A Time for Farewells

Today is Friday, our last day here in Slovakia. It is a time of rejoicing in our new friendships, and a time of sadness as we prepare to return home. We taught our final lessons in the morning, had lunch, and then gathered for a brief program. There were a few short speeches, songs, and skits performed by each class. Our students were able to show off their new skills in English, including English idioms, as well as Slovak idioms. After a dance or two, the certificates of achievement for the students were passed out, followed by a lot of handshakes and hugs. After the program, Priscilla and I returned to our classroom and gave our students Alena, Petra, Dana, and Ludo small gifts. They responded by presenting Priscilla with a 2 foot tall carved wooden cat because they knew how much Priscilla has missed our cats. Priscilla gushed over it and Petra got a little weepy. It was very sweet. It is amazing how much we care for each other after only 1 week. We have exchanged email addresses and hope to maintain our ties. I know all the other teachers have similar hopes and plans as well.

Tonight we are having our farewell party with the staff and their families, who have made us feel so welcome during our stay. Yes, we have worked hard, but the staff has made it so much fun. Right now, dinner is in progress with much chatter and laughter. Children's voices punctuate the adult babble, and musicians tune their instruments. Soon will come speeches of heartfelt mutual thanks, some anecdotes and testimonials, all filled with God's love. Then we will give parting gifts, a lot of hugs and handshakes, some tears, no doubt, a final toast, and then off to bed. We leave for Vienna early tomorrow morning.

Thank you to all you gentle readers, the Bible School staff, including the "Kitchen Angels" who worked hard to keep us fed and happy, and mostly to our wonderful students, whom we grew to love in such a short time for their good hearts and eagerness to learn!

As we reminise about our experiences in Martin, there is a heartwarming story to share regarding Charlotte. Charlotte has been financially sponsoring 2 children, a brother and sister, enabling them to attend the elementary school at the Bible school. This morning, the children came to visit Charlotte. They joined her EFL class and played games with the class members. This picture is of Charlotte, Sandra, and Dominik. Their time together was very special.

August 5, 2010

When we boarded the plane in Los Angeles, we were all focused on the same goal - trying to share our talents, our faith, and our resources to make a difference in another part of the world. Now here it is - 16 days later - and each of has accomplished some version of our goal, but in many different ways.

During the past few days, some of us were invited to dine at a student’s home. Some of us went on walking trips through Martin - or drove further distances to experience the local sights. Some of us visited local restaurants...whether we ate Goulash or Garlic soup, it was a chance to converse with the students, improve their English, and make a connection. Some of us experienced the hospitality of the Bible School with traditional Slovak folk dancing at a local sheep farm, while others went to a movie at the local theatre with Slovak subtitles! We also had a pizza dinner that was an opportunity to celebrate, relax, and even dance a little! Each of us used these activities to be both teachers and friends to the students in the program.

We have each taken this opportunity to be creative. We have utilized the teaching materials but individualized them to the needs of our particular classes. We have enjoyed different opportunities and participated in different activities...but each of us has made a connection with our students and each of us feels enriched by those relationships.

Our group has been particularly blessed by having Ivan (originally from Slovakia) and Estella here with us. They both have helped each one of us in some way, shape, or form - and we are so thankful. Ivan’s ability to help us ease into the Slovak culture and provide translation was invaluable. Thank you both for being so kind and generous.

Taking a group of 24 people from many different communities and working together for the benefit of others provides both challenges and opportunities. We have learned a great deal about each other and about ourselves - and each of us will take home a slightly different view of the experience - but one thing we all agree upon...Slovakia is a beautiful country filled with wonderful people and we were all fortunate to have been a part of this group. Thank you to each and every one of you.

-Julie

Wednesday, August 4, Builders

Our team has four builders - Pastor Jerry, Bill, Joann and Leon, and they get tired and dirty by the end of each day. They would tell you they are de-constructers and smashers more than building. A paid team of seven Slovak construction workers arrives each morning at 7:00 AM to begin and lead the work of radically remodeling the 2-story building #1 into 6 classrooms. Since all construction over here is done with concrete, removing walls is a really heavy and hard job. After breakfast and devotions our four join with the 10 others who are called the ‘Minnesota Builders’. Ever since the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis, language and communication has been a challenge. A young Slovak college student, Martin, is the ‘go-between’ who finds out the daily/hourly/minute needs and changes and then talks with the English volunteers.

For the first week Jerry and Bill worked separately in the main school building preparing new block walls and existing walls in a classroom for painting. The second week they were moved over to the big remodel job since the goal is to finish at least the first floor’s three classrooms by school time the first of August. Joann has been on radiator duty, cleaning and painting all the classroom heating units. Leon is in the clouds of concrete dust and chunks of concrete flying everywhere. These people truly work hard!

