A Prague Christmas

My Christmas in Prague

Many ask how I spend my Christmas so here is what a Prague Christmas for me is like.
First there are the last few weeks of school leading up to Christmas Holidays.

We celebrated Hanukkah ~ By making latkes

Baked and decorated cookies for the Christmas concert.

Practised and practised and practised for the upcoming Christmas concert.

December 10: Celebrating our 10 years of being a school
On the 10th of every month everyone in school dresses nice to commemorate our 10th year as a school.

December 14: CISP Christmas Concert

We took on the challenge this year of involving the entire school in this year's Christmas Program. In years past there would be a few songs from the elementary, perhaps a skit by the drama club and more songs from the High school choir. This year us ladies in the elementary decided we wanted simple but also wanted to involve the whole school. Any program involving the entire school is far from being simple but it was well done.

Grades 1-3 once again took on the challenge of reciting Luke 2: 1-18. I was concerned about the task being too much for this group since the majority of them are non-native English speakers. Yet my shock and amazement came from the least likely of sources. I have one girl in my class who rarely speaks in full sentences and is very shy about talking in general. One day while lining up to go home, I hear from the doorway Luke 2 being proclaimed clearly and loudly from this little girl with no prompting or encouragement. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree…” all the way to verse 18.  This group has surpassed all my expectations!

 We did the passage in two sections so I was able to record the first part of Luke 2:1-7

Our program was a youtube Christmas where our grade 9's and 10's were discussing what was the meaning of Christmas while decorating a Christmas tree.
True to today's day and age when you have a question the first place many turn is to Google! So the kids Googled the meaning of Christmas and the result was our Christmas program! It is a little hard to explain how it all came together but in the end each piece found its place and everyone did a great job playing their part. To the left is the intro video that set the stage for our program.



December 19: Last day of school - Pyjama Day!
We had a fun day of wearing our PJs to school, playing games, drinking hot chocolate and watching the Polar Express.

December 21 ~ Staff Christmas party
- see previous post about White Elephant Gifts :)

December 22 ~ Decorate the Christmas Tree
Since our tree was a prop in the Christmas program we weren't able to set it up in our home until after the concert and finding the time to do so didn't come until Christmas break! There were plans to decorate a real baby fir tree that we had gotten from IKEA in October. We had named him Charlie and were excited to have him for Christmas. Alas in late November he was attacked by an army of aphids and there was no saving little Charlie. So a fake tree it had to be.

 

 

December 23 - Wandering the city
I am saddened by our lack of snow this Christmas. We do get snow in the Czech Republic but I have yet to experience having any on Christmas day!

 

December 24 - Christmas Eve a night of Great Food & Carp Stories

We were invited for a lovely Christmas dinner where our friend Jodi went above and beyond to make it special for us. Unable to find Christmas stockings she made us paper socks and filled gift bags with small treats. She slaved in the kitchen to make foods that made us at home. The wonderful meal was followed by fun fellowship and Christmas Carol singing.

Though we did not have the traditional Czech dish of carp, we did get to explore Jodi's collection of books containing two stories about the tradition of eating Christmas Carp. Becca read Carl the Christmas Carp for us and I had to record it. It's long but worth a listen as it shares some very Czech traditions.

Up until December 24th you can find fish barrels on the street corners crammed full of carp! The fish monger will kill it there for you, or you can take it home in your bucket or bag and have it live in the bathtub until you are ready to cook it for dinner.

December 25 ~ A Happy Orphaned Christmas

This year my flatmates were all here for Christmas and we decided to invite anyone else who did not have family or friends around to celebrate Christmas with. We called it our orphaned Christmas. After going to a Christmas church service we had Brunch and opened stockings. Though we had no stockings we improvised with socks from the local Kaufland. I introduced my friends to the joys of Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe and my favourite story of Dave and the turkey. Afterwards we lounged about sharing Christmas traditions and life stories.

