My Volunteers

Disco Night

I realize that I haven't said much on this website about how much I owe to my helpers. I have one to two helpers for each class(except my adult and High School classes), and each event requires lots of people to make it go smoothly. Sometimes I feel like I am scrambling for help and other times I end up with two much help. Events like this Disco Night, remind me that I couldn't be doing any of this if it wasn't for the helpers.

I think maybe all of you reading this can remember your first dance from sixth or seventh grade. The kids want to dance, but they feel awkward or just plain don't know what to do. So they sit...and wait...and sometimes never dance at all. Well, I planned ahead with Energizers throughout the night and different dance games so that they wouldn't get bored, but I did have some extra songs so that they would have a chance for a break or to dance like they want. I think it would have killed me to try to lead the kids on my own. My helpers at the dance really came through for me. They had such a great energy, and when they were having fun the kids had fun. You'll see from the pictures that we all had a really good time and it was all because of their help.

On Sunday we had some activities at a children's festival in town. This was even more difficult for me, because most of the kids and parents that came through didn't speak English at all. I really tried to speak with people and the children(in Czech and English), but it's always the same situation for me when I try to initiate conversation with people who are not expecting my spotty Czech. They usually give me this "deer in the headlights" look and I have to say, "I'm sorry, my Czech is terrible." Once they recognize that they can understand me if they try, they speak back to me. I think I scared a few small children when they heard me speak English. I guess it would be kind of scary hearing another language for the first time. Some kids and parents did respond very well to me, but these were mostly the people who spoke a little English or had experience speaking in another language. Most of the the time, my helpers had to step in and help, and, oh, did they help. They did so much that sometimes I felt like I wasn't doing anything at all, because they knew what to say and they just went ahead without instruction. They were really fantastic, and I am so thankful for their support.

I can't finish this post without speaking about the faithful helpers that come every week to teach with me. They keep the kids in line, they encourage them as they work, they remind me when I forget something important. I really feel like we are team teaching at times. It has been a challenge for me to learn to work with volunteers. I remember that I only asked a few people to help with the Halloween Party. I should have asked at least 7 if not 10 people. The people that did come felt overworked, and I was still trying to do most of it myself. Over the year I've learned to plan for things that the helpers can do as well as realize I need help in the first place.
Note: I'm experimenting with using Picasa instead of Shutterfly. Just click on the top photo and it should take you to the album. Tell me what you think!

The Need for Community

Later Friday afternoon, I left for Havlíčkův Brod to visit some friends I made when I sang in the prison, oh, but I guess I didn't tell that story on my blog, so maybe I should give some more background. One of the ministers in our presbytery invited me to visit the Easter service in a women's prison. I thought it would be interesting, mostly because I was eager to spend some more time with his family, but also because I was curious about the life in the prison. So, he then invited me to sing and play my flute, which seemed like a natural question to me. I didn't realize, however, that there was a whole group of youth that provided music. We had two guitars several singers a violin, trumpet, and flute! Quite a lot compared with most services I've been to in our denomination. The service turned out to be abnormal, with lots of disrespectful women speaking during the sermon, songs, and even prayers. They told me afterwards that normally the woman show lots of respect and deeply appreciate the service, however, there was a recent flux of gypsies or, to be politically correct, Romani people in the prison. I thought it was interesting when they said this, because previously I had observed how the women in the prison had significantly darker skin than the Czechs that I see on a normal basis. It is incorrect to say that the Roma are disrespectful, they just have a different culture and other priorities or, rather, perspectives about life. You might say that I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, but I think there were many issues that could have lead them to feel free to talk and make what normal church goers would call a "ruckus" during the worship. It didn't bother me much; I just prayed that they would still hear the message so that maybe it would stick around inside their brain for later thought. Anyway, I don't know any Romani people personally. I only know about them through other Czechs, so at this point I don't feel like a good source for information about this cultural conflict. I've just been told that they came from Slovakia years ago and took over the towns that were left empty after the Germans were kicked out in the aftermath of the second world war. Knowing the cultural differences between the Czechs and Slovaks(Slovaks have a much more relaxed way of life than the Czechs), I can only imagine that the barrier would be even greater with a nation of people who seem relaxed to the Slovaks. I don't know if I will ever discover more about this issue, because there are not many Roma in this area. Well, at least this experience introduced me to the subject.

Getting back to the story, many of the youth from this worship service were from a congregation in Havlíčkův Brod(and nearby village Horní Krupá). I had a nice conversation with the pastor, David, and he invited me to one of their youth meetings. So this Friday was the long awaited youth meeting. Oh, I had a great time there. David prepared a Bible Study in Czech and English, and I greatly enjoyed the feeling of community in their youth. It actually holds true with our church as a whole, The Evangelic Church of Czech Brethren, which has a relationship with the Presbyterian Church(USA). There are always some jokes at presbytery gatherings about half of the group being related, but that's just it. This denomination is like one big family. I find myself calling it "our church," rather than "our denomination." This has been true for centuries though, because of their prosecution by the Catholics. Everyone in our church feels connected in a special way. I would say I know more people from our Presbytery/Synod in CZ, then I ever did in my Presbytery in OK or WI. I've been to several youth gatherings planned for our presbytery, as well as singing with Vocatus as I mentioned in an earlier post, and, although the number is small, the faith and feeling of community is great.

