Czech Christmas: St. Nicholas Day

Written by Brittany

This past Friday, December 5, was St. Nicholas Day here in the Czech Republic.

As my colleagues explained it to me, there are three "people" who are the main part of the day:
1. The Devil: his main job is to scare the children, making them think they've been naughty and that they will be taken away. He can also give lumps of coal (or potatoes) to the "bad" children.
2. The Angel: her main job is to reassure the children that the devil is lying, and that the children were good & they will be safe. She also asks the children to sing a song for St. Nicholas to help change his mind about the children being naughty.
3. St. Nicholas: once he has been swayed by the singing, he gives the children candy or presents and reminds them that they will come again next year. (My colleagues also wanted to be very clear that St. Nicholas is not Santa.)

St. Nicholas Day chocolates you can get at the grocery store

 You can see these three walking around together on December 5th each year, though where we were we only saw a couple little kids dressed like devils, and all the workers at our grocery store had devil horn headbands on.

I was also told that parents can hire the devil, angel, & St. Nicholas to stop by their house (as the man in the video below describes). That way their children definitely have the St. Nicholas experience.

This link is to a great video where a Czech man describes the holiday. There is also some pretty funny animation to go with it:
http://hello-unknown.com/special-editions/christmas/josefs-terror/

We'll try to keep updating with other Czech cultural traditions we learn this holiday season!

Christmas Card Reminder

Just a reminder to people who want to support us this season by sending Christmas cards: Cards would need to mailed by this weekend (Saturday, December 6) for us to receive them before we leave school for the Christmas holiday. But if you don't get them in the mail by then, please still send them! We'll just as happily open Christmas cards in January :)

Our address is:
Jadon & Brittany Huddleston
Gymnazium
Arabska 14
160 00 Praha 6
Czech Republic

Thanks to everyone we've already gotten cards & packages from! They (and you) are such a blessing!

Remembering: 10 Years Later

Written by Brittany

This week has been hard. Thanksgiving is always a hard holiday for me as I am surrounded by people and yet try to individually prepare myself for the coming and passing of December 2^nd yet again. And this year I have been working to come to terms with the fact that it has been 10 years, a full decade, since my dad died.

For someone under 30, a decade seems like a very long time. It’s over a third of my life. I remember past years having the thought, “Wow. Three years is a long time to be without a dad…but it will just get longer…one day it will be ten years.” And now that day is here. And now I think, “one day it will be 11 years…”

Reflecting on your Grief is an interesting, humbling process. I was 17 when my dad unexpectedly passed away, and I spent the next 4 ½ years, basically my whole college career, angry. Not at any particular people, not even at God, just angry. I went through the Grief Cycle a few times, each time really hating that it’s a Cycle, not just a Grief Line. Then I came back to anger and just got stuck. During this time I know I became selfish in my relationships, and I am blessed (and kind of amazed) that so many people stuck it out with me. I know I still struggle with that selfishness. And I often find myself wondering how I would have dealt with it differently if he had died when I was older, instead of a weird mix of child & adult.

Grief surprises you. I found myself preparing myself for days that I thought would be difficult, like my 18^th birthday or my wedding day. Only to pass those by with very little sadness, and then be totally caught off guard by other days that I didn’t think to prepare for, like 4^th of July or the day Jadon & I got engaged. And, as happens every year, the week leading up to today has been more difficult than today itself.

There are many things I’m still sad about. I’m sad that my dad will never meet and love Jadon. I’m sad that my dad never knew me as a teacher/wife/missionary/adult. I’m sad that I only ever knew my dad as a child knows her parent, and not as two adults know each other. I’m sad that he will never know my children. And I’m sad that it’s so much harder to recall the sound of his voice or the feel of his hugs.

I, of course, rejoice in the knowledge that he loved the Lord, and one day I will see him again. But if you’ve known Grief, you know that while that thought is a blessed comfort, it’s not every day. Some days Grief is just sorrowful and maddening and hollow.

Time and the Lord are such healers, and the day-to-day now is miraculously easier than it was 10 years ago. It is often easy to speak about my dad, to laugh about things he said, to share memories with those who knew him and those who didn’t. But there are also precious moments of remembering that are still very difficult.

I feel like as a 10-year veteran I should have more answers about How To Deal. But I really don’t. I found people who would love me in a very broken state, and I clung. I found reassurances from the Lord (Isaiah 41:13 especially), and I clung. I found humor, and I clung. And I found Grace, and I clung. 

I held on very tightly to things that kept me up. So I guess that’s my great advice: Hold On. Cling to people, and pets, and God. Cling to light, and humor, and joy. Cling to your teddy bear, and your favorite songs, and your 6-hour Pride & Prejudice miniseries. There will be days where you just barely stay afloat. And that’s ok. You Will Make It, even through days when all you can do is cling with your fingertips.

Each year when I taught at Olivet, on December 2^nd I told all my freshman students about losing my dad, and coming to school, and being so angry. I told them the biggest mistake I made was not being honest about how hard it was. And I told them that if they need someone to be honest with, then they should come find me. So I guess that’s some advice too: Be Honest. (And if you reading this need someone, come find me.) I wanted to appear strong, and in control, and “oh, I’m fine.” But that wasn’t truth, and I suffered more for it.

