People are all the time asking us if Elisabeth and Max are excited about the move to Slovakia and all I usually have to say is the standard, “Uhhh, yes and no.” So I thought I’d do a short interview with them so you can hear just how they would answer themselves.
Do you remember Slovakia?
E: A little.
M: Not at all, I feel like I never was there.
T: What do you remember, Elisabeth?
E: I remember playing with Adamko, I think.
T: Are you sure it was Adamko and not Natanko?
E: No, Natanko.
T: Anything else?
E: Let’s see, I remember when we gathered cherries from a tree and made cherry pie.
T: Do you remember who was visiting us then?
E: I forgot their names … they were young.
Do you know anything about Slovakia?
M: I know that there are mountains.
T: And are you looking forward to the mountains?
M: Yes! Because I want to hike and go on missions on the mountains… because I could see a lot. Like lots of houses (from far away). Lines that are just dark flat stuff but when you go closer you can see that it’s actually mountains that you can walk on.
T: Is there anything else you know about Slovakia?
M: No.
E: That it has castle ruins, and big cities.
T: Like Chicago, you think?
E: I think smaller maybe. It’s a beautiful place.
How long have you known that we’re going to be moving to Slovakia?
E: Since about first grade. Or maybe somewhere around Kindergarten.
M: About preschool, or even before I was at school.
T: Do you remember us telling you?
E: I’m not a very good rememberer when it comes to this stuff, but it was a long time ago.
Do you know that your Mom and Dad are missionaries?
E: Yes.
M: I know Mom…well, no, I know Dad but I didn’t know Mom.
T: Are you a missionary?
E: I don’t know.
T: What does that mean that they’re missionaries?
E: They go to Slovakia and tell others about God.
M: Not just to Slovakia but all around the world.
E: But I think that it’s specifically in Slovakia.
M: Well I meant missionaries in general.
T: What does it mean to tell people about God?
M: Tell people that he died on the cross.
E: To tell people that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and that if they believe that then they will go to heaven.
Do you ever think about what it will be like to leave the United States and move to Slovakia?
E: Yes. A lot. When I’m not playing with my friends. I think things like, “What will it be like? Will it be hard to make friends… Will it be…how hard will it be to build a strong relationship with my cousins? Will I ever actually make friends? What will it be like at school? How good will I do at school?” And most of the time I hope I won’t suffer. (I hope I won’t miss my friends too much.)
T: Are there other things you think might be hard?
E: Getting used to a whole new place, whole new everything practically.
M: And a new house.
E: Most of the time I end wondering what is Slovakia like?
T: Are you usually excited or scared?
E: I have different feelings about it. Sometimes at school I feel happy. When I’m playing with my friends I feel sad. When I’m at home thinking about it sometimes I kind of cry. It’s hard to make up my mind if I’m happy or not.
T: How about you Max? Do you ever think about it?
M: No.
T: You don’t ever think about it?
M: No.
E: At school sometimes I also think about it. My friend and I made up the ‘m’ word which is moving. It’s just kind of to goof around, and we just say “the ‘m’ word is going to happen” or that “we are hoping to buy tickets to the ‘m’ word on ninth of June” or something.
Like that.
Do you think you’ll miss something about the United States?
M: (not being very serious) Probably yes, probably no. Yes, no, maybe so!
T: So what might you miss?
M: My friends, and I might not miss my house. But I’m excited about something, want to know what? New places to go on missions.
T: So are you a missionary?
M: No I meant Star Wars missions.
T: Anything else?
M: No!
E: I’m going to miss my friends, my home, my front yard, my backyard, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles, car, my school, my wonderful, wonderful teachers, my bus, my busdriver, my fieldtrips, the hill, the forest!, the bushes, the beautiful sunset with the trees in the middle, maybe halloween and the candy…
M: (suddenly interested) Me too!
E: um, um, um, let’s see, the basements, the basements! I’m so gonna miss the basements.
Are you looking forward to anything in Slovakia?
E: Yes, probably … the hills, the castle ruins, vacation to Croatia…
T: How about new friends?
E: Yeah.
T: Anything else?
E: Probably not hiking. I had enough hiking in Arizona. Maybe if it gets kind of cold, I mean if there is a lot of snow.
So overall is it a good thing or a bad thing?
E: I think that it’s a good privilege. Because then when you have to do more saying goodbye you’re ready for it.
M: Good thing! Because I can go on missions with you (Todd) bringing the red spare lightsaber.
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