Beggary or request for support?

Dearest friends,

probably, many of you wonder why we decide to go if we haven't got enough money? The answer is very easy! We accumulated necessary funds! BUT a new situation appeared and we haven't been prepared for it! A week ago, we were only 2.000,- PLN short. You'll admit that it's not a huge sum and it couldn't prevent us from organising our wedding. Our friends would help us, lending that sum if we couldn't do it.

On last Sunday (17.VI), our friend from Jerusalem, Marcin Gmiąt, who is helping us to organise this undertaking, informed us that the final price of hiring a bus, which will be used to travel across Israel, has radical increased... We haven't been prepared for such a high price of transport because we were assured about much lower rates. It was a very difficult moment for us because we had made so much that we couldn't give up. So, we decided to put a request for urgent financial support!

Unfortunately, we heard that there are some people, who don't understand our situation or they just don't want to! Planning this journey few months ago, we had a view of sufficient funds. If we hadn't had a view, we wouldn't have even started! Information about our request for help appeared short time ago because a new situation has arisen!!! If someone don't understand it, and is accusing us of beggary or swindle, he or she is mistaken, and should be ashamed of telling nonsense! Instead of help and understanding you show ill will - it's unpleasant; we can only feel sorry for you.

We're not going to give up! We - me and Natalie - are working very hard to prepare everything to this unusual and unique event - our wedding. Everything shows we will make it, although we have small problems at the moment. This problems, however, are rather very small in relation to the whole undertaking! Happily, our closest family and friend understand our situation and cheer us up!

It's a treasure to have such a fantastic people around!!!

Wedding Suit

Oh, yes! The wedding suit is already there! It's ironed and prepared to be put on! But - listen - how long we were looking for it... how many other we had to try on... ;-) You understand that garments is a domain of women - men prefer another kind of activities... :-) OK - let's start from the beginning.

It was a beautiful, sunny day - 19th May, Saturday. Together with Natalie, my parents, and my sister, we went to the huge shopping mall near Warsaw. We aimed at shops and boutiques with suits, shirts, ties, and shoes. When I was passing one, I noticed a pattern in a shop-window - it's to my liking. :) We came in and started to try on.. this one is too short, this too long, and this one fits... :) I had a few consultants: mum, dad, sister, shop assistant, and - the most important - my Fiancée. :) Frankly, we decided to buy a suit in this shop but we wanted to make sure that this suit is the absolutely best choice.

We continued our search, striding across the mall and looking round all shops with suits, and I have to say, we didn't find anything better than that first suit. Tired but sure about our choice, we came back to the first shop. Once more, I tried on the suit carefully. We checked its cut, and matched it up with shirt, and the decision was reached.

I'm really glad that my wife-to-be was pleased with the shopping! :) She has a good taste, so I'm sure that it was the best choice! Of course, I can't forget about my mum and my sister, who really patiently assisted me in trying on the suits!

Finally, we made it - few hours of striding was successfully done We only needed to find a suitable tie and shoes. The first one wasn't a problem, and we found it quite fast. But it wasn't so easy to find an appropriate pair of shoes. So, we needed to change the mall... "Seek and you will find" says the Bible, and so we did. We made it - I found exactly that shoes which I was looking for. Also my nearest and dearest liked it.

In the same shop Natalie bought a beautiful shoes, which matched the wedding gown. I have to add that my father also bought a suit that day.

After doing shopping, we were quite tired. On the way home we were talking - sometimes even stormily.. but show me a family which is always calm. It's important that we talk! It would be a tragedy if we kept silent and lived as if alone...

In the evening, we went to a restaurant in Wilanów. We ate delicious pancakes, visited one of my favourite art galleries, and in the end we went for a stroll under the night sky. Venus - visible to the naked eye - kept us company...

Premarital preparation course - fifth meeting

The last meeting (29.V) was an opportunity to reflect on a relation between parents and their children, after children have got married. Parents has to act very wisely because their children don't have to be obedient to them any longer. Children become a new and autonomous Family, that can decide independently. The task of parents and in-laws should be reduced to providing advice. We can hear their suggestions and sensible advice but how we act depend only on us.

Fr Stanisław Orzechowski was telling us that human tend to look at other person selfish and our thoughts are often dirty... The remedy for that is Love, which can improve our "sight" - it heals the way we look at other person. Thanks to Love the feeling of shame is absorbed - we become like the first parents unspoilt by the sin: "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame" (Genesis 2:25).

