Adventure of the Unknown Place

A week or so before I left to go to Krakow Poland, I had asked a friend what places to visit and restaurants to look for and eat at. She had told me to explore around the old city and to at least got to the one and certain restaurant named Pierogarnia where they make peirogi. Well I searched for its location when I arrived there in Poland and planned on the day that I would make the adventure outside of the old city and to this great and wonderful restaurant. 

The location was about 3km away from hostel that we were staying at and about 2km away form the old city. The other two student missionaries and I made adventure out on thursday of that week to find this wonderful place, as we walked the weather was getting colder and the rain was starting to get stronger and hard to walk in. about half way on the trip we came up to a big intersection where there was not a cross walk in site, and we had to make a long walk out of our way to find a way to cross this busy road. About 3 big huge city blocks down in the distance we could see a cross walk, it was not a main crossing but was the only one in site. we waited what felt like a half hour for the crossing light to change and the traffic to stop so we could cross. With about 1km left to go the building were getting smaller and a little more scarier and I starting to think that I had gone the wrong direction. We kept looking for a sign with the name of the restaurant, when after a few more minutes of walking we finally found a sign and the building. 

Well what sort of looked like a shipping container instead with windows and iron bars over the them. I went around to the other side to see if it was a better site to see. Let me just tell you that the other side was even worse yet and the doorway to go in was even more frightening. I think I stood there in shock and confusion on what to do and where in the world we ended up at. I finally had enough guts to walk through the door and down the long dark hallway to see where this place was. I as started to go in a family came out of one door, speaking Polish. I asked them in English where Pierogarnia was located. They pointed farther down the long and dark hallway. I finally reached where this place was located and a small sign just out side the door with the name of the restaurant. I looked inside and was set back on how small this place was and what it looked like. The eating area with 3 tables and 2 to 3 chairs per table was no bigger that my bed room back at the school that I am staying at. The place to order looked similar to a little hut to order ''non-alcoholic'' drinks from. After a few minutes an old Polish women stepped through the ribbon streamer curtain to take our order, but unfortunately she only spoke Polish and we only spoke English. Then from out of no where a lady come walking into this little restaurant and the only thing I remember her saying was "translate". I stood there trying to process what to do and what was about to happen as other people were waiting in line behind us. This lady explained to us the first two items on the menu and we orders that I waited for our order. Then the lady left, she did not stay to eat at the restaurant or talk to any one, she just translated for us and was gone.  We had ordered a plate mushroom peirogi and a plate of apple peirogi. They were the best that I have ever tasted in my life. We all sat there think how in the world did we walk all this way to find a place of this quality looking but had such great and wonderful food. As we were finishing up eating many people were coming in and out ordering food like this was the only place to get food, there must have been 20-30 people coming and going with in 30 minutes. When we were finished we waited for the women to come back out and Thank her for the wonderful food that we had. 

When I got back to the school in Denmark and I told my friend who recommend this restaurant about my experience and what this place was like. She was confused and did not know what restaurant I was talking about. So in the end we happend to go to the wrong place, a place that she never even knew about. But I know that God was protecting us and guiding us the whole way there and back safely, and that he sent this random women from out of no where to help us order our food. This is a story that I will never forget about and how I went to a place and God provided guidance and protection over us all. In the end our scary start ended up being a great adventure and a story to tell others. 

This is the outside of the building with the sign we noticed

The doorway to the dark hallway leading to resturant

The place to order and get your food

Left side is the mushroom and the right is the apple

JJ

What is Happening?

Since my last post I have travel through Germany to Poland and back to Denmark. Went to Poland for the 9th grade class trip to Krakow Poland where we stayed near the old city. We and tours throughout the week and many nights of fun filled excitement. Excitement from enjoying new types of food to the various activities that were come out from all direction in the late evening. Horse and carriage rides, street artist as statues and street performers like fire poi (found out some new tricks for a friend to learn and perform). 

Main Church in the Old City of Krakow Poland

The Market Square

Vejlefjordskolen is still full of action and excitement. From the Girls and Boys Weekend to this past weekend of Student Missionary weekend. The weather has sure changed from warm sunny days to cold windy rainy days now. The is coming up later and going away even sooner also. 

One of the most exciting this happened was when Erica came to visit me here in Denmark for about a week. She arrived at the bus station in Vejle where I picked her up and showed her a few different think that evening. Then a fun filled week of seeing the school and meeting students for her along with know what my job was in detail every day. That weekend was a tuff one for us, as we did not know how she was getting back to the airport or when I would get to see her again. Luckily it was finally arranged for me to drive her back to the airport and say good bye to her as she was making her way to becoming a Student Missionary in South Africa. She is now safely at the college there in South Africa beginning her mission for the year. 

Jason

For those who dont know my address for the here at the school is as following

Jason Judson
Vejlefjordskolen
Vejlefjordskolen 15
8721 Daugård
Denmark

Students are here!

