I just wanted to let everyone know that things will be quiet here for a while. Tomorrow I am headed out for a week to Bratislava to celebrate the rest of Holy Week and Easter with Meghan and the other Americans that teach there. I'm really looking forward to having some quality English liturgies and being able to FULLY participate in all of the Holy Week Services. I hope to have some great stories to share next week.
Have a blessed Easter!
Colleen
29 March 2010
28 March 2010
Body & Blood
There has been a recent phenomenon in my church life here. Over the past month I have participated in more celebrations of the Eucharist than I have the whole year. I am not entirely sure why this is, but I think it is somehow connected to Lent and getting ready for Easter. Regardless I have been like a kid in a candy store and gone forward to receive Christ's body and blood each time.
I've written some about how going to church can be a hard hour and a half. The presence of God is apparent and I can feel Him all around us, but that does not always mean that I am well-nourished by the service. I understand enough of what's going to to get by, but I never walk out thinking, "Man, that was the best worship service I have ever been too!" It's not uncommon for me to come back to my flat and to have some homesickness. However, the Sundays in which we celebrate the Eucharist, I am blessed by this interaction and am thankful that I FULLY comprehend these minutes. So to have been able to participate in this so frequently has really been amazing.
Naturally, communion is celebrated a little bit differently here than in America. But of course, not every church in America follows the same pattern, so this is not unexpected at all. Communion is the last major section of the worship service and is simply added on to the end of the liturgy. The pastor goes through the Great Thanksgiving and depending on the pastor this can be either spoken or sung. After he has finished this (he because women are not yet ordained in Poland), those wishing to receive communion walk to the altar. Watching this for the first time was a chaotic experience. They don't walk in any particular order; there are no ushers to control the flow of the crowd. Everyone just gets up and walks and waits in a semi-circle around the altar. The kneeling rail is 3/4 of a rectangle around the altar.
There are usually at least two pastors (or one pastor and one assistant) who help with distribution. They first bless those who are kneeling, and then distribute the bread by placing it directly into their mouths. The cup comes around next, which is controlled by the pastor who gives everyone a sip and then wipes it clean with a cloth. The hands of those who are receiving are folded below the rail, not resting on it, as is common practice in America. After everyone has received both elements, one final blessing is given and then we cross ourselves (mind, mouth, heart) before we stand. We then do a "lap" behind the altar. I was VERY confused by this at first, as I didn't understand its purpose. It turns out that is part crowd control, part a way to give offering after you have communed. Not everyone who comes to church will commune. They usually will only commune about once every month or two, except for during Lent, apparently.
Not participating in the Eucharist as frequently has been a challenge of this year. While I was still at university I was communing at least twice, if not three times a week. Since it does not happen as often, I for sure am more thankful and really try to embrace the moment intentionally and thoroughly because I am never quite sure when it will come again. As enriching as this year has been and continues to be, I am certainly looking forward to communing on a regular basis again and overall worshiping in my mother tongue every week.
Blessings,
Colleen
I've written some about how going to church can be a hard hour and a half. The presence of God is apparent and I can feel Him all around us, but that does not always mean that I am well-nourished by the service. I understand enough of what's going to to get by, but I never walk out thinking, "Man, that was the best worship service I have ever been too!" It's not uncommon for me to come back to my flat and to have some homesickness. However, the Sundays in which we celebrate the Eucharist, I am blessed by this interaction and am thankful that I FULLY comprehend these minutes. So to have been able to participate in this so frequently has really been amazing.
Naturally, communion is celebrated a little bit differently here than in America. But of course, not every church in America follows the same pattern, so this is not unexpected at all. Communion is the last major section of the worship service and is simply added on to the end of the liturgy. The pastor goes through the Great Thanksgiving and depending on the pastor this can be either spoken or sung. After he has finished this (he because women are not yet ordained in Poland), those wishing to receive communion walk to the altar. Watching this for the first time was a chaotic experience. They don't walk in any particular order; there are no ushers to control the flow of the crowd. Everyone just gets up and walks and waits in a semi-circle around the altar. The kneeling rail is 3/4 of a rectangle around the altar.
There are usually at least two pastors (or one pastor and one assistant) who help with distribution. They first bless those who are kneeling, and then distribute the bread by placing it directly into their mouths. The cup comes around next, which is controlled by the pastor who gives everyone a sip and then wipes it clean with a cloth. The hands of those who are receiving are folded below the rail, not resting on it, as is common practice in America. After everyone has received both elements, one final blessing is given and then we cross ourselves (mind, mouth, heart) before we stand. We then do a "lap" behind the altar. I was VERY confused by this at first, as I didn't understand its purpose. It turns out that is part crowd control, part a way to give offering after you have communed. Not everyone who comes to church will commune. They usually will only commune about once every month or two, except for during Lent, apparently.
Not participating in the Eucharist as frequently has been a challenge of this year. While I was still at university I was communing at least twice, if not three times a week. Since it does not happen as often, I for sure am more thankful and really try to embrace the moment intentionally and thoroughly because I am never quite sure when it will come again. As enriching as this year has been and continues to be, I am certainly looking forward to communing on a regular basis again and overall worshiping in my mother tongue every week.
Blessings,
Colleen
26 March 2010
3 Chiefs, 1 Indian
This past Wednesday I had a meeting of epic proportions. Or at least it felt that way going into it. I had a sit down with not one, not two, but three of my bosses, Polish, European-based American, and Chicago-based American. I knew the purpose of the meeting was just a visit so that my American leaders could learn more about the site and talk more about the relationship between the ELCA and the Polish Lutheran church and the schools connected with it. However, I was still nervous for several reasons. First of all it was the most extensive site visit to-date. We would be meeting for longer as well as touring around the school and city. Second, I wanted to be sure that I represented the site well. This hasn't been a perfect experience by any means, but Poland and the people here have worked their way into my heart, and I didn't want my own shortcomings as a teacher get in the way of communicating the importance of the ELCA's presence here. Third, c'mon, three bosses, wouldn't you be nervous too?
