Chasing Ideals

Well before bed I got to share a late meal with the man of the house. He spoke a few words of English though for the most part we got by nodding and waving our hands and saying "very good." I am so glad that I made some effort to communicate with him because as always it was wonderful to connect with someone new. When I first came back from the city I was planning to just go to bed because I did not no how I would communicate with him but in the end I could tell that he really enjoyed trying to speak with his foreign guest and having me try some different Polish foods. For me it was refreshing after such a day to share some relaxed time with him. I slept like a newborn after this and I think was the last one to wake in the house.

Elzbieta and Damien then arrived but, no huge suprise, the car was still not ready to go. It would be another two hours before completion of the body work and two hours beyond that before it could be towed to the next repair place. By the time we did head to station 2 the mechanic informed us (it is nice to use that word "us" in this situation as I truly was not alone because Damien and Elzbieta had become my new advocates) that the car could not be worked on until Monday as there was not enough time left in the day. There were definitely repeated tests of my ability to trust in God that all would be solved but he offered to me so much support in this time that I was no longer worried. We took the car and discussed with the mechanic what the problem was and how much it would cost to fix. I was more strongly assured at this point that they would have it done Monday and that the repairs would not be very expensive. Elzbieta and Damien had previously helped me find a campground where I could stay for the weekend and they took me there with what I would need for the weekend. This was necessary because today, Saturday, Elzbieta is heading to England to find work with the eventual plan that Damien will join her in a few months. This has been the reality for thousands of Polish people who have left home for Ireland or England in order to find jobs and better pay. I am so amazed at the help that they offered to me in this time when I was feeling so alone and was so unsure where I could turn for help. God so often brings our aid in ways that we could never and would never expect. One last bit of necessary information is that on Monday Damien is coming to pick me up in the afternoon to take me to pick up the car and at that point I will probably be heading to Nowy Sanz to visit friends that I made while in Gdansk. I am well set up now at the campground which is only four kilometers from the city center and Monday I will be looking forward to having my wheels again and the majority of my belongings.

This situation brought wonderful reminders to me of the faithfulness of my Father. Even at times when I feel so confused about where to turn in the strange lands that I find myself in, my Father now dwells inside my heart and he can and will lead me through all things. I have made more new friends out of the most unlikely of circumstances and am so blessed by the sacrifices that they made for my sake. Tomorrow I hope to add much more about what else has gone and about the weekend I have had here in Krakow. For now this is all my tired mind can spit out. Please keep me in your prayers that all will continue to go well and most importantly that I will trust my Father even when circumstances demand that I lose hope.

Ok, more of my little story. Upon arrival at the mechanic's place I was asked many more questions in Polish and to each had to give the same confused look. Eventually a girlfriend of someone there was called and she translated to me that this car shop would only be able to fix the broken headlight and damage to the body of the car. She also asked if I had a place to stay in Krakow or some connections. I did not have the foggiest what part of the city I was in so had no idea where I would stay that night. I said that I needed the car as soon as possible and was told that there was a good chance it could be fixed today. About twenty minutes later much to my relief another employee arrived with his wife Elzbieta and she spoke very good English. I explained to her what I knew was the problem with the hydraulic system and said that I would need my car to find any place to stay. Again I was assured that they would have the body work done that day and that they would help me find someplace to fix the hydraulic system. For at least the next three hours I sat chatting with Elzbieta about what had happened and about my travels. In that time the only work accomplished was the pulling out of the broken indicator. As you read this don't think that I am complaining about what happened but it did display to me the speed at which this kind of situation works in Poland. At one point a mechanic from a different shop came out and said that he could fix the car but would need at least a week to do it. From this and the word of other mechanics that they spoke to the earliest my car would be finished was the next day Friday.

As the body work was still far from complete Elzbieta and her husband said that they would take me for a look around Krakow and also go with me to communicate with other repair shops. For the rest of the afternoon I was taken around the city to different sites, taken to a repair shop that said they would need two weeks to complete the work, and most interestingly taken to an accident on the motorway to Zakopane. Elzbieta's husband Damien is a road safety and aid worker so when accidents happen he goes to help with the situation. In this time Damien also found for me a repair shop that said they could complete the job in the morning. This was a great relief but at the same time I was cautious about getting too excited because I knew the sense of time was different here in Poland. We returned to the first repair shop and it was decided that I could put up my tent in the garden of the boss's house since the car would not be ready at least until Friday. I had begun to do so when one of the employee's said there was no need for that as his children were on holiday and so I could sleep in his house which was next door to the shop. It should also be noted that at this point work had begun on the car. The front fender had been slightly bent and this was now repaired and just needed a touch of paint. I was again told that the body work would be finished by nightfall and in the morning the other place would complete the work. Damien and Elzbieta then took me back into the city to show me around the downtown area. I was really awed by the beauty of this city. The main square and surrounding area are very picturesque and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Elzbieta told me the history of many parts of the central area and some of the local legends about how different pieces came to be. I had at this point decided that I could not stress about the car. I told myself that if in the future I want to live in quiet and relaxed environment that most likely I would have to get used to things not running at the speed I have gotten used to in the United States. I was so blessed by having them show me around the city as they did and show such sincere care for my situation. I could tell that it was really important to them that I really enjoy my time in Krakow despite the circumstances. In the early part of the day I had been so confused about what was happening at the accident and about what I would do next but I prayed earnestly that God would guide me. Despite the slowness, the place I ended up for the repairs took such good care of me and sincerely acted for me to try to figure out how to get my car repaired quickly. At the end of the evening Damien and Elzbieta took me back to spend the night next door to the shop. They said they would be coming in the morning early to go with me and the car to the next repair shop. At the end of the day my car still wasn't ready as far as body work but at that point I no longer cared and was ready to sleep off a day filled with differing emotional states. I will now continue with a Part 4 because this one is getting too long.