So the students have arrived and a little bit of culture shock has hit me. As student missionaries we were to greet people and help them move in to there rooms here at Vejlefjordskolen. Being in a different country and culture setting there are many different that set me back and think about the situation that is happening. Many people looked at me with a strange look on their face when I asked them if they wanted me to help carry things to there room. (Why would you not want help?) Coming from USA and raised up where you just helped people with out being told to do it and then moving out of the zone and not knowing what to do in this culture is really weird. 

There are also the good times when you are finally all settled in your room and can relax a little and talk to the students and get to know them and their background on where they are from. Playing Soccer or fodbold(football), is a Big thing here in Europe and Denmark. Of course there are other sports they play like indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, handball, and a few other ones. Soccer is like in their blood. 

There are many things that I will get the privilege to be able to like kayaking, learning to play soccer(football), travel around europe on free time, and of course learn the Danish language some. 

Kayaking in the fjord

VERY LARGE tree stumps

My Epic trip to IKEA

This sort of fields are all over here in Denmark

IN DENMARK

After a great summer at Camp Wakonda, and less than a week at home. My first flight ever on a commercial airplane was from Chicago to Amsterdam on KLM. Then a flight from Amsterdam to Billund, following a hour ride in a van to the school where the fun continued. 

I finally made it to Denmark. After many months of emails and waiting to be accepted, I am now all moved into my room here at Vejlfjordskolen. My first week is almost gone by, with orientation and meeting staff/employees here at the school and also some site seeing around the school and Denmark. 

So far it is all good here in Denmark and us Student missionaries are now just waiting for all the students to arrive this coming Sunday (August 12). 

More updates later when school starts.

God Provides

Spring break is here and only about another month to go for this year of college. Then it is back to Wisconsin for June and July to be back at Camp Wakonda as Camp staff again. This will be my third year as staff, and will be working out at the horse barn in the morning and taking pictures and setting up for programs in the afternoon. 

I am pretty much set of to be being going to Denmark at Vejlefjordskolen as Student Missionary (SM). I have all the paper sign and all turned in, except I am waiting to receive my first passport ever.  This is going to be a life changing experience that I am excited about. Being able to go out and helping others through God. I also found out that they only thing that I need to pay for is the plane ticket to get there and back. So currently I am saving up a little money here and there, handing out donation forms to friends and family, to come up with the money. 

Since I have been on Spring break I requested more hours at work this week and have be blessed with being scheduled around only 15 hours but have picked up about another 10 hours to add to the week. God has really provide his presents here with me this week and it has only begun.  Who know what will happen later on this week. 

Raging River

This semester started out really good, nice and slow and easy. Then all of a sudden out of now where BAMM! it is like I am on a river raft heading down the rapids fast that anyone has ever gone before. Trying to keep up with everything in life (college, work, friends, future).

Camp recruiting! Camp directors from area camps come and get college students to work as camp staff at there camp, of course since I have been at Camp Wakonda for 2 years now and enjoy it there, there is no point at looking at other camps.  Greg and Kim Taylor and the rest of the camp staff are like a second family to me. They are there when you need them and randomly show up when you are having a down and droopy day.

But currently I have a big decision right now. I have had this pressure in my mind about a year ago to be go be a student missionary (SM). It all started one day at Pioneer Memorial Church when the Senior Pastor Dwight K. Nelson was talking about going people serving for the Lord and being a missionary and had people come up to the from of the church.  I wanted so bad to go up front but something was holding me back that day. I kept putting it off week after week and month after month of going to find out about SM. Until this semester I finally went in to the Campus Ministry office on campus and talked to the SM office and told them I was interested. The a few days later after looking at the different calling and missionary positions that were offered I finally choose one and I am now working towards that goal and pressure in my mind of going to be a SM.

So for those of you that read this please pray that I come up with all that is needed to accomplish this goal and task of mine to becoming a SM. This is a big step in my life.

Thank You.

New Things in Life

Fall semester ended and with a short break it is now back to spring semester here at AU. Christmas break went by way to fast for what little I was home for the two weeks, but it was great seeing family and friends back home again. I got to spend some time with one of my favorite cousins, as we got to watch both Christmas and New Years day Packer games, and then the Rose Bowl Game were unfortunately the Badgers lost.

A new device in my life now, is the iPhone 4S. It is so nice to be able to have a smart phone now and one that can even talk to you too.  My old ancient flip phone was doing its job most of the time as just a phone only....... and worked really well as an ok paper weight. The new phone was a great present to my self.  

This past Sabbath I got the opportunity to operate the big boom camera in Pioneer Memorial Church for the first time. This was so awesome to control, and the many things that it can do are pretty cool.

Photo taken by Aaron Sinnett travelingcello.blogspot.com

This semester here at AU is going to be a little more challenging, because of a few more difficult classes.  Also I am helping out a friend who just moved off campus, by driving her to and from campus (I have to wake early now).  But with a lot of praying by me, prayers from friends, and Gods help I will be able to do this.