Fun times with the Ziskovci

It's a lovely week here at the base of the Tatras! Since it is All Saints' Weekend, it's also a national holiday (4-day weekend!) here in Slovakia. My friend and program coordinator Zuzka and her husband Johnny invited me to spend the evening with them and their boys. Theyhad me over for a slumber party with the family... we had dinner and then celebrated the Lutheran Reformation by watching the movie Martin Luther. It has been a great time!

Marek and Johnny helped make "American Mac 'n Cheese - With a Slovak Twist" and Radko helped supervise!What a helper!
What great helpers!

And finally some great toast with (American!) peanut butter and honey... Thanks Granny and Grandad Toler!

Some more from life in central Europe

Special music for a celebration at church yesterday...


Stephansdome in Vienna. Just too beautiful to describe!
This is the group of students for Slovak language school in Bratislava. Ben, Lucas, Rebekka, Manuel, Rasmus, Louise, Maria, and Tillman are all volunteers from Germany. Christina and I were the only two Americans.
The Muchal Family - over for dinner at my flat. Dinner was so much fun! Yes, I was quite nervous and anxious at the beginning, but Zuzka and Paja kept reminding me..."We are your family - don"t worry!" The Muchals also brought a cake and bottle of wine with them. How precious! The running family joke is I always have extra sweets on-hand in case the meal is a disaster...Paja is funny when she and I remind each other about that.

This next one is for the Cajuns...just a little fun place for you in Vienna.

Zuzka and Johnny Z. took me along with their boys Marek and Radko on a hike to "The Unknown". It was a beautiful Sunday and a wonderful way to see the sights from WAY up high

.

´Tis a Gift to be Simple...

from the YAGM handbook:
Participants are expected to embrace a simple lifestyle. Volunteers receive a modest stipend to cover basic living expenses and are discouraged from using their own funds to supplement this income. This simple standard of living is intended to be a spiritual practice as well as a socioeconomic statement, and is understood to be an integral part of the program.

One of the most difficult -and alsoe most thought-provoking - aspects of mz YAGM experience so far has been in approaching the "simple living" philosophy/charge. When I first arrived in Slovakia and was told I would have a food allowance and living stipend of roughly 300 dollars a month, I was more than a little anxious. While back in the USA I may have easily spent 7.50 on an impromptu lunch out. Now, with my food allowances, that total was the equivalent to an entire day"s food budget! This realization - along with my discovery prices are similar to those back in the states - both encouraged me to embrace "living simply" and made me a bit more apprehensive.

What I did not first know was how easy it would be for me to live in this simple manner. Because of the incredible residents of this village and their generositz, I have gone wanting for nothing. At first I was overtaken by their gracious gifts of gime and food. After a month and a half here, though, I am able to come from a new perspective. Instead of having hidden agendas or expectations of "returns" from their generosity, this village is full of people with true servants" hearts. Everyday provides me an opportunity to remember the message Jesus shared in Matthew 25. These beautiful people are the ones who literally and figuratively are giving me food and drink when I am dry; they are the constantly inviting me into their homes and their lives; they are making sure I am clothed - especially with the snow and winter just around the corner; they take of me when my body and spirit are not well. My new family in Hybe does all of this and more for me every single day. And while I am so touched to be the recipient, I also recognize in their hearts the people of Hybe are also doing/giving all this for/to the Son of Man. I hope, hope, hope to be able to continue to learn from their example of living the Gospel.

Below is an excerpt from my journal on September 5th -
Last night around the table, we exchanged scar stories...was an interesting evening. I was happy because they were sharing pretty close and intimate stories about their pasts...and I suppose I was too.
Spent a good amount of time at the hotelique with the Muchals yesterday...gave the dog a bath, stained the wood on the outside of the house, sealed another coat again. I especially enjoyed "painting" with Paja. Shared stories about life in America and Slovakia.
At home we watched Friends -Czech edition- with Zuzka, Paja, and Michael while Paja made a pizza. We all helped chop ham and veggies and she arranged everything. Altogether it was a very fulfilling evening...and perhaps even the very definition of "living simply".

Even though my days here may seem to lack the busy-ness of life back home in the states, but I am basking in every minute I spend with my new family and friends here in Slovakia.

So far, the most important changes I have begun to make are the following steps to simplicity":

• Recognizing my past as an ingrained shopper. There were weeks back at home when I would be at Target everyday for something/anything...but mostly for nothing that I needed. I am trying to distance myself from that particular part of my past - which is a little easier when the nearest store is a 30 minute bus ride a way!

