*NOTE: My last three newsletters (including this one) had some of my pictures on them, but I wasn't able to post them on my blog as they were. So if you're interested in pictures and don't receive my newsletters by email, let me know and I will send them! :-)*
Life in Hybe
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
January Newsletter
Greetings from Hybe! As you all probably know by now, I have switched to a new placement. I now live in the community of Hybe in North Central Slovakia (in the higher Tatras mountains). After returning from a holiday trip to see my friends, I packed up in mid-January and moved to Hybe. I had many great experiences in Koseca, and met lots of wonderful people, but there ultimately wasn’t enough work for a foreign volunteer to contribute to (without being able to really speak the language). Also, the communication between everyone was lacking, and we all decided I would be happier and more useful somewhere else. I am thankful for my experiences in Koseca, and I am looking at the situation in a very positive light: I wanted to try and work with the elderly and was given the opportunity, and now I will be given the opportunities of working with younger people, working in the church, and living with a host family! Between the two parts of my year, I will have a wide variety of Slovak experiences, which is pretty exciting! I feel like the time I spent with Zuza was valuable for many reasons, one being because she was patient with my speaking Slovak. She took the time to speak with me, repeat things, help me understand, and the one-on-one practice time really helped prepare me for communicating here. It has been especially helpful in communicating with my host parents and pastor (who don’t speak English, but are all trying to learn just for me).
The village of Hybe is a very tight little community with a lot of focus on the church. The pastor, Stanislav Grega, is very ambitious (I’ve been told that he is sleeping with an English book every night because he is so determined to speak to me!) and committed to the groups of the church and to the many projects he has started. I’m still in the process of making a schedule/plan for my duties during my time here, but I think I will be spending a lot of time with the youth groups in the church. I also think I will participate in the adult choir, help with the children/youth choir, attend Bible study (even though I can’t really understand a lot, I’m excited for the time set aside for this), help work at the youth hangout center, and help teach and tutor English and two different schools. Although it was great to be a part of the Diakonia family in Koseca, it’s even better to be involved with the whole community here! The people here have been so welcoming and sweet! I feel like I fit in well here and am already much happier than before! On my first night here the youth group presented me with a cake they made especially for me. On my first Sunday church service here, the children/youth choir prepared a song in English to sing for me! “O Be Careful”, and I got to sing along with them. I also got quite a warm greeting from my new host family: Starka (Grandma, Jan’s mother), Jan (dad), Jana (but she insists that everyone call her “mama”), Janka, and Katka. They have been so great and I’ve felt comfortable in their home from the very beginning. Starka, Jan, and Jana don’t speak any English, but the two daughters both speak some. They speak about the same amount of English as I do Slovak, so we have fun communicating in our created 50/50 language. They are determined to talk to me and always have a dictionary around.
Although I’ve only spent a short amount of time here so far, I’ve already been here for some pretty exciting events! On my second day here we went to my host mom’s sister’s 50th birthday bash, where I got to meet quite a few of their relatives and get in on all the family craziness! My host sister Katka added four new fish to her tank (for a total of 9), and we are in the process of choosing names for them together. She also has a snail in the tank, and when I asked her what its’ name was, she gasped and said, “I forgot, he doesn’t have a name! You get to name him!” And so I named him Fred (his full name is Fred Flintstone), and I think they liked my name! Also, their oven/stove broke down and we put in a new one (quite exciting), and their hot pot broke, so I went to the store with my host mom and helped her pick out another one. When you turn the new hot pot on, half of it glows blue and my host sisters turn out the lights and everybody gets really excited! It’s pretty funny! I thank God for the Turcanova family, they are wonderful! J
Like before, I am helping teach English. This time around I will be working with younger students at the school here in Hybe (ages 11-15). So far I’ve had two days of teaching here (5 lessons per week) and they’ve gone pretty well. The teachers I’m working with (Zdenka and Sonja) are very organized and helpful, and I really appreciate co-teaching with them (as opposed to teaching alone, like I was before). I will also be helping at the neighboring village’s high school for boys, working with Zuzana. Zuzana lives in Hybe, is very active in our church, and my #1 contact person! She lived and worked in Canada for three years as a nanny, so her English is amazing. Her two sons, Radko and Marek, are very cute and have warmed up to me pretty quickly! Marek and I have already spent some quality time together, looking through his book and pointing out animals and colors to each other (he tells me their names in English, then I tell him their names in Slovak) and we help each other learn. She is fantastic, and I know she will be a great and supportive friend throughout my time here!
For the month of January, we were given these questions to consider: “Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) may have been seen by more Americans than any other film. As its title suggests, the film explores the very question: What would a “life that matters” look like? And perhaps more specifically “Are some lives more significant than others?” I immediately thought of a quote I have hanging on my bedroom wall here:
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for others.”
