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Jennn Herzberg
Rovniankova 4
85105 Bratislava
SLOVAKIA
jennnbread@juno.com
phone: 011.421.908.877.496
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[NOTE TO ALL READERS: in a subtle
tribute to one of my favorite movies, all blue headlines in this newsletter are
titles of songs from the movie "A Mighty Wind", an improvised film
about folk music. If you haven't seen it, do so immediately. Thank
you.]
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Just That Kinda Day
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An update on the regular happenings in Jennn's life in
Bratislava...
As you can see on the left, my students are
hard at work learning English...well, sometimes! : ) I try to make the
lessons fun and practical and sometimes things can get crazy. This picture
captures Martin and Lubos in a rare moment of studious-ness! They are fun
boys. My English classes at church have established a pretty consistent
group of adults who come to both practice and learn. I know that, come
June when I move back to NJ, it will be EXTREMELY difficult to say goodbye to
this family in Christ.
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Never Did No Wanderin'...
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...except for a week in January, when I
"wandered" around Central Europe, escorting Dr. Will & Tamara
Schumacher, from St. Louis. Dr. Schumacher is professor at the St. Louis
Lutheran Seminary, while Tamara is an expert in teaching English as a Second
Language (ESL). While Dr. Schumacher gave student lectures and lent his
expertise to some churches, Tamara worked with both LCMS volunteers and national
teachers to help them better their teaching skills. My role in this whole
experience was to be the "logistics head honcho"...making sure we had
meals, lodging, train tickets, working with the headmistresses at each school to
ensure everything went smoothly and on schedule. It was a wonderful week
overall...I learned a lot about teaching, challenged my "Central European
skills" (navigating confusing train schedules and the like), and fulfilled
some of my duties as "Assistant Volunteer Coordinator" for LCMS
Worldmissions. Additionally, I had the privilege of getting to know the
Schumachers, an awesome, Christ-centered couple!
right: the Schumachers and I, along side Kristin
& Amy, 2 volunteers in Poland, and our Polish friend who helped us cook
sausages over a fire!
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During my "week of
wandering" with the Schumachers (see above), one of the schools we visited
was in Sopron, Hungary. Three summers ago, I spent about a month in Sopron,
helping to organize and lead English camps for Hungarian students. During
that time I met and became friends with a number of those students...but had no
idea if I'd ever see them again. Well,
our God is truly an Awesome God...during my one day in Sopron a few weeks ago, I
ran into (literally, in some cases) probably 9 or 10 of "my" students
from English camps! It was such a blessing to see how these students have
grown up, their English has improved, and they seem to be healthy children of
God. The picture to the right shows me with two of those former English
camp students, Daniela and "Crazy" Eva. When I first saw them at
their school they were a bit shy, but we quickly warmed back up to each
other! They invited me to their class and then later on for ice
cream. I was amazed at how much they remembered from English Camps.
I thank God that I had the privilege to see some of the continued "fruits
of the labor"...seeds that were planted during English camps may be
starting to sprout among these beautiful children of God!
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When You're Next To Me
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It was just what I needed. Two-and-a-half weeks of Mom, Dad, Brother,
Fiance, Future Family, Friends, and Loving Church Members. God was kind
enough to allow me to go back to the United States for the Christmas holiday,
where I spent time resting, playing and wedding-planning. Despite getting
sick for the last half of my break, I was able to spend time with all the people
I wanted to see, FINALLY spend a New Year's next to my dear Steve, as well as
FINALLY purchase a wedding dress (big sigh of relief!). Praise God for a
renewing time at home to help me get through these last six months abroad.
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want you to meet one of my students.
Her name is Sandra Barth, but in school she goes by the name
"Bury" (pronounced "Boo-ree", and be sure to roll
that 'r'). Bury is in the Kvinta class, the equivalent of a 9th
grader in the American school system. Her English is excellent,
one of the best in the school (Kvinta is also the highest class in the
school this year). She always brings a unique perspective to the
activities we do in class. She's not afraid to give an honest
answer and I really appreciate her presence in my English classes.
I hope you enjoy getting to know Bury!
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How old
are you? -I'm
14 years old
What's
your favorite subject in school? -My
favorite subjects are history and asthetics.
Is
it important to study foreign languages? Why? -Yes
it is, because I like to know the world. I want to know the languages
because I like to meet foreign people and to talk with them.
What
do you want to do in the future? -I
want to study on a college (of social sciences or art)
What's
your favorite sport? -I like to ski and
snowboard
What
do you do in your free time? -I like to
go to the center of Bratislava with my friends and to spend time in a
cafe- or in a teahouse there.
What's
the best thing about Slovakia? - In
Slovakia are many beautiful people with the sense for fun and with a
good heart. And
my favorite place in Slovakia is my town--Bratislava-- because it has
got a beautiful old architecture and a nice atmosphere- especially when
it rains outside.
Is
Jesus an important part of your life? -
Yes, He's important to me.
I trust in God, because I'm thankful for what he gave me...and I
hope that he will help me everyday to make [do] things right.
