The Moodring

Rolling stones

2011-12-15T01:55:00.000-08:00

This was fun (except that we first had to pile the rocks up there:)

2011-12-15T01:16:00.001-08:00

This is not the highest quality, but it should be readable if you click on each page and make it larger. Or maybe not, but this is all I am able to do in this department. At least you can see the pictures and know that there is such a thing as a newsletter:)

Praha 3 - Žižkov

2011-12-15T00:34:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be curious where we live now. After the (unpleasant) period of keeping two residences - one for the girls and the other for the boys - we are now happily back together in a rented apartment in Prague 3.

The part of town is called Žižkov and we live very close to
a major Prague landmark - the TV tower, which can be seen from anywhere in Prague. Here is a picture of it at night (from the street level looking up).

And here is our building. We live on the sixth floor somewhere above and to the right from the street light. We actually like it here:)

Sorry I only have pictures taken at night - it gets dark early these days and by the time I come back in the evening things look like this.

Getting things done slowly but surely

2011-12-05T23:15:00.001-08:00

Here is a short video showing the progress of our digging project. The pile on the left wasn't there when we started and will not be there when we are done. Some of it will go back to fill the ditch and the rest of it??? Hmmm, maybe we'll dump it into the creek, or spread it around in the woods or make a huge pile in the middle of our neighbor's yard, or maybe put it in small boxes and sell it on E-bay. If you have any other ideas or if you'd like to buy a box of dirt for yourself let me know:)

Enjoy the video.

Foundations Are Important

2011-10-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

It has been quiet on the blog front the past month or so. Since the girls came back from the US we have been living in two separate places. The girls are staying at my dad and step mom's and Jan and I are at my grandma's old apartment. The arrangement of being in two different parts of the city and seeing each other every now and then is getting old quick and since the house is still far from being done, as you will read below, we are looking into renting an apartment for a season. Originally we thought we'd be able to save the money, but there are some things that even we can't do - like sleep in two different places for too long.

The news from the building site is that we found out more foundation work that needs to be done. The foundation happens to be made of large rocks and mud. There is no moisture barrier on the outside so the wetness seeps into the walls above. In our attempt to fix the problem and to make the house dry we dug up some of the earth around the foundations and while we were doing it part of the foundation crumbled out. In one place so much of it came out that we could see the inside of the house through a hole in the wall (the last picture shows the view from the inside out).

We are fixing it a

section at a time otherwise entire walls could collapse. We pour concrete in the place of the rocks and mud that came out. The entire back side of the house will have to be redone that way. The pictures show the process. First we dig out the dirt and rocks, then get rid of the debris that fall out, then build a wooden form, put in rebar structure and then fill the hole with concrete. While at it we are also tying the walls of the house together with steel rods (drill holes in the walls, insert steel rods with thick metal plates on each side of the house and then tighten it all together with huge screws). I sometimes wonder if it would be easier to tear the whole house down and start over.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it is worth it. It is necessary. And it has to be done first. Otherwise the rest of the things done to the house may be for nothing. Imagine picking a new paint for your living room, making it all nice inside and then having one of your walls collapse. Same thing can happen with lives as well.

While we are fixing the foundations of the house God has been fixing some cracks in the foundation of our lives as well. He brought up some issues that needed to be dealt with - as important in comparison as the gaps in the wall I wrote about. I find God's discipline uncompromising and yet wonderfully gracious. There were things in my life that I have been overlooking or excusing for years until God made it clear that He will either have me whole or not at all. Just like the choice Joshua gave to the Israelites: either serve the Lord or some other gods, but you can't serve both, because God is a jealous God and "He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you."

God has never imposed himself or his will on me, but He will not lower his standards in order to have me. I want to pursue him on His terms and unfortunately there are very few voices and guides that preach that kind of uncompromising discipleship these days. Still God's goal for me and you is holiness and if learning to play piano or to speak Hungarian is hard then it shouldn't surprise us that becoming holy will be hard and require discipline too.

Mudrik girls on the road

2011-08-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

After 4,500+ miles it is a relief to be off the road. My back is grateful for sure! We made it as far north as Wisconsin, as far west as Missouri, as far south as Arkansas, and headed back east through beautiful Kentucky and West Virginia.

It has been a graced trip. So many friends, and so many blessings! Our camera completely died, I'm afraid. Hoping my husband can figure out how to get the pictures out of it when we get home :\ Sorry dear!

We are currently back in Maryland at Grandma Carole's house. We fly home next Monday, August 29 and get to Prague on Tuesday. School starts Thursday, September 1!! Looks like we girls will be living with Marek's parent's in the center of Prague. Marek and Jan will stay in Prague 6 where they currently are and continue working on the farm, preparing the space for our family. When will we move in? Still don't know...

Playing in the dirt

2011-08-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Shovel by shovel, whee barrow by wheel barrow we moved about 9 cubic meters of dirt in the past week. It translates in one large pile.

Often I wish we were building a simple wood house not restoring an old castle-like house.

Still, I am glad it is done. One more step closer to moving in:).

Inch-By-Inch

2011-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today I worked in the old stable. I was breaking up and removing the old concrete and brick flooring so that I can install sewer pipes and make the floor differently. It will be concrete again, but built in such a way that air can circulate under it to keep it dry. I quit early, because I could not hold the hammer any more:)

Lots of things go through my mind when I work alone (yeah, Elaine, Jan didn't make it to work today:(. I thought how slow things go, how much still needs to be done, how silly that I should be doing this, and whether my time would be better used some other way. Then I remembered an old song we used to sing at camp (The Garden Song by John Denver). And then I started singing it in a funny broken up rhythm accented by the pounding of the sledge hammer on the concrete floor. The song goes like this:

Inch-by-inch, row-by-row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground.

Inch by inch, row by row

Someone bless these seeds I sow

Someone warm them from below

'Til the rain comes tumbling down....

I liked singing it. It reminded me of a place far away and a time long past. And I thought, this work that I am doing right now is also an inch-by-inch, row-by-row kind of a thing. And I prayed that God makes something grow, something pretty or tasty or at least healthy:).

An Update

2011-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

This one I meant to write and publish last week, but I ran out of energy. So, here:

I just dropped off our friend Eric at the airport. Eric got permission from his wife (and children:) to leave Paris and come to help me with building - or rather with demolishing still new parts of the old farm house. I didn't take any pictures while he was here, but here is a video to prove that he actually did some work, Karin:). Sorry for the poor quality. The other guy in the video is our friend Slavik, whose daughter Helena is traveling with our girls in the US.

Besides getting really dirty at the farm Eric also cooked some of our meals while he was here - nothing like having a cook from Paris. Since he left, all we've had was chips and salsa and sandwiches. I am kidding, of course, we've also had hamburgers and pizza:)

What a life we have!