–Charles Dickens
I think that in the eyes of God, no lives matter more or less than others’. I believe that He loves all of us equally, and hopes that each of us fulfill our lives by spreading His love through our given gifts. I think a “life that matters” is a life that is spent with a true heart, loving others, and loving God. I hope to spread His love here and make real connections with our brothers and sisters in Slovakia! I will keep you updated on my experiences here in Hybe!
Thank you so much for all of your support!! To read more about my experiences, check out my blog online at:
www.ashleyrenslovak.blogspot.com
New Address:
Ashley Severson
C/o Jana Turcanova
Hybe 572
032 31
Slovakia
Email: ashseve@hotmail.com
Phone: 00.421.918.310.062
*To learn about the volunteer options through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, visit: www.elca.org/globalmission
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
December Newsletter
*This newsletter is very similar to my two blogs "My Slovak Christmas" parts 1 and 2, with a few adjustments and additions.*
Life in Koseca
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
December Newsletter
My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because I find it kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had a tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.
So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got received two Advent calendars with chocolate pieces in them. With everything combined, I think I had about a two month’s supply of chocolate. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.
I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I had a stocking in my window, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant Santa Claus door poster on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)
I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak) holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!
The high school I help teach at had a Christmas/end of the semester party. I went to the event not really knowing what to expect and found out that their "party" was sort of like a talent competition. Each class group had a chance to prepare some kind of skit, lip sync song & dance, or musical number. They competed against each other (all of the teachers were the judges) for the prize of one free day off from school! Not a bad prize :-) There was an interesting variety of things, everything from singing traditional Slovak Christmas carols, to playing scenes from the "Sister Act" movies, to imitating the Spice Girls and characters from Baywatch. I'm not really sure if Baywatch or the Spice Girls are very "Christmasy," but it was entertaining anyway. I got to put in a vote for the winner, and they made Mirka and I go up onto the stage and announce the winner! I think the students liked me more after I told them that they could have a free day off from school! Through the school I was also invited to the staff banquet. It turned out to be quite nice, and at a fancier restaurant, and the food was fantastic! I really enjoyed working with the teachers from Obchodna Akademia, even though I couldn't speak to most of them. I was taking Slovak language lessons from one of the lower-level English teachers, and she was enthusiastic about baking me Slovak Christmas cookies. She gave me a LARGE bag full, very sweet.
I also spent some time before Christmas with my friend Beata (the other English teacher I work with) and her family. Beata enjoys Christmas, but doesn't really care about decorating...SO I volunteered to decorate her Christmas tree for her and she agreed! I spent the evening decorating their tree with her older son Stanko (age 7), and we also decorated his little tree in the boys' room. Her younger son Marek (age 3) came back the next morning and we had tea and chocolate cakes together. I also spent time at Beata's sister's house. Edita and her family have also been really sweet and welcoming, so I was happy to celebrate with them too. I got in a little food preparation for their Christmas dinner, and of course we had a few glasses of plum brandy (Slivovica, traditional Slovak drink). We also watched "Home Alone" dubbed in Slovak, and I helped her two younger kids give the family dog (Roni) a bath. Not the first thing I imaginaed myself doing in Slovakia on Christmas, but it turned out to be pretty fun!
I spent Christmas Eve at the center with the residents and nurses. We had a special Christmas Eve service in the center before dinner. The chapel room was decorated with a big tree, loaded with gold tinsel. There was also a big nativity scene at the front, along with lit wooden window hangings in each window. Very pretty, and we sang "Silent Night" in Slovak! I sang part in English for tradition's sake, and attempted the rest in Slovak. After church we had a big dinner together. Almost all of the residents came down to the dining room to be together, even the ones who usually choose to stay in their rooms for meals. It is Slovak tradition to have fish for their Christmas meal, because they aren't supposed to eat meat at all on Christmas day. We also had special waffles with honey (not like ours, but crispy, thin and stiff with cream in the middle. We had warm grape juice and there were baskets of fruit everywhere! Potato salad (pretty similar to ours) is also a traditional Christmas food here. After dinner I said goodnight to the residents and went to visit a few of my favorites and spend some time with them. I visited the room of two sisters, Emilia and Judita, and they offered me many treats and cakes as I tried to have another Slovak conversation with them. These two are amazing, and I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing about their family. They asked if I liked the Christmas service earlier that night and I told them I did. Then Judita just randomly started singing "Silent Night" in Slovak, and Emilia joined in. It was really amazing, and I eventually joined in and sang along with them in English. I think this was my favorite thing I did this Christmas!
I eventually hung out with Zuza at the end of the night. We exchanged gifts we watched fairy tales (one similar to Cinderella that's really famous in Slovakia). Watching Christmas movies (either American or Czech usually), Slovak or Czech fairytales, and other random movies (Finding Nemo is popular for Christmas time) is a big Christmas tradition here. I didn't even realize how many different ways I celebrated Christmas this year until I started writing these blogs...all in all it was a pretty wonderful and unique holiday season!!