You know it seems to me that some Czechs don't even care about whether God exists, let alone care about the differences between religions and denominations. I hesitate to even call them Atheists, because then they would be taking a position as to say there is no God, but instead many people, just don't think about it. They "believe in people" as they say. And yet, there are the extreme opposites from these people, who feel rooted in the church, and these people are different from normal Czechs. Their faith and differences from the other Czechs bind them together in their small denomination, kind of in the way that all Czech people feel bound together, the small Czech people in the small country. Their faith is at the center of who they are. They may seem lukewarm to the "Red hot Evangelical," but their roots go deep and their devotion is true. They just don't go around shouting about their faith, because just walking the walk does enough to say, "This is the way I have chosen, and I am satisfied. Choose how you may."

Majáles

On Friday morning I got up for the parade of the annual spring festival in Czech schools called Majáles(May festival). Each class from the High School creates a costume and there's a competition for the best one. I dressed up with one of my English classes and they ended up winning for their "mask" of trash. The Mayor, our judge, said that it was very ecological, however, we seemed to be dropping more and more trash on the street. Everyone had a good time though. After the parade, different groups from the town presented entertainment in the square while more high school students had games for the smaller kids. What a fun morning!

Multicultural God

I sang with a great Early Music choir last weekend. All of the people are from villages or cities within our region of CZ and they belong to our denomination. I knew a few of them before hand, but there were many new people who I didn't know and who don't speak English. Originally they asked me to sing some solos and said that I could sing with the choir too, if I wanted. Then when I said I wouldn't want to sing with the choir, because I thought it would be too much, the guy I was writing with misunderstood me(or pretended to misunderstand), and said he was happy that I wanted to sing with the choir too and sent me the music. I'm so happy for the misunderstanding, because it was sooooo good for me, my Czech, my soul, and my voice. I only regret that I didn't understand the whole theme of the concert until afterwards, when I was putting together the recording I had made. I sort of realized that some pieces had an Easter theme, but I didn't realize the whole program did, too. I was having this conversation with one man about why they sing most of their pieces and chorales translated into Czech, and he said it is because the texts are so important to them. I slowly but surely began to understand the texts, and suddenly I realized how much this really was a part of their worship. They weren't just there because they wanted to sing Early Music, but because this is how they worship.

I think it's so difficult to worship in a foreign language. Even in Latin, I feel like the meaning isn't as strong to me. And yet, as I become more and more familiar with the usages and the meanings of certain Czech words, I feel the beauty of worshiping in a foreign language, experiencing yet another way to worship our Lord. How Amazing is a Multicultural God, who loves to watch each of us worship in our own way and in our own language! And even more so, as the master teacher, I'm sure He takes joy in watching us worship in ways that are new to us and languages that are new to us, so that we might grow closer to our fellow brothers and sisters and so that we might find him in this place.

Listen

April Fool's Night

I've put together a short video with clips and pictures from our variety show in the church a week ago. Each of the classes contributed in some way and so did many of the families from the congregation. I had a blast, and I was so happy with the way things turned out. Lots of people came, and we had a lot of fun. Before the end of the show, we invited the students and parents upstairs for some dinner, and then we finished the show upstairs. As Pastor Jan said in his closing words, laughter is necessary for our lives. It was good for our souls, and it brought people together.

The process

If you are interested in more pictures of us decorating Easter Eggs, check out My Photos (password:policka)

Keeping Traditions

I’m sorry I’ve had writers block lately. I’ve had some allergy problems with all of the new plants blooming around me, so I don’t quite feel like writing. I do want to make a quick note though.

Easter is a little different here. Palm Sunday had no palms in church and Easter Sunday will have no trumpets, but I think trumpets would be really strange in this church. I’m now realizing how much the text of the music we sing at Easter means to me, because I almost feel like I didn’t have a time of Lent. Today we painted eggs, but this is the first “Easter” activity I feel like I’ve participated in. I will experience more Czech traditions in the next few days. For most Czechs, Easter happens on Monday with a strange tradition where men come around and hit women with a braided rope-like stick, and then the women give the men the painted eggs they have prepared. I have been dreading this day, but I think it will pass smoother than I think. This Monday custom poses a problem when I talk about Easter with the kids in the classes. They all think Easter happens on Monday and many of them don’t see it as a religious holiday. I’m working with most of them on activities for our April Fool’s Night, so I only talked about Easter in two classes.

I think my lessons reflect how Easter hasn’t been on my mind. It’s different when I’m watching movies and not TV, and I’m listening to CDs and not the radio. Advertisements are not flashing as reminders everywhere I look. My mother and sister have been very kind to send me candy and other Easter reminders. I realize I’ve been very passive in my past Easter holidays, letting others create the holiday for me. So now, here I am in another culture, and if I want this holiday, I have to be more active and celebrate it. So the music I’m playing tomorrow sounds as joyful as I have music to be. I had my Bible with me for the Good Friday service last night, and tomorrow I will have to read more scripture still, if I want to truly remind myself. I’ll call my family, and I’ll share my candy. I have no white shoes, but I will wear my best dress that I brought. I know we will have an Easter Egg hunt, and maybe there is even more in store for me, as I rediscover this holiday through the eyes of the Czechs. More to come after Easter Monday.

note: The big white egg is the Ostridge egg I got in our Dirty Santa game at Christmas:-)
note 2: As strange as things may seem, we do have daffodils and beautiful blooming flowers. Nothing as strange as a white Easter in Oklahoma.