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above:
Sandra Barth, one of my students
What
kind of music/movies/books do you like? -I
like going to the cinema and watching good movies.
i like the european movies at most, but I also like the American
movie "Vanilla Sky" (it is very good).
Music that I like comes from Britain.
My favorite groups at the moment are Placebo, Radiohead,
Muse...and I also like some American music (Korn, Nine Inch Nails)...my
favorite book is "Trainspotting" from Irvine Welsh.
I like it because it's written very truly and it shows us the
life how it really is.
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Word o' the Month
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above: a view from the train; central SK
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A Mighty Wind
My
second winter in Europe...it's cold. It's grey. It's WINDY. It's
snowy some days, and a bit drab. But, as I've had the opportunity to
travel into the mountains of Slovakia and Poland recently, I've been astounded
at the sheer beauty and serenity of my surroundings. The snow is perfectly
placed on the fences, the rooftops and the trees. It's kind of a parallel
to my last few months here in Slovakia. Some days it's drab & grey;
all I want to do is GO HOME...but then God lifts me up and reminds me of the
beauty of this place, the beauty of the people here, and how fortunate I am to
be His servant right here, right now.
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**vsetko
dobre**
(pronounced "v-shet-ko
do-bray")
This is a phrase to wish
someone well (literally "everything good"). It's customary to greet
someone with this phrase the first time you meet after the New Year. And
so I wish YOU "vsetko dobre" in 2004!
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Potato's in the Patty
Wagon
Say goodbye to the STAPLE food of potatoes
in the Central European region, and say AHOJ (hello) to the latest
craze, "Miss Fit"!! If you're looking to be healthy AND stand
out in a crowd, try this latest Czech cereal! After eating a bowl of this,
you're guaranteed to feel "different." (Don't worry though,
"Miss Fit" will never overtake potatoes as the staple food.)
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A
Kiss at the End of the Rainbow
Valentine's
Day was a few weeks ago, and I learned something new from my students as we
studied Valentine's vocabulary. Teaching them "Cupid" and acting
out what Cupid does, they all responded, "Oh, Amor!" I was
surprised to hear a word in a language other than Slovak, English or
German! The name for Cupid in Slovak is "Amor", because he
brings love to people. Awwwww....how cute.
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Start Me Up...
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As
I prepare to go home in a few months, I've begun thinking about the next person
to take my place...though I don't know who that person is yet, I would like to
leave him or her with a good base from which to start. I am so thankful
for all the resources that you, my family in Christ, have donated to my school
here to help get the English program started. From magazines to old
grammar books to financial contributions to buy dictionaries, the English
language resources have at least doubled in the last year and a half.
THANKS! The following list are things that I feel would be a great
addition to this growing library. If you or your church would be interested in
making any donations, please contact me at the address at the top or bottom of
this newsletter.
Desired
Items: Youth Encounter Sing-along CD's; Youth Encounter Sing-along
accompanying songbooks; simple reading books (50-100 pages); magazines with lots
of pictures; small prizes (such as stickers, candy, etc.) [see also: My Wishlist page]
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Loco Man
That's my brother, to the
right. And yes, look how CRAZY he is, as he defies the laws of Slovakia by
climbing over this chain, into uncharted territory at some old castle
ruins. (not shown on this photo is a set of stairs beside this
"barrier"...in case you were worried that I was writing this from a
jail cell). The point is, the Herzberg children are taking over the former
Czechoslovakia. I've taken over the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, while
my brother has commandeered Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Inspired
by my family's visit last year during Christmas, Matt decided to take a semester
of study in Prague with NYU's study abroad program. Though we haven't been
able to get together much, it's awesome having my "little" brother not
too far from me!
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PRAY
WITH ME…
Please
Thank God for…
a
busy December, January & February, filled with great ministry
opportunities!
the
opportunity to see former English camp students and see how God has worked
in their lives
Bury,
and all my students, for who they are as children of God, and the potential
for what God will do in their lives
the
family in Christ that has supported me thus far and who continues to support
and encourage me during my time here
a
successful hip replacement surgery for my dad, Terry!
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Please pray for...
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future travels: for family & friends coming to visit, for fellow
missionaries on the field
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Eva, Daniela, Bury and all young people
of Central Europe, that they may be brought up to love the Lord and find
peace in His grace
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my dad as he continues his rehabilitation
process; for my mom as she supports and cares for him
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upcoming weddings of friends Liesl &
Gabriel, Bob & Stephanie...oh, and Jennn & Steve :)
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Do you have any questions or comments about my work in Slovakia? Please e-mail me at jennnbread@juno.com or send a note to my parents, who will let me know!
Rev. Terry & Susie Herzberg
31-06 Morlot Ave.
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
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Thank you for taking the time to hear about what God is doing through
me in Central Europe! If you are interested in supporting me financially,
please send a tax-deductible gift to:
OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH, 22-15 Broadway, FAIR LAWN, NJ 07410. Make checks
payable to Our Savior Lutheran Church, with "Slovakia Mission Fund" in the
memo line. If you’re interested in encouraging me with letters, etc, please
contact my parents at the address to the left, and they will let you know
the best ways to encourage my work here!
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