"Rocky"

For those of you who have been so kind to remember our experience with Slovakia's state-run medicine, we did choose a soundtrack for our physicals today. Thank you, Meredith Harber, I did choose Rocky's theme song to help get through the process! Thank you, everyone else, for some very good suggestions:

• YMCA (very close contender)
• I Will Survive
• Baby Got Back
• Hey Good Lookin'
• Sunshine on my Shoulders
• Can't Keep it In
• Get Up, Stand Up
• There She Goes
• The Weather is Here, Wish You were Beautiful

And thank you, Vicki Kennedy (resident medical expert) for wonderful advice: " Just smile and wave boys.. smile and wave."

Learn Slovak!

Since our scheduled appointments for the intense language class have been postponed until October, Christina and I have had a lot of time in Bratislava to begin building our vocabulary. We are going to try to teach ourselves by learning new sets of words in our evening computer "study sessions" and then use them as much as possible the next day.

Yes, we are very, very basic right now...and in fact we're learning by way of a new favorite game: Phase 10. Thank goodness my LCM pals taught me how to play last year, because it's definitely becoming the basis for my colors and counting!!

Here's the crash course:
1 - jeden [ye-den]
2 - dva [dva]
3 - tri [tri]
4 - štyri [shti - ri]
5 - päť [petj]
6 - šesť [shestj]
7 - sedem [se - djem]
8 - osem [o - sem]
9 - deväť [dje - vetj]
10 - desať [dje - satj]
11 - jedenásť [yede-na : stj]
12 - dvanásť [dva - na : stj]

black - čierny [tchier - na]
blue - modrý [mod - ra]
green - zelený [ze - le - na]
orange - oranžový [o - ran - zho - va]
pink - ružový [ru - zho - va]
red - červený [tcher - ve - na]
white - biely [bie - la]
yellow - žltý [zhl - ta]

Nata took Christina and me to her family's home for coffee break today. Her mother and niece were our other hostesses...and you would not believe how hospitable they were. Mrs. Hovorkova is a retired first grade teacher, so she was also able to help us learn new words and phrases. Our time together flew, but I really enjoyed a since of home and love...what wonderful ladies!

Slovakia: Day #2 (dva)

Well after sleeping in later than I usually do, I felt exhausted when 10:00 AM came and I had to get up. Luckily our country coordinator (Nata) is incredibly kind and didn't schedule any of our appointments until after 11. Look at this picture of the awesome bridge going over the Danube River.

After setting up our bank accounts (how we receive our food allowance), we had a few other errands to run before getting a tour of the "old town". Bratislava is a larger and diverse city...here are some highlights of the old town:

Touch Down...we're in Bratislava!

Hey everyone!

This will be just a quick post to let you know we (Christina Pelto is the other YAGM in Slovakia this year) made it in to Slovakia safe and sound...and now we're just trying to get our bearings. We'll be going for lunch soon - even though our bodies think it's 7:15 AM and we've been up for 28+ hours. Hmmm...kind of sounds like lock-in season, huh?

The area we're in is beautiful. I'll write more about it after some adventuring around.

So I'm quickly learning flexibility will be the key for this year in Slovakia. I've been operating under the instructions (for about 3 months) that I'd be staying here in Bratislava for 3 more weeks as part of this intense language class...and then I would make my way to the placement where I'll be all of the next year. An hour ago we were told that the language class won't be until October and we'll be going to our perm. placements by the end of this week! Needless to say, my first month with NO language classes will be a trip. Perhaps I should have worked harder on the language CD-ROM, but it's pretty difficult with Stephen in the background snickering away :) j/k

I think being in my placement for a month will provide a wonderful opportunity for immersion. I'm told my host family doesn't speak any English. Sure, this makes me a little nervous about communicating, but I'm sure they'll be patient and caring...or at least I really hope they are! What was the percentage that related to communicating with children?...was it spoken language only counted for 10 - 15% of the total communication and the rest was how it came through. I'll be counting on that!

Gotta run but I love, love, love you all!
-Sarah

PS - The pics are 1. the view from our flat (for at least 4 more days) and 2. the presidential palace (notice the guards outside!)

SC Synod YAGMs

Serving as ELCA YAGMs this year are:

Sarah Fitch (serving in Slovakia)

& Aubrey Kesecker (serving in the United Kingdom)

.

...both from the South Carolina Synod!

YAGMs Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Tomorrow (Monday 8/25) the YAGMs embark on their mass exodus! Here's a look at all the people and places YAGMs will be a part of in the next year:

Argentina & Uruguay
Mary Kinsler, Angela Kordahl & Jake Rapp, & Stephanie Wood

India
David Buco & Rebecca Mehl

Jerusalem/West Bank
Meredith Harber, Paul Kacynski, Kendra Kintzi, Chelsea Mathis, Nikki Schmidt, & Marta Spangler

Kenya
Joanna Foster & Shurie Madery

Mexico
Whitney Guldberg, Malory Hendrickson, Alisha Ohlert, & Sarah Rossing

Slovakia
Sarah Fitch & Christina Pelto

South Africa
Crystal Hall, Eddie Johnson, Alicia Kelly, Christina Mauntel, Kelly Schumacher, Jacinda & Matt Shields, & Amy Swenson

United Kingdom
Joe Bigalke, Winona Brueggemann, Blair Fingland, Kendra Johnson, Aubrey Kesecker, Tyler Moe-Slepica, Kandisa Skaff, Jaqueline St. Pierre, Allison Sutton, Erik Thone, & Amanda Wieland

"Missionary for a Day" Supporters:

A special thanks to all my friends, family, and community for your love and support as I head off for Slovakia! Here are the folks who will be remembering me and lifting me up in prayer for the following month:

Missionary for a Day Supporters for September:

Patsy Ackerman & David Galloway, Arnold & Irene Bennett, Norma Brunson, Joan Drews, Jeanette Fairbanks, Fitch-Specht Family, George & Martha Ann Galante, David & Gale Gantt, Louise Heffron, Rudy Matzner, Sidney & Lorice McMahon, Claire Mehrtens, Stan & Donna Mizell, Barbara Nettles, Jonathan Otten, Eleanor Pearce, Rebecca Pugh, Barbara Robbins, Connie Specht, Gene & Louann Stallings, Ann Taylor, Walter & Lillian Toler, Kathy Whray, Joan Wilcox, Larry & Pat Wimmer, Robert Wyndham, Bob & Dolly Young