Things they really say here:
“Achtung!” “Gesundheit!” “Kaput” “Mama mia!”
March 3rd
I think I better pick up where I left off before I begin describing where I am right now, or I will never remember it all! Where were we, oh yes! In Bern. So Deborah (“Deb-ORR-ahh”) decides it would be fun to ride on a boat over the River Rhine, and walks up to the man on the boat and calls out: “When is the next ride over?” thinking it was on a schedule. The man calmly drawls back, “I think I will at least wait until you get on.” :] So we climbed aboard, and after Rebekka treated us to the $$ ride, off we went. These European cities are so beautiful. We happened to cross right by a famous church, and after climbing many many flights of stairs up the steep hill, entered it. It was dank and echo-y and old, with many tombs and stained glass. But what was refreshing to us was seeing Gideon Bibles in several languages on a table, free for the taking.
Then we just spent the afternoon wandering around the cobblestone streets, taking in the church bells ringing, pigeons, and people. Suddenly Deborah turns to us all excited, and said, “I will invite you to ice cream! To the best ice cream in Switzerland!!” Then we went into a restaurant called Mvenpick. It was simple and elegant in there, wooden floors, mahogany tables, and white walls. We sat down and waited a looong time before a waitress arrived, and just chatted and enjoyed our time together. (I really like those girls!) The menu was so fancy, and printed in 3 languages. I ordered a combo called “Swiss Chocolate” that had 3 flavors; a vanilla/chocolate chunk, espresso and hazelnut, and chocolate/chocolate chunk. Then they were layered with fudge and real whipped cream, and when I say it was incredible, I mean it! Wow. The ice cream is made with fresh cream from Brown Swiss cows (I think!) and was so creamy. I honestly didn’t expect it to be that amazing, being a Wisconsin girl and all. Hannah and I just looked at each other like, “WOW!”. We took some pictures of our 10 Franc creations, and savored it. Ice cream is very expensive here, so we have only had it once or twice since we have been here.
The girls took us to the train station, where we had a 15 minute ride into a nearby German town where Mirjam Hage goes to school. She parks across the border, and walks over to where her school and flat is Once again, God prepared a ride for us, so we did not have to pay for a expensive train ticket. She “happened” to be going home to Guetli that night, and was very nearby Basel! The train was very late, stuffed and packed to the gills, AND I had to ride backwards, so I did not enjoy this ride as much as the last time. When we got off at the cute typical looking station (just like in the movies) Mirjam was waiting for us. We walked around her little town, and saw her apartment before heading back to Mettmenstetten. We were so hungry by the time we got home at 8:30 that we went straight to the kitchen, and there was Rahel and Simon Stucki eating supper as well. Guetli had leftover Dumpfnudel, a soft sweet roll baked in a mildly sweet custard. So we 5 all sat around the tall community table eating leftovers and catching up on each other’s lives. Those are the kind of memories I will savor.
On Friday I did a lot of sewing, Daniela wanted me to finish up the several projects I had been working on, so I was in the laundry area as well as all over the Guetli! It seemed I was always running here and there, trying to get things done. Our plans changed about Italy, so I also started some preparations for the trip. That evening we were invited to the Siegfrieds, Rebecca and Thea’s family. I really like their dad Conrad. He is so funny and spontaneous! Right after dessert he gets up and goes into the living room and starts playing Rachmaninoff really loudly. (On a CD, of course!) He loves the movie “Fiddler on the Roof” and was quoting it loudly at supper, and complained constantly how sore his tummy was from all the work in the forest at Guetli that day. (He had come to volunteer.) He also can be quiet, and all his kids love him and hang on him all the time. He is so Swiss, and I just get such a bang out of his Australian accent! Neva is very much like my mom, she always dresses cute, and is soft and motherly and makes good food. They have 8 children which is very unusual for Switzerland, and all the kids are close. We sat and talked in 2 languages around the table and dessert, showing each other pictures of our families. It was a very special evening, and I found myself thanking God again for yet another fun experience with another lovable family.
