Return to Dobruska/Bystre

Before Christmas I had the chance to visit some friends in an area in the Czech mountains that is about three hours northeast of Prague.

It was such a blessing to visit these kind people again! I am grateful to the Lord for creating such wonderful believers who show such warmth in their hospitality. It was so healing for my soul to be loved and cared for and accepted as part of their family for a few days.

I got to experience my friend's mother's Czech cooking during the weekend, which was quite a treat. I was there on a Saturday morning which is her weekly "buchty" making day! She gets up early every Saturday to make the dough from scratch and let it rise. After breakfast, I got to observe the preparation process as she rolled out the dough, made the filling, made the topping and baked the creation on a large "plech" (cookie sheet). Hooray! It was delicious. It reminded me of being at home in Minnesota because some of the ladies at the Czech "Sokol" hall also enjoy making buchty/kolacy. Yay for Czech pastries! :)

Whlie living in the village for a few days I was able to appreciate the slower, more peaceful pace of life in the countryside. The natural beauty that God created is so apparent there with the rolling hills and farm land. I can see why many Czechs immigrated to southern Minnesota. There is definitely a resemblance in the landscape.

Another highlight was having the chance to go to a cooperative concert put on by the local Protestant and Catholic churches! Yay! Praise God for the unity that the people in the community were able to display as they sang carols in Czech praising the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ! It seemed like everyone in the area turned out for the event.

Upon my return to Prague, I also became aware of a different kind of blessing in the city to be thankful for...the blessing of personal space/privacy, hehe! It seemed that everyone knew my name and I was only there for a few days! Oh the different joys and trials of city and country life! :)