Yesterday, June 29, 2008, we had a Big House meeting for the upcoming camp. Although it was a required meeting, 3 of our workers didn't show. 2 are in a band and they had a concert or whatever that day in a different city (our meeting was in Zavadka nad Hronom, where the Baldis', Martin and Eli, as well as their workers for camp live.). The other one found out the day before that her family would be traveling and she couldn't make it. Too bad; Kelly had some wonderful things to share about being a servant. I think that has been one of his heart's cries since I've known him; to be a servant. Like the older Christian "contemporary"song says, "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be a servant of all." There is another meeting for our part of the team next Monday; they all must show for that one, or else!
While at the meeting yesterday, I was struck anew with how... rude some of "our" students can be. We make all sorts of excuses, too. "Oh, she's a newer believer," or "She's an only child," or "They don't see each other so often." as if those are valid reasons for people talking while someone else has the floor. Last week, one of the guys (who was missing yesterday) couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut and comments to himself. I did get on his case a bit, but he needs to be brought down a notch or two, in my opinion. Seems that with his band, which is a Christian band, getting more popular, he's getting a bit of a prideful attitude, like he doesn't need to pay attention; he doesn't need to listen. The gal who wasn't listening yesterday is one of those who cuts off people as they are answering her questions, waving her hand as if she knows what is about to be said. She was asserting a certain idea, but it wasn't until Eli, who could be a bit more forceful in her language, emphasised one point that this gal finally understood. She asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me this?" To which we all, in shock, asked each other, "Are you kidding me? We've been saying this from day one!" Listen.
I fear that too many people, when they are "listening" are so busy formulating what they will say next that they don't really listen. They hear the words coming out of the speaker's mouth, but they aren't comprehending them; they aren't listening. I remember back when I was in college, one of our exercises was in active listening; hearing what someone was saying, asking questions to clairfy, and not thinking about a response or rebuttal; just listening to them.
I know that I am not perfect in this area. I do think, however, that I am a good listener. Maybe it is because I need to listen so closely when someone is speaking to me in Slovak, so that I understand. I hope that by the end of camp, that our student-workers have a better understanding of listening, and are better able to practice it.
Have you listened today? To whom or to what? Listen, it's a good thing to do!
And those are my thoughts on that!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Of Slovak weddings...
Yesterday, June 21, Kelly, Nathan and I.. and a bunch of other people.. attended the wedding of Eli and Martin. Let me tell you, this has been one of those "stories" of which Samwise may have spoken! Their romance was a perfect picture of waiting.. and waiting.. and waiting. When Eli arrived in Banska Bystrica for college about 5 years ago, the guys in the M+ youth group went ga ga over her. She is petitie, very cute, has an electric smile and a voice that takes you to heaven when she sings. She was also on a "man fast"; she wasn't going to date anyone, ANYONE, for 2 years. When that becamse puplic knowledge, which took all of 1 day given the rapid transmission of such information, the guys backed off, and started to count the days. It's funny how many knew when that fast ended! When it did, Martin, who'd been admiring Eli for months, if not years, sort of got in line. He did ask her out,only to find out that one of his friends, Tomas, had already asked her out, but that she'd extended her fast... and didn't let anyone know the expiration date! Martin waited. He'd told Kelly that God had told him that Eli was the woman he was going to marry. Kelly just smiled and wondered, 'How do I talk to him about that one!?" They finally started dating, not before she refused him more than once (to go out with him, that is) but his persistence, patience and kindness, not to mention his maturing character, won her over. Sweet love story. Then they got engaged... 2 YEARS AGO!! They've waited for both of them to graduate to marry. That was a wise decision, but I'd NEVER counsel someone to be engaged for 2 years. Know that you'll get married, then get engaged say, oh, 6-9 months before the planned wedding date. 2 years!!
Kelly and I did the premarital counseling, which was fun and very eye opening. In the US, the woman goes to "THE" doctor a few months before the wedding, not just to get some contraceptive item, but to make sure that everything is fine. Not so here. I was so shocked!! As a nurse, I was a litle concerned with one of our conversations,her seeming cluelessness (and she is 24 years old) and had to pull out one of my nursing books to explain some stuff. That's when the Slovak-English dictionary, a Slovnik, sure came in handy! I don't use some of those words on a daily basis, after all ; ) But all in all, they seem to be as prepared as any couple can be.
Back to the wedding. It was a very nice "sobas" which is the ceremony. Then, we went to the reception, which was nice as well, and it had an ending time! The last one we atended was for Milan and Jana in May and when we left at 11:30 PM and the party was just getting started. But Martin and Eli wanted to have an early evening. Here is where it gets rather weird, from my American viewpoint. They both were ready to leave; they were getting tired, it had been a long day, Kelly and I, as a gift, paid for a night at a really nice place to where they wanted to go now, but they couldn't leave. The tradiation here, where the wedding is way too much for the parents of the bridal couple than for the newlyweds themselves, they couldn't leave until the offical host of the reception left, who happened to be an elder aunt of Eli's. When I found that out, know what my response was? "You've got to be kidding me!" No wonder some virigin couples wait until the next night to consumate their marriage; they're so wiped out waiting for some old person to leave.
