Poland

 Tomorrow night... or tonight we'll be sleeping in a hotel in Warsaw, and I'm having trouble sleeping in our two beds pushed together. I think Garry cracked the window open, so I'm hearing extra outside noises, and I was lying on my arm wrong and it was sore. We've been keeping the windows in the main room open, but not the bedroom, except when it was hot last week. There's no screens, but very few bugs come in.

You might wonder what Poland was like for us, after so many years in Ukraine. It turns out there are only a few people who speak some English, and or a little Russian, but we got by. It's definitely a different country, but there are similarities in language and some words are the same in Russian or Ukrainian and Polish. A pharmacy is an aptenka, a furniture store is meble, advertising is reklamy instead of reklama, they say den dobray instead of dobray den for good day. but many things are different. We've only learned a smattering of Polish words- shkelp (sic?) for shop, lody is ice cream, cheast is a greeting for hello or goodbye, but it only sounds close to that, we can't get it quite right. 

However, we have enjoyed the people, the beautiful countryside, the opportunity to help some Ukrainians displaced by the war. When Garry came at the beginning of June, they were helping as many as 67 families an hour with food aid with a long line of people waiting when the doors opened three times a week. This past week only 27 came, and we handed out extra stuff, as they decided to close the center, although the Ukrainian families will be able to come to the church's Polish help center for disadvantaged people. Most have found jobs, many have returned to Ukraine, they will be mainly the women on their own with babies and small children that will still need help, as they don't have a grandma with them to watch the kids while they work.

Friday was the last day for the center, after there was a pizza dinner for all who had helped and Cezary gave them certificates and Polish Bibles, and we got one too. Saturday a big group helped empty the store, return borrowed things, put things in the storage container Garry painted and sort clothing to either go to recycling or go to the church for the help center there. 

Well I'd better try to catch a little sleep before we go to church, they are having a farewell potluck after and Garry is supposed to say a few words at the service. Cesazy will take us to the airport this evening. I just need to repack and well finish packing up to go to Hungary for the conference before heading home.