Things I Love about Living Here

I read on another missionary's blog that sometimes it is healthy and good to make a list of the things you love about serving where God has placed you on the mission field.

• The woman who works at the corner grocery store (the "potraviny") that loves practicing her few English phrases with us. I love to hear her read the amount "Tree eighty seeex."

• The way everyone takes walks at any time of day. Elderly couples, families with strollers, teenagers--they just stroll and chat.

• Colors! There is a bridal shop around the corner from work that is bright yellow, orange, blue, and green. Once communism fell, people really went crazy with house paint colors.

• The words for hello and good-bye: "Ahoj" and "Cau," pronouned A-hoy and Chow. I love the upbeat rhythm of chirping "Ahoj!" any chance I get.
  

• Pizzeria Amaretti, this pizza parlor down the street. It's the best pizza I've ever had in my life. Our friend knows the owner, so now he takes very good care of us. The pizza is fairly cheap and we can eat it for lunch for days.
  

• The cast-iron fences everyone has around their homes. They are beautiful and a nice way to stay safe while still enjoying a nice view. Of course, all the windows are barred, too.

• We love the walk to work. It's down a few streets and through two parks. It's a lovely stress-free way to begin and end a workday. When I asked Mike about this list, it's the first thing he said. And we haven't even hit spring yet!
  

• Reading responses from listeners to TWR programs. It is the absolute best part of my job to hear of people's lives--so painful or simply empty--changed by Jesus Christ. I hope they encourage you, too, as I post them.

• Our apartment! It's so goofy, really, and people that enter for the first time can't help but chuckle. But we love it! (Moms, don't yell about not posting pictures! We will... we will...)

• Sending letters from here. The stamps are so fun and foreign looking and there is just something so romantic about putting a letter in the mailbox and knowing it is about to take an overseas journey. More than all that, though, we love GETTING letters. ;-)
  

• Mike loves the fact that we can walk to our grocery store, pick up a few things after work for dinner, say hello to the same cashier, merely guess at prep instructions on the back of things.

• We really, really like working with each other. You know how your spouse just gets your ideas and you play really well of each other? It's a pretty good trait to have in a colleague during brainstorming sessions. We both get so much done!
  

These might seem like silly little things, but they are the things that make me stop and thank God for putting us here in Slovakia. About every other week, Mike and I have a moment where we look at each other and say, "Dude. We live in Slovakia." Thank you, God.