I am happy to report that the meeting ended up going very well! The only problem was the traffic that caused a delay in our start time, which wasn't really a big deal at all. I believe the time we spent together was affirming for everyone involved. For the school, LOTE/GTE, because it received the assurance that the ELCA wants to continue to work in this school, and in the future maybe even expand the Polish program somehow. For the ELCA because LOTE/GTE is happy with the work that Sarah and I are doing here and want to continue to build the relationship. These two parts are the most important from the meetings. Though I received affirmation and insight from the meeting as well (which I will share with you in a moment), in reality, I am only one piece of the relationship between the Lutheran churches in America and Poland. The relationship began years ago when I was still in elementary school, and God-willing will continue past my time here on earth. So hearing such encouraging news about this partnership was wonderful.
During this meeting I felt inspired by the leaders who sat with me at the table. Each has found a particular path to answer God's call for them and to serve in a way that utilizes their gifts. As I continue to learn and grow as a leader of the church, it is important for me to take the time to appreciate the work of others and to see how God is working through them. I was reminded of my responsibility for when I go back to America, that I am to tell the story of this place so that we can all remember that the church is bigger than any individual building or country. The church spans all of creation and all of time. We are likewise called to listen to and share our own stories, so that we are able to understand ourselves as the ONE body of Christ.
All in all, the meeting and the tour that followed it went very well. Though I was nervous going into the day, it ended up being a great blessing and encouragement. I was left with some questions to ponder over the last three months of my service and was again encouraged to continue to serve with my whole person- a very welcome and needed message.
Blessings,
Colleen
I am happy to report that the meeting ended up going very well! The only problem was the traffic that caused a delay in our start time, which wasn't really a big deal at all. I believe the time we spent together was affirming for everyone involved. For the school, LOTE/GTE, because it received the assurance that the ELCA wants to continue to work in this school, and in the future maybe even expand the Polish program somehow. For the ELCA because LOTE/GTE is happy with the work that Sarah and I are doing here and want to continue to build the relationship. These two parts are the most important from the meetings. Though I received affirmation and insight from the meeting as well (which I will share with you in a moment), in reality, I am only one piece of the relationship between the Lutheran churches in America and Poland. The relationship began years ago when I was still in elementary school, and God-willing will continue past my time here on earth. So hearing such encouraging news about this partnership was wonderful.
During this meeting I felt inspired by the leaders who sat with me at the table. Each has found a particular path to answer God's call for them and to serve in a way that utilizes their gifts. As I continue to learn and grow as a leader of the church, it is important for me to take the time to appreciate the work of others and to see how God is working through them. I was reminded of my responsibility for when I go back to America, that I am to tell the story of this place so that we can all remember that the church is bigger than any individual building or country. The church spans all of creation and all of time. We are likewise called to listen to and share our own stories, so that we are able to understand ourselves as the ONE body of Christ.
All in all, the meeting and the tour that followed it went very well. Though I was nervous going into the day, it ended up being a great blessing and encouragement. I was left with some questions to ponder over the last three months of my service and was again encouraged to continue to serve with my whole person- a very welcome and needed message.
Blessings,
Colleen
22 March 2010
A Very Polish. . .St. Patrick's Day
Over the year, I have really enjoyed being about to talk about different holidays with my students, and St. Patrick's is no exception. I prepared a variety of activities based on the different age groups. The students really didn't know anything about this day or anything connected with it other than it's Irish and green is the color. We played Jeopardy, did crossword puzzles and word searches, and I even printed up some shamrocks with Irish blessings on them to hang around the school. The following are some tidbits from my favorite moments.
Irish Slang
On the Internet I found a great website that has a list of great Irish slang words. Of course A LOT of it is connected with alcohol and various sexual innuendos, so those words I did not share with the class. But I was able to find some great phrases. For example: "Put a gap in the bush," means close the door. We had a lot of fun laughing over these phrases because I could not explain them as well as I can explain American slang, so we just had to accept them for what they are together.
Green, Green, and Green
This is a fun game I found on the Internet, where students have to make a list of everything they can think of that is green or can be green. I realize that this can be almost anything and that's what makes it so funny. After they finished their lists, everyone stands up and then in turn they read one item off of their list. No words can be repeated, and the student only has 5 seconds to respond once their name has been called. If a student breaks one of these rules, then he/she is out and must sit down. I played this game a bunch of times so I've heard all types of responses from household objects to school supplies to plants. However my favorite two responses are these: a polar bear with color and diarrhea. I was so pleased that one of my students went there. It was hilarious.
It was a fun few days getting to share this other culture with the students and getting play. I hope that they learned something throughout the madness and that they'll remember it for next. I'm sure at least a few of my students want to come to America to try our green beer!
Blessings,
Colleen
Irish Slang
On the Internet I found a great website that has a list of great Irish slang words. Of course A LOT of it is connected with alcohol and various sexual innuendos, so those words I did not share with the class. But I was able to find some great phrases. For example: "Put a gap in the bush," means close the door. We had a lot of fun laughing over these phrases because I could not explain them as well as I can explain American slang, so we just had to accept them for what they are together.
Green, Green, and Green
This is a fun game I found on the Internet, where students have to make a list of everything they can think of that is green or can be green. I realize that this can be almost anything and that's what makes it so funny. After they finished their lists, everyone stands up and then in turn they read one item off of their list. No words can be repeated, and the student only has 5 seconds to respond once their name has been called. If a student breaks one of these rules, then he/she is out and must sit down. I played this game a bunch of times so I've heard all types of responses from household objects to school supplies to plants. However my favorite two responses are these: a polar bear with color and diarrhea. I was so pleased that one of my students went there. It was hilarious.
It was a fun few days getting to share this other culture with the students and getting play. I hope that they learned something throughout the madness and that they'll remember it for next. I'm sure at least a few of my students want to come to America to try our green beer!
Blessings,
Colleen
19 March 2010
A Lenten Reflection
Lidia asked us to write something about Lent to share with the students in an assembly that will take place on the last Wednesday before Easter. I had a difficult time deciding what to write, but ended up writing some of my life story that my students have not heard and connecting it with where we are in Lent now. I wanted to post what I wrote for this occassion. It is much longer than a normal post, just so you know.
