English Lessons in a Polish Suburb

The atmosphere was quiet, as I waded through calf-deep snow toward a little apartment on the outskirts of Poznan, Poland. The light in the windows was inviting. This kind of winter was new to me, a Florida girl. The night sky was a deeper blue, as the moonlight reflected off the snow. After spending the …

The Beauty of an Ordinary Moment in Belarus

I crossed the border between Russia and Belarus at a tumultuous time. I had a lot to worry about - and to be excited about. I'm amazed at how, some 19 years later, what stands out in my memory isn't the dramatic backdrop. It's an ordinary moment with a student whose name I don't remember, …

How I Slept in a Glass Box in Sweden

My senior year of college, I studied in Poland. This was a year and a half before the Berlin Wall fell, and the uprisings had started. It was a rough place for this pampered American girl to visit. It was hard to get food. Things were scary. But God was watching out for me. In …