Last night I went to a worship concert in Czech. It was so amazing to see that many Czech Christians worshiping God together in one room! One thing that I found interesting, was how many people I knew there. It seriously felt like a family reunion! But it also really shows just how small the Christian community is in Czech...yet another reason to be on our knees for the Czechs.
Matt Redman concert-in Czech
Posted in on 2:01 PM by AutumnLast night I went to a worship concert in Czech. It was so amazing to see that many Czech Christians worshiping God together in one room! One thing that I found interesting, was how many people I knew there. It seriously felt like a family reunion! But it also really shows just how small the Christian community is in Czech...yet another reason to be on our knees for the Czechs.
always a paradox
Posted in on 12:47 AM by AutumnWhen I arrived in Písek on Friday night, the first thing that came to mind was, 'home sweet home.' Although, it was followed by the sad realization that it won't be home. There's a part of me that will always think of Písek as home, but pretty soon I'll be moving to a new "home", a home I haven't even visited yet.
It's amazing how many paradoxes there are as a missionary. Goodbye's are hard, leaving is hard...but leaving is exciting, too, and hello's are always so amazing! I'm sad that I'll be leaving Písek, but I'm excited to be moving to Výsoke Mýto, too.
My time in Písek was great! It was short, but I was able to see everyone I wanted to see in such a short period of time. I kind of felt like I was able to say an official goodbye to my friends there, my church there, and the town. I know I'll be visiting again and I'll see my friends there again, but I also felt like it was healthy to have some closure. The same day that I left Písek, I was also able to meet my future ministry team in Výsoke Mýto. I've heard many good things about them, and it was so great to meat all of them! I can't wait to be able to get more time with them!
All my bags are packed...
Posted in on 8:53 AM by AutumnIn just a few hours I'll be on my way back to Czech for the summer! I already switched out the currency in my wallet, have my passport packed, and I'm ready to go!
This summer will be my 7th, 8th, and 9th English camps (and for some reason I still get nervous about teaching English). I'm really excited to get back to Czech and to build some new relationships there. This will also be my first summer to join an intern team with JV. All of the other camps I've worked with have been "wild card camps", where a Czech church teams with an American church. It will be nice to see what the rest of the country is doing, and to experience an intern team. I'm praying that God will prepare me to be stretched in the ways He wants to stretch me and that I'll grow closer to Him through it.
more time with the kids
Posted in on 8:38 AM by AutumnAfter spending a week in Nashville, my sister decided to drive up to Chicago with me. It was so great to be able to get an extra week with her and the kids. We were so blessed to be able to get time with the whole family. It's sad that it doesn't happen more often, but we appreciate it that much more when it does happen. We took the kids to a museum a couple days ago and it was so nice to get so much time with my mom, my sisters and their kids. I just have to say...family is such a blessing!
A Week in TN
Posted in on 3:37 AM by Autumn
I've spent this last week in Nashville with my sister and her kids, and I have to say...being an aunt is THE BEST! I really can't compare it to being a mom (since I'm not one), but I love this! I know I shouldn't encourage this, but it's always been my secret goal to become the favorite aunt. But shhh...don't tell anyone.
On a more serious note though, one of the hardest thing for me when I leave to go overseas is not seeing the kids. When I left to move to Czech, Sierra had just started walking...by the time I got back, she was running and talking. The next time I saw her, I cried because of how much she had grown. Another thing that was hard was that I was in the delivery room with Sierra and the one to say, "It's a girl!", and with Hayden...I was in Czech at an Exit small group. I had never been so homesick than when I knew I was going to miss being there. So when I say goodbye, it breaks my heart more than anything to have to say goodbye to the kids. That's probably why I treasure the time I get with them so much. I'm sure I would treasure it anyway, but it's that much more meaningful to me knowing I need to soak up all the time I can with them while I can.
Man, I love these kids!
