Rat Lady

Sunday after church we went to the grocery store. As we were shopping we saw a lady with her pet rat on her shoulder walking through THE PLACE WHERE I BUY MY FOOD as her rat hopped from one shoulder to the other. It was disgusting. This is not a joke. This is real.

The Basket Incident

It's quiet around here today. Pops and Nanny went home yesterday after a wonderful three week visit. Yesterday morning I think Jack was wandering around looking for them. He had such a good time and didn't get too spoiled!

Yesterday I felt very proud of myself because we had our second language test. We go into a room with a Czech and we speak with them and then they give us our chart. I moved up one level in everything and two levels in some things and so I was very, very happy. All the studying is paying off. It is supposed to take 1100 classroom hours to become somewhat fluent in Czech. I've had around 150 so that should tell you how far I have to go. However, my joy in my language improvement was short lived.

Today, Jack and I went to the mall. I needed to drop off some dry cleaning and go to the baby store and the grocery store. All those places are in the mall. Today must have been "be mean to the American day" because it was not a good time.

First, the dry cleaners. This lady is always mean to me. The first time I went she wouldn't even take my clothes because I couldn't speak well enough. She is ALWAYS rude and rolls her eyes when she sees me. I was prepared for her though. It was the grocery store lady I was not prepared for. Normally, they are just fine, but not today. I'm in line to buy my food and when it is my turn the lady takes my shopping basket.

Now, this is the shopping basket situation (as in the little ones you carry): you put your food on the check out stand and then put the basket up before you go pay. But, I always keep my basket with me so I can quickly throw all the food in it after I pay and then get out of everyone's way while I bend down and put it all in Jack's stroller and arrange it so it will fit. I have a 25 minute walk home from the mall, so I have to fit it all in there just right. And I am a good steward of the shopping basket and always go put it in a basket stack. So, back to the lady who has just taken my shopping basket. She takes it away and tells me very rudely that I should have put it up. She then proceeds to throw -- yes throw -- my shopping basket on the floor over by the place where I was supposed to put it up. I told her I needed it and she just yelled at me and told me I should put it up. So, while she is checking my stuff I walk around her and get it back. She then throws it back again. By now I am seething mad. So, I just wait until I finish paying. Then I leave all my stuff right there in her way and walk over and get my basket back. And then I stand right in front of her and load my stuff into the basket. I wanted to scream, "You need Jesus you mean old lady!" Of course, that is probably not the best missional approach, but it was still the one I wanted to take.

So, next time you are in line somewhere and there is a foreigner who is having a hard time, be nice to them. Help them. Smile at them. That person is me.

70% Atheist

I made this the title of this blog because this fact still astounds me. Growing up in the DFW area my whole life makes this an especially difficult concept to understand. Johann was talking with one of his students the other day about God and the student said, "I've never talked to anyone about God who actually believed there was a God." That simple statement just blows our minds and drives us to our knees.

What communism has done to millions of people all over eastern Europe is astonishing. I don't think communism will ever leave this people entirely. It will forever color their perceptions -- it is their history, part of who they are.

I'm not sure where I am going with this blog, except to say again how much this country needs your prayers -- how much Lucy needs your prayers.

I told you that last week I shared the complete gospel with Lucy and she was intrigued. She was intrigued not because she thought it the truth, but because she saw how much joy I had because of Jesus. She looked at me as if she had never seen that kind of joy. The heartbreaking part is that she really has probably never seen that joy. Unless she has had a conversation with a Christian which is highly unlikely, she has never before spoken to someone filled with the Spirit. I see Lucy again tomorrow and I cannot get the vision of her smiling face out of my head.

The gospel seed has been planted, please pray for it to grow and grow in Lucy. Pray that Lucy, who speaks 3 languages, who likes Spanish food, who likes to be at her grandmother's home, will know the love of Christ.

Pops and Nanny and Lucy and Canasta

Pops and Nanny are here to visit. Pops and Nanny are Johann's parents and they are here to see Jack and helped us celebrate his first birthday. They also brought tons of great stuff for Jack including the very rocking horse that Johann used as a toddler. Fun times.

Now about Lucy. Lucy is a 20 year old Czech student who heard the gospel today. After I shared with her she grinned at me and said, "I can see how happy Jesus makes you."

Pray that Lucy will discover how happy Jesus makes her.

So, the girls (Stacy and Nanny) are up 3 to 2 against the boys (Johann and Pops) in Canasta. They are not too happy about that.

Jack's First Birthday