I miss the place already.
It helps a little to have a view of it on my computer screen as I work.
http://www.c-budejovice.cz/CZ/99/WebCam.htm?detail=4
Clink on the link above and you can get an updated shot of the main square in downtown České Budějovice. Notice at the bottom of the web cam picture are a series of readings. The only one I understand is Teplota. That means temperature. Right now it is about 26.3 Celcius which is about 79.3 degreas Farenheit.
Adam
Showing posts with label Czech Republic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Czech Republic. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Calm and Nervous All At Once
Still no passports. I'm currently in contact with Representative Fred Upton's office here in Kalamazoo, MI. The office manager there has escalated our passport to their congressional liaison who will get it through the system and FedExed to us.
The nail biting part is that there are people who need their passports in for this weekend, so ours is not as urgent as theirs. So as of the end of this week will not have passports. Monday is a holiday, so when I return to work on Tuesday the countdown to our trip will be 5 days.
My contact at Mr. Upton's office is Nivia Hicks. She has paid attention to our needs. She talked the issue over with us thoroughly, didn't promise miracles, but assured us that they deal with this every day. She said the same thing that one of the passport customer service reps said to me. "You might be anxious, but a week or two is a long time when it comes to passports. There's no need to worry." That's just not how I function.
I did locate the phone numbers of a number of people at the state department, but I'm quite pleased with my dealings with Ms Hicks, so I'm just going to let her do her job. I'll also follow up on this each and every day.
Oddly enough, I feel pretty calm about this most of the time. For as much pressure as this brings to bear on our lives Marge and I are pretty healthy. Also, I would expect to have increased pain from the Fibromyalgia and more pronounced symptoms of Asperger Syndrome. Quite the contrary, I feel a sense of calm that is quite remarkable.
My prayer life has grown, I've made major changes in diet, and I've started a regimen of proprioceptive/vestibular stimulating exercises that are quite helpful. Marge continues faithfully to study the word as she has always done. Above all, God is equipping us to step out and choose to exercise faith.
I thank God for his work in us and in the children.
Adam
The nail biting part is that there are people who need their passports in for this weekend, so ours is not as urgent as theirs. So as of the end of this week will not have passports. Monday is a holiday, so when I return to work on Tuesday the countdown to our trip will be 5 days.
My contact at Mr. Upton's office is Nivia Hicks. She has paid attention to our needs. She talked the issue over with us thoroughly, didn't promise miracles, but assured us that they deal with this every day. She said the same thing that one of the passport customer service reps said to me. "You might be anxious, but a week or two is a long time when it comes to passports. There's no need to worry." That's just not how I function.
I did locate the phone numbers of a number of people at the state department, but I'm quite pleased with my dealings with Ms Hicks, so I'm just going to let her do her job. I'll also follow up on this each and every day.
Oddly enough, I feel pretty calm about this most of the time. For as much pressure as this brings to bear on our lives Marge and I are pretty healthy. Also, I would expect to have increased pain from the Fibromyalgia and more pronounced symptoms of Asperger Syndrome. Quite the contrary, I feel a sense of calm that is quite remarkable.
My prayer life has grown, I've made major changes in diet, and I've started a regimen of proprioceptive/vestibular stimulating exercises that are quite helpful. Marge continues faithfully to study the word as she has always done. Above all, God is equipping us to step out and choose to exercise faith.
I thank God for his work in us and in the children.
Adam
Saturday, March 17, 2007
What Language is Spoken in the Czech Republic
O.K., some people think I'm kidding, but they speak Czech.
Just like in America there is are more proper forms of the language and then there is the common every day speech. Czech is one of the West Slavonic languages along with Slavic (Slovakia) and Polish.
Marge and I realise the challenge that language learning will pose. If God confirms a call to serve in the Czech Republic, we would focus the bulk of our first year on the field in language learning. There is an important distinction in that we won't just be learning the language, but also the culture. Language and culture are inexorably woven together. Also, the way we understand the world, and essentially do everything that we do is through language. Even math which is "just numbers" is communicated using words. It will be critical for us to develop a thorough ability in the language and culture of the Czech so that we can teach & mentor from within their unique cultural milieu. I
f you would like to hear what the Czech language sounds like try this link. It is streaming demo from www.travellinguist.com that demonstrates 10 commonly used Czech words.
Adam
Just like in America there is are more proper forms of the language and then there is the common every day speech. Czech is one of the West Slavonic languages along with Slavic (Slovakia) and Polish.
