What we have learned in one month...

Eating a trdlnik,(that is not a typo) a piece of dough wrapped around a 4 inch wooden cylinder, baked, rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Eaten warm on a cold day.. Trdlnik je skvele!
(Trdlnik are wonderful)




We have now been residents of the Czech Republic for one month and here are some of the things we have learned:
1. You can hear Czech, English, Russian, French, Spanish, Farsi and Bulgarian spoken in the same block or at church. Unfortunately we don't understand much of any of them except English. Even the dogs understand more than we do.!!
2. We have too many new things to learn: our phone number has 9 digits, the tram to church is number 8; the tram to town is 18, new pin # - - - -, new apt # is 521, we live on the B metro line, the church is on the A , man's surname is Chanek, but his wives' name is Chanecova, your name may be Jan, but we call you Honza and on and on...
3. Everyone rides the trams or metro. Some of the escalators down are 5 stories. It is hard to get people to smile on the trams and metro.
4. Czechs love dyed hair, especially anything from pumpkin orange to eggplant purple. (There are alot of dreadlocks)
5. Czech babies are beautiful and are seen all bundle up and out and about in any weather.
6. You have to shop often, remember everthing you buy you have to carry home. Luckily we only live a block and a half from the grocery store. (Oh that's why they sell milk in 1 litre bottles and the largest bag of sugar is 1 kilo.)
7. Czech chocolate is delicious and I know someone who is becoming addicted. He trys to justify it by pointing out its antioxidant properties.
8. Czech chickens only lay brown eggs.
9. There is just enough humidity to flatten your hair or curl it. (If only I had some curl.)
10. The Lord promised to "be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." and he has. We know the names of some of those angel and they begin with "Elder" or "Sister."


Remember when I wrote about returning to the cathedral that was so crowded. Well we did! It is the St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. It took 600 years to complete it. (where's Waldo?)

It is magnificently huge and the stained glass windows are exquisite.

There is a tower of one side with 287 steps to the top. They say the view is fabulous. The tower was closed and won't open until April, so we will return again, because we live here.

On November 1st we helped with a Super Sabota (Super Saturday) for the young adults. This was our group. We had a yummy lunch, good class and fun games. There are some great faithful young people here.

That same night the branch had a Halloween party and these 3 characters (the ones on the right) showed up along with quite a few others. We left a little early to go to cemetery. Halloween isn't a big holiday here, but Nov. 1st is All Saints Day. The graves are decorated with elaborate floral arrangements and candles are lit on all the graves at night. The 3 Elders wanted to go with us, I think mostly just to get a reaction on the metro and they certainly did. First time I've seen the Czechs smile.

This crucifix was in the cemetery and people had placed lit candles at the base of the statue. I find it interesting that people who claim to be atheists still feel strongly the light of Christ.