Soaking up the Culture

Written by Abby - Serving in Czech Republic

The Lord has truly blessed me by introducing me to new parts of Czech culture and deepening my love for it over the last month of being here. He has provided various opportunities to engage in more cultural events whether that be a festival, orchestra concert, or sitting in a park where more Czechs congregate than tourists. It has been so beautiful to learn about some of the nuances to Czech culture that extend further beyond what I saw a year ago when I was here on my first internship. 

One thing that I experienced a little bit last year is how observant Czech people can be. Multiple times, people at the grocery store have helped me when it’s obvious that I’m struggling with something and they’ve always been kind about it. Just yesterday even, a dessert bar that I was wanting to try fell out of my basket. A gentleman got my attention and made sure I picked it up. Where I am from in the United States, it’s common to help someone in that way and it was beautiful to get to experience it here too. The Lord creates us with beautiful and different cultures but there are also so many things that we have in common and helping each other is one of those things between the Czech culture and my own. 

I also attended a medieval festival in a little town about an hour outside of Prague. There was a parade at this festival as well and people who were attendees of the festival were able to participate. So many people did and it was amazing to see how important this is to Czech culture. I felt like not only was I learning about the culture itself, but I was getting to participate and experience it alongside Czech people themselves. Events involving some of the royal horses commenced later in the day and it was fun to get to cheer for different competitors right alongside the Czech people themselves. It felt like getting to be with Czech people within their element which is something I enjoyed because I felt like I got to know some of the culture on a deeper level just by being present and observing. 

At the parks that I frequent, the Lord has provided such beautiful sunsets and every single one feels like a gift. Even on the cloudier days, the vibrant buildings still pop with color, and it is such a precious gift to be able to experience those with other people even if we aren’t speaking to each other necessarily. I am enjoying getting to soak up this culture and learning more about it as I see what the Lord may have in store for me here in Prague.