The lesson here? As a parent whose gorgeous oldest daughter is soon to wed, BUTT OUT!! Let them plan the wedding, since it is THEIR WEDDING, not mine. It is their day, not mine. It is the beginning of their new life together, not mine. I am so thankful that my parents, for the most part, let us plan our wedding. There are 2 more weddings in the next month, so we'll see how those go!
And those are this Mom's thought on that! ; )
Kelly and I did the premarital counseling, which was fun and very eye opening. In the US, the woman goes to "THE" doctor a few months before the wedding, not just to get some contraceptive item, but to make sure that everything is fine. Not so here. I was so shocked!! As a nurse, I was a litle concerned with one of our conversations,her seeming cluelessness (and she is 24 years old) and had to pull out one of my nursing books to explain some stuff. That's when the Slovak-English dictionary, a Slovnik, sure came in handy! I don't use some of those words on a daily basis, after all ; ) But all in all, they seem to be as prepared as any couple can be.
Back to the wedding. It was a very nice "sobas" which is the ceremony. Then, we went to the reception, which was nice as well, and it had an ending time! The last one we atended was for Milan and Jana in May and when we left at 11:30 PM and the party was just getting started. But Martin and Eli wanted to have an early evening. Here is where it gets rather weird, from my American viewpoint. They both were ready to leave; they were getting tired, it had been a long day, Kelly and I, as a gift, paid for a night at a really nice place to where they wanted to go now, but they couldn't leave. The tradiation here, where the wedding is way too much for the parents of the bridal couple than for the newlyweds themselves, they couldn't leave until the offical host of the reception left, who happened to be an elder aunt of Eli's. When I found that out, know what my response was? "You've got to be kidding me!" No wonder some virigin couples wait until the next night to consumate their marriage; they're so wiped out waiting for some old person to leave.
The lesson here? As a parent whose gorgeous oldest daughter is soon to wed, BUTT OUT!! Let them plan the wedding, since it is THEIR WEDDING, not mine. It is their day, not mine. It is the beginning of their new life together, not mine. I am so thankful that my parents, for the most part, let us plan our wedding. There are 2 more weddings in the next month, so we'll see how those go!
And those are this Mom's thought on that! ; )
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Getting ready...
Hannah leaves in less than 3 weeks. Unbelievable! She will be spending most of the summer in Loyalton, California with my parents. For the most part, she's looking forward to it. But since she is semi-addicted to working out at a gym, and there isn't one in Loyalton, she's wondering what to do! During the summer, she'll also go to Arizona to help her sister pack up and move to Tucson, and to Colorado for a re-entry seminar.
I just got off the phone with a gal from San Diego Christian College, just checking to be sure that all the documents that they need for Hannah have been received... and none of them made it! Lost in cyber-space, stuff sent in early April!! SO, I re-sent them all (since they originally said that email attachments are fine) and just found out that they made it this time. Glad I called! Hannah has finished all her studies and did really well. In fact, she pulled all A's and no, that isn't because she has an easy teacher! She is graded on percentage, like in a normal school. But, she was motivated to get done early and she did. Now she has the task of packing up her life here and moving, decided what to take now, what to have me bring with me in August when I go to the US to help her get settled into school, what to have Nathan and Kelly bring with them when they go to the US for Candace's wedding, and what she can leave to take back with her at Christmas, since she, CJ and Jen will be coming home for Christmas. It is odd to think that in a few weeks, she'll be gone, never to live with us here again. Sad...
Before she goes, she has her final piano recital, Friday, May 23. Her teacher is quite excited to showcase Hannah's talent. If she wanted to, I know that she could get a music scholarship; she's that good. This will also be her teachers final recital, since she is going to fully retire, and since she is 80-years-old, I think she's ready! Hannah is playing a number of songs, and one is by Rachmaninov, a song which her teacher has only given to 2 other students in her 60+ year career. We will be taping her concert and putting some of it on youtube, I think, to share her with all who can't come. Today we made 20 more copies of invitations for the concert/recital, and so it looks to be a full house... her teacher has already taken 25 of the original 40 invitations.
The Sunday after the recital, the Sunday before she leaves (that sad day is May 27), we are having a going away party for all her friends. I think I'll have to enlist Em's help in baking!
So much to do, so little time. I love being a Mom and this is what is on my mind...
I just got off the phone with a gal from San Diego Christian College, just checking to be sure that all the documents that they need for Hannah have been received... and none of them made it! Lost in cyber-space, stuff sent in early April!! SO, I re-sent them all (since they originally said that email attachments are fine) and just found out that they made it this time. Glad I called! Hannah has finished all her studies and did really well. In fact, she pulled all A's and no, that isn't because she has an easy teacher! She is graded on percentage, like in a normal school. But, she was motivated to get done early and she did. Now she has the task of packing up her life here and moving, decided what to take now, what to have me bring with me in August when I go to the US to help her get settled into school, what to have Nathan and Kelly bring with them when they go to the US for Candace's wedding, and what she can leave to take back with her at Christmas, since she, CJ and Jen will be coming home for Christmas. It is odd to think that in a few weeks, she'll be gone, never to live with us here again. Sad...