In a few days we go to Krzydlina Mała for "Dialogues for Engaged Couples", which are a part of preparations to Holy Matrimony.

Our blog is one month old!

A month ago Polish version of our blog has been officially opened! Many of you visit us regularly and accompany us in our premarital preparations - we're delight!!!

We hear from you that you not only appreciate what we do, but you really give our idea to get married in Israel the thumbs-up! It's very important for us to hear you support us!

Since the beginning, our blog has been visited by Poland, and the rest of Europe, both Americas, and other places like: Australia and China. :)

We thank you for all of your fondness and support!

We thank you that you are still with us!

Wedding of Ania and Błażej

On Saturday morning (26.V) we went to the wedding ceremony of Ania and Błażej. Matthew with Jola (Ania's sister) witnessed saying the sacramental "YES". :)

After the marriage ceremony we went to the reception for the closest relatives and friends. Although there weren't many people it didn't stopped us from having a good fun and taking delight in the joy of the newlyweds. Delicious food, interesting talks and dance!

Błażej Iwaniak is a close friend of Matthew. They study on the same faculty (Faculty of Painting and Sculpture) on The Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław.

Greeting for Błażej & Ania, and all of the wedding guests, especially guests from Zamość. :)

National Geographic - Polish Edition

Dearest friends, we are very pleased to inform you that National Geographic Polska is helping us to realise our Dreams - i.e. they offered Matthew to write an article for National Geographic Traveller about our undertaking! It's an honour to cooperate with such a reputable and well-known magazine.

We would like to thank the editorial staff of National Geographic Polska for extraordinarily quick answer as a response to our request for help. Special thanks to Mrs Martyna WOJCIECHOWSKA - editor-in-chief, and Mrs Agnieszka FRANUS - deputy chief editor. We are sure that our cooperation will be successful!

Currently we're agreeing details and concluding a contract. Amazing is that Matthew since high school has dreamed of appearing in the magazine with characteristic and well-known yellow frame as a logo! It's amazing that another dream could be fulfilled... isn't it a miracle? :)

The date of Civil Marriage

Yesterday (i.e. 23.V) we visited Registry Office in order to set the date of our civil marriage. We had tried to have a concordat marriage, but it's not possible to get married outside our country. A few weeks ago, Matthew made several appointments to figure it out. First, he met with the notary of the Bishop's Curia, than with the Chancellor of the Curia, who kindly gave him exhaustive information. Next, he visited the Registry Office and it dispelled our illusions - we have to take civil and denominational marriage separately.

We wanted to avoid at all cost putting the rings twice, but it failed... and we admit that at the beginning we weren't very pleased. Gradually we got accustomed to it. With time we started to like it very much! We noticed that our civil marriage (before the national law) takes place in Poland, and the denominational one (before the church law) in Israel - the Holy Land. :)

Finally we made an arrangement at Registry Office that the Civil Marriage takes place on Saturday, 23rd June 2007 at 10 AM in Wedding Palace in Wrocław, 17 Nankier square.

Premarital preparation course - fourth meeting

We have finished another part of premarital course. The fourth meeting was all about responsible family planning. Following dimensions of married life were presented: physical, psychological, sociological and spiritual. Our attention was focused on natural methods of family planning, which should support wise realisation of one of the main marital tasks - procreation. The meeting was conducted by a woman from family counselling centre. Professionally prepared lecture helped us to systematise known already issues on sexuality and fertility of human in the light of the Christian marriage.

Our last meeting was an introduction to individual consultations in family counselling centre. We will make an appointment in June.

Weekend in Warsaw

This weekend (19-20.05) we spent in Warsaw. Saturday was a shopping day for us and we bought an appropriate weeding suit for Matthew :)

Next day, on Saturday, we were invited to the ceremony of the First Cummunion of Mikołaj Sabala - the son of Dorothy (Matthew's cousin). The atmosphere was very friendly, but we had to leave the party too quickly because we had to return to Wrocław that day.

In the middle of reception, a clown - appointed on this occasion especially for Mikołaj and other kids - surprised everyone. The fun had no end - clown juggled with balls and showed his circus tricks. He had two helpers: a dog called "Trick" accompanied by a special guest "Henry" i.e. a snake - Burmese Python... All kids, even those "big", had a magnificent fun.

