Click here to check out some of my pictures from Slovakia!
View Photo Album "Hodgepodge Slovakia": http://uwrf.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051458&l=07e06&id=184900177
View Photo Album "Slovensko and its Ludia": http://uwrf.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056728&l=a2f40&id=184900177
View Photo Album "Ashley and Chris do KOSECA!": http://uwrf.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056800&l=b7252&id=184900177
***Apologies for the lack of pictures thus far. I will make it up to you all. Here's a start!***
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Redecorating!
SO, as you've probably noticed, my blog page looks different! I felt like I needed to spice it up a bit, and that it was time for a change. I will be adding more things also, so stay tuned.
I just got back from adult's choir practice at the church. A few weeks ago, the pastor asked me if I could help him. I said I would definitely join. I love music for SO MANY reasons, one being that I can participate and join in with the language barrier, no problem! And pastor said that was good, but he would like me to help each section practice their parts, and that he wanted me to play piano for them! It's been awhile since I've played and took lessons, but I agreed. It's been a pretty entertaining experience. It's pretty fun when things from the past come into play and become useful out of nowhere (like all my years of piano lessons). I think the adults enjoy that I play, even if it is just one hand to help them hear their different parts. I even say "tri, styri..." (which is 3,4....) to cue them in. Funny! :-) Hopefully I can continue to be useful for the choir. They're preparing two songs for Easter Sunday, both of which I already know (that's really helpful!) in English, so now I just need to learn the Slovak words. The titles of the two songs are: "Ja Viem, Zi Zije" and "Velka' Noc". Easter in Slovak, by the way, is "Velka Noc", which literally means Big Night.
P.S. Today I received a little package in the mail from the ELCA, and it was the Global Mission Annual for 2008! Exciting! There is information inside about all of ELCA's missionary and volunteer programs (Young Adults in Global Mission being just one of them), pictures of staff and all of the volunteers! It was pretty fun to look at. I will have it with me at future presentations/visits when I get back. :) I'd totally forgotten that they'd taken our pictures during orientation, and didn't even know why they did at the time. It's nice to see all of my fellow volunteers' faces again! My fellow YAGM's are in India, the Phillippines, Kenya, Germany, Slovakia, the United Kingdom (in Scotland and England), Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.
So, I have a pray request! Please pray for:
*Beth, Rob and Laura in India
*Gretchen and Ralecia in Phillippines
*Sarah L.and Sarah W. in Kenya
*Vanessa and Toby in Germany
*Jessica, Kristen R., Mark, Mary, and myself in Slovakia
*Katherine A., Christina, Amy, Eric, Amanda, Crystal, Matt, Anthony, Kristin V., Amehed, Lindsey, Kelly, Maren, Candace, and Anna in the United Kingdom
*Kevin, Kristina D., Kristin D., Karin, Kim, and James in Argentina and Uruguay
*Katherine G., Jennifer, Jacob, Sarah R., and Winston in Mexico
Or, you could probably just pray for "all of the YAGM volunteers" :-) Thank you so much for all of your support!
*If you're interested you can check out the website: http://yagm.blogspot.com. There you will find blogs and newsletters of the other volunteers from each country, if you're interested in taking a look.
I just got back from adult's choir practice at the church. A few weeks ago, the pastor asked me if I could help him. I said I would definitely join. I love music for SO MANY reasons, one being that I can participate and join in with the language barrier, no problem! And pastor said that was good, but he would like me to help each section practice their parts, and that he wanted me to play piano for them! It's been awhile since I've played and took lessons, but I agreed. It's been a pretty entertaining experience. It's pretty fun when things from the past come into play and become useful out of nowhere (like all my years of piano lessons). I think the adults enjoy that I play, even if it is just one hand to help them hear their different parts. I even say "tri, styri..." (which is 3,4....) to cue them in. Funny! :-) Hopefully I can continue to be useful for the choir. They're preparing two songs for Easter Sunday, both of which I already know (that's really helpful!) in English, so now I just need to learn the Slovak words. The titles of the two songs are: "Ja Viem, Zi Zije" and "Velka' Noc". Easter in Slovak, by the way, is "Velka Noc", which literally means Big Night.