• Assigning people as my number one priority. Although I would like to think I have always done so, I have had lots of time to reflect on ways I have made others less important in the past. I am working to change these: 1. Putting friends and family on the back-burner and making them wait while I spent an extra 5 minutes here or there on the computer, writing this or that, etc. Really, I believe I thought the world may stop if I did not reply to an email or Facebook post right THEN. 2. Running my errands at the expense of that time with others - I estimate I spent 15 days - 360 hours - out of the last year alone in my car running what I considered crucial errands. 3. Letting the small moments pass by. I want to celebrate each of these seemingly insignificant times: hanging out with the family, name-day and birthday parties, house and garden work, and times with the community.
  

Fun and Games with the Youth

Just to give you an idea of some of the youth activities here in Hybe:

Here is Spevokol -children"s choir- they sang at an installation service at church this past Sunday.
Janka and Zuzka model with Luther.

At "Saturday School" I led the English version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" after the Slovak version. They are very similar, though not the exact melody.

Lutheridge folks will be happy to know that Capt. Nemo translates well into Slovak, too!

Children"s games at Saturday School


I am impressed that the majority of planning for children and youth activities comes from older youth and college aged students. They set up their own meetings and plan curriculum on a rotating basis. It"s a very organized and impressive system...and these are some very committed young people, too!

Missionary for a Day October Supporters

Thanks again to everyone keeping me in the their thoughts and prayers.

Nelle Allen, Altman baby, Norma Brunson, Dick & Becky Campbell and family, Joe & Fran Fisher, Fitch family, Rial Fitch, David & Gale Gantt, Sophie Gardner, Norm & Susie Hanf, Arlene Henderson, Mary Jahnsen, Lilly Johnson, Jur family, Julie Kelsch, Betty Kinard, Rick & Myra Maull, Sidney & Lorice McMahon, Dr. Michael Mikola, Rus, Diane, & Josh Miller, Janice, Greg, & Will Pearce, Mary Prickett, Renken family, Bonnie Seabright, Singletary family, Madison Stelljes, Chip Sturgis & family, Rose Tillotson, WELCA, & WELCA Circle 8.

Some more pictures from this past weekend...

This weekend in pictures:
Zuzka and I were assigned to "parsley patrol"...I told the family I had never really seen the "business end" of parsley, but had only ever dealt with the green-parts. Oh, it was fun to see their faces when I told them the prices at which parsley greens were sold back home!
In keeping with the tradition of lovely -and filling- Saturday lunches, Mamma Muchalova and Zuzka made perogies -did I spell that correctly?- and it was delicious!
The filling is made from potatoes and Bryndza -"like" but not cheese - it is fantastic!The filling is spooned out onto dough made from potatoes, flour, and water... and then cut and pressed into individuals..

The servings are cooked in water...when I asked how long, the answer was "Until they float to the top." Kind of like cooking shrimp, huh?!
A picture of the final products...aren"t they talented? Perogies are served with cream and bacon. And it tastes even better than it looks. Oh my!

"Greeting from America"

Below is the bulletin board inside the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Hybe - a wonderful and very welcoming place! Also, there are pictures and cards members of St. Matthew"s Lutheran Church sent to ECAV...

Translation:
At ECAV Hybe, we are grateful to be closer to America

Life in a Village

Hello again!

Life in a village never proves to be boring - but it sometimes does lead to difficulties getting enough time to post a few photos, thoughts, and observations. Thank you all for your interest, comments, and support!

I wanted to let you in on what life is like in this little village between the High and Low Tatras mountain ranges. Music seems to play a big role in my experiences here so far, so I hope you can enjoy what is a working draft of "Slovakia - The Soundtrack":

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Hybe does not even have 2,000 inhabitants, so within my first day it seems like I had met the entire village. Even after being here a month, it is still surprising to me that people in and around this village know more about me than I sometimes do. Just yesterday I took the bus to the big town nearby - about 20 kilometers away. As I did my shopping and waited at the bus stop to return back home I was stopped by two different people for some questions. When I answered in my best attempts - broken English-Slovak mix - to say I was sorry but did not know how to help them, both times their faces lit up and asked where I was from and where I was staying in Slovakia. As soon as I mentioned Hybe, there was a clear and immediate look of comprehension across them. The elderly lady became excited and said, "Sarah?" Well, you could have knocked me over at that moment.
I am trying to get used to everyone in Hybe knowing me, but this was a large town we were in. How on earth could she know me? Communication still is difficult because my main vocabulary has been learned from playing memory games with the children here in the village. Ask me the names for fruits, vegetables, parts of the body, colors, numbers, etc...no problem! However, when conversation requires more than a toddler"s vocabulary, the local citizens and I are reduced to pointing, guesturing, and making odd noises to get our points across. From what I can tell, this elderly lady is perhaps a third cousin of someone named Zuzka in Hybe or she knows someone who lives three doors down from Zuzka.
Yesterday"s second person who knew me was a high school student who knew me because I visited her sister"s classroom a few weeks ago for English conversation. Apparently I was either very helpful or a disaster that day because everyone seemed to share their experiences with me in their classroom that day! This younger sister of a student I had spoken with knew: my name, where I was from in the USA, I had a mother named Peggy and a brother named "Stephen or Shrevan", a brown labrador, I like the Appalachian mountains, and that I was not used to the cold weather. It was so strange for a complete stranger to have so much knowledge about me.
These encounters are a reminder to me that what my parents told us: you never know who you will run into and who will know you. Their implication was that as their children, we represented them out in public and that any behavior could be reported back...but I think the same thing is true here in Slovakia.

