Friday October 27

Today we went to the International Baptist Seminary to take some flyers, and had lunch at the restaurant there. They also have a hotel and child care center. I ordered sea bass, which is delicious, for 182 KZ ($9). The cook brought out a mound of sea salt and began pounding on it with a mallet until the fish appeared from under the mound. Then he took a soup spoon and knife, and skinned and filleted it and gave me the meat, which was excellent. Then I got the bill for 650 KZ ($31). We had read in The Prague Post about all the price gouging used on foreigners, so I questioned him. He showed me that the menu states 182 KZ for 100 grams, and this fish was over 300 grams. Live and learn. Next time we will write down what we order and how much we are willing to pay, and show it to the waiter. The bill is in Czech, so we do not always know what the items are. They write their numbers differently, so we can't figure out what numbers they have written down. Then we need to be able to convert from Crowns (KZ) to dollars. And finally, they add things like the cost of salt, pepper, bread, water, etc. Anyhow, the sea bass was great, and maybe we will serve it to you the way it was served to us (without the bill)!!

Lloyd has arrived!

Lloyd got here on Tuesday! His Aunt Bonnie took him to the Manchester bus station where he hopped a bus for $15 and got to the airport five hours ahead of time. He had a smooth flight from Boston to Zurich, a delay there, so he went into the city and bought me some truffles! Then a bumpy flight from Zurich to Prague. When we got on the bus from the airport, it was so crowded we could hardly breathe, and he began to get a migraine. So I thought we would get a taxi, but couldn't find one. Lance met us at the metro, and we straggled to our apartment. Lloyd has been resting and getting over jet lag. Thank you for your prayers! It is WONDERFUL to be together again.

Church and International Schools

Yesterday I went to a Baptist Church up the street from my apartment. They did a roll call of the nations, and 22 were represented. The Worship Team was 4 from Africa and 2 from Europe, and there was more color at this church than found on the streets or at other churches. The Czech Republic is remarkably White, compared to Boston, where Whites are a minority. I enjoyed the service and afterwards met a music teacher from Texas who is here teaching at what she called the "Pagan" International School, as opposed to the Christian International School where I am teaching. Her International School has 700 students, pays faculty well, pays for her apartment, her trips over here, and gives her a generous salary as well. In comparison, CISP, where I teach, has 30 students in grades 1-12, approximately 3 students per grade, and each teacher has to raise his/her support. But I am thankful for a chance to teach at a Christian School again.
LLOYD COMES TOMORROW! CAN'T WAIT!!!!

This Week October 22

On Saturday we had our monthly IICS (International Institute for Christian Studies) meeting. I offered to bring meatballs. What a mistake!! Making the meatballs took all of 5 minutes, since I have made them so many times for the past 40 years. Then I had to read the manual for the oven. It has international symbols, which neither I nor my Czech friend, can make sense of. Then I went to put the baking sheet in the oven and it was 2 inches too big. Jose got frustrated with me because he was sure the baking dish was meant to go in sidewards, one side on shelf 2 and the other side on shelf 4, at a 45 degree angle. I promised to use it that way if he would clean the oven afterwards, knowing hamburg is extremely drippy. There was nothing for it but to go shopping for a baking dish, which took about 2 hours. Then to find spaghetti sauce! All labels are in Czech, so Is this spaghetti sauce, taco sauce, or some other kind of tomatoe sauce? Is it mild, moderate, or hot? I said, "Does anyone here speak English?" and a very nice American college student came over. It was his first day in the Czech Republic and he didn't know any Czech words yet!! So my meatballs took all day Saturday. Then to walk to the apartment where they would be served, get lost, but eventually I found it. Mission accomplished.

Hope for Europe

WHY THERE IS HOPE FOR EUROPE

1. Europeans are a significant part of the human family. They have contributed to every area of human life, and Europe has been the seat of influence over the world for 3,000 years.

2. Christ died for Europeans. They are loved by God. God owns the land and the resources of Europe, and Christ is the rightful King/Emporer/Leader/CEO of Europe.

3. Fifteen books in the New Testament were written to churches and individuals in Europe, and at least two were written in Europe. Even though Jesus lived in Asia, and the record of his ministry is in Israel only, the book of Acts shows how Christianity spread from Jerusalem to Rome while the canon was being written.