For our December newsletter, we were supposed to ask ourselves, “Where is God in the midst of the particularities of our communities?“ During Christmas time, a time of preparing, waiting, and hoping, I see God in the special energy of this holiday. Christmas is an exciting time of year, no matter who you are or what culture you’re from, and Slovakia is no exception. I see God in the happiness of Christmas decorating, the fellowship of the special Advent services, the children’s smiles from Mikulas chocolates, the readiness to watch Slovak fairytales, and the happiness in spending time with friends and family. I had a wonderful holiday season here, and I send you belated wishes for the same: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Vesely Vianoce a Stastny Novy Rok!
God Bless,
Ashley
Life in Koseca
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
December Newsletter
My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because I find it kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had a tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.
So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got received two Advent calendars with chocolate pieces in them. With everything combined, I think I had about a two month’s supply of chocolate. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.
I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I had a stocking in my window, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant Santa Claus door poster on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)
I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak) holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!
The high school I help teach at had a Christmas/end of the semester party. I went to the event not really knowing what to expect and found out that their "party" was sort of like a talent competition. Each class group had a chance to prepare some kind of skit, lip sync song & dance, or musical number. They competed against each other (all of the teachers were the judges) for the prize of one free day off from school! Not a bad prize :-) There was an interesting variety of things, everything from singing traditional Slovak Christmas carols, to playing scenes from the "Sister Act" movies, to imitating the Spice Girls and characters from Baywatch. I'm not really sure if Baywatch or the Spice Girls are very "Christmasy," but it was entertaining anyway. I got to put in a vote for the winner, and they made Mirka and I go up onto the stage and announce the winner! I think the students liked me more after I told them that they could have a free day off from school! Through the school I was also invited to the staff banquet. It turned out to be quite nice, and at a fancier restaurant, and the food was fantastic! I really enjoyed working with the teachers from Obchodna Akademia, even though I couldn't speak to most of them. I was taking Slovak language lessons from one of the lower-level English teachers, and she was enthusiastic about baking me Slovak Christmas cookies. She gave me a LARGE bag full, very sweet.
I also spent some time before Christmas with my friend Beata (the other English teacher I work with) and her family. Beata enjoys Christmas, but doesn't really care about decorating...SO I volunteered to decorate her Christmas tree for her and she agreed! I spent the evening decorating their tree with her older son Stanko (age 7), and we also decorated his little tree in the boys' room. Her younger son Marek (age 3) came back the next morning and we had tea and chocolate cakes together. I also spent time at Beata's sister's house. Edita and her family have also been really sweet and welcoming, so I was happy to celebrate with them too. I got in a little food preparation for their Christmas dinner, and of course we had a few glasses of plum brandy (Slivovica, traditional Slovak drink). We also watched "Home Alone" dubbed in Slovak, and I helped her two younger kids give the family dog (Roni) a bath. Not the first thing I imaginaed myself doing in Slovakia on Christmas, but it turned out to be pretty fun!
I spent Christmas Eve at the center with the residents and nurses. We had a special Christmas Eve service in the center before dinner. The chapel room was decorated with a big tree, loaded with gold tinsel. There was also a big nativity scene at the front, along with lit wooden window hangings in each window. Very pretty, and we sang "Silent Night" in Slovak! I sang part in English for tradition's sake, and attempted the rest in Slovak. After church we had a big dinner together. Almost all of the residents came down to the dining room to be together, even the ones who usually choose to stay in their rooms for meals. It is Slovak tradition to have fish for their Christmas meal, because they aren't supposed to eat meat at all on Christmas day. We also had special waffles with honey (not like ours, but crispy, thin and stiff with cream in the middle. We had warm grape juice and there were baskets of fruit everywhere! Potato salad (pretty similar to ours) is also a traditional Christmas food here. After dinner I said goodnight to the residents and went to visit a few of my favorites and spend some time with them. I visited the room of two sisters, Emilia and Judita, and they offered me many treats and cakes as I tried to have another Slovak conversation with them. These two are amazing, and I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing about their family. They asked if I liked the Christmas service earlier that night and I told them I did. Then Judita just randomly started singing "Silent Night" in Slovak, and Emilia joined in. It was really amazing, and I eventually joined in and sang along with them in English. I think this was my favorite thing I did this Christmas!
I eventually hung out with Zuza at the end of the night. We exchanged gifts we watched fairy tales (one similar to Cinderella that's really famous in Slovakia). Watching Christmas movies (either American or Czech usually), Slovak or Czech fairytales, and other random movies (Finding Nemo is popular for Christmas time) is a big Christmas tradition here. I didn't even realize how many different ways I celebrated Christmas this year until I started writing these blogs...all in all it was a pretty wonderful and unique holiday season!!