Mamma Mia!

One of my very favorite aspects of life in this village are the PA speakers all over town. Every so often announcements are shared from the town offices for the village. The notes do not usually get me too excited because I clearly have no idea what is being said. What I do love, however, are what I am learning to call "ABBA Fridays".
Beginning at 8:00 AM, the town PA speakers blast a different ABBA medley every hour until the afternoon. I have not yet figured out if there is an exact schedule or playlist, but I can be assured to hear "Mamma Mia" at 8:00 and "Take a Chance on Me" at 11:00. I ask you, is there a better way to usher in the weekend?

Money, Money, Money
In keeping with the ABBA excitement, there is a lot of buzz going around about Slovakia"s money. On January 1st, Slovakia will move to using the Euro. While shops and banks will still accept their remaining Slovak krowns, change will only be given in Euros. Some people are excited about this progressive step and the implications of joining the rest of the European union with money matters...however, most people I have talked to are anxious about money. The biggest concern is that people feel their money will lose value in January. You can see this in action in shops and through the village, but the biggest example is the building and construction going. All through the country, people are currently renovating their homes and businesses while they can still pay for the services while their Slovak krowns are still valuable. I feel like I am back in Mt. Pleasant because the view of construction buses and vans rolling through the village brings back plenty of memories from Hwy 17.

Where the Streets Have No Name
You may have browsed through this blog and come across my "snail mail" address. It seemed odd to me until I arrived in Hybe because I was not sure if what the name of my street was. Only upon arriving and walking through the village did I realize that Hybe does not have street names. Hybe 528 is merely the lot number assigned back when the village was plotted and laid out. Next year, however, that will change as the conversion into the E.U. continues...with another requirement that all the country"s have names.
One of my host families will live on Pink Street...isn"t that sweet?

OO-De-Lally...Golly, What a Day
By far, the most famous "person" in Hybe is Pacho. This is a statue in the middle of the village commemorating who everyone describes as, "The Slovak Robin Hood". Apparently, there was a movie filmed about Pacho...and everyone is curious as to whether or not I have seen it. Well, I have not, but I think that will be the next on my assignments.

Up On the Roof
Weekends are very busy times to get things done around the house and gardens in Hybe. My host family is working on construction for their "hotelique"...and Saturdays are times to get a lot completed. This past week, the Muchals replaced their chimneys - and also a good bit of the roof that was damaged in the removal of the old chimney.


The Bees are Buzzing in the Trees

This is Marta Muchalova"s cousin Jan Dumbal...affectionately known to his family and friends as "Crazy Jan". Jan and Pavel Muchal each have their own bees and hives...producing some of the best honey I have ever tried in my life!
By the way, Jan would like all Americans to know he is the white, Slovak version of Barack Obama. I asked for an explanation, and none came. Read into it what you will, I suppose.

Hybe's End-of-Summer Celebration

Sunday night the village of Hybe had a party to celebrate the end of summer. Since Monday is a Catholic holiday (hence a national holiday), everyone was excited for an extended weekend and time together. Perhaps it's equivalent to our (secular) Labor Day in the USA? I'll check and report back.

Anway, here are a few pictures from the party...mostly with my (amazing!) host family...

• Pavel (dad)
• Marta (mom)
• Paja ("older" sister - who's 4 years my junior)
• Zuzka (younger sister)
• Michael (Paja's boyfriend)

Make sure you notice what villagers wear to an "end-of-summer" celebration!

A Sunday Luncheon

Hello dear friends and family!

Life is still very nice here in Hybe, but this weekend we all are getting our "foretastes of the cold to come". While everyone I meet greets the cold with nothing more than a shrug and reaches for another sweater, I'm on the sidelines thinking, "It's not supposed to be this cold until January!" Oh, clearly I'm in for a real shock!

Yesterday I was invited to a luncheon at Vierka's house. I'm not sure if I've told you about Vierka yet, but she is essentially the Slovak version of Martha Stewart (minus, of course, the federal indictments and ankle monitor). She is the epitome of a gracious host...when I received her invitation last Wednesday, I knew things would be looking up! In the picture above, Vierka's the second from the left.

Here are a few pictures from my lovely (and chilly) Sunday luncheon at Vierka's...to all my expectant friends (Laura, Ruthie, Kristin, ...), I hope you enjoy the pictures. I will try to describe the food to the best of my abilities!

