Markéta: Curly-haired accountant with ladybugs in the window
Markéta is our inquisitive accountant, a great partner, mother of two sons. She lives in Podkrkonoší in the Czech republic and loves languages. She teaches English, speaks French and is studying Spanish. She is happy to answer your accounting and financial questions in Czech! :) How is she doing in ADRA and how did she cope with the altitude in Ecuador? Find out in today's interview.
Markéta, could you please introduce yourself?
I'm a mother of two sons, a wife of one man and I have curly hair. :) I teach English and work at ADRA as a foreign projects accountant.
You're well equipped linguistically. You've got your state exams in English and French, and now you're studying Spanish. How did you get into languages?
In the fifth grade we had an optional English class, in addition to the required Russian. That's when it started. And I still enjoy it. When we moved to Prague, I started taking English. It was intensive study, an hour and a half a day, five days a week, for a year and a half. Then I took the FCE exam and went to America for a year.
I use English the most, it's my favourite language. And now, because of the project in Ecuador, I use Spanish a lot. I have a state exam in French and I studied Russian for about half a year, two semesters of Latin and three weeks of Hebrew. So those are the languages. :)
And what were you doing in America?
I was in my final year of high school there. I was seventeen and it was a fulfilling, unique experience. In 1996 it was not so common for us to visit the USA. I was living in Montana, in the mountains in the northwest, near the Canadian border. We lived in a remote area and I took the yellow bus to school.
I went through three wonderful families in a row. They all took care of me selflessly, without asking a penny in return. They just fed me, clothed me and looked after me as if I were their own daughter. It was very interesting, a completely different approach, a different mentality. I was surprised by their desire to help people.
English opened up my world, gave me the opportunity to make friends with interesting people. One of my American "brothers" flies a small plane and has been flying patients from remote areas to the hospital in Nicaragua for 10 years. My American "grandfather" founded a university in Rwanda. Another friend and his wife founded and run an orphanage with a primary and secondary school on the border of Thailand, where they still care for several hundred children at an advanced age. They inspire me by giving up their comfort and helping in any way they can.
And how did it go?
When I came back from Montana, I took my state exams in English and French. And then I went to study at the Faculty of Arts in Brno - English, French.
Gradually I taught English privately and at language schools in Prague and Brno, and then also at the grammar school in Úpice, where I moved to join my husband. Then we had a first son and a second son. In the meantime, I also helped out in the accounting office.
Perhaps it is worth mentioning that my husband and I met thanks to Adra. We both came with a group of friends to help in Dobruška during the floods in 1997. That particular help to people in need seemed so meaningful to me that I cancelled my vacation and stayed there for a few weeks. And that's how I met my Jirka.
And now you're a full part of ADRA. How did that happen?
It was a miracle. In 2022, I was teaching English almost full-time at a company, and during the Covid-19 epidemic, I only had one-on-one classes instead of group classes. People often confided in me what they were going through, and at one point I realised I was in for a long haul. Day after day, month after month, I was absorbing other people's problems and worries. I longed for a job where no one would talk to me for a while and I wouldn't have to be so sensitive all the time. Where I could keep a clear head and see tangible results behind me.
And then, because of cost-cutting at the company, my contract was terminated overnight. After two weeks of intense prayer, I took courage and called ADRA. When ADRA found out what I could do, they told me that heaven itself had sent me, and they were happy to take me on immediately.
I took some English classes, so now I combine teaching and accounting. I use English for the BanglaKids accounts and Spanish for the ECHO project, so it's ideal. There is also the added value of helping people.
What has been your best and most challenging experience with ADRA?
In Ecuador. Always being on the road to check on the places where ADRA was helping. And all in Spanish, which I had only been learning for a few months at the time. Add to that the feeling that it wasn't entirely safe. But at the same time, it was wonderful to have a real sense of being part of a team helping these friendless mothers, children and elderly people. It was an intense experience. But it was worth it.
I suppose you were at a high altitude. How did you deal with that?
Yes, the capital of Ecuador, Quito, where we landed, is 3,000 metres above sea level. At four and a half thousand it's already quite cold and any movement is a bit slow. At 5,000 you can feel the lack of oxygen. Every step up was noticeable, I had to stop and rest, but we reached the glacier. Then we flew to the sea, where it was 30 degrees.
What do you enjoy apart from languages, numbers and travelling?
I enjoy being outdoors, in the fresh air. It's a pleasure to relax in a hammock on the terrace. But I can't do it for very long. I like to take care of our garden, especially when the sun is shining. It's such a relief from the mental work. I like listening to inspirational videos. I can see the work behind me, I'm in nature, I'm moving and it's even more rewarding.
I love walking in nature with my family and friends, we cycle. I love spending time with our sons, playing songs on different musical instruments, playing board games or just talking. I also love water - the sea, streams and clear lakes.
But most of all, I am fulfilled by knowing Jesus. I feel that I am not alone in anything. He gives me peace and gratitude for all I have, but also perspective and hope for new days.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Well, when I'm most in need, I play the piano or a little guitar.
You live in Podkrkonoší, in the mountains. How do you compare living in Prague and now?
I'm grateful to be able to live where I do. It's a wonderful place. But also away from people. I work from home most of the time, so sometimes I don't talk to anyone for a couple of hours when the boys are at school. It's nice in a way, but sometimes I miss it.
Do you have any pets?
We just have ladybugs in the windows at home. :)
Ladybugs?
Yes, they spend the winter with us. They're in the window frame. So when we open the window in winter, we find some ladybirds hiding in there. And then in the spring they fly out into the world.
But our garden is alive. The neighbours' cats come over, lots of birds fly in, buzzards fly overhead. But we can't avoid voles, moles and martens. We've had a bit of trouble with them. We also see deer behind the fence, grazing in the meadow next to us.
Sounds very idyllic. Do you have any wishes?
Lots. Mostly intimate wishes. The more mundane ones - I want to learn Spanish better, exercise more. And for the children in Bangladesh, Ecuador and everywhere else, I wish they could grow up safe and surrounded by love. I wish that were possible.
Any personal motto?
“It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life.” (Elisabeth Elliot)
One can simply choose to be grateful or complain. I chose the former and life is immediately nicer.
Thank you for the interview.