For our December newsletter, we were supposed to ask ourselves, “Where is God in the midst of the particularities of our communities?“ During Christmas time, a time of preparing, waiting, and hoping, I see God in the special energy of this holiday. Christmas is an exciting time of year, no matter who you are or what culture you’re from, and Slovakia is no exception. I see God in the happiness of Christmas decorating, the fellowship of the special Advent services, the children’s smiles from Mikulas chocolates, the readiness to watch Slovak fairytales, and the happiness in spending time with friends and family. I had a wonderful holiday season here, and I send you belated wishes for the same: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Vesely Vianoce a Stastny Novy Rok!
God Bless,
Ashley
Friday, January 25, 2008
November Newsletter
Life in Koseca
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
November Newsletter
Hello everybody! My apologies for being slow on my newsletters, and I’m looking forward to updating you all on things! I will let my tardiness tell you that I am becoming busier and meeting more people as time passes here in Koseca, so things are getting more exciting with each passing week! I hope this letter finds all of you well, enjoying Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season! J
November was an exciting month for me: the celebration of Thanksgiving and my birthday, as well as the beginning of the holiday season. I spent part of my birthday at the center, playing THIRTEEN games of my favorite board game with a bunch of my favorite old ladies, while watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” dubbed over in Slovak! I went out for pizza with Beata, which was great! I also celebrated with my friend Juraj and his family. They gave me “My First Slovak Picture Book” to help me learn more words in Slovak, and they also made me dinner and a cake! I was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t gotten to blow out birthday candles until this point, but his family baked me a very nice banana chocolate cake with a big 23 candle on top! Very nice, and tasty!
At the end of November, we had our first volunteer retreat in Bratislava and it was fantastic! My Thanksgiving was both unique and traditional this year, and I enjoyed the experiences of both. Our group was invited for Thanksgiving dinner in the city, and so we joined other American volunteers that are also serving in Slovakia or other parts of Europe. We all came together, each bringing different dishes, to create a giant Thanksgiving dinner! Even though I spent the holiday in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I was still able to have turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pie, and much more! The highlight of the meal for me was the pumpkin pie, delicious! In addition to our Thanksgiving dinner celebration, we (my fellow volunteers and I) celebrated the holiday by taking a day trip to Vienna, Austria together. We had a great time wandering around the city, getting lost, spending a few hours in a GIANT cemetery trying to find the graves of dead musicians and composers (and we were never successful, but had a fun time), attempting to sightsee, and talking a LOT. It was so nice to spend time with them, swapping stories and experiences. I feel very comforted to have them all in Slovakia with me, going through similar experiences, and being able to relate to me. For them, I am very thankful.
For November’s newsletter, we were given these questions to ponder over: “Where is God in our world? Where is God in the midst of the contexts we live and experience: in the midst of suffering, injustice, hunger, poverty, war, effects of colonization, sexism, racism, death, illness, aging? Is God still speaking? And how?”
I want to share a few quotes I’ve run across in the 365 Day Brighteners book I got from my Aunt Jan:
“Only God can make sense out of senseless tragedies (Isaiah 55:8-9).” –Janette Oke
“God possesses infinite knowledge and an awareness which is uniquely His. At all times, even in the midst of any type of suffering, I can realize that He knows, loves, watches, understands, and more than that, He has a purpose.” –Billy Graham
I think of one of my good friends in Slovakia. She has had health problems all of her life with diabetes, and had to deal with a physical disability that has left her unable to work, have children, and basically just live life. Instead of having a supportive family to help her, she has two deceased parents, four siblings that won’t help her and want nothing to do with her, and one sibling who checks in on her only a few times a year. Because her family doesn’t support her and she has nowhere to go, she is now living in a nursing home, at the age of 38. Where is God in her life?
I now teach English in a high school near Koseca, and I have a class of ten English learners in my room. They don’t understand much English because their first learned language is German (which they’ve been learning since they were 11 years old). One day Beata helped me with my class, and afterwards said to me, “I told them that they should try harder to learn more English. I told them that their German is useless these days, and if they want a decent job or to go anywhere, they need to learn English.” They grow up learning three languages because their home country is so small and insignificant in the world’s eyes that they will have almost no opportunity if they stay here in Slovakia. And so they learn, and attempt to move to English speaking countries to learn the language and find better opportunities. I felt terrible that she’d said this to them, but she said they just nodded their heads in agreement. It makes me think of my own experiences learning a language in high school, and growing up in a society where all I heard was, “Why should WE have to learn Spanish? All those Mexicans are coming here, so THEY should be the ones to have to learn our language.” Why does God allow the world to be the way it is? It leaves me wondering, “Where is the justice?”
This is definitely a difficult question, but an important one to think about as a Christian. How could God let bad things happen? Whether it’s the smaller injustices or tragedies. We are taught from a very young age that God is merciful and that we are safe in His arms if we believe. But eventually a time comes in all of our lives where we ask ourselves this question: Why? I’ve often wondered but have no great answer, except that God is with us through the good times in our lives AND the bad. When He created man, He gave us so many abilities and free will. I think that when He gave us free will, He gave us the responsibility to take care of each other, ourselves, and our world. The reality is that we are all human and all make err, and “the bad things” happen as a result. I believe that God is always watching and is with us no matter what happens, despite the sadness He feels in our mistakes. He is loyal, forgiving, and forever.
