  On Friday, as I was returning from class, the snowflakes started falling again.  At least, we were able to enjoy the sunshine for a while.  I am enjoying the other bible studies also and helping to keep my focus on what is most important.  Looking forward to friends coming to visit in the near future and opportunities to pass along the blankets, other gifts and bless others as God guides.  An acquaintance asked if I would be interested in going to an orphanage that she helps out at once in a while, I was so excited and am so looking forward to Saturday!  Not only has God answered a prayer to visit an orphanage – the opportunity to work in the kitchen!  God is so good! Thankful to all who continue to keep in contact with me via e-mail, facebook and so on.  Well, I have to get back to work – doing homework, bible study and preparing for this week’s classes. 

“For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.”        

1 Cornithians 9:17

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