Merry Christmas

Chuck said the most unusual thing this afternoon as we were unpacking boxes. "One of the things I really liked about Christmas this year was that you weren't worried about ironing the table cloth." That made me think about all the Christmases past when I worked to make everything perfect. This year was very different. Until two days before Christmas we had 4 plates and 4 bowls, an assortment of pots and pans, and a handful of Christmas decorations. Our furniture was either rented or recently purchased. We were about to spend our first Christmas away from any family in years.

On the other hand we were having three Journeymen for Christmas all of whom would be spending their first Christmas away from their families. On Christmas morning we celebrated advent which has become a tradition in our family and opened gifts. Best of all we celebrated the birth of our Savior with dear friends, feasted together, laughed till we cried, and just hung out. We did it all among stacks of boxes and piles of belongings that had yet to find a home.

When we returned home after taking our friends to the airport, I walked in the door and thought, "What a mess!" To Chuck's point I hadn't spent the last several days worried about keeping the house picked up or ironing table cloths. What I did was have a great time. It was one of the most enjoyable, relaxing Christmases I've ever had.

I think what made this Christmas so wonderful was that it was so different. The difference forced me to rethink what was important to me and what makes Christmas special. Without a doubt Christmas is about celebrating the birth of a Savior. That can be celebrated anywhere and it's celebrating that birth with others that creates family. Families create memories together, and that's what has made this Christmas special.

As we move into a new year please pray that many Poles will come to know Jesus and next Christmas will celebrate the birth of their Savior.

Citizenship?

With all the paperwork we've filled out to complete our visa applications I've done a lot of thinking about citizenship. Citizenship is something I believe most Americans take for granted, especially those of us who are citizens by right of birth. When we think of our rights as citizens we tend to think of those things we have coming to us; things we feel entitled to, usually because we feel we're being deprived of something. We sometimes think about our responsibilities as citizens during elections or when called to jury duty, yet sadly too many of us seek ways to avoid these responsibilities.

I rarely think about the fact that any government can tell me where I can or cannot live. I certainly never considered that a foreign government wouldn't want me to live in their country! I've never had a government official question my integrity about paperwork that was not adequately completed. I've never had to prove where I was living. I find myself acutely aware of the fact that I don't have the same rights and privileges in Poland as I have in the U.S. Suddenly I find myself thankful for the privilege of being able to live freely, in a location of my choice without needing permission from the government to stay for 30 days while my visa application for residency is processed.

The Bible tells us that our citizenship is in heaven. Maybe I need to think less like an American and more like a Christian and what it means to have citizenship in heaven. Today a Polish man asked where I was from. I must admit I felt a sense of pride in saying the United States. Should I have answered, "Heaven?" What would have been his response? Would he have been as interested to know a citizen of heaven as he was to know an American was living in his city?

This Christmas I'm thinking of Jesus who gave up His residency in heaven and left behind His rights as a citizen to become flesh and dwell among us. Thank you, Lord. May we be a worthy reflection of You.

Please pray that we, as ambassadors for Christ, will represent Him so that the Polish people will be reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:20

A Day in the Life

It's hard to believe that a country so similar to the U.S. in some ways is so different and how those differences effect everyday life. I suppose for those who live in a large city Poland may not seem so different, but coming from a fairly small southern town....Let's just say we're not in Kansas (or ARkansas) anymore. Sean Stevenson, our supervisor, once told us that life just takes longer here. I wasn't really sure what that meant, since he told us that when we were here on a short term trip, but I'm beginning to realize what that means.

First, taking the bus is always interesting. Coming from the south I can't help but notice that while you ride the same bus everyday with the same people no one greets anyone, much less actually has a conversation with anyone. (The man from our previous story is the one exception. Even then I felt like everyone on the bus was listening and watching.) Riding the bus adds time to any trip since you have to time the trip with when the bus picks up. Remembering to plan the timing of the return trip can be tricky. Overall the bus is a pretty stress free way to travel, and it certainly eliminates the need for parking!

Shopping is also time consuming since it has to be done so often. This is due to several reasons. A small refrigerator and freezer are among the biggest reasons for frequent shopping trips. Food has fewer preservatives, which is good, but the shelf life is definitely shorter. We're also limited to what we can carry since we don't have regular access to a vehicle. We also have to carry shopping bags with us since most grocery stores don't provide them free of charge. We still haven't developed the habit of always carrying a bag with us, so we usually have to go home and get shopping bags. The store is right next to the bus stop, and our home is only 200 meters from the stop. Forgetting to bring bags when we leave for the day just adds a few extra minutes to the shopping experience.

Finally, laundry is a major time eater. Two hours ago I began a load of clothes...When they finish washing I will steam them for a few minutes before hanging them up to dry in the basement. I said steam because we have a washer/dryer combo. Now I realize that many of you now have an image of a compact washer and dryer stacked on top of each other, but no. You should be picturing a small front loading washing machine with multiple buttons and knobs. This machine both washes and "drys" clothes. This machine works about as well as you might imagine it would, which is why I said I steam the laundry. Things come out hot and moist, but never dry! Hanging laundry takes some time, but it allows for some good stretching!

I almost forgot. We finally figured out how to use the oven (thanks to a team mate). We had been using only 1/2 power and couldn't figure out why it took so long to preheat and then would not maintain a constant temperature. Pictures really didn't help.

I think my favorite thing to do in a store is to see how long before I can draw a crowd. I don't get crazy or anything. All I have to do is stand quietly looking at something - anything- today it was cheese. Slowly someone will stop and peer over my shoulder, then someone else will stop to see what I'm looking at. It doesn't take long before several people are looking along with me. Remember, no one speaks to anyone else. I always wonder what people are thinking as we stand there looking at something. I'm trying to figure out whether the cheese is smoked or not, which of course they all know since they read Polish!

Our days are full with language, shopping, laundry, and other things. Lest this sound ungrateful, we truly love living here and meeting people. We are part of a wonderful team, and we look forward to watching God move among the people of northeast Poland.

P.S. It's been half an hour and the laundry is still going!!