On the road

2011-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

We've been in the US for one week now. Flew from Vienna to New York and hit the ground running. Have been meaning to post our (mostly) finalized itinerary. It has been a great!! trip so far. Thanks for your prayers! Wonderful to see many of you, old and new friends!

Sorry no pictures... I forgot to pack the little cord that connects the camera and the computer to transfer the data. Also forgot to pack towels. Details details.

July 19 fly to US
July 21 Massillon, Ohio
July 23 Hartville, Ohio and Mt Gilead, Ohio
July 25 Racine, Wisconsin
July 26 Menomonie, Wisconsin
July 30 Springfield, Illinois
August 6 Highland, Illinois and Columbia, Missouri
August 8 Kansas City, Missouri
August 10 Fayetteville, Arkansas
August 12 St Louis, Missouri
August 15 Lebanon, Kentucky
August 16 Cincinnati, Ohio
August 18 Pittsburgh, PA
August 19 Lititz, PA
August 20 Maryland
August 29 fly to Europe

See you soon!

This summer's puzzle!

2011-06-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

You've asked so here it is...

So here's what our summer trip looks like so far. I am still trying to put all the pieces together!

July 19 fly to the US
July 20 Aberdeen, MD with family
July 21 Massillon, Ohio
July 23 Mount Gilead, Ohio
July 25 Cary, IL
July 26 Menomonie, WI with family
July 30 Springfield, IL
August 2-5 Chicago, IL????
August 6 Highland, IL Hope's wedding!
August 7 Columbia, MO

now's where it gets messy...

August 8-14 Fort Collins/Denver, CO area?????
(We have plenty of friends we would LOVE to see and stay with there but no potentially new support opportunities yet.)

If we can't find new opportunities for support in Colorado then the trip may look like this...

August 8ish Kansas City, MO???
August 11ish Springfield, MO area???

After that it may look like this...

August 15ish St. Louis, MO
August 17-19 Ohio???
August 19 Lititz, PA
August 21-28 Maryland/DC area

August 29 fly back to Europe

So there you have it! That how things look so far. If anyone has any ideas, input, questions, potential connections, LET ME KNOW!

elaine

Life with Hanna

2011-06-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hanna is our youngest; 4 years, blond curls, dimples, and totally verbal!

Yesterday, Marek left early with the older children to head to the farm to work. Hanna and I spent the morning together and then decided to join the rest of the clan at the farm. We packed a backpack full of food and headed out.

Not far from home we met eyes with one of the homeless ladies of the neighborhood who was ready to unload her heart. She did not ask for anything but we gave her some of our food. Hanna stood patiently, her little hand in mine, and listened to the lady the whole time. Later she told daddy, "We met a poor lady who doesn't have a home and she is really sad."

On the weekend it takes about 1.5 - 2 hours to get to the farm from where we live now by public transport. Hanna talked the whole time; asking questions and expressing her little self.

Shortly before we arrived at the farm Hanna said, "Are we lost? Mommy, I just don't know where home is." An early musing of this little Third Culture Kid which captures the season we are currently in as a family, I thought.

The other day she was sharing all her woes from the week at preschool. At the climax of it all she said with many tears, "Everything inside my body is crying!"

Service of passionate devotion

2011-06-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

"Jesus did not say - Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me. We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or creed....

To-day we have substituted credal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offence to the educated mind of today that does not want Him in any other way than as a Comrade. Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat. The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of the life is its unobtrusiveness. It is like a corn of wheat, which falls into the ground and dies, but presently it will spring up and alter the whole landscape (John xii. 24)"

Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest, June 19th.

And besides this, today is Emilia's 12th birthday!!

Kitchen ceiling - for Jack and Jud

2011-06-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of building the kitchen ceiling, which will have some old beams supported on both ends by new beams - one of them is in the picture on the left and the other, attached to a brick wall, is below it.

I marked the height of where the beam should be and then just put it up there against the wall supported by two sticks - one was laying around and one I cut for the purpose. Then I climbed up to see how level it is and it was perfect! So I decided to take a picture.

Hey, Jack, check out the level - I am building a piano:)

Events at the house where we've lived this past year

2011-06-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is the house we sub-let this year. We'll move out in a few days. It has been a good year living here in Prague 8; getting to know a different part of the city. We'll take many memories with us when we move to Prague 6.

Marek said, "You should write these things down." I'll give it a try.

Was standing in front of my closet the other day and just started pulling things out and putting them in a bag, getting a little head start on packing, I reasoned. I set the bag in the entry way of the house thinking it would go to the local charity store when we got the chance.

A few days later, the girls and I were home on a day off of school. The bell rang at the gate (just to the right of the picture). When I got to the gate there stood one of the homeless ladies from the neighborhood. "Good day, ma'am. You have lovely children. Do you happen to have any women's clothing you could spare?"

I went straight to the bag still sitting in the entry and brought it to her. "This is for you." I also handed her some food that seemed to have her name on it.

The girls and I decided God's care for each one is pretty cool.

elaine

Bathroom framing

2011-06-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you the latest from the framed-in bathroom. I had to level the floor (that we did just a couple of weeks ago) because when I put up one of the walls I realized how very un-level it was. Now it is all better.

The one thing about working alone that I like is that I don't have others to tell me to do things faster:). Sure, I would love to get things done faster, but I am a slow thinker and it takes me almost as much time to figure out what to do next and how to do it as it takes to actually do it.

Last week I felt discouraged - going to work with a long face, overwhelmed by the many projects that need to be done and are not. But God helped me stay focused on the task at hand and give me a measure of peace about things.

Framing in the bathroom

2011-06-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of what Marek is currently getting smelly over :)

The Jones' family

2011-06-03T10:21:00.001-07:00

You remember the large truck in one of the videos Elaine took and posted last week? It belongs to the Jones family and last week they came to claim it:)

The Jones family is unlike any other family we know. They have five kids and for the past two years they have been living either in the truck (beween Portugal, North Africa and the Balkans) or otherwise on the road - without a permanent home. You can read more about their adventures here.

Farm tour 6

2011-05-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you just 'visiting' the farm for the first time here's a little background:

We moved our family to Prague in 2002. Even before we arrived the seeds of a vision were already planted in us of a center for retreat, community, and training for Central Europe. As God grew this vision within us we began hunting for a suitable location. In 2008 we purchased 4 of the 5 buildings on an old farm property. It may not seem like it but it is actually located in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, in the center of Europe.

As you will see we are now in the reconstruction phase. We are working hard to have a space to move our family into by the end of this summer (2011). I recorded 6 short video of the farm for those of you who aren't able to walk there in person. Hope you enjoy!

part 6...