Stockings under the tree

 










The Lord of the Harvest

One of the most encouraging stories shared was from one of our friends who had left the Mormon faith and had become a Christian during my first year here. She shared about one of our CISP families who had left to return to the States after my first year. They were a Mormon family living in the Czech Republic as expatriates. They had been in our school for a couple of years and the seeds of the gospel were being planted in the hearts of their children. The stories of the Bible the children brought home with them caused their parents to question their beliefs in the Mormon Faith. After a few years of seeking and questioning they recently have decided to leave the Mormon church and continue seeking the God of the Bible.
Stories like this one remind me of how growth of the little seeds we plant continue even when the children leave our school. Our students become missionaries to their parents and their families. Though we may never see the fruit of our work, the seeds continue to grow and the Harvest will come.

White Elephants

Christmas Fun

Every year at our staff Christmas party we have a white elephant gift exchange. These gifts are to be inexpensive or something you find lying around the house. Fun, humorous, useful or just plain interesting it is a game I enjoy. The way our group plays it is different than most versions. Usually when I have played it has been the stealing game where the gift can be only stolen up to 3 times and you get to steal when your number is called and the gift may be wrapped or unwrapped.

This is how you play the CISP way: Each person gets a number for order of gift selection. After gifts are selected they are all opened and you are given the opportunity to share why your treasure is the best gift in the room. This usually can end in quite funny descriptions of the mundane objects, like a coffee mug and all it's various uses beyond just putting a beverage in it. After you have boasted the greatness of your gift the game begins. Three plates with dice are to circle the room during a 10 minute time limit. In order to steal a gift you must roll doubles! A gift can be stolen unlimited number of times during the time period. When stealing the stolen gift is exchanged for what the thief is holding. It is quite exciting to watch the gifts bounce around the room and can be quite strategic to end up with the gift you want.

Often I select something that is nice, and functional but not too nice that people would want to steal it. However last year I strayed from my normal game plan and I sought after a beautiful scarf. In those last seconds before the game was over I thought I had won my prize. Alas it was all for nought and doubles were rolled and my treasure was snatched from my hands and I was left with this:

Needless to say I was a tad disappointed, but it was a game and in a way I had felt that I had lost. However I learned a lot from this little tree and decided that I would share my lesson this year with a little game of my own. With the help of my artistic roommate we fashioned a beautiful gift that would be the envy of many. A sketch of Charles Bridge that would surly have been fought over. However, to save the treasure from being bounced from one hand to the next and saving those who wished they had won it the agony of its loss; we placed the tree in it's stead with a secret to be told only once the game had finished.

The tree's first recipient boasted of the tree's beauty and how it could be a symbol used in any Bible class about the tree of good and evil. It was a great sales pitch, though there were much nicer things to be had. So the tree bounced around the room, often not as a gift to be desired but as one to be gotten rid of. I spent more time in the game watching the tree move from hand to hand than worrying about what I would end up with.

When the game was over the tree ended up where it had started and then the fun of revealing the twist behind this gift began. I handed the recipient a poem about the tale of the tree and about how it was more than what it seemed.

The Tale of the Beaded Tree

Dear Holder of the beaded tree

Do not despair or be in misery

For there is a story to behold

Of the tiny tree red, green and gold.

It came upon a winter past

That this tree fell into my hands in those moments last

Disappointment filled me!

For what worth was there in a beaded tree?

Indeed it was a result of my own greed

I chased around a gift I thought to be lovely

Not taking any heed

Of the consequences there would be

So I returned home with the little gift: red green and gold.

It sat on the shelf all year long saving a story to be told.

Each time I would pass the little tree it reminded me of the need

To not succumb to the temptation of greed

But rather to appreciate the little things

Found in all that this life brings

Although I did not want you to be deceived

There is more to this gift than first believed!

This tree is more than beads, rock and wire

It offers a lesson that we often may require

For us to take notice and see

The good that can be found in what may disappoint thee

But to give a gift that brings good cheer

That is my goal every year

A treasure is hidden along with this tree

So when it was discovered it would fill you with glee.

So if you truly do desire

To be rid of this gift of lowly attire

You may only trade it for something new.

