Heading for Home

Saturday Jordan covered the morning shift as Dawid was still ill. That night we assisted Thea with a concert at the shop. Two musicians, a violinist and an accordionist, who were excellent performers. The turn-out was small as the weather was not so good. But afterward the musicians gave all the money they had received for the show to the shop and said, "God bless." What a wonderful gift in the Lord!

Sunday was a busy day, full of laundry, house cleaning, packing, etc. Dawid and Simona gave us a farewell BBQ. Thea and Ella came. Richard and Ola with their two kids. Adam and his family. Even Ola and Karol made it. It was great to be with everyone again and say goodbye. That night Ola and Karol came to our clean flat (finally clean!) and played one final board game before our departure. They are one of the truest and one of the few sincere friends we've made since being here. We had a great time.

Monday we rose early and went to the neighboring kindergarten for one last goodbye. We will miss the kids and Ola very much. From there we headed downtown to pick up a few last minute items. Then it was back to Kowale for haircuts and a final team meeting. We gave everyone a card with our thanks inside and talked about how quickly the time has gone. We were off for another hour to take care of some final things. We met Dorota at the shop to say goodbye. She is so sweet! If all our lives had not been so busy these last few months, we would have gotten very close. We plan to keep in touch. Afterward we went on our final date in Poland downtown and got home by 10:30 pm. 

We "napped" trying to get back on west-coast time as quickly as possible. We will be traveling 20 hours today and leave for the airport in one hour. Pray for our safety and health as we travel. Pray that God would use the time to store in our hearts all that we have learned these last months about Him, ourselves as individuals, and our marriage. Pray that we would have an overwhelming sense of His peace as we wait for the next step to be revealed to us.

Blue Skies

WOW! What a week!

Last Thursday afternoon we went down to help the TAG team with the outside field renovations after Jordan opened the shop. That night we walked Old Town. It was a nice night to see the place.

Friday Russ began to feel much better : ) Jordan went down early to take care of some details for travel plans for the weekend, bus tickets. Then she opened the shop. That night was the concert at the school. We rode with Dawid and Simona. The concert was fabulous! TNU sang three songs and participated in the famous legend of Gdansk. Afterward TNU thanked all involved to make the week happen. Several students wanted to join us for dinner. We all went to Sphinx restaurant in Old Town. We got a big table together and shared food family style. It was great!

Saturday the TAG team arrived in Kowale around 9 am. They split up into teams: 1) painting the fence at the parish and 2) landscaping the back yard of the coffee shop. That morning we also had family hour at the shop. Four families came! Our biggest number yet. Igor and his family, Ola and his family, and two other children and their parents from the local preschool here in Kowale. We played duck-duck-goose, sang head-shoulders-knees-and-toes in English and Polish and then we made the climbing man. It was fabulous! The parents even got excited about the craft. We gathered their contact information to continue through the summer.

The team had lunch before noon and then headed out to join the community clean-up event. This is one of the first times that people in this community gathered to do something positive. TAG did a great job. The lady was so pleased for their help that she gave them certificates of appreciation. The team really helped to make a positive impact on the community.

That afternoon the team finished up their projects. At 6:30 we all joined at the local pizza place for dinner. It was so much fun to all be together and fellowship. They finished up everything after dinner and headed back home at 9 pm. The job they did looks incredible! Several people asked if we had professionals do the work : )

Sunday Adam offered to take the team on an outing to Gdynia and take them to see several important historical places so we got the day off. We slept in, got caught up on our lives, and even went on a date. It was nice to be together and do things we normally do.

That night the team arrived at the shop to have our type of service. We served everyone coffee and sweets. Dawid read form Romans 12 and everyone shared feedback from the week in how the Lord was working in their lives. Some of the kids are spot-on. Love is the answer! It's about being Jesus! Living in community! Oh, they really are starting to latch on; it's so exciting! We ended the evening in prayer and song. It was powerful to pray together. The team thanked Thea for all her hard work; it meant a great deal to her. We saw the team off to the bus and spent the entire night save 2 hours preparing for Monday.

