What you find when you go for a stroll

You Know you live in Europe when...

...you are walking down the street and happen across a movie set with an old fashioned bus on fire and tanks in the street. Indeed this was our Saturday afternoon stroll down the street where I live. Though we were given a heads up with a newspaper article that declared POZOR TANKS! Pozor means caution or watch out. The article went on to explain that some films were being done about the soviet invasion of the 60's and that there would be film crews with tanks. So what better thing to do than to go on a tank hunt :) Just a little part of living the Prague Life.

     

 

Exploring "the Nature"

Also took a trek out into the beautiful Czech countryside with some co-workers and Czech friends last weekend. It was a gorgeous fall day. A wonderful day for a stroll in the woods.

Do you see Jabba the Hutt?

One of the interesting parts of this trip is that one of the members of our group is legally blind. Though he has some sight, getting him through the rough terrain was an eye opening experience (pardon the unintended punn) for me. I had never been so aware of my surroundings or where my feet should go than when I was explaining every rock, ledge, dip and hole we came across, as we climbed the switchback, rocky trail. It gave me a new appreciation for my sense of sight and how much I rely on it.

Mind Blown

God IS

September has come and gone and I was holding off writing in hopes of sharing miraculous news of a sudden influx of students. Alas this has not happened and instead of having one grade three student we have none.
  In the primary department we have 2 students in grade two. So once more this has meant some change ... the sense of having two teachers teach 2 students was ridiculous and so I have been given grade two and our third grade teacher is teaching ELL and tutoring. I enjoy having my class back as it seems we have just picked up where we left off last year. Enjoying our learning and earnestly praying for the Lord to send us more classmates to fill our vast classroom.

Teaching two is much more difficult than teaching 20! It is like teaching siblings, they are stuck with each other and if they disagree about something they can't just go play with someone else because the other person is all they've got. However through the challenges come the joys of teaching only 2. No one can hide! There is a closeness and a trust that needs to be built out of sheer necessity.

My favourite moments so far have been during our Bible times where we have been discussing God's promises and who God is. We were talking about heaven and God's creation and how the world began. How God doesn't have a beginning or an end, because God IS. That is what makes him God. The looks on their faces with this statement was a mixture between confusion and pure admiration. My one boy's jaw drops and then he makes an explosion sound (that only boys can do) "Mind Blown!" He informs me. GOD IS! That is what makes him God. All knowing, no beginning, no end. "Like a circle" they reply.

He just is ... no start... no end. The sheer magnitude of this thought is mind blowing and amazing. It brings me comfort to know that this awesome, infinite God knows me. Knows what is in store for my students and for our school. We put our hope and our trust in Him. For He IS!

Asking God Why?

All the Empty Chairs

I knew it was coming ... the day of realization that school was just around the corner. Usually at this time of year I am excited. I am writing names on deskplates and praying over each name I write. Photocopying worksheets and planning year plans. Sitting in meetings half day dreaming about what our year will look like and all the fun we will have this year. However, so far this year is a little different. We plan and we wait for enrolment each year and unlike years previous there have been less little ones to enrol. Currently we have no grade ones and only 2 in grade two and 1 in grade three! Though I seek to trust the Lord in his provision we also have been making decisions for what this means for our school year.
For me, at the moment, it means team teaching with the grade 3 teacher and filling in where there is need in the school. Ultimately it means no grade ones, which (not trying to be overly dramatic) is like a piece of my heart is missing. There is so much fun explored and experienced in grade one and is quite heartbreaking to realise that this joy may not take place for me this year.
I have found myself asking God why the empty chairs? This big beautiful room with all these empty seats. There is a little girl this summer who has been earnestly praying for new friends to come this year. A teacher pleading for there to be kids to teach. It is more than me just wanting a job to do. It has me questioning why I am here? Having no doubt that God has called me here and has given us this large new building to fill.

SO why the empty chairs?
The empty chairs are teaching me to trust. To have faith. They cause me to rely not on myself or on the way I think things should be. I teach my students that God always answers our prayers but more often than not he answers them in a way we would never expect. I relate to Gideon seeing the need for more than I have and I am learning to listen to the plan God has for the few and what he is ready to do with what I have. He has a plan and a purpose and all he asks is that we trust and follow Him.

