StoversInPoland

I was given a "shout out" on PTI

2009-10-24T01:54:00.000-07:00

Personal Space (Or the lack thereof)

2009-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

I've blogged before about "personal space" and how it doesn't exist here, at least not in any form that we Americans can appreciate. This time I'd like to show you. The video is of the kid's preschool program yet I couldn't help but pan the crowd. I counted somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred people crammed into an area a little larger than an American living room. I am taking the video with my back pressed up against the back wall of the room. The final line from an old soap commercial popped into my head. Aren't you glad you use dial--don't you wish everybody did?

Bradey's Thoughts On Poland

2009-01-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

A Trip to the Consignment Shop

2009-01-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

This is a little footage of a used clothing store here in Siedlce. It's Ginger's favorite store because every Wednesday they get in a huge shipment of slightly used designer clothing from America and Great Britain and sell the designer clothes for $1 or $2. Since the clothing is so nice and cheap it has begun to cause quite a stir and the large store is "standing room only" on Wednesdays. As they dump a new barrel out onto the table it can get quite physical. Ginger has seen wrestling matches over handbags and she's been hipchecked by a Grandma on more than one occasion. All that to say, that we had hoped to get some great footage to share, but the manager was having none of it. In fact, after only about 15 seconds of video footage, Ginger and Sarah were called upstairs to the manager's office where they were faced with the decision of deleting the video or dealing with the police. Unbeknown to us, a few weeks earlier a story, with pictures of the wrestling that went on, had made it into the town newspaper, so the owner's were on edge. The girls handed over the camera and an employee deleted the footage, or so they thought. Long story short, 15 seconds of footage remain, it's not much but you get the idea of the amount of people we are talking about. If you ever make it to Poland, you need to visit Krakow, see Old Town in Warsaw, visit our church, and visit the used clothing store in Siedlce. You'll never forget it, I promise. I just hope my new jeans Ginger bought for me don't make me look fat.

A Polish Wedding

2009-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for posting this a day late, but we're busy getting ready to return to the States the beginning of February and my post got pushed back. A few months ago Ginger and I were invited to our first Polish wedding. Our language teacher married a soldier in the Polish army and we were honored to be invited to the ceremony. I have a couple of observations about our experience. First, the woodwork, stained glass windows, and metal work in the church were spectacular. The attention to detail was astonishing. Second, the greeting of the bride and groom at the close of the ceremony was not for the claustrophobic. Finally, artwork aside, the building felt large, cold, and empty. Certainly a metaphor for the Roman Catholic Church. We were saddened to see so many bowing to man made idols and clinging to family heirlooms for some kind of hope. The dedication of some RCC followers is both convicting and heartbreaking. I watched as people came in off the street to the confessional. Instead of being told of their need for the Savior they were sent away with prayers and penance to accomplish. In some ways they are so close to the truth yet their continued belief in justification through righteous acts will damn them. II Timothy 3:7 came to mind "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Pray for the people of Poland.

A Polish Blog

2008-12-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

Christians in Poland are in desperate need of good Christian literature. Simply put, not much has been translated into the Polish language. As a result there are very few resources to aid a believer in their study of God's Word, and there are very few if any resources for pastors. Our coworker, Ben Layer, has started a blog that we are hoping will turn into a resource for pastors and Christians alike. You can check it out here. On Mondays we post articles that I find from various sources, on Wednesdays we post articles that Ben writes, and he hopes soon to be posting Spurgeon sermons translated to Polish on Fridays. As well, whenever we learn of a good book that has been translated into the Polish language we make it known on the blog. In a very short time the blog has had nearly 3500 hits, it will be exciting to see how God uses this in the future.

Christmas in Poland

2008-12-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

Being it's our second Christmas in Poland, we have been trying to learn about Polish traditions around the holidays. Christmas Eve is called "Wegilia" (ve-ghi-li-a) and its a busy day for Poles. Wegilia is a big shopping day, probably similar to the day after Thanksgiving for us in the States. It's not uncommon for Polish people to set up their Christmas trees on this day either. So you can imagine some of the strange looks we got when we put up our tree the end of November. Though Poles set up their trees quite late, they will leave it up for weeks after Christmas. On the evening of Wegilia is an elaborate feast at which all the extended family gets together. No matter how many people sit at the table there will always be one extra plate and chair at the table. Though mostly symbolic, the extra plate is set just in case a stranger comes to the door in need of food and shelter. Twelve courses are served, the number twelve symbolizing the twelve apostles. Something else that is common is the placing of hay either underneath the tablecloth or underneath the table, symbolizing the place of Christ's birth.

The main course on Christmas Eve is always carp. It's rarely eaten the rest of the year, but always eaten on Wegilia. However we haven't met too many who really care for it but it's tradition--kind of like the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving right? The grocery stores in town have huge five feet tubs in which they keep the live carp, and it's rather amusing to watch as people try to grab them with the net. To keep the carp fresh Polish people will let them live in their bathtub until Christmas Eve.

Through our language study and through talking with some Polish friends we have begun to learn about the importance of "wishes" in Polish culture. "Wyszystkiego najlepszego" is a common phrase heard around the holidays and it means "I wish you the best in everything." This wishing culminates on Wegilia when after dinner the family brake off pieces of a specially made bread called "oplatek" (o-pwa-tek) and wish good things for eachother over and over again. Sharing in "oplatek" can also be a time of forgiveness or of letting "bygones be bygones" like we Americans do on New Year's Eve. Christmas morning is more of a time for immediate family and for opening presents, but Poles often travel to the homes of extended family later in the day. Ginger and I want to thank you for your continued prayers we wish each of you "wyszstkiego najlepszego."

For the Animal Lovers

2008-12-15T02:26:00.000-08:00

Polish people love their animals, an estimated one in three Polish families have a pet. Because most people travel by foot in town, their dogs accompany them everywhere from the store to the post office. Being involved in the daily routine of their owners, the dogs here learn to walk on a leash quickly and obediently. After a time, it is not uncommon to see dogs walk with their owners without a leash. All of the crosswalks here have an alarm that sounds for as long as the light is green. Mainly this is to help the seeing impaired know how much time they have to cross the street. But it has also served to train the dogs. On three or four different occasions, Ginger and I have seen a stray dog wait at the crosswalk with the rest of the people and only cross when the alarm rings. It's quite amazing to watch really.

Because they are used to routine, older dogs are controlled simply by voice commands. The funniest example of routine is of a dog in our building. The dog and the owner are quite old and they live near the top of our building, so when it's time for a bathroom break the owner opens his door and sends the dog downstairs. He then waits until someone lets him out, does his business, and waits for someone to let him in the building again. Being old, he's learned a few tricks and instead of climbing 12 flights back to the top, he waits for someone to open the elevator door and give him a ride to his floor. Fortunately there are a few sympathetic ladies in our building who aid him in his journey back to his apartment.

One tip for visiting Poland, don't walk in the grass. Grass is for the relief of domesticated animals only. Children don't play in the grass because many people view it as something to be viewed rather than something to be tread upon. Besides, it's not worth all the time that it takes to clean your shoes later.

Serving in Peru

2008-12-01T00:20:00.001-08:00

Loren Fitzgerald---Peru

I was thinking about what has helped me thus far. (I have only been in Peru for 7months)

1. Being able to speak the language (in order to have deep relationships with people)

2. Fulfilling my desire in having ladies Bible studies

3. Having nationals as friends

4. Having other missionary ladies to confide in here in Peru (There are 3 other couples

within 30 minutes) We get along great!

I am a people person and I have needed to be able to interact with other women: do what they do, have heart to heart times with them. I am pretty busy here, which has helped. I have three Bible studies going with different groups of women on different subjects. I have been learning to cook from scratch, for real! I try to get out and get to know people, the culture and such. There are times that I get frustrated and yell, “These people, this place!” Even though I speak Spanish, it is very different here (which can be frustrating), but I have forced myself to be teachable. There is so much to learn that it can be overwhelming, but I recite to myself the song “Little by Little, Inch by Inch.” I get up every day and ask myself, God, and my husband, “What’s the plan for the day?” I am learning to give God my plans and schedule. I know this isn’t much, but it’s what has helped me.

Culture Clash in Cambodia

2008-11-23T23:57:00.000-08:00

Jennifer McPhail--Cambodia

As the plane soared above O’Hare airport, the elevation change reflected the rapid change in my life situation. I was raised in small-town Deep South America, child of a country church pastor, and very comfortable with my Bible-belt social sphere. Until I married Forrest McPhail, I had never been on an airplane, and until deputation, I had never been west of the Mississippi, much less outside of the U.S.A. To complicate my naivety, my doctor advised me not to accompany Forrest on our survey trip of Cambodia, since I was seven months pregnant with our first baby at the time. Now, on my third flight ever, I was moving half-way around the world to a place I had only seen in pictures.

Of course, the starlit glow of deputation had fairly convinced me that people everywhere were wowed by our sacrifice and commitment. The appreciative natives would doubtless dance around rejoicing once they heard the Good News of Jesus Christ we were bringing to them. I had prepared myself with missionary biographies, so I was ready to give it all, live in a hut, and eat rice and stir-fry at every meal. The complications of the 21^st century were all completely outside my box.

We descended from the clouds into steamy Pochentong Airport, where the senior missionary we would work with during language school met us. His philosophy for 12-hr. time changes was to keep us busy until evening, so our first stop was the bank to set up our monthly wire transfers. I was stunned there when I met another missionary wife at the bank wearing jeans and a tie-dyed shirt! I expected a sarong and a checkered headscarf! From there it just got worse. I had bought a refrigerator and a washing machine by the end of the month, and life was looking more modern all the time.

Between language school, caring for our baby, and learning how to live with a house helper, we kept fairly busy and happy for the next few months. One big surprise for us was that the senior missionary would be relegating teaching responsibilities to Forrest and me after just seven months of language training. Their family was due for furlough, and the only other family had joined the team only two months before we had. The rookies were it!

Trials began to escalate. Our home flooded three times, twice above the electrical outlets, and we decided to move to higher ground, literally—we took a second-floor apartment. Our first landlady was less than happy, and so less than kind. My house helper was acting more like she was in charge of me, instead of the other way around, and she also began looking to us to take care of her financial crises, which came quite regularly. An attempted coup happened in the city, and the gunshots disturbed me greatly. Ever after, I could not tell if I was hearing fireworks or firearms until Forrest could comfort me (of course he could differentiate!). Worst of all, we began to understand Khmer, and so we could hear the less-than-kind comments about the “long-noses” or “frenchies,” as they call us. It seems we were not so popular as I had expected, and we began to sense this from church members as well!

Naivety was crumbling, but I was building some strong walls of resentment in its place. The beautiful smiles of the Cambodians I met began to look sinister. Forrest told me he felt like a walking dollar-bill, the way folks asked us for money all the time, especially if we wanted to tell them about Jesus. I had my pocket picked at market once, got price-gouged often, and experienced lewd remarks from the male population when I went out. I began to retreat into my home and garner my needed emotional support from husband, daughter, teammates, and email.

At this crucial point, God would not let me be. My husband disappointed my expectations, our toddler hit a most awful tantrum stage, teammates got busy with their own families, and emails from family never came when I needed them. My Sunday school class of 60-75 children ranging in age from three to twelve years was stressful, especially since my only assistant was my mischievous two-year-old. My carefully prepared lessons often came apart at the seams as I was distracted by snickers and echoes of my mispronunciations around the room.

I began to struggle with unreasoning fear at night. I would wake in terror that I could not shake, pull the sheet over my head along with a pillow, and tremble for hours. I knew oppression was a possibility, but looking back, I think adjusting to a place where I simply could not make things work like they always had led to anxiety that erupted in this way.

One morning, footsteps rushing past our landing alerted me to the fact that a missionary colleague was looking for Dr. Tom, our teammate, because the man’s wife had been hurt badly in a hit-and-run accident nearby and needed Dr. Tom’s help. The missionary community rallied in a wonderful way to get medical help, but our friend died. Their family had been staying in the building our church met in as they prepared to leave for furlough the day of the accident. I was thankful to have heard our friend’s testimony at supper a couple nights before. She told us of her great contentment with God’s working in her own life and in her relationships with her husband and children. Never had I known someone to show such peace before great tragedy. How I wanted that!

Finally, my bruised heart and thwarted will were ready to receive the feast God was preparing for me. God led my husband to a passage in Mark where Jesus was experiencing a difficult time, humanly speaking, in His ministry. In chapter 6, Jesus receives the news of the violent death of John the Baptist at the hands of King Herod. We read in verse 31 that the Lord and his disciples were so busy at that point that they could not even eat. They decided to leave by boat for needed rest in a quiet place. But the people saw them, and they ran and met them at their destination!

“And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”

Jesus knew their hearts, their motives, and their thoughts. Many of these people wanted whatever they could get from Jesus. Others had a thirst to see the supernatural. Unredeemed humanity is not lovely, no matter what country it resides in. And yet, He was moved with compassion. I began to understand that what I needed most was Christ’s love for these Cambodian people, an unwavering love that is not based on the loveliness of the loved ones. Forrest and I began to pray to have that love, and God began to work in us.

For me, though, that was not the only issue at stake. None of the comforts that had eased my spirit at other points in my life were helping. Many of the pleasures I had enjoyed were not even available now! No libraries, malls, videos, or phone conversations. I had a gorgeous dream once that I was in a big department store where everything had price tags (Phnom Penh was still backwards then), and I shopped for hours! Comfort foods were gone too. I was shut up, like many campers feel when they go for a week of summer camp. But, like at camp, I was better prepared to hear God speak.

Desiring God, by John Piper, came into our possession, and I started to read. The more I read, the hungrier I got! Jesus Christ fulfills every longing that I felt then or will ever feel! I was craving things of the world without even realizing it, because I was dissatisfied and anxious without them. Hope sprang up in my heart that God would be all in all for me, come what may. It felt like a conversion experience, and my Bible was suddenly a personal letter for Jennifer-the-new-missionary-in-Cambodia.

If I had known what would await me on the nether side of the globe, I doubt if I would have so glibly fielded questions at our display table in the church lobbies of America. In fact, I think I would have left the task to someone better prepared. But now I would not trade my life for any other, not because of the adventure and romance of our calling, but because of how God has pushed and prodded me out of complacency and into joy.

Serving in Ghana

2008-11-17T02:48:00.001-08:00

Patty Sommer--Ghana, West Africa

I was quite sure when I moved to the mission field that I would be the first missionary never to suffer from culture shock. I had heard it talked about, and I even had one missionary friend try to give me some advice about it, but I was sure I would never have problems like "everyone else." Boy, was I in for a surprise!

When we came to Ghana we were supposed to work and live with an older missionary and his wife near the capital for a year; we were not supposed to learn the language, because the national language was English; we were supposed to go live in the Western Region after the first year. Within the first 12 hours, all the plans had changed - the missionary was only going to stay for a short while because of health problems; we learned that even though the national language was English, hardly anyone could really speak it; a problem arose with our contact in the Western Region. Within the first 24 hours, we moved into a "local" apartment in a very poor part of Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region. Needless to say, culture shock hit hard and fast. I was also six months pregnant (that's another story in itself :) ), and my hormones were going wild. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me. Some moments all I could feel was anger. Sometimes, I was overcome with fear. And sadly enough, I even struggled with hatred. Nothing made any sense. What was up was down; what was black was white. I had come to Ghana to love these people and lead them to know Christ, but most days it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed. I began counting down the days until I could go home! In fact, I was so excited each morning when I got to tear off another day on my calendar! I think I probably had the worst case of culture shock ever!

The wonderful thing about this hard story is that in the midst of one of the darkest times in my life, Jesus was right there with me. There were many days that I took my eyes off Him, but He never took His eyes off me. One of the first lessons He taught me in this time was that all I needed to figure out was what He wanted me to do each day, and then do them. Psalm 61 was a wonderful blessing, especially verse 8, "So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows." The second lesson the Lord taught me was actually from a quote on my calendar (the one I couldn't wait to see disappear!). It said, "Whatever you can do,...Begin it. ~ Goethe. It seems silly that the Lord would use that, but it really caught my attention. I'd lost sight of the fact that God had brought John and I to Ghana, and He had a reason for everything I was facing. He didn't want me to give up; He wanted me to get up! He wanted me turn to Him in my weakness and seek His strength, not my own. He wanted me to do what I could, not spend all my time and energy worrying about what I couldn't do.

I would love to say that after the initial six months everything was perfect, but that wouldn't be the truth. Culture shock often has more than one level. After about two years in Ghana, I started really struggling again with fear. I was scared to death to go anywhere without John, and most days I didn't even want to leave my house at all. This was exceptionally hard for me (and John), because I've never been a clingy person. This is when God taught me another important lesson - that fear is one of Satan's favorite tools! I had to cling to II Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." What freedom that verse brought me! For a time I had to pray that verse almost non-stop, but the wonderful thing is that God proved that verse to me. As I relied on Him to take away that fear, He filled me with the power, the love, and the sound mind I so desparately needed! What a mighty God we serve!

And now, I've learned another reason that God gives culture shock. He gives it to us so that some day we can help others! II Corinthians 1 :4-5 says, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."

Culture Shock

2008-11-11T01:51:00.000-08:00

Sarah Layer--missionary to Poland

I had often heard about this much-discussed phenomenon we call culture shock: in college missions meetings, from other missionaries we met while on deputation, and from the missionaries we started to get to know when we got to the field. It just didn’t make any sense to me. We had already been in Cracow, Poland for a year or so and still I hadn’t experienced anything I would call shocking. There was stress, of course, trying to comprehend Polish grammar and use it in everyday conversation. At times I felt really uncomfortable, unsure of myself. Sometimes I even caught quick glimpses of how different this new culture was. But in general, my world was consumed with my brand new baby girl and with our study of the Polish language. While I felt frustration at times, I also felt we had lots of time to adjust. To tell the truth, actual ministry in Poland felt comfortably far-off. But before we planned our first furlough, my husband told me he felt we were ready to quit language school and move to a new town to begin church planting. “What?!” I thought. “Are you kidding me? We need several more years here to learn how to minister in Poland, to learn this crazy language!” Besides that, we were just getting to know a great young couple; we had fallen in love with our sweet landlady and her family; we had our American friends so close by for a support system. And we were going to just up and move to a brand new place in this already confusing culture?

Suddenly I started to feel some shock. Added to that, I found out I was pregnant. We went home to the States for a whirlwind furlough, came back, had our second baby girl and made plans to move. When we arrived in our new town, I felt like I had been tossed into the ocean without a life raft. In Cracow, there were many foreigners and often I could hear and speak English, but in Siedlce we were the only foreigners. To say that we didn’t get a warm welcome by the Polish people in our new town is an understatement, but we must have seemed foreign and scary to them too. Our coworkers were scheduled to arrive six months or so after we did, so for a while we were on our own. And I felt alone. More than I ever had in my life. Weird things started to happen: I started to get panic attacks and I couldn’t breathe; I felt overwhelmingly afraid at the oddest times. I knew at the time the fear was irrational, but even so, it felt very real. I felt as weak and helpless as my 6 month old baby. The only thing I had strength to do was cry out to God every minute of the day to save me, to keep me from going under.

It’s painful to remember those days, but I learned some important things. First, I experienced true dependence on God for the first time in my life. Before, I was proud of my independent spirit and of my ability to cope in any situation. Sure, I knew in my head that we humans are weak and dependent on our God, but for once I truly felt that I could do nothing, even take my next breath, without Jesus. I now better realize how weak and inadequate I am to the task and how desperately I need God.

I also have a new compassion for those struggling with depression. I recall a conversation I had a long time ago with someone battling depression. I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. I’m appalled now at how impatient and unfeeling I was when I basically told her to just shake it off. Compassion was the hallmark of Christ’s dealings with people and because of my own struggle, I now have a new appreciation for other peoples’ pain.

Ministry is always hard, no matter where you are, because we’re all human and prone to conflict. It’s even more complicated when you throw in a difficult new language and a sometimes baffling culture. But we’re not alone. There are many of us struggling with the adjustment to our mission field, struggling to love those we don’t understand. But we’re not alone. Don’t feel you have to trudge through all by yourself. If you’re an experienced missionary who has triumphed over some hard times, reach out to those who are new. If you’re new and floundering, reach out to those who have walked where you walk today. And most importantly, remind yourself daily of God’s goodness. He loves you and has you exactly where He wants you for your own good and for His own glory.

What ?????? NOT ME!!!!!

2008-11-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

Polly Whitmore -- Yap Island, Micronesia

My husband Bob and I accompanied a young missionary couple to the island of Yap on their survey trip in 1999. We were both on staff at Faith Baptist in Taylors, SC. The Yap adventure was a real stretch for me - but I was glad to return to 'normal' as a mom of 2 boys. THEN Bob said he thought God was calling us to return to Yap with Paul and Sherry Zimmer and their children . WHAT????? NOT ME! I'm not a missionary! My boys may be someday - but not me! Well, we prayed for each other over the next 2 years - God worked slowly in my heart....We left for Yap with one supporting church and one individual supporter. We knew we would get jobs on island for the first term at least. MY job was teaching SCIENCE full time at the public high school! I have a business degree from BJU and HATE science! I taught 175 island ninth graders each day in the hot, hot, hot environment - where chewing and spitting bright red betelnut is standard activity, sitting and popping lice is a social activity, and toplessness is culturally accepted - one parent/teacher conference was really an adventure in solid eye contact for me!

Sherry and I cried pretty steadily for the first 6 months. I thought I was going insane. I'd frantically email for prayer and insight . Don't fall for the devil's lie about not asking for help - that's exactly what he wants you to believe - that people will think you're weak, but that's exactly what we are! We are weak people, willing to be used by God. One nice thing about the tropics, though, is that you can cry all day long and no one will notice because you're sweating so badly! I learned to sweat and cry with grace. After six months, one day I looked at Sherry and said, “You may not understand, but today I took my first deep breath.” She was shocked and said, “ME TOO!” It was like I was holding my breath on a scary roller coaster ride. Bob would take me in the car - with windows rolled up - so I could practice laughing again. I LOVE to laugh - but I completely lost the ability for the first 6 months.