4. Christianity was brought to Europe by Paul, and disciples of Christ who were eye witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection. They brought authentic, first-hand accounts, and were primary sources.

5. Christianity and the Church have an unbroken history in Europe, beginning with visitors from Rome who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and heard about Jesus in their own language.

6. Christianity became so pervasive, it was legitimized in Europe first of all, through the Emporer Constantine, and has been recognized, and to some degree accepted, in Europe ever since.

7. Europe is the womb of the Western world. From Europe, Western civilization spread to the Western hemisphere, and through colonization, to every continent. Western civilization is Christian.

8. As Europeans migrated and went exploring, they brought Christianity with them. Europe sent missionaries to the rest of the world.

9. The finest culture of Europe is Christian: churches and cathedrals, other forms of architecture, paintings, statues, music, and literature. To admire the aesthetics of the Western world for the past 2,000 years is to admire Christian expression, especially that of Europeans.

10. The Reformation came from Europe. Calvin, Zwingli, John Hus, Martin Luther, and many others were great European, Christian theologians.

11. European political history over the past 2,000 years is Christian: religion had an impact on government and politics in every country.

12. Traditions such as the Christian year and holy days were developed in Europe. The calendar and its holidays was developed in Europe, and heavily influenced by Christianity.

13. Most countries around the world define their identity in terms of Europe: how they are European and how they are NOT European. Europe is the standard for the Americas, Australia, Africa, and even parts of Asia, due to historic colonization. In the United States we call Europe the “Old World,” and we are the “New World.” We refer to our ethnic roots, many of which are European: Irish-American, Franco-American, Spanish-American, etc. We still have a sense of belonging to Europe through our roots. We also define ourselves as non-European, how we are different from Europe. This role in identity formation is unique toward Europe, of all the continents, showing its importance to world civilizations. The salvation of Europe is, in this way, our own salvation.

Thursday

Class went well today. After class a student asked to talk to me about baptism, so we have set up a meeting for tomorrow. Another student has a friend (single mother) with parenting issues. Could they come see me?
I have to say we are having a lot of laughs in class. Today I showed them how to do behavior modification, and suggested that we demonstrate how to help someone stop smoking: would anyone like to be the subject? Many hands went up. One student was selected and we went over "target behavior, baseline date, and reinforcement." It was suggested that perhaps we offer her an A for the course if she quit smoking. She was agreeable to that reinforcement.
We also looked at cognitive behavior therapy, and they took an inventory of their anger management strategies. Much giggling.
We talked about different temperaments and personalities: phlegmatic, choleric, melancholy, and sanguine. Once they received the handout, they could not listen to a thing I said, they were so busy determining their own personalities and those of their friends. Isn't learning fun!!!
I went out for Chinese with the VonDohlens, my IICS friends here. Our meals were $4.00 each!
I went shopping for some odds and ends and found a small stuffed animal (2") to clip on my purse, since the catch came off. When you squeeze the animal's stomach, it says, "I love you" in English. I took it to class today. You just can't help but laugh to be in the Czech Republic and have this little animal speaking English! Besides we all need all the love we can get, right?!

Students at UNYP

Missionary Work

After having written about the elevator, fashions, and toilet paper, its about time I wrote about my missionary work.
My first goal here is to pray for this country and city. I have been reading the Psalms and marking each verse that addresses global issues explicitly. God is God of the whole earth!
I have put together a group of songs related to global missions and have been singing them daily in prayer. I would like to begin a Singing Prayer Service.
I have a Prayer Calendar, and am praying for different people on our Ministry Support Team, every day. Also each of my 25 students, and churches that are supporting us.
I am leading the middle schoolers at CISP through the book of Proverbs. This means a heavy dose of sex education from a Biblical point of view, and I appreciate your prayers as we address that most important area of life, sexuality and sexual activity.
Tomorrow we will talk about smoking, as related to Tom Sawyer. These are missionary kids, so we tend to think they already know everything there is to know about moral and health issues, but how many missionaries have been wrecked by moral failure and bad choices. One student said, "But we are only in 7th grade!" I told her that unfortunately most Christians do too little too late in teaching about these things.
When we discussed the thunder storm in Tom Sawyer, one boy shared that his family lost their home to Hurricane Katrina, and has been living with grandparents ever since.
Sr. Blanka is a Moravian Catholic nun, age 27, who asked to meet with an English-speaking person for prayer and Bible study. She comes to my apartment, and we enjoy each other's company. She has a remarkable story of coming to Christ.
I have been visiting international churches here in Prague. There are only 7 or 8 of them that are English speaking (in a city of 1.25 million), but it has introduced me to the ex pats.
I have met for lunch and dinner with two other Christian faculty members at UNYP, for encouragement and to learn the culture of the university.
I spend a great deal of time reading about Czech culture, history, and local guidebooks, so as to better understand the people I am teaching. This includes field trips to local places of interest and landmarks.
As I walk through the streets and ride the tram/metro/bus, I pray for the people around me.
I have begun to write various pieces about this experience and will try to add them as attachments. One is Hope for Europe.
Living with cross-cultural frustrations is a good, although not always pleasant experience for me, and should help me in my work with international students in the US.
To the people and churches who are supporting us in prayer, thank you. It means a great deal.