Saturday morning I sewed again, and cleaned our room and washed laundry, and started getting sad about how few days I have left here! At Tsfirie in the garden I was giving them a hard time about speaking German, telling them they really only have to speak English for about 5 more days, and then I will be out of their hair. :] That night as I was in the Zurichhaus I heard some outstanding piano happening downstairs, and stole down to peek in on whoever it was. There sat Nati playing like a pro with all of his heart. I knew he plays differently when no one is around, so I just quietly stood there without his knowing. Hannah came down and found me, and we came in and sat by the piano and began to sing. That has become one of my favorite things to do here: sing with Nati around the piano at night. Soon Damian heard us, and joined in, then Lydia, Mirjam H, and Sassy Simon. OH! I will miss them! I think I told you about most of Sunday, it was a lot of running around and packing for Slovakia.
On Monday the 3rd, I was awake by 3am, and we met in the kitchen for breakfast at quarter to 4! Several people woke up and dressed to come and say goodbye to us, I was surprised! We had a short prayer time together, and loaded up and headed out. I was torn for most of the day because I was SO tired after only 3 hours of sleep, but wanting to see the countryside! The first part in the dark was familiar, we went up to St. Gallen, but when we crossed into Germany it was all new territory. It is so easy to cross the border here - they just wave you though! The ride between St. Gallen and Munich was pretty much exactly like Wisconsin. You would have swore you were in your own home state, (except you shouldn’t swear :]) and we drove east all along the mountains of Austria just south of us and the border. We passed rolling hills, castles, farms, and churches. The houses are a lot more square (and not as pretty) there than Switzerland.
And by the way, this ride was on the Autobahn!! We were inhibited because of the tall van of course, but people went flying past at probably 100 mph all the time. I was asking the guys about it, and they said that there are many accidents because people come there to drive their car fast, and are not skilled in vehicle control. Then when someone moves into the left lane, they can scarcely stop in time. Not a minute later, we braked suddenly because a police man was waving a neon flag, and we were on the site of a bad accident. The car was more than totaled, black and smoking, and ambulances were on the way from the opposite side of the road, sirens screaming. Mirjam Hage told me she knows someone that goes to Germany when he is mad, then he drives on the autobahn to get rid of his anger! Yikes! You never know who you are driving with!!
I could not believe I was driving through Munich. That’s the name of some far away city in Europe! I looked at my watch, my family was sleeping. I again missed having my own cell phone to call and tell them where I was at! Then came the drive through Austria. That country is all charm. The ugliest part of Austria is…beautiful. Now it is spring here. The road passed up and down green hills, cute chalet homes, majestic churches, tall pines, and ever the mountains were framing every view. I tried to take a picture through the bus window of the Salzburg castle, but I don’t think it turned out well. We stopped at a wayside for fuel and lunch right next to Moon Lake. (It cost .50 Euro to use the restroom there!) The girls had packed well for our trip, we always had hot water in a carafe, with coffee, tea, instant soup, and bread. Then of course there was chocolate, apples, and other sweets. It was such a perfect day, all day, the weather was amazing!
We drove for many hours through Austria, and as we traveled, we practiced songs in Slovak for our missions trip. The language is very similar to Russian and Polish, and basically impossible to pronounce! I finally gave up and just began “la la loo-ing”. :] They all knew I was very excited to be along, and everyone was sure to point out this and that to me. Suddenly Emmanuel yells from the front, “Rebecca you must wake up now!! This is Vienna!” And was I surprised. It reminded me of seeing Jerusalem for the first time, totally different than I had pictured, it was framed by mountains, and had some sky scrapers! We went south of the city, and I began seeing signs for Budapest next to the highway. Wow. Had I not been so sore and tired, I would have pinched myself! :]
Then not long later, we passed into Slovakia, and I never have felt such a change entering a country! You would not believe you are only 2-3 hours drive from elegant and rich Austria. You can feel the weight of communism in the country, and see it on the faces. The landscape was barren and brown, reminding me a lot of the desolate areas of Nevada. I suppose it is a lot like Russia. Slovakia has always been oppressed by other countries, and is very poor. The homes are square and dumpy, and when we entered the town of the church that was our first stop, I was amazed how “real” it felt that I was in another country. It is so totally different than any other I have been to! We are a very short drive from Hungary here in Sus. (The name of the village is Sus, and it means “Desert”. So the name of the mission here is “Pramen na Susi” which means “A well in the desert”.)
