Poland-Day 2

OK, to recap. I was giving the play by play for my first 3 days in Poland. I will wrap it all up with a lesson learned on Friday.
I slept my first night in Poland in an empty apartment, with no air conditioning, and only three channels that spoke English. I woke that morning ready to leave and go straight to the airport, but I told myself I could do it and I was going to make the whole 10 days. Sunday morning things got a little better, I was picked up that morning in front of the apartment by my two Polish host and we were off to church. I was a little nervous about church; would it be the same in Polish as in English? The more I thought about the question, the dumber I felt the question became. Of course there would be some differences, but worship is the same no matter what; it is more dictated by the individual. As I thought more about it, the more at ease I had become. I even felt that this would be the thing that would erase the anxiety because it was the one thing we all had in common. I was partly right!
Church was awesome. I could not understand the songs; but once they began signing I understood the tune and I was very familiar with the songs. I was even able to hear the message through a headset that was translating the message into English. I really liked this concept. I liked it because as I looked around the room it would give clues as to whether there were any other English speaking people there at church. I also liked the fact that somebody in the room was translating for me, and I tried all morning to find that person. As I scanned the room, I saw I was the only one wearing the headset which amazed me even further. I could not believe they would go to all that trouble for one person. They knew the power in the message and they did not want one person to miss an opportunity to get the message. Amazing! (Afterwards I felt bad that I didn’t listen very carefully because I spent the whole time looking around for other English speaking people and the translator). I began to loosen up at church until we got to communion.
Communion is not new to me. I take part in the communion service at church every Sunday just like the first century church. At my church the cup that represents the blood of Christ is grape juice, and the Polish church the cup was actual wine. For someone who is not a drinker, when you lift the cup to take the small shot in the glass and it is wine instead of grape juice, you are thrown off just a little. I almost came close to spitting it out. It set me back just a little. I am not sure why or why I expected it to be exactly like my church. Church really helped me to loosen up, the wine took me by surprise, but I guess it helped in its own way to overcome some anxiety.
After church we began our 1 hour trek to Lochow, Poland. This was the place were camp was going to be held. I was very anxious to get there. Camp was set to begin on Monday. I slept the whole way to Lochow. (effects of the wine) Lochow is a one stop light kind of town. It is small and considered a village. We arrived at the school were camp would take place and after setting my stuff down I made a bee-line for the most important place on campus-the gym. Now I am home!