Farm tour 5

2011-05-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Farm tour 4

2011-05-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Farm tour 3

2011-05-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Farm tour 2

2011-05-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Farm tour videos (1)

2011-05-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures from this morning

2011-05-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Elaine came to the farm this morning and brought several children with her. She took some pictures to show you.

Klik on the link below. The picture on the left shows Annemarie and Julia's new pet snails.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150179728016012.302343.604641011&l=a3349ffe4a

Bye.

Eric and Elizabeth

2011-03-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just about 15 minutes ago I said good-bye to our guests Eric and Elizabeth who spent the past 5 or 6 weeks with us. Elizabeth has already been in Prague several times in the past. She even taught in our UpWord English program at a public school for some time. For Eric this is the first time in Europe. They came to explore ministry opportunities in this part of the world and while they were here they helped us at the farm - yep, all the same stuff: cutting wood, hauling rocks and dirt, building a subfloor etc.

Anyone else out there desiring to come and get in shape through some good old world building?

Eric and Elizabeth are now on their way to Slovakia and then to Romania before coming back to Prague on their way back to the US. And then...?

Building Update

2011-03-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks we've had a string of beautiful sunny days - perfect conditions for working outside. Yesterday it started raining like crazy so I took the opportunity to purchase more material, deal with plumbing and heating contractors, and write this update. The most pressing project right now is to fix the leaking roof, but a couple of weeks ago it looked like the most pressing thing was to put up a retaining wall around the back of the house so that the hill doesn't keep encroaching on the back wall of the house.

So, a couple of weeks ago on Tuesday God sent us a group of 14 YWAM-ers who were in Prague for a day or two. They just started walking from Herrnhut in Germany not knowing exactly where the Lord will be taking them for the last two weeks of their training program. When they told us they are willing to help with physical labor we took them up on the offer and asked them to help us carry rocks from the nearby woods. In about 6 hours they collected and hauled a huge pile of rocks some of them weighing well over 50lbs. Here is the interesting part: earlier during their trip this girl prayed over them and had a vision that they will be carrying rocks! I cherish these little glimpses of God's involvement and approval, because there are also plenty of times when I feel overwhelmed, focusing more on our limited strength and resources than on the presence and closeness of our great and mighty God.

Indeed, over the next 10 work days we erected about 50-60 linear feet of the wall to the height of about 3-4 feet. This past wednesday my friend Mirek, the guy in the video who is helping with the building, remarked that we have done lots of work in a short time with few people (most of the time there are just two of us, sometimes three, and once there were four of us at once).

There are some pictures on Facebook too.

Rivenhill Alliance

2011-02-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday we held the annual meeting of our charitable organization, Rivenhill Alliance. It was established in 2005 as a legal covering for our growing English language teaching program. Shortly after the said program received a new name, UpWord, and grew from one school to another. Since then it grew significantly and still keeps growing and bearing new fruit.

In 2006, when God led us the purchase of the Rivenhill property, the advancement of the vision of a training/community center became the next activity of the new organization. We are moving toward seeing this vision in reality with the breathtaking speed of biblical proportions (I am thinking about the building of the Ark or waiting for Isaac:). I believe God will see the project through in His good time.

About four years ago God connected us with a group of businessmen and a new initiative came to life under the name Following Truth. Just a few weeks ago 50 people were baptized as a result of God's work through those involved in the movement. If you read Czech see more here.

This year a missionary organization seeking to plant self-replicating churches in the Czech Republic entered into the Rivenhill Alliance fellowship. I am interested to see what God has in store next for this little group of people here in Czech.

Please pray for us when you remember and yes, you are welcome to visit:)

Charles E. Cook

2011-01-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

For all of our friends out there who may have not heard the sad news: Dr. Charles Cook passed on from this life to the next on January 11, 2011.

Dr. Cook was the man whom God used to call us into full time ministry back in 1992 or 1993 while we were attending Mountain Christian Church.

Dr. Cook's memorial service can be viewed on the church website and the page also includes the following slideshow.

Happy New Year from Prague

2010-12-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

If you click on the link below you can see a great video of our fair city during Christmas time.

Enjoy and Happy New Year to all.

Prague video

Two sides of winter

2010-12-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

We are having a grand winter here in Prague - it has been freezing for a week and there is plenty of snow. I love how the white snowy blanket covers the city and makes is all clean and soft and quiet.

I posted some pictures from the past few weeks on our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251608&id=604641011&l=9e2bda454b

But, just like with rain that is good for the farmers, one man's joy happens to be another man's pain. Last night on our way home from my dad's house we saw a homeless man sleeping on a tram stop bench. It is so cold these days that even with gloves and boots your hands and feet get cold after a while. I think that poor man probably kept himself from freezing by consuming lots of alcohol. What brokenness we live in!

For a while I thought about waking him up and taking him home with us. But I didn't.

Pictures from Krumlov weekend

2010-11-15T10:32:00.001-08:00

A few more pictures from our fantastic weekend away. Click on the link to view:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=247372&id=604641011&l=add1b0f50c

By the way, I am in Maryland sitting in a seminar about family counseling.

Weekend In Cesky Krumlov

2010-11-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Elaine and I were able to take go visit a world heritage town in Southern Bohemia called Cesky Krumlov. We had a great time!

Here is a short video:

This Week at the Farm: Moving Mountains:)

2010-10-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is getting colder and the days are getting shorter here. But the sun has been out and we've had no rain to speak of so the conditions are ideal for building. Once it starts snowing that will be it for the season, because trucks won't be able to get down into the valley.

Things have quieted down since we let our company of masons go. Last week we were back to one worker (I can't remember his name) so things were going a bit slower. But still, the construction moved one story higher: I took out all the old attic floor boards to expose the beams and then I invited a wood expert to check the condition of the wood and make recommendations about what to keep, what to fix and what to throw away. Some of the wood has bugs in it and some of it has rotted, but the good news is that after treating the wood with chemicals we should be able to keep most of it.

The past four days we've had a backhoe and a bobcat moving truckloads of dirt from behind the house. It sits on the side of a hill and over the years the dirt sliding down from the hill has covered the back wall about 1.5m (5 feet) high. I took a video (with my phone so low quality) of the big hole while the machines were resting. Take a look.

What's Up

2010-10-15T04:04:00.001-07:00

Let me give you a quick update on what I have been up to the last three or four weeks.

