Wednesday

It’s Wednesday afternoon in Poland. We arrived at the real hope festival on Sunday. (Actually, it’s called the real action festival, but it’s organized by the real hope organization. That, combined with the fact that we’re translating everything from polish, has made it a wee bit confusing.) Here's the website: http://www.realnaakcja.pl/. I'm not sure if it's possible to view it in English, but you can get an idea at least. We’re in a small city called Sandomierz, about 3 hours from the PROeM camps. I think the place where we’re staying is a youth hostel. It’s large, safe, and was probably built by the Soviets. All the walls are solid concrete. That’s why we didn’t discover the internet until last night. It’s only on the first floor; we dwell on the third.

Sandomierz is a small city with a population of approximately 30,000. It’s known for being 1,000 years old. Apparently it has a very nice downtown/old town. Anyway, there are approximately 100 Christians from around the world here, working on 12 different projects. Some are spiffing up preschools and kindergartens. (Heather and Kenji are at one of the preschools.) Others are painting tanks (military tanks) near the center of town. Larry is, of course, secretly envious of the tank painters. Still others are repairing apartment buildings. Larry, David and I were assigned to a park to assist with a VBS – type program.

In the park, 3 full size Indian tee-pees were put up just for this project. Children from the neighborhood are invited to come and shoot the bow and arrow, play with other Indian-themed games, and learn about various “Indian values,” each of which conveniently relates to a Bible verse. If you’re thinking that an American Indian theme at a Polish VBS sounds strange, you’re not alone. The kids are eating it up, though!

Right now, Larry and I feel like we’re doing the work of one person. I was put in charge of the Blackfoot tribe on Monday. I directed my kids through a translator while Larry held a sleeping David. (Interesting note: My translator was a polish girl who we met at PROeM’s camps in 2007. She was a camper then. When we arrived this morning, she ran up to us, saying our names with a big smile. Now she’s attending this VBS. We really are able to forge relationships with these children year after year!) Later on, when it was the Blackfoot tribe’s turn to shoot the bow and arrow, Larry and I switched. I suppose the physical work we do isn’t all we’re here for. I think our mere presence is valuable too. It’s meaningful for the children to have adults surrounding them and showering them with Jesus’ love. Babies transcend language barriers too. The kids and adults are constantly oogling over him. He’ll probably speak polish before we do.

Here’s how you can pray/praise right now:

• Praise God that David has slept through the night for the past 2 nights. Goodbye, jet lag! Thank you for your prayers after Sunday morning's blog!
• Praise God that we are all healthy.
• Praise God for the work He is doing in Sandomierz. We’re already starting to hear stories of people who are touched by what the Real Action team is doing.
• Please pray for this city. Few people here know Jesus and few are looking for him. Pray that through the ministry of Real Action, people will see God’s love for them and come to Christ.
• Please pray for our relationships with our PROeM brothers and sisters who are serving here. We long to develop community with them, to encourage them and to find ways to support them. Pray that God will give us wisdom as we relate to them.
• Pray for our attitudes. We’re surrounded by wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. And yet without the Holy Spirit, it’s impossible to keep the right attitude at all times while serving! Pray that we be Spirit-filled, exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
• Please continue to pray for perspective, especially for me (Chrissy). Right now I’m sitting in our dorm room while David naps. Everyone else is at the work projects already. Pray that I see the unique opportunities I have to serve, even though (or perhaps because) I am David’s mommy.
• Please pray for Heather and Kenji as they adjust to the polish lifestyle.

Pictures are forthcoming - I promise!