Church has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have been a member of the same church for my whole life, Immanuel Lutheran. All of my big Christian moments have happened there. I was baptized in the same baptismal font that still sits at the front of the sanctuary. I attended Sunday School for all my childhood years learning all the stories about Jesus, Noah, Moses, Adam and Eve. I was in every Christmas play, usually as an angel, except for the one year it was my turn to be Mary. I received my first communion there and a few years after that I was confirmed. I helped out in every possible way from reading, ushering, taking care of children in the nursery, to serving as assistant minister. When I went to university I attended a different church, and though it was a wonderful church, it never really felt like "home." So during every vacation I would to my home church to worship. In my mind I was like Harry Potter returning to his house on Privet Drive. I had to get my protection before I went out into the world again. These visits were never really long, but they were important to keeping my faith strong.
In reality, it’s a simple church, white walls, wooden pews, a plain wooden cross hanging behind the altar. We have homemade banners for the different seasons and have the standard Christmas trees- nothing too special. We’re a small congregation, no more than a hundred people per week. Most of the adults have known me my whole life. They remember when I was in diapers, or the Sundays when I would come to church in a horribly ugly outfit and an awful hair style because mom was out of town and my father had to get me ready. I also have watched babies grow into teenagers and have experienced the sadness caused by the death of one of the older members. Again, it's a simple church, but it’s home and it’s where my heart is. I know they will always welcome me back with open arms to hear my stories.
The last time I was at my church was for my blessing before moving here to Cieszyn. This Sunday was full of emotion. All of my extended family came to the service and my closest friends from high school were also there. I sat in the front of the church and helped my pastor with the service, reading Bible passages and the prayers. During the service I also formally received a blessing from my church, sending me on my way with all of their love and support. All of my anxiety and stress about this move melted away, and I truly felt God’s peace in my heart.
And then I moved across the world.
Now, I know that God is in Poland. God has been here for a very, very long time and I believe that He plans on staying for a very, very long time. I knew I was not coming to Poland to bring God. Instead, I was coming to Poland to meet God and serve Him in a new way. I was not sure what to expect.
Adjusting to the different type of church service was very challenging. The only words I could understand at the beginning of the year were: God, thank you, love, and Jesus. Needless to say, I spent most of the service being very confused and butchering Polish hymns, when I was able to figure out what hymn we were even singing. I would like to apologize to anyone who has had to listen to me sing during church, AND would like to apologize to all of Poland as a whole for what I do to destroy your beautiful language. I’m getting better-I promise. Even though I always confused about what was going on and felt very lost, I always thought this one thing: it's okay if I don’t understand what’s going on. God does. He is here and He hears the prayers of the people around me, AND mine, even though they’re in a totally different language. I am one of thousands of people who have sat in this church, worshipping, praying, singing, learning, listening. And for me, this was enough to get me through my first weeks here.
By Advent, the flow of the service was no longer a mystery to me. I knew when to stand, when to sit, what verses we sing when. I was by no means an expert because I still had to read along in the hymnal, but I knew where to find everything. The Advent wreath was brought out, and I knew that we were in a different season. It was time to get ready for Christmas, to prepare for the birth of our King. Just like at home, we lit another candle with each passing week as we got closer and closer to the miracle. I was not able to understand the words that explained the season, but the visual changes helped me to mark the journey to Bethlehem.
Now we are in Lent, the time of the church year where we wait for Jesus again. But not for His birth, but instead we prepare for His painful death and glorious resurrection. The changes in the service have been harder for me to notice since there is not a wreath or something physical to show me the journey. Though I know more words than just God, thank you, love, and Jesus, I have added, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the verb “to be”, my listening comprehension is not good enough to absorb everything in the service. Being so confused has been difficult for my heart because I take Lent very seriously. Not being able to fully grasp the shift into Lent has made it almost feel like Lent isn’t really here. The Lenten words of my heart have been quieter this year, and I think I will be surprised for the arrival of Easter.
Despite this, church on Sundays is still a meaningful time for me. New words and songs are being written on my heart, one impossible to pronounce syllable at a time. However, the most touching moment of the entire service has always been and continues to be at the very end. It is the moment of silence after we have finished singing the last hymn or received the blessing from the pastor. No one moves, no one even seems to breathe. In that moment I feel connected to God and everyone else in a very intimate way. In that moment, we are together in God’s love and peace. Our differences disappear and for a single moment we are one in Christ. Even if I understood NOTHING of the rest of this service, this moment is enough to convince me of God’s presence. He is sealing us with His love and preparing us for our journey out into the world.
Over the next few days we will once again follow Christ through his journey to death, waiting in hope and prayer for His victory. No matter what language the story is told in, the great joy is still the same: God's love for the world is so great that He gave up His only son for us. We are eternally blessed by the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We can live confidently in this fact and can go into the world without fear because of God's love for each of us. Our language does not matter to Him. Polish, English, French, German, and even Chinese are all wonderful to Him and all of these languages can share the promise of His grace.
Church has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have been a member of the same church for my whole life, Immanuel Lutheran. All of my big Christian moments have happened there. I was baptized in the same baptismal font that still sits at the front of the sanctuary. I attended Sunday School for all my childhood years learning all the stories about Jesus, Noah, Moses, Adam and Eve. I was in every Christmas play, usually as an angel, except for the one year it was my turn to be Mary. I received my first communion there and a few years after that I was confirmed. I helped out in every possible way from reading, ushering, taking care of children in the nursery, to serving as assistant minister. When I went to university I attended a different church, and though it was a wonderful church, it never really felt like "home." So during every vacation I would to my home church to worship. In my mind I was like Harry Potter returning to his house on Privet Drive. I had to get my protection before I went out into the world again. These visits were never really long, but they were important to keeping my faith strong.
In reality, it’s a simple church, white walls, wooden pews, a plain wooden cross hanging behind the altar. We have homemade banners for the different seasons and have the standard Christmas trees- nothing too special. We’re a small congregation, no more than a hundred people per week. Most of the adults have known me my whole life. They remember when I was in diapers, or the Sundays when I would come to church in a horribly ugly outfit and an awful hair style because mom was out of town and my father had to get me ready. I also have watched babies grow into teenagers and have experienced the sadness caused by the death of one of the older members. Again, it's a simple church, but it’s home and it’s where my heart is. I know they will always welcome me back with open arms to hear my stories.