Well, you can see for yourself, Vierka always spends lots of time on decorations...and it's nothing compared to the food, so get ready!

The first meal is always soup...and Sunday's is usually a chicken soup with pasta. Vierka's was a homemade chicken stock, with fresh carrots, peas, broccoli, and pork tenderloin (and pasta). Oh, such a delicious treat on a cold afternoon! Imagine the hot soup on a freezing day!! I was actually starting to get a cold beforehand, but I think "chicken noodle soup" may have done the trick.


The second meal was just as scrumptious as the first...mashed potatoes that were almost too beautiful to eat and something I can only describe as "like" chicken cordeon bleu. There were rolls and layers for sure, but Vierka was kind of elusive as to everything in her recipe. Here's my best guess, a chicken breast layered with ham or bacon, soft cheese, red peppers, seasonings I can't even imagine...all rolled together and "breaded" in a meal of potato dumplings and pan fried! My mouth waters just typing this! Also, for salad we had compote made from fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

No Slovak meal is complete without coffee and tea - this time we all huddled around the fireplace for time together. Even though there are still some very pronounced language barriers, we never seem to struggle too long. We're able to find translaters or find our common ground so easily! We discussed similarities and unique differences in blessings we sing, worship, fashion, food, you name it! What a great day!!

And for the kids, there is always plenty to do and see after the meal. We had a great time in Vierk'a backyard...much fun being had in (Sarah and Radko) and around (Marek and Samko) the apple tree. Later, I taught Marek and Samko how to swing the baseball bat using -of course- apples for our baseballs. It's only natural right?

It was a perfect Sunday luncheon. I am so thankful for my new (very supportive and loving) friends here in Slovakia - and so grateful for YOU my friends and family at home! Have a wonderful week!

Whatever you do, do not say....

Okay, folks, here is a pop quiz for you...can you guess what two word phrase I regularly use that is making quite a few eyes roll here in Slovakia? Get it in your mind...



Okay, raise your hand if you thought the phrase was:

1. Sweet Mary!
2. Speak English?
   
3. Help Me!
4. I'm Sorry!

For anyone who lifted an arm for the previous answers (especially the last one) I am sorry to say that you are wrong. The phrase that is getting me into the most trouble here is, "Thank you". Surprising? Well, it was surprising to me if for no other reason that is seems like a basic thing to say when showing appreciation.

Learning to accept hospitality did not seem like it would be that challenging when I first began making my way around Slovakia. I mean, I am from the South and isn't this one of the most basic elements in which we take pride? Giving and accepting hosptality seems like a given, right? Not exactly so here in Hybe. Everyone has been so incredibly kind and gracious, I just was going along and showing my appreciation as I would at home in the states. However, a few days ago my host family took me aside and told me I have to accept...without the "thank yous" that seem so natural to me. Someone offers to come clean your floors, you let them by to get to work. A local grandmother knits you two pairs of wool socks because she heard you were not accustomed to the cold climate, you smile and accept without a word. Can this be right?! Suddenly being on the other side of hopitality has taken on a whole new meaning.

Imagine for a few minutes the pictures from above: yesterday some members from the village asked if they could come over and bring a few rugs and food staples to stock the pantry in my new apartment (this is my 3rd host house in less than 2 weeks). I expected some bread and milk. Anyway, that was perfectly fine until I saw all the wonderful, fresh food they brought. These women did not stop off at Piggly Wiggly before coming over...there is not one for 20 kilometers...but they went in their gardens for fresh vegetables and also to their pantries where they pulled homemade jams and preserved veggies and fruits from their personal supplies. I was so touched! Now...imagine the great showing of love and support these women just brought you...and you cannot say anything except where they should put it. I think you might find it as tough as I did.

Take a minute right now to count all the times you have said thank you in the past hour, day, and week.

Interesting, huh?

Some more pictures from Hybe

Here are a few more pictures from my new life in Hybe:

The first three are from the sanctuary at the church where I attend and volunteer. Isn't it gorgeous? And look at that pulpit!

Next is for everyone who's been asking what the food is like: it's filling! This plate is a traditional Slovak meal called Halusky (potato dumplings in a "cheese-like" sauce that is special to Slovakia). Halusky is made and prepared on Saturday afternoons. Every family's recipe is somewhat different (maybe like Charleston's variety of shrimp 'n grits?), but my first taste on Saturday was delicious! Mrs. Muchalova makes her Halusky with homemade dumplings and tops it all off with bacon. Oh, my, it was tasty. Good thing we were working in the garden all morning and afternoon!

Finally, a few more pictures from the town of Hybe and The High Tatras...along with my host mother Marta and her mother Marghita. They are truly the most delightful people and a blessing for me as I get acquainted with life in Slovakia!