So, I leave a week from tomorrow and here’s what’s on my to-do list for the next week:
Posted in on 3:35 AM by Autumn
• watch my friend’s son (two half-days)
• snail mail update (including: writing, designing, printing, cutting, addressing, & mailing)
• write and send thank-you notes
• catch up on 25+ emails
• prep for three weeks of English camps
• prep for teaching on Czech culture at First Baptist (+ teaching the night before I leave)
• oh, and I almost forgot…PACK!
I'm surprised I'm not overwhelmed yet.
• snail mail update (including: writing, designing, printing, cutting, addressing, & mailing)
• write and send thank-you notes
• catch up on 25+ emails
• prep for three weeks of English camps
• prep for teaching on Czech culture at First Baptist (+ teaching the night before I leave)
• oh, and I almost forgot…PACK!
I'm surprised I'm not overwhelmed yet.
I SPEAK PEE
Posted in on 11:29 PM by Autumn
Entry #1
It was Nicki’s second summer mission trip to the Czech Republic. This time, she decided she wanted to learn more Czech. She had already learned phrases like, “I don’t speak Czech”, and “I don’t understand” and things like that. So she asked me if I would teach her something new. Now, I’m not a big fan of telling people they’re saying something when they’re not, so I thought it would be funny if I taught her some slang…something that the Czechs would find humorous. So I taught her how to say, “I have to pee.” So Nicki practiced and practiced and got the phrase down without any Czechs hearing her say it. Finally, she was ready to use it. A bunch of us were sitting down and talking, and Nicki looked at me and said, “Okay, I’m gonna do it.” And then she stood up and said, “I speak pee!”
(Names have been changed to protect the innocent from embarrassment without their consent.)
It was Nicki’s second summer mission trip to the Czech Republic. This time, she decided she wanted to learn more Czech. She had already learned phrases like, “I don’t speak Czech”, and “I don’t understand” and things like that. So she asked me if I would teach her something new. Now, I’m not a big fan of telling people they’re saying something when they’re not, so I thought it would be funny if I taught her some slang…something that the Czechs would find humorous. So I taught her how to say, “I have to pee.” So Nicki practiced and practiced and got the phrase down without any Czechs hearing her say it. Finally, she was ready to use it. A bunch of us were sitting down and talking, and Nicki looked at me and said, “Okay, I’m gonna do it.” And then she stood up and said, “I speak pee!”
(Names have been changed to protect the innocent from embarrassment without their consent.)
an interesting idea
Posted in on 11:26 PM by Autumn
The other day, I spent some time with a family who I’ve known for years. We were up until all hours of the night talking and laughing until we had tears in our eyes. One of the many outcomes of my visit with them was that my friend decided to encourage me to do something…
The challenge: Write a book containing humorous missionary stories – stories of cultural flubs and language blunders.
The title: I SPEAK PEE
The challenge: Write a book containing humorous missionary stories – stories of cultural flubs and language blunders.
The title: I SPEAK PEE
neustále se modlete
Posted in on 4:45 PM by Autumn
pray without ceasing
There's never a time when prayer is needed any less, but there are many times when prayer is needed more.
For three years now I've been asking people to come alongside of me to pray with me for the Czech Republic. After living there for a year, and spending another year and a half in preparation to go back...my departure date is just around the corner. I don't have my tickets yet, but the goal is to leave on June 19th!
There are a few things you can be praying about with me.
-I need to raise at least another $500 a month. Pray that God will provide and that I'll do my part in making the right connections.
-I'm praying for people to come alongside of me who want to help me build an even stronger network of prayer warriors and potential supporters.
-There are a lot of changes happening in Czech. Because of some of these changes, we're asking God's direction in His placement for me.
-That God will give me peace in knowing that this is all happening in His timing...not mine.
Thank you for being on your knees with me!