Cross cultural stupidity

Stupidity begins with me. I brought a copier/printer/scanner from home. GREAT IDEA! I even brought an adaptor for European plugs! VERY SMART!! But what did I forget?! 1) the cd for installing printer software on my computer; 2) the manual!!!! 3) extra cartridges. How dumb can you get, right? It took two weeks to download the software from HP on line and get it installed, thanks to Aaron (our genius of a son-in-law who came and did it for me). Now I need cartridges. In fact, when I brought it, it was low on ink. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. So I walked around the corner from our apartment to a computer store and bought two cartridges, one color and the other black and white. The box stated that they fit HP 1510, which is my machine. Not having the manual, it took me a while, but I figured out how to load the cartridges. AND THEY DIDN'T WORK!!! What is wrong with me? What is wrong with the machine? What is wrong with the cartridges?!!! Lance tried, and it didn't work for him either. So back to the computer store I went on Saturday, but it was closed. So back today and I brought the copy machine. The clerk could not get it to work either, so he called HP and they said that even though the box said it would work for our machine, this cartridge only works in Europe!!! AND he wouldn't take the cartridge back so I had to pay almost a hundred dollars for cartridges I can't use!!! I was NOT HAPPY!!!

Clothing: Fashions

As all women know, our clothes give a message about who we are, our beliefs, values, and identity. So we put time into choosing the "outfit" that fits how we feel and what we want the world to know about us. In the US we have a wide variety of clothes to fit weather, situations, and mood. Because of the 50 pound limit for luggage, we cannot bring our entire wardrobe, and wonder if we will get it right.
MYTH 1: Only wear black in former communist countries, so you won't stand out.
REALITY: Black is the most common color, second is white, third brown, and after that any color is fine. Bright colors are even cheerful!
MYTH 2: Only Americans wear white sneakers, so if you want to blend in, don't wear them.
REALITY: Lots of people wear white sneakers here, and it means nothing.
MYTH 3: This is a cool climate, so bring winter clothes.
REALITY: So far it has been between 65-75 degrees, and 80-90 on some days. I very much miss my summer clothes. We have had one cold day so far.

MORE REALITY:
Shoes: Women wear high heels here, even with all the walking on cobblestones. It is amazing. They also wear dress shoes almost all the time. I wish I had my rubber soled sandles.
Everyone takes off their shoes when going inside a house or school. So having portable slippers is a must.
Women don't wear shorts here, but wear lots of long skirts, both "flowing" and taylored.
Unlike Ione Oregon, blue jeans are not worn by "mature women" like myself!!! Only by young people.
Women don't wear short or knee length skirts here.
That's it for fashions in the Czech Republic.

Today I taught English at CISP, and had a BAD experience at the computer store. More on that next time. I went to church yesterday with my Czech nun friend. We went to a Baptist church, her first ever Protestant service. More on that later.
Love to all.

Elevator

The elevator is our best friend in the machinery family. More important than a washing machine or dryer, dishwasher, tv (we only get one English-speaking channel anyhow), dvd player, even lights. We live on the 5th floor, so bringing groceries, computers, luggage, and other things, make the elevator very important to us.

Our elevator has its own personality. To begin, the ground floor is called 0. So if you ask which floor someone lives on, and they say 0, that does not mean they don't live on any floor. It means they do not need stairs or the elevator.

Our elevator accommodates a maximum of 3 people. It is sedate and even leisurely, but faithful. When you step on it, it goes DOWN at least two inches, making you think you may go crashing into the underworld if you do not show it respect.

