A week filled with interruptions

“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day.” C.S. Lewis

Day One

Finished Project

   Water interrupted the planned outdoor work of the short-term mission team from Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) - Heartland.  Rain kept us away for one day from a beautification project planned at the community cemetery in Vazec, Slovakia.  Our local partner, Jekh Drom, planned the project to coincide with the team's visit.  The team worked along side of unemployed women who were sent by the local labor office.  The goal was to beautify the memorial to a group of fallen soldiers and partisans who lost their lives defending the city from Nazis at the end of World War II and to add new greenery at the front entrance of the chapel in the cemetery.


  The CBF-Heartland team was interrupted a few times by laughter and then by singing when they hosted an evening with a local group of retirees.  Whether it was the line dancing to the tune of Boot Skootin' Boogie or the full-bellied singing during the chorus of Delilah when Harold Phillips played on the accordion, everyone had a tremendous time.  One of the four Anna's present interrupted once to let us know that we should visit the local school to see the Vazec Room.  It was filled with items she had sewn in the traditional Vazec design.

Retirees Group Singing for the team

   Danka, member of the local non-profit we work with, then interrupted the school director's summer vacation to request that the director open the school and give the team a tour of the room.  We learned that not only had Anna had provided the fabric samples, she had also provided the school with her own wedding photo and a framed copy of Slovenka magazine from last century which included Anna on the front cover!  Good thing we did interrupt the school director's summer.  Since the school was shut down and no one would be there until late August, our little interruption saved the school tens of thousands of dollars in repairs from the water which was leaking from upstairs through the ceiling into the cafeteria!  The director called later and thanked Danka for insisting that the team from CBF-Heartland visit the school before the leak had done more damage.

Finished product of the sewing group

   One of the moms who was part of the sewing project (and for the record, there was one father present too - a widower who is raising two children) had her week of fun and fellowship interrupted when she had to miss a day to go for a job interview.  As we were preparing to leave, she walked quickly down the hill from the bus stop and greeted us all with a huge smile.  Out of hundreds who applied for jobs, forty were selected and she was one of them!  No one minded having our departure for dinner interrupted as we shared hugs and congratulations.
   And finally, dinner was interrupted.  Before Danka could serve the incredibly delicious meal she had prepared for the team, Harold, on behalf of CBF-Heartland presented Jekh Drom with a symbolic check representing their generous support for the Samuel Project - a multi-year partnership between CBF Field Personnel Dianne and Shane McNary and the local non-profit Jekh Drom to address the educational and hygiene needs of an impoverished Roma community in Vazec.  Afterwards, Clara Youngblood presented Danka, Martina (president of Jekh Drom), Harold and Gwen Phillips, and Dianne and Shane McNary with beautiful prayer quilts made by a group in her church, Holmeswood Baptist Church in Kansas City.

CBF Heartland symbol of support

Clara presenting Danka her beautiful prayer quilt

   Thanks be to God for the many interruptions we had this week; it was in those interruptions where our lives found meaning as we experienced the presence of Christ.