Lastly, I would like to recommend a poem to all of you: “Dreaming Upside Down” by Tom Peterson, editor of Seeds. I think it’s very attention grabbing and gives us a necessary perspective on injustice in the world.
Thanks for reading! Until next time,
-Ashley
Ashley Severson, Young Adult in Global Mission
November Newsletter
Hello everybody! My apologies for being slow on my newsletters, and I’m looking forward to updating you all on things! I will let my tardiness tell you that I am becoming busier and meeting more people as time passes here in Koseca, so things are getting more exciting with each passing week! I hope this letter finds all of you well, enjoying Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season! J
November was an exciting month for me: the celebration of Thanksgiving and my birthday, as well as the beginning of the holiday season. I spent part of my birthday at the center, playing THIRTEEN games of my favorite board game with a bunch of my favorite old ladies, while watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” dubbed over in Slovak! I went out for pizza with Beata, which was great! I also celebrated with my friend Juraj and his family. They gave me “My First Slovak Picture Book” to help me learn more words in Slovak, and they also made me dinner and a cake! I was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t gotten to blow out birthday candles until this point, but his family baked me a very nice banana chocolate cake with a big 23 candle on top! Very nice, and tasty!
At the end of November, we had our first volunteer retreat in Bratislava and it was fantastic! My Thanksgiving was both unique and traditional this year, and I enjoyed the experiences of both. Our group was invited for Thanksgiving dinner in the city, and so we joined other American volunteers that are also serving in Slovakia or other parts of Europe. We all came together, each bringing different dishes, to create a giant Thanksgiving dinner! Even though I spent the holiday in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I was still able to have turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pie, and much more! The highlight of the meal for me was the pumpkin pie, delicious! In addition to our Thanksgiving dinner celebration, we (my fellow volunteers and I) celebrated the holiday by taking a day trip to Vienna, Austria together. We had a great time wandering around the city, getting lost, spending a few hours in a GIANT cemetery trying to find the graves of dead musicians and composers (and we were never successful, but had a fun time), attempting to sightsee, and talking a LOT. It was so nice to spend time with them, swapping stories and experiences. I feel very comforted to have them all in Slovakia with me, going through similar experiences, and being able to relate to me. For them, I am very thankful.
For November’s newsletter, we were given these questions to ponder over: “Where is God in our world? Where is God in the midst of the contexts we live and experience: in the midst of suffering, injustice, hunger, poverty, war, effects of colonization, sexism, racism, death, illness, aging? Is God still speaking? And how?”
I want to share a few quotes I’ve run across in the 365 Day Brighteners book I got from my Aunt Jan:
“Only God can make sense out of senseless tragedies (Isaiah 55:8-9).” –Janette Oke
“God possesses infinite knowledge and an awareness which is uniquely His. At all times, even in the midst of any type of suffering, I can realize that He knows, loves, watches, understands, and more than that, He has a purpose.” –Billy Graham
I think of one of my good friends in Slovakia. She has had health problems all of her life with diabetes, and had to deal with a physical disability that has left her unable to work, have children, and basically just live life. Instead of having a supportive family to help her, she has two deceased parents, four siblings that won’t help her and want nothing to do with her, and one sibling who checks in on her only a few times a year. Because her family doesn’t support her and she has nowhere to go, she is now living in a nursing home, at the age of 38. Where is God in her life?
I now teach English in a high school near Koseca, and I have a class of ten English learners in my room. They don’t understand much English because their first learned language is German (which they’ve been learning since they were 11 years old). One day Beata helped me with my class, and afterwards said to me, “I told them that they should try harder to learn more English. I told them that their German is useless these days, and if they want a decent job or to go anywhere, they need to learn English.” They grow up learning three languages because their home country is so small and insignificant in the world’s eyes that they will have almost no opportunity if they stay here in Slovakia. And so they learn, and attempt to move to English speaking countries to learn the language and find better opportunities. I felt terrible that she’d said this to them, but she said they just nodded their heads in agreement. It makes me think of my own experiences learning a language in high school, and growing up in a society where all I heard was, “Why should WE have to learn Spanish? All those Mexicans are coming here, so THEY should be the ones to have to learn our language.” Why does God allow the world to be the way it is? It leaves me wondering, “Where is the justice?”
This is definitely a difficult question, but an important one to think about as a Christian. How could God let bad things happen? Whether it’s the smaller injustices or tragedies. We are taught from a very young age that God is merciful and that we are safe in His arms if we believe. But eventually a time comes in all of our lives where we ask ourselves this question: Why? I’ve often wondered but have no great answer, except that God is with us through the good times in our lives AND the bad. When He created man, He gave us so many abilities and free will. I think that when He gave us free will, He gave us the responsibility to take care of each other, ourselves, and our world. The reality is that we are all human and all make err, and “the bad things” happen as a result. I believe that God is always watching and is with us no matter what happens, despite the sadness He feels in our mistakes. He is loyal, forgiving, and forever.