We now have 2 granddaughters. Phone contact is still difficult due to cost - I miss the voices. But email is a blessing. Honesty about your struggles is crucial. Get a few close friends to be your prayer warriors. Keep good communication with your husband. Study His Word - sharpen your sword as a woman. I read When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn James. It’s VERY good (why women need to know their theology) - about how 'helpmeet' means 'ezer' and is usually used to refer to God riding in the sky with His flashing sword to battle. WOW! Search that word – it’s very enlightening. Also I'm studying about virtuous women - THAT word also has a lot of strength - like women of valor! Learn your theology - apply His truth to your fear. You personally are in a battle. One missionary wife balked about that and said, “My husband tells me what to think.” They are now off the field permanently. The devil loves to come after the wives - we don't always see the importance of studying and applying God's truth.

I asked a veteran missionary lady about all my crying. She nodded and said, “Oh, that's normal! I did too, AND I used to hide money under the couch cushions to secretly buy a plane ticket out of there. I didn't care what my husband and kids did - I just wanted out!” WHAT??????? Of course, I thought that was so funny - but immediately felt SO much better... and so 'normal.’ What a relief to know that God knew my need and was right there with me through the journey. The other thing I've noticed is that missionary wives’ experiences are very similar to anyone in transition or facing a new chapter - like adjusting to widowhood, a traumatic move to a new city etc., and THEY have Walmart and phone service! But I've listened to many who were in despair - just like I was as I adjusted to Yap.

It has been REALLY helpful for me to start keeping a notebook of various lessons I was learning on topics like contentment, peace, worry, fear etc... One book suggested choosing 5 things to look for as you read your Bible each day. My list continues to grow.

“ Problems don't keep us from serving God. Problems are the circumstances in which we serve God.”

Mary Delaney -- Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2008-10-27T03:08:00.000-07:00

This is my constant burden when I see young gals and even some older women preparing to leave for the field…I have always wondered, are there veteran missionary wives sharing their hearts openly, honestly, candidly with the younger women? There has to be a balance - because it’s not all woes and sadness…. I hate the song “SO Send I You…. to labor unrewarded, unloved, blah, blah, blah… - THAT is not the truth either. God does give us rewards as we obey….. God does send unexpected blessings …. God does give us inner peace - but, yes - the first term on the field is tough.

Guess what? I met a veteran missionary wife at Christmas time - by accident - that’s a long story. But when I told her we were really enjoying Taiwan, she asked me how long we had been here. I told her 3 and ½ months. She looked at me and said, “You are still in your honeymoon period. When you hit the 6 month mark you will begin to hate everything - the dirt and filth, the lack of manners, the lack of American goodies, the politics among the missionaries, etc… etc…“ I thought to myself, “She obviously doesn’t realize she is talking to somebody who was in Singapore nearly 18 years.” But, guess what? Today marks six months…and I’m tired. And, once again, the pressures of settling into a new country/language/ministry have taken their toll on our marriage…. I feel lonely - don’t quite fit in YET with the church folks and other missionaries….I feel so far removed from our daughters, Sarah and Rebekah - and with a 14 hour time difference we have a tough time making phone calls…we are hounded with hundreds of mosquitoes…. The Chinese language is tough…. Everything is super, super expensive…. We really, really miss the food of Singapore (NOT America!) Some of the stuff they eat here is abominable… (You told me to be frank…) We are trying to care for a ministry on top of homeschooling and language school and that was not such a brilliant idea… We have a communication barrier here that we never had in Singapore…..

However, the people here are absolutely precious! The winter here has been colder than we’ve ever experienced before in Asia… but the temps are back up to the 70’s now - yippee! I am spending several hours a week in school with my teenagers - wow! What great bonding time! We are going to have our own secret code now when we go back to the US - we were always so jealous of families such as the Hayes - they could say all kinds of nasty things without anybody understanding them. The other young missionary couple from NBBC that is here short term have become great friends with our Daniel and Julia (though things aren’t always peachy-creamy!) I’m thankful to have our kids out of the USA for their teen years…. God has showered us with all kinds of unexpected blessings from unknown ravens, meeting all of our needs…. I really like the home God provided for us - nicer than any home we ever had in Singapore…. I thank God for Skype and e-mail and relatively cheap phone calls - things we didn’t have my first term in Singapore!

…Over time God will indeed knit your hearts to those of the people HE has called you to.. I can’t explain it… I can’t give you a time frame…. but it just happens. And you know what? Gradually, those people that you live with and minister with become your family and your best friends…. To the point that your own family and friends in the US no longer understand you…. Hard to explain. Make sure you are keeping your family a priority. Spend time with your children! Love them! Teach them! Have fun with them… Enjoy them! All too soon they will be gone.

What I Wish I Had Known. . .

2008-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Barb Fisher -- Marshall Islands

What I wish I had known...

Honestly, where do we even start on this one?! No matter how long we’ve been serving the Lord we are always learning or at least that should be our attitude, shouldn’t it? It’s easy to get proud about the things we learn and forget that it’s only by God’s grace that we can even move and breathe and learn.

*I would like to share a word of encouragement to ladies that will be serving in countries where English is a second language. The importance of learning the local language cannot be emphasized enough. Make the mastery of that language part of your ministry philosophy and don’t be deterred from it. At first there is an excitement about learning a new language. After about the first week, reality sets in, and you realize there is this huge mountain in front of you that seems quite impossible to climb. It’s very tempting to get pulled into doing “good” things, especially ministry related things, at the expense of being out with people “just” to learn their language. Remember, you will never have an effective ministry with those people if you can’t communicate with them in their heart language. As a wife and possibly mother you have family responsibilities as well. Ask the Lord to give you discernment as you seek to honor Him with the responsibilities you have at home. Depending on the ages of your children and the country you live in you could possibly plan to have your children with you when you are out learning the language. Another idea is to have 2 or 3 times a week where you husband can watch the children while you go out for an hour or more on your own.

*This next one seems like a no-brainer but I guess I just never thought it through. No matter where you go in the world, in our hearts people are all the same. For some reason when you get to a place where people have different complexions, different customs, particularly lower standards of living etc. you seem to think that they are very giving, not greedy, not selfish etc. It’s very easy to be sucked into the noble savage mentality instead of remembering what God’s Word says about man’s heart- how desperately wicked it is. No matter if you’re in the high rises of New York City or in a remote jungle, people are sinners rejecting God and their greatest need is the gospel.

To be honest, one of the things that I constantly struggle with is the lack of fruit that we’ve seen in our particular area. You know that things may be hard but after a few years you expect God to bless in a certain way. When you don’t see things happening the way you planned them it is easy to get discouraged and begin questioning why you are even there. Sometimes God brings us into situations where the only thing we have to anchor our souls to are His promises. One of the passages that I love to read is Isaiah 40. It sure puts into perspective God’s awesome power and sovereignty and man’s puniness.

At first you are popular-like the new kid on the block. Then when you have your first confrontation it can be a real struggle to keep the right perspective. One of the early confrontations I remember was when I had to tell a lady she couldn’t borrow my bicycle. We had allowed some people to borrow my bike thinking we were being kind. After several weeks my bicycle would be gone for hours at a time being passed from one person to the next. People would rather use my bike than spend their own money on a bike. Many of the neighbor ladies would spend hours gambling with their money or spending it on frivolous things. We had to think through how we could truly help these ladies. They thought I was truly kind and helpful if I gave them what they wanted. We realized that saying “yes” to whatever they requested would only encourage them to continue wasting their money knowing that they could just look to me to meet their needs. As expected, my refusal to let them use my bike was met with anger. We had to remember that our goal was not to win people to ourselves but to win them to Christ. Having this fixed in our hearts helped us not get too discouraged when people got upset with us. We asked the Lord to help us to continue to love them and to remember that but for God’s grace our thinking would be unbiblical as well.

What a thrill to actually see God open someone’s eyes. It truly is a joy to be in a place where day in and day out we have the opportunity to help people see themselves the way God sees them and then point them to the Cross. God in His sovereignty works in different ways but we can know that whether here on earth or in heaven we will one day rejoice TOGETHER with the one that sowed and the one that reaped.

As hard as it is to go through certain struggles, it is really the goodness of God in bringing us to the point of clinging to Him alone and anchoring our souls in His promises. It is very humbling to have to admit our weakness and helplessness but that is when, by His mercy, He allows us to experience a sliver of what it really means to trust in Him. It’s a funny thing though, how you can know certain truths “academically” but sometimes it takes going though some storms (more like typhoons) for those Biblical truths to be cemented in our hearts. What a wonderful thing to be able to entrust ourselves to Him who judges righteously. He slices it up perfectly. (I Peter 2:21-25)

One of the questions you asked was what makes you feel more at home in your new country? I guess many different things factor in to this situation. Take hope! You will eventually feel at home. Then you go back to America and you have a difficult time “feeling at home.” Sometimes it is a real challenge “fitting in” if you will, depending on how ungodly and to what extent the community you are living amongst is devoid of any Biblical foundation. Without meaning to, it is easy to be sucked into unbiblical thinking because we want so bad to be accepted so that we can share the gospel. Realizing that there will be many things that we will have to stand against it should demand a greater desire to learn the language and jump into the culture into whatever ways that we can. Even though we will always be outsiders it is neat to see God break down some of the barriers and in time you actually feel part of your new home country. Yes, all countries have their cultural distinctive etc. but it’s good to remember that inside we are all the same. The gals in Poland probably struggle just as much with hatred, jealousy, and pride as the women in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Once you are able to understand enough of the language it is very helpful to be in situations where you are in an informal group setting and you get to listen to them talking back and forth with each other. Those times can give you insight into how they think about different situations etc. We are going on 19 years here in the Marshall Islands and we are still learning new things and sometimes I think, “How could I have been here this long and never picked up on that belief or the way that word is used...or whatever.”

Stay In The Moment--Look Around and Learn

2008-10-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Polly Whitmore (what I learned from Yap Island Culture)

(What is) the definition of ‘hope’? After reading various sources, I define ‘hope’ as faith that points to the future, knowing that God is completely in control. Hope allows calm confidence as we trust and patiently wait for Him to direct our steps. The expectations we have should be rooted firmly in God and not our emotions.

As I tried to understand the definition of hope, I saw that the opposite of hope is despair. When we feel despair, we are also pretty stressed out. As if there is nothing that can possibly help. Everything is out of our hands. Notice that despair is NOT rooted in God, but is rooted in our emotions.

How many times have we said (or thought) ‘this is HOPELESS! I can’t do this!’ Have you said it today? I certainly said it in our transition to living on Yap Island – the tiny 38 sq mile mound of vegetation in the Western Pacific.

There are several factors that contribute to a feeling of despair and hopelessness. We’ll look at one source of stress: When your mind is just racing and not really focusing on anything – except the myriad of problems that surround you. What’s your focus? How often have I missed out on God’s blessing and instances of joy that surrounds me each day as I focused on negatives: like teaching in a sweaty island high school? Or trying to clean out a freezer of rotting food – rather than realizing that my husband and I were actually sitting on the porch, enjoying a wonderful view of the reef as we munched on banana bread and drank steaming mugs of coffee.

Missionary Jim Elliot said “wherever you are, be all there.” There is such a lack of focus these days. Could this ‘fragmented thinking’ be a high-tech tool of the devil to keep us distracted? To keep us unaware of God’s hand in our day? To keep us from seeing His lessons for each of us? II Cor. 11:3 “But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. God says:

Proverbs 4:26 “Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established.” (plants are noticeably ‘established’ in Yap after you push a branch into the ground. They droop for a day or two – then the leaves stand up and the plant begins growing again) Proverbs 16:3 “Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established.”

In my transition to Yap, I lost my whole frame of reference. (new way of cooking, cleaning, shopping, interacting with others, reacting to the climate challenges, ETC) I didn’t focus on anything other than the very basics: get up, trust God and PRAY for my husband (and myself!) For the 1^st 6 months on the island, I was in survival mode – emotionally holding my breath as though on a roller coaster ride. After 6 months, my coworker Sherry Zimmer and I both took our 1^st deep breath and I was able to begin the slow task of allowing God to teach me as I regained my focus and actually studied my surroundings.

God can teach us A LOT about faith in Him through our surroundings IF we take the time to slow down, PONDER and observe (look closely). Like when our moms would tell us to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN before crossing the street. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. BUT even the disciples missed some lessons. Mark 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. (What hardened their heart? Fatigue? Distractions of crowds? Physical hunger? Lay that aside and FOCUS! Let God increase your faith!)

The 1^st step of our journey of hope is to be teachable. Be WILLING to learn. I’ll share some of my ‘island life’ insight and how God used that in my life to teach me more of His truth and to reinforce lessons from His Word.

1. Crabs, Coconuts, and Creeping Weeds. (Things left alone don’t stay the same or improve. They rot, decay and become overgrown with weeds). Your coconuts won’t stay in a row in your garden – too many crabs are interested in moving them around. Your new plants won’t survive without protection – the crabs enjoy them for dinner! Soon tall weeds flourish and become an accepted part of your garden. We need vigilance and perseverance to fight decay in our surroundings AND in our heart. We need fresh vision so we won’t get used to seeing the “weeds” in our life.

Weed seeds (pickers!) that grab onto your clothes relocate to other areas during the laundry cycle. You need to deal with them individually. Like little negative thoughts pop up in other areas in your mind. Don’t just do a general laundry: ‘forgive my sins’ – be specific. Remove those ‘weed seeds’ one by one.

Rain keeps working after it falls. Isaiah 55:8-11 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

As we share the Word with others – we need to realize that it’s not finished working when it leaves our mouth – God is in charge of its effect. The work is just beginning. We just need to be faithful.

Even a clear path can be difficult to navigate—just be faithful and keep going! One morning I was staring at the asphalt of the wide open road on which I walked – increasingly discouraged by how HARD it was for me. “This should be EASY! No rocks, no limbs, no uneven pavement. I should have more victory on this path!” Then I stopped and looked around. It was VERY steep! And I was ¾ of the way to the top of the hill. As I stood there, I drank water, was refreshed and encouraged to continue my climb to my destination – home! It would have been so easy to turn around – only to have to start all over again if I ever wanted to get home.

As Christians – it’s OK to pause and look around (but don’t whine!) – notice the progress you’re making. One step at a time. Drink from the water of His Word – it eases the fatigue and refreshes your tired spirit. DON’T turn back or take the easy way. You’ll just have to walk that way again as you move toward the mountaintop and victory. We need endurance: Long obedience in the same direction.

Galatians 6:9 and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

You don’t need an invitation to SMELL something! In Yap, the smells can be a little pungent! One classic night as we drove to the village with a van full of teens, I got relief by stuffing dried out raspberry scented handwipes up my nostrils! It was DARK, and I was in the front seat – so no one noticed! Just as freshly bathed fragrant islanders are a welcome addition to the van, we are HIS fragrance. People NOTICE! After Typhoon Sudal, as I worked to clear the imploded classroom, carrying out the rotting paper and books from the standing water, pulling out tin and cutting apart rafters with a smile, one atheist counselor exclaimed “Look at you, you must have the Holy Ghost in your life!” What an opportunity to explain the source of my happy ‘fragrance’, or “savor”.

II Cor 2:14-16a Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. Eph 5:1,2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. Take a whiff of your fragrance tonight: is it the fragrance of stress? The fragrance of a snippy attitude? Of bitterness? Of worry? Of fear? Of joy? Of contentment? Of hope?

6. It’s hard to move forward in the dark! One night as I walked home in the dark – I realized that I was stumbling and groping along on a usually familiar road. I stopped and couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Later as I was struggling with Dengue fever, I reflected on a statement I read in Calvin and Hobbes: “I think it’s dark at nighttime so that we can imagine our fears with less distraction!” As I thought about darkness, I came up with a ‘darkness test’:

Do normal things scare you?

Do you stumble at obstacles – making progress slow and painful?

Do you lash out at problems or delays?

Do you want to just STOP, sit down and wait until someone comes with a light?

Why??? What does light do? Scary things are explained. You can see your way around or over obstacles. You can move forward using less energy. What is our Light as Christians? Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” His Word is the answer for our darkness – we need to read and search for light!

Light received in my dengue darkness:

II Cor 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Psalm 40 David waited patiently – but was NOT idle! He was crying out from a PIT – from the miry clay!

Hunting flies is more successful using the ‘fly swatoosie’ method! (keep waving your arms as you get the swatter and continue to wave the swatter in archs… the fly remains unaware of your intentions!) When flies are ‘focused’, they see the attack coming. When they are distracted they are vulnerable. If I can observe and figure out how to bring down a fly, don’t you think the devil watches us in that same way - understanding what will cause us to stumble; stalking us to determine a method that will hinder us? I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We need to focus on God who is always watching! II Chron 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”

8. Our large fruit bats have the wingspan of hawks and fall headfirst through the trees before they soar. We also have to let go of our efforts before God can take over and bring victory. Christians and fruit bats both seek fruit in the darkness and we both find rest in the Light.

Dogs and cats: Dogs walk like their mom. I had read about this – but in Yap, I saw it! (the mom with the broken hind legs produced dogs that also limped on the same leg!) What are we teaching the young people who are watching us? Do they limp like we do?

The other thing I learned was, don’t mess with a fight that is not your own. Our dog loved to join in any fight and really suffered as a result. As Christians there are times when we just need to stand back and pray!

Cats: When bored, dogs would pester the neighbor cat. He would stop and look at them. They’d just walk away. My lesson was: don’t run from situations when you’re afraid! Just turn and face your fear. It’s no fun to chase you! Sometimes I realize that the same scenario always makes me panic – time to stop, turn and say “I’m not running from that anymore – that doesn’t scare me!”

Storms: The harder the wind blows, the less the birds have to flap their wings to soar high. Louisa May Alcott said “I am not afraid of the storm, for I am learning to sail my ship.” Our hardest job is to let go of the controls and trust GOD to sail our ship.

Storms give us a glimpse of God’s power – that same God, bends to help ME! By resting in His strength, we can rise above the storm in our life.

Storms remove our cover. The gigey birds in Yap are normally shy and hidden. After the typhoon, their cover was torn away. We were able to match them with their unusual sound and we said “YOU’RE the one that makes that sound!” Changing circumstances and trials put you in a place for people to clearly see and hear His message.

11. The Tide makes the difference!

THE TIDE IS SURE TO WIN by Amy Carmichael

On the far reef the breakers recoil in shattered foam,

Yet still the seas behind them urges its forces home;

Its chant of triumph surges through all the thunderous din,

The waves may break in failure, but the tide is sure to win.

O mighty sea, thy message in changing spray is cast;

Within God’s plan of progress, it matters not at last

How wide the shores of evil, how strong the reefs of sin.

The wave may be defeated, but the tide is sure to win.

Individual waves may be ineffective – but the tide will win! God sees the big picture! We need to have faith! For we walk by faith, not by sight (II Cor 5:7)

CONCLUSION:

…Take time to pray and ask God to help you focus on Him. Let your mind and your body be in the same spot – don’t be distracted by what is ahead, or what was behind you. Think about what you are doing and seeing right now. Ask God to help you notice His hand in your life and ask Him to help you make the applications that are needed. Be willing, and teachable—let’s become Women of Hope.

The Testimony of Christy Mock

2008-10-06T01:51:00.001-07:00

Missionary to Cairns, Australia

My husband and I knew even while we were dating that we were headed to the mission field. Both of us had opportunities to travel to Australia while in college with the Bob Jones University mission team and certainly felt a tug to go back there one day. In 2002, we had opportunity to once again travel on the team as a married couple. We had just finished our Masters degrees and Steven was planning on returning for another three years of school for his MDIV and then we would start deputation. So I was excited about going to Australia in a few years time. When we came to Australia that summer of 2002, the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Steve Gibb, asked us to pray about and consider coming back to help at the church. And we replied that we would love to after Steven finishes some more schooling and we go on deputation. Steve replied by saying that he meant he wanted us to come now and not in a few years. I got panicky at that point – yes, it was exciting but all of a sudden this was looming much closer on the horizon. We said we would pray about it and pursue it until the doors closed. We went back to the States and literally every door flew wide open and we were back in Cairns, Australia within one year.

I remember before we moved asking a lot of missionary wives if they struggled with homesickness and it seemed as though none of them did. I was already struggling with thinking of leaving family and thought there must be something wrong with me. It was during that time through some missions conferences that I heard some missionary wives be very transparent and tell of some of the struggles and hardships that they faced. I was so encouraged to finally meet some ladies who were willing to be honest and share some of the trials that were specific to them as missionary wives. I realized that my struggles were not uncommon and that God would give the grace and strength for me to follow His will.

It was certainly a difficult time leaving the security and comforts of life in the States but even more so I struggled with leaving my family. Both of our parents were very supportive of our decision and knew this was what God had for us, but it didn’t make saying goodbye any easier. And I certainly did struggle for a long time with homesickness. But I finally came to the realization that it was okay for me to miss my family and friends as long as I was content with where God had me right then and not wishing for something different. I was certainly thankful when I thought of missionaries years ago who left home with no thought of ever seeing their friends and family again. Now we have all the modern conveniences of cheap phone calls, Skype, internet, being only 30 hours away by plane.

Thankfully we did not have the added pressure of learning a new language in Australia. However, there were many cultural adjustments we did have to make. I remember the first time I went to the grocery store just wanting to sit down and cry because everything seemed to have a different name and I couldn’t find all the things I was familiar with. Around Thanksgiving time I went in search of canned pumpkin and it was nowhere to be found. I asked a clerk and she looked at me as though I came from a different planet. Another time I went in search of Cool Whip which again was nowhere to be found. America is an extremely affluent society and although Australia is by no means a third world country, it can still be a struggle to find the things you need without searching a million stores. After being used to going to Wal-Mart and getting everything I needed it was quite a change. Those all seem like seemingly insignificant inconveniences but when piled on top of each other it was a struggle I had to face to learn how to cook in a different way.