Three days a week (usually Mon, Tue and Th) I work in the business department of CISP (Christian International School of Prague) in partial exchange for our kids tuition. My main responsibilities include setting up the school on QuickBooks for keeping financial records, helping with the ongoing effort to get registration from the Czech Ministry of Education so that children can fulfill their compulsory education requirement at CISP, and serving on the building team that is searching for a new school building. I like the work. I am glad to help our school grow and develop. It provides an excellent service to missionary kids as well as other children from Czech and other nations.

I also keep leading our English program by supporting our directors at both Czech schools where we teach and overseeing the functioning of the program. The school year has begun well and although we continue to face challenges from the government and partly from the administration of one of the schools, we are doing well. My main concern today is to find a new administrative assistant to replace our current co-worker, Katka, who found a full time job and will be leaving us shortly.

The task that creates most stresses for me (and most opportunities to draw nearer to Jesus, to have the right perspective, to not give into fear, to not walk by sight only, and to know His peace in the midst of strife) is the Rivenhill reconstruction. In the past three weeks we moved ahead significantly, but at the cost of nearly 11.5 thousand dollars! It is unnerving to have that much money pass through your hands in such a short time.

Every Monday I meet with our engineer, our architect, our building supervisor and the crew foreman to discuss our next building moves. Yesterday I had to send our hired workers home because they were too fast for us:). I wasn't able to tell them what to do next. The information for making decisions is lagging behind. I need to take a break from physical work and plan the next stages of the reconstruction. We can't afford to have workers stand around while I am trying to make up my mind about what technology to use or where to place a partition. And believe me, some of the decisions are quite complex and with four or five people all with a different suggestion it can get fairly confusing.

I sometimes get overwhelmed by the amount of work that still needs to be done or bogged down with too many details at once. Also, as we progress we keep uncovering things that change our plans and complicate things. The last such surprise was when one of our workers was knocking plaster off an old wall and very nearly escaped serious injury when an entire section of the stone and brick wall collapsed.

Today is Friday and I have been at home searching the internet for roofers, different building technologies and places that sell building materials. I also made some financial calculations and the short of it is that in order to be able to move in next summer we need to raise almost 40 thousand dollars! That is hardly encouraging, but I have to deal with the fact.

The second story bearing walls need to be stabilized and we need to rebuild the roof. How is that for a challenge? I am considering a trip to the US next month to meet with friends and enlist their help with a "Roof Raising Auction" where people could donate a 2x4 or a box of nails or a sheet of particle board. I am imagining a church-wide event at several locations supplemented by an online auction of some sort. Please let me know if you would be willing to help with this either by

setting up an internet auction
organizing an event at your church
sharing this opportunity with your circle of friends or even better by making the need/opportunity known by publishing it somewhere or advertising it on your website or blog or some such thing.

Here is a video from the construction zone. Enjoy.

Update on the farmhouse

2010-10-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Look at all this beautiful stone! And guess what we found out recently! The first owners of this land were a monastic teaching order in the Middle Ages. I can't remember the name of the order...more on that another time...

walnuts!!

2010-10-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here and so are the walnuts!!! We are enjoying the fruit from the huge walnut tree in the yard where we live this year. Here are pictures from the day the landlord came to trim back the tree. The girls were busy harvesting walnuts as the branches came down. Their hands were black for days! And we have loads of very nice walnuts to last the winter...

Blablabla

2010-10-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

We haven't given up on this blog thing (yet:). Just had no time to sit down and type things.

On monday a group of four workers started working on our farmhouse. Three are from Ukraine and one is from Moldavia. They work very hard and things are going much faster then when it is just me. On the other hand, it will only go so far as our ability to pay for their work:)

School is now in full swing and three days a week we all get to make the 30 minute tram trip downtown. Once we get there we all go to our own classrooms/offices, but once or twice during the day we run into each other in the hallway, which is really neat. Now even Hanna has a place in preschool (in the same building!). So far she went twice and it looks like she is going to like it there. It must be difficult for her since she speaks very little Czech yet. The first day she went I stood by the hallway window and watched her play out in the yard. She is so cute.

Annemarie is beginning to like reading. Yesterday she ordered three new books from Scholastic catalog and she was very excited about them. She had to stay home a couple of days last week because she had lice:(

I have to go to sleep. Here is a picture of Julia. she loves playing spades and she is really good at it.

my husband the Moravian

2010-08-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Marek's uncle died last week so today he is driving to Moravia. Moravia is the eastern region of the Czech Republic. Marek's family is from Moravia and most of them still live there. Maybe you have heard of the Moravians? If you have not here is the Wikipedia link and here is an inspiring and concise summary on one church's website regarding the history of the Moravians. Their history totally grips me, probably 'cause we live here I suppose. But I don't believe it is anything but God that my husband the Moravian was called back to this country for which Comenius and Hus prayed the "hidden seed" would one day bear fruit. I married a Moravian! We all want to be famous, don't we ;)

Shaving Princesses??

2010-08-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

During these last weeks of summer my kiddos have come up with some fun activities. The other day, the girls decided to use dad's shaving cream and some forks from the kitchen as part of their primping process. After they finished shaving they put on their make up and dresses and we had lunch in the garden with Grandma Jarka's special dishes. All the pictures are on Facebook if you'd like to have a look click here :)

Rivenhill/Zelivka - Farm House Work

2010-08-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

For some of you accustomed to the North American style of building (wood and drywall and such) it may be difficult to imagine what I mean when I write about reconstructing the houses at Zelivka. Here are a couple of glimpses of the old farmhouse in the first stages of reconstruction - also called demolition:)

All last week a couple of helpers and I were into some heavy duty and very dusty demolition work:

we tore out old flooring in two of the second story rooms and removed the 'insulation' (ashes dumped between the floor beams on top of the wooden ceiling tiles and covered by floor boards),
I knocked plaster off the walls to reveal the old stone and newer brick then removed parts of some ofthe brick walls (later additions to the 1780's structure). For this I mostly used mason's hammers, which makes for a slow progress and swinging these things also make your hands and arms sore after a day or two. I also got to use a huge electric hammer drill, which works great, but it is so powerful that you have to be really careful not to make holes where they are not supposed to be. This tool has enough power to break up concrete driveways like nothing. I wish someone was there to make a video of me using this thing:).
I removed bricks from several original window openings so that we can make them into windows again and also took out a 1970's steel door frame and the bricks that held it in place to expose the original door opening. I was able to pull the old door jambs out by hand and found they were sealed in place using mud. Not drywall mud but the normal kind that you can find out in the yard.
I tore down the old plaster and lath and straw ceilings in one of the rooms and also removed the beams that held the old ceiling up. One of the beams just broke and fell down and took the top rung off of my aluminum step ladder. Thankfully I wasn't standing on it at the moment:). I had to cut the other beams and lower them down with a rope hung over the much larger floor beams that are still in place and which you can see in one of the pictures below.