Lastly, I would like to recommend a poem to all of you: “Dreaming Upside Down” by Tom Peterson, editor of Seeds. I think it’s very attention grabbing and gives us a necessary perspective on injustice in the world.
Thanks for reading! Until next time,
-Ashley
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
My Slovak Christmas! (part 2)
One of my favorite Christmas experiences was spending time at the Christmas Market, both in the capital city of Bratislava, and in Vienna (we made a day trip during our Thanksgiving retreat). They had many hot baked snacks and desserts, and they always serve both red and white hot wine. I enjoyed Christmas shopping there because of the variety of stands! Many shops had crafty Christmas ornaments or stockings, some had handmade jewelry, hats, or bags. There were shops with music, shops with candles, shops with ceramic and glass decorations and knick knacks, puppets, almost anything you could think of. There were big beautiful trees lit up at both markets, and the Vienna market was especially beautiful because it was in front of a cathedral and had thousands of lights. I'm happy that I got to visit both of these markets with my fellow volunteers, and glad that they were in November. It really helped get me into the holiday spirit early on!
The high school I help teach at had a Christmas/end of the semester party. I went to the event not really knowing what to expect and found out that their "party" was sort of like a talent competition. Each class group had a chance to prepare some kind of skit, lip sync song & dance, or musical number. They competed against each other (all of the teachers were the judges) for the prize of one free day off from school! Not a bad prize :-) There was an interesting variety of things, everything from singing traditional Slovak Christmas carols, to playing scenes from the "Sister Act" movies, to imitating the Spice Girls and characters from Baywatch. I'm not really sure if Baywatch or the Spice Girls are very "Christmasy," but it was entertaining anyway. I got to put in a vote for the winner, and they made me and Mirke go up onto the stage and announce the winner! I think the students liked me more after I told them that they could have a free day off from school! Through the school I was also invited to the staff banquet. It turned out to be quite nice, and at a fancier restaurant, and the food was fantastic! I really enjoyed working with the teachers from Obchodna Akademia, even though I couldn't speak to most of them. I was taking Slovak language lessons from one of the lower-level English teachers, and she was enthusiastic about baking me Slovak Christmas cookies. She gave me a LARGE bag full.
I also spent some time before Christmas with my friend Beata (the other English teacher I work with) and her family. Beata enjoys Christmas, but doesn't really care about decorating...SO I volunteered to decorate her Christmas tree for her and she agreed! I spent the evening decorating their tree with her older son Stanko (age 7), and we also decorated his little tree in the boys' room. Her younger son Marek (age 3) came back the next morning and we had tea and chocolate cakes together. I also spent time at Beata's sister's house. Edita and her family have also been really sweet and welcoming, so I was happy to celebrate with them too. I got in a little food preparation for their Christmas dinner, and of course we had a few glasses of plum brandy (Slivovica, traditional Slovak drink). We also watched "Home Alone" dubbed in Slovak, and I helped her two younger kids give the family dog a bath. Not the first thing I imaginaed myself doing in Slovakia on Christmas, but it turned out to be pretty fun!
I spent Christmas Eve at the center with the residents and nurses. We had a special Christmas Eve service in the center before dinner. The chapel room was decorated with a big tree, loaded with gold tinsel. There was also a big nativity scene at the front, along with lit wooden window hangings in each window. Very pretty, and we sang "Silent Night" in Slovak! I sang part in English for tradition's sake, and attempted the rest in Slovak. After church we had a big dinner together. Almost all of the residents came down to the dining room to be together, even the ones who usually choose to stay in their rooms for meals. It is Slovak tradition to have fish for their Christmas meal, because they aren't supposed to eat meat at all on Christmas day. We also had special waffles with honey(not like ours, but crispy, thin and stiff with cream in the middle. We had warm grape juice and there were baskets of fruit everywhere! Potato salad (pretty similar to ours) is also a traditional Christmas food here. After dinner I said goodnight to the residents and went to visit a few of my favorites and spend some time with them. I visited the room of two sisters, Emilia and Judita, and they offered me many treats and cakes as I tried to have another Slovak conversation with them. These two are amazing, and I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing about their family. They asked if I liked the Christmas service earlier that night and I told them I did. Then Judita just randomly started singing "Silent Night" in Slovak, and Emilia joined in. It was really amazing, and I eventually joined in and sang in English with them. I think this was my favorite thing I did this Christmas!
I eventually hung out with Zuza at the end of the night. We exchanged gifts we watched fairy tales (one similar to Cinderella that's really famous in Slovakia). Watching Christmas movies (either American or Czech usually), Slovak or Czech fairytales, and other random movies (Finding Nemo is popular for Christmas time) is a big Christmas tradition here.