We had a program there that evening, singing and testimonies and music and such. I went up and sang with them, and as I stood there facing out into the crowd, it really hit me: I am in one of those churches that I pray for! Often at home during prayer time I remember the believers from all over the world before the Lord. I knew the were out there, but now I got to see them with my own eyes! It was very special. There were desserts and tea afterwards, and I began feeling headachy and sick to my stomach from exhaustion. Elvira and I got into a good talk just before we left, and it continued in the van as we rode the last hour to Sus. I did not notice much that night as I was so tired, but all I do know is I saw Olga again, and it made me happy. :] She led us upstairs to clean beds in a small girl’s dorm, and we all fell fast asleep.
March 4th
Breakfast was at 9 today, and I am not sure that even by then I was fully rested! We had good hot coffee and cocoa, and some Slovak bread with jam. Then we had a looooong meeting that probably wasn’t boring if you understood German. :] I am so grateful to Cornelia for always translating for me. We planned out the week, assigned jobs, and had a devotional time. I met the rest of Crystal’s family. She had been in Guetli for 3 weeks, and I often worked with her when I was in the sewing room. She is always smiling, has beautiful blue eyes, and often talked about her family in Slovakia. I love her husband! His name is Wolfgang (“Voolf-gong”) and is he ever a huge man! He looks so noble, like someone who would play a knight on Robin Hood or something. He is tall and broad, has a low voice, dark beard, and wears a green felt hat. They have 4 children, all of whom are lanky like their dad, and smiley like their mom. :] They are more of those ultra talented types, who speak several languages. There is Sabrina (20) who is studying nursing, Samuel (18) who told me he is 1 meter, 96 centimeters, Ramona (17) who is scared to speak English for fear of messing up (and a real character), and my personal favorite, Philipp (14) a typical teenager all gangly and pimpled and teasing and eager to learn new words in English. I will tell you more about him later.
I helped clean up in the nice (small) kitchen, and then Cornelia let me loose with all the sewing supplies. :] It really was ironic. When I was sewing in Guetli, Crystal asked me, “And when do you come to Slovakia to sew for us?!” and I sort of chuckled, thinking inwardly that that would probably never happen. There I was, not 5 days later, sewing in the mission house in Slovakia! Emmy Roth had left a wealth of supplies, and can you believe how God worked it out, they had the exact same machine that I use at home! That was so nice because I felt comfortable with it, and could work fast. I quickly whipped up most of a skirt for Olga to her great delight. It was such a comfy feeling, being in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of God’s plan for me! Seriously, this place is in a barren area. I feel like I have been plopped down in a movie like Fiddler on the Roof. It is like going back in time, the poverty is unreal.
After supper Cornelia took those of us who have never been here before on a short tour. The mission house is an old school that they bought many years ago, and have been slowly renovating. It is brick and stucco, surrounded by weathered sheds, stacks of firewood, heaps of hay, mud, and more broken down buildings. Inside it is cold and echo-y except where they have remade the place. It really is an amazing story how they purchased the place, and how it has grown. The goal is to have it as a retreat for young people, and as Cornelia said, “We are not here because we chose it, we are here because God led us.” They have such a need for help here, the Kiel family and Olga are the only ones working on the place, and people are sent over from Guetli as they can spare them, but they are short too! I have a couple of friends that keep coming to mind while I am here, I will have to contact them when I get home, and see if they would be interested in coming to stay for a few months.
March 7th
There are few more panicky feelings for me here, than to have many things happen to me all day for several days, and not have time to journal it! I pray that the Lord will help me to remember all that I have done.
Wednesday the 5th after a long morning of fellowship together we all knew our different jobs, and I sewed another skirt for Olga. All throughout this week we have several meetings in a day, We practice singing, we pray, we study the Bible, we eat huge meals, and then there are the break times. :] It snowed most of the day. Thea asked that I would share my testimony that evening, We were having a fun evening geared toward the youth from the village, most of whom are very dark and have never heard the gospel. We hosted them at the school, and they arrived around 4pm, 6 boys that looked totally Russian. :]
We played soccer for a while outside, and I took a walk with Olga. It has been so fun for us to try and communicate together. We are equally limited in each other’s languages, and so we try our best to use what words we know, sound effects, expressions, and sign language. Then we end up laughing and later on have someone translate so we know that we had it right. :] She is such a dear girl. She loves this country and has such a heart for the mission. We have a special bond as well because we are both close to Rahel Stucki.
