7.13.2006

i survived 2 more weeks (15 & 16 in case you're counting)

Dear wonderful people,

I promise that this will turn back into a weekly update, but I'm working myself back up to that. Three weeks last time, now two and next week we’ll be back on schedule :). The past two weeks were a continuation of my crazy homesickness and thanks to your prayers, I’m finally pulling the whole way out of it. That’s the short version, and here comes the blow by blow:

Week 15 (June 30-July 6)
Friday, I got all the elements (music, text, ect.) for the CampFest video and started coming up with a concept for that. After work, on a whim, I bought a rosebush (to replace the azalea I killed). This purchase was the direct result of getting caught in a summer storm and browsing in the Tesco to stay dry and kill 20 minutes (a dangerous past time!).
Saturday afternoon found me in a tree! I was helping pick cherries. I have not climbed a tree in forever. Everyone was amazed/terrified by the monkeylike way I was moving around the tree. And because I was in the tree, sadly there are no pictures of this. But the cherries were really good and the Biros family now has a winters worth of cherries canned.
Sunday after church I had lunch with Danka and Peto and their two little boys, Philip and David. I went to bed early. I love weekends!
Monday I roughed out the CampFest video (lets see how many times I can type “CampFest video” :))
Tuesday was the 4th of July. I told someone at work that and they said “yes and tomorrow will be the 5th.” They don’t celebrate my national holiday in Slovakia (of all the nerve!!). I worked on the CampFest video, bought a quarter of a watermelon, sang “America the Beautiful” under my breath all day, and called my family.
Wednesday was a day off work in honor of St Cybil and Method who (near as I understand) put the Slovak language into writing in 863AD. Slovaks could then have the bible in their own language. I guess I understand why no one was really excited about the 4th.
Thursday was back to work and the CampFest video (are you counting?) was again the main focal point of my day.

Week 16:
Friday was you guessed it, more editing of the CampFest video!! I made it to the 30 second mark, and wished that I had picked a passion that lent itself better to impressive sounding lists of things I have accomplished.
Saturday I slept in because I could, cleaned my desk and the bathroom. And read a book in the sunshine. Have I mentioned that I love weekends?
Sunday after church I went to lunch and hung out with Rina.
Monday I woke up with a horrible headache. The kind of headache that is made worse by light and being upright. I spent the day in bed with a blanket over my head.
Tuesday, I woke up and found out much to my delight that standing up didn’t make me feel like railroad spikes were being driven into my eyes. I went to work and spent another 8 hours on the CampFest video, finished another 13 seconds!! I also went to the bank without my passport again. Sheesh!
Wednesday I finished the CampFest video!!! CampFest video! CampFest video! CampFest video!! Also it was 87 degrees. And they are re-roofing the offices.. Everything is covered in dust and not air-conditioned!!
Thursday has been construction day at the office. Ander was rebuilding shelves, the roofers were hammering and drilling and roofing and I was trying to tweak the CampFest video. My headache made a brief reappearance and was beaten off by some Tylenol. The CampFest Video is waiting for official approval after this morning’s tweak session. This afternoon, I’ll either re-tweak the CampFest video, go back to

Tomorrow, I will be driving to Germany with a bunch of other people to attend Calling All Nations, an international worship festival being held in Berlin. There is a good chance that I will spend more time in the car than in Berlin, but I’m still excited about this. The festival is all day Saturday and we’ll drive back Saturday night and get in Sunday Evening!! Next week, will be full of whatever needs done for CampFest any final tweaking that needs done on the CampFest video and heaven knows what else!

I have still not received my visa, red tape and all that jazz. I have all my paperwork handed in before Micah came and I should receive it next week.

PLEASE PRAY:
~ For safe travel to Germany this weekend and a time of blessing for all in attendance.
~ CampFest Preparations. (a thousand little details)
~ My Slovak learning. (I am not good at studying like I should.)
~ That I will find the balance of stretching without running myself into the ground

Thank you for praying!