All in all it would be great fun were it not for all the dust we were making. Now we'll have to get a dump truck to haul away all the mess we made - there must be a foot of bricks and other stuff on the floor. I suppose we have about one more week of demolition work and when it is done all that is left will be some stone and brick walls with openings

for windows and doors. Even many of the old wooden floor beams will unfortunately have to go, because they are rotten. After that we'll have to hire a company to put in new floor beams on the second floor and in the attic, because it will require a crane or something to lift the heavy beams into place (not to mention some specific building expertise).

are you prayin' for us?

2010-08-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick request...if you told us you would like to support us in regular prayer and you HAVE NOT been receiving our weekly prayer updates shoot me an email to let me know. I'll put you on the list. Sorry if I missed you...I'm still getting organized :)

thanks'

elaine

photos from Aaron

2010-08-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Aaron left last night but before he left he gave us some of the pictures he took. I've uploaded some of the ones of us...no, I'm not purposely keeping the ones of me out - he did not catch me :)

all things new??

2010-08-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

So, we've been here almost a month now and I realize there are still TONS of things I CAN'T say nor understand in Czech. I misunderstand or translate for someone incorrectly... grrrr. I live here but still just don't even get much of the reality going on around me. Sometimes I can tell it's there but a true grasp or insight is beyond me.

And that's how it seems with learning to live in the new reality of the Kingdom of God too! Everything is so FOREIGN!!! I see so dimly.

Yet, little by little, day by day, morning after morning something grows with in me. I can't deny it nor can I name it. Isn't it like we heard from our little Hanna the other day- out came a new Czech phrase, unrehearsed? Simply learning to be present and active ("waiting" is a verb too, right Terry :) in the language and culture - the Czech as well as the Kingdom come.

Just a little window into my world. More pictures coming soon, promise!

elaine

our first US visitor

2010-08-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

Our friend Aaron from Springfield arrived yesterday!! He is on his way around Europe. He was just in France and is on his way to Turkey. We're really glad to have him here!

Hanna has already latched onto him. What will she do when he leaves in a week? Here we were on our way to our friend's house for a Vietnamese meal. (It turned out to be an AMAZING and ABUNDANT meal cooked by a Vietnamese friend of ours. Aaron seemed to really enjoy the fried bananas for dessert!)

Marek, Jan and Aaron are off to the hockey stadium for a practice game then maybe some work time at the farm if the rain lets up.

better than birthday cake!

2010-08-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrated Marek's bday with a Dunken Hines yellow cake in a box (thanks Prudeks!), nutella for icing, and fresh raspberries and strawberries for decoration. It was yummy! But more yummy than that for me was experiencing my teenage son set aside his agenda and bad attitude to genuinely join in the festivities. Maybe the thought of missing out on that birthday cake had something to do with it? Gratefully, a good time was had by all!

42

2010-08-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and here is my prayer for the next day of my life - and yours too:)

(Thank you, Misty)

Freakstock

2010-08-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just back to Prague late last night. Last Thursday we headed out to meet up with some friends (the Jones family - check out their adventures here). We camped out at an old German army facility now owned by the Egyptian Coptic church. That was surreal enough in itself!! About four thousand people were gathering there for what is called FREAKSTOCK. It is an annual festival where a bunch of mostly young (under 30) people gather. Most of them identify themselves as JESUS FREAKS. You can read about the Jesus Freaks here. This is a very young movement. They seem to be in a difficult season. A cult blew through in the last few years drawing many of the young Jesus Freaks into it. Also some of the young people are getting married now and having children. It is a trying time for the movement with many of the families breaking apart.

We set up our tents near the Jones' and joined in the hospitality of welcoming a steady steam of people dropping by to hang out. Our kids were delighted to hang out with the Jones kids, stay up late, enjoy the atmosphere. It was a good time of meeting people from all over Europe, each of us desiring God, enjoying Him in our midst, watching how He ministers to His people, learning from Him and one another, feeding one another, feeding on Him.

What do I see? I wonder if I begin to see more of God's heart in giving us the property here in Prague. I do see it being connected to people like the Jesus Freaks, welcoming those who come, offering a place of rest, healing, training, fellowship. I can see it.

These few hours among these young Europeans helps me continue the lesson God began last week, "God can do so much with so little..." I realize from these Jesus Freaks that we don't need to be expensively or completely outfitted for God to work in our midst, or to welcome Him and His people. Daaaah! Jesus was born in a barn! Yeah, we have architectural plans for the reconstruction of the farm. Yes, we are saving money for the work that lies ahead. And we really could get caught up in all that and focus on making everything "just right" probably. But I can see more and more that it comes down to God's provision each day.

So, that's my first stab at this blog thing.

Back in Prague

2010-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

We made the overseas trip just fine (all our bags got here fine as well:) and we are all moved into our new home. Last week it looked mostly like these pictures here: everyone trying to sleep off their jet lag. Now we are slowly finding a rhythm to our lives. It is a bit different while the kids are all on summer vacation, but during the summer the tempo is slower in the city and it gives us a good opportunity to arrange all the necessary little things - like getting public transportation passes, getting our car insured, inspected, fixed, and registered.

We are also learning our way around this part of the city. It still feels a little weird to be settling down again for less than a year before we have to move again, but that is what it is for us right now and God willing we'll be able to stay in one place longer after that.

Snapshots

2009-10-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Our days seem like one long attempt to get things done on time and to make it to bed by 10 pm so we can get up again at 5am when the alarm clock goes off. Sometimes we get to take naps. I am not complaining - our lives are busy, but rich. (As my shuttle bus driver said: "If I felt any better I'd have to charge admission.") It helps that the kids are well and enjoying school (Emilia and two of her class mates had a short article in the school district newsletter this week!) and it is wonderful to live in a spacious place and be surrounded by friends.

I (Marek) went to Prague last month. It was a productive trip and it moved us a step closer to having a place to live when we go back to Prague next summer. I try to avoid thinking too much about what all has to still be done and how it is all going to get done. By common sense standards the project is a mess and a half, but so far we are still able to move forward so we are doing that. My next trip is scheduled for the end of this month.

Just after coming back Elaine and I joined several other couples for a weekend retreat. It was wonderful! On Saturday morning we took a walk between Illinois cornfields and it was so foggy that our hair got all wet and our entire world was only about 100 feet long and infused with an "I can't see where I came from and I am not sure where I am going" feeling.

We had a huge yard sale last weekend. Friends donated things to sell as well as time and service to help us raise money to pay for Jan's hockey. With all this help we made pretty good money, but also managed to sell one of our friend's food warmer (worth about $200) for $5. That was by far the best deal of the entire sale - for the buyer.

