Update 5

Update 5 – July 11, 2007

Today the day started great. Our devotions were fun today. Everyone was really into our conversation. We have been reading through Matthew and today we read chapter 13. After devotions, we left for the coffee house to get ready for VBS. When we got there, VBS started great. The kids looked like they were enjoying themselves. It is fun for all of us. Kaity H. taught them the story of the prodigal son. She did a great job. We also did games with a parachute. We also played a coin game where we passed a coin between us and someone had to guess where it was. After VBS, we had breaded pork for lunch. Good stuff! We all took a long nap time after that. We were all very tired. Tonight we went to the coffee house and met some of the Polish teens to play football, both European (soccer) and American. It was America versus Poland . We lost at soccer. (I don’t think they were even trying their hardest) But we kicked butt in football. It was a great time. We had a blast. After that we came back to the coffee house to just chill. We all slept like rocks.

~The Updaters

Update #4

Update 4 – July 10, 2007VBS started today. The team was really excited to begin as we got to the coffeehouse. Our point for the day was that God is real. Katie D. told the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 and did an experiment with vinegar and baking soda. Then the kids went to Dawn and did crafts. They made a paper basket with fish and bread in it. Next it was off to games with Sarah where we played with the parachute in the school gym. As we came back, we ate our snack and learned the verse in both Polish and English. This was quite an experience for the team that was teaching that day because it was the first time for some to talk with a translator. Everyone was so excited that we had 20 kids at VBS today! Doubling what they had last year on the first day. After VBS, we ate our real polish lunch; Yum Periogis! Then we had a couple of hours of free time to relax. We spent some of it at Real, a wal-mart type store with mall stores built inside the front part. Then back to the coffee house to grill and have kielbasa. We probably consumed a ton of it. (At least the boys did) The rain cancelled our planned scavenger hunt for CX, so instead we hung out in the coffee house and played games with the teens there.So far, the food here hasn’t been too bad. Monday we had chicken, potatoes, veggies and chicken soup. We all loved it. Today, like I said we had periogis, soup and beet salad. The opinion on whether the beet salad and soup were good was definitely split. We are definitely looking forward to what we will have tomorrow. Monday was probably our first taste of polish food in Poland, except for those who ate kielbasa at the Castle we visited on Sunday.. Carlene and the other leaders spoiled us by feeding us familiar food and letting us go to McDonalds after church on Sunday.Every night before bed, we meet as a team to debrief the day. Starting with VBS, it came out that watching Katie Dean teach was like watching her mom Jan teach a story. It was like she was channeling her mom while she was teaching Jesus feeding the 5000. Then we started sharing fun stories about our night at the coffee house. Matt S. challenged us to go around the room and share how we had seen God working in this trip or in our lives. We laughed, Katie D. cried, but mostly we laughed. We discovered that we had a new team record for most kielbasas eaten in one sitting. Matt P. holds the record with 11. Most of the girls could only handle one. We have one prayer request for Jacob (Say the J like a Y) He is a teen from the coffee house that Pastor Joel and some others have been talking with. He claims to be an atheist, and Pastor Joel and the guys say he is so close to believing. Please pray for Pastor Joel and the guys as they talk with him about Christianity and for Jacob that he would just be open to God’s leading.~ The UpdatersP.S. Devon says hi!Important Information for the Leaders…The team asked us today to remind everyone that they are unable to respond to you all in email, because we have such limited time and access to internet. Please know that they are receiving all or your emails and have found it very encouraging. So please continue to write them. There have been some complications with sending out pictures so from now on to see pictures go to www.sgcyouth.com and look at Pastor Joel’s blog. We are also posting the updates there. There have been other issues with not all of the emails getting through to everyone on our support team, but know we are doing everything in our power to make this a smooth process. Despite the issues with emails, we are doing our best to keep our focus on what God has brought us to Poland to do. Please be patient with us.Thanks

Update #3

Update 3 – July 9, 2007

This morning our group devotional was great. Our friend Zbyszek joined us. It was good time talking together about community and the church.

Today was our day to set up for our VBS. We all wish Mrs. Fischer was here. Ha ha. Set up was good and our grounds crew really got their hands dirty to make the coffee house look great. We all work hard and our out come looks fantastic. It is still a little tough to get used to the eating styles here. (A light breakfast, a big lunch, a light dinner) We are making great connections with the youth here. We have an activity called Creative Exchange or “CX.” This is where we get with the teens that spend time at the coffee house and just hang. We watched X-Men 3 tonight and had a great discussion afterwards. We were able to talk about where our faith with an atheist named Jacob who comes to the coffee house, because of some things that were in the movie. Everything here is great and we can’t wait till VBS starts early on Tuesday. Please keep us in your prayers and thank you.

Love,
The Updaters.

Update 2 - July 8

Update 2 - July 8, 2007

Church (at the coffee house) started this morning at about 11. (Poland time) We attempted to sing the polish songs but… yeah! Matt Schnaars and Julia Fetters both gave their testimony with the help of a translator. Joel taught the majority of the service. Shortly before the service ended, we took communion.

Following the service, we headed out to further immerse ourselves into the culture. (McDonalds) Happy meals taste about the same as back home. After our quick “Polish” meal, we left for Ksiaz. (A castle in Walbrzych, which is a city) J

We did not go inside the castle, but we toured the gardens, terraces and veranda. It was amazing! So many pictures! And now we are at Paul and Carlene’s house eating kabobs. Good stuff.

We are having a great time here and thank you for your prayers.

Dziekuje (Thanks)
The Updaters

Poland Update #1

Thursday (Chicago)

We made it to the O'Hare 45 minutes early. Traffic was amazingly good.
We flew through check in and baggage. No problem with security. Our
red shirts sure made us stick out. On the plane we all sat together in 4 rows.
When we boarded the plane we had a delay for about an hour. Dumb cargo
door wasn't working. Most people were able to sleep through the ride.
Our on board movie was Wildhogs. ( good movie.) Because of our delay
we all thought we were going to miss our connecting flight. But it was
delayed too! One reason our plane did not take off was because a
luggage bag from Chicago was missing? (Oh no) All is well though we
don't know whose bag it was, but we all got all of ours. Apparently
it was found.


Friday

By now it's Friday at about 2:00pm Poland time. Rich, a man who is
Paul and Carlene's friend, met us at the airport. He got us our
van and our ride to the church where we would be staying around 7:30.
We exchanged some money and went shopping for supper. Our first
Polish was meal Spaghetti wooo! And we had some fruit salad.
Cooking was quite an adventure. After dinner we had our first
debrief time.



Saturday

We made breakfast, and had our team devotions and took off on a great
adventure. We intended to take the tram, but the tram never came, so
we walked to the square which was about 30 minutes; we were quite a
sight people couldn't take their eyes off us. We walked around
for a good part of the afternoon, and even though we saw some familiar
stores this didn't feel like home. Our first Polish restaurant was
Pizzaski Hutski (Pizza Hut)! We walked to the mall and it was no
Concord Mall and we had Lody (which is ice cream) and even Dawn and
Matt say that it was better than Cold Stone! Afterwards we met Rich
and Paul at Sand Island; they were their to take us to the Eager's
Home and later to the Coffee House. So far it's a great time and
we love it. Thank you to everyone who helped us, and thank you for
praying for us. Czesic (bye).



~The Updaters