My Bubbling Teapot

I met him four years ago. This quiet, shrunken, grizzly man appeared at our door to tune our piano. Silently, he worked for several hours. He didn't talk more than he had to, but neither did we since we could hardly communicate in Polish. This morning, he appeared again. Same man, same enormous glasses dangling by a string, same bags of interesting instruments to clean our piano and same slippers that he changed into at the door and shuffled to the living room. Today he was here four hours. Again, he silently began his work. "Prosze, Pani!" he said one time and motioned me to the keyboard. There littered under the keys were layers of dust as well as a few treasures that had managed to squeeze between the keys. "Wiedzisz (you see)???" he said as he gravely shook his head. "How many years ago did I work on this piano? Six or seven?" I assured him that it had only been four. "Too long!" he continued. "You must have it cleaned every year!...

I am beginning to feel more like myself. It feels like I'm finally finding my place here in Poland after being gone for two and one half months. That's a long time to be away from home. It's long enough to feel a disconnect with what was happening here. When I returned, it was hard to know what to do first...where I belonged...what events to talk about...how to enter into conversations about the summer... After all, when you are gone you just miss out on some things. That's life! My heart warmed when my Polish friends contacted me the first week we were home. I remember one friend coming to visit me and saying, "It's so good to sit in Laura's house again. We missed you." And "this candle smells so familiar. It reminds me of the times I spent in Laura's house." Yes, those comments made me feel that I will never quite be deleted from my friends' memory, that I do have a place in their hearts. It was comforting to realize that I had frie...

My heart goes out in deep sympathy to the families of the five children that were killed in the village of Nickel Mine. I know what it is to grieve for five children and I think that a situation such as this would be especially painful and tramautic. Is there healing? How can one imagine the trauma and fear of the remaining children of this Amish school? I can't imagine the road they must walk through this valley of grief. I read that the teacher of this school said, "Me and the children need each other." So true! It is being together, facing the future together that they will begin to find healing. It brought back starkly the deep grief that my brother and his wife faced (Can it be???!!!) now almost one year ago. When we visited them this summer, there were so many emotions for me to face once again. It was important for me to see them going on with their life, seeing them laughing and talking , crying with them again, and taking time to go see the five small gravestones...

I was just thinking today about what I would ever do without the help of my children. They wash and dry my dishes...they hang up and fold most of my laundry...they sweep my floors...run countless errands...yes, they are the biggest help to me. They can never know how much I appreciate it. Why, just today, I discovered in the afternoon (that is completely another story!!!) that I was going to have supper guests. After my moment of panic, I set about organizing. With some of their help, the floors were swept, the cabbage grated, the laundry folded, the bars baked, the table set, and the living room presentable when the guests walked in the door. What a blessing!!! Five years ago I could have never gotten that accomplished!!! Thanks, children! I don't tell you enough how much I appreciate you. And I'll try to remember it even when the clean clothes are in piles on my bedroom floor, the dishtowels are strewn over the floor, and I stub my toe on the sweeper that hasn't been put...

My dearest of husbands left yesterday to spend the week touring Poland with "Hope Singers 2006", a group of 25 singers directed by Lloyd Kauffman. They are giving programs in many different evangelical churches throughout the country. I heard them on Friday night for the first time and totally enjoyed their program. Why is it that it isn't until your husband leaves you for a few days that you realize how much you love him, miss him, and can't function without him. I mean the house seems to echo his absence!!! And I can't understand. I mean, my children hardly ever get sick. I can count on one hand the times they have been seriously ill in the last five years. Well, early yesterday morning soon before John left, Derek started throwing up. He was so sick all day. All I got done was rubbing his back, reading to him, making him more comfortable, and trying to get him to drink. My!!! What a day. And, of course, John was nowhere around. It was one of the longest days of...

Yes, we're home...nearly a week now, in fact...but our stuff from our some of our suitcases still lies in stacks around us...the laundry from the trip is still drying on the lines...demands on our time are great...corn just harvested...tomatoes rotting in tubs...many unpredictables...school to be started...a choir to care about...legal matters to pursue...so just breathe a little prayer for us right now...and we're still so tired from jetlag...discouragement threatens...hoping to survive this month...

Not long ago, John asked me, “Is there anything you would like to do yet before we go back to Poland?” I thought for a little and said, “You know it would be so lovely if just you and I could spend a little time together alone.” Our trip has been wonderful in every way, although privacy is limited. Our family lives in a small apartment with room dividers, so snores can easily be heard from our sons’ rooms. After hours, John and I whisper and turn lights our early so we don’t disturb the children. So, maybe that is why I was thinking of a nice little getaway for just the two of us. We had been talking about our anniversary that is coming up soon on August 4. We had decided together that we would just go out for a nice dinner and enjoy the evening together. I continually talked about the restaurants that might be possibilities for our evening date. And then later, we were going to take a family trip for two nights close to Astoria. This, we had decided, would be how we would celebrate. B...

