Ahoy! (JUNE 26)

Andy and I got a rental car and set off from Munich into the unknown, into the Czech Republic. I'm not sure why, but I was a bit intimidated. All my fears went away, though, when I found out that "Hello" in Czech is "Ahoy". Annyong!

After driving around the Czech countryside aimlessly for an hour (Czech road signs are not very well labeled... and usually not even present), we were lucky enough to locate Řevnice. Řevnice is a small town in the hills south of Prague. Andy has a childhood friend named Noel who is a missionary to Řevnice. She is from Ginghamsburg. Her sister Holly was the youth pastor at Ginghamsburg for a while... you might know her. Anyway, she's very nice and cool and she found us in the street while we were wandering around trying to find the church. She took us to the church where Andy and I stayed. Fabulous. It's called Common Grounds (Michael, I think you used to work here?). It was a house that they turned into a church. Andy and I set up cots in the sanctuary and the only shower was in the ladies restroom. Let me say it again, fabulous. Staying at Common Grounds was one of the best experiences of my life, and a huge blessing.

We walked to the center of the town and had dinner at a restaurant called Staroperamen. We hung out there and talked. I had a water and a salad that tasted a lot like my mom's pasta salad, minus the pasta. It was there that we met Tom and Elaine. They're also missionaries from Ginghamsburg. They've been in the Czech Republic for twelve years. They have a poodle named Bailey.

Common Ground, besides being where the church meets, is also a place where Czechs can come to learn English, have English conversations, etc. Noel teaches English. Some of Noel's students got married earlier in the day and we were invited to tag along for the reception. On the way to their house, it started pouring down buckets and buckets of rain. I used an umbrella for the first time in a long time. I must get one when I return to Ohio.

The reception was in their back yard where it was raining - it was a pig roast. Pavel and Veronica were the new couple. Pavel was really kind and goofy. Apparently he had visited one of the other missionaries in Ohio last summer. He stayed on Alkaline Springs in Vandalia! What a small world it really is. We also met his sister Petra. She was really nice, too. And she spoke English... and Spanish, and Czech... and who knows what else. As usual, I'm the dumb American that feels awful for only knowing English and maybe how to order food in a Spanish restaurant.

My first impression of Řevnice was splendid. Everyone made us feel so welcome. The culture seems very close-knit and inviting. I like it.

It started raining really hard on the way back to Common Grounds. Got soaked. Got to the church. Changed clothes. Had a cup of English Breakfast.

What a beautiful afternoon and evening. It's difficult to recreate or write down this experience. It was truly a blessing and by the far the best time of my trip so far.