Christmas Update!

Dear Friends and Family,

This is the year that we are finally getting around to sending out a Christmas letter update. Things are a lot different for us than they were last year at this time. We were in a little town in Slovakia, battling freezing weather and snow, and now we’re in Pittsburgh, PA, frolicking in the mild temperatures and green grass. But we were quite happy with our year in Slovakia.
It came with many challenges and many amazing experiences. Rachel and I enjoyed learning the Slovak language and navigating the new culture. While we didn’t become fluent, we got down the basics for grocery shopping and getting around… and we both got pretty comfortable with the European lifestyle of public transportation, local food stuffs, hiking, seeing ancient things all the time, and even taking it easy in the afternoon once in a while. Other challenges included learning the customs and expectations of the school at which we taught, budgeting our travel plans into a one year space, and communicating enough with family back home. Some of our greatest memories of the year include: traveling to ancient ruins in France and Spain (Notre Dame, Nimes, Segovia, Madrid) in August, going on a weekend retreat with our fellow teachers, hiking in the High Tatras, playing sports after school with fellow teachers, having family visit, and even riding our bikes to school. Overall we look back on our time in Slovakia fondly and miss the European lifestyle.

It’s great to be back home though, and we have enjoyed our months in Pittsburgh so far. The time has really flown by, but Rachel is almost done with her first semester of teaching at Shaler Area Middle School, and Michael is part-way into his second term studying at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rachel is having a great experience teaching with a very supportive and fun team of teachers. She loves the math she’s teaching and has mostly wonderful students. The hardest thing so far has been dealing with the over-involved parents. What a contrast from Cincinnati! When she’s not doing teaching work, Rachel is doing homework for her Education Masters degree classes. When she’s not doing that (or while she is), she’s watching the Steelers, running, baking, starting a workout group, or spending time with her groovy husband. On top of all of that, she’s also doing the planning for a summer trip to Guatemala. She’ll be leading a team of 8 college students for six weeks of learning and serving in the areas of Guatemala where Rachel used to live! She’s still working on many details and slow communications…

Michael is enjoying studying at seminary. He has already learned a lot, and is glad to get a chance to read a lot and hopefully put some of his ideas to use sometime soon. When he’s not studying for class, he’s cooking or cleaning, dreaming up big ideas, playing Ultimate Frisbee with friends, running with his lovely wife, or hanging out at the Lutheran University Center in the college area of Pittsburgh.

So far, highlights of this year in the states have been: being mission speakers at New Wilmington Mission Conference, seeing friends and family in Holland in August & December, going to Florida with the Dawson’s for Thanksgiving, going to a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game for cheap, community dinners at the seminary (and the Mistletoe Mambo dance), starting a Bible study in English, and seeing some Wooster friends at Homecoming and other events. Over Christmas, we are going to spend some time with the Dawsons and then will fly out to Seattle to be with Michael’s parents and brother for a week. We hope that you have a merry, blessed, and peaceful Christmas, and that we will hear from you soon!
Love,
Michael and Rachel Ludwig