The time we spent together was very necessary. We could take a deep breath, at least for a while, and get away from current issues in Wrocław. Although the trip was very long and the schedule was tight - we had a good rest.

LOT Polish Airlines

We're very happy to announce that Polish Airlines "LOT" (Polskie Linie Lotnicze "LOT") took an positive attitude towards our request for help to realise our flight to Israel!!! :) We've received a reduction in the price of tickets for our closest family and witnesses. Two tickets were priced very low especially for us :) Thanks to PLL "LOT" we saved a huge sum! We're very happy, because realisation of our dreams is closer than ever!!!

We don't deny that we counted on LOT's help a lot. We've hold talks since a few weeks and now, when the tickets are booked, we can officially announce it. If PLL "LOT" didn't answer positive, the journey of our dreams couldn't be possibly realised...

From the very beginning, the representative of "LOT" treated us very kindly, referring to our idea for wedding. Currently, we're supported by the Section of Essential Customers and Contractors of PLL "LOT" (Sekcja Obsługi Kluczowych Agentów i Kontrahentów PLL "LOT") - it's an honour!

We're very happy that such a reputable and first-rate brand like PLL "LOT" made this generous act! Our example obviously shows that company willingly and boldly helps young people with crazy and unconventional ideas. Thanks to such partners like PLL "LOT" everything is possible - even the dreams at heart !!!

We'd like to say: "THANK YOU!!!" to the whole Management Board and its President and CEO: Mr Piotr SIENNICKI.

Premarital preparation course - third meeting

We've just finished the third meeting (15.V) of the premarital course. Like usual, it took place on Tuesday at 8 pm. This time we're inspecting the ways of showing emotions and communicating. It seems to be well known that we shouldn't "stifle" bad or negative emotions. But we forget often about the form of expressing them - we all need to shape our character in this area - it doesn't matter how old we are. The priest alsoshowed us that trying to solve any misunderstanding with screaming and being too emotional always brings contrary results to what we expect - we will get more carrying on a calm conversation. For his own example, he was showing us that it was very profitable to curb his negative feelings. He said: "The human being is plastic till death", i.e. we can form, improve and develop ourselves as long as we live :) So, it seems to be untrue what we hear very often: "I'm too old to change", "It's too late", "I'm formed already and I can't change" - it's not true! - we can change; it's harder for adult, but it's possible!

We inspected also a problem of upbringing in today's world because it influences our development very much. The feelings of love, anger or jealous are inborn for a human, but empathy must be acquired while developing of a personality. In this area, tutors – especially parents – play a crucial role.

Although the weather was cloudy and rainy, the meeting was as nice as usual and its content pointed the new light on the essence of our relationship.

Engagement

If I said that I've ever imagined that moment, it wouldn't be true. But to be honest I must say that the song of 'Chili my', where the vocalist sings about engagement, always moved me: “And tomorrow I'll put on a white shirt; It'll be the day unlike others, and down the streets I used to go, I will go and propose to marry me”. So, I was thinking that it will be a beautiful day when Matthew, in his Sunday best, moves along the streets of our city to ask me if I will spend my whole life with him.

This day came totally by surprise... Nothing betrayed it, but the many tender SMSs sent by Matthew. So, I didn't expect anything :).

This day was very busy for me. When I finished my job, I went shopping. When I was just going to leave the shopping centre, my darling phoned me. I told him I was going home right now, but Matthew feverishly started to mention things he urgently needed and he couldn't buy them himself because he had a lot to do. Carrying full already shopping bags, I had to go on shopping. It proved later to give him some time to realise his sophisticated plan. Tired and jittery I went to the bus stop. I should have called him when I arrived home because we were going to meet.

When I arrived at the front doors of the tenement house where I live, I saw a few rose petals. I thought someone carried a bunch of roses and they lost a few petals... But more and more petals appeared. They even started to look like a small flower carpet. The air was filled with the smell of roses and I was uncertainly stepping on the soft ground. The carpet of petals finished just before the doors of my flat. When I opened it, I saw the second part of the carpet going just through the closed door to my room. Now I was sure what would be next. When I opened the door, I saw a known shape in the blue... I switched on the light because it was already quite dark. Matthew was standing in the middle of my room, dressed in a suit with a white shirt; he was holding a bunch of roses in his hands. He kneeled before me, opened a small box with a ring, and with emotion in his voice he declared his love to me and asked: "Natalie Skrzypczak, will you marry me?"