~Autumn~
living in paradox
Posted in on 4:23 PM by AutumnOne of the things that we talked about at my training in Colorado is the paradox of leaving for the mission field. On one hand, it’s really exciting to get to go to the place where God called me, on the other . . . I’m going to miss everyone SO MUCH! Last weekend, I went up to Minneapolis to visit with and say goodbye to a couple of my good friends. While it was SO good to get time with them (and meet some of their friends), it was also SO hard to say goodbye. It also reminded me that I have more goodbyes to come that are going to be hard as well. I can’t even describe how it feels to be both ecstatic and heartbroken at the same time.
This time in the states has had its ups and downs. I think some of the downs have been my own fault for not having the right attitude going into things. For a long time, I tried living in the states while keeping my heart in Czech. Looking back, I’ve realized that a lot of the reason I did that was to protect my heart from getting hurt. If I didn’t get close to anyone during the time I was here, it wouldn’t be hard when I had to say goodbye. But instead of protecting my heart, I ended up hurting my heart in the long run by not getting close to anyone. Thankfully, God has allowed me to push through and I’ve been blessed with some AMAZING friendships with people who will be all over the world.
One of the great things about being in the states has been the time with my niece and nephews. I have to admit, it’s hard to leave everyone, but when I leave and come back to a kid I hardly recognize…it breaks my heart more than anything. This past year or so has been so great to be able to soak up as much time as I can with the kids I’m going to miss the most. (My 1 & ½ year old nephew is even saying Auntie Autumn all the time now.)
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this paradox I’m living in. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a life of paradox. One of my friends even said to me, “As missionaries we’ll always have a sense of homesickness, no matter where we live.” I’m not looking forward to always having this feeling, but at the same time…this isn’t really our permanent home, so how comfortable should we really get here?
what to write...
Posted in on 5:21 AM by Autumn
So, I have this problem when I'm in the states...I never have a clue as to what to write on here. I mean, I have the tendency to embarrass myself when I'm in Czech. I mess the language up all the time, or walk into the men's bathroom...one time I even told a lady that I didn't understand her because SHE didn't speak Czech. Oops. She still talks to me though, so I must not have messed things up too badly. So anyway, when I'm in Czech, I feel like I have ALL KINDS of stories to tell, but when I'm in the states...how exciting is it when I say I'm support raising and meeting with different people? It seems kind of boring. So, I guess what I need to realize is that it's okay for my blog to look different when I'm in the states. I mean, my life's different when I'm in the states so why shouldn't my blog look different?
Colorado
Posted in on 3:20 AM by AutumnI'm currently in Colorado doing five weeks of training to get ready to go back to the mission field. It's amazing how often we have our own agendas, and God has something else in mind. My purpose in being here is to learn how to learn another language (linguistics and phonetics drills...things like that), and how to adapt to another culture. Before I came, my expectations were to learn what I was supposed to learn and get to Czech as soon as I could afterwards. This is happening, but God had even more plans than just that. I've been blessed to have built some really amazing friendships here. This picture is of Dan, Ellie, me, & Ryan (heading to Zimbabwe, Brazil, Czech, and Slovakia). A couple weeks ago we had an extra long weekend, so the four of us decided to take a road trip together. We had 72 hours, so we spent 24 of them driving to the Grand Canyon and back! It was an amazing trip! I feel so blessed that God put us all together for our training. It's amazing how God can bring friendships together even though we'll eventually end up all over the world.
the cutest kids in the world
Posted in on 1:21 AM by Autumnsummer update in the winer
Posted in on 1:15 AM by AutumnOkay, maybe blogging isn't my thing. I like doing it...I just forget about it. Then it's been MONTHS and I finally decide to catch up. As is the case now. So, even though it's February...I'll give you a quick update on the summer...then continue to other things.
This summer was amazing! I was back in Czech and able to help with two English camps. I planned on staying a month, but after connecting with a girl at one of the camps, she asked me to stay another month with her family. It was a lot of fun, plus it was a great experience to live with a Czech family for a while.
...going...and going...and going...
Posted in on 2:35 AM by AutumnWell, I'm off to Czech again! This time it's only for five weeks. (Not that that's a short amount of time, but I'm not moving back yet.) I leave tomorrow and I'll be there until August 9th...and I can't wait!!! I'm so excited to see everyone again and to help with a couple camps...and to build some relationships...can you tell I'm excited?