If you forget to push any buttons, the light goes out. At night this means you have to feel around in the dark and hope you are not pushing the alarm.

After you push the button for 5 (5th floor), nothing happens for at least 5 seconds. Just when you are sure it is broken, things start to happen.

As to using it in the morning, it has a full length mirror, so you have PLENTY of time to check your personal grooming, and should emerge with no hair out of place. It is also a good place for stretching and preparing to walk. I find that when I stretch in the elevator at the beginning of the day, my back hurts less at night. Because of so much walking, and going over stone streets, my back usually hurts throughout the night, so having a slow elevator can help.

Today is a BEAUTIFUL day in Prague. Yesterday I enjoyed the Charles Bridge again, studying each statue and the story behind it. Love to all.

Thursday

Yesterday evening I went to dinner at the home of the Principal of the Christian School where I am volunteering. There were six guests including myself, and it was her husband's birthday. Two of the guests were from Germany, and we had an interesting discussion about the European Union, which they see as eventually making Europe into one country, like the United States.

My class met this morning. I am requiring all assignments to be sent to me on line, and we are having technical difficulties, but are working it out.

Tonight they come to my house for our first movie night: "What about Bob?" Diagnosis, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.

Wednesday

Yesterday I taught music at CISP: 20 students in grades 1-7.

Last evening my "student" Blanka came over to my house and had supper with me. She practiced her English, and I learned a little more about Czech culture. For example, if you say to a Czech, "Would you like some ice cream?" they must say "No" even if they do want some. So you ask again, "Would you like some ice cream?" Again they will say, "No." So you ask a third time, "Would you like some ice cream?" And then they will take it. If you do not ask 3 times, you are considered rude!

Today I went to a video store with American movies, and the clerk was one of my students!! What a nice surprise!

When I headed over to CISP, I tried a different route, and got lost, walking around in a big circle! Trial and error.

Time!

I got a call this morning from my dear husband at 6:00A.M.!! He stayed up until midnight so he could talk to me when I got up. He thought we are 7 hours different, but we are SIX hours different from the East Coast, 8 hours different from New Mexico, and 9 hours different from the West Coast. So when I got up at 6:00 A.M., I looked at my prayer calendar and saw that today is the day to pray for the Wakemans. This is probably the only day IN MY WHOLE LIFE that I got up BEFORE Joe Wakeman! He is known for his long work hours!!

On the subject of time, it is now 16:45 here, and I am still secretly subtracting twelve.

Also, they write the date with the day first, then the month, and then the year. So it would not surprise them to see 14/10/06.

As to international calls, you have a code (001) that I must put in before dialing the USA, and the Czech Republic has a code (420) as well. Lloyd is unable to call me on his cell phone, so we are having a hard time communicating, since he is home only in the middle of our night.

I have a cell phone and buy minutes from local Vodafone stores. I give the clerk my phone and she/he enters the minutes.

After each call, I receive a message that tells me how many crowns I have spent on that call, and how many crowns I have left.

Text messaging is the cheapest. I can now read a text message (hint, hint) but have not yet learned how to send them. When I asked Lance to show me, he took my phone, put it half way to his nose, punched a few buttons, and said, "There, that's how you text message." Some time when he is feeling mellow, we'll try again!

Weekend

On Friday I taught a Character Education class at CISP. Then at 5:00 I met Blanka, a 27-year old nun who has taken one year away from the convent to re-examine her vocation and learn the skills of living independently. She plans to teach English and Czech when she goes home to Moravia, a region of the Czech Republic. She was one of three Christians in her classes growing up, and did not like religion until she had an experience receiving God's love and Jesus' salvation when she was 15. She is very nice and will teach me more about Czech culture than I will teach her about English!

On Saturday Lance and I found Big Ben, an "English" bookstore. Compared to Barnes and Noble, it is a hole-in-the-wall, but we picked up a book, and then went to Charles University Bookstores, which also had very few books.

On Sunday I went to the International Church with my friends from IICS, and then we went to a large department store, IKEA. It took forever to get through the lines of people, but it was nice to be together.

One of the students from Lance's school came over last night. He is from Mexico, named Isaak, and we watched Oliver Twist.