And one final thing I’ve learned: Remember Your People. The ones you’ve lost and the ones you still have.

At our wedding, Jadon & I had a tea station set up in memory of my dad, and there was a list of things I learned from him that I set out as a way to include him in that day. So that’s what I’ll end with. Some things that I wrote 2 ½ years ago seem truer now than when I first wrote them.

Thanks for reading. For my friends, mom, Katie, (and grandma) who have been around the last 10 years, thanks for all you did, even when you thought you weren’t doing anything. For all of us who feel the sting of Grief: Hold On. Be Honest. Remember Your People. 

One of my favorite pictures of my dad, an especially good one to place on a tea station :)

 Things my dad taught me:

·      Tea is not just for “tea time.” It is for all times.
·      Amazing Grace is the most appropriate song no matter the occasion.

·      It is always a good idea to be self-deprecating. Especially if you are a foreigner.

·      Be fluent in a language other than your own.

·      Keep track of your gas mileage – though I still don’t understand why.

·      Heaven is something we do not understand, something we will not understand until we get there. But it is good. And it should always be your goal.

·      If you want to make teenagers pay attention when you’re talking, mention kissing.

·      Story telling is the best way to communicate any truth.

·      Find your home and cherish it. The words “Welcome Home” are not to be taken or given lightly.

·      Everyone has faults, everyone makes mistakes, and everyone deserves to be forgiven.

·      The King James Version is the best version of the Bible. (Though I’m pretty sure he said this only because his name was James.)

·      It’s ok to cry.

·      You don’t always have to act your age.

·      Making time for your child is never the wrong choice.

Every time we said goodbye, at airports or in parking lots or even just on the phone, he asked, “What do you always remember?” Even when I got older. Even when I was a teenager and the answer was a little embarrassing. Every single time. “What do you always remember?” And every time I’d answer, never doubting, even now, that it was true: “Daddy always loves you.”

My dad taught me a lot of things, but one of the most important lessons was that just because you’re not with a person doesn’t mean you aren’t loved. Just because you can’t be together doesn’t mean you’re forgotten. And just because you may not see someone for months, or years, at a time does not mean that they aren’t looking forward to the day they see you again. If anything, they’re looking forward to it more.

An old favorite of me & my dad

“To have been loved deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”   -- J.K. Rowling

"If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share." - W. Clement Stone

We are sad to be away from our friends and family this Thanksgiving, but here you can read what we are thankful for this year, and it’s almost like we’re sitting around the table with you :)

This year we are thankful for:

Technology! Being able to Skype/Facebook/email has made this overseas transition so much easier.

Classes that are conversation based! There isn’t much grading outside of class and that is a welcome change.

The Czech people! In American there is this terrible attitude that if people can’t speak English, they shouldn’t be living/working there. If that was how people here felt about Czech, we could never do what we are doing.

Students! Even though some days they are slightly frustrating, they always make for an interesting day & a rewarding job.

Food/Housing/Paycheck! And all the good things that come with a paying job. It’s easy to forget, but we are lucky to have these basic, wonderful things.

Hamburgers and Vanilla Coke! And other American foods we can find here to remind us of home.

Each other! This missionary experience is fun, challenging, and it makes it even better to share it.

God’s constant care! There have been many times these last few months when we’ve thrown up our hands and said, “You have to do this. It’s too much for me.” These have been difficult but growing moments, and God’s involvement in our lives here so far has been clear to see.

You! The support we’ve had from our friends and family has been such an encouragement.

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends & family! Eat lots of food for us & enjoy time to relax with loved ones and remember all God has provided for you this year.

Small Thanksgiving decorations we found in our flat

When, if not now? Who, if not us?

Written by Jadon

This last Monday (November 17^th) was a national holiday here in the Czech Republic. One week after the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany in 1989, thousands of students in (then) Czechoslovakia marched downtown and peacefully protested the communist regime, only to be violently suppressed by the police. Hundreds were injured. This only ignited the support for the anti-communist protesters. The next few days were peppered with country-wide strikes, with both young and old protesters now showing their desire for change. Protesters showed their support by shaking keys, not only as auditory support, but also signifying the unlocking of doors, and telling the communist leadership to go home. On November 24, 1989, the entire ruling party resigned, and on December 29^th, just a few weeks later, Václav Havel became Czechoslovakia’s first democratically elected, ending 41 years of communist rule.

Today these events are referred to as the Velvet Revolution, and as a commemorative plaque here in the Czech Republic states “When—if not now? Who—if not us?” (English translation).

November 17^th is now celebrated as a national holiday (translated: Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day), honoring those students that took a stand for something better. As far as I can tell, however, it is usually just referred to as “Student Protest Day.” Classes are cancelled and student led protests ensue.

