I will report that I am starting to feel comfortable… and that I believe this to be both good and bad. The good is obvious – who doesn’t want to be comfortable? I have some friends, I am (finally!) able to communicate with some people in Slovak (and/or German), I feel the teachers at school have really accepted me (they now greet me on their own accord), I have a good batch of students both English and music, and people seem to really enjoy having me around. I sure can’t complain about any of that! Being comfortable, however, also means that I am not in such a ready position for growth. Indeed my reflections in the past few weeks have been at a low, as each day is similar to the last, with no new realizations, no interesting observations, no learned lessons. I have fallen into a routine, which tends to leave less time for the mental, emotional, and spiritual expansion I have been experiencing for the last few months.
Over Thanksgiving, I met up with the other young adult Americans, and during the weekend we enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with all the American Lutherans in Slovakia, a romp through the Christmas Fair in Bratislava, quality time speaking in quick, vast vocabulary-ed English (including such words as “vocabulary-edâ€!), and a seminar in which the six of us were able to talk about our experiences thus far. They have been very different in many ways, but not surprisingly we have faced some of the same internal obstacles. One thing we discussed was the need to remain a little (or a lot) vulnerable, for it is in our vulnerability that we allow God to work through us, and that we don’t try to satisfy our own agenda. This is the place for which I am now searching: the place where I can be comfortable and feel that I am able to accomplish things, but where there remains room for God to work through me.
That being said, I have enjoyed this month teaching English two or three evenings a week to adults. Since I have no books, I am essentially making up my own curriculum, which is fun and a bit worrisome, as I have no idea how to do this. But they seem to be learning, so I guess I’m not doing too bad a job! I also lead conversation class in three different grade levels, which gives me a grand total of 7 levels of English to teach, plus piano lessons (also with exercises made up by yours truly, as I have no books for that either) and drum set lessons (no books and no experience!). I’m having a good time, really. The other project we’re working on is to create a youth “hang-out†room – a project which is well underway and should be complete in a couple weeks! Very exciting, for me and for the youth. It is wonderful to see physical results, I must admit.
Johanna.
How nice to discover your journal and pictures. My grandparents and two of my uncles were born in Vrbovce. They emigrated to the US around 1910. My husband Rick and I did city managers exchange in 2001 and had the opportunity to visit the village. We we back to Slovakia in August but didn’t have time for another visit. Our original host family is from Rajecke Teplice which is near Zilina. My grandparents were married in the Lutheran Church there and their first son is buried there. It was interesting to discover something about the history of the village and a real thrill to see my family name mentioned in the 1830 census. My grandparents were Jan and Elzbeta Marek. Their first born son was also named Jan. We will be back in Slovakia in July to attend the wedding of our friend’s daughter. I have been looking into teaching in Slovakia for a year. I’d be interested in knowing what credentials you needed to produce to get your job. This is an interesting little village and many of the people from that area settled in Muskegon Heights, Michigan. They started Dr. Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church and a Slovak Lodge. My parents were married there and I was baptised there. When we visited in 2001, the minister spoke with us and remembered that some of my cousins had visited in the mid 80’s. We didn’t have time to locate the page in the church records that listed my grandparents marriage. We only had an hour to tour the town and we really didn’t know our host family well enough to impose by asking for more time. If you get the chance, please drop me a line via email or snail mail. My email address is dbailey31@hotmail.com and the snail mail is Diane Bailey, P.O. Box 393 Douglas, MI 49406. Perhaps our paths will cross before your year ends.