On December 30 Jurek picked me up at the train station as I returned from Krakow and off we went to Wisla. Wisla is a small tourist (ski resort) town in the south of Poland 
in the mountains. It is here that the Wisla, or Vistula, river begins. It was just crisp and snowy when we arrived and the next day I had opportunity to walk into the town and see some of the sights. 
It was a lovely town and a beautiful day and many people wandered the market area on a break from their ski holiday, I suppose. I enjoyed wandering around and seeing the souvenirs and crafts that were on sale. I also saw some interesting food items and stopped at a place to eat some lunch. The air was clear and brisk and it was a real holiday atmosphere in the little town. After exploring for a while I headed back to the church where we were staying and where the concert was to be held that evening. It was a lovely large facility with a round sanctuary on the main floor and the upper floor able to accommodate a lot of people in lovely rooms with big windows overlooking the town.
in the mountains. It is here that the Wisla, or Vistula, river begins. It was just crisp and snowy when we arrived and the next day I had opportunity to walk into the town and see some of the sights. 
It was a lovely town and a beautiful day and many people wandered the market area on a break from their ski holiday, I suppose. I enjoyed wandering around and seeing the souvenirs and crafts that were on sale. I also saw some interesting food items and stopped at a place to eat some lunch. The air was clear and brisk and it was a real holiday atmosphere in the little town. After exploring for a while I headed back to the church where we were staying and where the concert was to be held that evening. It was a lovely large facility with a round sanctuary on the main floor and the upper floor able to accommodate a lot of people in lovely rooms with big windows overlooking the town. Already people had started arriving from the Katowice church and other churches in the area. I met some of the people who had attended the English language camp that is conducted as an outreach event each 
summer at Katowice. Some of them had been taught by friends of mine from Nova Scotia who had been there the previous summer as part of a short term mission team. I had been billed as the English language speaker from Canada so before the evening program even began some people came to my room to bring greetings and to take the opportunity to practise their English language skills.
I enjoyed meeting them as well as my 
roommates for the night. Eventually the evening program began with a lovely meal served by the women of the local church, followed by a concert put on by several bands and guest singers.
The music was great and the fact that it was in Polish was not a problem - I just did my best to pronounce the words on the screen and sing whatever songs I could. Later there was a time of worship and some preaching and testimonies, and I was invited to share a word of greetings and testimony. My mention of the fact I was currently living in Moldova led to an interesting conversation with someone later. After the fireworks at midnight there was another meal and then as people started heading home or off to bed, the singing continued on a more and more informal level. It was a great night and one that I will not soon forget..
summer at Katowice. Some of them had been taught by friends of mine from Nova Scotia who had been there the previous summer as part of a short term mission team. I had been billed as the English language speaker from Canada so before the evening program even began some people came to my room to bring greetings and to take the opportunity to practise their English language skills.
I enjoyed meeting them as well as my 
roommates for the night. Eventually the evening program began with a lovely meal served by the women of the local church, followed by a concert put on by several bands and guest singers.
The music was great and the fact that it was in Polish was not a problem - I just did my best to pronounce the words on the screen and sing whatever songs I could. Later there was a time of worship and some preaching and testimonies, and I was invited to share a word of greetings and testimony. My mention of the fact I was currently living in Moldova led to an interesting conversation with someone later. After the fireworks at midnight there was another meal and then as people started heading home or off to bed, the singing continued on a more and more informal level. It was a great night and one that I will not soon forget..
The next day we had another meal early in the afternoon and then later on we made the return journey to Katowice. That evening I had one last visit with the Rogaczewski family in their home and was so grateful for the warmth and kindness that they extended to me, including me as a member of the family. Early the next morning Ania drove me to the airport in Cracow and I went home feeling that - if I had to be away from my own family - this had been a wonderful way to spend my Christmas. Thank you, Lord, and thank you Ania and Jurek!
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