P.S. Today I received a little package in the mail from the ELCA, and it was the Global Mission Annual for 2008! Exciting! There is information inside about all of ELCA's missionary and volunteer programs (Young Adults in Global Mission being just one of them), pictures of staff and all of the volunteers! It was pretty fun to look at. I will have it with me at future presentations/visits when I get back. :) I'd totally forgotten that they'd taken our pictures during orientation, and didn't even know why they did at the time. It's nice to see all of my fellow volunteers' faces again! My fellow YAGM's are in India, the Phillippines, Kenya, Germany, Slovakia, the United Kingdom (in Scotland and England), Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.
So, I have a pray request! Please pray for:
*Beth, Rob and Laura in India
*Gretchen and Ralecia in Phillippines
*Sarah L.and Sarah W. in Kenya
*Vanessa and Toby in Germany
*Jessica, Kristen R., Mark, Mary, and myself in Slovakia
*Katherine A., Christina, Amy, Eric, Amanda, Crystal, Matt, Anthony, Kristin V., Amehed, Lindsey, Kelly, Maren, Candace, and Anna in the United Kingdom
*Kevin, Kristina D., Kristin D., Karin, Kim, and James in Argentina and Uruguay
*Katherine G., Jennifer, Jacob, Sarah R., and Winston in Mexico
Or, you could probably just pray for "all of the YAGM volunteers" :-) Thank you so much for all of your support!
*If you're interested you can check out the website: http://yagm.blogspot.com. There you will find blogs and newsletters of the other volunteers from each country, if you're interested in taking a look.
Monday, March 3, 2008
My Host Family
Hi everybody! Apologies for not keeping up with my blog very well lately. I promise to get much better, and to write more regularily. Ok! :-)
So one of the greatest parts of being at my new placement is my host family! That aren't words to express how happy I feel that I belong somewhere, and that I have people that really care about me and who have welcomed me into their family SO openly! I much appreciate the deeper experiences I'm getting with them because of living here, with the language, food, different aspects of the culture, everything.
So here I will just update you on each member of my host family!
Jana (host mom): She is SO sweet! She keeps close tabs on me and calls me daughter with her two other real daughters. She constantly checks on me, if I'm hungry or cold (and even when I say no, she comes over to me and covers me up with a blanket anyway...). She has learned a bunch of words and phrases in english for me, and it is really funny! :) She tells me I'm very skillful and gets really excited whenever I help her do chores around the house. She is a pretty hyper person, and talks really fast because she gets excited (even my english speaking contact person said that she has a hard time understanding her, in SLOVAK, because she speaks so fast). It was difficult in the beginning to communicate because of this, but it's getting better now. She is learning to adjust to my speed and understanding level with the language, and writing things down in a little notebook she has. And she has a dinner song that she sings and is determined to teach me, which is awesome.
Jan (host dad): He is also very sweet! He is a quiet and smiley guy. He works quite a bit and isn't around all of the time, but when he is he always makes the effort to pop his head into whatever room I'm in and say "ciao ashley!" He's pretty patient. I felt a bit bad in the beginning, because the man lives with his wife, mother, and two daughters, and I was YET ANOTHER girl to add to the household (and his two sisters are here every day to visit). But he handles it like a trooper. Him and Jana took me shopping a few weekends ago and told me that they wanted to buy me pajamahs as a gift. The only stipulation was that they had to have animals on them, so they would match my sisters' elephant pajamahs. HAHA! We like to match here in the Turcanova household. And so I am now the proud owner of blue zebra pajamahs.
Starka (a.k.a. Grandma): She is pretty feisty! She can be pretty funny sometimes, even though we don't really understand each other a lot of the time. The other day we were having coffee together (me, mom, grandma, and sisters), and I left the room for a few minutes and while I was gone Starka put sugar in my coffee! She did it on purpose, because she knows I hate it, but she thinks I need more sugar (and more of everything for that matter). Sneaky Starka! She laughed a lot at my face when I took the first sip and made a terrible face. She is constantly telling me, "YOU DON'T EAT ENOUGH! YOU DON'T SLEEP ENOUGH!" According to her, I don't eat enough, or the right things, and I dont wear slippers like I'm supposed to, and I don't wear enough clothes, or the right clothes, and I should wear hats, and use umbrellas, etc. The list is quite long. Sometimes we struggle seeing eye-to-eye, because our relationship faces not only a cultural barrier, but a big generation/age barrier as well. But we do okay.