Before she goes, she has her final piano recital, Friday, May 23. Her teacher is quite excited to showcase Hannah's talent. If she wanted to, I know that she could get a music scholarship; she's that good. This will also be her teachers final recital, since she is going to fully retire, and since she is 80-years-old, I think she's ready! Hannah is playing a number of songs, and one is by Rachmaninov, a song which her teacher has only given to 2 other students in her 60+ year career. We will be taping her concert and putting some of it on youtube, I think, to share her with all who can't come. Today we made 20 more copies of invitations for the concert/recital, and so it looks to be a full house... her teacher has already taken 25 of the original 40 invitations.
The Sunday after the recital, the Sunday before she leaves (that sad day is May 27), we are having a going away party for all her friends. I think I'll have to enlist Em's help in baking!
So much to do, so little time. I love being a Mom and this is what is on my mind...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tragic
I read an article yesteday in the news about a teenaged girl you died from surgical complications. Any time that anyone dies, it is sad, but when it is someone who is young and seemingly healthy, and for no apparent reason, it is tragic. When I read this article, a few thinks triggered my thoughts. Why would a teenager have breast enlargement surgery? What surgeon in his or her right mind would do such a thing? What sort of parents would pay for such an operation for their teen?
I know that a lot of people who are way too young have cosmetic surgery. Notice, it is cosmetic. It isn't something that is needed to prolong life, really. It is usually to fix something that really isn't broken in the first place, but society, media, friends, whoever says that it needs to be fixed. Common one is the nose. Why do so many people think that their nose should look like someone else's? And who's to say that the nose they get is really an improvement? Look at Michael Jackson or Jennifer Grey. I"ve heard of cases in which a girl gets her nose done at 16 or so, only to have her face finish growing and her nose be way too small and really odd looking by the time she is 20!
But back to the poor gal I started with. What is so terrible about having normal-sized breasts? And what would have been wrong with waiting until she was an adult in reality , not just 18 and legally one, to have such a procedure? I guess she never really planned to use her mammaries to feed her children. But then I don't think she planned to die, either. What a senseless tragedy! The one odd statement in the article, however, that really caught in my craw was this. ""Teenagers are getting these surgeries done earlier and earlier, and the fear is that if they get them too early, it might not be indicated." I ask, aside from a few instances, when is something like this really indicated?
Guess that's all for now.
I know that a lot of people who are way too young have cosmetic surgery. Notice, it is cosmetic. It isn't something that is needed to prolong life, really. It is usually to fix something that really isn't broken in the first place, but society, media, friends, whoever says that it needs to be fixed. Common one is the nose. Why do so many people think that their nose should look like someone else's? And who's to say that the nose they get is really an improvement? Look at Michael Jackson or Jennifer Grey. I"ve heard of cases in which a girl gets her nose done at 16 or so, only to have her face finish growing and her nose be way too small and really odd looking by the time she is 20!
But back to the poor gal I started with. What is so terrible about having normal-sized breasts? And what would have been wrong with waiting until she was an adult in reality , not just 18 and legally one, to have such a procedure? I guess she never really planned to use her mammaries to feed her children. But then I don't think she planned to die, either. What a senseless tragedy! The one odd statement in the article, however, that really caught in my craw was this. ""Teenagers are getting these surgeries done earlier and earlier, and the fear is that if they get them too early, it might not be indicated." I ask, aside from a few instances, when is something like this really indicated?
Guess that's all for now.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Yad Vashem
Yesterday, I returned from Israel. What an amazing trip! I was a bit disappointed at one point, since I did not get to see much of Jerusalem; change in program of which I was unaware. So no temple, no Mount of Olives, no Gethsemane. But, I did get to see Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. It is really hard to put into words how this place impacts one; impacted me. I wish that we'd have more than 2 hours! There was so much to see, hear and read. And to think, that even with all of this evidence, and not just personal testimony of those who endured the pain and suffering at the hand of the Nazis, that there are people in the world who deny that it ever happened!
I wonder, would I have been one of those righteous gentiles who hid and helped Jews during that time? I think I would have been; pray that I would have been. Am I one now? Ony by the grace of God!
At one point, there is a tribute to the 1.5 million children who were murdered. This site has 5 candles, lit perpetually, and mirrors, all in a darkened room. The reflection of these candles makes it seem as if there are really millions of candles; like stars in the dark sky. These lights sort of represent those children who died as well as their children who could never be born; light extinguished way before their time. Truly an amazing sight!
So that it never happens again....
I wonder, would I have been one of those righteous gentiles who hid and helped Jews during that time? I think I would have been; pray that I would have been. Am I one now? Ony by the grace of God!
At one point, there is a tribute to the 1.5 million children who were murdered. This site has 5 candles, lit perpetually, and mirrors, all in a darkened room. The reflection of these candles makes it seem as if there are really millions of candles; like stars in the dark sky. These lights sort of represent those children who died as well as their children who could never be born; light extinguished way before their time. Truly an amazing sight!
So that it never happens again....
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