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

October snow...

Saturday 10/27/12 morning snow

narrowing the street...we got a few inches of snow by end of day

Snow in October!!

Yes, we got SNOW on Saturday!  People from home were wearing shorts on Thursday…how crazy the weather is.  Praying for everyone and their loved ones back home, as Tropical Storm Sandy heads up the East coast and Lord willing all will be safe.  Also for the team in Haiti, that they have a safe flight home on Thursday.  I read an e-mail from Tracy before they left with concerns about delaying trip to Haiti – only God knew they would get a few extra days to love on the orphans!!  Guess the big excitement for me is my intensive Polish classes.  There are 2 other students in my class and our teachers switch off.  I am thankful that I have a good Polish base to start with this class, as it moves very quickly.  My vocabulary is starting to improve and retaining more, so I am able to follow the teacher better.  Update on the new location – work is getting started and hopefully we will be able to meet our goal of opening for Thanksgiving.  Lord knows are needs and we would appreciate your prayers.  All Saints day is Thursday and we hear the cemeteries are well decorated and a sight to see.  A classmate and I may be traveling a few days, so that we can see part of Poland and have time to practice our Polish.  It would be great to have a travel partner!  I received a goodies package today from WV – Thanks Melinda!  Also got a really nice letter and picture from my aunt too!  It was a good mail day!  :0)  God is so awesome…just as I was writing this update, I got a call from Haiti and had a chance to speak to the team there!  Also got to see Haiti and the hot weather – as the snow is melting here!  LOL

Cup of Coffee version…

Another funny thing – Sunday – here in Poland we were to turn the clocks back…so I arrived at church an hour early!  (Sound like someone else you know)!  Classes have been going well.  There are 2 other students – one from Austria and the other from Switzerland.  We also have 2 different teachers – Olga on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Iwona on Tuesday, Thursday.  I am very thankful for having classes with Jola until now, since it has helped me keep up with this intensive class.  Joy, who is actually Chinese, but lives in Switzerland for the last 14 years, has been a huge blessing.  She loves to ask questions and really wants to help me learn Polish.  She actually has a friend who is willing to talk with me – to help me pronounce the words properly and in turn, I will help him improve his English.   That will probably be next week, as we have a holiday on Thursday – giving us a 4 day weekend.  Lord willing, Joy and I will do some traveling and practice our Polish!  As I shared with you earlier- we got snow on Saturday.  It was kind of a strange day anyway – there is a crew narrowing the street outside my window and snow is falling.  I took a few pictures – just for those who think I was joking.  Our teacher said today that this is the first time she can remember show in October!  Work is starting on the new location, so English Discussion Groups are on hold for a little while…so I took a break from studies to chat with my parents, when I got a call on skype – from HAITI!!!  Tracy did confirm that she was actually happy they had to stay in Haiti a little longer…it is also neat to hear first hand how the Lord is blessing their time there.  Not to mention that it is 80 degrees there…but there are challenges like the early morning alarm clock – I mean rooster crowing!  Just have to laugh – Pastor Bill was wiping sweat off his forehead, while I am sitting here in long pants and a sweatshirt!  LOL  Tomorrow morning, our Women’s Bible Study is not meeting to discuss the book study, but meeting at My Baby Café – so Mom’s can have their kids play, while we can get together and chat.  The café is a little over a block away from me and I am excited to go and fellowship before my Polish class!  Please continue to keep us in your prayers – with the building project, God continuing to bring people to us and for all the Lord has before us!  Love & miss you tons…

“Get wisdom! Get understanding!  Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”           Proverbs 4:5

Received Visa today!!!

Today, I picked up my Visa and now I am legally in Poland to end of May 2014!

In light of the Missions Conference last week… these are some thoughts.  Thankful God has been working in my life to see that being uncomfortable is where HE wants me to be and have a peace about it.   There are days, I just don’t want to get out of bed – not just because it is gray outside, it is having to face my fears and overcome another challenge.  Those are the days where the doubts creep in and you want to say “you win” there is no more fight left.  Then I open the Bible and read about Jeremiah – God called him to prophecy to people who did not want to listen, he is called the “weeping prophet” …and realize the challenges I am facing are nothing…and I don’t really want to be the “whining missionary.”   As a friend tells me – “Hey, you are doing it!  You know that God wanted you to serve in Poland and you are there!”  It may sound silly, but having a cheerleader or a quick note that says “prayed for you today.”  Sometimes that is all you need to say – “Hey, God asked me to send you a hug today.”  I believe God wants us to be uncomfortable, because that is when you are aware that God is at work in your life.  Not that being comfortable is a bad thing – there are plenty of times that I hide out in my apartment with a blanket wrapped around me too!  But I know of times, where I sought my comfort first and not the call… I want to go back and change it, yet I can only move forward and try harder.  All this to say, I am so thankful that God has me here, growing – so that I may be a vessel that He will use to a great capacity than today and I don’t want to get too comfortable.   Now an update on ministry – we cleaned the new location and held English Discussion Groups on Tuesday nights.  There were a few people that came and they are excited about the new location and psyched about the future look of the place.  Lord willing everything will continue to move forward and fall into place – with tons of prayer and God’s provision.

Cup of Coffee version…

I have been encouraged by God’s promises – that He will never leave or forsake us.  He will challenge us to make us better, it is my job to not become bitter in His refining process.  By God’s grace, He has shown me through others all that is possible.  In listening to the Mission Conference online – you already heard how those pastors have had to overcome their own challenges.   Even though some of mine are different, deep down – they really are not all that different.  I am so thankful that I can access messages from online – whether from ODBC or other pastors who have a heart not only for God but for missions!   I had a great conversation with a friend via skype and she made me realize that there are things that I have gotten accustom to here that is not so much at home.  In Poland, there are a number of restaurants and cafes that have play areas for kids.  Some have a table, couple chairs, box of toys or books, while others have a playhouse, toys and so forth.  Here we need to ask for the bill, so you can be sitting there for a long time after you are done…  Yes, I am speaking from experience.  LOL  Just think of some of the family restaurants in the states, you are lucky if you can get a few crayons and paper menu for the kids to draw on… and some places even give you a time limit on how long you can sit at a table!  There are some Mommy & Me cafes…not that I have been to one, but walked by.  Another update about Poland – much like Rochester – summers seem to have gotten shorter and fall is almost a blink of an eye…winter (at least the cold) is moving in fast.  Today, the sun shining and it feels like fall again…I am so thankful for a break from the cold.  Next week, I am back to the intensive Polish classes and continuing to pray for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance.

 “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”           Isaiah 40:29