The last time I was at my church was for my blessing before moving here to Cieszyn. This Sunday was full of emotion. All of my extended family came to the service and my closest friends from high school were also there. I sat in the front of the church and helped my pastor with the service, reading Bible passages and the prayers. During the service I also formally received a blessing from my church, sending me on my way with all of their love and support. All of my anxiety and stress about this move melted away, and I truly felt God’s peace in my heart.
And then I moved across the world.
Now, I know that God is in Poland. God has been here for a very, very long time and I believe that He plans on staying for a very, very long time. I knew I was not coming to Poland to bring God. Instead, I was coming to Poland to meet God and serve Him in a new way. I was not sure what to expect.
Adjusting to the different type of church service was very challenging. The only words I could understand at the beginning of the year were: God, thank you, love, and Jesus. Needless to say, I spent most of the service being very confused and butchering Polish hymns, when I was able to figure out what hymn we were even singing. I would like to apologize to anyone who has had to listen to me sing during church, AND would like to apologize to all of Poland as a whole for what I do to destroy your beautiful language. I’m getting better-I promise. Even though I always confused about what was going on and felt very lost, I always thought this one thing: it's okay if I don’t understand what’s going on. God does. He is here and He hears the prayers of the people around me, AND mine, even though they’re in a totally different language. I am one of thousands of people who have sat in this church, worshipping, praying, singing, learning, listening. And for me, this was enough to get me through my first weeks here.
By Advent, the flow of the service was no longer a mystery to me. I knew when to stand, when to sit, what verses we sing when. I was by no means an expert because I still had to read along in the hymnal, but I knew where to find everything. The Advent wreath was brought out, and I knew that we were in a different season. It was time to get ready for Christmas, to prepare for the birth of our King. Just like at home, we lit another candle with each passing week as we got closer and closer to the miracle. I was not able to understand the words that explained the season, but the visual changes helped me to mark the journey to Bethlehem.
Now we are in Lent, the time of the church year where we wait for Jesus again. But not for His birth, but instead we prepare for His painful death and glorious resurrection. The changes in the service have been harder for me to notice since there is not a wreath or something physical to show me the journey. Though I know more words than just God, thank you, love, and Jesus, I have added, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the verb “to be”, my listening comprehension is not good enough to absorb everything in the service. Being so confused has been difficult for my heart because I take Lent very seriously. Not being able to fully grasp the shift into Lent has made it almost feel like Lent isn’t really here. The Lenten words of my heart have been quieter this year, and I think I will be surprised for the arrival of Easter.
Despite this, church on Sundays is still a meaningful time for me. New words and songs are being written on my heart, one impossible to pronounce syllable at a time. However, the most touching moment of the entire service has always been and continues to be at the very end. It is the moment of silence after we have finished singing the last hymn or received the blessing from the pastor. No one moves, no one even seems to breathe. In that moment I feel connected to God and everyone else in a very intimate way. In that moment, we are together in God’s love and peace. Our differences disappear and for a single moment we are one in Christ. Even if I understood NOTHING of the rest of this service, this moment is enough to convince me of God’s presence. He is sealing us with His love and preparing us for our journey out into the world.
Over the next few days we will once again follow Christ through his journey to death, waiting in hope and prayer for His victory. No matter what language the story is told in, the great joy is still the same: God's love for the world is so great that He gave up His only son for us. We are eternally blessed by the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We can live confidently in this fact and can go into the world without fear because of God's love for each of us. Our language does not matter to Him. Polish, English, French, German, and even Chinese are all wonderful to Him and all of these languages can share the promise of His grace.
18 March 2010
Hudson High
Something magical happened in my life yesterday, and I am the most excited to tell you about.
On Sunday, Sarah and I had church and lunch with our director and her family. It was a wonderful day full of great company and wonderful food. I would be perfectly happy to let any Polish mother feed me every day. The weight gain would be beyond worth it. Anyhow, she invited Sarah and I to a choir concert on Wednesday night. One of her friends from America is a Lutheran travel agent, and she coordinated a trip for an American high school choir and they were going to be performing in Ustron, a city a few villages over from Cieszyn. I was very excited about this invitation and the prospect of seeing Americans! Though they weren't MY people per say, they were from my native land, spoke my mother-tongue and were sure to sing to English.
The concert was held in the Lutheran church in Ustron, which is absolutely beautiful. The sanctuary is painted light blue and yellow, and the altar had a wonderful rendition of the Last Supper flanked by statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. The two different choirs that came from Hudson High in Wisconsin, had 96 members total, and of course they wore the stereotypical, ugly black dresses and tuxedos that all American choirs seem to wear. They sang a variety of Christian pieces in both Latin and English, and the music they created was breathtaking. My favorite numbers that they performed were, "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and their benediction blessing. In order to sing the benediction the spread out around the church, so that all of the choir members formed a circle around the audience, and then they all held hands and sang. It was a very powerful message and blessing. If this was all my night was, it would have been enough.
However, it was the not the end. At the end of the concert we followed our director up to the front so that she could find her friend. As we waited, we chatted, and the various chaperones around us realized that Sarah and I were speaking perfect, American English, so they started to ask who we were and where we were from. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The group ended up inviting us to dinner at the parish house with the choir. We headed over and were suddenly in a bustling room full of 100 Americans, talking, laughing, and eating. It was a wonderful feeling to hear so much English. As beautiful as the music I had just listened to was, having English surround me was also beautiful. We sat at the chaperones' table and enjoyed wonderful Polish soup, open-faced sandwiches, and cakes as well as great conversation with our new American friends. The energy was electric and I felt energized by sharing my stories and hearing theirs' as well.
Sadly, they had to return to Krakow that night, so they were not able to stay very long. They took all the left over sandwiches for the road, which I thought was wonderful because feeding 96 high school students is not an easy feat I'm sure. We shared wishes for safe travels and blessed experiences with one another, and they loaded onto their two coach buses and drove into the night. We caught a ride back to Cieszyn with our director's pastor.