First Class at UNYP

Today I taught my first class, and thank you for your prayers. They were definitely answered. Class went great, including power point presentation and overhead projector! Students were lively, humorous, and fully engaged in the subject matter. I described for them a man I saw on the street who was in his underwear, wearing a bathrobe, and bedroom slippers, and asked them to determine whether this was abnormal. They had many reasons that it was not!! (As well as reasons it was.)

There is no bookstore here. One copy of each text is put in the library, and students are expected to make copies. !!!

They have their own version of Blackboard, software written specifically for UNYP, so I have uploaded documents from class for them to copy. I told them all assignments must be turned in on line. We will see how that works!

Last night I got sick all of a sudden: I got a very bad sore throat, and was worried about teaching today. I did too much yesterday, teaching two classes at CISP (Christian Internation School of Prague), met with administrator here at UNYP, got my 3-month pass (took about 90 minutes), and minutes for my vodafone. It wore my resistance down, so I cancelled my evening dinner appointment with IICS friends, and stayed home preparing for class today. I am still feeling sick, but have been counting on your prayers to bolster my energy. So thanks. (I miss my resident pharmacist, Lloyd, who is always doctoring all of us. He is North Carolina on a project for his father, ably assisted by his nephew, Craig Dukelow.)

Lance (Jose) on Trip to Czech border

Picture

Tuesday October 3

Yesterday I tutored a sixth grade student in math and then started teaching English to 6th, 7th, and 8th: Tom Sawyer. It was fun. Today I am teaching two math classes to middle school, World Cultures, and Music. Its fun to be with kids and in the classroom again, but also exhausting!

Yesterday they changed the keys to the Faculty Office at UNYP without telling us -- The Key revisited!

Lost!

Yesterday Aaron (son-in-law) and I went to the airport where I saw him off. It was hard to have him leave. We would have kept him except our daughter would have hated us! I took a picture of him going through Customs, and was reprimanded -- security?

Then I decided to go to the church where we went last week. Back to the metro stop, and get on a bus. But I got on the wrong bus, even though the bus driver said it was correct. I thought it was the 2nd stop, but he must not have opened the doors at the first stop, so when I asked him, he pointed back and let me know I had missed it. I said, "But there was no sign!" He said, "Get out (in Czech)" quite rudely and then repeated it. So I got out, having no idea where I was or how to go anywhere. It was raining and I felt like crying, mostly because I was so angry with the bus driver. They are so much kinder in Boston! Anyhow, an English speaking person directed me down a street that I walked for about 3/4 of a mile, then found a bus stop. Another English speaking person told me I was waiting for a bus that went in the wrong direction. So I crossed the road and waited. When the bus came, I asked the bus driver if he was going to the metro. He shook his head and said No. An English speaking person kindly told me to get on, go one stop, and change buses, which I did, and got home safely. No church, but it felt good to make it home.

Since Lance isn't looking over my shoulder to tell me I'm being overly-dramatic, can I make the analogy of how many people are lost? Luckily there are kind people along the way who are willing to help out a stranger.

Simple things done differently

The "flush handle" is not like those in the US. There are two round, flat circles on the wall. One is a smaller circle than the other. I looked in the apartment manual to find out which to push. No directions. It reminded me of the "Lady and the Tiger" story we read in 8th grade with Mr. Hoyt. One door has to be opened, but the opener does not know whether it is a lady or a tiger on the other side of the door. Which circle flushes the toilet, and which blows it up? I say Push either one and then run for the door!

At UNYP (University of New York in Prague) they lock the facilities, and one must obtain a key to use them. (Can you imagine doing this on a US campus?!) The signs on the doors are in Czech, so one must know which is mens and which is womens. I was told that the one with "y" in it is for my gender. Why are we so terrified of going in the wrong restroom? (Lady and Tiger again)

Even the toilet paper is different. It is narrower and thicker. In the school it is used for both toilet paper and paper towels, and the roll is at the entrance to the restroom, so you better not forget to pick some up on your way in! I think they ration a certain amount each month, because there was none the last week of September, but its back with the new month.

Restaurants and stores charge to use their facilities. Lance was charged 25 crowns (12 cents) and got into an argument with the bar tender over it. Generally the fee is 5 crowns (1 cent). I am reminded of the 1950s in Manchester when we had to carry a dime with us at all times, for the same purpose.

Next to the toilet in our beautiful apartment is a small shower head, should anyone wish to wash with water after toileting!