after our long journey to prague finally ended yesterday, we walked out into the prague airport to see mr. kott (team president), mr. nemec (team manager) and michal (our agent) with big smiles on their faces and a rose for each of us! talk about a warm welcome. i think arielle was pretty impressed. they were super organized with maps and public transportation tickets. one vehicle whisked our bags to the rink in kralupy while mr. kott and michal took us and all our luggage to our new and old flats... the only not so great news of the day was that it looks like we'll be splitting up into two flats instead of living all together in one (as we originally requested and were told would happen). the new flat has just been reconstructed and is as beautiful as the "old" flat, so that's nice. it's relatively close (a 10 minute tram ride) but not as close as we'd like it to be! apparently we'll get to reevaluate in about a month and if we're really unhappy living separately, management will see what can be done.

our flight was seemless in contrast to poor jeni, who missed her connection from paris to prague and then missed two other flights after that - none of which were her own fault or a product of her falling asleep in the airport! needless to say, when she arrived last night at 11pm after hanging out in paris for 12 hours, she was quite ready to go to bed or get on a plane back to canada. we're quite thankful she stayed!

this morning in my insomnia (aka jetlag) i sat out on the balcony and got to thank the lord for his goodness. it really feels so great to be back in prague... it feels a bit like home, to be honest!

lately i've been reading the writings of st. augustine... a guy who lived from 354-430AD and who was passionate about the lord. one of his entries i read a few days ago keeps drawing me to read it again and again:

oh! that i might repose on Thee! oh! that Thou wouldest enter into my heart, and inebriate it, that i may forget my ills, and embrance Thee, my sole good? what art Thou to me? in Thy pity, teach me to utter it. or what am i to Thee that Thou demandest my love, and, if i give it not, are wroth with me, and threatenest me with grievous woes? is it then a slight woe to love Thee not? oh! for Thy mercies' sake, tell me, o Lord my God, what Thou art unto me. say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. so speak, that i may hear. behold, Lord, my heart is before Thee; open Thou the ears thereof, and say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. after this voice let me haste, and take hold on Thee. hide not Thy face from me. let me die - lest i die - only let me see Thy face.

i was curious to read some of his writing when i listened to a podcast that included some of his quotes. it was this line that got me intriged "i have had such delicious thoughts about the Lord" that made me giggle and want to know what this guy was all about. he's one of the passionate guys of old that just couldn't get enough of jesus. what a cool guy.