This year—the 25^th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution—was no different. Student protesters gathered to call out Miloš Zeman, the current Czech President, for his atrocious behavior, and demand his resignation. Thousands of students held “red cards” aloft symbolizing the ultimate football (soccer) penalty for misconduct for which a player is thrown out of the game. Cries of “Resign! Resign!” and “Shame! Shame!” rained down on the president as he and his peers from Germany, Hungry, Poland, and Slovakia unveiled a new plaque in honor of the 1989 events.

People with their red cards protesting in central Prague

 Many of my students took part in the protests this last Monday, and it is encouraging to see young people (though I’m not old) taking a stand for what they believe and getting invested in the future of their government and country. Some of my students where disheartened, however, believing that their protest fell on deaf and defiant ears. But as one student said to me, “Maybe sometime he might hear, but what matters is that we told him.” And I can’t help but think that they not only told their president, they told five presidents. Five presidents and the world.

Praises: 

- We have made it 3 months in our new home!

- We have another Teach Beyond member coming from Budapest to stay with us this weekend. 

- We are very grateful for Skype/Facebook/email...all the things that make it easy to stay connected & not feel so far away.

Prayer Requests:

- Positivity as we enter into a holiday season away from family

- During the next few weeks we're hoping to make the decision if we'll come home in July or stay in Prague for a second year. Prayers for direction & a peaceful decision.

- Prayers for the city we live in as the people use their voices and push for change.

 

Christmas Cards!

We have had a couple people ask how they can support me & Jadon this holiday season as we spend it away from home & family. And we have thought of the best way people can do this: Christmas cards! It would be wonderful to get Christmas cards and feel connected this season. The only catch is, they would need to be mailed by December 5, because we get our mail at school, and we'll be leaving for break on the 19th. BUT if you send one late, we will just as gladly open it in January :) The address to send to is:

Jadon & Brittany Huddleston
Gymnazium
Arabska 14
160 00 Praha 6
Czech Republic

Thanks so much for all your support this far & wanting to support us further!

What's There to Complain About?

Written by Brittany
This has been a very crazy and very difficult week, probably the most difficult so far.

For those of you who have been keeping up via Facebook/email/Skype, you know that we left for Berlin last Sunday afternoon to apply for our long-term visas and employment cards. Jadon, myself, and our teammate Annie had an appointment for 1:00pm Monday afternoon. We were prepared with all the right documents, but these appointments are always stressful. Thankfully the woman at the Berlin office was incredibly kind and helpful, and she really made us feel more at ease. She also helped us apply for another short-term visa because the visas we were on expire in 5 days, not nearly enough time be processed & approved for the long-term ones.

Thankfully, we were approved for the short-term visas, but we had to return to Berlin late Thursday night to pick them up at 10:00am Friday morning. While this really went as well as we could have expected, it is difficult to do four 5-hour bus trips in one week, especially when we never really had much time to explore/enjoy the city. We were in Berlin for 36 hours total this week - 20 on Monday & 16 on Friday.

This was also a difficult week at school. We are at the end of the quarter this week, and we needed to give the names of the students who were failing our classes or the students who had not turned any assignments in. While this seems simple, because we teach a conversation class, every student has some grades because they get participation grades every day. So though some students may be struggling or missing assignments, none are failing and all have at least two grades in the grade book. It took a lot of communication, miscommunication, apologizing, translating, explaining, and frustration for us to express this to the teachers we work with and for them to explain to use exactly what they are looking for with these lists.

More than a language barrier, we really had an experience barrier. We are used the the US system where if a student is struggling, their name goes on a list. Or at quarters, you submit all students' grades, not just the students who have zero assignments turned in (how do you get to November and have zero assignments turned in?!). Whereas the teachers we work with could not understand the confusion. Our confusion was met with looks of "Of course this is how you do it, why would it be different?" And I'm positive there are things in the US school system that I would struggle to explain to an "outsider."

So all these things added up to a week of frustration, exhaustion, homesickness, etc.

Then, on Friday night, we got right off the bus from Berlin and went to the One Republic concert, which we have had tickets for since August. It was an amazing show (of course) and a fun way to end the week, but more than that, for me, it was a perspective check.

One Republic sings a song called "Good Life," which if you like One Republic or are a casual radio listener, you will know (and probably love) this song. You can listen to the whole song below, but part of the song goes:

"We all got our stories but please tell me
What there is to complain about."



While they performed, they projected pictures from all over the world where the band has toured, but many of the pictures were of Prague. And it is such a beautiful city, and there are so many wonderful people, and though it is not always easy, it is always an adventure. And in that moment I just felt a little God-nudge. Look where you are. Look what you're doing. Remember how I'm with you? What's there to complain about?

Praises:
- Everything worked out going to & from (and to & from) Berlin
- We now have visas until February 2015
- No school Monday! A 3-day weekend will definitely be a welcome rest.
- That God continually nudges, and He does so in ways & from places you don't expect

Prayer Requests:
- That we are approved for our employment cards & that they are processed quickly
- Continual understanding and grace, both given to us from others and that we are able to give it to them
- That we are the Light and Love we are supposed to share with everyone, even when we are frustrated, exhausted, confused, homesick, etc.