Monday we woke early and were taken to the school by Dawid and Daniel. We got the team working on the sports fields by 8:30 am. Pan Radek, the sports director at the school, brought his classes to assist the entire day. We couldn't have done it without his help. It was so great to see this project becoming a truly joint project. As the team was coming to a time for break, several girls spoke up and asked to continue pushing through until they were completed. The rest of the team agreed. What amazing hearts! We went to get the team lunch while they worked and finished up. The fields look absolutely wonderful!

We rode home with Dawid and had our team meeting. It was nice to be just the Poland team. We really are family and this week was so busy. After a short rest we headed back into town to say farewell to the team here in Gdansk. Simona came and presented gifts to the students. Later that night there was a  discotec and we stayed for a few songs. Simona took us home. She felt their time was well spent; very pleased with the overall trip.

Tuesday we were up at 3:00 am to take a 4:30 am night bus to the train station with Dawid. We got a coffee at McDonalds while we waited for the team. The train for Krakow was on-time and we rode in a cabin with all the return students: Matt, Mark, Sarah, and Justin. It was nice to be able to talk with them; they are the closest to our age. The conversation was great; some deep and some quite humorous like bakers and ovens. : ) Anyway, when we arrived the team grabbed lunch in the Galeria and headed to the hostel. The tours were on-time. 11 went to Auschwitz and 4 to the Salt Mines. The Auschwitz tour was excellent and the Salt Mine tour was fun.

Wednesday we rose early and had breakfast. The communism tour began at 9 am. It took place in cars from the 80's which looked like cars built in the 50's only made out of plastic. The tour was a parody, the information being good, but also presented in a fun way. They dropped us off at the main square. We split up to do some shopping, lunch, etc., before the bike tour. Dawid and us found an excellent fun place to have the final team dinner celebration. The bike tour was by far the best tour of the two days. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable. We saw the main square, the first University (the 5th in the world), where Pope John Paul II stayed, Wawel castle and the dragons lair, the Kazimierz district (Jewish section and ghetto at the time of WWII), and Oscar Schindler's factory. This one place was the most heavily populated Jewish region in the world (70 million) before the time of WWII, even over Israel. Currently there are only 138 Jews living in Krakow today. This was particularly fascinating to us after our time in Israel.

We again had several hours of free time to finish up shopping. We walked with Matt and brother Mark in search of soccer jerseys. After several hours of search and a good cup of coffee to go, we found Mark's jersey on sale! Then Matt decided he liked a jacket he saw at one of the second stores we visited. So we went in search of this store and Matt found his prized jacket. Russ really liked it so he got one but in a different color. Then Mark decided he better have one too so each got the same jacket just in a different color. The three guys are growing close to each other and hopefully this relationship will continue to grow beyond this trip. Such wonderful servant hearts these young men have.

The restaurant was fabulous! Caesar and greek salad for appetizer. Grilled chicken, ribs, or steak for main course. And a variety of scrumptious desert. Every member shared one or two significant lessons they are taking away from the trip. We finally got to share our story of coming to Poland and what the Lord has been teaching us. The team thanked us personally for all our help and Dawid gave a speech to thank us as well, as our time is now coming to a close. After dinner we found an open store for people to get chocolate to take home. Most of us were up all night packing and talking and just being together. 

Thursday the van to the airport picked us up at the hostel at 4 am. Everyone was in good spirits and ready to return home. We had prayer at the airport and short goodbyes. The driver took us and Dawid back to the train station for us to leave at 6 am. The train ride was uneventful and much was spent in dozing sleep. Simona picked us up and took us home. She and Jordan went to pick up more mulch to finish the back landscaping and Jordan got supplies for taco making (thank you Momma Doris!). 

Friday we got up early and went to the local kindergarten to say our farewells. The kids made us special drawings and thank you cards. They are so precious. We took a nap and went to our team meeting. Dawid is ill, pray for him. Jordan took over his shift from 4-9 to help out. Today again we're covering the morning shift and returning at 6:30 to help with the concert tonight. We think we'll be running until we get on the plane, but we're feeling healthy. Pray that we stay that way.

