July Newsletter

July was a busy month as there was a lot happening in Veľký Slavkov, and as my departure time came. I tried to fit a lot into the little time I had left, including a trip back to Horná Mičiná to say good-bye to my friends there. Another weekend during the month I went with two of the other volunteers, Ashley and Kristen, to Východna for a Folk Festival. This is a huge festival held each year in this village full of Slovak folk dancing, singing, food, woodcutting and various other traditional crafts. In the afternoon they held a parade with the various folk groups from all around the country. It was really interesting to see the different costumes (each region has different costumes) and to see the groups sing and dance. They also had two stages set up with various groups giving performances. While enjoying the folk music we also were able to get some Slovak souvenirs to bring home, and indulge in some trdelnik one last time! Trdelnik is a Slovak/Czech sweet pastry that is cooked in a cylinder shape and can be coated with cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa and a lot of other tasty things.

Also at the beginning of the month a mission group from New Mexico and Minnesota came to do an English Bible camp with children from the village and from Poprad. It was very strange having a huge group of Americans around speaking English, but it was nice being able to explain some of the Slovak culture to them. The Bible camp was Monday to Friday from 9am-3pm and included sixty children from four years old to sixteen years old. The children were split up into classes, each class with two American teachers and a Slovak translator. I was considered the translator for a class ranging in age from about seven to ten years. At first I was a little nervous and wondering how I was going to be able to translate the Bible lessons for these kids, but it turned out to be a great experience. I realized how much Slovak I had learned during the year and felt proud of myself for being able to be a big help with this class. The language was one of the struggles throughout the year because I often felt frustrated as I was learning- like I should have been doing better than I was. It was great to have this week where I really saw my progress. I was also grateful for the adorable and sweet class I had, who were able to understand me when I had trouble translating things!
The weekend before I left Slovakia the center had a going away party for both Kristen and I. We baked an enormous batch of chocolate chip cookies (with real brown sugar and real chocolate chips sent from America) for everyone to share, which they really enjoyed. They had a huge sign hung up that read “Thank you very much”, in Slovak on one side and in English on the other side. Stano spoke for a little while thanking us for giving our time to help them. Then Peťo, one of the guys who came to English classes prepared something in English to read, and then Robko read it in Slovak so everyone could understand. It thanked us for having activities with them, for having Bible studies, and for all of our help. It was so nice that he took the time to write it and say it in English.
As I write this I have been back home for about a month readjusting to life in America. Everyone wants to know how the year was and I am eager to share, but it is really hard to sum up a year! It’s so difficult for me to process what it meant to be in Slovakia for that time, and now as I am home looking back upon the year it can be hard to think through everything and what I learned. I know I have come back different than when I left, but it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly how.
Desmond Tutu writes “In African language we say ‘a person is a person through other persons.’ I would not know how to be a human being at all except I learned this from other human beings. We are made for a delicate network of relationships, of interdependence. We are meant to complement each other.” Reading this bit from Desmond Tutu helped me to realize that what shaped me the most this past year were the people that I met and came to know as they welcomed me into their lives. Pani Hulinova who shared her grief with me as her husband past away, Pani Markova giving me bunches of grapes almost every day last September, Eva telling me stories about the guys at the center and all that they had been through, Pali teaching me how to make cabbage soup, Peťo teaching me how to play guitar, and so many more people left an impact on me. I learned from them and they are still a part of me even though I am no longer in Slovakia. I miss everyone from Slovakia a lot and am sad wondering when I will see them again, but at the same time I am filled with a lot of joy because of the network of relationships I am a part of. Even though I am not able to see these people and spend time with them everyday, they are still very much a part of my everyday life. This quote also reminds me of the relationships I have here at home; how everyone at home was a part of me while I was in Slovakia, and how by telling you stories about my experiences I have connected you to people and life in Slovakia. Thank you again to everyone who supported me in any way. I would not have been able to be a volunteer missionary without the support of those from home. Your donations towards the year, prayers, e-mails, letters, and interest meant very much to me. I am looking forward to sharing more stories and pictures with you now that I am home.

One of the Folk Groups.