I was rather amused being awake most of the time (or so I thought) and catching people falling asleep on our million van rides and airplane flying.
Have a look . . .
It all started with Margaret.
This was the flight from Frankfurt to Warsaw which was only an hour and a half and a very empty plane. I was reading and happened to glance to my left and saw Margaret. I couldn't NOT take a picture . . . and then it begain.
Conrad and Valerie leaning on each other (sleeping) after our long day of flying and discovering Warsaw then heading back to our Camp.
Touche, Margaret . . . Touche
(After she took this picture, I attempted to stay awake ALL of the trip)
Taryn posed quite well for the camera.
(Tee hee)
Margaret and I later became a team and she get her husband (Nathan) pretty good.
(I will say that Jeff got a GREAT video of Nathan sleeping on our last day driving from the camp to the airport)
Take 1 of Jamie . . .
Take 2 - THIS is my favorite . . .
Take 3 - Jamie warned us that she falls asleep a ton and we got a few good ones.
Oh Madison. This has got to be one of my favorites . . .
Wait, I think Kimberly got second place on this one.
Jamie cracking up makes it even better.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to get everyone sleeping. It's like you become like brothers and sisters on long trips. Love this group.
We left by 6am in order to make it to the airport, in Warsaw, by 8am.
Most of us slept on the 2 hour van ride to the airport. I actually read, I was awake for some odd reason.
Jamie didn't think I knew how to use the automated check in after I was TRYING to scan my passport and it WOULDN'T then she tried it and it still didn't work :)
Love you, bestieeee
I wanted to smell my coffee before I grabbed it.
Lesson learned: Bad internet is worse than no internet AND do NOT attempt to do my travel blog when there is bad internet.
I simply wrote everything on Microsoft Word and then pasted everything to my blog once I had connection.
Jeff was attempting to get my aisle seat on our flight from Frankfurt to New York and he thought sitting on my lap would do it . . . it did not.
He had a middle seat and his TV didn't work properly.
Until next time . . .
My bestie, Taryn, shared her pillow and someone got our pic, haha
I'm assuming Margaret got this one . . .
I will forever fly with LuftHansa anytime I fly to Germany.
This airline spoiled us and was amazing.
Once we got to Newark, we were waiting in line to go through customs and there was this build gentleman with a bald head (just looked hardcore) that was the guy looking at our passports. Once I got through, Jamie was after me and I was waiting and I say, "Come on, bestie" so the guy looks at her and says, "Bestie!" and it was the BEST THING EVER.
We had just gotten through showing our passports and towards customs it says, "No photographs" so I hand my phone to Jeff and say, "Take a picture" then I tell Jamie that we're going to stand by it but look as if we're nonchalantly hanging out, don't look directly at the camera . . . which is why we are both smiling and looking in opposite directions.
HAHA
I read most of this book on my trip.
I can relate to it COMPLETELY. The author hit it on the head with the ridiculous guest complaints and the things people make up just to attempt to get things.
I wouldn't have the energy in me to even care enough to waste my breath.
This post was short compared to the rest. This is why I have to post/blog when I'm traveling otherwise I forget all of my stories . . . even when I have notes.
All in all, this missions trip to Poland was a blessing and unforgettable experience. I would love to go back a year from now and see all of the progress done in Tomy church, the schools and the orphanage.
I'm so very thankful for Verve Church and happy I have another home in Christ.
I pray for continual growth in Christ and pray that I can show the same.
Not just talk about it, be about it.
I don't want to be a "fan" for Jesus, I want to be his FOLLOWER.
Let me just tell you
that today was ANOTHER day FULL OF LAUGHTER.
We started our
morning with breakfast at 830am. Which mainly consists of us all sitting at the
table with our food on our plates but on our phones the entire time. I was
sitting beside Jeff at breakfast and I got up to put my plate away and as I
walk back he says, “I thought you were going to take it (points at his plate)”
and I reply with, “Jeff, I’m not much of a caretaker. Truth.
Jeff and I then go to
the barn to see the donkeys and ponies. That was an adventure in itself. Let’s
just say that the donkeys were NOT being appropriate.
As we get in the van, John says that we’re going to listen to ROCK BALLADS on the way to the castle. Before going to Tomy, we drove to the old church on the hill and then walked to a castle in the same area. Daniel was our tour guide and it’s NEVER a dull moment with him around so it was rather amusing.
At the old church, there’s a cemetery there and the graves have large monuments above ground (still buried below) and there isn’t much grass since they’re all very close by each other. Daniel informed us that if someone were to ever mow the lawn on top of the graves (like in the US), it’d be blasphemy to them in Poland.