So I will continue preparing for the school year AND I will continue to pray and trust God's plan for the empty chairs!

A Prague Summer

What Do You Do In the Summer?

I often get asked this question. There is a misconception about the teaching profession, that teachers get 2 months vacation in the summer. Though we are not teaching the children during these two months, this does not mean work is not being done, especially for an International school. For our school the office is open all summer; making it possible for new families to come check it out as well as the office staff are preparing for the upcoming student body. Many of our teachers are planning and prepping for upcoming courses and some of us are even doing school ourselves.

Mluvíte česky?


Nemluvím český dobré, ale učím se český.
(Do you speak Czech? I don't speak Czech, but I am learning Czech.)
I joined 5 other co-workers in a two week intensive Czech class. It was a great time where our brains were stretched and I was given a lot more compassion for my students who are learning English. Especially learning to do math in a foreign language! Our teacher would give us math problems orally in Czech ie:
dvacet šest mínus sedmnáct (26 - 17) Not only do you need to think of what the numbers are but you also need to figure out the answer and say it in Czech. Devět! Made me think how I required my little ones to recite math facts not even thinking that they may be translating the answers in their heads first!  It was a lot of work and I did get frustrated at times but I am persevering!
Since it is possible to survive in Prague without learning Czech it is easy to give up learning the language. Yet, there is a desire in me to be able to say more than Nemluvím český, or nerozumím český (I don't speak Czech, I don't understand Czech). Little by little my vocabulary is growing and I am at the stage of speaking 3 -5 word sentences and answer questions. Only if people are able to ask the right questions that I know how to say the answers to ;)

 What do you do for fun?

Visit with People... 
One of the joys of being in Czech Republic for the summer is the chance to spend time with other missionaries who live nearby. In June I had the opportunity to go with a friend to visit with some missionaries from her team that are in Krakow, Poland. It is a city that is one of those little gems in Europe that wouldn't necessarily be your first pick of places to travel but it should be!
 It is great to be able to encourage one another and experience another culture.

 <-- Seems that I might as well embrace the culture that  surrounds me ;)

To see more photos of my adventures click here!

Celebrate Birthdays!

July is a BIG birthday month for a lot of my friends and so we had a number of birthday parties. Including my own :)

Though it looks like a giant
hamburger it is actually a cake!

Experience Czech Culture

One of the things Czechs love to do here is visit "the nature." Getting out of the city and going to a park, a cabin in the woods or a lake in the bush. There are number of man-made lakes near Prague and I was blessed by those with a car to be invited a long to enjoy the beach life. I think it is one of the things I miss about not being in Canada is having a lake nearby.

 

 Nothing like going to a beach that is surrounded by corn and wheat fields on one side and a forest on the other!

Go Hiking...

...is also another thing that is fun to do and Czech Republic is FULL of places to go and explore "the nature"

We went to an area called Český ráj and explored some castle ruins. Český ráj means Czech Paradise. Very good name for it!

It was a lot like being back in Canada, save for the castle ruins it was very much like travelling the hiking trails at home. A great time of fellowship with friends and seeing another part of this beautiful country I live in.

 

 

 

 

Serving Others

Something so small and yet so big! I made the "sacrifice" of being responsible for house sitting for a friend and fellow co-worker, as she and her family went back to the States for the summer. One of the major perks of watching their large and wonderful apartment was caring for their beautiful English Cream Retriever, Riah.

I miss having a dog around and have been blessed to care for Riah this summer.

 

What is Coming Up?

New People are Coming!

This year our TeachBeyond team will be growing and welcoming some new members that will be teaching in some of the National Schools. Our little team of 5 will more than double to 13! We are excited to welcome new team mates that will be coming this August. I will be helping with orientation and assisting our new members with adjusting to Prague, Czech life.

School is Coming!

It has been a great summer so far and with August comes getting ready for the school year. Many have started to ask what my class looks like for this year. I have heard rumblings that I may have a class of 5 students, although the lovely admissions lady told me to come back and ask her in August! 

My prayer is for at least a class of 10 grade one and two students, so we are maybe halfway there!

Pray with us for the upcoming school year. For the new staff that are coming, the staff that will be on home assignment and the needs that we still have for more staff to come.