This night was wonderful for a variety of reasons, but one thing in particular sticks out in my mind. One of the insecurities I have been developing over the past month, is how I am going to handle my transition back to America, back into a country that speaks a language I understand. This is daunting to me and sometimes makes me want to crawl into a hole. However, last night's experience has encouraged me to have faith in ability to cope. My surroundings did not overwhelm and overtake me, but instead it was an almost magical night. I believe that moving home is going to be okay.
Peace,
Colleen
On Sunday, Sarah and I had church and lunch with our director and her family. It was a wonderful day full of great company and wonderful food. I would be perfectly happy to let any Polish mother feed me every day. The weight gain would be beyond worth it. Anyhow, she invited Sarah and I to a choir concert on Wednesday night. One of her friends from America is a Lutheran travel agent, and she coordinated a trip for an American high school choir and they were going to be performing in Ustron, a city a few villages over from Cieszyn. I was very excited about this invitation and the prospect of seeing Americans! Though they weren't MY people per say, they were from my native land, spoke my mother-tongue and were sure to sing to English.
The concert was held in the Lutheran church in Ustron, which is absolutely beautiful. The sanctuary is painted light blue and yellow, and the altar had a wonderful rendition of the Last Supper flanked by statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. The two different choirs that came from Hudson High in Wisconsin, had 96 members total, and of course they wore the stereotypical, ugly black dresses and tuxedos that all American choirs seem to wear. They sang a variety of Christian pieces in both Latin and English, and the music they created was breathtaking. My favorite numbers that they performed were, "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and their benediction blessing. In order to sing the benediction the spread out around the church, so that all of the choir members formed a circle around the audience, and then they all held hands and sang. It was a very powerful message and blessing. If this was all my night was, it would have been enough.
However, it was the not the end. At the end of the concert we followed our director up to the front so that she could find her friend. As we waited, we chatted, and the various chaperones around us realized that Sarah and I were speaking perfect, American English, so they started to ask who we were and where we were from. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The group ended up inviting us to dinner at the parish house with the choir. We headed over and were suddenly in a bustling room full of 100 Americans, talking, laughing, and eating. It was a wonderful feeling to hear so much English. As beautiful as the music I had just listened to was, having English surround me was also beautiful. We sat at the chaperones' table and enjoyed wonderful Polish soup, open-faced sandwiches, and cakes as well as great conversation with our new American friends. The energy was electric and I felt energized by sharing my stories and hearing theirs' as well.
Sadly, they had to return to Krakow that night, so they were not able to stay very long. They took all the left over sandwiches for the road, which I thought was wonderful because feeding 96 high school students is not an easy feat I'm sure. We shared wishes for safe travels and blessed experiences with one another, and they loaded onto their two coach buses and drove into the night. We caught a ride back to Cieszyn with our director's pastor.
This night was wonderful for a variety of reasons, but one thing in particular sticks out in my mind. One of the insecurities I have been developing over the past month, is how I am going to handle my transition back to America, back into a country that speaks a language I understand. This is daunting to me and sometimes makes me want to crawl into a hole. However, last night's experience has encouraged me to have faith in ability to cope. My surroundings did not overwhelm and overtake me, but instead it was an almost magical night. I believe that moving home is going to be okay.
Peace,
Colleen
15 March 2010
School Olympics
One of the traditions at my school is a school wide "Olympic" competition. All of the middle school classes compete against each other, as do all of the high school classes. This means there is one winner for the middle school and one winner for the high school. The students participate in a variety of activities, mostly athletic in nature, though there is a costume contest. Each class picked a theme for their costumes and dress up and decorated their space accordingly. These are the classes and what they dressed up as:
1ag - Mimes, and then they yelled at each other all day not to speak.
1bg - Vampires
1cg - Primary School Students
2ag - Emo/Goth Kids
2bg - Thugs
3ag - Construction Workers
3bg - Tea
1a - Musicians
1b - Village People (As in people from the village, NOT the music group famous for their smash hits "YMCA" and "In the Navy." I asked.)
2a - Bad Guys
2b - Anti-Terrorist Group (All the the teachers were deemed terrorists.)
3a - People Camping
3b - Gangstas
All of the grades competed in various swimming events that ranged from basic races to more complicated tasks. The coolest water event involved two students that started at opposite ends of the pool. The referee threw 12 "hockey pucks" into the middle of the pool. The students then had to race to the middle and fetch all of the pucks and swim them to end of the pool. Each grade had a pair compete and the best time won.
The high school students competed in a volleyball tournament. They are SUPER intense players, in that at varying points during the competition I was afraid for my own well being or for the well being of someone else. The final round was between the 3a and 3b classes. It was an amazing match, but 3a ended up winning. Watching them play was so much fun. They really worked well as a team, and many of them are very skilled players.
The middle school students a variety of smaller relay races or other athletic skill tests. The relays included batons, somersaults, and objects to run around. There was also a jumping competition where each team saw how far the could jump, one person at a time. The first student would jump and then chalk was used to draw a line behind his/her heel. The next student would then put his/her toes on the line and jump. Basketball and soccer shooting were other events.
However, the BEST part of the day was the bribes. Most of the classes had food or drink of some kind to bribe the teachers into giving them more points. This is probably the coolest privilege I have experienced yet as a teacher. I ate so much. I drank "blood" from the vampire team, had apple cake from the villagers, a sandwich wrapped in newspaper from the construction workers, and two different types of tea (hot and iced) from the tea team. I felt like a true American- eating lots of food and watching others exercise.
I'm not sure who ended up being the grand champion of either the middle or high school. We thought that there was going to be a closing ceremony of some kind, but there wasn't. Everyone just scattered and disappeared, it was almost eerie how everyone left so quickly. I guess because it was Friday afternoon people wanted to get home. All in all it was a great day and really fun to witness. I'm grateful to be at a school where we have such unique traditions and take time to do special things with the students.
Peace,
Colleen
1ag - Mimes, and then they yelled at each other all day not to speak.
1bg - Vampires
1cg - Primary School Students
2ag - Emo/Goth Kids
2bg - Thugs
3ag - Construction Workers
3bg - Tea
1a - Musicians
1b - Village People (As in people from the village, NOT the music group famous for their smash hits "YMCA" and "In the Navy." I asked.)
2a - Bad Guys
2b - Anti-Terrorist Group (All the the teachers were deemed terrorists.)