We also quickly realized that Americans do not always have the highest reputation when you’re in another country. Most Australians think of Americans as loud, obnoxious, pushy, arrogant people. So that was a hurdle we had to overcome even within the church. It took time to break down barriers and make new relationships with people. Even after living here for five years as soon as we open our mouths to a new person the first question is, “Where are you from?” I also struggled with people thinking everything I did was because I was American and not just because of who I was as an individual. From the way I baked cookies to decorating my Christmas tree to holding a baby shower was all very “American”.

As a pastor’s wife there was also the struggle with loneliness. Steven was the one out having the adventures with ministry and I was at home with the kids. It was difficult making new friendships without ladies always looking at me as the pastor’s wife. But the Lord certainly has blessed as I have learned to be open and transparent with the ladies here and have been able to make some wonderful friendships.

We also had some great trials with the birth of our children. We found out three days before leaving the States for Australia that we were expecting our first baby. We were blessed abundantly by being able to get on the public health system here in Australia as soon as we moved here. Gregory arrived seven weeks early and was in the hospital for the first four weeks of his life and had to have major surgery when he was nine months old. Now, all those things would be a struggle for anyone but we faced the added struggle of being away from family during such a difficult time. I continued to learn of God’s faithfulness and grace in my life. But there were more hard times to come. Our second baby, Emily, arrived ten weeks early weighing only 2 pounds 11 ounces, and in the first week of her life we were told that she would probably not survive and if she did she would probably never lead a normal life. She was born without most of her right lung. After nine weeks in the NICU she was able to come home. She was home for a few weeks before she had some very serious instances of stopping breathing. After many hospital visits and consults with doctors, we ended up in the ICU in Brisbane. We stayed in the Ronald McDonald house for two months in a city where we basically knew no one and were far away not just from our family but also from our church family in Cairns. Emily was on a ventilator all this time and was gradually getting worse. There were many times when we thought we would not be bringing her home with us. After six weeks she had heart surgery and was gradually weaned off the ventilator and, all thanks to the Lord, she has been fine ever since. That, of course, is a very condensed and abbreviated version of some of the hardest times we have ever had to face. There were times when the trials and burdens were so heavy that it was a struggle even to pray. How grateful we were to know that there were people all over the world upholding us in prayer. Emily is three years old now and only has to go for a yearly checkup to her doctors. It was during that time that the Lord helped me to learn of His sovereign goodness – He not only is in control but I can trust that He is a very good God. And through that time, the Lord helped us to be drawn closer to our church family – they saw us go through a trial and were able to see how we handled that and we were able to be shown such tremendous love and care by them that it really knit our hearts together. For the first time, I really felt like Cairns was home. The Lord was very gracious in allowing me to carry our third child nearly to full term and what a joy it was to bring Caitlyn home from the hospital two days after her birth. So in the five years we have been year, there has been a combined total of over 22 weeks in the hospital, seven surgeries, numerous special medical flights, and everything that goes along with all of that and have not had to pay anything for all of that because of the social health care system. While the health system certainly has its downsides, we are so thankful for the Lord putting us in a place to provide for us both physically and financially.

The Lord has shown me that even in the midst of a storm I can have peace and joy knowing that He is in control of every situation. He is good and gracious and it’s important for me to judge my circumstances by His character and not look at my circumstances and judge God through them.

Adjusting to the Mission Field--A Wife's Perspective Pt. 2

2008-09-29T02:04:00.000-07:00

Kim Melton - BWM missionary to Japan

Several years ago, we sold our first house and bought another on the other side of town. We were so excited. Our family had grown and we needed a 3^rd bedroom. The Lord had answered our prayer abundantly. A few weeks after the move, we were finally settled and I was so lonely. My kids did not change schools, we were attending the same church, I was hanging out with the same friends, but I felt so isolated. I missed my old neighborhood and familiar stores and roads. I told my friend that I did not understand this. She told me the grieving process was settling in. I didn’t quite understand this at the time, but I knew she was right.

When we moved to the field, I experienced this at a new level. Part of grieving is adjusting to a new way of life. It’s sort of like after a funeral. The hubbub of the funeral is over, the family meal is finished and everyone returns to their normal routine, except for the immediate family of the one who died. They have to learn to live day by day without the lost loved one. When you move to the field, the old way of life is over. If you add to that the unfamiliar, it is overwhelming. We have to turn to the God of all comforts (2 Cor. 1:3-4). He is waiting with open arms. “The Greek word for ‘comfort’ is related to the familiar word paraclete, ‘one who comes along side to help,’…’comfort’ often connotes softness and ease, but that is not its meaning here. Paul was saying that God came to him in the middle of his sufferings and troubles to strengthen him and give him courage and boldness”(MacArthur Study Bible).

When we arrived in Japan, I felt unprepared for the emotions that I would experience. I had no choice about the home we lived in. I was frustrated because I could not communicate. I felt lost driving on the “wrong” side of the road and not being able to read the signs. I didn’t know where to shop. I didn’t know what prices were good. I had no friends and I had to put up a good face for my children who were watching me. It was terribly overwhelming. I remembered what my friend said about grieving and I was helped. It is o.k. to grieve. It is not a sin to feel sadness. It’s even o.k. to cry. The attitude behind it is what can be sinful. Where do we turn when the emotions flare?

Many times, when I have shared my struggles, I was told that “we all have to go through it.” I did not find this comforting. If our comfort comes from the Lord, we have an obligation to share with others (2 Cor. 1:3-4) what brought us comfort and gave us strength. I was determined to find some answers in the Word. When another missionary lady came to me, I wanted to have an answer.

Memorizing God’s Word has had a life-changing affect on me. Find verses that help you and memorize them. If you do this, God will bring them to your mind when you need them most. For example, I had to have a mammogram here. It was not something I looked forward to. I will not go into the whole big, long story. They do things differently here and it was pretty traumatic. I couldn’t talk to the doctors, so my hubby was translating. That was a different stress of its own! As I was lying on the examining table fighting the tears, the Lord brought to my mind 2 Cor. 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” I had instant peace and the tears fled. If I had not memorized those verses, they would not have been there when I needed them most!

Several verses have helped me on a regular basis. I meditate on the fact that God is present with me (Ps. 46:1, Jer. 23:23-24, Ps. 139:7-10, Mat. 28:20). Others may forget me, but God does not (Is. 49:15). When I am overwhelmed, I must go to the Lord. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed, that I can’t remember to do this and then He leads me to Himself (Ps. 61:1, 2). Spurgeon said about these verses that “he who communes with God is always at home.”

Perhaps the most exciting truth to me about God is His faithfulness. He keeps His promises. I have seen this in my life before, but it has been magnified on the field. He strengthens me, helps me and holds me up (Is. 41:10). He guides me with His eye (Ps. 32:8). He goes before me. I do not need to be dismayed (Deut. 31:8).

When we moved to the city we are in now, there was no one living here to show us around. When we needed a doctor, God led us. When we needed an eye doctor, God led us. Both of these speak some English! I needed a friend. God went before me and hand-picked one and put her in my path. Then there was the time I needed something at the store and I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t ask the clerk and even if I could, I wouldn’t have understood her answer. After several minutes of searching and mounting frustration, I cried out to the Lord and He led me right to it. I could go on and on…

Another lesson I am still learning is to not compare myself and my situation with others. 2 Cor. 10:12 tells me that if I do this, I am not wise! There will be someone who raised support faster, learned the language faster or has a bigger and better house to live in. We prayed for a teacher for our children. God did not see fit to give us one; but yet, I saw Him supply this for another family. Another friend has been on the field less time than I have and she already has the language ability to lead a Bible study. My language study is slow and difficult. At this middle age that I am in, sometimes I feel too old to do it! Someone younger would do a better job! Some missionaries are able to plant a new church every term. In our country of service, it may take the rest of our lives to plant one. We are all different. Every country and language is different. My focus must be on God and His will for me today. I cannot compare myself to others. God has put me where He wants me to be and has given me what I need to accomplish His will (2 Cor. 9:8, Phil. 2:13).

I remember well when the “culture shock” started to set in. In the USA, we talk about “bad hair days.” Here, we have “bad culture days.” =) I was reading the fruits of the Spirit in my study Bible and the notes that went with them. I realized as I read, that these fruits manifested in my life will take care of any “culture shock.” Longsuffering is “the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations.” Gentleness is “a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution” (MacArthur Study Bible). When I offend the culture unknowingly, when I am stared at because I am different, when things are done differently than I would do them, when I am mistreated or misunderstood, what fruit do I exhibit? Is it longsuffering and gentleness? The only way I can do this is to be in the Word, walk in the Spirit and have lots of grace from my Lord (2Cor. 12:9-10).

In closing, I want to share some practical things that have helped me.

While on deputation, I begged the Lord to give me a verse that would keep me on the field when the going got tough. As we went through the Netcaster program, the Lord began to burn 2 Cor. 5:15 into my soul, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” My life is not about me, it is about the One Who died for me.
Several years ago, a friend counseled me to fill my mind with good Scriptural music. I play it in the car, on the subway and while in the house. This has helped me countless times when I couldn’t seem to control my thoughts. One time in particular was after a rough day of language school. I put in my earbuds on the subway and started to listen to the cd A Quiet Heart by Soundforth. One of my favorite songs, “I Could Not Do Without Thee” began. When I arrived at my destination, the frustration and turmoil were gone. God met my need through the music. Another favorite cd is Come and Sing by the Stouffer men. This brought me tremendous comfort during the days before and after our departure for Japan.
Keep a journal of what God is teaching you and the blessings He gives. The entries don’t have to be long. A simple “I was so lonely today and God gave me Mt. 28:20” or “I wanted cheddar cheese and God led me to it and it was on sale!” is enough. When the emotions are threatening to drown you, get out the journal and read. It is hard to remember God’s help in the past when you are overwhelmed. Having something to read will help you to remember and encourage your heart.
And last, but certainly not least, read missionary biographies. Others have gone before us and we can learn from them. The circumstances are different, but the struggles are the same. I have been helped greatly by the writings of Isobel Kuhn. She is very candid about her struggles. My two favorite books of hers are In the Arena and Green Leaf in Drought.

I hope that someone will be helped by these things. It has been worth the time for me to reflect on them. I think that we do others a disservice when we hide behind a mask and pretend that everything is o.k. We are human and we will struggle. We can help someone else through the struggle, if we are willing to humble ourselves and be transparent. God knows that we are dust (Ps. 103:14)! How marvelous that He still chooses to use us!

Adjusting to the Mission Field--A Wife's Perspective Pt. 1

2008-09-22T05:16:00.000-07:00

*****Ginger has spent quite a bit of time compiling the thoughts of missionary wives all over the world. Each Monday for the next several months we will be sharing those thoughts on our blog.*****

Why is it that most, if not all, missionary ladies are shocked by all the emotions and struggles that accompany the first year on the mission field? Why do we feel so guilty for being so overwhelmed? Why are we not more prepared for the inevitable? If so many missionary ladies struggle in their first months on the field, why are we not sharing our struggles and trials with those that come after us so that they can better prepare?

As I collect stories from women who are serving all around the world, I am continually seeing a similar pattern. First, we are so excited to arrive on the mission field the Lord has called us to. Then for the next six months to a year we struggle with a variety of emotions and doubts. Finally, we find refuge in the Lord. The Lord gives us strength to overcome our emotions and guilt. We find ways to accept the new culture around us and we start enjoying the work God have given us. Is there no way to make these first few months easier on us?

As a new missionary wife myself, I think that knowing I was not the only one feeling so lost and confused would have helped me not feel so guilty. I felt like I must have a spiritual problem because, how could I not be overjoyed to be in this new country which desperately needed the Lord? Praise the Lord I have a patient and loving husband who was and is always patient, and is always willing to listen and never judge.

I remember not wanting to call anyone from back home cause I didn’t want to disappoint them. I didn’t want them to think their support was all in vain. Pride set in and I didn’t want anyone to see how weak I was. I was an MK, I was suppose to have no problems adjusting to a new culture. I was supposed to be able to learn the new language in no time at all. How could I call them and let them know that I had failed them?

I am so thankful that after ten months of living in Siedlce, Poland I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I finally realize that I am not alone in these struggles. It is okay to miss home like crazy. It is normal to question if you made the right decision to be a missionary. It is okay to cry and cry and cry a little more. It is okay to call home often and share your struggles with friends and loved ones. It is okay to feel overwhelmed; there is nothing to feel guilty about. I would encourage any new missionary lady to find another missionary lady who can be your accountability partner. Find a missionary lady who is either going through the same thing you are or someone who has recently gone through it. No one else can quite relate like another fellow missionary lady.

Over these past ten months the Lord has continually given me ideas of how to better understand and relate to the culture and people around me. The first few months when everything was at its worst, nothing was better than reading God’s promises from Psalms and Proverbs. I also read, “Lord Change My Attitude” by Pastor James McDonald. I would definitely encourage new missionaries to pack their bags full of good Christian books. Good Christian literature is hard to come by on the mission field and can be such a great encouragement.

Looking back on these past ten months I would have to say that the things that helped me start to enjoy living here more where just simple things, nothing extraordinary. I would describe myself as outgoing and fun loving. I love being with people and having a good time. One of the things I miss most about the States is spending time with my girl friends and the ladies in my church. I miss calling up a friend and running out for a cup of coffee or going grocery shopping together. I didn’t know many women here who I could call up and run out to the store with. I felt so cooped up and so claustrophobic. I decided that joining an aerobics class might give me the opportunity to meet some new ladies, and of course get fit in the mean time! The aerobics class has been GREAT!! I have met so many nice women. I now have a list of ladies I can call up and go out for coffee with. Over the last couple of months I have really enjoyed going out for coffee with different ladies. It has been fun getting to know them and hearing their stories. It has also given me the opportunity to share my story with them and tell them why my family and I are here. The Lord has also given me the opportunity to spend time with a group of teenage girls in our neighborhood. Almost every Monday night, after the kids go down, the girls come over and we play games or I teach them how to make American desserts. Spending this time with these girls has really given me a heart for the teen girls of Poland. Spending time with these ladies and teenagers has given me even more motivation to learn the Polish language.

Can I say that I am over and pass all my crazy emotions? I think not. Do I still have bad days? Yes, who doesn’t, right? However, I can honestly say that I am excited about my future here in Poland. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family and ministry here in Poland. Praise the Lord that, “His compassions fail not.” Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs

And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain:

God is his own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

Eighteenth century poet William Cowper

A Little Relief

2008-09-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

It would be nice if money grew on trees. I might actually become a treehugger if that were the case. For quite some time you've heard about the weak dollar and its affect on missions. This article from bloomberg news signals some potential good news for those of us overseas. The dollar reached a one year high against the euro today. Two months ago the dollars' weakness had resulted in a loss of over 30% of our buying power since we first arrived in Poland. It is really hard to operate on 70% of your budget. That trend has reversed itself rather quickly, and though the dollar is still weaker than when we initially arrived in Poland, it's strength could provide some needed financial breathing room. I am thankful for this answer to prayer.

Back To School

2008-09-03T01:42:00.000-07:00

The Kids went back to school on Monday so I thought I'd share a few things that are different about school in Poland.

1.) They have an extra year of pre-school here so their "first grade" is our "second grade" in the States.

2.) Preschool is not nearly as structured here as it is in the States. But once they start first grade it is not uncommon for children to come home with an hour or more of homework each night.

3.) Preschool tuition is something around $75 per month per child. Included in that price is breakfast, a morning snack, obiad (Poland's biggest meal of the day) and an afternoon snack. They are literally eating all day. The kids love it.

4.) Not included in the price of tuition are any type of supplies. Before the school year begins parents are given a list of everything the child needs right down to kleenex, toilet paper, and handsoap for the bathroom. This continues on through elementary.

5.) The teacher and class stay together all through preschool. When the child gets into first grade the teacher and class stay together through the third grade.

6.) At the fourth grade level students begin a schedule similar to Jr. High students in the States, which includes different teachers for different subjects, and different class loads on different days.

7.) Poland does not have nearly enough preschools for its population. Certain preschools have a waiting list of over two years, which requires parents to sign up their child right after birth. Otherwise, registration is on a first come- first serve basis. Priority is given to single parents or homes where both parents are working. The registration forms are quite intrusive by U.S. standards. Asking questions such as "Do you have a job" and "what kind of work do you do?"

Untouchables

2008-08-28T01:28:00.000-07:00

Siedlce made national headlines last month. From what I've gathered, one of the major gang/mafia/ drug cartel's in Poland had chosen Siedlce as a semi-annual meeting place. A special police task force, from Warsaw and similar to Elliot Ness and his "Untouchables", had been hunting them for some time. The cartel used Siedlce for a few reasons, one being that many local police were on the cartel's payroll in exchange for information and a "heads up" on any raid. The corruption was so bad in Siedlce that the task force kept them completely in the dark as to their intentions. Two weeks prior to the raid the special task force made a call into the Siedlce police department and gave simple instructions. "In a few weeks someone from our unit will call in and say one word, (for illustrations sake lets say the word was kielbasa). When you receive that phone call and hear "kielbasa" send three ambulances to this location." Because of potential leaks, that is all the information they could give our beloved police department. A few weeks later the raid went down and, according to the article, most of the major players were apprehended. They'll be sent to prison and probably never be heard from again. The lesson here, crime does pay in Poland, just not all the time.

Interesting Times

2008-08-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Drudge Report headlined it's web page today with the words "Showdown: Russia Vows Shield Response Beyond Diplomacy." You can click on the title to read the full article, but in short, the Russian rhetoric is flying and at "cold war" levels. To say that the Polish people have a dislike and distrust for the Russian government is an understatement. The recent events in Georgia and the new missile shield arrangement that the US made with Poland has only added to the tension. Russia is now threatening nuclear response. Is there a good chance that it's only rhetoric at this point? Yes, but having been subjected to tyranny for so many years, the Polish now take nothing for granted.

Arab Christians

2008-08-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

Poland has very few Muslims, although the numbers are growing. I read an interesting article by Steve Davis at Sharper Iron the other day titled "Is Allah the Father of Jesus?" The article gave good food for thought so I've pasted it below.

Frequently when speaking on the subject of Islam, I’ve encountered opposition to the idea that Arab believers use the word “Allah” in referring to God. Most of the objections stem from a misunderstanding of the Arabic language and of the historical and cultural use and development of the word “Allah.” It is understandable that to untrained Western ears and in the midst of current world crises that the word “Allah” be almost exclusively associated with radical Islam. However, it is unacceptable for American Christians to insist that Arab Christians not use “Allah” and find another word for deity. How then should we respond to the question, “Is Allah the Father of Jesus?”

From my travels to the Middle East, I have seen and heard “Allah” used by Christians in their prayers, singing, and in reading Scripture. Whatever the origin of the word, it means “God” or “god” just like the English word. It is true that “Allah” does not specifically refer to the Christian God. Neither does our English word. Do we require more precision for Arab believers than we do for ourselves? Of course, as Christians we also use Jesus, Jehovah, Lord, etc. Arab believers do the same, but in no way does that negate the use of Allah. For example, John 1:1 in an Arabic translation reads “And the word was with Allah and the word was Allah.”

A recent suggestion that Arab believers use the phrase “God of Israel” does little to clarify the issue. Apart from reading “God of Israel” in the Bible, I do not think Arab Christians would regularly or publicly use this fuller name for God, especially in light of the current political situation. Yet even if someone says, “God of Israel” where “God” translates “Elohim,” it would still be “Allah of Israel.” It has been objected that since Muslims deny that Allah has a son that Arab Christians cannot proclaim that “Jesus of Nazareth is the son of Allah.” I have seen this argument bolstered by the declaration that the “god” of liberals is not the “God” of the Scriptures. Yet the fact that the god of the liberals is not the God of the Scriptures does not mean we no longer use the word “God.” Moreover, I must ask if saying “Jesus of Nazareth is the son of Allah” in Arabic is any more objectionable than saying “Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God” in English?” when many religionists use the word “God” to identify someone far removed from a scriptural description.

When a Bible-believing Christian says, “I believe in God” and a liberal says, “I believe in God,” there is historical and linguistic commonality with theological differentiation. Only deeper investigation reveals what someone means by using the general word “God” whether in Arabic or in English. It has been noted that in speaking of Allah, Muslims and Christians speak of the same subject but differ in the predicates they say about him. When Arab Christians say that Jesus is the Son of Allah, they are saying what no Muslim can say. But they can and do say it because Allah is the normal translation of the Hebrew “Elohim” and the Greek “Theos.”

It is wishful thinking to imagine that Arab Christians should find another word rather than Allah any more than Bible-believing Christians should stop using the word “God” since liberals use it to mean something else. Certainly there are words that are needed to fuller qualify the identity of “Allah.” Perhaps we should frame the issue differently and ask the question “Is the Father of Jesus the God of Mohammed?” rather than argue about what word to use. Muslims will not call Allah “Father,” but Arab Christians do (there’s a book written by a Muslim woman who converted to Christianity titled I Dared to Call Him Father). Additionally, we may be able to distinguish between “God” and “god” in English, but for spoken purposes there is no distinction in English, and in Arabic there is no capitalization.

We should not ignore the fact that historically Arab Christians used “Allah” long before Islam was founded as a religion. Islam hijacked the word, which represents two contracted Arabic words “il” and “ilah” (the god). Some have called for Arab Christians to clarify what is confusing for mono-linguistic English speakers who know of “Allah” only from a biased Western context. Why? It is not confusing to Arabic believers. When they say “Allah,” they know who they are referencing.

