Update and some thoughts

For the conclusion to the conversation in Istanbul, please click here.

I've been able to spend a lot of good, fun time with students and peers here in Tabor - grill outs, spontaneous dinner get togethers, cafes.  It has been a lot of fun, and I have gotten to reconnect with some people I first met two years ago or last summer.  I also had my first Czech lesson today.  It is going to be a hard road to the conversational level, and I am excited for it.


Recently, I have been thinking about friends and friendships.  I got to read three blog posts all about the same event.  It was quite interesting getting three perspectives of one singular event.  It was a goodbye between three friends who are also friends of mine, and it has inspired a lot of thought and reflection on my end.


I was reminded that I missed a summer with these three people.  These three people are (or is it have been or a mix of both) great friends and have significantly impacted and changed me, and there is a part of me that is saddened that I could not share this summer with them.  There is also the peace that God has us where we are for a reason, but that doesn't negate the sadness.  It creates of stew of trust, thankfulness, sadness, memories, and joy for the present and what is to come.

My thoughts have then turned to the myriad of friends I no longer "share life with" these days and how much I miss them.  So, I have been thinking about reconnecting with friends from school or home that I haven't sought out since being in the Czech.  How successful will I be at it?  I don't know, but I'm hoping I'll get to share life with some friends again though we are very far apart.


So, that's about it, and Czech is really hard.  I've had two lessons.  Those ninjas just won't give up.