I have a question for you. I have been pondering this all month. Do missionaries get spoiled when they come on furlough? I was just reading the verse in Matthew where Jesus said that “to be first in the kingdom of God, you must be last and a servant to all.” That spoke to me. When I come to America, I feel so much like I’m the one being served all the time. When we set our feet on American soil, it’s like putting your feet up in a recliner for two months. I’ve noticed that everyone is at your beck and call. I have a bad habit of saying things without thinking, like, “Oh, wouldn’t I love to have this,” or “Wouldn’t this be something useful,” or “We can’t get this in Poland” or “Wow! I forgot that I missed malted milk balls” when I’m shopping with my family and friends and next thing I know these things are mysteriously appearing on our door step. I probably have a better collection of CD’s, books, peanut butter, chocolate chips, bubble bath, and Bath and Body Works lotion in Poland tha...

The top two questions that people have asked us in the past month has been: 1. How does it feel to be home again? 2. What is it like over there in Poland? The first question makes a knife turn in my heart. It makes me remember that I’m not even sure where my home really is. I love being here with family and friends, and being in my home state, but at the same time I have the horrible feeling of tears blurring my vision because I’m missing my home and friends in Poland. The second question makes me want to answer “Duh, it’s just like here,” but I know that would be a very rude answer, so I politely tell them about the climate, the land, and the people. Americans seem surprised that we can grow gardens just like here. They seem surprised that a lot of people have cars. They seem surprised that we have apples and cherries and strawberries and blueberries just like Oregon. I’m not sure where they think we live. Maybe the tropics or Antartica??? (and please, if you were one of the questio...

Our time right now is filled to the brim with: 1. Getting our house and garden ready to be gone for two months. 2. Buying wedding gifts and sewing wedding clothes. 3. Heaping "to take on furlough" things in a corner. 4. Making a photo album to show our friends in America. 5. Sorting through digital pictures of our work here to find the 100 that everyone will want to see on the slide show. 6. Preparing a table, brochures, and other items for our presentations. 7. Finishing up our first school year at Gateway to English. 8. Getting a "safari" made that will cover the school walls for the summer children's English lessons. 9. Brainstorming about what the summer lessons will include and worrying that everything will go smoothly. 10. Spending time in Warsaw with our yearly legal paperwork. Every year there are new wrinkles. 11. Having one precious afternoon and evening for just John and I (Thanks to Lavern and Lolita, our fellow Americans here). 12. Meeting with fri...

Discouragement threatened to overwhelm me. Sunday after Sunday, the empty church chairs seemed to mock us. Were there no searching hearts in this country? This particular Saturday, I was feeling especially blue. Maybe we shouldn't even be here in Poland , I thought bitterly. I sighed. "God," I prayed, "could you please just fill our chairs tomorrow morning at church." Is that too much to ask? I thought to myself. After all, who else would come? When was the last time our church room was full? The next morning, sitting in church, I thought, It seems full this morning. Then I blinked my eyes in surprise. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? I looked around. All but ONE very front chair in the whole room had a person sitting on it. "Thank you, God," I prayed. Such a small request, a small answer, but how it strengthened my faith. What a great God I serve. He even cares about our empty church chairs.

I couldn't believe my eyes! But that's what the sign said. "No achohol will be sold in this store on the days of May 25,26." What's going on here? What are the people in this town going to do if they can't buy beer for two days?! I mean beer is bought here like Coke or some other soft drink. But why? That was my question. Why aren't they selling beer on these two specific days? John asked his tutee and this is what he told him. The pope is coming to Poland on this weekend and all the cities he will be visiting will not sell achohol during the duration of his visit! It feels a little like God is coming to visit this country. I guess our little store in Minsk was just honoring his visit to the country, becausethe pope wasn't planning to stop in our town. But that doesn't stop the achoholics, John's tutee told him. They just stock up the day before for the days that none will be sold in the stores. I heard that Pope Benedict held a mass in Warsaw....

