Teaching Teachers

Every year, our English department offers to teach English lessons to teachers who would like to learn. It is not a part of our duties, but is a way for us to minister to and build relationships with our Slovak colleagues. I try to encourage new teachers to be a part of this ministry as it is a great way to feel connected and involved.

This year, we had an overwhelming number of teachers ask for lessons. And due to circumstances, I found that I was the teacher who could teach most of them. At first, I wasn't too pleased as it added an extra 3 or 4 hours to my already full week and I wanted to encourage the new teachers to build relationships. But I have learned that God's plans are bigger and better. Teaching teachers is the highlight of my week. It has opened up topics of conversations that I would never have had otherwise. I have been able to share my faith as well as sharing teaching ideas and strategies. Friendships have been formed through shared laughter and learning. It is amazing to see these teachers struggling to speak, understand and improve their English. And it is humbling to see how something native and simple for me is worth struggling for.

In January, we went out for Sushi, a not so common food choice here, as it came up in one of our lessons. The teachers all spoke in English as we tried to figure out what to order and shared everything that we did order. We are planning to go out for pizza this month. Please pray with me that God will provide opportunities for sharing my faith as well as my native tongue with these wonderful women.

Teachers I teach - Petra, Katka, Dana, Dominika, Dasa, Miska, Valeria and Milina

Modlit sa Mondays

One of the most amazing things about the English department at Narnia is that the majority of the teachers are Christians. Strong, Christ-following women who want to serve God by serving the children of Slovakia. Wonderful women I am proud to call my friends, colleagues and fellow soldiers. And we have felt like soldiers this year. The persecution and attacks from the enemy came strong and fast at the beginning of the year. I came home several times and would ask my roommates to pray with me about one situation or another. And then, God poked me. With all these amazing women, why aren't we praying together.

And so, I mentioned one Monday, that I would like to invite anyone who wanted to come, to join me after school and pray. I committed to being there every Monday, even if I was praying by myself. And each week, teachers have come. We don't spend a long time, but we pray.

One of our colleagues, who I am unsure if she has a relationship with Christ, although she regularly attends church, comes to our prayer meetings. She doesn't say much or pray aloud, but she comes faithfully. I am hopeful that she sees in us, something different, something new, something she wants.

The lady who cleans our school. Last year, I was regularly berated in Slovak for any windows left open in my department, for trash on the floor and chairs not put up on desks. I felt that she hated me and I cringed every time I saw her coming near. In our second month of praying together, I invited her to join us, as I know she is a powerful prayer warrior. She came. And now she is holding us accountable to pray on Mondays. She prays passionately. She prays constantly. And she has changed towards me. She now greats me with smiles and hugs. We converse all in Slovak, but her patience with my fumblings has soared. It is a beautiful thing to be a part of on Mondays as prayers are said in Slovak and English. No translation required.

My Girls

In my 6th grade class, there are 15 boys and 9 girls. The boys are loud, wild, crazy, fun-loving and did I mention, LOUD. There presence alone demands that everyone pay attention to them. They always have a comment to make, a cause to fight for or an action to defend. The girls are not quiet, sweet and timid, they are just overshadowed by the boys. While they are twelve and thirteen, they are not that into all that "girly" stuff. They have discovered makeup, but not short skirts, heels and revealing shirts. I often feel unsure of how to reach them, how to connect. But recently we had a break-through. Somehow, we started talking about having a special "girls time" and next thing I knew, I was hosting a girls sleepover at my house. We had a blast. There was pizza and karaoke, games and movies, massages and snacks, sleeping bags and sleepy faces. In the morning, we topped it all off with pancakes and frisbee. To me, it seemed like this would just be a good time of bonding and connecting with my girls. Little did I know that it would lead to so much more.

All students have a course called "občianska náuka." As best as I can translate it, it is Civics or Ethics. I got roped into teaching it and have struggled with finding subjects and good material. Until the sleepover. Then came the fabulous idea to divide the class into groups by gender for a month or so. So now, each Thursday, I meet with the 9 girls from our class.

Because we are divided by gender, it gives me a chance to open up and talk about sensitive issues. We started out simply talking about things such as hair care and proper dental hygiene. We are moving into more embarrassing topics such as how our bodies develop and change. And while some have laughingly asked to go and join the boys, they are listening, asking good questions and participating, even though it is uncomfortable.

My goal is to open up some more difficult topics in the future, such as eating disorders (a huge problem here in Slovakia), sexual purity and self image. Please pray with me that the girls would have open hearts and ears and that I would have the right words to say.

My girls - Ema Z, Ema R, Martina, Justi, Tina, Dorota, Lucia, Ronja and Zuzana

An Unwritten Life

An Unwritten Life.

A phrase I am borrowing from a movie. In it, the character asks to be released from his brother's plans and dreams for his life. To be released from the script that he feels he is constantly living in, trying to live up to someone else's ideals. To have an unwritten life.

Now as an adventurer, traveler, full of wander-lust, this feels like the perfect phrase for me. I want to be released from the expectations of others. Not tied down to a place or a job or a cause. To be free to live in the moment. Unwritten.

But as a Christian, Christ-follower and go-er into the world, I wonder if this can be. God clearly states in his word that "I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future," and "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." So, how can I long for this unwritten life deep within my soul, and still know that God knows all my days. Faith, hope and love. My mantra, my motto for life. Faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen - or in my case, unwritten. Hope, that the God who knows me better than anyone can know the desire of my heart and fulfill it. Love for the life I have and willingness to trust that whatever God has planned, written for my life, is because he loves me best.

I am not sure how clear this all is... but these are my thoughts. Written.