When it got dark we came in and played in the large meeting room many more interesting games. You would not believe how creative they are here! During the hot dog supper I shared my testimony, and Sabrina translated it for me. I really did not feel ready for it that day, it was like nothing was coming to my mind and I didn’t know what I was going to share. I just asked that God would show Himself strong in my weakness, and I pray that He did. They may never hear of Jesus again. We 5 girls were so punchy in our room that night, Thea thrives on people laughing at her, and it only makes her perform more. She is such a delight, that girl. She is so small and sprightly, always happy and serving others. I really really appreciate her.
And for the others? Wow, How can one describe so many people that they love, except that they are wonderful? Elvira is sweet. She is always in the background, very ladylike and mature, She has Anne of Green Gables coloring, a round face with deep dimples, and a cute smile. She and I have really connected on this trip, we are the same age, and have many similar situations in life. Damian is one of those guys that you feel you have known all your life, He would make an incredible caricature, I think that nearly every time I look at him. He has no accent when he speaks English, and could almost be American in his looks. He reminds me a lot of my brother Christian when he was in his early 20’s. He is good in the kitchen, a very capable fellow, and is wonderful when sharing in front of a group. I love his sincerity. (They are both German.)
Nicola is the cutest little thing you have ever met. She is the epitome of a little Austrian girl, and looks just like one of the girls from The Sound of Music. (They can’t believe I have seen that movie, by the way. They thought it was Austrian or something.) :] She is tall and thin and has thick long straw colored hair and pink cheeks. You just want to prop her up on your bed as a little doll! :] She has a real funny sense of humor, I love being with her here. In Hasliberg they are always very busy and have a lot of stress, so I did not know her personality as well. She also works tirelessly in the kitchen, and loves God so much. I had to smile at her this morning as I was getting dressed. She was all decked out for the day, flower in her hair and all, praying fervently with her hands clasped and eyes squeezed tightly closed. :]
Jochen (“Yo-ken”) cracks me up. He is basically a Darrell, huge and brawny and simple and sweet. He forgets his size and bowls things over all the time. He NEVER understands me the first time, so I always think twice before asking him anything. Yet he speaks several languages, and is a very good translator, and unlike other people, almost always remembers to do it for me. His voice is very resonant and deep, and he plays the saxophone of all things. I love, absolutely love watching he and Cornelia relate to each other. She is thin and classy and put together and very deferent, and then he is all big and young and low voiced, asking things very bluntly to her, and I don’t know, it’s funny and I have to silently chuckle at them. He really loves the Lord, and is sincere and a good leader. And Simone has taken me time to appreciate. She is a very different girl than I first thought. She came from a difficult home, and is not completely well physically, but I think God is really working in her life. She was saved 3 years ago, and loves to talk about God, and sing and prays aloud a lot. She is sober, but has a very girlish side and can get so giggly at night. She has really warmed up and I love her a lot. They are both German as well.
There is another girl here named Regula, she will be going to Canada in June for 3 months to learn English better. And she will be staying with some of Hannah’s relatives! She is thin and classy, 21 and a teacher! I hope to go and visit her when she is up there. Anyway, I should write more about my week here.
Thursday the 6th we all woke early, because there was a special prayer time before breakfast for the youth meeting that night. We had a long devotional time. I love all the constant time spent in God’s word. It keeps you so focused when you are always thinking on Him. I have been crocheting a scarf while I listen to Cornelia translate. It was going to be for selling at the Market, but it has been some years since I have crocheted, and it is far from perfect, so perhaps I will give it to Olga when I leave. :] I have been sewing a lot of skirts for her, today I finished one and cut out and sewed most of another. The other girls have been cooking, making crafts for selling at the market, and always there is the preparation and practice for the mission week. On Sunday is a full day with many young people from several towns meeting together. We have some people coming from Guetli for the day as well, and I think it is supposed to be a surprise WHO is coming, because I have not heard a word! We have been working on songs in Slovak, the Bible School youth are going to do a skit, and lots of musicals and testimonies and slideshows and… :] So throughout the day you will find people in various rooms singing, working on computers, gluing crafts, cooking, talking on the phone, sewing, etc. :]
(Philipp just came tearing into my room all flushed and told me I had to come with him now, WITH my camera! His rabbit just had babies, and he needed “good quality pictures” of them. So off I went running through the mud with him, and snapped several of his little babies. :] )
After lunch I went for a long walk with Philipp. It was a very enlightening experience. I took my camera along, and tried to encapsulate this country for you. The homes range from quite nice to complete shacks, and there is rubbish everywhere. The yards around the homes are all fenced in with vicious sounding mongrels barking from them without ceasing as you stroll past. The sun was shining, and I took many pictures of the countryside. Philipp told me that the alcoholism here is quite bad, most of the people in Sus are drunkards, and make their own, although it is illegal. (Sus is pronounced “Sue-shhh”.) We walked uphill for over a quarter of an hour, and then turned around, and it nearly took my remaining breath away. It really is a beautiful country from a higher perspective! I would love to see it in the summer when it is green and the fields are full of flowers.
