Ahoj! I have been in Prague for one week now and overall it has been…pretty good. The main struggle I’ve been experiencing is making connections with people (Czech and American). I was not mentally prepared for the loneliness that leapt out at me nor the anxiety that crept back in full force. I am happy to announce that connections are being made! I have met an American missionary who was most helpful and there is another missionary family who seems willing to “take me in” as I adjust to life here. The church that I attend/work at is in downtown Prague. It’s about a 20-30 minute metro ride away from my host mother’s flat which is located on the outskirts of Prague. However, it is also an 8 minute walk to Old Town Square and the Charles Bridge. I can’t complain about that part at all! The church has approximately 300 members and is one of the largest Brethren churches in Prague. The church service reminds me of Weaver’s Mennonite church. The youth group that I am a part of now has about 30 young adults in it. We sing, study the Word, pray, and then socialize at a McDonalds afterwards. They are going on a retreat for Easter in southern Bohemia and I have been asked at least three times if I am coming along. “Tell your organization that you belong to us now and you need to come with us,” one woman said to me. My supervisor is away this week but after he returns I will discuss it with him. It does my heart good to be told that I belong. Oh! And one woman in the youth group lived in Mt. Joy, PA several years ago as an exchange student in high school. She even flew into the Harrisburg Airport. It is a small world after all! My host mother, Marta, is so sweet and nice! She gave me a hug on the first day. I probably seem like a crazy American but I give her at least one hug a day. She is an economist and has been studying English for a while. We can talk but sometimes we need to use the dictionary for translation. She is also willing to teach me some Czech and is very patient with me. Today we are going to go sightseeing downtown and tomorrow we are going on a bike ride after church. Actually, right now we are laughing at me because I am typing this blog on my laptop and I’m then going to transfer it to her laptop which is connected to the internet. So I look silly with two computers open in front of me. I’ve done some sightseeing since being here. I’ve mainly wandered the streets of downtown Prague focusing on Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and Mala Strana. I have no clue what I’m looking at sometimes but I just take pictures and make a mental note of places I want to go back to or be very “touristy” at (i.e. taking a boat ride on the river). My favorite thing to do is sit on the Charles Bridge and listen to the Bridge Band play. It’s a group of 5 or 6 older men who play jazz/bluegrass music. I’ll most likely end up buying their
cd before I leave here. The biggest adjustment has been not greeting everyone that I see. It’s a hard adjustment but one I’m picking up on very quickly. I’ve noticed that on the days that I try to dress more like a Czech and walk around like I know what I’m doing I’m less likely to be bothered by the people trying to sell you things. I’ve been amazed at how quickly I picked this up and adapted this cultural aspect. Some mornings I wake up and say, “Today I’m going to be American and be a tourist!” I put on my tennis shoes (which no one wears here) and I grab my camera and water bottle and head out. I figure if I don’t have a set schedule yet I should take the opportunities to go exploring. I’m told time and time again that Czechs are not very open or that you have to earn their trust before you can go deep. I’m learning that overall this can be true (not a bad thing, just a fact) and yet I will have a moment where someone will go deep with me on the first meeting and I’m awestruck and deeply grateful. Please pray that connections will continue and that I will become more comfortable here.
cd before I leave here. The biggest adjustment has been not greeting everyone that I see. It’s a hard adjustment but one I’m picking up on very quickly. I’ve noticed that on the days that I try to dress more like a Czech and walk around like I know what I’m doing I’m less likely to be bothered by the people trying to sell you things. I’ve been amazed at how quickly I picked this up and adapted this cultural aspect. Some mornings I wake up and say, “Today I’m going to be American and be a tourist!” I put on my tennis shoes (which no one wears here) and I grab my camera and water bottle and head out. I figure if I don’t have a set schedule yet I should take the opportunities to go exploring. I’m told time and time again that Czechs are not very open or that you have to earn their trust before you can go deep. I’m learning that overall this can be true (not a bad thing, just a fact) and yet I will have a moment where someone will go deep with me on the first meeting and I’m awestruck and deeply grateful. Please pray that connections will continue and that I will become more comfortable here.