I agreed, of course! :)

It was a huge surprise for me! I didn't know that the owner of our shared flat let him in and allowed him to do this small chaos. One more thing happened on this day - something very funny. After Matthew proposed to me, we decided to leave the petals in the staircase for a while. A few minutes later, the couple sharing the flat with me came back. They related to us that in the first moment they thought that someone left some potato chips on the floor ;). But when they realised that they were flower petals rather than chips, the girl looked at the boy questioningly and he answered frightened: "It's not me!!!" :). It happened so that they just bought a digital camera, so they could take a few pictures of a freshly engaged couple. Matthew had longer hair and a beard - it was his new year's resolution not to cut his hair until he proposed to me :).

The next morning, he had his hair cut. Matthew looked totally different. Many of his acquaintances didn't recognise him, thinking that he was my brother or a cousin!

In the evening, my fiance took me to the "Gospoda Wrocławska" for a ceremonial dinner. We ate delicious old Polish food and were thinking about the future. Eventually we called my parents to tell them the good news!

The 30th March 2007 started normally but it will remain in my heart forever...

Natalie

English version avaiable!

Today, after a few days of preparations, we started the English version of our web log: www.matthew-natalie.blogspot.com

Translations of all of our posts are made by our friend - Piotr Hełka, doing a lot of good work for us. We're very happy that from this time on we can reach more bloggers - not only in Poland but also abroad :)

Photos from "Japanese Garden" - part 1

We're presenting you our first photo gallery. Photos were taken on the 22nd April 2007. It was a beautiful, sunny day :) The photographer is our friend - Damian Babiarz – a very talented young man, for whom the door of photography is wide open! It was a lovely time in his company, and that Sunday afternoon flew by too quickly. We hope that Damian will visit us again some day and we can convince him to make another photo session :)

We hope you have a nice viewing!

Premarital preparation course - second meeting

Yesterday – i.e. 8th May, we took part in the second meeting of the premarital course. This time, Fr Stanisław Orzechowski was talking about the biblical Creation. He quoted a known fragment from Genesis, so we could discover again that “It is not good for the man to be alone”, and the only “helper suitable for him” is a woman. Even though God presented him many different living creatures, only after creating the woman “the man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman', for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23-24)

We also inspected the matter of communication in a relationship. Difficulties in this area are a common cause of arguments between two loving people. We realised how important it is to understand properly what the other person is telling us, very often expressing it not with words but gestures, glances or intonations.

During the meeting we enrolled for the so called dialogues (for engaged couples), which will be conducted as a weekend trip. We could choose two terms and we chose the first one – between the 1st and 3rd June 2007.

The May Looong Weekend :)

We're going to spend the rest of the long weekend in our parents' homes. Natalie will be in the quiet and delightful Rąbczyn near Ostrów Wielkopolski; Matthew will be in Warsaw, in the beloved Wilanów. It's time to meet with the closest family, time for conversations - those calm and sometimes even those stormy :) It's just time for being together, being fully conscious that we're leaving our homes and our parents and creating our own home... So, those are the priceless moments, which will never happen again. We both feel that one chapter of our lives will end, and a new one will begin. The one which is ending is very important. It was the time of forming our personality and learning how to live. All of our closest relatives: mum, dad, sister, brother, influenced it. In our hearts the moments spent together will remain forever! Without them, we would be totally different people than we are now. There were of course some difficult moments, but mostly, it was a good time! We're happy that we have the families we have. We wish you to have a nice weekend with your nearest and dearest - families, friends – and to live every moment like it would be the last!

Guestbook

Yesterday we added a guestbook. A few minutes later, the first messages appeared :) Signing the guestbook is very simple and it shouldn't be a problem for you. If you want to leave us a private message, just check the option "Private".

We encourage you to sign it!!! It's very important for us to hear you give us the thumbs-up. No doubt, it keeps our spirits up and shows that there are many people who keep us company and are with us.

We thank you all for your friendly words!

Comment it!

You can add a comment to every post ;) This way you can share your reflections on the topic described in each article, develop the article, or just comment ;)

We invite you all to write comments! :)

Hit counter

We've just added a hit counter to Polish version of this blog. And even though it started to run today (i.e. 30th April), it's good to know, that for the last three days since the official opening, there has been about one hundred hits - it impressed us ;-) especially since our blog wasn't advertised anywhere but on our instant messengers and so called recommendations.