Since the beginning of September we have been teaching and mentoring students at Lincoln Christian U. That is a neat experience too - trying to provide guidance to students preparing to do what we do now. We keep telling them "turn back while you still can" and "hang on to Jesus for dear life!"

My grandma is back home from the hospital after recovering from two broken hips. She can walk, but is now very careful and needs 24 hour care. She appreciates the company of her nurses from Slovakia - speaking the language of her youth again. And she loves to eat - a very good thing since she weighed only about 70lbs when she came back from the hospital! Her 97 years finally seem to be catching up with her, though. She cares less for the things of this world and in her thoughts seems to be spending more time elsewhere.

Love to all,

2009-09-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our great daily task: renewing our mind so that we do not conform to the pattern of this world, but are transformed! That's what the morning quiet time hour is for - repenting daily of believing the lies the world feeds us, turning to Jesus, having our minds renewed and trusting him this day. As the Springfield Vineyard motto says 'taking God seriously - at least as seriously as we take everything else.'

August 19

2009-08-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

I feel I need to apologize for not posting anything over the past month and a half. I am sorry. Somewhere in the past I thought I'd be able to write something every day. Ha! I have to admit I just don't have the time or energy to do it. I do think about writing this or that from time to time - usually when something memorable happens. So in place of day to day account let me give you the highlights:

- My 97 year old grandma Emilia is at home again after two! broken hips earlier this year. My hat off to my sister Pavla has been wonderful in taking care of her while we are away.

- I became a US citizen on July 27! My naturalization was the end of a long process that, in one sense, started when I was about Emilia's age. And while I am thankful for and value my Czech background I am an American at heart and proud to be one.

- I turned 41 on August 4. I am thankful for the years (many people died younger that this) and I am amazed at the incredible favor God has been showing me and my family.

- Elaine's grandmother Mildred Ayers passed away last week in Rising Sun, Maryland. She was almost ninety years old and Jan and I got to see her for the last time at the end of July; Elaine just came back this past Monday from attending her funeral.

- Four of our oldest kids started school on Tuesday! After years in Czech public schools and one year of home school it is a totally new experience for them to get on the school bus in the morning. I know they will do very well.

- I got my new passport and I plan on traveling to Praha early in September (Renate it will be a short trip like I promised:) to help get the UpWord English program off to a new school year and to move our Zelivka/Rivenhill project forward.

So, these are the highlights of the past month or so. There are some pictures at on my facebook page.

Blessings, M.

Hello

2009-07-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have dropped of the face of the earth, but don't worry we are all fine. It is only that our on-line existence has shrunk by about 70% over the past weeks/months. In Prague our computers were always on-line, now we need to leave the house to connect. But there are other things that make us less active in the www department too: different schedule, different daily activities, different focus etc.

We have been in Springfield since the beginning of May. The Vineyard Christian Church and Contemplative Community has given us not only a place to live but also created a nourishing environment that is helping us (re)discover who we are and what we are about. Our days consist of early morning prayers, manual work, various kids activities, time together as a family, and 'gender specific' fellowship. We are in a nourishing environment and we are being renewed inside and out.

God has been stressing several things that can, perhaps, be summarized like this: it is impossible to communicate God in words, only with words that come to life in a person. Jesus is the Word and there is a message in this for us - we need to be words and our words need to be us. Otherwise our christianity is just a bunch of ideas.

Things are good. I wish I could write down all the neat things that are happening. I'll try to add more next time and, by the way, our last newsletter is almost ready to be sent out. Blessings to you.

At Rest Again

2009-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

The trip went well. Here is a very quick summary:

We left Aberdeen on Thursday and our first stop was in Northern Virginia to see our good friend Ruth (and her two puppies). A wonderful visit - just way too short.

Then later the same day on to Wheeling, WV were we stayed in a hotel and the kids thought it was wonderful, because it was almost brand new and it had a pool and big screen TV in the room.

The next day we drove on first stopping at Judy's house in Cambridge for lunch. Judy has the most charming house of all! And then on to Cincinnati where we stayed for two days with Stephanie and her family. They showed us great hospitality and while in town we were able to catch up with several dear old friends (all of them really young): Jonathan and Yuliana, who just happened to be in town as well! Joel and Becka and Kyle. Most of these people we met in Prague. Stephanie is preparing to teach in our UpWord program next school year. What great visit!

After church on Sunday we drove the rest of the way to Springfield. Now this is amazing: as soon as we entered the Midwestern farm country we felt like we were coming home. Strange but pleasant feeling.

See pictures here.

Into the West

2009-04-29T13:35:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning we are starting our trip further West. Next stop - West Virginia.

Slate Run Cabin

2009-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful weekend with our friends Kevin, Anne and their two boys Josiah and Andrew at a cabin somewhere in Pennsylvania. Beautiful weather and scenery, great company and yummy food!

This was our third time at the cabin with Kevin and Anne. The last time was in June 1996, before we had any kids. The place is just as simple and as enchanting as it was then.

See more pictures here

Julia

2009-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Julia is one smart kid. She thinks about things and comes up with some very clever questions. She is learning to read with mommy and to play soccer with daddy (she can kick the ball with both her right and her left foot!). She is also pretty outgoing and has no trouble interacting with people and other kids.

Here are a couple of recent pictures.

Hanna

2009-04-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Our youngest one is two and something now! She is speaking, running, climbing things and throwing muddy water at her sister (and getting it back).

Here is a picture from yesterday's water fight and one from today's Easter egg hunt.

Jan 2

2009-04-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

Our first born son Jan is now half-way through his last pre-teen year! Soon he'll be driving his own car! His plan is to be either a NHL hockey player or else a NASCAR driver. The other day he said he'd buy me a nice car when he grows up and makes his fortune as a hockey player. We talked more about it and he said I could even put up a tent in the back yard of his huge house:). He is a lot of fun to be around!

Here are a couple of pictures of Jan on the ice and off.

Grove PC

2009-04-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

Today we visited Grove Presbyterian Church, Elaine's home church. We received a wonderful welcome from the congregation. It is wonderful to be known by name, isn't it?

This church has been praying for us and supporting us for years. The most amazing thing about this congregation is to see the same people year after year meeting together and serving their community. The Grove church has been to me a picture of faithfulness.

Family

2009-04-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Nowadays when our extended family gets together there are lots of people. Here is a picture from last week (Annemarie's birthday) when our kids got to see one set of their grandparents, two aunts and one uncle and several cousins.

When I was growing up we didn't have this many people. It is neat to be part of a clan like this.

Bald Eagle

2009-04-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Our home schooling room is a new addition to the house where we are staying. It is like a four-season porch with lots of windows facing the woods and the creek that flows there.