Obviously, in witnessing to Muslims in an English-speaking context, one might prefer using “God” to “Allah.” Regardless of what word might be used, the identify of God or Allah as the Father of Isa must be made clear, and that task presents a major stumbling block for the Muslim believer. What we must not do is attempt to impose on Arab Christians a burden we ourselves have not borne—to ask them to deny their history, their language, and their culture in order to appease the troubled minds of American Christians who recoil at the sound of “Allah.” Let Arab Christians declare “Allahu Akbar,” and we will respond in kind—“God is great!” In answer to our title question, we should respond in the affirmative. For Arab-language Christians, Allah is most certainly the Father of Jesus.

His First Stitches

2008-08-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, Caleb got his first stitches today. The rite of passage for every boy, unfortunately, being a Stover and a twin means he will probably get more than his fair share in the future(yes, I've already warned them about the dangers of barbed wire fences). Today was a very windy day and he had his hand on the door frame when the door slammed shut. I heard him yell and knew there was a real problem. It popped the thumbnail off and his finger looked like pre-cooked meatloaf in the school cafeteria. Fortunately it's not broken, but he did get five stitches. Ginger took him to the hospital and got a firsthand glimpse into the efficiency of the Polish healthcare system. She counted seven different rooms and lines that she waited in with our hurting son. Definitely not the best way to run a hospital but what can you do? He's doing fine and thinks the stitches are cool but he's bummed that he can't play Star Wars Legos on PS2 for a few days. All that's left now is for the Stover family tradition where dad removes the stitches. Just don't tell Ginger about that one.

THE BIG "30"

2008-08-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Turned 30 on Sunday, Ginger and the kids surprised me with an early birthday cake at camp. What could be better than a tower of Polish donuts.

Camp

2008-08-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we wrapped up our teen camp with a ten hour bus ride home. The camp was held in southern Poland within 1 km of the Slovakian border. During communism, this region was often used to smuggle people in and out of the country. The terrain could be compared to the hills of Tennessee and thus impossible to maintain total control of the border. Thank you for your prayers, twenty-six attended the camp and we are thanking God for the seven teens who trusted Christ. The majority of the teens that attended come from Christian families in our church so it was exciting to see them make their own decisions about following Christ. We stayed in something similar to a hostel in the States, the caretakers are Christians, and it's owned by a Baptist church in Wrocław, Poland. They gave us some encouraging news about our kids' language acquisition when they told us that it wasn't until Saturday that they realized our children weren't Polish. They had heard them conversing with the other kids in Polish and said they spoke perfectly. As far as Ginger and I are concerned, they weren't fooled by our Polish, but it was a great week of total immersion in the Polish language. By the end of the week I was ready to give Polish a rest for a few days. Our kids absolutely loved it, when we got home last night Bradey said, "oh man, now it's back to our boring house."

It's That Language Thing Again

2008-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

When you are learning a language, new situations provide new challenges in communication. Pray for us this week as we along with Kris and Mariola Kolt will be running a teen camp in southern Poland. If I'm honest, my stomach gets a little queasy when I think about the week ahead and the language barriers this camp presents. But it's also a great opportunity to share the Gospel with 25 people, most of whom are not believers. I'll leave you with some Polish vocabulary that you can put to use.

kochanie: (ko-ha-nie) honey/ darling

żabciu: (ge-ab-chew) little frog--husbands and wives often use this endearing term, sounds funny to us Americans

rybko: (rib-ko) little fish--same as żabciu (imagine referring to your wife as a little fish)

miśu: (me-shoe) teddy bear/ bear cub, another term of endearment

wyszła za mąż: (wy-shwa za moange) a phrase used to describe a lady who is about to get married--it literally means she is going out to get a husband. There is a joke in there somewhere but I'm afraid to use it

Good Stuff From Spurgeon

2008-07-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Pyromaniacs blog the other day and came across this Spurgeon excerpt taken from a sermon he preached on January 24, 1869 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. He was speaking to the Christianity of his day, but the message is still relevant.

Though I rejoice in sudden conversions, I entertain grave suspicions of those suddenly happy people who seem never to have sorrowed over their sin. I am afraid that those who come by their religion so very lightly often lose it quite as lightly. Saul of Tarsus was converted on a sudden, but no man ever went through a greater horror of darkness than he did before Ananias came to him with the words of comfort.

I like deep ploughing. Top-soil skimming is poor work; the tearing of the soil under surface is greatly needed. After all, the most lasting Christians appear to be those who have seen their inward disease to be very deeply seated and loathsome, and after awhile have been led to see the glory of the healing hand of the Lord Jesus as he stretches it out in the gospel.

I am afraid that in much modern religion there is a want of depth on all points; they neither deeply tremble nor greatly rejoice, they neither much despair nor much believe. Oh, beware of pious veneering! Beware of the religion which consists in putting on a thin slice of godliness over a mass of carnality. We must have thorough going work within; the grace which reaches the core, and affects the innermost spirit is the only grace worth having.

To put all in one word, a want of the Holy Ghost is the great cause of religious instability. Beware of mistaking excitement for the Holy Ghost, or your own resolutions for the deep workings of the Spirit of God in the soul. All that ever nature paints God will burn off with hot irons. All that nature ever spins he will unravel and cast away with the rags. Ye must be born from above, ye must have a new nature wrought in you by the finger of God himself, for of all his saints it is written, "Ye are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus."

Oh, but, everywhere I fear there is a want of the Holy Spirit! there is much getting up of a tawdry morality, barely skin deep, much crying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace, and very little deep heart-searching anxiety to be throughly purged from sin. Well-known and well-remembered truths are believed without an accompanying impression of their weight; hopes are flimsily formed, and confidences ill founded, and it is this which makes deceivers so plentiful, and fair shows after the flesh so common.

Siedlce Is Getting A McDonalds!!!

2008-07-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

They started building it a month and a half ago, and it's supposed to be done by the end of the summer. The project has been a joke for a quite awhile in Siedlce because for the longest time it was nothing more than a rumor. It turns out that every year the city council voted overwhelmingly against it. Not anymore. Maybe because of a new mayor or maybe because they purchased property outside city limits by a few feet, whatever the reason, they are building it and I will go. I wonder how you say egg mcmuffin in Polish?

Underdogs Don't Win

2008-07-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe a year and a half in Poland has left me somewhat nostalgic, but I love America, I miss America. As we learn the language and observe this culture so foreign to our own, we often catch ourselves comparing the two. One culture is home, and the other, well . . . it’s growing on us. Many similarities can be observed but a few stark differences exist. The longer I’m away from home the more I see “American Individualism” emanating from across the Atlantic. We Americans love stories about people who overcome all odds, we root for the underdog. Whether its pilgrims surviving the first winter, or sending the world’s great superpower back across the pond with its “tail between its legs”, or a handful of men holding off Santa Anna’s army allowing Sam Houston to rally the troops, stories of one man or a handful of people making a difference are forever engrained in our folklore. It’s why Sylvester Stallone made six Rocky films and it’s why Jack Bauer has saved the country, from certain destruction, something like five times with another adventure planned for this fall. Though we know the outcome we can’t avert our eyes. American fascination with sports has fed this obsession as well. One needs look no further than the Milan Indians. In 1954, Bobby Plump’s last second shot rocketed his team, from a little school of 161 students, to victory over the heavy favorites and enormous Bearcats of Muncie Central. Made famous by the movie “Hoosiers,” this story wrestles with “The Miracle On Ice” for the distinction of the greatest upset in sports history.

Polish people respect Americans, consider us allies, can’t get enough of Hollywood or our stories, but they don’t buy the underdog stuff. Theirs is a completely different history. Around the time we claimed our independence, Poland was completely dissolved. Polish history is littered with invading armies and neighboring countries that pillaged and claimed what was rightfully Poland’s. One of the great uprisings in modern history ended in tragedy for the Polish people. The book “A Question of Honor” documents how for 63 days 40,000 soldiers, including 4,000 women held off the Germans though having only 2,500 guns at their disposal. Hoping for rescue by the Allies the opposite in fact occurred. The Russian Army camped outside Warsaw counting on the Germans to eventually annihilate most officers and resisters. The purpose, of course, was so that Stalin could have a much easier path in establishing his puppet government. In that uprising, 22,000 soldiers and 200,000 civilians sacrificed their lives only to see the country fall into Soviet control for another fifty years in spite of the incredible efforts. Underdogs don’t win in Poland. Individuals are crushed. Strength is found in family, protection is found in community. Ginger and I have seen this played out time and time again in our neighborhood. We live in a block, which can be described as several high-rise apartment buildings in close proximity. For many, these apartments have been passed down from Grandfather, to father, to son. In the apartment below ours three generations, totaling ten people, live in roughly 800 sq. feet. Yeah, I have no idea how they do that. Living like this creates a tight community. In other words, if your neighbor has a problem it becomes your problem not out of pressure but because it’s the right thing to do. Four teenagers had planned on attending our teen camp this summer but they have all backed out because of the wedding of a former unrelated resident. Two nights ago, a drunk driver clipped our neighbor’s car at midnight. We watched from our window as the entire building sprang to life--not to gawk, but to chase down the car, phone the police, and check for injuries.

This aspect of their culture has ramifications on how the Gospel is shared in Poland. Don’t miss the point, the message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is for all cultures, but the presentation is not a “one size fits all.” Though this is changing some now, for years American Christians have presented the Gospel to their neighbor as “a personal relationship with Christ” or emphasized to their unsaved colleague that “Jesus died specifically for you.” Without overstating, the individual aspect of the Gospel has little appeal for a Polish man or woman. Why would they want something that singles them out from their family and neighborhood? Why would they want to forge ahead alone? Underdogs don’t win. Individuals are crushed. In our first few weeks, Ginger and I noticed a word that kept coming up in the church service. “Kościół” (kosh-chewl) is the word for church in Polish, yet over and over we heard the pastor and various Christians refer to the church as a “zbór” (zboor). During one of our Polish lessons I asked our teacher (a staunch Catholic) the difference. Her reply was very negative, she told us that it described the church in a very informal way, it turns out that most Catholics in Poland agree. The problem is that “zbór” is the Polish translators’ word of choice in many places throughout the NT, though most Polish Catholics have no idea having become accustomed to the spoon feeding of their priests rather than the meat of God’s Word. The word denotes Christian family or Christian community and it’s precisely the message that must be emphasized while sharing the Gospel to Poles. For converts who risk alienation from their family and their neighborhood, the idea of being part of a Christian Family, or of members who know each other by name, who pray for each other and open their homes for Christian fellowship, the idea of being part of the Body of Christ, that resonates. In our short time here one experience stands out. Last summer we had the privilege of witnessing a public baptism for three Christians in our church. We went to the lake in town and watched as they were baptized publically in front of hundreds who were swimming 200 yards away. What a test for those young believers, publically distancing themselves from their former lives. It was the hugs and prayers of support coming from their “zbór” as they came out of the water that left the greatest impact on us. For those new believers, the message of reconciliation from alienation in Colossians 1 changed their lives forever.

Family Camp

2008-07-07T01:43:00.000-07:00

Last week our family was invited to join a church in Warsaw for family camp. We spent the week in southern Poland near the border of Czech Republic. Ginger and I were anxious to explore that part of Poland and excited about spending an entire week with a group of Christian families. It certainly stretched our Polish speaking abilities, gave us a little more insight into Polish culture, but it was a blast too. On Monday we hiked up to the highest peak in the immediate area, about 4000 ft above sea level. We learned that when Polish people say they are going to hike, they are really going to hike. Before the hike began we were debating on whether or not to bring the kids, especially Aubrie, but were told it was a fairly simple climb. At 11 am we started out and finally got back home EIGHT HOURS and 10 MILES LATER. At times the trail went straight up and in other places it wound endlessly around the mountain. About three hours in it began to downpour but all in all the kids were real troopers. We kept Aubrie motivated by stopping for "chocolate breaks" every thirty minutes or so. It seemed to do the trick and Bradey made the entire hike even though he was battling an ear infection. The picture of the kids is at the peak, you can see they were in good spirits (probably handled the hike better than mom or dad).

One observation from the week was the sense of "family" or "community" we got from the other families. Everyone called each other "aunt" or "uncle" but well beyond the names, all of the activities were done together. Our family took a day to go exploring on our own and when we returned it seemed like we were genuinely missed. I think the term "Family Camp" could be expanded to "Extended Christian Family Camp." I had the opportunity to preach three times and one of those opportunities I forced myself to preach in Polish again, they were gracious and didn't smirk when I slaughtered the grammar or blends. We had a great time and made some lasting friendships.

Woitek The Bear

2008-06-27T00:08:00.001-07:00

When we were in Wrocław on our anniversary trip, I read about a famous figure in Polish history, the story is almost too good to be true, so I wanted to share it with you. Woitek (sounds like Voytek) was a bear who served in the Polish army during WWII. As crazy as it sounds, the story of Woitek is well documented, you can check out an article about Woitek at the BBC website. In 1942 Iran opened it's borders to receive thousands of Polish citizens who had just been released from labor camps in Siberia. The able bodied men were sent westward to join the war efforts. The accounts that I've read say that while on this westward journey to Lebanon, the Polish convoy came across an Iranian boy in the road who was carrying a big sack over his shoulder. It wasn't long before they discovered he had a bear cub inside. The Iranian boy was poor and hungry so they offered him money, a few candy bars, a can of corned beef, and an army penknife in exchange for the bear cub. At eight weeks of age, the cub was very week and malnourished, one article described how Woitek became part of the family,

"A feeding bottle had to be hastily improvised from an empty bottle of vodka into which a handkerchief had been stuffed to serve as a teat. They filled it with condensed milk, diluted it with a little water, and gave it to the little bear to drink. When he had finished it, he crept up close to one of the soldiers for warmth and fell asleep on his chest. The soldier’s name was Piotr (Peter) and he became forever afterward, the bear’s closest and most enduring friend.

The cub clung desperately to his substitute mother all through the tortured journey across Persia, Iraq and Jordan, along vast distances that seemed to loose heart and succumb to the despair of barrenness. Sometimes the man would lock the bear in the warmth of his greatcoat so that it became part of him. In the evenings, as he sat with the other men around the fire telling tales late into the night, the bear cub would be rocked to sleep in the sound of his immense laughter. In time, the orphan lost himself in the lives of these strangers and entangled himself completely in the rhythms and cadences of their speech. From that time onwards he became wholly theirs: body, will and soul."

Strict rules forbade any animals from accompanying the Polish soldiers, so to get around the rules they enlisted Woitek who now had a name and serial number to prove he was a soldier in the Polish army. Woitek was one of the guys, often at night as many as three to four soldiers would wrestle at against him but he never mauled or harmed anyone. Truly Polish, his two favorite treats were vodka and cigarettes which continued even to his last days in the Edinburgh zoo. Woitek's legend reached hero's status in 1944 during the battle for Monte Cassino. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war in which the shelling was non-stop day and night. One article described Woitek's efforts this way,

"During the most crucial phase of the battle, when pockets of men were cut off on the mountainside desperately in need of supplies, Voytek, who all this time had been watching his comrades frantically loading heavy boxes of ammunition, came over to the trucks, stood on his hind legs in front of the supervising officer and stretched out his paws toward him. It was as if he was saying: “I can do this. Let me help you”. The officer handed the animal the heavy box and watched in wonder as Voytek loaded it effortlessly onto the truck.

Backwards and forwards he continued, time and time again, carrying heavy shells, artillery boxes and food sacks from truck to truck, from one waiting man to another, effortlessly. The deafening noise of the explosions and gunfire did not seem to worry him. Each artillery box held four 23 lbs live shells; some even weighed more than a hundred. He never dropped a single one. And still he went on repeatedly, all day and every day until the monastery was finally taken.

One of the soldiers happened to sketch a picture of Voytek carrying a large artillery shell in his arms, and this image became the symbol of the 22nd artillery transport, worn proudly on the sleeves of their uniforms ever afterwards and emblazoned on all the unit’s vehicles."

In 1947 the Polish army in Scotland was demobilized so a home had to be found for Woitek. He finished his days in the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. One article that I read said from time to time soldiers from his infantry division would come back to visit. Often throwing him cigarettes and in one instance jumping the fence to wrestle, all of this occurred to the horror of the other onlookers, but Woitek responded to the Polish language and remembered his comrades. Statues of Woitek were placed in the Imperial War Museum in London and in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. So there you go, you learn something new every day don't you.

Missionary Biggest Loser #12--The Final Chapter

2008-06-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

I write this final blog while rolling around in Polish donuts and enjoying the fulfillment of annihilating my nemesis and christian brother. BTW, you can read his last blog here. All that's left for me to do is to hand out a few "thank you's"

1.) I want to thank Ginger (my wife) for one Saturday morning in March when she looked at me and said "You know you've really gotten fat." Nothing like a little healthy candor in a marriage.

2.) I want to thank Matt Jones for being a great punching bag. . .ur. . .uh. . .I mean competitor.

3.) Finally, I want to thank my dad and my father in law. I'll be 30 years old this summer and together they have shown me that even when you are really, really, really, really old, and when I say old, I mean older than dirt old, yet you can still be healthy and without the use of "Fibercon."

June 21st/ Week #13: 236 lbs.

Mental State: Satisfied with a touch of gloating

Missionary Biggest Loser #11---Buster Martin

2008-06-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

I was reading Matt's blog last week and couldn't help but notice his blabbering about running 5k. It got me thinking and I did a little research. The picture is of a guy by the name of Buster Martin. At 101 years of age, Buster is the United Kingdom's oldest employee, so what's the point you ask? Well, he and Matt have something in common. It turns out that they've both completed a 5k run in the last few months. Of course, Matt was on a treadmill and may in fact have been sitting in a wheelchair while on the treadmill, but they've both completed a 5k run. I think congratulations are in order, Hooray!!! Hooray!!!

Now on to the business at hand. I've noticed that my nemesis and christian brother has been throwing out these "extra challenges" in the last few weeks--a few examples would be 1.) everybody check back in on December 30, 2040 and see who's kept the weight off, 2.) If I win you can't drink pop. . . yadda yadda yadda 3.) My belt buckle is bigger than your belt buckle. He'll probably try to throw out a few more challenges in the last week, but I haven't responded (and I won't) to these desperate attempts because there is only ONE contest and the reckoning is coming next Saturday, June 21st. Now I know that he's been getting all tricky on us with his "magic scale," and with his-- "I'm not telling you my weight now but I've sent the proof to an undisclosed location in the States where it is being guarded by Jack Bauer, Spiderman, and Patch the Pirate"----while I don't have any tricks like that I do have one card left to play. Throughout this entire contest I've been exercising every other day and losing roughly 3 lbs. a week as a result, but for the last two weeks I've jumped it up to six days a week. Oh yeah Matty boy, it's just like back in elementary school when you got called to the principal's office for some good old fashioned corporal punishment. Sure you're an adult now but you're still going to have to put your hands on the desk and take your Missionary Biggest Loser whoopin' like a man, just remember that this is gonna "hurt me more than it hurts you." Enjoy your wife's meatloaf, it tastes a whole lot better than the humble pie that's comin' next week.

June 14th/ Week #12: 242 lbs.

Mental State: Eye of the Tiger

The Anonymous Pedestrians

2008-06-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ginger and I celebrated our anniversary by exploring a city in western Poland called Wroclaw (pronounced "vrot-swav"). It's called the "Venice of Poland" for the way the river winds through the city, and it's famous for many beautiful bridges. At one time the German border consumed Wroclaw--and only recently in Poland's history has the city returned to Polish control. The picture is of a monument near the Old Town square titled "Transition" and as you can see the statues appear to be slowly walking into the ground. The monument was created in December 2005 on the 24th anniversary of the introduction of martial law. From December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983 the communist government enforced martial law to crush the Polish people's growing opposition. Overnight literally hundreds of people disappeared, some went underground to fight the communist government and it's believed many more were stolen away by the government, never to be heard from again. I know that in the states posting pictures and waving flags with the likeness's of Marx, Che, and Castro is kind of the chic thing to do, especially among college students, frat boys, and radical left wingers, all under the premise of free speech. The irony is that they celebrate leaders and a system that allows nothing even remotely close. To many who have recently come out of the system that these men represent, it would be tantamount to hanging a giant swastika on your bedroom wall. The world will never know some of the atrocities that occurred during communist control of Poland, whatever happens in this life though--there will be a reckoning in the next. Philippians 2:9-11 has universal application as men like Marx and Ernesto Che Guevara now realize.

Missionary Biggest Loser #10---A Little Off Track

2008-06-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ginger and I went down to a town in southern Poland called Wroclaw for our 7th wedding anniversary. While walking around downtown we passed a tantalizing Polish bakery with fresh donuts. It wasn't a moment of weakness, rather more like willful disobedience, but I ate one--ur um actually maybe I ate two. It brought me peace, comfort, and warmth--even though all of those feelings were temporary. Was it worth it? OH YEAH. Not a great week for the diet but I've got two weeks to go. My nemesis and christian brother should be posting his final weight on Tuesday. You can check out his progress here. Stay tuned for all the drama as we wrap this contest up and Matt Jones gets beat down.

June #7/ Week #11: 249

Mental State: satisfied, thanks to those donuts

Missionary Biggest Loser #9---Another Fish Story

2008-05-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

My memory seems to recall a certain promise made by Matt Jones on his May 10th blog. The blog was entitled "Not the Biggest Loser" at the top of the page there was a picture of a rather handsome and skinny looking man. Anyways, if you read read past my nemesis and Christian brothers' usual bloviating you'll notice a bold promise. "Next week I'll hit the 250 mark or I won't drink a pepsi for another four months." Yet as I checked the following weeks blog entry, no mention of hitting the 250 mark and no mention of the once bold promise. I am not suprised--having known him for four years now I'm used to his fish stories. After all, a leopard can't change his spots--I guess it would have been just as realistic for Matt to promise "If I don't grow wings and fly by next Saturday, I won't drink another pepsi for four months." Having returned from the States there is no doubt that Chicago is still my home, but as I exited the aircraft my sense of smell alerted me to a beautiful aroma on the horizon--to this day I can't decide if it was the smell of Polish donuts or simply the smell of coming victory--either way I find comfort. You can check out my nemesis and Christian brothers progress over at his blog, and as for my update.

