Czech friendships

Most Czech people are very hard to get to know. They have this barrier around them and they will not let people in until they trust you and know you well. At this rate it takes a very long time to be able to do this. So far I have been able to build into four of the woman a friendship that I hope will last beyond my time here. Although two of them do not speak English well or have a good understanding of it, I know that both of them try very hard. Today one of these ladies asked me to join her and a friend to go to the open air market. I agreed, on the way back my new found friend decided to give me some chocolate that she bought for her daughters and I. She knows that I can't eat it just yet. The thing is that she thought of me and in her broken Czech she put a finger up and said "Christina, one sheep and one chick." This was her gift to me a foil wrapped chick and sheep, I had told her just prior to her buying them what they were. She knew the sheep one as we talked about sheep last week on our three hour walk. So she started saying it as she was trying to remember the rest of the word. Then when it came to the chick she had no idea what it was in English. She also remembers "beautiful" which was used last week to express the fact that it was a beautiful day and I learned "krasny den" which is the Czech version. I am also working on a gift basket to give to my friend that is helping with a project. In it will contain things that I know she likes or is into. So far I have a basket, with chocolates, and a tea that I know she likes and I made her a dishcloth. I plan to add a plant and some other things as more things come up. All this to say, I feel like I have been thoroughly blessed by these Czech women. This I know is only coming from the Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus!