Centre City.

Thursday, April 18

Today, I have gotten lost for two hours in the Central City.  Even with a map I am lost.  Keep

looking at the names on the buildings and streets, there are two names really and I believe

I find my bearings only to go around in different circles.  I have blisters on the bottoms of my

feet which is a new experience that makes it that much more painful, to be lost.

I find a Cathedral and go and sit down in the cold, out of the sunny heat.  I am tired and

frustrated and feel kind of stupid.  I feel I should be able to find my way.  To make matters

worse this particular Cathedral is not on the map.  I wonder, how can that be?  I think about

what it means to be safe?

It is an interesting thing to be in a situation where you have absolutely no choice but to

keep trying.  I cannot "phone a friend" as it were and ask for the answer to my question.

I cannot speak to the police as most do not know English.  I have seen no offices of

Tourism or "help" desks, so after my rest in the church, in the cold, I have to go back

out into the sun, the heat, my blisters and being lost.  I stubbornly refuse to panic.

And I keep hearing Gail in my head, "Vaya con Dios", go with God.  I remember that

I am not, even now, alone.

After two solid hours, I find the bookstore and the Cathedral that I had set out to find

in the beginning.  I am elated.  I want to sing and dance but cannot do that in public

here without getting arrested as a crazy tourist.  I enter the town square and realize

that I am one of thousands of tourists and pilgrims in the Centre City, finding my way,

looking at art, soaking in the culture, hot, sweaty and tired.  But still I learn.

Even now I am grateful once again. J.

Good Morning Church,

This y thing is so weird, it is like typing in slow motion.  I am concentrating very hard.  Mostly I usually type without thinking of the keys,  Just proves you can teach an old....well you know the rest....but when teaching, you must go slowly.  

So, I have not watched any t.v.  None, zip.  There is one in the flat in which I am staying, but why turn it on when I cannot speak or understand the language.  James has told me on the phone about the bombing in Boston.  Truly there are no words that give full witness to this kind of action.  We can only pray for those families who grieve, for the perpetrator, for our own actions that exclude or reject, for our country. 

 It says something about our culture, our country, ....yes even us, when violence becomes the way we live together.  It begs the question: how are we as Christians real peace-makers?

Yesterday, I literally spent the whole day reading, reading, reading and writing outlines and notes and taking a long walk in the woods.  It felt good.  Thank you for this gift of time away.  There is really something to this time being totally away.  There are times that I get so many ideas, I cannot write fast enough.  God's creative Spirit is wonderful.

The other thing I learn again, here, is how to live with less.  We, (me and you, living in U.S.) take so many things for granted (like dryers and cars and big grocery stores, bigger homes).  If we were less concerned about things, perhaps we could have more time for family and friends and care of each other?  Maybe more room for God?   As I walked by the park, (going for coffee) on Tuesday, it was full of people just sitting and visiting.  When was the last time you sat on a park bench and just thought.   No agenda, no expectation, no hurry?  I tried it for a while.  Strange and wonderful!  When was the last time zou (oops) took a walk with friends?  Or by yourself?

The wonderful parts of my days: amazing coffee, incredible views, ancient cobblestone streets, old churches, flowers of spring, and did I mention, great coffee:)

This morning I have woken to the news in Texas.  How incredibly sad and scarey.  Our hearts, joined together, go out to these people in thought and in prayer.  

As I finish this and prepare to hang up my laundry to dry, it is 9:30 here, which means it is 3:30 am there.  You are all still sleeping, and I picture our Little Brockport "Sleepy Hallow"  Village with only the lights of the 24 hr. laundry lit.  I pray for you all.  Even as you sleep.

When you wake......vaya con dios!

J

Hello from Europe.

Hi.  I have survived my travel, barely, will not bore zou with details of late flights etc.  The z and the y are in different places on Czech kezboard so zou will see me using z for y verz frequentlz in mz letters to zou.  I will have trouble relearning to type with entirelz different kezboard in two weeks time.  But I will trz.¨

I do not have wifi and now I will have more trouble writing my blog.  I will send you as much as I can on borrowed computer.  Pictures will be more difficult and may have to wait until I get back.

I wake in quietness in mz, my...arranged flat. It is unsettling to do everzthing alone.  It is good for me to experience this again. This first week is for reading and writing.  I usually have a theme for mz studz leave......(study leave)...but this year it is not a theme so much as a project.  To read, to write and to plan mz, (my), entire zear, (year) of preaching.  It gives me a goal and a direction.  Next week I will be at the Seminary and have chapel everz morning and work in the library....meet new friends, listen to stories of faith from people living in verz, (very) different places and cultures.

Already, the traveling, negotiating for mz needs reminds me again how big this world of ours is, how the differences between us are small and what unites us in our humanitz are the things that matter most.

Before I left, Pastor Gail from Ogden, wrote to me a note and her last words to me were:  Vaya con dios.....Go with God.   That is the plan for us all.¨

Maz (may) zou (you) go with God in zour life this day.

(if nothing else, this computer will slow me down and make me concentrate.)

I praz, oh my, I will pray for you,

while zou are prazing for me.:)

Joanne

Day Forty: Forty Days of Gratitude

This day I am thankful for:
     - How hard it was to do this for 40 days

     - That after today I don’t have to sit down and actually write these out

     - That I want to do it again

     - That I learned something about gratitude

     - That disciplines are hard but useful

     - My family

     - Church

     - Nature

     - Music

     - Love

Day Thirty-six: Forty Days of Gratitude

This day I am thankful for:
     - The hymn CD I was just given

     - Silly people

     - Private humor

     - Garbage day

     - Garden work yet to do

     - Humility

     - People who are willing to stand up for people who can’t stand up

     - Forgetfulness

     - Memory

     - Earrings