3a - People Camping
3b - Gangstas
All of the grades competed in various swimming events that ranged from basic races to more complicated tasks. The coolest water event involved two students that started at opposite ends of the pool. The referee threw 12 "hockey pucks" into the middle of the pool. The students then had to race to the middle and fetch all of the pucks and swim them to end of the pool. Each grade had a pair compete and the best time won.
The high school students competed in a volleyball tournament. They are SUPER intense players, in that at varying points during the competition I was afraid for my own well being or for the well being of someone else. The final round was between the 3a and 3b classes. It was an amazing match, but 3a ended up winning. Watching them play was so much fun. They really worked well as a team, and many of them are very skilled players.
The middle school students a variety of smaller relay races or other athletic skill tests. The relays included batons, somersaults, and objects to run around. There was also a jumping competition where each team saw how far the could jump, one person at a time. The first student would jump and then chalk was used to draw a line behind his/her heel. The next student would then put his/her toes on the line and jump. Basketball and soccer shooting were other events.
However, the BEST part of the day was the bribes. Most of the classes had food or drink of some kind to bribe the teachers into giving them more points. This is probably the coolest privilege I have experienced yet as a teacher. I ate so much. I drank "blood" from the vampire team, had apple cake from the villagers, a sandwich wrapped in newspaper from the construction workers, and two different types of tea (hot and iced) from the tea team. I felt like a true American- eating lots of food and watching others exercise.
I'm not sure who ended up being the grand champion of either the middle or high school. We thought that there was going to be a closing ceremony of some kind, but there wasn't. Everyone just scattered and disappeared, it was almost eerie how everyone left so quickly. I guess because it was Friday afternoon people wanted to get home. All in all it was a great day and really fun to witness. I'm grateful to be at a school where we have such unique traditions and take time to do special things with the students.
Peace,
Colleen
13 March 2010
March Madness Moments
In my last post I described the project I am calling March Madness. Here I want to share some individual stories from it.
One-on-One Interactions
I have really been enjoying meeting with my students one at time outside of the normal class time. They are told that they are to bring questions or a topic to talk about and then we will just have a natural conversation from there. I've had conversations on a variety of topics with them from their favorite movie, to their future plans, to how they get along with their siblings, and about American politics. It's been very interesting! One neat thing about these interactions is that it has given me the chance to share my faith with a few of my students, which has been very meaningful. Yes, I am a missionary here, but I do not structure my English Conversation classes around Jesus, so being able to talk with them about my faith and hear about theirs was awesome. I'm so grateful when these moments arise because I feel like become more real to them and that we can connect as equals because of our shared faith.
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous
This is one of the categories for the conversations they can have. One student is a journalist and the other is a celebrity. The students are so funny when they do this conversation. Some of what they say is true, but they also make up a lot of information too, which is just hilarious. During one conversation, I "learned" that Bono was planning on leaving his wife to be with this journalist and live in the tour bus.
Yellow Papers
As mentioned in the post before, I copied their point sheet onto yellow paper. I did this so that it would stand out amongst all of their white papers, so that they would be able to find it quickly and hopefully not lose it. All of the students sort of laughed when they saw the yellow paper, but I thought it was just because it was so bright. This past week I found out why they were really laughing from one of my students. After having a one-on-one with one female student, she said, "We were just wondering why you copied our papers onto yellow. Did you do this on purpose?" I said yes, but they could have easily been blue or green or pink. She then went onto explain than in Poland, if a hospital patient has mental problems they are written on yellow papers. Therefore if someone says that you have yellow papers you are crazy. My students thought that I had picked yellow paper because of that connection. Though now I wonder if they are connecting ME with yellow papers. . . .
As the month goes on I'm sure that I'll have more things to share from this project. Or at least I really hope that this continues to be a rewarding and enjoyable project for both the students and myself.
Peace,
Colleen
One-on-One Interactions
I have really been enjoying meeting with my students one at time outside of the normal class time. They are told that they are to bring questions or a topic to talk about and then we will just have a natural conversation from there. I've had conversations on a variety of topics with them from their favorite movie, to their future plans, to how they get along with their siblings, and about American politics. It's been very interesting! One neat thing about these interactions is that it has given me the chance to share my faith with a few of my students, which has been very meaningful. Yes, I am a missionary here, but I do not structure my English Conversation classes around Jesus, so being able to talk with them about my faith and hear about theirs was awesome. I'm so grateful when these moments arise because I feel like become more real to them and that we can connect as equals because of our shared faith.
Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous
This is one of the categories for the conversations they can have. One student is a journalist and the other is a celebrity. The students are so funny when they do this conversation. Some of what they say is true, but they also make up a lot of information too, which is just hilarious. During one conversation, I "learned" that Bono was planning on leaving his wife to be with this journalist and live in the tour bus.
Yellow Papers
As mentioned in the post before, I copied their point sheet onto yellow paper. I did this so that it would stand out amongst all of their white papers, so that they would be able to find it quickly and hopefully not lose it. All of the students sort of laughed when they saw the yellow paper, but I thought it was just because it was so bright. This past week I found out why they were really laughing from one of my students. After having a one-on-one with one female student, she said, "We were just wondering why you copied our papers onto yellow. Did you do this on purpose?" I said yes, but they could have easily been blue or green or pink. She then went onto explain than in Poland, if a hospital patient has mental problems they are written on yellow papers. Therefore if someone says that you have yellow papers you are crazy. My students thought that I had picked yellow paper because of that connection. Though now I wonder if they are connecting ME with yellow papers. . . .
As the month goes on I'm sure that I'll have more things to share from this project. Or at least I really hope that this continues to be a rewarding and enjoyable project for both the students and myself.
Peace,
Colleen
11 March 2010
March Madness
Some of my favorite projects I did during my high school years were portfolios where I got to pick the content. The teacher would assign several different mini-projects worth a certain amount of points, and we would have to pick and choose which parts we wanted to do in order earn our grade. This gave us the opportunity to feel in control and to have a say in our assignment, whereas we usually would just have to do whatever the teacher directed us to do. I did this type of project in several of my classes over the years, but the ones I remember best are from my senior year in my AP Psychology and Government classes. As I was remembering these projects in January, I thought that I would like to do something like this for my students.
