A Steaming Pile...

This is a video shot from our balcony. Right behind our house are fields and then the forest. Apparently every fall they dump tons of fresh steaming manure on the fields to fertilize them for winter wheat crops. The smell is unbelievable, it is so thick it has it's own texture and lasts all day for your enjoyment. The side benefit to this is a rampant increase in the fly population in our living room. Czech houses have no screens on the windows, and the flies don't like the smell any better than we do so they seek their refuge in our house. It is just really gross and a total bummer.

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Danny came to my school for Halloween so we could show the English students what Halloween in the US is like. He dressed up as Sully from Monsters' Inc. and visited all of my classes as well as Rebekah's and Roxie's. We reenacted Trick or Treating and passed out candy to all of the students. They had to answer a question or say a sentence in English in order to get the candy. My older students (7-9 graders) also enjoyed the diversion from normal studies. We talked about the origins of Halloween, both the pagan and Christian aspects (all hallows eve and all saints day). It was an interesting opportunity. Many of them have been asking me why I have come here to CZ from California. I have had many opportunities to tell them about my faith...which is great. Rebekah and Roxanne were particularly pleased to have their Daddy at school...Danny was great as Sully...it was completely fun. Even the principal showed up in one of my classes and joined in...even bringing in a group of older students to take pictures. Here is a video of Rebekah's class wowing us with their rendition of "Eensy Weensy Spider" in honor of Halloween. (Rebekah is on the far left in a black shirt with white sleeves)

"Sully" and the seventh grader

"Sully" and the fourth grader

"Sully" in Roxie's class

"Sully" and I in the first grade (Roxie's class)

"Sully" and I in the third grade

Halloween at the Základní Škola

Hluboká nad Vltavou

Na Podzim...in the fall

Team Retreat

A few weekends ago we went on a team retreat with our entire OM team. It was alot of fun. We stayed at a pension near Slavonice and spent time together. We played games, hung out, went on day trips (here we are at a castle ruin) and had Bible studies together. The first picture is from the blown out window of a WWII bunker. We explored alot of these bunkers...it was highly surreal.

Malá Hluboká...Little Hluboká

While we were on our way home from the team retreat near Slavonice we saw this dilapidated mini castle. It is touted as the "Mini Hluboka" (the castle near our house). It really does look like the same style only alot smaller. What I found funny was the big yellow "for sale" (na prodej) sign on it...anyone have a few extra bucks to buy a castle??