Marge and I realise the challenge that language learning will pose. If God confirms a call to serve in the Czech Republic, we would focus the bulk of our first year on the field in language learning. There is an important distinction in that we won't just be learning the language, but also the culture. Language and culture are inexorably woven together. Also, the way we understand the world, and essentially do everything that we do is through language. Even math which is "just numbers" is communicated using words. It will be critical for us to develop a thorough ability in the language and culture of the Czech so that we can teach & mentor from within their unique cultural milieu. I
f you would like to hear what the Czech language sounds like try this link. It is streaming demo from www.travellinguist.com that demonstrates 10 commonly used Czech words.
Adam
Friday, March 9, 2007
Where is the Czech Republic?
Is it near Czechoslovakia?
Czechoslovakia came together as a country in 1918 after World War II. During World War II, Hitler annexed part of Czechoslovakia, and after that war, the country reformed essentially as it had been. In 1948 the communist rose to power, and remained there for 41 years.
It wasn't until 1989 that the communists were driven from power in a bloodless overthrow called the Velvet Revolution. In 1993 (the year Marge and I got married) the Czech and Slovakia peacefully split into two separate countries. This split is referred to as the Velvet Divorce.
Czechoslovakia came together as a country in 1918 after World War II. During World War II, Hitler annexed part of Czechoslovakia, and after that war, the country reformed essentially as it had been. In 1948 the communist rose to power, and remained there for 41 years.
It wasn't until 1989 that the communists were driven from power in a bloodless overthrow called the Velvet Revolution. In 1993 (the year Marge and I got married) the Czech and Slovakia peacefully split into two separate countries. This split is referred to as the Velvet Divorce.
The Czech Republic is centrally located between Eastern and Western Europe. It has population of 11 million people and is slightly smaller than South Carolina. The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe.
It's also one of the least reached countries of Eastern Europe. Regardless of what the spiritual state of the country was at one time, today upwards of 60% of the people identify themselves as atheists. In the city of Prague roughly three of four people do not believe in the existence of God. Many villages throughout the country have no evangelical witness.
The Baptist Union of the Czech Republic has a burden and vision to reach their own people for Christ, and they have called upon ABWE to come and help them in the work. I believe that God may be directing us to answer their call in the affirmative, and we are working to seek out and affirm if this would be a good place for us to serve.
Over the next weeks, I'll keep posting information about the Czech so that you can learn about it along with me.
Adam
Monday, February 12, 2007
Progress Update
I have been corresponding via e-mail with Pastor Ron Barnes for the past couple of weeks. Ron Barnes is an ABWE missionary involved with church planting and training in the Czech Republic. Several years ago the president of the Baptist Union in the Czech Republic invited ABWE to assist them in the work of church planting, Bible training, and leadership training in the Southern Bohemia region.
The Czech Republic is one of the more stable post-communist countries in Eastern Europe. However, 60% of adults identify themselves as atheists. It is the least evangelized country in Eastern Europe. In Southern Bohemia there is only one Baptist church which is in the city of Ceske Budejovice. There are few other Bible believing churches in the region. Pastor Barnes is currently supporting the work of the Baptist church in Ceske Budejovice, and two other church plants that will be starting up within the year. He is also coordinating work on starting a Bible Seminary in a nearby city.
I sent Pastor Barnes some information about me, our family, and our call to missions, and we corresponded a number of times via e-mail. The work in Southern Bohemia is of great interest to us, so I made arrangements for Pastor Barnes to call me via Internet phone on Saturday morning. I was on one phone and Marge and the children were on the speaker phone. We spent about two hours getting to know one another, and working to get a broader sense of the work and culture in the Southern Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. It turns out that he will be in the states for about one week, and will have the afternoon free on Sunday 18-Feb.
After Marge and I spoke with him on the phone, we really felt like working with the team in the Czech Republic could be an excellent fit for us. Typically the next step is to take a survey trip to meet the team there, spend time with the church members and leaders, and experience the culture. However, since Pastor Barnes is going to be in the states, I decided the best next step would be to fly out to Newark where he will be and spend the afternoon with him. We’ll share a hotel room together and then go our separate ways. Choosing a field of service and joining a missionary team is something like a marriage.
If my meeting with Pastor Barnes goes well, and we all think we should take the next step, then we will schedule a survey trip. This is all very new for me, and asking for help is not something I am accustomed to do. That said, I have already received several offers to help with travel expenses, and that help will be needed. These trips are completely outside our budget, so we are trusting God to provide, and believe He will.