The idea started with me wanting to meet with my students outside of normal class time to meet one-on-one. For their Matura exam they will speak on their own with an examiner, so I wanted to give them the opportunity to be in this situation, but to do this during class time seemed too complicated. I only see my students once a week for forty-five minutes as is and to cut this time seems unfair. However, I was not sure if I would be able to force the students to see me outside of class either. Enter the portfolio. If I designed such a project where the students were picking and choosing what activities to partake in, then they could chose to speak with me outside of class. I decided to call this project, "March Madness." (I know, I know, it has nothing to do with basketball, but these students have no idea what NCAA is, and I like the alliteration.)
This is the basic breakdown of the assignment. Students have the entire month of March to earn up to 50 points, so 50 is 100%. They earn points by coming to class (3 points per class), and by participating in different speaking activities, which they chose. They keep track of their points on a yellow piece of paper that is their new bff. If they lose this paper, they get a 0. I don't think they have ever had such an assignment before because they are VERY stressed about these papers. They can choose between three different categories of activities: Flying Solo, Two Heads Are Better Than One, and Group Bonding. Each category has at least three different activities, so they can combine them in any way they wish, but they cannot do any activity more than two times. I prepared all the materials and braced for impact, not quite knowing what to expect out of my first class.
The students were definitely a little confused about how everything worked, but to be honest so was I. This is my first time leading a project like this! However, as we got into it and started working, we have found a flow that works. By the second block of working on this, they know what they have to do and we get right down to business. A class period looks like this: I come in, greet the students and tell them to get out their yellow paper. I sign all the sheets for attendance and then ask the students what they want to do and give them the materials they need. I then move two more chairs up to the teacher's desk and as they are ready, they come up and speak. I love this system because the rest of the class keeps working and I can truly focus on the student who is in front of me. One adjustment I think I should make is to start a sign-up for what order the students want to speak in. They are a little feisty when it comes to waiting for their turn. Also, the last few minutes of class are wasteful because by then only one or two students are left to speak and the other students are restless. I have not thought of a way to fix this yet, but because the students are getting good practice in, I'm not too stressed about these few minutes.
In future posts I will share more about how the project is progressing and more about how the students are doing.
Blessings,
Colleen
The idea started with me wanting to meet with my students outside of normal class time to meet one-on-one. For their Matura exam they will speak on their own with an examiner, so I wanted to give them the opportunity to be in this situation, but to do this during class time seemed too complicated. I only see my students once a week for forty-five minutes as is and to cut this time seems unfair. However, I was not sure if I would be able to force the students to see me outside of class either. Enter the portfolio. If I designed such a project where the students were picking and choosing what activities to partake in, then they could chose to speak with me outside of class. I decided to call this project, "March Madness." (I know, I know, it has nothing to do with basketball, but these students have no idea what NCAA is, and I like the alliteration.)
This is the basic breakdown of the assignment. Students have the entire month of March to earn up to 50 points, so 50 is 100%. They earn points by coming to class (3 points per class), and by participating in different speaking activities, which they chose. They keep track of their points on a yellow piece of paper that is their new bff. If they lose this paper, they get a 0. I don't think they have ever had such an assignment before because they are VERY stressed about these papers. They can choose between three different categories of activities: Flying Solo, Two Heads Are Better Than One, and Group Bonding. Each category has at least three different activities, so they can combine them in any way they wish, but they cannot do any activity more than two times. I prepared all the materials and braced for impact, not quite knowing what to expect out of my first class.
The students were definitely a little confused about how everything worked, but to be honest so was I. This is my first time leading a project like this! However, as we got into it and started working, we have found a flow that works. By the second block of working on this, they know what they have to do and we get right down to business. A class period looks like this: I come in, greet the students and tell them to get out their yellow paper. I sign all the sheets for attendance and then ask the students what they want to do and give them the materials they need. I then move two more chairs up to the teacher's desk and as they are ready, they come up and speak. I love this system because the rest of the class keeps working and I can truly focus on the student who is in front of me. One adjustment I think I should make is to start a sign-up for what order the students want to speak in. They are a little feisty when it comes to waiting for their turn. Also, the last few minutes of class are wasteful because by then only one or two students are left to speak and the other students are restless. I have not thought of a way to fix this yet, but because the students are getting good practice in, I'm not too stressed about these few minutes.
In future posts I will share more about how the project is progressing and more about how the students are doing.
Blessings,
Colleen
08 March 2010
Riddle Me This
I am continuously amazed with how creative some of my students are. If given enough time, they are able to come up with truly amazing ideas and can really think outside of the box. One such example came up in class today.
For my second graders I designed an activity where they work on their negociation and logic skills. The whole class works together as one team to figure out 10-12 riddles. They have the entire period and are allowed to talk as much as they want, as long as it is in English. They are not allowed to speak in Polish or any other language. (I had to add the second part of this rule because in another class students were speaking in German and French!) They were allowed to guess as many times as they needed to in order to figure out the correct answer. The whole class would get the same grade on this assignment. I started by writing a "6" on the board, which is the highest grade that can be awarded. For every time I hear words that were not English, I marked down part of a grade, so to "5+" to "5" to "5-". . . .
Listening and watching the students work on these riddles was quite fun for me. I could really see the gears in some of their brains working. It also was neat to see who emerged as a leader of discussion in the group and who just sat back and thought. As in any group activity, some students got very frustrated, others were active the whole time, and some didn't do much of anything. For today I was okay with this.
About eight riddles and 35 minutes into class, one student says to another, "If we had just sat here in silence for 45 minutes we all would have gotten a 6 but because we talked we are going to get a 5. This doesn't seem like a very fair deal to me." I had to bite my tongue so that I wouldn't start laughing. I do not think I would have let them sit in silence for 45 minutes, just so they could get a 6. Though maybe if they could actually do this, they would deserve it. I will have to ponder this for the next time.
