Jessica’s October Newsletter
Updates from Horná Mičiná, Slovakia
October was an exciting time in Horná Mičiná, because it was harvest time for the farmers (most of the people in the village are small farmers). The second Sunday of the month was Thanksgiving Sunday at church, and this was very different than the American holiday of Thanksgiving. On Saturday members came to the church with their crops and decorated the church and altar with them. Sunday there was a special service to give thanks to God for the harvest from the fields and the harvest from heaven. The following week the small farmers kept busy plowing the fields preparing for next year. It was not a big celebration, and we did not have a big Thanksgiving meal, but that was not needed. It was nice to see how thankful people were for the crops from their fields.
Accompaniment and Mission Work
During the time that I have been in Slovakia I have been thinking about what it means to be a missionary, and I have realized that unpacking this word is not an easy task. The word missionary often has many bad connotations due to events in history. Many people think of missionaries as people going into the world preaching and forcing others to accept our ways. However, a proper understanding of a missionary is every Christian who responds to God’s call. Learning about the model of accompaniment during orientation has helped me understand what it means to be a missionary. Mission work is a discovery of God’s work in the world, and the restoration of community. A missionary is called to walk with others, share with others, and bring the stories of many people together with Jesus at the center.
The difficult part for me has been understanding how this is actually done in my day to day life here in Slovakia, because sometimes I do not understand why I am here or what I am doing here. Last week I visited a nursing home in Banska Bystricia and one of the ladies reminded me of the importance of the ministry of presence. She was talking to me, and I tried to tell her I didn’t speak Slovak very well, but she just kept talking and talking. So I just smiled and nodded my head, desperately trying to understand just a part of what she was saying. One of the workers came over and explained to her that I could not understand everything, because I did not know a lot of Slovak. The lady looked at the worker and said “yes, but she is listening”. Just being there and listening was all that this lady wanted and it did not matter to her that I couldn’t understand or speak very well. This was a reminder of how we often want to “do something” as a missionary; whether it be some type of physical work or preaching the Gospel. While this is helpful and important, sometimes just being there is what people need. Although my tasks here are not always clear cut and it can be frustrating I am trying to remember that I am here to walk with others and to discover how God is at work in Slovakia.
What’s Ahead…
For now I am continuing to teach English in Banska Bystricia, and visiting other schools in the area for English and religion lessons. In the village I am working with the pastor to help with the church and teaching Sunday school. This week I will be leading the Bible study, which should be exciting because it will be in Slovak! Although the social service center has not yet opened, we are still delivering lunches to the elderly in the village. I have enjoyed getting to know these people more, and I look forward to spending more time with them. The language is still a challenge and communication is often difficult and humorous. However, I think I am improving and I am excited to learn a lot more.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
-Jessica
“Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” –Hebrews 13:1-2
“Bratská láska nech trvá. Nezabúdajte na pohostinnosť, lebo ňou niektorí- nevedomky- pohostili už anjelov” –Židom 13:1-2
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