Awaiting behind door # 2

The fun was seeing if they would give up the tree to see what would be behind door number two. There was slight worry that they wouldn't want to be greedy and keep the tree. I had actually grown a little attached to the tree and was banking on its return. I was not disappointed and there was an exchange of the lowly tree for the artwork that was indeed oohed and awed over. 

In the end this year I came home with the beaded tree in one hand and to add a touch of irony a lovely scarf in the other.

Sharing Our Story

Pushing Back the Darkness

These are very exciting times for us at CISP; with a new building, Czech recognition, ACSI accreditation, and on and on. The stories of what God is doing are astounding and encouraging. In the midst of an atheistic culture we have just over 80 students from 22 very unique cultural backgrounds. We pray for the vision to reach more students and fill up our new school from the current 80 students to our capacity of 220. 

Recently we have been presented with an opportunity to share our story with many by creating 2 professional videos which will help to spread the word about our school and open doors to sharing our message. These 2 videos will be so important for us to recruit new students for more kingdom impact, as well as help the school tell our story better for raising more funding for other projects.

Please pray for this project and the funding needed to make it happen. If you are interested in giving to this project we have set up a funding site Click Here to go to site The goal is to raise $10 000 in only 17 more days! Even a small gift of $5 or $10 will help immensely to make this possible!

*Note your gift will not be tax-deductible through the website. If you would like to receive a tax-deductible receipt, you can contact Mike Dworak who is the director of the project mikedworak@gmail.com and he will help with instructions for tax deductible donations.

It's Hard to be Humble

Being Broken

  Over the years I have become quite an independent person, seeking to serve and help others but not often seeking others for help. These past two weeks I have observed the blessings that come from letting others help you. Two weeks ago one of our team members (a spunky older lady who serves in our library) fell and broke her ankle in two places. Since she lives on her own we encouraged her to stay with one of our school families who were offering to help her. It took some convincing to get her to go, since like myself she is fiercely independent and would rather help than be helped. However, upon spending time with the family she thanked me for the encouragement to go and that it has been a blessing to her and to them.

  This week I was faced with the same humbling experience of not being able to do things for myself when I over zealously helped moved furniture and strained my back. Very thankful for American Thanksgiving and the days off of school so that I can allow the muscles to relax and heal. Though the condition leaves me to be flat on my back at the mercy of my flatmates to help me. It is frustrating to be stuck and not able to do the simplest of tasks, yet I have been blessed by the care and generosity of my friends who do not consider it beneath them to put on my socks and tie my shoes.

As I find myself crawling on my hands and knees to get anywhere I think of the lame and the crippled that Jesus met. The desire to be healed and to walk. To not be a burden and have to be carried, fed and clothed by others. Though in my frustration of not being able to do things for myself I have come to consider the lessons to be learned. In my state of brokenness who should I depend on? So often I strive to depend on myself, to get myself through each tough spot and only in last resort do I cry out for God to rescue me. I am learning to not put God as my last resort but my first. To not be so proud as to deny help from others, willing to be served, to be cared for, to know that I am not alone, nor do I need to do this on my own.

November Fun

Reading Adventure Day

November 25th we had a celebration for reading! Students dressed up as favourite book characters and participated in a wide range of reading activities including a reader's cafe and a reader's theatre. Staff and students had a great time dressing up and sharing favourite stories together.

I dressed up as the paper bag princess. She is a Robert Munsch character whose castle is burned up by a dragon that carries off Prince Ronald. All that is left of her charred kingdom is a paper bag ... so she dons the paper bag and sets off to rescue her prince.

   

 

 

Harold and the purple crayon 

Madeline, Harold's Purple Crayon, Princess Elizabeth

 

Mrs. Marple

Chicka Chicka Boom

Pipi Longstocking

Viola Swmap! Miss Nelson is Missing

Andrew Marcus - Freckle Juice

Amelia Bedelia

It was a really fun day! A great time to celebrate authors and how God has given us the gift of being imaginative and creative, able to share our stories.