Well, here's my schedule:
July 8th - 13th - Malenovice - JV Training
July 14th - 21st - Sumava Mountains - youth camp #1
July 22nd - 27th - Pisek - camp follow-up
July 28th - August 4th - Sumava Mountains - youth camp #2
August 5th - 9th - Pisek - camp follow-up
If you think about it, please pray for me while I'm there!
african misunderstandings
Posted in on 3:25 PM by Autumn
Now that I'm in the states, I can't ever think of anything fun to write on here. I can't really tell any cultural stories or how I messed the language up and embarrassed myself. For some reason, those stories don't come as often when you're in the country you grew up in. But I did remember a story someone told me about that I thought you might appreciate.
Marianne was a missionary in Africa. One Sunday, she went to church and was a little confused at one of the worship songs. They were singing joyfully a song that sounded (to her) like this: Wee-na wee-na, wee-na wee-na wee-na...Jesus is a wee-na! I can picture her just looking at her husband wondering what they were singing about. Then later in the song they started to sing: Loo-sa loo-sa, loo-sa loo-sa loo-sa...Satan is a loo-sa! Right then she realized what they were saying, "Oh, winner! Jesus is a winner!"
Marianne was a missionary in Africa. One Sunday, she went to church and was a little confused at one of the worship songs. They were singing joyfully a song that sounded (to her) like this: Wee-na wee-na, wee-na wee-na wee-na...Jesus is a wee-na! I can picture her just looking at her husband wondering what they were singing about. Then later in the song they started to sing: Loo-sa loo-sa, loo-sa loo-sa loo-sa...Satan is a loo-sa! Right then she realized what they were saying, "Oh, winner! Jesus is a winner!"
returning from space
Posted in on 6:36 AM by Autumn
So, here's something on my mind lately. Reverse culture shock. Or better yet...Re-Entry. I'm reading this book that my mission's pastor recommended to me, and that's what it's called...Re-Entry. Once I had been in the states for a while, I realized that I couldn't call it reverse culture shock anymore. I wasn’t really “shocked” about things, but I knew I was going through something. But I couldn’t seem to explain it to anyone. If you’ve ever gone on the mission field (short-term or long), you might know what I’m talking about.
The book calls this Re-Entry. It relates it to an astronaut going into space, and then returning to the Earth. One astronaut, who was in space for months, came back and his body couldn’t get used to the gravity again, and he ended up being paralyzed. The author said that returning from missions is similar to an astronaut returning from space . . . every part of you just has to get used to things again. And no matter how long it’s been, once you’ve gone, you’ll never be the same again.
When I read this, it really helped me to be able to take a deep breath. One of my first thoughts was, “I’m normal!” It’s such a good feeling to be re-assured that you’re not going through something that you shouldn’t be going through. I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me. Especially when no one around me could relate to me. So yes, I may feel like an astronaut at times, but at least I’m normal, right?
The book calls this Re-Entry. It relates it to an astronaut going into space, and then returning to the Earth. One astronaut, who was in space for months, came back and his body couldn’t get used to the gravity again, and he ended up being paralyzed. The author said that returning from missions is similar to an astronaut returning from space . . . every part of you just has to get used to things again. And no matter how long it’s been, once you’ve gone, you’ll never be the same again.
When I read this, it really helped me to be able to take a deep breath. One of my first thoughts was, “I’m normal!” It’s such a good feeling to be re-assured that you’re not going through something that you shouldn’t be going through. I was starting to think that there was something wrong with me. Especially when no one around me could relate to me. So yes, I may feel like an astronaut at times, but at least I’m normal, right?
throwing in the towel
Posted in on 3:37 AM by Autumn
You know, I think I should just give up on trying to keep up on this. I guess I'll just have to randomly write on it, then whoever checks on it will be pleasantly surprised when they find something on here.