The other day while Emilia was trying to memorize her 'vyjmenovana slova po s' - a list of words starting with the letter 's' and blah, blah, blah...sorry this is probably something only Czech speakers can relate to - she looked out the window and saw a bald eagle flying and coming to rest at one of the trees in the back yard. You can imagine that it was a much more exciting topic to focus on at the moment. So we had a lesson on eagles.

For us, city dwellers, being this close to nature is a real treat!

Annemarie's Birthday

2009-03-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to mention the biggest event of last week - Annemarie turned 8 years old on Wednesday! Her grandpa John came all the way from Wisconsin to be here for that big event. We had donuts for breakfast, got flowers - carnations - for the birthday girl and then ate cake in the evening. The next day we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and on Friday we celebrated with Annemarie's cousins Alex, Max and Zoe.

So, here it is, our middle child is now 8! Where is the time going?

By the way, Annemarie drew the picture on top of this blog some time ago when we were in Taize in France. The little baby in the left corner is not forgotten - it is Hanna sleeping on a blanket:).

Jan, JAN, jan, jAn

2009-03-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jan went to a small group meeting with our friend Brandon, who leads the group, and came back with an injured wrist. The boys were playing 'full contact' soccer, Jan missed a body-check, landed on his right hand and sprained it. It must have been pretty painful last night because he kept waking up and crying. We are happy it is not broken!

The injury means a pause from bike racing, playing hockey and PSP, throwing football AND also from writing homework!!! So for a while Jan is going to have to do all his school work orally! That should be helpful in some ways. And as Jan observed he is still able to watch TV so things are not so bad.

Grandma

2009-03-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is for those of you who know my grandma Emilia. Grandma is 96 and lives on her own across the hall from my sister Pavla. She gets her noon meals delivered by a food service, but other than that she has been taking care of everything else by herself. Pavla and her family are very good about helping grandma with shopping and other things and I usually trim her hair in between her regular hairdresser visits. But we are now far away and Pavla's family cannot be with grandma during the day so for a while we have been trying to arrange some sort of assistance.

Two days ago grandma stumbled and fell and broke her hip! The doctors fixed the bone with some screws and splints and said she will be able to walk again if she sets her mind to it. At 96 years of age I am sure it will be difficult, but if anyone can do it grandma is the one. She will need lots of physical therapy and after that more careful attention. We are going to install an emergency assistance system (the I-fell-and-I-can't-get-up button) in her apartment and we'll need to find a nurse or someone who can come in every day during the time people are at work to check up on her.

Please pray for grandma's recovery and living arrangements after she comes back home.

The Coolest Game on Earth

2009-03-25T11:08:00.001-07:00

For some years I had been telling myself that once I'd turn 40 (which happened last summer) I'd be old enough to start playing hockey. The opportunity opened up last fall in Prague and so I jumped on it. I joined a group of guys in a town called Slany for a weekly pick-up game.

Now that we are in the US I continue to play once or twice a week - the added benefit is that besides playing pick-up games they also have instruction times for adults with a hockey pro. I love the game! Sometimes I am able to get on the ice with Jan, which is also great. (He is by far the best of all the kids his age here.)

The only thing about ice-hockey is that it is played on ice and ice is slippery! Also that people around you have sticks and keep swinging them around. I have taken a bunch of good falls since coming to the US. About three weeks ago I landed on my hip, and I still feel the result of the impact, and last night I fell backward and banged my head on the ice. Good thing I was wearing my helmet:).

Florida

2009-03-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Elaine and Susan are in Florida visiting our friend Tracy and I am home with the kids. It means a special kind of bonding time for us.

From time to time people make a comment about how much experience and skill we must have as parents of five kids. But if truth be known the number of kids or length of time we have been parents in itself hasn't helped us much and we often realize how much we need to learn. That is why we are thankful for any help we can get.

We are reading a book by Dr. Kevin Leman called Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days. It is funny and very practical. The main thesis is: If you want to change your kids you have to change yourself! Very true in this particular family.

Amish Country

2009-03-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Friday we took our kids and our friend Susan up to Lancaster County, PA to learn a bit about the Amish people. Some of their towns up there have strange names like Intercourse, Bird-in-hand or Paradise. The Amish are one of the Anabaptist groups that are more radical in their following of Jesus than most 'normal' Christians. On the outside it shows in their separation from the rest of the society, their resistance to using modern technology, their plain clothing and simple lifestyle.

The kids loved to see the horse drawn buggies and I loved the food and the quilts. Unfortunately, we only got to see the more touristy kind of things - like shops and restaurants. Next time I would like to go see an Amish farm or best of all meet an Amish family. I am not sure that is possible.

Honeymoon

2009-03-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

Today is one of the rare days when Elaine and I will be able to go out together - without the kids. Our friends, the Adams family, are hosting all five of the kids at their family farm. Last time they had a blast playing with Chloe the dog, getting eggs from the chickens and baking (and eating) chocolate chip cookies.

So this is all for now. I am going to take Elaine out to our honeymoon (as Annemarie calls it).

Visitor from Belfast

2009-03-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Saint Patrick's Day and we celebrated it by eating Irish soda bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner together with our friend Susan, who traveled all the way from Northern Ireland to celebrate with us. We did not go to a parade this year nor did we drink any Irish beer. (Grocery stores in Maryland are not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages so if you want to buy beer you have to go to a liquor store. I find that intimidating).

I thought a lot yesterday about a very special group of friends with whom we celebrated St. Patrick's day in 2002. I remember that we missed the parade and that all the shops were closed and that it was bitter cold and the empty streets of Springfield were strewn with trash. We were all silly but there was also the strange feeling you get when life is about to take a new turn and things are not going to be the same: it was just days before we were to move to Prague. Well sir, knowing our paths are about to take different directions we decided to try to meet again in the same configuration on St. Paddy's in 2012. We did not say where. So, we have only three years to go! Considering that two families now live in Europe one in Minnesota and two in Illinois AND that some of us have added new children to the mix since 2002 it will be a miracle if we all meet again. But miracles do happen, right? Yes, sir, they do!

Mt.Christian Church

2009-03-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Elaine and I were sharing in the 'global ministry Sunday focus' at the church where we used to go when we were first married. (In fact we had our wedding celebration there in 1992 and we almost got left behind there when everyone went on to the reception, because I gave my car keys to my dad and he left too. So our car was the last one still in the parking lot and we had no keys to it. But it ended well - a friend happened to come by and pick us up.)

Anyway, the MCC congregation grew some since that time. It now meets in two different buildings and they are thinking about starting another service at another satellite location. There must be several thousand people there. The entire Sunday service is planned to the last detail - the stage is lit up like in a theatre and everyone who has something to say has to wear a small cordless microphone that hangs on your ear.

