Czech out Prague!

This past Monday we went to Prague, Czech Republic for a meeting with our Regional Leadership Team. Fortunately, we were able to ride with another collegue who lives here in Budapest that is on the RLT. (You might say, "He drove; we flew!")


Apartment buildings going into Prague

The scenery was beautiful from Budapest, through the country of Slovakia, and on into Prague. It was about 5 hours of driving time. We arrived about 4:30 pm and had about an hour to walk around in the downtown area before the events of the week began. As much as I love Budapest, Prague is even more beautiful!

One of the differences that we noticed was that all the buildings in the downtown area were of similiar architectural style. We were told that if a building is torn down or remodeled, it has to be rebuilt or restored to the original look of the building; that is why there aren't very many modern looking buildings!


Parking on the sidewalks

Traffic was terrible in town! Even with cars parked like this, halfway up on the sidewalks, on both sides of the street, there was still only enough room for one car on the road, which explains why most side streets are one way!


Nathan receives accolades from our Regional Leader, Rodney

We were fortunate enough to arrive in time to attend one of our MKs' homeschool graduation ceremony and reception at the regional office. It was great! Nathan is a fine young man, a super student, and won several academic scholarships!



Above and below are some pictures we took during our week in Prague, which was a work trip, not a vacation! We went to meet with the Regional Leadership Team to present the results of a Member Care survey that had recently been completed by the missionaries and then to attend a "coaching" seminar on Thursday. The only sightseeing we did was an hour when we first arrived, and about 1 1/2 hours on Thursday night, our last night there!

We enjoyed bread cooked on a skewer!

On Thursday evening, we were treated to dinner at TGI Fridays and it was wonderful. We also have one here in Budapest, but we've not eaten there YET. I split an order of cheese nachos and a chicken quesedilla with a friend. Glenn got a jalepenos cheese burger! The taste of America.

And for dessert....Glenn got the brownie and ice cream and I got the Oreo Madness (which was an ice cream sandwich made with Oreo cookies. Deeeelicious!)

I was fascinated with the Prague train station and the trains rolling in every two or three minutes! This picture was taken from the window of our regional office so I could see and hear trains coming and going all day.

Lots of tracks, lots of trains!

Famous Bohemian crystal. Isn't it beautiful?

When Glenn came to Prague in April, he bought a Bohemian crystal flower vase as a wedding present for his niece, Sarah, who is getting married later this month in Marietta. We will not be able to go for the wedding but maybe they would like to come to Budapest for an inexpensive honeymoon!

Notice the castle in the background?

Everyone smile!

After TGI Fridays on Thursday evening, we wandered down to the Charles Bridge under which the Danube River flows. In this photo is our supervisor and his wife, Lynn and Glenda, and the leader of our "coaching" seminar, Jane, and the friend of the stranger we asked to take our picture.

This picture was taken about 9:15 pm and it was just getting dark. At this time of the year, the sun goes down about 9:30 pm and rises about 5:00 am. We love the long days, but have trouble sleeping in the morning with the sun coming up so early!

We returned to Budapest on Friday evening to a stack of junk mail, a long list of emails, and tall grass in our yard. It was fun in Prague, but it was good to be home!

Saturday at noon, we went into downtown Budapest to meet up with my aunt Billie from Montgomery, Alabama who was on a tri-city tour with woman, Carolyn. Hmmm, lets see if I can explain this. My aunt Billie's son, Charlie, is my cousin and lives in Peachtree City, Georgia. His wife is Leslie. Leslie's mother, Carolyn, went on this trip with my aunt (both of whose husbands' passed away last year). Also, Charlie and Leslie's daughter, Nicky (which makes her Billie and Carolyn's granddaughter) is traveling through Europe for 6 weeks or so with a college friend. The two grandmothers decided to join up with the two girls here in Budapest, which just so happens to be where Glenn and I live! So, on Saturday, all six of us spent the day together seeing some sights in town.

Carolyn and Billie

Cile with Aunt Bill in Hero's Square

Glenn with Nicky (Cile's second cousin) and Anna

After an afternoon of sightseeing, walking, catching the metro and riding buses, we all headed out to our house on the outskirts of town to our neighborhood, Budafok, for dinner at the Borders'. After dinner, we accompanied them back into downtown, and said good-bye to them as they boarded the bus that would take them to their hotel.

The girls continued on their journey toward Italy the next day, and the grandmothers went by hydrofoil to Vienna. Wow! What an awesome day we had! It was great to see Aunt Bill and Nicky (who I had not seen for 19 years. She was 2 years old when I last saw her!) and to meet Carolyn and Anna.

We have a busy week ahead and would appreciate your prayers for us. Can't give you any details, but we have several folks we will be seeing this week in our ministry. Pray for God's wisdom, His words to share with them, and His presence to be evident to all.

Please continue to pray for God to call out someone to run the guesthouse ministry at the Eden House while our colleagues, the Doyles, are on stateside assignment ("furlough") from mid-July through December or for Him to enable us to do it in addition to our regular Member Care ministry. Pray also for someone to cover the role of medical coordinator too while they are gone!

This bathroom is for women and men who change babies' diapers!