We then enter the old church and climb upstairs and as Daniel rings the bell slightly, he informs us NOT to do that. When you ring the bell, it means that someone has passed.
VIVA LA VERVE!
BESTIES !
Jamie was looking at the ducks or something so I stand behind her so someone can take a pic of me pretending to push her in (without her knowing) and I didn't see Daniel behind and and just after they took this pic, he had pretended to push me so I scream because I wasn't expecting that.
Good times.
As we were inside exploring, Daniel’s phone rang and I said, “Wow, you’re popular” and he said, “Jesus is calling me.”
AHAHHHA
We then walk to the castle. As I tell Margaret to take a picture with me she says, “Aww, it’s our first selfie” lol and then she kept closing her eyes in the pictures and says, “I was trying to force my eyes open (because of the sun)” and Jeff says, “I bet, you’ve been trying to do that all morning.” She was extra sleepy that day.
Jeff and I decided to do a mini photo shoot whilst touring this building...
always a good time.
We visited the future school, where they bought land.
We all walked around it and in it and prayed over it.
SO . . . as Jamie was walking around praying for the building, a bird pooped on her head.
And Taryn, like a good bestie, cleaned it out for her as I (another good bestie) took pictures AND recorded this priceless moment.
Margaret discovered how to fall asleep standing up and as a good friend, I made sure to capture the moment.
We then visited two other schools that have been established for a couple of years now. They are Christian schools. We learned that in Poland you have to learn two other languages than just Polish and it’s English and German. If people really excel, they can learn Spanish as another.
They’ve seen many teacher and parents come to Christ through just the kids being in the school. They start their day with prayer and solid bible teaching. Not all teachers and/or staff are Christians. And they are well aware of what’s practiced prior to accepting the position.
We helped the preschoolers do a small craft of making a cross out of Popsicle sticks. This little girl was sitting beside me and kisses me on the cheek then hugs me, unexpectedly. It was the cutest thing.
300 kidsyear don’t have a pre-school to go to. Their school initially started with 28 kids and now they have 170.
Soup is the biggest thing in Poland and it's delicious.
This was strawberry sauce and noodles (or something) and she said that most Americans don't like it but I'm pretty sure that we all had 2 plates.
She was saying that a child’s faith is far greater than an adult’s and here’s the story that follows:
She was telling us the story of when they were in the US (her husband is from the US) and staying for a couple of months visiting family. Her son would pray at night that his friend David (their friend Daniel’s son) would come to the US so that they could play because he missed him. She didn’t want him to get his hopes up of something so unrealistic so she would say that it’s not that possible for that to happen. Some time passed and shegot a call from Daniel saying that his family in the US are helping pay for their tickets and want them to visit. So, in a month or so, her son and David were playing together in the US.
Another story of one of their staff members having cancer and the children and teachers would pray for her health every day. The teacher overcame the cancer and when the other teachers announced that she would be okay, the kids reaction was, “Well yea, we prayed.”
This just shows how sometimes we need to have faith just like children.
Believe in what seems to be impossible.
Playing some crazy NOT UNO way of playing UNO with the kids.
They made crazy rules that didn't make sense BUT we laughed A LOT.
Simon (not spelled or pronounced like that) was SUCH A GREAT HELP. He was with all of us pretty much most of the time. We had Piotr (Peter) who drove the van and Simon was always with telling us information and just hanging out.
BINGO!
These girls and I were besties whilst playing BINGO.
It got loud.
Daniel is HILARIOUS
I don't remember what happened here but Margaret's face is priceless while Jeff is yet again....on his cell phone all up in church.
I suppose I'm not any better since I'm taking pictures with mine, haha
TECHNOLOGY WILL BE THE DEATH OF US ALL!
I don't know where I was trying to connect to wifi but when I saw CHEERS BAR, I got so happy!
Then thought of a friends episode (I know, it's pathetic) of when they are all in London (except for Phoebe since she was pregnant and couldn't fly) and Joey was feeling homesick and when he turned the TV on, Cheers TV show was on and he got sad again.
That's my story, thanks for listening.
Our last picture of the night before we went back to the camp to sleep and pack.
Love this church.
Reminds me of Verve and it's so incredibly amazing to see that people across the world are praising God just like we do but in a different language. That's pretty cool too.
Lesson learned --> LOVE IS UNIVERSAL.
We left Tomy a little late, maybe 8pm (and I only say that's late because by the time we drive back to the camp, it's late) and we went to Rafal's home for dinner. His wife prepared GREAT FOOD and they are such a sweet family.
We ate dinner at Rafal and his wife's home.
The girls: Maddie, Kristina (spelled like my name! I wasn't referring to myself in the third person), Jamie and Taryn.
Our last day in Poland, before flying out the next morning, was another successful day.