May 31st/ Week #10: 249

Mental State: Chicago is home but Polish bakeries are heaven

Airport Update

2008-05-28T11:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I got all checked in and said goodbye to my friends who dropped me off at the airport, only to then find out that the flight has been delayed two hours, for all you Polish speakers I'm thinking "daj mi spokoj". I'm not bitter or anything, just ready to see my family. I want to thank you for praying, I am heading back to Poland in great health, and no lingering medical problems with my kidney. We are excited about some ministry opportunities in the coming weeks. First, be in prayer for Tim Reid, he is flying to Poland as we speak to do his internship with us for the summer. Tim is going into his Jr. year of college and is quite interested in Poland. We can use all the missionaries we can get over here. Poor guy is stuck with me for 9 weeks though, so you can pray that he won't be immediately scared off, especially with the drive from Warsaw to Siedlce : ). We are planning to help in a Family Camp in June, also we are currently putting together a teen camp for the end of July. Summer break begins near the end of June in Poland and we will be having a "Teen Night" every Friday through the summer where we hope to see several teens from our neighborhood step into the doors of a Baptist Church for the first time. We would appreciate your prayers in these areas. Ginger and I are about half way through language school but excited to be able to begin ministering more directly.

One final note, you have to understand that language school is only half the battle for us. To really become fluent we need to use it constantly in everyday situations and have families over for lunch or dinner so we can be completely immersed in the language. But, with all the grammar and vocab we've learned to this point, and with all the conversations we've had our language is still almost entirely secular. Unfortunately, no curriculum has yet been developed in Polish to aid missionaries who desire to work cross-culturally. That means that there is an entire set of Christian vocabulary that we have not even begun to acquire. One of the ways I am looking to acquire this language is through opening the church service with a short 5-10 minute challenge completely in Polish. It is my hope that this will speed my acquisition of Polish as it pertains to ministry. I would appreciate your prayers as I take this step and I might even send a short video clip of the first message if you promise not to laugh. Well, you can laugh, but just don't tell me that you laughed at me. Ahh, I just typed this letter out and looked at the clock---I've still got about three hours til the plane boards. I guess I was kind of hoping that the update would take a little more time.

Missonary Biggest Loser #8--I have not yet begun to fight

2008-05-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

So I was reading my nemesis and christian brother's blog, and noticed he was hinting at me dropping out of the contest. I figured he would try to weasel out--what with his "miracle scale" breaking and everything. I must admit that I considered throwing in the towel with the weight loss thing when I was on the miserable plane ride home. But something happened over the Atlantic--I arrived at an epiphany right about the same time this one little kid wouldn't stop crying two rows behind me. The choice was either get up and smack him or refocus all my energy into this battle for the ages. This calling I now have--to represent people with one kidney everywhere, is my higher motivation. The politically correct term is "kidneylogically challenged." And I wonder if Matt Jones is awake at night with the fear that not only will he lose on June 21st. I will have beaten him while enjoying 7 of the 25 burgers on Red Robin's menu.

May 24th/ Week #9: 251 lbs.

Mental State: humble as usual

Update On My Health

2008-05-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

I want to start off by thanking all of you for your prayers, the notes, and all the phone calls that we have received in the last week. My purpose in this note is to give you a quick synopsis, without going into gory details, yet at the same time I'd like to share some specific prayer requests as well as specific answers to prayer. Over the last few weeks I had been experiencing some symptoms of a kidney infection and then on Saturday night those symptoms just went out of control. Long story short, Saturday and Sunday were two of the worst days "physically" that I've ever had. Ginger and I weighed carefully the decision for me to fly home. Health care in Poland is adequate, however I only have one kidney (I had the other removed 12 years ago), because of my previous problems I had some real concerns that I needed to see people who knew my history and/or could readily access my files. Flying home was a major hurdle though, because 1.) I didn't know if I could physically make it, and 2.) last minute flights are normally outrageous. Ginger and I started praying and began seeking advice, we were only finding flights for $3000-$4000 and then a last minute search on kayak.com brought up a non-stop flight from Warsaw to Chicago for $1000, this was a great rate, you'd be hard pressed to get that rate booking two weeks in advance, and we had the funds in our bank account. So when that fare popped up I decided to get back to the US for treatment. The flight was really bad for me, I almost asked for medical assistance but held off fearing a "guantanamo quarantine" : )

While I was in the air my parents were working in the US trying to help me get a doctor. One answer to prayer was a lady in their church is a nurse at a urology clinic about ten minutes from their house. She discussed my case with the doctor and his advice was to get me to the emergency room. My dad met me at the airport and we drove to the Clarion West Emergency room in Avon, In. I got there around midnight, they started running tests and administering antibiotics through an IV. I was there through the night. In the morning they released me and I was set to follow up with the tests results later in the week with the Doctor I previously mentioned. I met with him today and as we began talking about my history it turns out that he did his internship at the very facility were the new surgery was preformed on me 12 years ago, there's even a chance he was observing during the actual procedure. Just a coincidence of course, no "Sovereignty" involved : ) In all seriousness it was another specific answer to prayer that I could see a doctor with firsthand knowledge of my history and the contacts to speedily get all my files. Praise the Lord, I'm recovering but it looks like my kidney will be susceptible to this for the rest of my life. To prevent this from happening again the doctor is sending me back to Poland with a year's supply of antibiotics and I am to complete an entire round whenever the symptoms begin, this is to avoid any damage to the kidney. Further tests may be needed in a year but I am thanking the Lord for the clean bill of health. I would appreciate your prayers for good kidney health, and pray for Ginger and the family in Poland without me for another week. I am so thankful for my wife, she has been a great confidant and been so strong through this, the kids are in great hands.

In Christ,

Jason Stover

Missionary Biggest Loser #7

2008-05-10T04:15:00.001-07:00

The picture on my nemesis and Christian brother's blog last week reminded me of a burger I once attempted to eat. This is a picture of a special burger called "Ethyl" made exclusively at "R Place Restaurant/Truckstop" in Morris, IL. Ethyl weighs four pounds after being cooked, and the guys from Bible Baptist Church in Romeoville, IL. took me there to conquer it before I left for Poland. If you can eat it all within an hour, the burger is free but you cannot get up from the table for the entire hour. I eagerly dove in, and for its size the Ethyl burger was fantastic. However, 45 minutes into the ordeal I reached the breaking point and had my first "dry heave"--the thought of everything I ate coming back. . . .uh well you get the idea. I cried "no mas," and as the waitress took the burger away she took another shot at my pride by telling about a twelve year old girl who came in the day before, ate the entire burger, and then ordered and finished off an entire desert. Of course I thought this was an urban legend but the proof was on the wall. You see they have two spots on their wall, first they have a place for the handful of people who have ever conquered Ethyl--and there was the picture of the twelve year old girl. The second place on the wall is for those who have tried and failed miserably. If you go to "R Place" today you can see a picture of me on the loser's wall looking pale and on edge.

This story has so much meaning, you see I had been training for years for that moment via Big Macs, Whoppers, and all 25 burgers on Red Robin's menu (including the one with the fried egg on top) only to come up miserably short. My confidence was shattered, my pride was smitten. It was just a few weeks later when Matt Jones and I began the contest of raising support for the mission field. This was my shot at redemption, my way to get back on the horse, and the fact that he refuses to admit defeat, gives me no closure and no rest. Mind you he refuses to admit defeat even though we raised his target for support before he did, that's right, by at least two weeks. He, like Hillary Clinton, refuses to acknowledge defeat. Sighting technicalities he continues with this facade. Incidentally, an example of his suspicious tactics can be viewed on his blog regarding what has been termed "the scandalous scale incident" of a few weeks ago. So this is it, the Alamo, the final contest, the "Battle of the Bulge" if you will, my chance at closure and vindication. As this story unfolds in the coming weeks remember this, "two pastery shops diverged in the Polish wood and sorry I could not visit both, I--I chose the one with more donuts, and that has made all the difference."

May 10/Week #7: 254 lbs.

Mental State: Skinny people make me sick

Missionary Biggest Loser #6

2008-05-03T01:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I reached a new low this week but I'm not talking about my weight. Because of a Polish holiday everything was closed Thursday-Sunday which means I couldn't go work out at the end of the week like I normally do. I'm so desperate and so committed to this contest that I actually broke down and did a Tae-Bo video with Ginger. Yeah you read it write, afterwards I purposely nicked myself while shaving just to make sure I had some masculinity left in me. The one positive out of the whole event was that the leotard fit surprisingly well. Now as to the contest with Matt Jones my nemesis and christian brother (incidentally, I wouldn't even wish the tae-bo thing on him) and the scandalous scale incident from a few weeks ago, we are sligthly changing the rules of the contest. At this point we are basically identical in weight so now the winner of the contest will simply be the person who weighs the least at the end. Because he started before me, his last weigh-in will be June 12 and mine will be June 21, you can check out his progress on his blog.

May 3/Week #6: 257 lbs.

Mental State: One measely pound! Billy Blanks the Tae-Bo master is so overrated

Missionary Biggest Loser #5

2008-04-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

It took some time but I found a picture of the scale that Matt Jones says was broken by a "suitcase." I have a hard time believing that a "suitcase" can do that kind of damage, more likely it was caused by a Bigfoot from the hills of Eastern Tennessee. In addition, if you look at where the needle on the scale is pointing, it seems to indicate that the last object to stand on the scale weighed in at 298 lbs. Hmm, do we know anyone who fits that description? I think so, and you can read his blog for more information. Having solved the mystery I have a few quick facts for you this week.

1.) I did the math and by cutting out Pepsi we are saving $65 a month in grocery bills.

2.) Only 125 more pounds to lose until I catch Ginger.

3.) Jared from Subway may have lost more weight than I, but I can beat him in arm wrestling, well maybe.

April 26/Week #5: 258 lbs.

Mental State: I've lost 24 lbs. in five weeks, but I'm giving serious consideration to investing in a Polish "Krispy Kreme."

Still Adapting

2008-04-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just today Ginger and I were made aware of a Polish custom that we had been totally oblivious to in the last year. To further push our language acquisition and to practice Christian hospitality we have been inviting families, from our church, to the apartment each week. This always proves to be an enjoyable but tiring experience. By the end of the night our heads our hurting from all the Polish conversation. For Ginger this is compounded by the pressure of hosting and preparing the dinner. So when our guests talk about leaving we inwardly jump for joy and help them to the door. During our lesson today we learned that this is horrible on the part of the hosts. In Polish culture, when your guests mention that its time to leave, it is the host's responsibility to follow with "no, please have tea or coffee, and stay longer." This little exchange is supposed to go on two or three times for another half an hour to an hour. The funny thing about this custom is that if you are the guest, you need to start mentioning your desire to leave a good half hour before you actually want to leave. Having learned of this custom just today, an awkward experience from a month ago was suddenly made clear. Our guests mentioned their desire to leave and I proceeded to help them get their things together, while doing so I remember being a little unnerved by the look on their faces. So I get the dunce cap, and we realize once again that we are still learning about the culture.

Missionary Biggest Loser #4

2008-04-19T05:58:00.003-07:00

Some of you have asked how I have been losing the weight. No I don't take "Herbalife," I don't know Dr. Atkins, and I've never purchased or consumed a bottle of "Fibercon." I've found no secret as of yet. What I do know is that I was eating 3 pączki (polish donuts) a day and drinking at least two 20 oz. Pepsi's. Cutting out those two precious delicacies has reduced my caloric intake by 2,000 a day. Is it worth it you ask? Only if in the end I can pulverize Matt Jones, my nemesis and Christian brother. You can check his progress out on his blog. After reading this week's entry I've got one word for him, SCANDALOUS!

April 19th/ Week #4: 262 lbs.

Mental State: I've lost a total of 20lbs. in four weeks, but right now, I'd rather be at an "Old Country Buffet."

Sometimes A Sense of Humor is Needed

2008-04-16T00:07:00.000-07:00

We've been in language school for over ten months now and one of the ways I survive is by looking for interesting Polish sayings. Some of which are quite similar to English idioms and some are quite different.

1.) Wyszłam za mąz (wy-shwam za monz)----it's a phrase used for a women getting married, used quite often, and literally translated it means "I am going out to get a husband." (there is a joke in there somewhere but I'm too afraid to attempt it)

2.) kropla w morzu----a drop in the sea

3.) masz ku ku na muniu---you are crazy in the head

4.) pierza twój mózg (pi-eza tf-oo-i moozg)---literally, clean out your brain, somewhat similar to "get your mind out of the gutter"

5.) Stara miłość nie rdzewieje (stara mi-wosh-ch nie rdzewieje)---Old love never rusts. Incidentally men, I don't recommend using this English translation, in a hallmark card to your wife, anytime soon. Don't ask how I know.

Missionary Biggest Loser #3

2008-04-12T01:22:00.001-07:00

April 12th/ Week 3: 265 lbs.

Mental State: I've lost 17 pounds in three weeks. Thursday we walked by a Polish bakery and I straight up coveted.

P.S. You can check out my nemesis and Christian brother's progress over on his blog.

Ever Feel Like You're Losing It?

2008-04-09T03:45:00.001-07:00

Last Monday Ginger drove a lady from our church into Warsaw. She was quite nervous about the drive and if you want to know why you can read an old blog post I wrote titled "Driving in Poland." Of course my lovely wife did fine but when she pulled into the parking lot of our apartment building I noticed that one of the hubcaps were missing. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not brave enough to tell it. Anyways, I can't drive with three hubcaps, it's a weird quirk but the lack of symmetry drives me insane. On Tuesday we went to a little "mom and pop" auto shop which posed a whole new set of language challenges for me. Fortunately, the husband and wife were very friendly and helpful, so much so that he even came out and helped me install the hubcaps. It was at this point that I realized I installed the last set incorrectly which explains why one came off the rim. So as much as I hate to admit it, it wasn't Ginger's driving that lost the hubcap (though her nickname is Thai Mama Speedracer), rather the culprit was my own ineptness. We had some trouble installing the second set because my rims are a strange size, finally we found a set of hubcaps that fit and for only around $20. Later in the day I made the comment to Ginger that the new hubcaps looked more expensive than they actually were and evidently some neighborhood kids agreed. On Friday morning I went out to the car and noticed that all the hubcaps were gone. Someone stole them off our car in the middle of the night--Oh, I was steaming mad at first and mostly at the fact that they were probably up in their apartments getting a kick out of my facial response to the situation. At least I don't have to worry about the lack of symmetry in driving with three hubcaps. Driving with no hubcaps is quite symmetrical too.

The blessing in all of this was being able to talk to the store owner. The conversation was entirely in Polish so it hurt my head at times but it was encouraging to see the progress we've made in the language. While working on the wheels he asked why we were here and what we were doing. I explained that we were learning Polish and were working in a Baptist church in town. He was surprised to find out that Siedlce had a Baptist church, but he asked where it was located and at what time we met. All in all he was quite friendly and quite interested, especially for a Polish Catholic. As we finished I invited he and his wife to our church, so we'll see what happens. Looking back, I praise the Lord because it was the first time I've been able to invite someone to our church entirely in Polish, and now with the hubcap incident I have the opportunity to speak with him again.

Matt Jones Caught Red-handed

2008-04-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

I don't live in Thailand so I can't personally testify to how Matt Jones is doing with his diet, but as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." This picture was on his wife's facebook page and was taken this past week. Folks, I'm afraid it's time for an intervention, because in the words of the three sharks from "Finding Nemo," he's in "denial." So when you are finished here, jump over to his blog and biblically confront him. He's going to say it was a special occasion, but it's exactly those "special occasions" that have caused he and I to shop for clothes in the "tent and awning section" of Sears. Two shady friends from his past, Swiss Miss and Little Debbie, were evidently calling and the picture proves he picked up the phone, or more specifically the fork. As for myself, here's the report for the week.

April 5^th / Day 16: 269 lbs.

Mental State: I've lost 13 lbs. in two weeks. I haven’t had good sugar in two weeks now and the withdrawals I am having make me feel like there are 7 or 8 of those little green umpa-loompa’s in my head swinging sledgehammers. On a different subject, I will be posting ministry updates in the middle of each week until this contest ends.

Communion

2008-04-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity, on several occasions, to participate in the Lord's Supper with the saved and baptized believers from our church here in Siedlce. The reverence with which they approach this time has been convicting to me. Typically, they set apart time for the Lord's Supper at the end of the service, much like we do in the States. The pastor begins by asking all those, who wish participate, to stand. However, upon examination of their own hearts, some believers who could participate choose not to do so. I appreciate their willingness to not eat and drink unworthily, as well, I appreciate that they are not hindered by what other "fellow Christians" are thinking about them. In choosing not to participate, they remain seated while their fellow Christians stand, which presents an obvious contrast between the two groups. I praise the Lord for the priority they place in being right before God over their appearance before fellow Christians and am rebuked as I think of different instances when this has not been true of my life. God help me to fear Him above all.

Missionary Biggest Loser Week #1

2008-03-29T01:39:00.001-07:00

March 29/ Day 8: 274 lbs.

Mental State: Angry at myself for making this a three month contest, why didn’t I make the contest for one month? In that scenario I could whoop up on Matt Jones, get justification, and return to my beloved pączki. No, instead I’ve gotta go for the whole “life changing” route. What was I thinking? I know what I’ve been thinking this week, I NEED SUGAR. On the same note, Ginger told me this week that she was glad I was dieting because she wanted to lose some weight too. So I asked her how much, and . . . . you won’t believe this. . . . . .6 lbs, she said. SIX MEASLEY POUNDS, I’ve eaten hamburgers that weighed more than six pounds, and I’ll have the picture to prove it next week. Overall, I guess I’m pleased that I lost 8 lbs. in the first week, but my skeptical mind is already telling me that I can’t keep up this pace every week. Oh well, I’m off to go find comfort in . . . . . . . . . . . . rice cakes???!!!!! So I wonder how Matt Jones is doing, I know he is using the "old people's" method of weight loss, but maybe it will work for him. You can check up on my nemesis and Christian brother's progress here.

Missionary Biggest Loser

2008-03-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Stepped onto the scale today for the first time in awhile and I was a meager 282 lbs. That's right 282 lbs---if I fell asleep on the beach right now Greenpeace would probably try to put me back in the water as part of their "save the whales" campaign. That is 70 lbs. heavier than when we got married. Since the age of 17 I've always been able to benchpress more than my weight, I can still do that but the margin for error is (forgive the pun) slim. Two culprits currently thrive in my life that forbid me from a healthy weight and they both start with "p." Pop and Polish doughnuts, or as I like to call them "manna from Heaven"---translated into Polish "manna z nieba." How do I let go of two things that bring me so much joy? The answer is a contest with, my nemesis and Christian brother, Matt Jones. The Jones family and ours were in the same missionary candidate class with Baptist World Mission. I still remember our first session when Dr. Cummins said "raising support is not a contest"---Matt and I looked eachother in the eye and the race to the field was on. There has been heated debate as to which family won that contest, sure they got to the field first but we had to raise more money. That debate won't be settled until Heaven, where Matt will finally come to the realization that he did in fact lose.

So how can I achieve vindication in the here and now? The answer is through a "Missionary Biggest Loser" contest with Matt Jones. Like me, he enjoys the taste of fine cuisine. I believe two of his closest friends are in fact "Swiss Miss" and "Little Debbie." So we are going to battle it out over the next three months on our blogs. Updating you each Saturday on the victories and horrible defeats of the past week. The winner is to be decided June 21 and the criteria will be based solely on "overall percentage of weight lost." You can check out my nemesis and Christian brother's progress here. Don't forget to check back each Saturday as to our progress and mental state. In addition, I will still be updating our blog during the week with ministry and family news.

March 22/Day 1: 282 lbs.

Mental State: I really want a doughnut, could one more really hurt?

Baby Steps

2008-03-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

The path to learning a second language is marked with baby steps. I was able to take one of those baby steps a few weeks ago when I made my first joke in Polish. Reality television is all the rage now in Poland. One such show is "Zona dla Tatusia"---literally translated "a wife for dad." Three times a week Ginger and I get a little exercise at a gym here in Sieldce and one day I noticed several people, around the television, shaking their heads at a commercial advertising this show. Evidently, the gimmick is that the children choose the wife for their dad. In this case, the dad was kind of an odd looking fella and he was bald, and by bald I mean, something scared his hairline years ago and it never stopped receding, if you get my drift. As I walked by the group of people I said (without even thinking) "moze byc Wlosy dla Tatusia" ----literally "maybe it should be called Hair For Dad." The comment managed to get a smirk out of most of the group, which is a hard reaction to get here sometimes. Red Skelton I am not but a guy can try can't he?

The Case For Poland

2008-03-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

“Stover, are you sure you know what you are doing? You mean to tell me that my grandkids are going to be Pollack’s?” That was my father in law’s response (himself, a missionary in Thailand for over thirty years) to the news that we were leaving our ministry in Chicago to join a church planting team in Poland. He was joking of course, but the reaction was a common one as we prepared to head to the field. On June 12, 1987 Ronald Reagan uttered the famous words, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” that speech in West Berlin would drastically change the landscape of Europe forever. Following the loosening of the Soviet grip on Eastern Europe, missionaries began to pour into the former Soviet States. Initially, interest in Poland was strong, but after little results and fierce Catholic resistance, attention turned to neighboring countries. Why was it such a rough go in Poland? Why were places like Romania and Ukraine so much more open to the Gospel? I posed that very question to a national pastor here and he responded by saying that, unlike some of the other former Soviet States, the underground church was almost non-existent in Poland during communism. The Polish people’s loyalty was to the RCC, in fact, many saw Pope John Paul II (himself Polish) as an important catalyst to the ending of communism in Poland. For so many reasons, to be Polish is to be Catholic, but one has to visit the country for themselves to understand the grip that Roman Catholicism has on the Polish people. Only then will you come to realize the vindictive, controlling, and vengeful character of the RCC and its grip on the people. Of course, taking a moment to think about it, one understands the amount of power a priest can wield having heard the confessions of local leaders from the time of their childhood to the present. True, we are not talking about physical persecution, but we are talking about stifling peer pressure from friends and family for all who dare leave the church.