Philipp bent down and pointed to some tracks in the mud. “Do you see this? Do you know what it is? Wild dogs. People in towns do not want them, so they bring them out to the country and release them, and then they become wild and mean, and attack you.” He whipped a long knife from his belt: “I take this with me when I walk alone, because they can….” and he clutches his ankle with his hand. (“Oh great”, I think. I am glad I was not walking alone!) Then he pointed to other tracks. “Those are from wild pigs. I have often seen men in a Jeep come and shoot them. They do not have papers, and the police ask me to describe them and their car!” (All of this is in broken English, mind you, so I do a lot of filling in words like my Auntie Bobbie. :]) Huh. Once again Bec is glad she is not walking alone, but with a brave lanky teenager. The weather was perfect, and I kept taking pictures of the view.
Philipp continued to regale me with other interesting stories that you only read about on the internet or in a book. “Sometimes when I walk, I see Mafia men. They are dressed all in black, and big, and they have no hair.” For the third time that day, Bec was glad she was with Philipp. :] I supposed it must be dangerous for women to walk alone there, and he said no, not at all, just as long as you ignore them. “If you are the slightest bit interested in what they are doing, they will beat you up.” No prob, I will ignore if that’s what it takes! He told me how one time in Germany he watched a bank get robbed, and described the whole story of how the men disappeared in the woods, etc. Philipp said that they know absolutely everything about everyone, and will randomly walk up and insist you give them money. Then he told a couple of stories about how it happened to some believers he knows. He pointed out a lot of things that were the result of communism, like long trenches in the hills to control water, etc. These people are so…oppressed here. It’s like they have been ruled for too many years, and do not understand life, and joy, and cleanliness and freedom. Yet in spite of all the bad, the country yet retains some beauty. I don’t know why, but it is drawing me. I think it is because I see the need for Jesus so sorely.
We saw a castle in the distance, and he told me that in time past there was a queen there that killed young girls and bathed in their blood, hoping to thereby keep her youth. I know what Mom is thinking by now, “Oh, nice country!” :] Emmanuel told Olga the other day that I am a Slovakian gypsy. (He knows that my great grandpa was an orphan in Poland, and that I am German, Polish, and Czechoslovakian, and since there are dark colored gypsies here, he convinced her. :] )
The Keil (“Kyle”) family has been here for 5 years, and the kids have learned Slovak in that short time! They are all fluent in it, as well as German, Swiss, English, etc. :] Philipp is not afraid to try out new words, and loves it when I correct him. He is really gifted in languages. He has a soft spot in my heart, can you tell? :] He said so many more interesting things. This one in particular I really liked, because it was in broken English, and yet so profound: “My father goes here to get his sheep. He is the only one who can make them come, because they know my father’s voice. They do not know my voice, so I cannot make them do anything!” Sound familiar? They let their sheep run loose to eat and exercise, and always keep an eye on them. Then when the animals run to another village, the Keils will go on foot and collect them. :] Such a different life!
