Getting on with it

One of the chapters in Aubrey Malphurs' book Advanced Strategic Planning is called "What we are supposed to be doing".  If you turn that into a question, that's a little bit like how I feel at the moment!!  This past week saw Dorit and I start work proper at the ICP study centre which, at the moment is a desk in the ICP offices when available!  Otherwise it is our dining table.  There is lots to be done and part of the problem I face at the moment is knowing exactly where to start. Thinking and planning are all very well, but we want something from the centre to be up and running at Easter, so we need to get on with things.  So I am working on aims and vision for the centre to begin with so that we at least know what the centre is trying to achieve.  I would very much appreciate prayer for wisdom in this as decisions made now will affect the way in which the centre is set up and runs for the foreseeable future. Please also pray for office space to become available for Dorit and me to work from.  The situation we have presently is far from ideal for all concerned.

Settling in to Prague is not just about working on the centre's plans; we also are coming to terms with shopping where you don't understand any of the labels!  It's not always easy to see if you've picked up a bag of flour, or salt, or sugar - not until you open it at home, anyway.  So please pray as we set about some basic language study.

We have met some of our neighbours in the block of flats where we live.  Next door is a Japanese couple with two boys who are over working with Toyota.  The circumstances in which we met them were far from ideal; we managed to lock ourselves out of the flat while moving stuff down to our storage room in the cellar.  No way in, freezing cold outside, no coats, no money, no mobile phones and the only people whose address we knew were Trev and Ali and the live about 8 miles from us - not a quick stroll round the corner!  So, knocked on the neighbours' door.  They were very friendly and we soon got a locksmith to break in for us.  It just emphasised for us how difficult things can be when you don't speak the language!

We are hoping to get our resident's permit organised this week, so please pray that this will go smoothly.  We have heard all sorts of horror stories about the process - and other stories where it has all gone smoothly.  We'll wait to see which type our stiry will be.