Twenty years later and so much has changed. In fact, I would argue that there has never been a greater need for missionaries in Poland and that the Polish people have never been more ready to hear the Gospel, than at the present. 1.) Capitalism is taking hold, and with that the realization that education will bring advancement. The 20 and 30 something’s are well educated and have learned to ask questions. Those of you who have come out of the RCC know that the church doesn’t react too kindly to questions. People are looking for answers; perhaps the Gospel might very well have the answers they need (read a touch of sarcasm). 2.) A sex abuse scandal among the priests equal or greater than what occurred in the States a few years back has many, once staunch followers, questioning the integrity of the RCC. 3.) For many Poles, Pope John Paul II was the only pope they had ever known; they worshipped him like a deity. Witnessing firsthand the political “good ole boy” process of electing a new pope disenfranchised many of the younger generation. 4.) Recent inquests have revealed that many priests were informants for the KGB under communism, thus revealing that the RCC was more interested in money and preservation than ministering to its’ “faithful constituents.”

China and the rest of the 10/40 window currently occupy most of the mission focus in the United States and rightfully so. An area containing 2/3 of the world’s population should be of utmost importance. However, in carrying out the Great Commission, let us not forget about the nearly Forty Million people living in, what I like to call, “The Below Forty Window,” as in below 40F all the time, at least it feels like it. Poland, unlike most of Europe, is very pro U.S. According to the book “A Question of Honor,” they have been our allies in every major war since the Revolutionary War. It is a country that has survived the atrocities of Hitler and the weight of the Iron Curtain only to be damned by RCC dogma. Our response to this people group has been meager at best, a handful of missionaries have come in the twenty years the field has been open, resulting in a .03% Protestant population*. Christ’s words in John 4 ring true of Poland, “the harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few.” Join me in praying that the “Lord of the Harvest” would send more laborers.

*CIA World Factbook

A Little Homework For The Ladies

2008-03-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Ladies,

I am writing to you today to ask for your help on a project that has been on my heart for the past year. My family and I moved here to Poland 10 months ago. I thought that because I grew up on the mission field I would be prepared for all that missionary life entailed. I was wrong, a missionary kid and a missionary wife are two completely different things. I was shocked at how unprepared I was to be a wife and mom in a new country. In the beginning my emotions at times, were overwhelming.

I distinctly remember the excitement I felt when I knew that deputation was over and we were heading to the field. Finally we were going to be in the country that God called us too. Packing for Poland was fun, arriving in Poland was fun, and setting up our new apartment was fun, and then reality struck. I was here for good, there was no turning back and my family was thousands of miles away. Where did all those emotions and feelings come from? Why was I feeling this way? I was where I knew God wanted me and so why was I so upset inside? Looking back on deputation, I wish I had more insight into setting up home in a foreign country. I would like to compile a series of stories and experiences of missionary wives and single missionary ladies from all around the world. I want to hear from veteran missionaries and from those who have just arrived on the field. What are some of the most difficult adjustments you have faced? What were some emotions that you experienced, and what best helped you adjust to your new country? Maybe you could share some Scripture passages that were a comfort to you.

It is my belief that a compilation of our experiences, struggles, and victories would be such a good resource and help to new single missionary ladies and missionary wives. I would love to hear from your hearts. Please be as open and candid as possible, you can remain anonymous if you would like. Not only could this be a help to new missionary wives and single missionary ladies, but I think that it could be an encouragement for veteran missionaries as well. I know that personally I feel embarrassed and ashamed at how weak I feel at times. I feel as though I must pretend to be an impregnable fortress. We can encourage one another by being honest and by sharing how God helped us through the different periods of adjustment. I personally would love to hear little tips on what makes you feel more at home in your new country. If you would be interested in sharing your experiences please send me a quick email { stoversinpoland@gmail.com }. Then, in the next two weeks as you have time please send me your experiences. I would like to begin compiling these as soon as possible.

Ginger

Spiritual Oppression

2008-02-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

This was from a baptism service back in December. It was an exciting time to see five believers follow Christ in baptism. Karolina is 18 years old and a senior in high school who has been faithfully attending services and growing in her young Christian life. Until a month ago she hadn't told her parents about her salvation. Attending a Baptist church is not an acceptable thing in Poland. There has never been any Baptist Church in our city and most people have no idea what we believe and they assume our church is a cult. For the last month Karolina has been forbidden to attend services. She didn't tell us at first why she wasn't coming; I suppose she thought her parents would give in. They are deeply bothered that she has left "the church" and are adament that she not return to our church. Some of you were saved out of Roman Catholicism and know exactly what she is going through. Please pray that she would grow closer to the Lord through this time and that her parents hearts would be softened.

Mind Boggling

2008-02-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

Over the last nine months of language school we've come across a few interesting Polish words. For right now I'll share three with you.

1.) piecdziesieciostronicowy-----a compound word in Polish which means "about 50 pages." Our Polish teacher got a good laugh at me trying to phonetically sound out this word.

2.) wszyscy---are you serious???? how am I supposed to say that word? For the life of me I can't find a vowel anywhere. It is used in reference to people and means "everyone."

3.) klasycystyczny---your guess is a good as mine

Sometimes words just aren't enough

2008-02-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Obtaining a two year residency visa, in Poland, is supposed to be a 90 day process. Our family first began the application ordeal back in June. I need to help you understand a few things before you can get a clear picture of what we’ve been up against. Poland came out of communism less than twenty years ago and the remnants of communist paperwork and bureaucracy still remain. In the last year Poland has closed many of its immigration branches in smaller towns, forcing foreigners from different parts of Poland to travel into Warsaw. Their system is not computerized, that’s right it’s still a paper/file system. Imagine the insanity of your local DMV in the states, multiply it by five and take away all computers, and that’s what you’ve got. Each of our applications had to be filled out by hand and in triplicate. As a matter of fact, every paper they required of us had to be in triplicate. The line for handing in your visa paperwork begins forming outside the building at 6am which is two hours before the office opens. On any given day, three or four men in the front of the line are standing there hoping to sell their spot to an eager foreigner. This will set you back about $40 but some deem it worth the cost. On our first trip to the immigration office I literally carried 15 lbs. of files in with me. We were pleasantly surprised to have all of our applications accepted on the first try, this doesn’t happen all the time. The next thirty days were quiet, but then we got a call from our case worker saying he needed another document. After hanging up, I remember being frustrated because this new information he was looking for was already in the thirty pages of my application but he either couldn’t find it or refused to look for it. I now was going to make the 120 mile roundtrip into Warsaw to drop off one, single paged, document. Little did I know that I would make this trip another 14 times before they were satisfied. Yeah you read it right, 14 times. Each time he requested one more document, each time I knew that the information he requested was already in our applications, but what can you do. Just before Christmas we were told that our visas were finished, we made the trip in only to find out that they changed their minds, but because of the lag time in a paper system they never notified us. I’m really not whining right now---I’m venting, no just kidding, I’m trying to set the stage for you.

Two weeks ago we called into immigration to check on the progress of our visas only to find out that our caseworker, the guy who’d worked with us from day one, had quit. Yeah he quit. I crossed him off our Christmas card list too. Now the new caseworker, rather than looking through our files began to request the same information again. Finally, after our co-workers advocated vehemently on our behalf, we were told that we could pick up our visas on Tuesday of this past week. Ginger and I left early Tuesday morning so we could get there right at opening. Upon our arrival I pulled ticket number 141. ARE YOU SERIOUS???? THIS HAS GOT TO BE A JOKE!!!!! The office closes at 3 pm; there was a good chance that we wouldn’t get in at all that day. You have never seen lines like this. One time I was waiting to turn in a document and it was about 30 minutes until the office closed. Probably 50 people were waiting in the hallway and an employee came out and said. “For the next 30 minutes its first come, first serve.” The rush to the office door was pretty intense, fortunately I had spent years building my body mass (at places like Old Country Buffet) for a moment just like this. It’s the kind of insanity that you can only laugh at. Anyways, back to the present, Ginger and I finally got into the office around 2pm. Thirty minutes later they had finished with four of us and Caleb’s visa was the last one to hand out. The office clerk told us there was a problem, they had no proof that we had paid for his processing fees. Let me say, that I clearly remember the day when I paid the processing fees for my entire family because it was nearly $1000. But somewhere in the process our old case worker had apparently lost the receipt and rather than admit his mistake he decided to blame us for the oversight. I asked the clerk what we could do, because we certainly didn’t want to make another trip into town. She told me that if I could make the payment down in the Cashier’s office in the next ten minutes then I could have Caleb’s visa. Well, I ran downstairs to the cashier’s office and filled out some more paperwork and when they begin processing my debit card the computer completely froze. My options are to give up or run two blocks to the nearest ATM. There’s about 8 minutes until close but I decide to go for it. Well I was able to get the cash out and when I was running back to the immigration office I noticed that the traffic police were going down the street and issuing tickets for cars whose parking had expired. It’s at that point that I realize that our ticket expired at 2:45 and its now 2:56. The traffic cops are about 100 yards from our car. I can go and put more money in but the office will be closed for sure by the time I return. On the flip side we were already spending an extra $120 on a second processing fee for Caleb; I certainly didn’t feel like shelling out another $100 for a fine. I decided to put the fine out of my mind and I ran back to the office to get the visa just before closing. We now have visas that are valid for two years, thank you for your prayers. While Ginger and I were trekking back to our car we saw a beautiful thing. The police never made it to our car because they came across a couple of hooligans and were now questioning them about 20 feet from our car. What a day but it’s finally done, I almost lost my testimony seven times, but it’s done.

Planting, Watering, and God Given Increase

2008-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Scott Dean is a missionary to Mongolia. Everytime I start to complain about the Polish language, I think about what missionaries in Mongolia face. A few days ago I came across a blog of his that hit me straight between the eyes. Please take the time to read his article on Ministering in Mongolia. I would like to know what you think.

Polish cuisine

2008-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our apologies for not updating the blog in the last two weeks. We will now be updating it weekly again. While my mom was here visiting, Monika, our language teacher invited us all over for a traditional Polish meal. Then again maybe I wouldn’t call it so much a meal but more like a feast. She prepared 11 dishes in all--2 soups, 1 salad, 3 side dishes, 2 main dishes, 2 types of cookies, and one cake. Let me tell you, by the end of the meal, we were all stuffed to the limit. The first picture is taken after we had eaten our full. As you can see there were still tons left over. Monika tried to make a few different dishes from all the major Polish holidays. In the second picture is a Polish dish called gowomki. So far it is my favorite Polish dish. Translated literally gowomki means pigeon. Thankfully it isn’t made from pigeon. Gowomki consists of ground pork, rice, and a few different spices wrapped in a cabbage leaf and cooked in a tomato sauce.

The soup in the third picture is traditionally served at weddings. It has mushrooms, pork, sour pickles, and kielbasa in it. I have to admit I have never eaten so much soup until I moved to Poland, and I think I have only come across one that I didn’t like. The dish in the final picture is called Ryba po Grecku, which literally means Greek fish. This dish is always served on Christmas Eve. It is a tradition that all families must serve twelve dishes at supper on Christmas Eve. Some of the other dishes that Monika served us were stuffed eggs, which are a traditional Easter dish, noodle soup, and an amazing chocolate banana cake. I bet you are all hungry now, right? I guess you will just have to come visit us so you can try all the amazing food.

Blessed Correspondence (A message from the better half)

2008-01-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Jason thinks it’s my turn to fill you in on life in Poland. It is amazing to think that we have been here for 8 months, time sure has flown by. I must admit missionary life in Poland has been completely different than I expected. I guess being a missionary kid; I expected my experience in Poland to be similar to that of Thailand. Little did I know that being a missionary mom is a whole lot different than being a missionary kid? I have a whole new sense of respect for my mom. She started out her missionary journey in a world without e-mail. Wow, how did she ever do it? I remember it use to take a whole month to get mail to and from the States, and that is if the person receiving the letter wrote right back. What are the chances of that? :0) She began her missionary journey when flying back and forth from one country to another wasn’t a normal occurrence. Praise the Lord for the ability to e-mail, and the reassurance that I am only an airplane ride away from my family.
Many people often ask, “What do you miss most about the United States?” To be quite honest, I really miss my friends and family back home. I miss not hearing from them on a regular basis. I miss not being able to run out for coffee with a friend and just talk about what is going on in my life. I miss the encouragement and hugs from the ladies at my home church. I can’t speak for other missionary wives, but I have a good idea that many of them feel the same way. Until we learn the language of the people God has called us to, it is hard to build meaningful friendships.
I am really looking forward to the day I can walk into our church here in Siedlce and have a heart to heart conversation with one of the ladies. We have so many wonderful ladies here in our church. Oh how I wish I could share my heart with them and have them do the same in return. I would have to say that patience is definitely the biggest lesson I am learning in Poland. Every day I must remind myself that I can’t learn the language in a day or even a month. I must continue to do my best everyday even if that is learning one new word each day.
Another question I have often heard is, “What can people back home do for their missionaries?” After being a missionary wife in Poland for 8 months I would say, keep in touch with your missionaries!!!! Go look on your missionary wall at the back of your church and see who your new missionaries are. Write to them, not just once, but keep in touch with them. It is hard for me to explain what an encouragement you can be through one email or even better with one real letter in the post office box.
Before I end my first little blog I thought I would share with you the best Christmas gift I got this year. My dad gave my mom a ticket to Poland. I get to spend two whole weeks with my mom. There is nothing better for a new missionary family then to have friends and family visit from home.

The New Year

2008-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

This was our first New Year's Eve in Poland, they celebrate bringing in the New Year the same way we do in the States. At midnight they had a fireworks display in the center of our little town. While the display was smaller than what we were used to in the States, it was more fun because you could get within a few hundred feet of where they were launching the rockets. The boys loved it. New Year's Eve also highlighted a problem that is worldwide but more intense here. Alcoholism is the Polish drug of choice, and it was completely on display New Year's Eve. This isn't just a problem on the holidays though, it's not uncommon to see a man passed out in the grass in the middle of town even mid morning, rather than disgust most other Polish men seem to offer pity and help so as to keep the drunk from any further embarrassment. I think they also hope that when the time comes the "good deed" will be returned to them in the hour of their drunkenness. Mostly, these public displays are a source of humor. The Polish definition of "drunkenness" is reserved for those who can no longer walk, any thing short of that is not considered drunkenness." Alcohol seems so benign to most of us doesn't it? To the point that one laughs at drunkenness rather than despising it. A drunk man is funny, a heroin addict--not so funny, yet both are life dominating. For Polish men, vodka is a way to forget hardship and neglect responsibility--its also a sign of manhood (far from the Biblical model of manhood) and yet they practice a religion that can offer no help. Only the life changing belief in Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary will ever bring true help to the men and women of Poland. God help us to be faithful messengers

Christmas in Poland

2007-12-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

The video is of the boys saying their lines for the Christmas program at Church today. This being our first Christmas in Poland, we have been trying to learn about Polish traditions around the holidays. Christmas Eve is called "Wegilia" (ve-ghi-li-a) and its a busy day for Poles. Wegilia is a big shopping day, probably similar to the day after Thanksgiving for us in the States. It's not uncommon for Polish people to set up their Christmas trees on this day either. So you can imagine some of the strange looks we got when we put up our tree the end of November. Though Poles set up their trees quite late, they will leave it up for weeks after Christmas. On the evening of Wegilia is an elaborate feast at which all the extended family gets together. No matter how many people sit at the table there will always be one extra plate and chair at the table. Though mostly symbolic, the extra plate is set just in case a stranger comes to the door in need of food and shelter. Twelve courses are served, the number twelve symbolizing the twelve apostles. Something else that is common is the placing of hay either underneath the tablecloth or underneath the table, symbolizing the place of Christ's birth.

The main course on Christmas Eve is always Carp. It's rarely eaten the rest of the year, but always eaten on Wegilia. However we haven't met too many who really care for it but it's tradition--kind of like the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving right? Through our language study and through talking with some Polish friends we have begun to learn about the importance of "wishes" in Polish culture. "Wyszystkiego najlepszego" is a common phrase heard around the holidays and it means "I wish you the best in everything." This wishing culminates on Wegilia when after dinner the family will brake off pieces of a specially made bread called "oplatek" (o-pwa-tek) and wish good things for eachother over and over again. Sharing in "oplatek" can also be a time of forgiveness or of letting "bygones be bygones" like we Americans do on New Year's Eve. Christmas morning is more of a time for immediate family and for opening presents, but Poles often travel to the homes of extended family later in the day. Ginger and I were kind of dreading the arrival of Christmas this year, mostly out of fear that it would bring homesickness with it. However, we're really enjoying it right now and I think this is a credit to your prayers for us as well as all of the cards and emails from friends back home. Those touches of kindness have kept us feeling close to our friends and loved ones. Thank you and "wyszstkiego najlepszego."

December Baptisms

2007-12-16T01:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night our church took three cars full of people into Warsaw for a baptismal service. In the video we are using the baptistry of the largest Independent Fundamental Baptist Church in Poland. The Pastor is Jan Towinski, he and his church have been a big help and encouragement to us and to the members of our new church. They purchased a building in 1996 and shortly after had the baptismal tank installed. As you can see in the video, the tank is in the middle of their auditorium--so they remove the flooring when its time for a baptismal service. I have to say that the most encouraging part to me was seeing all of the members who made the trip to Warsaw so they could encourage these new believers in this step of obedience. This video is fruit from the hardwork that our co-workers (Ben and Sarah Layer) have been doing over the last few years. Praise the Lord for what he is doing in Siedlce, Poland.

Quick Update

2007-12-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we are taking three cars full of church people into a Baptist church in Warsaw. We will be borrowing their baptistry for a baptismal service and Lordwilling 5 people will be following Christ in believer's baptism. I hope to post pictures/and or a video on Saturday night. In the meantime we would appreciate your prayers that nothing would hinder this service or the commitments on Saturday night.

Formal Church Membership

2007-12-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday was an exciting day for the ministry here in Siedlce, Poland. All in all, sixteen people came forward to make up the original church membership. The video shows those who desired to join reciting the church covenant outloud and then lining up to sign. Three more people have come forward for baptism so they too can join the church. We will have the baptismal service on Saturday Dec. 15. The idea of formally committing to a local church is new for most of the believers in our church, so it was exciting to see them consider what the Scriptures say and then make the right decision.

This Sunday

2007-11-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

As you get the chance, pray for the churchplant here in Siedlce, Poland. This is an exciting weekend for our coworkers as well as those faithful Christians who attend. Lord willing, I will be able to post pictures and video of the church covenant signing early next week. For right now I'll paste an email from our coworker Ben Layer.

"This is the big week we have been looking forward to for many months now. We will be signing the church covenant this Sunday morning, and then we will have an official church membership. There are 19 saved and baptized believers that could join the church, but of course, there will be the temptation for some of them not to commit. Please join us in prayer over these next few days that the Holy Spirit would work in the lives of each individual and convince each person that should join as a member to commit to this body of believers. Pray that the Lord would bless our service on Sunday, that it would be a wonderful and memorable time of beginning."

Getting Medicated

2007-11-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not updating our blog. For the last week and a half our family has been sick, all except for dad (incidentally, I think its because I'm the only one in the family who consistently eats Polish doughnuts--but Ginger disagrees). Ginger and the kids just haven't been getting better so today we bit the bullet and did something about it. I think this is a great time to give you a little insight into the Polish healthcare system. At the outset let me say, that anyone who is for an all inclusive government healthcare plan ought to visit Poland before they make any final decisions. Though government run healthcare is certainly better in some countries than others, there are always huge drawbacks. For an example that hits close to home just think about how much fun it is to visit the DMV each year to renew your license or get new plates, or think about the friendly and efficient customer service the U.S. postal system offers. Now think of that same government running the healthcare system. Yeah---you get my point. In Poland it is not uncommon for someone to come to the hospital with a less than life threatening condition only to be told to return after the new year when the hospital has more money. Once in the hospital it can sometimes be a struggle to get quick effective care because doctors have no incentive for expedience. All in all the healthcare system isn't terrible, but it could certainly be much better.

Missionaries and other foreigners are outside the system, which is a good thing for the most part. When we need to see the doctor or go to the hospital, we immediately pay for the services rendered, which usually aids in receiving timely and effective care. Some friends of ours were in Poland this summer, when the wife suddenly had severe pain from gall stones. Fortunately, since they were able to pay she had the gall stones removed via laprascopic surgery and she was diagnosed, under the knife, and finished with her hospital stay in four days. The bill totaled something like $600. Not bad at all. The way our international insurance works is that we pay upfront and then are reimbursed once the receipts have been turned into the Insurance Co. Today we called and had a Dr. visit our house. That's right, Doctors still make house calls here, though it usually costs a little more. After checking Ginger and the kids the damage was one infection of the ear, nose and throat, one case of bronchitis, one case of bronchial pneumonia, and one severe cold. The picture is of the boys standing in front of all the medication we bought tonight, even more medication than what is on my grandma's nightstand on any given night. We were suprised because the kids don't appear to be that sick, but I guess their lungs sounded a little rough. After the doctor prescribed the different medications I asked if any of it would make the kids drowsy and she said no. I told her I was bummed out about that and she got a good laugh.