We stopped by their home, a small house just up the road from the school/mission house because Philipp wanted to show me his rabbits and goats. There were Wolfgang and Crystal enjoying the sunshiny day and the animals. It is such a simple life here. They have bees, goats, sheep, chickens, and rabbits. The house is off the main road, and behind it a hill slopes down to a little rushing brook. They are very happy here. I just love Wolfgang. I admire him as I have very few men. He is just so…noble. He has laugh lines around his eyes, exudes strength and has a pure and piercing gaze. He loves the Lord and sings mightily with all his heart, and has a great sense of humor and a deep throaty German voice. He is so content, and just lives. I wish you could meet him. I have no doubt that his sons will grow up to be as good of men as he, Philipp was telling me how much he loves his dad and his strength.
Crystal took me for a tour of the house, there is so much work to be done. She told me it is not their heart to compel people to come “and work”, they want them to come because God laid it upon their hearts, and they want to come, for the people. She told me more about the mission. We passed Cornelia and Elvira on a walk, and Cornelia said I just have to come back and take new pictures in the summertime. Hmm. I wonder….
We girls had fun getting all dressed up for the evening. I raided Olga’s closet because I am so sick of my clothes!!! You can imagine how they look after wearing them constantly for 2 months straight, my whole 6 outfits. Besides, they didn’t seem fit for singing in front of a church, after wearing them for work in the greenhouse. She grabbed a neon orange “flu flu” scarf for me. Although I love it, I don’t usually wear orange because of my dark coloring, but this was “actually not that bad!” Nicola found a matching flower and stuck it in my French twist. I knew what my sisters would say when I looked in the mirror, but I grinned inwardly and thought to myself “The girls dressed me up, and I rather like it!” (Sorry everyone, just some inside family jokes.) We had a long, loud, and fun drive to church. I was in the far back of the bus, smushed between Tabitha and Philipp. I love those 14 year olds! They have been coming in and sitting with their school work in the room where I sew, laughing at me, teaching me new words, and learning words from me. Tabitha is in love with my music, especially Andre Rieu and the Ein Straussfest collection. She plays cello, so she likes anything classical. I shied away from my oldies. :] Everyone laughs when they see the 3 of us together.
The pastor of that church was SO funny! He would speak in Slovak, then Samuel would translate it into German, and Cornelia would translate it into English. That has been happening all week, language is an amazing thing. One time he said something SO funny, and I hee-hawed long after the original sentence because it took a while to get communicated. It was so hilarious, all my friends just shook their heads at me. It really was a special evening. Philipp had gone through the Slovak words with me earlier, and I wrote them down with English pronunciation, so it went better for me with the singing. :] All the testimonies were good, and Emmanuel showed a slide presentation of his recent trip to Ethiopia. He has been there and back while I have been in Europe. I was excited to be in another church, it is just incredible how the bond in Jesus Christ works! Oh yeah! I went up to Olga and chirped, “Yavas Loo Blue” and she gasped, and grabbed me and hugged me and wondered where I learned it. I was too sheepish to tell her I got it from the movie The Great Escape, so I just hugged her and said it again. So anyway, it works, in case you love a Russian. I got in another good talk with Elvira that night. I will miss these girls.
So today, I had a nice quiet time before breakfast. It was hard to find a room alone! Damian made Rosti, which merited applause from the table. We had a long meeting and singing, and then I worked on pictures. They have used my photography a lot, I am often called hither and yon to snap pics of this or that. They are using several of my photos for the missions day on Sunday here in some sort of presentation. While here I have also compiled an album for them out of my pictures from the past 2 ½ months, and hope to burn a CD of them with Simon next week. Then of course I was sewing, accompanied by Tabitha and Philipp. :D I have made 4 ½ skirts in the past few busy days. Thea called me a skirt machine…it is a blessing to me to be able to use my gifts for others. I just never dreamed I would be sewing in Slovakia!
Someone gave them a new espresso machine, and it has been a source of interest and excitement. It is not a “real” one, but still is nicer than a coffee pot. Sometimes it gets mixed up and grunts and groans and you have to unplug it to reset it. Today I frothed some milk for my coffee, and just as I was heading out Wolfgang comes in all excited to make an espresso. He eyed up my green mug, and when I offered it to him, he accepted, grinning and telling me it matched his sweater. A kindred spirit! Someone who understands the importance of different coffee mugs! I went to the kitchen, and 10 minutes later he arrives with his empty green mug, sniffing and feigning sorrow, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes as he says mournfully, “I go to my sheeps!” I guess the machine was all messed up again, and he got sick of waiting on it. I got Philipp to fix it for him. :] Oh, he makes me laugh!