Our blog was visited by Poland, Great Britain, Sweden and Slovakia. We are very happy, because it's just the very beginning of this blog :) We hope that every day more and more people will visit us. So, if you know someone, whom you could recommend our site - do it! Invite then! We are counting on you!

Our counter starts counting today (on 30th April) - from this time on we have officially started to count your visits :)

Premarital preparation course

Last Tuesday - i.e. 24th April - we began the premarital preparation course :) Meetings take place in the lower church of St Lawrence Parish in 51 Bujwida Street, Wrocław. It's conducted by Fr Stanisław Orzechowski - called "Orzech" – a known and esteemed priest in Wrocław, specialising in preparing academic youth to marriage. More information about him you can find on D.A. Wawrzyny and Wikipedia.

On the first meeting there were about 100 couples. We meet every Tuesday at 8 P.M. - after Eucharist. The course finishes on the second half of June with dialogues for engaged couples - it's required to complete the course.

The first meeting was titled: "Your ability to love"; this ability is an absolute foundation and base to grow in a marriage. We learned how not to make a mistake at the very beginning, and what threatens and favours a proper development in our relationship.

We learned also that the way we're choosing could be called "Marital Order" ;-) and its role is one of the most austere – even the Carmelite monks have a less difficult one ;-)

During the meeting, we discovered we do not have to actually do anything! We don't even have to be together - I don't have to be with you, and you don't have to be with me. We don't have to be married, we don't have to do anything! ... so it makes us search ourselves: Do we want to? Do I want to be with you? Do we want to be together in every situation, for better or for worse? Am I able to tell the other person: I don't have to marry you, but I want to!

When we came back from the meeting, we asked each other that question. How do you think - what was the answer? ;-);-);-) ...

Date of wedding

After a long time of going out with each other, we decided that we wanted to spend our whole life together :) That is really fantastic, because deep in our hearts we know that we feel good together - even in a crisis.

In 2005, we started to think about the time when we could get married. On one hand, we wanted to do it as soon as possible, on the other, we listened to reason and wanted to wait, so we could get to know each other better. We've sensed the wedding wouldn't take place earlier than two years time - maybe three.

A search was going on for the date of the wedding and we considered many different options, but the date of 7th July 2007 – i.e. 07.07.07 - took our fancy. So, long before it became famous in the media - many couples chose this day as a wedding day - we already got accustomed to it :)

2007 seemed to us very distant, but time has passed very quickly. Today we see things in retrospect: we could know each other much better, deepen our relationship, and love each other more. We didn't hurry, but got to know each other gradually in many difficult, as well as beautiful situations, when we could learn to laugh and to cry, to have an argument and to reconcile with one another. We believe this is the time for laying the foundations of a future marriage. We also believe, that it's only the beginning, and the most important moments of our love are waiting for us after our marriage :)

07.07.07 took our fancy :):):) because it's characteristic and original as well. We don't connect it with any magical meaning. We don't avoid marrying in a month without the letter R either. We just don't believe in that kind of thing.

Seven has a symbolic meaning for us - it's used many times in the Bible: seven years of abundance, God rested on the seventh day, there are seven requests in the Lord's Prayer, seven wisps of hair ensured Samson strength; but more about the symbolic meaning of the number seven we are going to write later on...

Official opening of our blog!

We welcome you all on our site! Today, after long waiting, we announce the official opening of our web log matthew-natalie.blogspot.com

The blog you're reading is created for our closest relatives, our dear friends in Poland and abroad, and also for everyone who wants to get to know us and accompany us in our preparations for marriage.

Nowadays, in the age of the Internet, there is no need to persuade anyone that it's the perfect way for fast information exchange. We know that many of you would like to participate in our preparations on-line, so we're going to post all of the related news. Some of the most important past events and interesting and funny situations that happened while building our relationship will be described. We'll also share with you what we are going to do in the nearest future.

The sacrament of holy matrimony is an issue for us, because the marriage ceremony and wedding reception will take place in Jerusalem, Israel. It's an enormous challenge for us, but we want to be equal, because one who hesitates is lost. We believe that dreams, even those at heart, can be fulfilled.

How can you help us? First you can pray for us and the whole undertaking. Second visit our blog often! Why? Because it's our communication platform, so you could support us, keep us company, and help if needed.

We already want to thank the people who have been involved in the preparations - without your support and help, it would be much harder!