Please don't mistake this blog entry for some type of cryptic statement about how we are suffering for Jesus over here or about how we are great examples of faith. The truth is, medical care on foreign fields is lightyears better than what it was for missionaries a hundred years ago and yet it is still one of the main fears for most people when they consider missions. I'd be lying if I said we didn't think about this while we were considering the move to Poland, and Poland's healthcare is better than most. If this fear has hindered you from going on a missions trip or from encouraging your child into missions, or hindered you from full time missions work---the question you must answer is "Is God any less capable of providing for, caring for, or protecting his servants in a country outside the U.S. ?" Your health and safety isn't a result of where you live, its a result of the God who made you, and His sovereignty doesn't change from country to country.

UNO Night----Again

2007-11-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago we told you about the teen girls who have been coming to our house on Monday nights to play UNO with Ginger. This past Monday she was able to get them on video, we thought this would be a great way to introduce them to you--that way you have a better idea of who to pray for. We have been so thankful that they continue to come to youth activities---it is very rare for Polish parents to allow their children to attend any church related activity unless sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church.

Culture Shock Pt. 3

2007-10-31T14:51:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since we discussed small differences between Polish and American culture. I have to say at the outset that it seems like the worst of "culture shock" has passed for Ginger and I, although we still have our days. Here are a couple of interesting differences.

1.) Awkward Silence
-If you take a moment to think about it, we Americans hate those brief pauses in a conversation. Dead time is nerve racking, so much so that we will run ideas over in our mind before the conversation begins to avoid risking silence. Think about the last time you were at some type of dinner party sitting around a table with people you know and people you don't. When the food comes often the talking stops and what phrase always manages to get the conversation going again? Usually it's something to the tune of "boy it sure got quiet in here," or "the food must be good, because nobody's talking." For some of us, the fear of awkwars silence is so paralyzing that we'd rather stay home with a t.v. dinner than venture out to social events. Polish people are so not that way. On at least two occasions my landlord has come when I was the only one home. At this point in the language I only know how to put together brief sentences--so both times he walked in, I asked him how he was doing and then paid him the rent. After that he stood about 10 inches away from me and we just looked at eachother for a good thirty seconds and I mean a full thirty seconds. Take thirty seconds right now so you realize what a grueling eternity that was for me. For him and for most Polish people as well, it was no big deal. We see the same thing on Sundays when our church has open prayer times, sometimes as much as 30-45 seconds will pass before the next person prays. We just can't handle this in the states. On the one hand its nice to avoid awkward silence, but on the other hand one can easily see how this fear of silence could be viewed as insecurity by our Polish counterparts.

2.) Don't ask unless you really want to know
How are you doing? Fine, thanks--------this is how we greet acquaintances in the U.S. In fact, we spit that answer out like its second nature. Anyone who does otherwise comes off as a little odd to us. Its a pursposefully distant question--simply a courtesy. We don't want an honest answer, we don't have the time for it. In Poland however, if you ask the question be ready for the answer. Let me tell you, you can find out a lot about a person by asking that question in Poland, including whether or not they coughed up phlegm that morning, but that's a story for another day, or maybe not. I appreciate the fact that a simple greeting is not wasted in Poland, so when someone asks "how are you doing?"---they really want to know, at least in Poland.

Monday Night---UNO Night

2007-10-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Probably our biggest concern, as we moved into our apartment building, was the neighbors we would have. Who doesn't worry about potential neighbors? Sometimes Polish people live in apartment building like ours all of their lives. They were raised in this building and are now raising their children here. We know of a few apartments here that have housed three generations through the years. All that to say, sometimes outsiders (especially foreigners) are not welcome. This has not been our experience at all--we have found the people to be quite friendly, sympathetic towards our language deficiency, and extremely helpful. Ginger has done an excellent job at breaking down barriers. Almost immediately she went down to the park outside our kitchen window and began to talk with the different teenagers who watch their younger siblings. She began to help them with their English homework and invite them over to our apartment for American games and Starbucks coffee.

By now, the word has certainly been passed around that we are American missionaries working in a baptist church here in Siedlce and probably the biggest hurdle to reaching teenagers with the Gospel in Poland is the parents. They are extremely hesitant to allow their teens to attend any religious function unless sponsored by the Catholic church. In July our church was having a teen activity so with great skepticism we invited the teenagers from our building. To our suprise and God's glory three of them came. Since that activity they have come to three more activities and have clearly heard the Gospel multiple times. Their parents know what we believe and where we stand yet God has used those friendships we have formed. Every Monday night Ginger invites the girls over to play Uno and have coffee or hot chocolate and we are excited to see what God will do in their lives in the days and weeks to come. They have been a big encouragement to us as well by the way they have embraced Caleb, Bradey, and Aubrie. The teens constantly offer to take them to the park and play as well as work with them on their Polish. Ginger and I can not think of a better place to begin our life in Poland, thank you for praying specifically for this request. Finally, as you think of it pray specifically for Carolina, Ewa, Nicola, and Magda that they might soon come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Karate

2007-10-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

Caleb, Bradey, and Aubrie have finished their first month of Polish school and have lived in Poland for just over five months now. I thought it would be a good time to update you on their progress in the language though Ginger and I have found it difficult to gage from week to week. It's hard to tell how well children are picking up a language, the main reason being a totally different learning model from adults. While Ginger and I are slaving away in the dungeon of language school, our children are soaking up the language intuitively. In contrast to the vocab, grammar and syntax that haunts their parents they learn by associating speech with pictures or events. Slowly, but also sometimes rapidly they begin to comprehend words and phrases, not through an English explanation or chart, but simply by the context in which the words are used. Maybe this is old news to you or maybe not but this is the way we all learned our first language. Mom telling us "no" as we crawled towards the outlet or dad saying "ball," we associated words with specific events and those words were engrained into our head.

From time to time we have sat the kids down and said "tell us some Polish" which usually yields little if any results. More and more though, Ginger and I observe them using their Polish. Today as I was walking out of school with Bradey he said goodbye in Polish to his teacher and he didn't appear to think twice about it. The other day before we ate Caleb used a word that is similar to "dig in" that he apparently picked up from lunch at school. Aubrie by far is the most vocal with her Polish, but judging a child's language learning solely on their speech can be misleading. For every word or phrase they speak they comprehend a ton more. I attached a video to illustrate this point. We enrolled the boys in a karate class as another way for them to interact with Polish kids as well as immerse them in the language. The video is the first day of class so the commands you are seeing them follow are new to them but yet they seem to comprehend. FYI the boys are the last two on the left of the group. Three weeks have passed since the video was taken and today after the 45 minute class the teacher came to Ginger and said that they are excellent at following directions. Compliments are rare for Polish people so there was substance to what the teacher said. Ginger and I just took the opportunity to thank the Lord for a little hint that the kids are beginning to adjust.

Beware, A Missionary with Blinders On

2007-09-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's the little things on a foreign field that begin to eat away at your psychy. In Poland, all of your meat is bought over the counter from the butcher, so grabbing a package of meat from the freezer section is out of the question. Therefore, every two or three days we are reminded of our status in the language as we struggle to communicate what kind of meat we want and how much of it. Simple trips to the gas station feel like that long walk to the principal's office (you know, back when principal's were feared for the massive paddle they had in their office)because each time I have to communicate what kind of gas and how much to the person filling my tank. When that hurdle is crossed I walk into the station only to begin the hand signals again hoping to point out which pump is mine. We drop our kids off at school each day and choke through a few Polish words with their teacher, but if we're honest we have know idea what's going on at their school. Today our boys each came home from school with a brand new toy tractor---and we have no idea why. Did they when a contest we didn't know about? Did they find buried treasure? Worse, did they knock off a local convenience store? The only comparison I can draw to the current frustration of this language barrier is an example from my childhood. I vividly remember the day my cousin decided to educate me in the art of "Chinese water torture," he held me down and began to drip water on my forehead and, for awhile, I just laughed at him because it was only drops of water but soon enough it began to get on my nerves and it went from being "funny", to "quit it," to "screaming like a little girl" until he let me up. At first the whole language barrier was funny, then it went to "quit it," and now I often find myself "screaming like a little girl" hoping this language will let me up. Its unrelenting, unforgiving, and downright discouraging.

As you can tell, I've been holding onto this little pity party for the last few weeks. Focusing on MY feelings, My frustrations, MY discomfort. All of this "American introspection" on my part has blinded me to the grace of God in my life and the life of my family that is manifesting itself on a daily basis. It wasn't until a few days ago when confronted with this awful truth that my attitude began to change. Thank God for my family. Our children are the joys of our life. Aubrie wakes up every morning excited about eating "cocoa pebbles." When I say excited, I mean excited like "oh boy--cocoa pebbles." God help me to find joy in the little things. At almost three years of age is it obvious that God has gifted her with language acquisition. We first realized this when she was about 11 months old and we were praying at the dinner table. I closed with "In Jesus Name" and she finished with an emphatic AMEN. Ginger and I were in shock---and we are still in shock as we see her soak up the language, she knows no stranger and has no fear of making a mistake. Two vital attributes for learning a new language. We love the boys God has given us, the transition from Chicago to Poland was a lot more real for them than we had ever anticipated. I'll never forget driving back from Warsaw a few months ago, late at night, and they just opened up about how they missed "home" and missed "grandma and grandpa" and most of all how they were "nervous about going to school in Poland". I was rebuked by their courage as they choked back the tears and walked into their Polish classroom for the first time. They had a grasp of what they were up against but they walked forward. God help me to walk forward even when afraid. Their ability to see everything as a "great adventure" is an attribute I admire.

Finally, I'm so thankful for the wife God has given me. We've been married six years and I feel like I'm just beginning to realize what courage, devotion, and a heart for ministry she has. She's an "mk," grew up in Thailand and loves missions. Along with that though she has never really had a geographical place she could call home. We got married and began ministry at Bible Baptist Church in Romeoville, IL and that place became our home, some of the dearest and most dedicated Christians you will ever meet. After four years of ministry there we bought a house, our house, a home for my wife. Stability. I don't think the paint was even dry when I first approached her about Poland---yet the house was the last thing on her mind as we weighed the decision. Watching her here in Poland has been truly convicting. I know she misses our home but most of all she misses our church and yet she is so dedicated to the language, the ministry here, and most importantly our family. God help me to have that kind of dedication. She is a warrior and my lover. Wallowing in "self pity" was fun but it blinded me to the goodness of God. God's grace and goodness are amazing and its my prayer that I never overlook them again.

Language School

2007-09-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd give you some details concerning our language acquisition. Before we headed to the field we asked prayer for the provision of good teachers in the town of Siedlce. We were hoping to hire teachers to personally work with Ginger and I so we could avoid the large classroom setting. The idea behind this was that a personal teacher would be able to work more on our weaknesses and move quickly over our strong areas (though those are few and far between). She would be able to focus on our pronunciation and grammar. Also, much of language requires working in groups, this has many positives but one negative is that you can sit passively in a group and let others do the work. When its just two of you in class and there is a group assignment you are forced to do it or it doesn't get done. Also, we were hoping for two teachers to alternate days and curriculum. Using two curriculums helps to cover any deficiencies in either curriculum. Our coworkers found two new and highly recommended curriculums so all we needed were teachers. Then one day Sarah Layer was talking to a neighbor who lives above them and through the coversation she found out that Monica had a master's degree in teaching English but she had not worked over the past four years while her child was young. Monica teaches us 3x a week for two hours at a time and then gives us two hours of homework each day. Our other teacher Kasia was recommended to us by one of the first acquaintances we made while in Poland. She is a English teacher at a local highschool and she teaches us 2x a week 2 hours each day with two hours of homework. We are very thankful for this answer to prayer and have found our teachers to be quite gifted also they certainly don't mind being tough on us and forcing us out of our comfort zones. I think they enjoy dishing out the homework which is always the sign of a good teacher.

One funny incident took place a few weeks ago in class. We were supposed to create sentences about meeting and talking with different people. I decided to use a sentence with Ginger and my mom and I used a verb that I thought ment "meeting or dealing with." After saying the sentence our teacher first blushed and then burst out in laughter. When she finally stopped she explained that I had just said in Polish "Ginger would like to end my mother's life." Technically the verb means "to deal with" but in the since of dealing with it "mafia style" if you know what I am saying. There are actually many more stories like that but time fails us to tell you about them all. We are having our language lessons in the building our church is renting, both of our teachers know why we are here and why we are learning Polish. Just this week Monica said to us, "I've noticed that you have Bible verses everywhere in your building, the Bible seems to be very important to you. We Catholics say the Bible is important but only the priests know what it says." I was amazed at her observations.

A New School

2007-09-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

This past week was the first week of school for the boys. We've found it to be quite similar to pre-school in the states with a few exceptions. For one they are fed breakfast and lunch everyday and this is included in the tuition which is about $70 per month/ per child. The major difference in preparing for school here was the supplies----you must provide everything even down to the toilet paper your child/ children will use during the year. However these supplies are put in the community pile to be used at the teacher's discretion. Their teacher speaks absolutely no English, after the first day we asked her (through a translator) if the boys' were able to comprehend and follow instructions and she gave an emphatic "yes." I asked the boys the same question and they told me "we understand our teacher dad--but we just can't say what she says." It seems like their comprehension of the Polish language has come along way in the three months we've been here.

They've been begging us for a guinea pig (those of you who know our track record with pets are probably cringing) so we bought them banks and have begun to give them "jobs" so they can earn money towards a guinea pig. After the first day of school Ginger was asking them about the names of some of their classmates and they told us that "we play with our friends but we don't know their names." So as you see in the video we made a deal with them that if they could tell us a new friend's name at school that we would put some more money in their banks. They came running out of the room on the second day and said "dad, we call our teacher "Pani" and one of our friend's is named "Emilka." It's always hard to send your babies to school and it was especially tough for us this time knowing that they'd have this language hurdle to cross as well but it's thrilling to watch them work together and to see them conquer this hurdle one day at a time.

Sunday Service

2007-09-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of this Sunday's service. Hopefully it will give you a clearer picture of the ministry here in Siedlce, Poland. Over the next three months we will be working towards organizing as a church and establishing a membership. This is a crucial step towards the goal of seeing an indigenous church established in Siedlce.

Day at the Zoo

2007-08-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is a quick rabbit trail from the topic of culture shock. We'll continue that next week. Last Saturday Ginger and the kids went with some friends to the Warsaw Zoo. The major difference that we could distinguish was how much freedom you have to handle different animals here. The snake was the boys' idea--they were pretty proud. When they got to the monkeys a sign read "be aware they will throw poo" At first the monkeys appeared to be pretty docile but something set them off (possibly they saw their resemblance in my boys) and they started hurling stuff at Ginger, the kids and our friends. Everyone ran thinking it was poo but then realized they were only throwing apples from their lunch--man they can chuck it a long way. Well the boys thought this was hysterical (mom didn't think it was quite as funny)---the monkey's were screaming and clapping at the sight of eight people running for cover. One of their friends got hit by some of the flying food, don't worry it didn't hurt him because he immediately rolled over in laughter. As cool as holding the snake was for them, all they talked about on the way home was the monkeys and their great accuracy. You can't even make up stuff like this. They are currently hatching a plan to get their grandparents near the monkeys when they visit.

Culture Shock Pt. 2

2007-08-17T13:01:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago we went up to the Baltic Sea, which even in August is "ice cold." My boys loved it and they swam for 45 minutes. Ginger and I were sitting there watching them swim and an old Polish grandma came out of nowhere and began to chew us out. I don't know everything she said but the gist was "how could you let them swim in this weather (75 degrees), what kind of parents are you?" Let’s be honest, in the states those are fighting words (incidentally I did have to hold Ginger back from going “Thai style” on granny)--who is she to tell us anything---she should mind her own business. Had we reacted that way towards her--we would have been the ones out of line. There is a deep respect for the elderly here, one that involves listening to their advice, even though strangers, even though it may seem harsh, and even though you don't speak the language : ) But, we have been confronted by strangers our own age too. If someone walking down the street feels that your child does not have enough layers of clothes on (even if it’s 65 degrees) they will gladly stop and let you know. What a contrast to what we are used to in the States, if it’s not your child it’s not your business (until they trip and scrape their knee on the playground after which follows a $10 million lawsuit where everyone is at fault but the parents---that’s another story). For Ginger and I our comfort zone is with the American mindset—it’s hard not to respond angrily to people we deem “nosy.” Let me illustrate further.

We live in what is called a “block,” it’s a six story apartment building with three other high rise apartment buildings on all size. In the middle of these buildings is a little playground, no grass, rusted equipment, but none the less a playground. Our apartment is on the second floor and our kitchen window overlooks the playground. Because of this, Ginger and I allow our boys to go down to the playground, on their own, and they love the freedom. In the states when someone else’s child is out of line at the playground, and the parent’s aren’t directly in the vicinity, the tendency is just to look the other way or maybe move your children to another area of the playground. In Poland however, have no fear, one of the mothers will deal with the child no matter who’s child it is. Perhaps this could be called a “village mindset”---without the government ramifications that Hillary has advocated in the past. Along with this then comes a responsibility shared by all the moms to see that the children are protected and have their needs met. Awhile back it was a hot summer day by Polish standards and we hadn’t seen the boys for about five minutes. We could hear them but not see them. Rather quickly we realized that they were in the apartment right below us. They had knocked on the door to ask if their friend could come out. Before the mom would allow her daughter to come out she made them come in and get a drink. Not her kids, really not her problem, but a responsibility that was second nature to her. So which cultural practice is better? On one hand it’s nice not to have complete strangers challenge the way you are raising your family or offer disciplinary advice but one can also see the value of adults correcting errant behavior regardless if the child is theirs and actively showing concern for all the children of the neighborhood. Each of these ideas have their own set of pros and cons. For Ginger and I, our prayer is that we love these people and their culture like Christ. Our plan is to adjust to these interesting differences by being “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19

Culture Shock

2007-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for slacking off this week with the blog, I am without excuse. "Culture shock" is a concern for any new missionary on the field. It carries the idea of struggling with one's immersion into a new culture. Basically, after being neck deep in a new culture for a few months you begin to struggle with the way they do things, the way they say things, the way they act, maybe even the way they don't wear deodorant. Our adjustment to this new culture in Poland has been easier than expected up to this point and we attribute this to your prayers. Over the next few weeks I hope to share with you our observations on differences between Polish and American culture. A major symptom of culture shock is an overly critical spirit toward anything done different than the way its done in your home country. You see when learning a new culture one must come with an open mind and learn to enjoy it for what it is. Hopefully this topic can be theraputic for us as we battle this critical spirit from time to time. I'll begin by sharing one of my favorite characteristics of Polish culture. The Poles are "world renowned" for their "bluntness." This is quite a contrast to the way we Americans operate. We like to think we "tell it like it is" when in reality this is only the case when it suits our interests. Case and point, your wife comes home with a new haircut that looks like it was done with lawnmower on steroids and she says "do you like it?" We all know what the answer is--there's just no way around it. Why hurt her feelings? Maybe I'll learn to like it. If I glance at it, its not that bad.This is a trademark of American culture. We strive to be polite at the expense of truth where peoples' feelings are concerned and ESPECIALLY when it comes to strangers. In fact, we are more accomodating when it comes to strangers than even with our own family. Most of the time we avoid contention if at all possible. Not so for the Polish and this really threw us for a loop when we got here.

Another way that this bluntness manifests itself is in the answer to the question "how are you doing?" Poles think Americans are phonies for always saying "fine" or they think we are melodramatic for saying "awesome." Ask a Pole how they are doing and you will soon learn ---this is really bad when they are sick because phlegm color is too much information for me. We are renting our apartment from a husband and wife who previously lived in it for 30 years. They are great landlords and we have no complaints, but we had one "run in" by American standards. When we moved in, I changed the locks, though I completely trust them, who is to say who has a copy of the apartment key from the past thirty years. It just so happened that he came right while we were in the process of changing the locks. He of course bluntly asked for a copy of a key and (through a translator because he speaks no English) I told him that we would deal with it later (this is the classic American approach--avoid confrontation--maybe it will go away). Well he came again, and again--the final straw was when I got a knock on my apartment at 6:30am one morning. I opened the door and he comes right into my personal space (a whole nother topic) saying "klucze" "klucze" (pronounced klooo-ch) this means key. By American standards he was being boligerant but by Polish standards he was just being normal. It was then and there I decided to adopt the culture I was now immersed in. About three inches from my face he said "klucze" again and I responded with one of the two words I knew at the time "nie!" (this means no). He said "nie?" And again I said "nie!" (I think the onion breath from the previous nights pizza added emphasis). This little exchange would have totally strained a relationship in the states, but here in Poland its a different story. I have found him to be much more respectful and cordial since the little key incident. And that's just it, they appreciate the truth and they respect you for it when you speak it.

