Friday, September 14

local pastor and wife

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Lunch at the camp

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mushroom picking

Wild mushrooms and grilled Polish kielbasa – the makings for a memorable picnic in the countryside. Bill and Marti drove us to a site where a local pastor oversees summer camps for kids and teens. The pastor and his wife met us there, gave us a tour of the facility, and treated us to grilled Polish sausage – yum! Then came the desserts – pastries, chocolates, and other goodies. (Fitting into the plane seat for the trip home will be a major feat if the sweets keep coming as they have in the past week.)

We three women took a walk around the property and found wild mushrooms growing in the field. Apparently these are a valuable commodity, often sold in the open markets by those who pick them. The pastor’s wife, Danielle, showed us how to peel and cut the mushrooms (watching for wee worms inside), and we prepared them for freezing later.

We had a fascinating conversation over lunch, learning about their experience during the Communist days. They told us that Poland didn’t suffer the same repression that other countries such as Romania did. They talked about their church activities being watched and of having to report every gathering such as baptismal celebrations, but they were never forbidden to meet as believers. In some ways, they feel their religious rights are more restricted now than before – something I wouldn’t have imagined.