The best part was meeting several people who used to work in Poland and Czech and a couple of people interested in teaching in Prague with us.

Art Katz

2009-03-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to a rare contemporary voice of a modern day prophet. Art Katz passed away in 2007, but his messages are readily available today (click here) and as penetrating and as needed today as when they were spoken. If you are seeking for a spiritual challenge then by all means take time to listen to some of his teachings.

I am listening to a series of messages about Christian community - great eye-opener from someone who has lived in a community for years (or decades). Some weeks ago I contacted the Ben Israel community in Minnesota and we may even get a chance to go visit there later this year.

Here is a link to a short video with Art Katz's powerful testimony.

Tabernacle

2009-03-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we packed up and drove up to Lititz, PA to visit our best friends Kevin and Anne and their boys Josiah and Andrew. Great to see them after almost 3 years!! Kevin is a musician and Anne is an artist and the old stone farmhouse where they live matches their family perfectly. What joy to see them again and catch up on life!

Yesterday we took all the kids to see the Mennonite Information Center in Lancaster, which provides wealth of information about the Amish and Mennonites (Elaine's and Anne's ancestors were Mennonites) and displays a life-size replica of the Old Testament tabernacle. It was neat to hear the presentation and walk about the structure and contemplate the symbolism of each article in there and the ritual that used to take place there.

Just a couple of impressions. When the Israelites sinned they were required to bring a goat or a lamb into the tabernacle, place their hand on its head to symbolically transfer their sin to the animal and then the priest would slaughter it - because there is no forgiveness without a sacrifice. What an object lesson!

The second thing is that the holy of holies had no source of light in it. Was it dark in there when the high priest entered the place once a year on the day of atonement?

Blogging

2009-03-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I was watching an interview with Ted Leonsis , majority owner of the Washington Capitals hockey team. He mentioned at one point that he daily answers dozens of emails, writes several blog entries a day and keeps in touch with his 5000 Facebook friends - besides his other duties and engagements. Elaine saw it as well and we just looked at each other and asked each other, "How much time would that take?"

I have been thinking about this and I decided I would try a little experiment of my own: to write a blog entry every day I am able to get to a computer with internet connection. Let's see what comes of it. I suppose if I created a habit of it it may work. Then instead of trying to summarize what happened in the last week or month I could just write about what happened the day before.

New season

2009-02-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last week we finished a transition that took us into a brand new season of life. We moved out of the apartment where we lived as a family for the past seven years. It was also the place where I (Marek) grew up and where our two youngest girls were born. It felt a bit strange to lock the door last Saturday morning knowing that I won't be unlocking it again. But it is the nature of our Mudrik existence to move and we look with good expectations toward the unknown future. Life with God is such an adventure!

The most difficult thing about these transitions is leaving dear people behind. This time the hardest thing was to say good bye to my 96 year old grandmother, Emilia. I know it was even harder for her. The unspoken question on both our minds was, 'Will we see each other again? Stepping into a new season of life is bitter-sweet.

But, here we are in Maryland. We had a great reception at the Mountain Christian church and we are looking forward to being back at the place where we started our married life 18 years ago. And that is the sweet part of it!

Oceans apart

2009-01-31T05:43:00.000-08:00

This morning Elaine and the girls got on the plane and by now they should be somewhere over the Atlantic. Meanwhile Jan and I are still putting things in boxes here in Prague. Well, Jan is putting things into boxes and I am typing.

The next entry will be from the other side of the ocean. We are all looking forward to our upcoming eight month 'vacation' in the US. Hope to see you, and you and you... while we are on the same continent.

Twenty years after communism

2009-01-31T04:18:00.000-08:00

So here we are 20 years down the road from the Czechoslovak Velvet Revolution of 1989. Amazing how much has changed since then (and equally amazing how much has not changed at all:).

The transformation of the past 20 years has taken us from communist Czechoslovakia to Czech Republic, the current presiding nation of the Council of the European Union (FYI - the EU presidency goes from one nation to another in 6 month intervals).

One of the mottos of the Czech presidency is 'Evropě to osladíme' meaning we'll make it sweet for Europe. That sounds great except that the phrase is laden with double meaning so characteristic for the Czech mindset. The other meaning is something like 'just you wait!'

And voila: one of the first thing that happened after the Czechs took office was the unveiling of Entropa - a piece of visual art that adorns the European parliament building in Brussels. The piece managed to upset several countries, amuse others and create a lot of controversy, but it also says a lot about the Czech mentality. The Czechs will laugh at anything and some of us will go a long way to make a joke - often in very poor taste. The piece was presented as a collaboration of artists from 27 countries, but in fact it was made by just one controversial Czech artist.

So yes, the country has changed significantly since 1989, but in some ways are still very much the same - the baggage we carry inside of us changes much slower than the outward visible things. We are still a nation of jokers and we take pride in being able to laugh at any one and anything. Laughter is good, but sarcasm and mockery are not. I long for the time when we no longer 'sit in the seat of mockers.'

A Jew's Prayer

2009-01-14T01:55:00.000-08:00

I am passing on this prayer that appeared in the Haaretz newspaper.

"Lord, who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day. God, whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza, that they may know your blessings, and your shelter, that they may know light and warmth, where there is now only blackness and smoke, and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin.

Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles, make an exception of the children of Gaza. Shield them from us and from their own. Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety. Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief. Deliver them from us, and from their own.

Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven.

Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael, who is the father of all the children of Gaza... read more here.

Bla, bla, bla

2009-01-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

For a while I thought we'd just leave the previous entry there and ... start a new blog:). But there is much to write about.

We are preparing for our trip to the US, which means not only packing, but this time also selling stuff, storing some of our personal things and moving out of our apartment for good. Some of you know the place, some of you even stayed here with us. I know, I will miss the view of Prague too.

For some reason we have been sick since before Christmas, which definitely makes things less enjoyable. We celebrated three birthdays since the first of the year - my dad's, Elaine's and Jan's. During one of these celebrations our neighbor from below us reminded us that we were too loud by banging her ceiling with the end of a broom stick. I think that's what it is - I saw someone else do that in a movie. That is one of the things I will not miss.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T13:07:00.001-08:00

O goodie, another blog. More computer time. What else is there to say?

Elaine

New beginnigs

2009-01-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about this for months - starting a new blog. Mostly because the old one is part of our website and the bigger the website gets the more time it takes to update it. This seems easier:)

Also, I wanted to stay in touch with you, dear friends, who used to read and comment on our former Moodring blog. If you'd like to be notified whenever there is a new entry please click on the RSS button and so on.

Blessings,

Marek