How can I explain how I felt? It was one of those times that my heart sunk to the very tip of my little toe. I was happily sewing my last dress for the summer season, feeling a great feat was about to be accomplished. How I wanted to celebrate after this last seam was finished! With gusto, I pressed the pedal a bit harder. What in the world? The pieces didn't match up. One was a good 6 inches shorter than the other. Did I get the wrong piece? Impossible--this was the last piece to put together!! Maybe I got ahold of the scraps? I looked carefully. I examined it closely. What was the problem. Then I noticed a big, jagged gouge cut right out of the bottom of my skirt!!! Oh, no! Then I turned to look into two guilty eyes. "Mom, I thought that was your scraps. I didn't know it was your dress." Her eyes pleaded me to understand. And really, it was my fault. I always allowed Allison to play sewing with the scraps of material while I sewed. I had lain the skirt on a nearby ...

Recent conversation heard between my two youngest: Derek: Alli, I have a joke for you. If you were going to be executed... Alli: Whhhhat? What's that? Derek: You know, like getting your head chopped off...now, if you were going to be killed which room would you choose? Alli: (from the shower) Whhhhhhhhaaaattttt? Derek: (repeats joke) Alli: Whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaattttt? Derek: Okkkayyy! (sigh) I'll say it one more time (repeats) Alli: Derek, I can't hear you!!!!!! Derek: Alliiiiii, you have your ears covered. Alli: Derek, just wait until I get out of the shower. Ok? Derek: I won't tell it then. Alli: Okkkkayyyyy! Tell me again. Derek: Now, if you were going to be killed which room would you choose? a room with lions that hadn't eaten in three years, a room with a fire, or a room full of soldiers? Alli: uuuuuuhhhhhmmmmmm! None of them!!! Derek: You HAVE to choose one!!! Alli: Ok, I think a room with fire. Derek: Hee! hee! hee! hee! A room with lions that haven't e...

Our small church group here spent this weekend together at a local church retreat. This place is run by a dedicated Christian couple that work hard to give you a wonderful time. We had such a good time connecting and learning to know each other in new ways. One of the purposes of the weekend was to give everyone that attends our church a chance to tell their life story and show how God has worked in their personal lives. This was scary for most of us, but especially those who aren't used to being open about themselves. It was so encouraging. We heard how God protected specifically one man's life during the war and how God pursued him until he was ready to give his whole life to God. A dear sister shared that she was Catholic when she married a Christian man, and it took 13 years before she gave her heart to God. Another sister found that in loneliness God spoke to her and that he was faithful as He was drawing her to himself. A new Christian testified that little details in he...

Since I figured out how to post pictures, I will share some pictures we took of the children for our prayer cards. Meet our family: Allison age 6 Derek age 7 Austin age 11 Conrad age 13

Now, I know you won't understand how estatic I was when I found bags of chocolate chips in my freezer, but it made me quite happy. Poland stores, with their aisles overflowing in European chocolate, don't sell a single chocolate chip. I have tried to use their wonderful chocolate bars and create, you know, "chocolate chunk" recipes. But since it isn't baking chocolate, the chocate runs everywhere in a sticky mess. So, whenever possible I ask friends to bring me chocolate chips from America. When John's nephews came for a visit in February, I sent them a list of things that they could fill their suitcases with if they had room. Of course, I included chocolate chips. I failed to tell them, though, that I was then using my last bag. I was indeed grateful for the two bags they brought, but I realized that it wouldn't last until furlough. So, I began scouring my recipe books for cookie recipes, cakes, and things that don't take chocolate chips. In my opini...

The dear 95 year old believer we met in Ukraine. She was preparing dinner when we arrived, but she had time to tell us all about her life. You would be amazed at the stories she can tell about her life and how God has kept her through the years.

How can we possibly put into words our weekend trip? Another country, another language, a completely different world for us. Wayne and Connie Hursh and family sent us a list of memories. 1. Bumpy Berezyanka Road. All the roads were bumpy, but the one to the Berezyanka village to go to church Sunday morning took the prize. Think roller coaster, think huge potholes, think about driving a truck through a field, think about hills and valleys. Yes, it was really that bad. 2. Visiting Baba Anya, and listening to her inspiring stories. What a dear lady and what a testimony. She is 95 years old, lives by herself in this poor apartment, up five flights of steps, and she can't stop talking about how God has kept her during her life. She has been a church member for 10 years now and a vibrant Christian. She continually thanks God that she can still read the Bible. 3. Mt. Dew from Poland! We blessed Wayne's with a case of Mountain Dew and they were so happy with the luxury. I also stuck...

We are ready for the adventure of the year. We are leaving early Friday morning to head to visit friends in the country of Ukraine for a long weekend. We expect the trip to last 9 hours, and then however long it takes to get through the border. Today, when Conrad was inspecting all the food purchases for the trip, he said, "I can't wait to go. There is so much good food to eat." We are all excited. It will be kind of a extended field trip for the children. So, bon voyage! We will give a report upon return. Pray for us as we go. Driving here in these countries can be hazardous.