We love you all very much and are looking forward to sharing our stories in person with you. Please keep checking the blog as our final entry will be later this week before we land in the United States.

Storm, Rain, & Wind

Both literally and figuratively. Literally, this is the worst we've seen it: heavy rain, extreme winds, and all the time. Figuratively, TNU is here and all our worlds have been flipped for the week.

Monday we went to the neighboring kindergarten and had a wonderful time. We took a bus from there to downtown to finalize TAG housing. That was a new experience, we saw completely new places.

We opened the shop Tuesday with no problems and went with Dawid to the airport to pick up the team. They all made it safely. We took a bus downtown. It was a long trip but we befriended a guy our age from Germany. He spoke very good English and we talked about the city, place to go, sights to see, what we were doing in Poland and for only three months...everyone life's story. It was great! God brings so many interesting people into our lives. The team made it to the school, found their beds, were introduced to the school and left to rest. 

Now Russ seems to be the one who is ill, though not with the same thing Jordan had. Please pray for him. It was really bad all day Wednesday. Today is better but we're still watching closely.

Yesterday was Wednesday. Jordan opened the shop and waited for Thea. Thea was at the school coordinating the music part that TNU will perform. When she got to the shop she debriefed on the morning. Hopefully it will go very well. The team seemed to really enjoy it though. We caught up with the team in the afternoon. All the girls were napping so we took the boys for a walk and got a cup of coffee, talked about life and all that wonderful stuff.

Today Jordan went early to the school to connect the team with the elementary level teachers. The team was awesome! They spoke to the kids is English, made rain, sang songs, played Simon says. They made the kids light up. Oh, it was so great! This is the language of love, God's way; a true blessing to see in action.

That's it so far. It's only 11 am here so we'll fill you in more as the week progresses. Again, keep Russ in your prayers, the team here in Poland, and the TAG team from TNU.

Much Better

Jordan is feeling nearly back to normal today! Thursday and Friday were spent in bed. Yesterday we had a small outing, but last night a little illness came back. Today she's feeling the best yet, though not quite 100%. Thank God for cipro and that our Doc and Sis Lisa thought to prescribe it just in case something should happen. Thanks for your prayers.

Flash

Monday we went to the neighboring kindergarten. The weather was nice and the kids were such a joy to be around. We were invited to come back Tuesday for a special physics presentation. Our team meeting went well. We agreed to trade shifts with Thea on Tuesday to work in the evening so she could scout out a potential musician for the shop.

Tuesday we made it to the physics presentation. It was neat. Two guys did demonstrations with liquid hydrogen or oxygen, we're not positive because it was in polish. : ) The kids really enjoyed it and we did too. We made it to the shop in the afternoon. We finally have outside tables and chairs. They are so inviting. We served many ice creams. 

Wednesday Jordan went with Simona to Auchan to buy materials for the landscaping projects the TAG team will work on. Small shrubs, rhododendrons, and rose bushes. The yard will look spectacular.

Thursday Russ went to local kindergarten as Jordan was sick. It was Anastasia's birthday and the whole class was celebrating. Magda, their teacher, said to be sure to come and say goodbye to the kids before we leave. Russ opened the shop and Jordan rested on the couch, finalizing TAG details. The team meeting was short. We had it a day early because Friday is a national holiday.

In a nutshell, that was our week. Please pray for Jordan's health, she is still not well. Hopefully we'll be able to rest up this weekend before the TAG team arrives.

Storm's-a-brewing

Sunday's concert was spectacular! It was a benefit concert and several amazing artists played. We enjoyed a great dinner, pasta and baked chicken. It was so nice to do something out of the ordinary, and music really does something for the soul.

Monday we went to the neighboring kindergarten. It was full. We had so much fun with the kids. The weather has been great and we went for walks and played at various playgrounds. Ola invited us to her flat Thursday to play games with her fiance. It made us feel so good. She was the first person outside of those we work with to invite us to do something with. The team meeting went well, detail discussion for the week and more TAG items.