Katka (older host sister): Katka tries SO hard to improve her english! And I'm impressed at how much she's improved already since I got here, so I'm excited to see her at the end of this summer! She's very sweet too, and GIGGLES a lot. She has a really fun high pitched cackle-type giggle that makes me laugh. We both like to dance, and we both like to exercise. I'm really excited for spring time, because we have plans to go jogging together!! Should be great :-)
Janka (younger host sister): I have a great time attempting english conversations with Janka! It's usually the two of us together, because she speaks the best english of anybody in the family. And she also has tried to learn a lot for me, and I'm very grateful for that!! I love Janka's attitude and sense of humor with things. When we're in the kitchen and mom or grandma starts talking about how we don't eat enough food, she is the one who rolls her eyes and is like "LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE'S NOT HUNGRY!" I love it. She watches out for me. Also, her and I both like to read. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the kitchen and read with her (when there's actually enough silence to concentrate...which isn't often). She loves Harry Potter. She is currently trying to read one of the books I borrowed her, in english!
I will write again soon about more experiences with them! As well as some pictures!
So one of the greatest parts of being at my new placement is my host family! That aren't words to express how happy I feel that I belong somewhere, and that I have people that really care about me and who have welcomed me into their family SO openly! I much appreciate the deeper experiences I'm getting with them because of living here, with the language, food, different aspects of the culture, everything.
So here I will just update you on each member of my host family!
Jana (host mom): She is SO sweet! She keeps close tabs on me and calls me daughter with her two other real daughters. She constantly checks on me, if I'm hungry or cold (and even when I say no, she comes over to me and covers me up with a blanket anyway...). She has learned a bunch of words and phrases in english for me, and it is really funny! :) She tells me I'm very skillful and gets really excited whenever I help her do chores around the house. She is a pretty hyper person, and talks really fast because she gets excited (even my english speaking contact person said that she has a hard time understanding her, in SLOVAK, because she speaks so fast). It was difficult in the beginning to communicate because of this, but it's getting better now. She is learning to adjust to my speed and understanding level with the language, and writing things down in a little notebook she has. And she has a dinner song that she sings and is determined to teach me, which is awesome.
Jan (host dad): He is also very sweet! He is a quiet and smiley guy. He works quite a bit and isn't around all of the time, but when he is he always makes the effort to pop his head into whatever room I'm in and say "ciao ashley!" He's pretty patient. I felt a bit bad in the beginning, because the man lives with his wife, mother, and two daughters, and I was YET ANOTHER girl to add to the household (and his two sisters are here every day to visit). But he handles it like a trooper. Him and Jana took me shopping a few weekends ago and told me that they wanted to buy me pajamahs as a gift. The only stipulation was that they had to have animals on them, so they would match my sisters' elephant pajamahs. HAHA! We like to match here in the Turcanova household. And so I am now the proud owner of blue zebra pajamahs.
Starka (a.k.a. Grandma): She is pretty feisty! She can be pretty funny sometimes, even though we don't really understand each other a lot of the time. The other day we were having coffee together (me, mom, grandma, and sisters), and I left the room for a few minutes and while I was gone Starka put sugar in my coffee! She did it on purpose, because she knows I hate it, but she thinks I need more sugar (and more of everything for that matter). Sneaky Starka! She laughed a lot at my face when I took the first sip and made a terrible face. She is constantly telling me, "YOU DON'T EAT ENOUGH! YOU DON'T SLEEP ENOUGH!" According to her, I don't eat enough, or the right things, and I dont wear slippers like I'm supposed to, and I don't wear enough clothes, or the right clothes, and I should wear hats, and use umbrellas, etc. The list is quite long. Sometimes we struggle seeing eye-to-eye, because our relationship faces not only a cultural barrier, but a big generation/age barrier as well. But we do okay.
Katka (older host sister): Katka tries SO hard to improve her english! And I'm impressed at how much she's improved already since I got here, so I'm excited to see her at the end of this summer! She's very sweet too, and GIGGLES a lot. She has a really fun high pitched cackle-type giggle that makes me laugh. We both like to dance, and we both like to exercise. I'm really excited for spring time, because we have plans to go jogging together!! Should be great :-)
Janka (younger host sister): I have a great time attempting english conversations with Janka! It's usually the two of us together, because she speaks the best english of anybody in the family. And she also has tried to learn a lot for me, and I'm very grateful for that!! I love Janka's attitude and sense of humor with things. When we're in the kitchen and mom or grandma starts talking about how we don't eat enough food, she is the one who rolls her eyes and is like "LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE'S NOT HUNGRY!" I love it. She watches out for me. Also, her and I both like to read. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the kitchen and read with her (when there's actually enough silence to concentrate...which isn't often). She loves Harry Potter. She is currently trying to read one of the books I borrowed her, in english!