Blessings,
Collene
For my second graders I designed an activity where they work on their negociation and logic skills. The whole class works together as one team to figure out 10-12 riddles. They have the entire period and are allowed to talk as much as they want, as long as it is in English. They are not allowed to speak in Polish or any other language. (I had to add the second part of this rule because in another class students were speaking in German and French!) They were allowed to guess as many times as they needed to in order to figure out the correct answer. The whole class would get the same grade on this assignment. I started by writing a "6" on the board, which is the highest grade that can be awarded. For every time I hear words that were not English, I marked down part of a grade, so to "5+" to "5" to "5-". . . .
Listening and watching the students work on these riddles was quite fun for me. I could really see the gears in some of their brains working. It also was neat to see who emerged as a leader of discussion in the group and who just sat back and thought. As in any group activity, some students got very frustrated, others were active the whole time, and some didn't do much of anything. For today I was okay with this.
About eight riddles and 35 minutes into class, one student says to another, "If we had just sat here in silence for 45 minutes we all would have gotten a 6 but because we talked we are going to get a 5. This doesn't seem like a very fair deal to me." I had to bite my tongue so that I wouldn't start laughing. I do not think I would have let them sit in silence for 45 minutes, just so they could get a 6. Though maybe if they could actually do this, they would deserve it. I will have to ponder this for the next time.
Blessings,
Collene
05 March 2010
My New Love
Early in January I was asked if I would be interested in giving English lessons to one of my colleague's friend's four year old daughter, Zosia. Given that I have had no teaching experience of any kind before this year, especially with such a young child, I responded that I would have to think about it. And after giving it some consideration, I decided, why not! I love little kids and figuring this out would be a fun challenge and a new way to connect with the people around me.
At the beginning of winter break I met with Zosia's mother and we talked about how I would teach Zosia. The idea of the lessons is to expose her to a native accent and to help her be able to differentiate between English and Polish. She already attends an English kindergarten, so she has some words. I am to sing and to play with her, teaching her the words needed as we interact. Zosia has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a devilishly sweet smile. Needless to say, I was instantaneously in love.
So far I have had two lessons with Zosia and both have been so much fun! It's really chaotic, and I know that she does not understand everything that I say, but she is a little sponge! We sing, we play with blocks, she asks me to read her Polish books and I tell her "Nie mam po polsko," which is my broken version of i don't have it in Polish. Working with her is great because it is so different from what I do every day at school and is just silly. I also am really enjoying getting to know her mother. I am so thankful that this opportunity has presented itself and am really thinking this is going make my life a lot more joyful.
Peace,
Colleen
At the beginning of winter break I met with Zosia's mother and we talked about how I would teach Zosia. The idea of the lessons is to expose her to a native accent and to help her be able to differentiate between English and Polish. She already attends an English kindergarten, so she has some words. I am to sing and to play with her, teaching her the words needed as we interact. Zosia has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a devilishly sweet smile. Needless to say, I was instantaneously in love.
So far I have had two lessons with Zosia and both have been so much fun! It's really chaotic, and I know that she does not understand everything that I say, but she is a little sponge! We sing, we play with blocks, she asks me to read her Polish books and I tell her "Nie mam po polsko," which is my broken version of i don't have it in Polish. Working with her is great because it is so different from what I do every day at school and is just silly. I also am really enjoying getting to know her mother. I am so thankful that this opportunity has presented itself and am really thinking this is going make my life a lot more joyful.
Peace,
Colleen
04 March 2010
In the Land of Luther
The second part of my winter break was spent in Lutherstadt Wittenberg with my friend, Kerri. We were thankful to be able to stay with students from my Alma Mater in their flats where they are studying abroad for the semester. Kerri also studied in Wittenberg during our college years, so she was an excellent guide and travel companion. We went and visited all of the major Luther sites. Seeing the places where the Reformation started and learning more about what happened in Wittenberg was amazing. We saw the door where he hung the 95 Theses, the place where he lived with Katie, and the church where he regularly preached. It was quite the Lutheran Pilgrimage.
Having time with people I know from America was wonderful as well. Since leaving my parents at the Newark airport I haven't seen one of MY faces. Every face in my life has been new or someone I only meet once or twice. Being with people who know are mine and know my other people was amazing. As much as I cherish all of the relationships I am forming this year, these wonderful people haven't spent time with my parents and don't know me outside of this European context. They know my stories and have witnessed my growth since August, but everyone I talk about is still a mystery to them in some form or fashion. Therefore being with those who know my people was a breath of fresh air.
Kerri also came back to Cieszyn with me for a few days. She got the grand tour and experienced what my daily life was like, including sitting in on some of my classes. Having someone witness first hand what my life is like was really nice too. Now at least one person has a context for my life here. As much as I miss everyone from home, they are somehow separate from this year. Realizing this has resulted in some complicated feelings, especially because I see that some of my dearest relationships are being greatly strained by the Atlantic Ocean and I am not sure how to handle these emotions yet.
In other news, THE SNOW IS GONE! When I came back from Germany, it was all gone. This week has still be chilly, but above freezing and we've had blue skies! It's downright inspiring and it has really helped me to feel more optimistic. I hope to write more in the next few days to tell some of my other stories from the past few weeks.
Blessings,
Colleen
Having time with people I know from America was wonderful as well. Since leaving my parents at the Newark airport I haven't seen one of MY faces. Every face in my life has been new or someone I only meet once or twice. Being with people who know are mine and know my other people was amazing. As much as I cherish all of the relationships I am forming this year, these wonderful people haven't spent time with my parents and don't know me outside of this European context. They know my stories and have witnessed my growth since August, but everyone I talk about is still a mystery to them in some form or fashion. Therefore being with those who know my people was a breath of fresh air.
Kerri also came back to Cieszyn with me for a few days. She got the grand tour and experienced what my daily life was like, including sitting in on some of my classes. Having someone witness first hand what my life is like was really nice too. Now at least one person has a context for my life here. As much as I miss everyone from home, they are somehow separate from this year. Realizing this has resulted in some complicated feelings, especially because I see that some of my dearest relationships are being greatly strained by the Atlantic Ocean and I am not sure how to handle these emotions yet.
In other news, THE SNOW IS GONE! When I came back from Germany, it was all gone. This week has still be chilly, but above freezing and we've had blue skies! It's downright inspiring and it has really helped me to feel more optimistic. I hope to write more in the next few days to tell some of my other stories from the past few weeks.
Blessings,
Colleen
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