I didn't even realize how many different ways I celebrated Christmas this year until I started writing these blogs...all in all it was a pretty wonderful and unique holiday season!!
The high school I help teach at had a Christmas/end of the semester party. I went to the event not really knowing what to expect and found out that their "party" was sort of like a talent competition. Each class group had a chance to prepare some kind of skit, lip sync song & dance, or musical number. They competed against each other (all of the teachers were the judges) for the prize of one free day off from school! Not a bad prize :-) There was an interesting variety of things, everything from singing traditional Slovak Christmas carols, to playing scenes from the "Sister Act" movies, to imitating the Spice Girls and characters from Baywatch. I'm not really sure if Baywatch or the Spice Girls are very "Christmasy," but it was entertaining anyway. I got to put in a vote for the winner, and they made me and Mirke go up onto the stage and announce the winner! I think the students liked me more after I told them that they could have a free day off from school! Through the school I was also invited to the staff banquet. It turned out to be quite nice, and at a fancier restaurant, and the food was fantastic! I really enjoyed working with the teachers from Obchodna Akademia, even though I couldn't speak to most of them. I was taking Slovak language lessons from one of the lower-level English teachers, and she was enthusiastic about baking me Slovak Christmas cookies. She gave me a LARGE bag full.
I also spent some time before Christmas with my friend Beata (the other English teacher I work with) and her family. Beata enjoys Christmas, but doesn't really care about decorating...SO I volunteered to decorate her Christmas tree for her and she agreed! I spent the evening decorating their tree with her older son Stanko (age 7), and we also decorated his little tree in the boys' room. Her younger son Marek (age 3) came back the next morning and we had tea and chocolate cakes together. I also spent time at Beata's sister's house. Edita and her family have also been really sweet and welcoming, so I was happy to celebrate with them too. I got in a little food preparation for their Christmas dinner, and of course we had a few glasses of plum brandy (Slivovica, traditional Slovak drink). We also watched "Home Alone" dubbed in Slovak, and I helped her two younger kids give the family dog a bath. Not the first thing I imaginaed myself doing in Slovakia on Christmas, but it turned out to be pretty fun!
I spent Christmas Eve at the center with the residents and nurses. We had a special Christmas Eve service in the center before dinner. The chapel room was decorated with a big tree, loaded with gold tinsel. There was also a big nativity scene at the front, along with lit wooden window hangings in each window. Very pretty, and we sang "Silent Night" in Slovak! I sang part in English for tradition's sake, and attempted the rest in Slovak. After church we had a big dinner together. Almost all of the residents came down to the dining room to be together, even the ones who usually choose to stay in their rooms for meals. It is Slovak tradition to have fish for their Christmas meal, because they aren't supposed to eat meat at all on Christmas day. We also had special waffles with honey(not like ours, but crispy, thin and stiff with cream in the middle. We had warm grape juice and there were baskets of fruit everywhere! Potato salad (pretty similar to ours) is also a traditional Christmas food here. After dinner I said goodnight to the residents and went to visit a few of my favorites and spend some time with them. I visited the room of two sisters, Emilia and Judita, and they offered me many treats and cakes as I tried to have another Slovak conversation with them. These two are amazing, and I enjoyed spending time with them and hearing about their family. They asked if I liked the Christmas service earlier that night and I told them I did. Then Judita just randomly started singing "Silent Night" in Slovak, and Emilia joined in. It was really amazing, and I eventually joined in and sang in English with them. I think this was my favorite thing I did this Christmas!
I eventually hung out with Zuza at the end of the night. We exchanged gifts we watched fairy tales (one similar to Cinderella that's really famous in Slovakia). Watching Christmas movies (either American or Czech usually), Slovak or Czech fairytales, and other random movies (Finding Nemo is popular for Christmas time) is a big Christmas tradition here.
I didn't even realize how many different ways I celebrated Christmas this year until I started writing these blogs...all in all it was a pretty wonderful and unique holiday season!!
My Slovak Christmas! (part 1)
Ok, so I'm in my new placement now, but I'd like to jump back to Koseca days and write a few more blogs for you (since things were hectic with holidays, travel, and placement switching for the last month).
My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because it's kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had the tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.
So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got two Advent calenders with chocolate pieces in them, so I was set for chocolate for the next two months at least. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.
I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I got a stocking, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant door hanging of Santa Claus on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)
I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak)holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!
(part 2 coming soon....)