I am missing Switzerland, and all therein. :] It will be fun to have another week there before I fly home. Waaah! I am not ready to come back yet! I have had so much fun spending so much time with Emmanuel and Cornelia. They are usually gone or so busy at Guetli that we have had no time to just get to know each other. Here we have been like a small family and spend lots of time together. Inge instructed Cornelia to hug me each day for her while I am gone, it was so sweet! And Zita sent a card for me with Cornelia that I received on the way here. Oh, I love these people!
In the late afternoon I took another walk with Philipp, this time to another hill and great lookout. Then Tabitha, Cornelia and I made a supper of leftovers. Everyone was in great spirits, and I was a little sad to miss out on the evening. But I decided to stay home tonight and rest and write. I was way behind in journaling, and wanted desperately to get it done because we will be gone all day tomorrow and Sunday. So after dishes I came up to our room, opened the window, put on some guitar music, showered, and typed. It has been 3 hours now, and I am sore and tired. I need to head to bed.
March 8th
Today was a long day. It started at 4am, because we had a 3 hour drive to the next church we were sharing at. Wolfgang and Crystal left with all of us girls in the green bus around 5:30am, and I got to see a lot of Slovakia! Thea and I snuggled together on a bench in the back and she told me all about the land and the year she lived here in Slovakia. It is so sad to see the results of communism everywhere. All of the homes are drab and square and gray and broken down, there is no cheer or beauty about them. We passed many tall apartment homes that all looked the same, and were burned out or trashed completely. Thea said the mindset was “it’s not mine, it belongs to the government, why should I care for it?” The people are trying to change it, though, and they do so in the extreme. Suddenly you see a home that is neon blue or fuchsia pink. There is rubbish and mud and the broken homes have metal fenced yards with weeds. The weather was heavy and gray and the faces of the people so sad. The countryside is really quite lovely, though. It is hilly with ravines and trees, and I imagine that in the summer the flowers must be breathtaking. Thea said she grew to love it. She lived in Sus for one year, teaching German in a school in Stara Tura.
The church was small and elegant, most of the people older. It was a day geared toward missions, and Grandma Lippuner was just arrived from Africa. She has been traveling there since I mentioned her first toward the beginning of my stay. She stood for a few hours, sharing about the people, showing pictures, and asking for prayer. She really is an amazing woman! She was there over the time of the recent earthquake in Ethiopia(?), and told how they were sitting in a home visiting, and suddenly the earth began to roar and shake. She could hear building crashing and thought to herself, “Well Lord, now is the time you will call me home!” But God still had more work for her to do! Many many homes were destroyed, and they thank the Lord that the mission was OK. She told stories of people whose lives have been changed by God at The Mission on the Nile, people who have been badly scarred by life. One woman for instance, was captured by the rebels, and forced to watch her brother hacked to pieces alive in front of her eyes. The men then cut his heart out and ate it in front of her. Or another one was kidnapped and raped, became pregnant, and was cast off by her husband, needing help to care for her 3 children. They have a place to care for people, a school for the blind, a school to teach people a profession, and many other ministries all over Africa. It is for missions like this that Guetli works and supports.
The youth had a skit without words (I can’t remember what they are called!) and sang songs, played instruments, and shared testimonies. It was a full day, and we headed out for home by late afternoon. For the 3 hour drive back we youth were having a grand time together. We sang songs in English, German, and Slovak, talked about our lives, and for a good hour I did impersonations of the people of Guetli. Elvira and Thea were literally crying, begging me to do it for everyone on my last night. I just hate trying to do something like that on demand!
When we got back to Sus, the small load of people from Guetli had arrived, and Hannah was among them! Emmanuel Herrman, Lydia L, and Marcel also came. I was about ready to head to bed when I found out we had one more meeting yet for the next day! So we again met and practiced singing until late. Needless to say I slept well!! Oh my! I have never described Emmanuel Hermann (19)! He came back from Africa about a week ago, and is just a beautiful boy. He is calm and controlled, very strong inwardly, and a tease. He is such a combo of his parents, I can't decide who he resembles more! I really like him. He is leaving for the army soon for 5 months.
