By the Dawn's Early Light

I woke up this morning, half way around the world, to the news that Barack Obama had been
re-elected as President of the United States of America. When one lives abroad, she becomes
affirmed in her sense of patriotism. It is one thing to be American, it is an entirely different thing
to be the American. What a responsibility, to be the link to this culture so many wonder about
and experience from afar.

In my first few days with my students in Slovakia, I put together an exercise to facilitate
discussion about our two countries and cultures, asking five questions about the United States
and five questions about Slovakia. I’ll pose them to you:

USA
1.What is the first word you think of when you hear ‘United States of America?’
2.Who is the President of the United States?
3.Name one celebrity or professional athlete from the USA.
4.What countries border the United States?
5.Identify the state of Ohio and the state of Washington on a map.

Slovakia
1. If you had to choose only one word to describe Slovakia, what word would you use?
2. Who is the Prime Minister of Slovakia?
3. Who is the President of Slovakia?
4. Name one celebrity or professional athlete from Slovakia.
5. Identify on a map the part of Slovakia from which you come.

Sure, the questions about the US are easy enough, but how many of the above questions can
you answer about Slovakia? Could you even pick it out on a map? Only now can I answer these
questions after reviewing this quiz with over 200 students. What’s remarkable is that every
student could answer each question about the USA correctly. (These students could even find
Ohio and Washington on a map thanks to the Twilight series and Glee.)

And what words come to these young minds when they think of ‘America?’ Okay, so a lot of
them said hamburger, but more said hope, beautiful, freedom, and Obama.

Each day in the last few weeks their curiosity about the election grew. I found myself having
to answer question after question about each candidate and the ideals of our country. What a
responsibility to shoulder, but this responsibility does not rest on my shoulders alone. This is the
responsibility we share as citizens of the United States. In our words and deeds and votes, no
matter how they may be cast, we show ourselves to the entire world. I hope we all pause to think
about that as we reflect on the election. We live within our borders and without. We live not only
for ourselves, but with all people of this world. Be proud as we move forward.

And congratulations, Mr. President!

Nineveh or Bust!

We all know the story of Jonah and the whale. You know, the one where God called Jonah to spread His word to the Ninevites, but Jonah just wouldn’t listen. Remember what happened when Jonah tried to run away? He got thrown into the sea and swallowed by a whale. That whale carried him for days in her belly and bowels before delivering Jonah to where? That’s right, Nineveh!

What’s remarkable about this (besides being carried in the belly and bowels of a whale for days on end) is that Nineveh was located in modern-day Iraq and any map will tell you that Iraq is land-locked. So how did Jonah end up being spit to shore from the belly of a whale in a land-locked country, you ask? Because God wanted him there.

Now I realize that Nineveh was actually located on the Tigris River, a major highway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. And, okay, the story doesn’t actually specify that Jonah was swallowed by a whale; it could have been any large ocean and river-dwelling fish, but the moral of the story stands. When God calls you to do something, you do it.

Michael and I have found ourselves in our own Nineveh, of sorts. We were swallowed up by a 777 and spit out on the shores of the Danube. It’s not that we were resisting God’s call, but there is a bit of a feeling of bewilderment as to how we ended up here in Tisovec (pronounced: tee-so-vets), Slovakia. It’s a beautiful place, albeit isolated, situated in a valley in the low Tatras mountain region. It is here that we have been called to continue to serve the world.

We are all called each and every day to love one another and live in harmony in this world. This is no easy task and we don’t always want to listen, just ask Jonah, but whether we are called to be with men experiencing homelessness in the United Kingdom or communities affected by HIV and AIDS in South Africa, or students learning to speak English in Central Europe our answer remains: Ninevah or bust!