I will write again soon about more experiences with them! As well as some pictures!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Church Website
So here is my placement's church website: http://www.ecavhybe.sk/
The church has a media committee that regularily updates the site. It's a pretty great page! Lots of pictures and video clips. I have been in a fair share of pictures on here already, so check them out if you're interested. The website is all in Slovak, but you can still wander around and check things out. To get directly to the recent photo updates: from the main site page, there is a column to the right of the church picture, click on the first link that says "NAJAKTUÁLNEJŠIE FOTKY". This will bring you to a listing of the most recent photo groupings (one if even named "Ashley"). Hope you enjoy!
Also, here is a direct link to one of the photo pages: http://www.ecavhybe.sk/index_soubory/Page323.htm
-This is a picture of some of the young people from the church. The two girls in the middle row kneeling are my two host sisters (the one in the blue bandana is Katka, and the one in the pigtails is Janka).
The church has a media committee that regularily updates the site. It's a pretty great page! Lots of pictures and video clips. I have been in a fair share of pictures on here already, so check them out if you're interested. The website is all in Slovak, but you can still wander around and check things out. To get directly to the recent photo updates: from the main site page, there is a column to the right of the church picture, click on the first link that says "NAJAKTUÁLNEJŠIE FOTKY". This will bring you to a listing of the most recent photo groupings (one if even named "Ashley"). Hope you enjoy!
Also, here is a direct link to one of the photo pages: http://www.ecavhybe.sk/index_soubory/Page323.htm
-This is a picture of some of the young people from the church. The two girls in the middle row kneeling are my two host sisters (the one in the blue bandana is Katka, and the one in the pigtails is Janka).
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A Helpful Conversation
During my time in Koseca, my good friend Chris came to visit me and it was so great!! It was a quick visit, only two days, but we still had a lot of fun. My Slovak friend Juraj offered to take him to Slovak landmarks, make him Slovak food, and was very anxious for Chris to see his home country. While Juraj was quite excited to show Chris parts of Slovakia, I was much more concerned about just being able to hang out with him and talk/catch up. Juraj was persistant in asking what Chris thought about Slovakia, if he liked the food, what he thought about the language, and much more. I had to ask, “Why do you care so much, whether Chris likes Slovakia or not?”
A conversation branched from this comment. “Because it’s my home country, and I want him to have a good experience here, and have a good opinion of its’ people and beauty. Don’t you care if people like your country?”
I thought about this for a while, and realized that I actually didn’t care. And for this I felt very sorry. I thought that if I really DID care that much about peoples’ opinions (as much as Juraj does) of my home country, I would be so beaten down and discouraged that I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning.
“Really? The U.S.? NOBODY likes the U.S., Juraj. I CAN’T care, or I’d go crazy.”
A lot of things were put into perspective for both of us in this conversation, I think. What do I really think about the U.S.? I thought about my attitudes toward my home country that had developed since I’d begun traveling. After spending a semester studying abroad in Europe in 2005, I thought America was awful. I had no outside perspective before, and after spending four months talking to people who thought the U.S. was unjust, money-hungry, and ridiculous (mainly because we elected G.W. Bush…and not just once) I was willing to join in on every “this is why America is terrible” conversation. I joined my very liberal, Bush-hating generation very willingly and spoke harshly without putting much thought behind what I said. It wasn't so much the people I was angry about, but the political and economic situations that my country made. After my semester abroad, when others spoke poorly of any place in Europe, I defended Europe. If others spoke poorly of the U.S., I joined in. I was extremely unfair. The experiences I had abroad were really amazing and eye-opening, but they originally made me really angry because I had been exposed to the reality of the world (U.S. being dominant and the effects) and didn't know how to handle it.
