Typically American

So i was sitting down with my roommates, looking through my photo album, when they commented, "These pictures are so American."  I just laughed.  Apparently, just as we have stereotypes of everyone else around the world, the world has its own for us.  I asked them what they meant and it was something they couldn't really describe....it was just, there was a distinction captured that is "American".  I found this so funny and interesting.  I think i want to do some kind of experiment based off this idea......
Tonight i went to warm up Fried Rice....for the third night, when Ula motions towards a pot and a skillet and breathes the beautiful words, "Nalesniki?"  Which is definitely in my vocabulary because they are delicious.  :)  So thank you Lord for providing a roommate who is an excellent cook.  She then offered me a salad of cabbage and corn with a light dressing of chives, garlic sauce and mayonnaise which she had also made.  And don't be hatin' on the salad, because it was good....mayonnaise and all. 
Ula doesn't speak English, she is learning though!  But the past few nights it has been really special to sit with her and talk--Karolina as our translator.  :)  Last night she told Karolina, "I can't talk with you, but i am observing you and i am impressed with how good you are doing your cleaning."  :)  It made me so happy to hear that it had made a noticeable difference, since i see them as people i can serve while i am here too. I told Ula that i just want to be a blessing because i have been so blessed in finding a home with them here!  She gave me a big smile and told me that i was certainly a blessing.  And i just think of how Jesus sent out the 12 Disciples with no possessions and told them to just stay with whomever would take them into their homes....and i hope the same blessing on these girls who have opened up their home to me.  And it is God's provision because they were in need of one more person for the flat, and no one was responding to their ads and then i was their answer!  :)  God is so good.
I had my first lesson on Monday with a gal named Marta.  She was very sweet, and extremely shy at first, but she definitely opened up through the meeting.  There was a lot of smiling and eyebrow raising involved, but we worked through it and i got to know a little more about her and her family.  She has even asked if i would like to go to the theater with her--STAGE theater that is!  Which i am totally excited about.  She has a son with diabetes and she has tried to read health articles but she says she has a hard time understanding them and would like to know English better for that purpose, as well as, for on holidays when she and her family go to places like the UK.
Then last night at FOF (Fellowship of Faith), my roommate Karolina came with me, which was super because all the lights on the road were shut off.....that might have been a little unsettling had i been walking alone!  So she took me by her school, pointed out a great place to buy cheap and tasty pizza by the slice, a yummy bakery and she introduced me to her schools cafeteria which is very cheap and very tasty she says.  :)  My favorite equation: Cheap +Tasty = Satisfied .  A bowl of soup for 2.90 zl....that's cheap since most places charge like 7 zl and up to 12zl for a bowl of soup....and a lot of times their bowls ain't so big.  I had signed up to give the lesson for FOF, so i was a little nervous, but it was cool to see that every "W" for the night went along on the same theme of letting go of something in order to receive from the Lord something better.  I led the group in a study of James 1:21-25.  I was thinking i will post my notes for it under "ministry writings" so you can check it out if you would like.  But even though i had prepared this study for like three days before hand, when the time came, some things seemed to change and i felt the need to put emphasis on different parts over others, or recalled a verse that had to do with something.  and i know that those were interventions from the Lord, because they were not a part of my "plan".  :)
And i have a date with the girls i met at the party!  Next week on Wednesday we are meeting in Od Market for lunch/dinner and to hang out.  :)  SOOOOO excited for this.  Tomorrow i look forward to Bible studies and a staff meeting.  Friday Holy Start and i hope some English Lessons!  And Friday night to Saturday night is a 24 hour Worship Festival for churches from around Poznan--including our very own, Poznan International Church!  Yay!!