March 9th
I have a new favorite German song. It is soooo incredible! I have had them sing it for breakfast every day since I heard it. I made sure to get the music so my sisters and I can sing it. In Slovakia they have a chocolate spread that is dark, and much better than Nutella! We ate that on bread for our morning nourishment, and were at the church by 9am. The service was so long, and so Slovakish, and I had to go to the restroom so bad, that I did not enjoy the first part. It was very “religious” because of the coming Easter season. I just looked around the lavish building and prayed that the Lord would come and do a work in the people’s hearts. They were so down and drab and looked half dead. Emmanuel L. sat behind Hannah and I and translated as he could. It was nice to not be left out for once. All day, someone would speak in Slovak, it was translated into German, and then into English. And then, in the place you would least expect it, was an incredible sermon about the Potter and His vessels. Both Hannah and I were quite blessed by the unexpected surprise. We all got up and sang some songs, and they were quite full of life and joy in that dismal place. We had the guitars, loud happy voices (“not ugly German threats”) and the acoustics were wonderful! Simone shared a fervent testimony, we sang again, and that was the end of the morning service.
Then came a delightful meal. You should have seen the dessert table! The best of the deserts are like a cream puff we would get at a fair, only in a long elegant twist. I tried a Kolachy, because I knew Mom would ask. :] I saw more Gypsies, they really are dark skinned! At the beginning of the day I was put in charge of photography, so I was always everywhere or called everywhere to take some.
The afternoon was themed on Missions, many of the young people who have been to the mission field shared, we sang, showed slides, heard sermons and testimonies. Something very interesting happened to me that I will have to tell you about later when I am home…It was decided that I could come back with the load that was returning to Guetli that night, and I was relieved. I sleep better in a car at night, and was not looking forward to a long full day of travel the next morning. Emmanuel Herrman had to be in the Swiss army by 10am the next morning, so he was really rushing us to get out. I had some swift goodbyes to the girls, which was not at all what we planned, and then Hannah, Damian, Lydia, Emmanuel and I headed out. We stopped briefly at the mission house for our baggage and food, and then drove off into the night.
We had such fun together. The young people here can have such a good time and enjoy themselves without ever getting out of hand. We ate and talked and sang and laughed, and Damian told us his driving accident stories for a while before he fell asleep. :] We drove right through Bratislava and Vienna this time, and again I wished I had a cell to call my family and tell them where I was! One of the foods that Sus packed for us was a bag of dried pears. Hannah holds them up with glee, and goes, “DRIED PEARS!! I love dried pears!” We all began chewing away on them as we visited happily together. We hit the autobahn in Germany, and began to make some progress. Just kidding. Emmanuel said he has made a protocol never to drive over 140kph. But one time, just for me he went up to 160. They have high metal fencing next to the highway so no animals will run out in front of you. By the time we got to the toll tunnel, I groaned to Hannah, “I am feeling SO nauseated! Yuck!” and fell asleep. Later when I woke up, I was like, “OH! I feel so gross!” and Emmanuel sits up quickly, and asks, “Oh, do you feel sick from those pears too? I feel like I could about float away up here!” We all started laughing, and then Hannah and Lydia admitted that they too felt like the pears were sitting like lead in their stomach, but they thought it was their imagination. For the rest of the ride there was periodical groaning. We decided to set them out on the community table in the kitchen the next morning and see if anyone else got sick. :P We chuckled wickedly. Damian droned on and on for the last hour, stuttering how he can’t speak English at 4am, and making us laugh so hard! We pulled in at 4:30, and slept for a few hours.
March 10th
Hannah and I got up after the two hours of sleep and went to the Monday morning communion service. We have been wanting to do that since we arrived!! It was fun to see everyone again, and after breakfast I went to work in the garden, and watered my primroses. They are basically all blooming now, and the day was sunny and warm. I could see my mountains! I am getting nostalgic now, starting to feel sad. I fly out a week from today! I still feel nauseated! And tonight I have an ice cream date with Rahel and Daniela! This afternoon I have been working on pictures. The week is filling up fast.
One more thing I have to write before I post: Hannah actually DID put the pears out in a bowl, and Zita came up and asked her all sweetly, “Emmanuel told me these made him sick last night, did you feel OK?” She was so embarrassed, and as soon as we were out of the door, we laughed until we cried. Now we are going for a walk, so tootaloo.
