Battered and Bruised and Lovin’ It!

This past weekend held another wonderful visit to Lovosice – although I return a bit “battered and bruised.” Sunday evening many members of the church meet at a local gymnasium to try their skills at volleyball and football (soccer). Volleyball was a lot of fun. Playing takes me back to my middle and early high school days. *sigh* Am I allowed to be nostalgic at this age? After a few games of volleyball, all of the men round up to have about a 40 min game of football. Standa (the father) had asked me at the house earlier if I would play soccer, and being the typical, sure, I’ll do anything, I’m easy-going, I can be flexible even though I HATE this game, Dreama, said that I would play not realizing my yes then meant an invitation later. After we finished our games of volleyball Standa and the other guys invited me over to play soccer, and of course I agreed. (Honestly, what was I thinking?) Of course I would though, being the only girl given an invitation, I had to prove myself to the other guys! HA Surprisingly, I defended very well, even receiving a “husky” from the other guys. Normally, I would be offended, but since I now know such Czech adjectives as tall, short, nice, mean, ugly, pretty, I understand that they were telling me “Nice!” Who would have ever thought I could (semi) hold my own in soccer at that? Well, I did come back with a few bruises, but a lot of laughs and yet again another lovely weekend with the Kucera’s.

I arrived in Lovosice midday Saturday and stayed until Sunday evening. Saturday Dani (the daughter) and I went to a girl’s group that meets every Saturday night at church. It was wonderful. It’s almost like a Bible Study, but more of a tea party with desserts and someone usually brings a topic they had been thinking about that week. This week we shared problems that were hindering us in our lives. It made me really think about how often I tend to take my problems or worries and exaggerate their significance so much that I loose focus of what is immediately before me. After we each talked about our individual situations we prayed for the person sitting to our left. It was quite beautiful. Definitely what “the doctor” ordered. I didn’t realize how much I needed that time to hear other people’s concerns as well as admit to myself my own. It has definitely helped me try to think about living more for today and what it brings and less for the stress I create with my worries. The time also made me think of how, in my own growth in my faith and relationship with God, I have now experienced/learned a new type of trust – I guess what I mean by this is that I use to “give my problems to God” because that’s what you were supposed to do. It was black and white. Bad day? Give it to God. And yes, I find beauty in simplicity, but now that I live in grey I have to question why exactly would one give their problems to God. And is it as simple as God will take care of them? You know, I will be honest, I don’t know if I really believe that God will take care of absolutely every little thing or that it’s as simple as passing off a To Do List to God and moving forward. But as I have grown over these past few years, I have at least come to peace with the idea that God is like a father or a mother to me – that I can go to God with my anxieties and if I trust in the love that I feel when I am in the presence of God as the love I feel in the presence of my own parents, then I trust that at least God hears me, and whether or not God is like my dad at 5 o’clock in the morning ready to deliver the greatest and most comforting wisdom life has taught him or like my mother at 1 AM ready to relate and express her knowledge of the same pain with her own life experiences, or when they both have no wisdom but merely a hug and a nod to a sobbing child, somehow I still trust them. Perhaps, in reality I am still simplifying this concept to seem as though just a matter of trust, but I feel like as I have grown in my relationship with God at least now it is not a blind trust. I talk to God about my difficulties because I choose to and whether or not I always believe God takes care of my To Do List at least now I believe God listens to my venting, provides a shoulder, and offers experience to teach me, and I think whether or not I choose to take the wisdom, that is my choice. I guess maybe the difference now is that I see God as a listener and one who is offering advice through different avenues, but ultimately it is up to me to decide to take it. And when you realize you have the choice to choose, life becomes unbearably challenging, yet beautiful.

Back on track. So, during the prayer time, Anechka (sp? Sorry), who translated for my English class last summer, was to my right, so the one who would pray for me. After we had finished praying, she told me that during her prayer (which was in Czech) she had prayed for what I had expressed to the group that evening and then she said that she thanked God for me being here and that I was not like a foreigner, but was like one of them, and that she was so encouraged that I was here and was excited about the semester and what the summer would bring. We shared lots of hugs! I have never felt so grateful for such kind words. It really meant a lot to hear that and to see the others agree. More and more this feels like home to me. I guess so often here in Praha, I feel like another American with that group of loud, study abroad Americans. I honestly think I would go nuts without the chance to practice my Czech and participate in real Czech culture in Lovosice. I do love this study abroad program and there are a lot of great people that are a part of the program and great courses that I am taking, but it is difficult to leave the “American Bubble” they have created, so it is nice to have the people in Lovosice.

Today was our first day of classes and they for the most part went really well. I am taking Politics of Central Eastern Europe, Holocaust History, Jewish History, Czech Language, Czech Film, and I have an internship. I had all of my courses today except for Czech Film, which will not be until Thursday. All of the other courses seem great and not too difficult; however, I must confess Czech Politics is a bit disorganized and presented in an uninteresting fashion. The professor is a bit all over the place with his lecture and perhaps has taught it so long that he seems somewhat automated in his disorganized teaching style. Hopefully, it is just first day formalities! Jewish History looks to be great. I think my previous courses at Virginia will be of great help, and the professor seems very encouraging about most comments added to discussion which is always refreshing. Holocaust History should also be a great course. I really like this professor as well and he has some great lectures/projects lined up for the semester, and shamefully, I know less than I should about this event in the world’s history, so I am excited to get to explore it in more detail. Not only that, but we are also taking more of an anthropological approach in that we are not just learning the fact based history, but we are also looking at the implications of the terminology used to describe this event (genocide, shaoh, holocaust, “final solution”, etc) as well as the psychological affects the event has not only on it’s victims but also generations after and what it means even to those who have no relation to it. It is interesting because just in the news there was a resolution to end holocaust denial in the UN on the table for debate. We talked some today about the implications of passing such a resolution, and also what it says about the few countries that have not yet or will not agree to sign the resolution. Again, it should be a great course! I will not have my Czech Film course until Thursday. And Czech Language is going well. I was able to practice a lot this weekend, which is everything I need, especially because the Kucera’s don’t mind me walking around the kitchen naming everything I know, and they do a great job helping me with my pronunciation!

Class went pretty much for the whole day (9-6). I have about a 2 and ½ hour break for lunch but then class until 6. After my last class I came home and “fixed” dinner. Fixed meaning I heated up the leftovers Mirka (the mother) packed me for my train ride home. Sooooo good!!! And now, after dinner, I sit here typing this blog. Tomorrow I do not have class, but as soon as the internship is set up (basically they are letting me use my time teaching English in Lovosice as an internship! Sweet!) I will try to go to Lovosice on Tuesdays to work. I am also looking into perhaps doing one of the other internships offered since I will get to spend some weekends in Lovosice, which will count for the minimal hours per week, so I won’t necessarily need to go there every Tuesday. We will see how that works out.

Tomorrow I have a grand list of things to do. A trip to the post office (This will be a first! I love new adventures and figuring out how stuff works!), a trip to Tesco (the English version of Belk and Target combined), maybe a tour of the Cathedral in the castle in Old Town, grocery shopping, some reading for class, and then (hopefully) an evening back at the State Opera House to see the ballet Cinderella. Phew! Let’s hope I can get most of that accomplished! Oh, and a trip to CET or a Internet Café to post this blog!

I hope all is well and know that I miss you all dearly and love you all lots!!!

Ahoj!