Monopoly Money

2007-07-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Adjusting to a new country means, among other things, adjusting to a new financial system. This involves new currency, watching exchange rates, and comparing prices to the U.S. When we first moved here I joked with some of the other missionaries that Polish money looked very similar to monopoly money and was thus easier to spend. Then when reality hit I realized that passing go was not going to give me another $200. We have found some things in Poland to be a real steal compared to the states and some things are quite expensive. Many of you have asked about this very thing so I thought I would give you an idea by listing the prices of certain commodities and services here in Poland

Cheap:
1.) Labor---$3 to $4 an hour
2.) Groceries---weeks worth is roughly $70 (and thats for a family of Stovers)
3.) Pizza delivery---$10 for two large pizzas and it comes in less than 20 minutes (much faster than Dominos and without the Botchulism)
4.) Restaraunts---family of four can eat at a mid range place for roughly $30
5.) taxi--picked up my car from the shop today and the fare was $3
6.) hotel---outside of Warsaw $50 can give you a very nice room
7.) Rent---$500 a month can get you your choice of any apartment
8.) dentistry---Ginger had two root canals done at a state of the art place for around $100

Similar:
1.) Utility bills
2.) cell phones
3.) internet

Expensive:
1.) pair of average jeans $80-100
2.) electronics---probably a 20% markup from the states
3.) Simple oil change---$100+ (oil is ridiculously expensive here)
4.) gasoline---roughly $5.50 per gallon (please stop sniveling about $3 gas-when you get over $5 then call me--but I'm not bitter)

The Language Barrier

2007-07-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Our main purpose in this blog is to give you a firsthand account of missionaries adjusting to a new country. Some adjustments are a pain, some hilarious, and some downright scary. In my mind there is no bigger barrier than overcoming the language gap. This should be a missionary's primary concern in the first few years and a secondary focus for the rest of his time on the field. I cannot emphasize how important language acquisition is to effective mission work. Think about it this way-----when a foreigner speaks to you in broken English (this most often happens at the McDonald's drive-thru in the U.S.) your first thought, whether you admit it or not, is that they must be ignorant and uneducated. The reality is, its their second language and that's one more language than you speak---so who's the uneducated one??? Ever think about that? My point is, when a missionary cheats on his/ her language study he is placing an unneccessary barrier on his ministry and he needlessly sounds ignorant and unlearned. Here's the kicker, studying 20 hours a week is not enough. Fully acquiring the language demands that you drag yourself from the haven of your apartment and into the lion's den, also known as the grocery store, gas station, and restaurant. Here you must use your second language knowing full well that people will not understand and respond by speaking louder to you, like you have a problem hearing (never understood that one). Ginger and I certainly fight the feeling to just stay inside, so to battle the urge we've made it a point to just laugh about our mistakes.

One quick example: I was in Warsaw by myself awhile back when Ginger called and asked for an apple pie from McDonalds. I'm always up for a "gut bomb" but without thinking I pulled right up to the Drive-Thru window. Typical McD's drive-thru with a separate order and pick-up window. No one was at the order window so I was ready to pull out when I heard a voice over the speaker. I froze with fear, what do I say now? Fortunately, "cheeseburger" is the same in Polish and English. I proceeded with my order ------dwa (two) cheeseburger, duge frytki (large fry-pronounced doo-ze) and duge cola z lodem (large coke with ice). All of this was said correctly--I am a quick learner when it comes to food--but then I got to the pie and I have no clue what that is in Polish, thought about skipping it but I remembered there was something about pie in our wedding vows so I proceeded to embarrass myself. The person in the speaker started spouting off in Polish--I thought she was asking about the pie--and decided to answer with "tak" (yes). This worked but another question followed so I said "tak" again. She didn't sound satisfied with my answer this time and started speaking louder and slower. I said "tak" again, this seemed to frustrate her and suddenly I heard two people speaking now louder than ever. The cars were lining up behind me and finally I looked up to the pick up window and there were three employees banging on the drive thru window and motioning for me to pull forward. Years of drive thru experience kicked in and I realized that in Polish she was saying "please pull forward for your total," to which my reply had been a repeated yes. Sitting at the pick-up window was the longest 90 seconds of my life as I watched three employees trying their best to hide their laughter to no avail. As I drove away I called Ginger, we had a good laugh, and I felt better. I got off the phone, secretly spit in her pie, and felt much better, but lets keep that between us.

Three baptisms

2007-07-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

It was a special weekend for our church here in Siedlce. Three believers publicly identified with Christ by following Him in baptism by immersion. In the New Testament, baptism was often a pulic statement that brought scrutiny, separation, and persecution from one's friends, family, and government. Baptism by immersion is also a dividing line here in Poland. One can draw the ire of their family by attending a Baptist church, friends and family certainly won't like a testimony of salvation in Christ alone. But to publicly be baptized, that is the line of demarcation. For Poles it is an open dismissal of the teachings of the Catholic church. It is identifying with a "cult." Its an open display of the inward change and therefore an embarrassment for the family. Ginger and I were challenged by their courage in moving forward in obedience to Scripture. You have to understand that Siedlce, though a population of over seventy thousand, has a small town feel. Most people are born, raised, married, and buried here, so everyone knows everyone else. The baptism took place at the one small lake in the town. It was nearly 90 degrees so the place was packed with people. Most of whom were wondering what that group of 50 or so people were doing on the other side of the lake. So when I say it was a public baptism, you understand the peer pressure these young Christians were facing. I have to say that the best part was when one of the men in our church took out his guitar and began to play/sing "Amazing Grace," the entire church soon joined in and they were so encouraging and supportive of these new Christians as they took this step of obedience. They came out of the water and were greeted by bearhugs from everyone.

The testimony of each of these young believers is another story. Slavek (Swa-vek) gave a testimony last week and told the church that a year ago he was a terrible alcoholic who's marriage was about to end. He met Ben Layer (our co-worker pictured above) and was saved a few months later. Jesus Christ saved His soul and his new birth has saved his marriage. He is a hungry Christian who cannot get enough of Scripture and has become a good friend of mine in the last two months. Goscia (Go-sha) is a single mom, rough past, with two children and little money. Every week she faithfully cleans the church, this was a hard step for her to publicly identify with Christ, but she did. Olah is a young girl with five sisters, her mom is a Christian who spent time in Chicago and speaks good English. Two years ago her dad was shot dead by his drunk brother (for no apparent reason). Its enough for anyone to want to give up, but her mom has them in Church every week and faithfully teaches Jr. Church. Everyone is Catholic at school, so Olah has definitely opened herself to ridicule when school begins in the fall. As you can tell by the photo, she was not ashamed. Ginger and I felt privileged as we witnessed their faith in action and it makes us all the more anxious to learn the language so we can soon communicate Christ to those around us.

Jason Stover

P.S. I have a 2 minute video clip of the baptism. If you'd like to view it, just send me your email address

A Familiar Face

2007-07-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

When you live in a foreign country any familiar face is a welcome sight, no matter how distant a relative (see first picture). On Saturday we decided to take a 2 hr drive to the city of Lublin. Upon arriving into town the kids where itching to get out and do something so we decided to look for a McDonalds (preferably with a playplace) and after driving around the city for 25 minutes we found one. Its always funny to watch our kids interact with the Polish kids. The boys each got a "Shrek" toy in their happy meal and they began throwing it down the big slide first and then they would come down right after. A Polish boy about their age caught onto their game and began to wait for the toy. When it came down he would take it before the boys could get it and throw it as far as possible. This really bothered my boys and they asked him to stop but there is that whole language barrier thing, though I think he knew what they were asking. Ginger and I just sat back wanting to see what they would do. It was funny to watch their problem solving, they literally huddled in a corner and came up with a plan that required Caleb to wait at the bottom of the slide for the toy to come down, grab it before the other kid, and save it until Bradey came down. This worked to perfection a few times until Caleb and the Polish boy got to the toy about the same time, Caleb preformed a textbook box-out/ hip check and the toy was secure. Is it bad to say that I was beeming with pride?

I guess my point in all of this is to say that the boys have some big hurdles ahead of them in the months and years to come as we try to adapt to this culture. The biggest being starting school this fall in a completely different language. Yesterday we got a glimpse of how they'll conquer these hurdles---as a team. No doubt it will be years before they realize the great blessing God has given them in each other but Ginger and I are seeing the blessings already. They are evidenced everytime we send them off to sunday school, they're not only the new kids, they also don't understand a word, but they have each other(imagine what it takes for little kids to walk through that door). When they walk out to play in the park, they are foreigners and the new kids on the block, but push comes to shove and they are a team. Now I know some of you are wondering why I haven't mentioned Aubrie, but if you know her you know she'll be fine. I think she has a Polish vocabulary of almost 20 words already, doesn't know a stranger, and will most likely publish her first book in the fall : ) Ginger and I are beginning to see some of the different gifts and talents God has given our children and we find assurance in knowing that He has prepared them for this great adventure. Remember to pray for Caleb, Bradey and Aubrie--but don't pity them, they're having a blast "wiving in Powand" as Bradey says.

Language School Pays Off!!

2007-06-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Four or five different restaurants deliver pizza in Siedlce. Personally, I like them all, we Stovers have never been picky when it comes to food though you'd probably never guess it. Now Ginger, she grew up in Chicago (when not in Thailand) and Chicago is the pizza capital of the world, its hard to duplicate the kind of pizza they turn out there. Through three years of trial and error the Layers' have managed to find a place that is close. Well, you have to ask for thick crust, extra sauce and double cheese. But when all of it comes together, its a masterpiece my friends. The pizza is so good in fact that it even satisfies the tastebuds of my Chicago born wife and children. The major hurdle is in ordering the pizza, because its over the phone and because asking for all of the extra stuff only complicates the process. Up to this point we have called the Layers and asked them to order it for us, but that stopped TODAY.

We have learned many of the words in the first two weeks of language school that are needed to place a pizza order, of course putting them together in an intelligible way is a different story. I had Ben send me an email of what needed to be said and then I called them up. If you've ever attempted to speak a second language you know the fear and trepidation one faces when forced to use it. Fortunately my "hunter/ gatherer" instincts took over. The conversation went suprisingly smooth, she understood everything I said and I understood most of what she said. There were a couple of questions she asked that I did not understand so I just said "tak" (yes) and hoped for the best. 25 minutes later we had our pizza and just like we ordered, (ok so I didn't ask for the onions, but at least they weren't anchovies). To celebrate the momentous occasion Ginger took a picture of the pizza man as he delivered it. You can tell by the picture that he was thrilled. He may never come back again after being bombarded by camera flashes as the apartment door opened. At least he has a story to tell his colleagues about the crazy Americans taking pictures and cheering over ordinary pizza. However, you and I know that this wasn't ordinary pizza, this-this was the taste of freedom. It reminds me of a poem I learned in highschool, "two pizza joints diverged in a yellow wood and I--I took the one with more cheese, and that has made all the difference!"

Golf in Poland: An Interesting Experience

2007-06-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Warning, what I'm about to say might seem overly boring to those who are not sophisticated enought to appreciate the game of golf.!!!!

I've been here for almost two months and was finally able to step onto a golf course today. Had to drive almost 70 miles to do it, now that's dedication (or maybe just desperation). For those of you that go on our golf outing each year, the course reminded me of Quail Meadows, maybe just a tad nicer. The first picture is of hole #1, a par 5--550 yds and your drive has to carry 150 yds to clear the water. I was kind of nervous b/c I hadn't swung a golf club in two months and it didn't help that everyone stopped to watch the "duge Americanie" drive the ball (that means "big American" but I like to think that I'm just Husky). For those of you who don't know, teeing off on hole #1 with a bunch of people watching is the stuff that causes Amateur golfers to wake up at 2am in a cold sweat. With great precision. . .er um . . .luck, I absolutely crushed it down the middle (ala Phil Marrero at the '06 Manitoumi outing), that was the first and last good drive of the day, but it didn't matter because I was finally golfing AND no one but me would ever see those other drives.

Over half the people on the course were Asian businessmen. I played with the CFO of LG Electronics (from South Korea), he spoke a little English and I had Korean food one time, so we had some things in common. His first drive went off into the woods and he looked at me and said "moment," he went back to his bag and got another ball, after he hit again he said "mulligan". Oh, that was a welcome word my friends. It seems "mulligan" crosses all linguistic and ethnic barriers. Its nice to know you can go anywhere in the world and have people identify with that term. A term of humility and a term of forgiveness. The other adjustment to playing in Poland is that all the distance is in meters. When your irons are dialed in like mine, that tiny difference in distance is HUGE. By the end of the day I figured out that that 150 meters needed one more club length than 150 yds. Had I figured this out earlier I would have been in the back bunker of each green instead of the front one. No problem though, this allowed me to pracitice my Korean, Polish, and English by saying "Mulligan." Finally, an interesting side note, I was in the woods on hole #8 and found a golf ball with the intials BV. Maybe those of you who go to Bible Baptist can help me find its rightful owner. At the end of the day I realized that golf, whether in Poland or the US, is a wonderful game I love to hate. Can I get a witness??

Spiritual Warfare

2007-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ginger and I are excited to begin language school on Monday. We will be studying four hours a day/ five days a week. Lord willing, we will be able to acquire the language much quicker than on our own. I have been told that one way to learn the conversational aspect of language is to watch news and other programs in that language on television. After seven full days of television my friend told me this was not Polish, it was the Spanish channel. Kind of a bummer : 0

Every Sunday we pass this Roman Catholic Church on our way to Church. Its not a holiday and its not the only Catholic church in town, yet all of its services are standing room only. The Polish people are gripped by Roman Catholicism, to be Polish is to be Catholic and when one becomes a follower of Jesus Christ they risk being ostracized by family and the community. The priests themselves are often the root of this pressure. The RCC has lulled us to sleep in the States. It seems so toothless and benign. As a result certain "evangelicals" have intiated fellowship again with the very church that spilled the blood of thousands of martyrs for hundreds of years. You see "that church" clearly in countries outside of the U.S. The fearmongering, the greed, the control, all out in the open. Often when a protestant work is financially struggling, the RCC steps in and grants them freedom to use their facilities on the condition that their priests speak on occasion. The tentacles reach out, grab their prey and squeeze out the Gospel.

The priests here in town have openly forbade their people from attending the "Baptist" Church in town. We are a cult and to be avoided at all costs. Their financial backing and sheer numbers could be a paralyzing fear if not for Christ's promise in Matthew 16 "I will build my Church." That promise is foundational to our ministry here in Poland. Praise the Lord for what he is doing in Siedlce, there were almost fifty in church today, including one family battling the very pressure I've just mentioned. There will be a baptismal service in a few weeks for four who have repented and come to Christ. He is building His Church here through the Layers' ministry and we are chomping at the bit to lift up their hands and assist in the ministry here. Many of you have been saved from the grip of Roman Catholicism, share with us here how the power of the Gospel broke the chains of sin for you.

Shades, Blessed Shades

2007-06-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

It gives us peace of mind to know that Superman and Spiderman are with us here in Poland. Ginger and I had a good laugh yesterday over the whole language barrier thing. Our apartment is on the second floor and there is a little park just outside our kitchen window. On occasion we allow the boys to go to the park all by themselves, it makes them feel real big. Yesterday we noticed there were four girls in the park about their age so we let them go down to play. They went down there in full superhero mode, but those poor girls, who only speak Polish, could not figure out why these crazy Americans were jumping around and growling at them. The next time we looked out, all the girls had run home and the boys suddenly had the playground to themselves (the old Stover charm is no myth). Ginger and I got a chuckle out of that.

Initially our purpose in this blog is to share with you some of the adjustments we are making and some of the lessons we are learning. I took a picture of the kids in front of their new shades that just came in yesterday. I can't stress enough how important they are to ones' sanity. Poland's latitude is equal to Quebec, for that reason in the summer the sun rises around 4:15 am and does not set until around 9:30pm. The sun rises right outside the boys window so there's not enough nyquil in Poland to keep them in bed, and those who know me know I've tried. Several times in the last two weeks our wake up call has been the kids running into our room and saying "mom and dad why are you sleeping, the sun is up" only to look at a watch and to see that it is 4:30 IN THE MORNING. The first time it happened I remember thinking, "Jason, just remember your testimony, they are still children." Needless to say, when the blinds arrived two days ago there was great joy in the Stover household.

Driving In Poland

2007-06-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our new family car. It is called a Nissan Almera Tino. You've probably never heard of this model because it is only sold in Europe. The best way to describe it is a cross between a car and SUV. One of our prayer requests as we came over was wisdom for finding a car here in Poland. They don't track vehicles through VIN numbers like they do in the States, so there seems to be a greater propensity for fraud in the used car market. One thing in our favor was with Poland joining the EU the borders opened up and the market here is now flooded with cars. A man in our church here in Siedlce by the name of Thomek Glinka deals with cars and brought this one to our attention. It is a 2001 with 65,000 miles, one owner, a clean and traceable track record, proof of service every 3,000 miles, and a reputation for being highly dependable. The owner was originally asking $35,000 zloty ($12,500 US), but with interest focused on cars from other countries he had not found a buyer. This is where Thomek was an awesome answer to prayer, long story short, after some serious negotiating by Thomek, we bought the car for $27,000 zloty ($9,500 US).

I don't know if the pictures do it justice, but it can easily seat five adults. You can see that there are three captains chairs in the back seat and to give you an idea of the trunk size we were able to put four full-size tires in there with ease. A couple nice features are the trays behind the front seats that allow the kids to color and play. Also, it has a very sensitive parking assist, this is very helpful in Poland as you always find yourself squeezing into tight places.

Another adjustment for us is the driving here. It is comparable to the way people drive in Chicago after the Cubs have lost. . . . .AGAIN. Highways are not frequent here so most of the driving is done on simple two lane roads. What is different is that people pass all the time though there is oncoming traffic. In fact, its the responsibility of oncoming traffic to pull over on the shoulder if neccessary. Now imagine coming around the corner and seeing a huge semi, coming from the opposite way and in your lane. I think Ginger has actually spoken in tongues a few times when this has happened but we are adjusting. You simply cannot drive to relax like you do sometimes in the states. I think one of the craziest things we have seen to this point is when I went to pass a truck and someone behind us decided to pass us and the truck. We were THREE WIDE on a TWO LANE road!! I know some of you NASCAR buffs are foaming at the mouth, but you'll have to come visit to experience it for yourself. Well, this is all for now, I think I'll go enjoy a nice glass of ICE water before I go to bed.

Jason Stover

Moved In

2007-05-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Nearly four weeks into this new adventure and we're almost completely moved in. Ginger and I were very pleased with the work done during our apartment renovation. You can't beat the cost of labor in Poland. All tolled, I think the labor for six days of tile and flooring work was about $400 US. Nice, huh? It would cost me that much in duct tape alone if I tried to do it myself. The fact that we were able to find an apartment and renovate it in a period of about two weeks is completely of the Lord. That just doesn't happen in Poland. Ginger is now busy making our things fit into 800 sq. feet. The apartment is smaller than we Americans are used to but it is large by Polish standards. Our home in the states is about twice the size, but we honestly dont feel "caged in." I think layout helps, there is a large entryway that gives it an open feeling. I also believe that we Americans don't need as much space as we think to be happy.

What I can't get over is the whole "warm drink" thing here. It's literally culturally unacceptable to serve ice cold drinks. They believe that doing so causes sore throats and colds. Whoever heard of such insanity. The milk here doesn't have the preservatives we have in the States so it is sold at room temperature and can last on the shelf for a month. Imagine waking up in the morning and putting that into your cereal. Talk about cultural barriers. We bought a fridge and got it running last week and the first thing I did was fill some ice trays we brought from the states. Combined the ice with water I let sit in the freezer for half an hour and only one word describes it . . . .OASIS. You can feel the refreshment right now can't you. I think its the little things that keep you sane when you are adjusting to a new culture. All in all, the adjustment hasn't been bad to this point. Living in a smaller town allows you to learn your way around quickly and it allows you to make friends and acquaintances more easily. To this point Ginger and I have found the people here in Siedlce friendly and sympathetic to our plight concerning the language. Thank you for your prayers and don't forget to hug that refreshing glass of a ice water a little closer today.

The Kids Hit Poland

2007-05-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ginger took the kids to a park here in Siedlce two days ago and they were offering pony rides, as you can see, the kids had a good time. Bradey kept asking for the horse to go faster but to no avail. We are right in the middle of moving into our apartment. The tile work and flooring have been completed and I now have carpel tunnel from putting 10,000 screws into IKEA furniture. Those of you with IKEA furniture know exactly what I'm talking about. Yesterday Kristen and Deb flew back to the states, they were a great help with the kids and with painting in the apartment, they will be missed. We are still hit and miss with email because internet and phone have not yet been installed in our apartment, hopefully that will change in the next few days. As we get settled in this week we hope to connect with many of you back in the states. You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers. But admit it, you thought we wouldn't keep our promise of updating the blog weekly, shame on you. OH YEAH---I FORGOT TO TELL YOU---LOOK AT THE TOP PICTURE---IT IS ABOUT 65 DEGREES OUTSIDE---LOOK HOW AUBRIE IS DRESSED AND LOOK HOW THE POLISH BOY IS DRESSED. THIS IS VERY COMMON

Renovations

2007-05-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

I've been here in Poland for over a week and a half now and we've been able to knock out several details. The apartment we are renting is in very good condition with the exception of the flooring and the bathroom. We worked out a deal with the landlord where I will pay for the renovation and they will discount our rent for six months. What you see here is the new flooring in our living room. We've run into a snag for flooring the entryway. The concrete is so uneven that they can't guarantee the floor. I guess we're going to find out if you can by quickcrete in Poland?!?

With Poland joining the EU, trade has opened up for them, so many of their skilled laborers are currently in Ireland, Germany, and France. There they can work for much more money. This has made it difficult to find someone to do our renovations. I know some of you are saying "why not do it yourself?" If you are thinking that you should really keep your comments to yourself. Also, if you can't fix it with duct tape--I can't fix it, in addition, labor is extremely cheap. After a week of looking for a tradesman to do the bathroom remodel we had given up hope. However, Wednesday we got a call from a member at the church in Siedlce who had the name of an acquaintance that had just returned from working in Germany. He began the bathroom work on Friday. Ben and I have been very impressed up to this point.

Some of you know that our plan for the last several months has been for me to come to Poland, ahead of the rest of the family, to work on lining up a house, car, etc. . . At best I never thought I'd be able to do what we've done in the last two weeks. I attribute that to your prayers. Ginger and I greatly value your friendship and spiritual support.

On another note, I believe that's two updates in one week, which is how many times we updated our website in a year and a half. So let the skeptics be silenced and in the words of Emeril "BAM!"

Oh No!

2007-05-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Stover family has entered the blogosphere. And in the words of Stinky Pete from Toy Story 2, "its a dangerous world out there Woody." I know what you're thinking. . . "yeah, yeah, yeah, you had a website and updated it like twice in two years." Well, Ginger and I feel sooo strongly about keeping you informed that I promise, thats right, I PROMISE that our blog will be updated once a week. And if we fail in this endeavor feel free to send us an email full of Biblical confrontation.