After gaining some more perspective, and having time to reflect on experiences, I realize that the U.S. has its problems and faults. Of course, every country does. I’ve realized the impact and force my home country has, and the conflict and problems it inflicts onto the rest of the world. But I’ve also learned to love my home country, and Juraj (and many other Slovaks I’ve met along the way) has taught me what it means to be loyal to your home country. They’ve taught me a lot about appreciation, and about staying loyal to your roots (regardless if they are in a small country like Slovakia, or in a powerhouse country like the U.S.). It’s been a challenge for me and will continue to be, but I’m happy that the Slovaks have helped me gain some perspective. I’m glad that I’m developing more mature and realistic opinions about the U.S., Slovakia, and the rest of the world. I’m realizing more and more how damaging and real prejudices can be, and how much it can hinder us from connecting and communicating with each other, as societies and as people.
My friend and fellow YAGM volunteer has been working in a church community in Slovakia, and she has spent so much of her time in the pastor’s home. The pastor and his wife have a four-year old son, and she is asked to look after the son from time to time. This four-year old boy has been telling her for months, “You’re stupid! Why don’t you just go back to America! You can’t speak Slovak, and you should just go away, I don't want you here!” It’s so hard to believe, coming from a four-year old boy who most likely knows nothing about America, yet he already has such a negativity towards Americans. Where did he get it from? There are so many influences out there that have lives of their own, and it’s scary. I’m working on being prejudice-free, whether the prejudices are against other countries or my own. I’m apologizing to and currently missing America, my home country that I miss very much, and to all of the truly amazing people in it.
A conversation branched from this comment. “Because it’s my home country, and I want him to have a good experience here, and have a good opinion of its’ people and beauty. Don’t you care if people like your country?”
I thought about this for a while, and realized that I actually didn’t care. And for this I felt very sorry. I thought that if I really DID care that much about peoples’ opinions (as much as Juraj does) of my home country, I would be so beaten down and discouraged that I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning.
“Really? The U.S.? NOBODY likes the U.S., Juraj. I CAN’T care, or I’d go crazy.”
A lot of things were put into perspective for both of us in this conversation, I think. What do I really think about the U.S.? I thought about my attitudes toward my home country that had developed since I’d begun traveling. After spending a semester studying abroad in Europe in 2005, I thought America was awful. I had no outside perspective before, and after spending four months talking to people who thought the U.S. was unjust, money-hungry, and ridiculous (mainly because we elected G.W. Bush…and not just once) I was willing to join in on every “this is why America is terrible” conversation. I joined my very liberal, Bush-hating generation very willingly and spoke harshly without putting much thought behind what I said. It wasn't so much the people I was angry about, but the political and economic situations that my country made. After my semester abroad, when others spoke poorly of any place in Europe, I defended Europe. If others spoke poorly of the U.S., I joined in. I was extremely unfair. The experiences I had abroad were really amazing and eye-opening, but they originally made me really angry because I had been exposed to the reality of the world (U.S. being dominant and the effects) and didn't know how to handle it.
After gaining some more perspective, and having time to reflect on experiences, I realize that the U.S. has its problems and faults. Of course, every country does. I’ve realized the impact and force my home country has, and the conflict and problems it inflicts onto the rest of the world. But I’ve also learned to love my home country, and Juraj (and many other Slovaks I’ve met along the way) has taught me what it means to be loyal to your home country. They’ve taught me a lot about appreciation, and about staying loyal to your roots (regardless if they are in a small country like Slovakia, or in a powerhouse country like the U.S.). It’s been a challenge for me and will continue to be, but I’m happy that the Slovaks have helped me gain some perspective. I’m glad that I’m developing more mature and realistic opinions about the U.S., Slovakia, and the rest of the world. I’m realizing more and more how damaging and real prejudices can be, and how much it can hinder us from connecting and communicating with each other, as societies and as people.
My friend and fellow YAGM volunteer has been working in a church community in Slovakia, and she has spent so much of her time in the pastor’s home. The pastor and his wife have a four-year old son, and she is asked to look after the son from time to time. This four-year old boy has been telling her for months, “You’re stupid! Why don’t you just go back to America! You can’t speak Slovak, and you should just go away, I don't want you here!” It’s so hard to believe, coming from a four-year old boy who most likely knows nothing about America, yet he already has such a negativity towards Americans. Where did he get it from? There are so many influences out there that have lives of their own, and it’s scary. I’m working on being prejudice-free, whether the prejudices are against other countries or my own. I’m apologizing to and currently missing America, my home country that I miss very much, and to all of the truly amazing people in it.
Monday, January 28, 2008
January Newsletter
*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
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
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