Donations Accepted
Bethel Baptist Church has set up a special account for anyone who would like to donate toward our missionary expenses. This account is only temporary in that when we are officially appointed as ABWE missionaries, then we will have an account set up with them. We will be appointed as ABWE missionaries upon successful completion of Candidate Seminar.
In the meantime we will have several times when we will need to travel. I’m already starting to set up dates to go share my testimony and sing at some churches where I have family or I have been to before. I’m not officially raising support, but this gives me an opportunity to make contact, encourage people, and share with them how God has been working in our lives. We will need help with the expenses of traveling to churches, the trip this weekend, the survey trip, and travel to Candidate Seminar.
As always, please don’t feel any pressure to give money. Your prayers and friendship are most important. However, if you would like to give some money, please send it to:
ATTN: Donation for Parmenter Missions
Bethel Baptist Church
402 South Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Keep in touch.
We would love to hear how you are doing. The best way to get in touch with us is via this e-mail link. If you would like to send us an old fashioned paper letter, I promise one of us (or several of us) will write back to you. You can write to us at Parmenter Family 1512 Bank Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001.
Finally, let me know how we can pray for you. We want to support you with our prayers even as you are so kindly praying for us.
In Christ,
Adam Parmenter
On behalf of Marge and the kids
The Czech Republic is one of the more stable post-communist countries in Eastern Europe. However, 60% of adults identify themselves as atheists. It is the least evangelized country in Eastern Europe. In Southern Bohemia there is only one Baptist church which is in the city of Ceske Budejovice. There are few other Bible believing churches in the region. Pastor Barnes is currently supporting the work of the Baptist church in Ceske Budejovice, and two other church plants that will be starting up within the year. He is also coordinating work on starting a Bible Seminary in a nearby city.
I sent Pastor Barnes some information about me, our family, and our call to missions, and we corresponded a number of times via e-mail. The work in Southern Bohemia is of great interest to us, so I made arrangements for Pastor Barnes to call me via Internet phone on Saturday morning. I was on one phone and Marge and the children were on the speaker phone. We spent about two hours getting to know one another, and working to get a broader sense of the work and culture in the Southern Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. It turns out that he will be in the states for about one week, and will have the afternoon free on Sunday 18-Feb.
After Marge and I spoke with him on the phone, we really felt like working with the team in the Czech Republic could be an excellent fit for us. Typically the next step is to take a survey trip to meet the team there, spend time with the church members and leaders, and experience the culture. However, since Pastor Barnes is going to be in the states, I decided the best next step would be to fly out to Newark where he will be and spend the afternoon with him. We’ll share a hotel room together and then go our separate ways. Choosing a field of service and joining a missionary team is something like a marriage.
If my meeting with Pastor Barnes goes well, and we all think we should take the next step, then we will schedule a survey trip. This is all very new for me, and asking for help is not something I am accustomed to do. That said, I have already received several offers to help with travel expenses, and that help will be needed. These trips are completely outside our budget, so we are trusting God to provide, and believe He will.
Donations Accepted
Bethel Baptist Church has set up a special account for anyone who would like to donate toward our missionary expenses. This account is only temporary in that when we are officially appointed as ABWE missionaries, then we will have an account set up with them. We will be appointed as ABWE missionaries upon successful completion of Candidate Seminar.
In the meantime we will have several times when we will need to travel. I’m already starting to set up dates to go share my testimony and sing at some churches where I have family or I have been to before. I’m not officially raising support, but this gives me an opportunity to make contact, encourage people, and share with them how God has been working in our lives. We will need help with the expenses of traveling to churches, the trip this weekend, the survey trip, and travel to Candidate Seminar.
As always, please don’t feel any pressure to give money. Your prayers and friendship are most important. However, if you would like to give some money, please send it to:
ATTN: Donation for Parmenter Missions
Bethel Baptist Church
402 South Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Keep in touch.
We would love to hear how you are doing. The best way to get in touch with us is via this e-mail link. If you would like to send us an old fashioned paper letter, I promise one of us (or several of us) will write back to you. You can write to us at Parmenter Family 1512 Bank Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49001.
Finally, let me know how we can pray for you. We want to support you with our prayers even as you are so kindly praying for us.
In Christ,
Adam Parmenter
On behalf of Marge and the kids
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