MAY DAY!

Welcome to May in Slovakia! That is, welcome to the first day of May. But since April has walked through our lives and left its lovely imprints, here are a few April thoughts, memories, and photos.

Spring seems a bit more hesitant to show its colors in this country, at least to us Washingtonians, but Easter Sunday gave us a hint that Spring was on its way. We were Easter dinner guests of Mlada and Jozef Sopoliga in the little outlying village of Pribovce. [Jozef is the manager (i.e., principal) of the Lutheran Elementary School affiliated with the Martin Bible School.] Their spacious home is the former parsonage for this little church that has a metallic roof which sparkles like silver if the sun chooses to show up--which it didn't on this Easter Sunday! But the church is charming, shine or no shine!

You have likely read about our participation in a Bible Study which consists of numerous young people from Slovakia and Norway plus 4 crazy Americans. One of the young women, Martina, will be married May 15 in the village of Mokroluh, near the town of Bardejov in northeastern Slovakia. Bridal showers are not a part of the typical customs here, but the gals in this study liked the concept, so shower Martina we did! Cecile made the lovely cake, all of us created stunning (or not so stunning) bridal gowns from TP, and the bride picked her TP design of choice. The adjoining picture speaks for itself!!!!!! The bride-to-be is second from right.

It will our privilege to attend this very traditional Slovak wedding; we've been advised to Fast from now until then!

To celebrate a birthday with a friend is always an honor. Alena, one of the Elementary School teachers I tutor, invited her school colleagues, along with Larry and me, to celebrate her 40th birthday with her last month. How I wish I could duplicate some of the sweets we sampled, but their spelling exceeds my capabilities!

Two weeks ago our friends the Valcos' invited us to go with them to the town of Bojnice south and a bit west of Martin. We wound our way through sleepy villages, some awaiting us just around the next curve, others along hilly ravines, but all boasting quaint churches with their ever-present steeples directing the observer's eye "from whence our help comes."

The first hint of what Bojnice offered was a distant view of its beautiful Bojnice castle. But since Marek (1st grade) and Magdalena (age 4 or 5) were a bit more interested in the zoo, the other Bojnice attraction, I took scads of pictures of the castle, a sight to see later this summer.

The zoo is tucked in among the hillside forest, affording both humans and animals the opportunity to enjoy each other in a spacious and lovely green setting. The bears showed the most personality, as you can see!

But flamingoes sleeping on one foot do deserve a little press, don't you think?

Last Sunday we again were invited by Michal Valco and family to their family mountain cabin just outside the tiny village of Liptovsky Pokruba, located in the valley between Slovakia's well-known mountain ranges, the High Tatras and the Low Tatras. We hiked the hills and scampered across mountain meadows absorbing as much of the cool mountain air as possible and snapping as many photos as the camera's battery could handle!

Even at that elevation strong-willed mountain flowers were beginning to hold their own among winter's dreary brown grass.

We came back to the cabin for a warm bonfire and roasted sausages. Neighbors came to call as we were getting ready to leave, including 2 local ladies who wanted to meet these Americans. I (Brenda) had a ball "chatting" with them. Both spoke Slovak, of course. In addition, one could eek out a little German and the other could splutter along with a bit of English. Since I could handle the English, and could join in with the spluttering of Slovak and the eeking of German, what a cacophony of jabber we created, each trying to help the other there on that cool mountainside. But--somehow, we communicated!!!!!!!! The men just sorta shook their heads and watched at a safe distance!

Yesterday after we concluded our teaching at Zilina University, we took the time to walk through the Zilina Old Town center. We walked through the tunnel opposite the dingy, crowded, clanging train station, to be greeted at the tunnel's exit by a breathtaking view of a street bubbling with trees in bloom, shops offering every ware imaginable, and two gigantic, hillside squares bursting with chattering people, pigeons, and aromatic pizza vendors. But just a few steps further Zdena, our delightful friend from the university, led us into the cool, luminous quietness of a lovely cathedral where the brown-robed Jesuit monk padded before the altar, quietly fulfilling his solemn duties while saint and sinner alike settled into the pews, searching for whatever their souls needed.

We are approaching the end of the school year and are astonished at how fast 6 months have passed. How privileged to find ourselves being accepted and drawn into this culture. Our "community" continues to expand, and we pray that we will unfailingly be Christ's fragrance where God has planted us.