My Christmas celebrating started much earlier this year in Slovakia (which I was quite excited about, because I love Christmas time!) because they celebrate the coming of Mikulas. Mikulas is a lot like our Santa Claus, except he comes on December 6th instead of the 24th. The children leave their actual shoes on the window ledges and Mikulas comes and fills them with candy and sweets (and the presents come later on). Like our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the children here leave shots or small glasses of alcohol for Mikulas (because the very hospitable people of Slovakia usually give their guests some kind of alcohol, no matter what time of the day it is). On the night of December 24th, Jezisko comes (which translates into "Little Jesus") and brings gifts to everyone. I've tried to ask about this "Little Jesus" several times, because it's kind of amusing (and we thought the U.S. had the tendency to mix commercialism with the true meaning of Christmas, haha! just kidding), but none of the Slovaks have really been able to explain it to me and usually end up smiling. They still consider the 25th of December Christmas day, but nothing really happens on this day. They mainly celebrate on the 24th.
So on the 6th of December, Mikulas came to Koseca and I got a LOT of candy and treats! To me it seemed like this day was almost more popular than actual Christmas time. Everyone I know gave me chocolate of some kind...boxes of chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate wrapped Christmas tree ornaments (which are common in tree decorating here). I also got two Advent calenders with chocolate pieces in them, so I was set for chocolate for the next two months at least. We had an Advent celebration every Sunday of December, which was meeting together to have prayers and sing traditional hymns before dinner started in the evening.
I love to decorate for Christmas (like my mom), and so she helped me out this year by sending Christmas in a box! I got a stocking, a mini Christmas tree, mini gingerbread men and ornaments, green garland, red and silver garland, lights, and my favorite Christmas item from home (a little electronic bear that you plug lights into, and then the lights blink to the songs the bear plays). I also had a giant door hanging of Santa Claus on the door of my room. Everyone was entertained by my Christmas spirit, and impressed with my decorating skills! (Haha, ok probably not impressed, but I think they really enjoyed them too) And I also bought snowflake and angel window clings to put on my window, Zuza's window, the nurse's room window, and the Common Room window upstairs. I also tried to play what Christmas music I could find (old Nsync Christmas music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff, and a new Slovak SuperStar Christmas tunes), so I was a Christmas spaz! I enjoyed it. :-)
I spent time with both of the teachers I work with at school (and their families) for the holidays too! I went to Mirka's house and made sugar cookies with her and her daughter Martina and son Oliver (13 and 15). It was my favorite cookie recipe from home, and fun to try to make over here! We had to substitute a few ingredients that can't be found here, but they still turned out good! We added chocolate syrup and nuts on the outsides, and had fun cutting the cookies and trying not to burn them! I also helped her son Oliver with his homework (thinking of Christmas words and phrases in English). I also joined them at Martina's dance club recital a few days before Christmas and it was pretty entertaining! Kids of all ages dancing, for hours and hours (Mirka's husband kept saying "I'm suffering..." and he was pretty funny). The day before Christmas Eve, I went to the Ceramic Club, which is a pottery class that Mirka's friend Sonja (who is blind and speaks only German and Slovak)holds every week. I went there in October for the first time and made (or at least attempted) a ceramic fish candle holder. When I came back for this Christmas party, I got to paint it and finish decorating it, with Christmas garland and berries and gold tinsel. It turned out nicely! I spent some time playing darts, pool, and foosball. I also finally got to meet Mirka's oldest daughter Romanka, who spent a year in the U.S. (in Oregon) as a foreign exchange student. I enjoy Mirka and her family very much, and was happy to be a part of their celebrating this year!
(part 2 coming soon....)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
New Contact Information
Hello everybody!!
Just wanted to write and tell you that I am now situated in Hybe, Slovakia with my new host family, and it's GREAT! :-) I don't know exactly what my work here will entail, but i'll find out soon and keep you posted. I have a really good feeling about this placement because the church community seems very involved and welcoming! Anyways, here is my new address:
Ashley Severson
c/o Jana Turčanova
Hybe 572
032 31
Slovakia
Ok, i'll be in touch again soon with blog posts and newsletters...sorry it's been awhile!
Until next time,
Ashley
Just wanted to write and tell you that I am now situated in Hybe, Slovakia with my new host family, and it's GREAT! :-) I don't know exactly what my work here will entail, but i'll find out soon and keep you posted. I have a really good feeling about this placement because the church community seems very involved and welcoming! Anyways, here is my new address:
Ashley Severson
c/o Jana Turčanova
Hybe 572
032 31
Slovakia
Ok, i'll be in touch again soon with blog posts and newsletters...sorry it's been awhile!
Until next time,
Ashley
Thursday, January 10, 2008
New Placement for the New Year
Just wanted to send a quick note out to let you know that I will be changing placements. As of the 12th, I will be in Hybe, Slovakia, instead of Koseca. The change happened because there just isn't enough of a program (enough to do) set up here for me, and lack of communication with staff. These things happen, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get involved with another community and having a host family! :-) More details later.Take care all!
Also, if you by chance have something to send to me by mail, please wait until I get a new address and send it there. If you have sent something here already, it's ok, Diakonia will forward it to me. :0)
Also, if you by chance have something to send to me by mail, please wait until I get a new address and send it there. If you have sent something here already, it's ok, Diakonia will forward it to me. :0)
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