Tuesday we opened the shop. Nothing too exciting. It was a beautiful day again. 

Wednesday we travelled! All the way to Malbork castle. It was built in the 1300s by the Crusaders and still stands today. Of course it has gone through many reconstructions because several wars took their toll on the place, especially WWII. The castle is a museum, hosting several main displays of art, amber, armor, and just rooms displayed for their use many years ago. 

Thursday we opened the shop. Our two ladies came for tutoring. They are so pleasant. We're really thankful to have them. After we finished, we headed to Ola's flat. She had finger foods prepared and her fiance Karol taught us how to play Catan. The game took a long time to play but it was great! We played twice and then looked at pictures from their engagement. When we looked at the clock it was 11:15 pm! Time flew, it always does when you have fun. They asked us to come again next week : ) Karol even took us home. It was wonderful.

More to follow...check back in 5 hours for the rest of the week's post.

Ok...so much for 5 hours, more like 24! Sorry.

Friday we went to the local kindergarten. The talk of the school was Jordan's new haircut. We had a team meeting that went well and preparations for the evenings concert. We worked for the concert making coffees and pastry treats. The quartet was fabulous, a pianist and three string players. It was beautiful music. 

Saturday was our spring cleaning day at our flat. Blind by blind, after nearly 4 hours and the windows now look sparkly. We popped into the shop for the afternoon, had a coffee, and visited with Dawid. The weather was wonderful, sunny and a warm breeze. 

Sunday was the same kind of weather. People were out barbecuing in the neighborhood. We went on a date in the evening and it was so nice to walk outside. It must have been 70 and again a warm breeze.

God is doing great things in our hearts, revealing his will to us. Continue to pray for us in these last few weeks. We want to be sensitive to how God would use our time here. Pray that our energy stays up as in one week the TAG team will arrive. Pray for them, that they would be moved by a real encounter with the living God. Pray that they will be Christ to the students they stay with. Pray with your whole heart and believe. God is able!

The calm before insanity!

This week has been a slow recovery week from the Easter holiday. On Monday, everything was closed, which made life interesting because our cupboards were nearly bare. We had interesting meals to say the least : ) We took time to walk around a nearby lake. It was a beautifully sunny and warm day. And there was one tiny shop open for us to buy ice cream!

Tuesday we went to the neighboring kindergarten. Only six children were there because the rest were still on holiday. It was very nice to have more one on one time with them. We left early to get to the shop to open. It was uneventful and no one came for tutoring. Jordan went to aerobics that night.

Wednesday was a homework day for Russ and a study day for Jordan. We met Dorota at the shop to visit. She is a teacher at Kolbudy who we are trying to get closer connected to.

Thursday we went to the local kindergarten. The children were excited to see us. We opened the shop and had a couple clients. We made 4 zl in tips! (equivalent to 1.25 USD, oh yeah, totally rich) Jordan got her hair cut, really short, but it's summer and was becoming a necessity.

Yesterday we got up early and went to Auchan (Walmart) and Leroy Merlin (Home Depot meets BB&B and Joanne Fabrics). Our mission: price landscaping materials for the coffee shop. All in all, a success. We had a team meeting that night, lasting nearly two hours. We've been so out of touch because of the holiday there was much to get caught up on.

Today we're venturing out on a date after our studies are finished for the week. Tomorrow we're going to the Methodist church. Thea invited us to go with her to a Jazz jam session to scope out potential musicians for the coffee shop tomorrow night and we plan to go. 

Beginning Monday we'll hit the ground running with events nearly everyday at the shop or with the kindergartens until the TAG team arrives. And when they're here, no stopping until the plane leaves the tarmac. Then it's not even one week more until we return to the states. Can you believe it's gone so quickly? Incredulous!

Pray for our guidance and direction. Pray that details fall into place and get smoothed out. Pray for strength and energy and a positive spirit. Just pray. And take time to thank God for all his many immeasurable blessings in your life and ours. He is so good to us all!