Austin David
Posted in on 11:59 PM by AutumnYou Know You're an MK When...
Posted in on 6:28 AM by Autumn
Okay, I know I'm not an MK, but I can still relate to some of these...or at least appreciate them.
1 You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
2 011 is a familiar area code.
3 People send you used tea bags in the mail.
4 You speak two languages, but can't spell either.
5 You flew before you could walk.
6 The U.S. is a foreign country.
7 You embarrass yourself by asking what swear words mean.
8 You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
9 You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
10 You consider a city 500 miles away to be "very close."
11 Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
12 You think in grams, meters, and liters.
13 You read the international section before the comics.
14 You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
15 You don't know where home is.
16 You do your devotions in another language.
17 You sort your friends by continent.
18 "Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
19 The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her.
20 You aren't terribly surprised when you do.
21 You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
22 You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
23 You wince when people mispronounce foreign words.
24 You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
25 The majority of your friends never spoke English.
26 Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
27 You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
28 You realize it really is a small world, after all.
29 You never take anything for granted.
30 You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
31 You know how to pack.
32 You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts, 50 and 60 cycle current, and realize that a trasnsformer isn't always enough to make your appliances work.
33 You get confused because the dollar bills aren't colour coded.
34 You have a name in at least two different languages, and it's not the same one.
35 You miss the sub-titles when you go to see the latest movie.
36 You know what the name of your subcompact car means.
37 You determine your speed by the smaller orange numbers on the inside of your speedometer dial.
38 You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
39 You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
40 You go to a church you have never been in before and find your picture on their bulletin board.
41 You look at the Rockies and think, "Nice hills."
42 You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home.
43 You know hundreds of missionaries all over the world, but forget your pastor's name.
44 You consider a three year old piece of clothing to be "Practically new."
45 You don't know whether to write the date as month/day/year, day/month/year, or some variation thereof.
46 You meet another MK, and discover that you share the same best friend.
47 The best word for something is the word you learned first, regardless of the language.
48 Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
49 You wake up one day and realize you're not a foreigner anymore.
50 You wake up one day and realize you really still are a foreigner.
1 You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
2 011 is a familiar area code.
3 People send you used tea bags in the mail.
4 You speak two languages, but can't spell either.
5 You flew before you could walk.
6 The U.S. is a foreign country.
7 You embarrass yourself by asking what swear words mean.
8 You watch National Geographic specials and recognize someone.
9 You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
10 You consider a city 500 miles away to be "very close."
11 Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
12 You think in grams, meters, and liters.
13 You read the international section before the comics.
14 You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
15 You don't know where home is.
16 You do your devotions in another language.
17 You sort your friends by continent.
18 "Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
19 The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her.
20 You aren't terribly surprised when you do.
21 You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
22 You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
23 You wince when people mispronounce foreign words.
24 You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
25 The majority of your friends never spoke English.
26 Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
27 You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
28 You realize it really is a small world, after all.
29 You never take anything for granted.
30 You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.
31 You know how to pack.
32 You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts, 50 and 60 cycle current, and realize that a trasnsformer isn't always enough to make your appliances work.
33 You get confused because the dollar bills aren't colour coded.
34 You have a name in at least two different languages, and it's not the same one.
35 You miss the sub-titles when you go to see the latest movie.
36 You know what the name of your subcompact car means.
37 You determine your speed by the smaller orange numbers on the inside of your speedometer dial.
38 You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
39 You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
40 You go to a church you have never been in before and find your picture on their bulletin board.
41 You look at the Rockies and think, "Nice hills."
42 You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home.
43 You know hundreds of missionaries all over the world, but forget your pastor's name.
44 You consider a three year old piece of clothing to be "Practically new."
45 You don't know whether to write the date as month/day/year, day/month/year, or some variation thereof.
46 You meet another MK, and discover that you share the same best friend.
47 The best word for something is the word you learned first, regardless of the language.
48 Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
49 You wake up one day and realize you're not a foreigner anymore.
50 You wake up one day and realize you really still are a foreigner.
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