Pastor Randy

August 3, 2010

Working with the High School youth has been a wonderful experience. The teens are motivated, polite, and academic. We laugh, learn, and of course, play. Some highlights for me have been watching two of them prepare a traditional potato dish, going to Bojnice Castle, eating a typical Slovakian lunch in a restaurant, and hiking on Martinske Hole.

In order for Kate and Kika to prepare Halusky, they brought in two ten pound bags of potatoes. A crowd formed in the tiny kitchen of our dorm as we watched them peel and discuss the order in which food was going to be prepared. As soon as they were able to chop and fill a food processor, Melissa and I were able to take over the peeling. I was impressed at the excitement and professionalism of the girls as they instructed us on what they were doing, so that we would be able to make the dish again on our own. The potato mixture had enough flour added to make the right consistency to be pushed through a colander with huge holes. This allowed the processed potato to gently land in a pot of boiling water, where each "dumpling" floated when cooked properly. Each one was then removed. When all done, the dumplings were folded into a savory sauce made with sheep cheese (very creamy and tart) that was blended with the Slovak version of sour cream, but I felt it was like our creme fresh. The dish was not complete until bacon drippings or very small chunks of bacon were sprinkled on the top. It was amazing. We were all invited to enjoy and there was plenty!

On Sunday, Melissa, Julie, Robert, and I joined Kate, her mother, and Kika to tour the castle. The Bojnice Castle was exactly what Disney had in mind. I kept expecting Tinker bell to flitter past our path. It was a fairy tale. We spent a splendid afternoon with a guided tour explaining and exploring all the way to the "secret" cave that legend tells of passage all the way to town. There was even a crypt where the body of the last owner of the castle still resides, along side the sarcophagus of his parents. The castle views were spectacular and breathtaking. Our generous hosts made it possible for us to have permission to snap photos. Needless to say, every turn was another snap shot. We finished the day with the zoo and a cappuccino.

The zoo had many animals from the Asian continent that I had never seen. It would have been so much fun to watch God come up with all these ideas for animals. What fun God must have had. And of course, Melissa and I melted with pleasure at one of the only brewed cups of coffee that we have been able to enjoy while on the trip. (I really miss Starbucks!)

On Monday, our lunch at a local restaurant further emphasized our joy to be with such well mannered and considerate teenagers. They took pleasure in helping us order, attend to the waitress, and explain the foods we were eating. Julie used this memorable opportunity to teach proper etiquette for holding utensils and eating soups. We had many laughs and a good time only to be followed by a trip to the park with ice cream cones.

On Tuesday, our hike was cut short by a lightning and thunderstorm that absolutely drenched us, but we had so very many memorable moments and enjoyed the physical workout as well as the company. We did not make it to the top, but there are three more days. Who knows? The countryside in Slovakia is beautiful and has a million shades of green. Our browns and golds do not seem to compare. Today will be another day of rain, refreshing the earth, and adding more luster to this beautiful countryside.

a role playing activity during a class session

New Beginnings

Sunday, August 1st, started with our second, and last, church service. It was beautiful and inspiring. Pastor Randy, wearing the traditional Reformation clergy black robe and white tabs, gave the sermon at both the 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. worship services, translated by Lead Pastor Jan Hroban. Pastors Jan and Randy also went out to Bystricka, a small village outside of Martin, to lead worship at 2:30pm to a small and faithful group of elderly Lutherans. One of the Minnesota builders, KJ, gave a message....in Slovak! It was wonderful. She has been taking Slovak lessons for 1 year and everyone says she speaks it beautifully, so much so, that the elderly woman in front of Priscilla and I turned, smiled, and shook our hands! As we left after the service, another woman did the same. Thank you, KJ. Your outreach brought us all closer together.

After lunch we had free time until 4 p.m. when we piled into the buses for a trip into the countryside, past tiny picturesque villages to a small, local ski resort where the Bible School staff barbequed sausage and chicken. One of the refreshments was cofola, the Slovak version of a cola soft drink, that was quite good. The staff brought their families, and even the kitchen staff, 4 sweet young ladies from, I believe, the university, joined in the fun. The children were a delightful diversion.
After dinner it was back in the buses, but Michal took us on a side trip to the village where Bohdan, Adrian, and Michal (the top three leaders) are all building homes for their families. I squished around in the mud with Jim, a Minnesota builder, and Adrian, who told us in great detail the next steps in building his home. On the drive back through the rolling hills we saw sheep, cows, and a wonderful overview of the small village where we worshipped on Thursday night just as the sun set. These are memories for a lifetime! God is truly great!

The picture below is of Pam with a former student who was kind enough to join us for the BBQ!

Today, Monday, it was back to class. We had 14 new students, mostly employees of the City of Martin. Priscilla and I were given 3 new students: Ludo, Dana, and Alena. We spent the day getting to know them and introducing many new English words for them to learn. We are very excited to have these fine folks for this final week here in Slovakia.

Good Night dear family and friends! Breck

Patty, Lubor, Lukas, and Angela enjoying a lunch break Monday afternoon

August 1, 2010

All of us have had amazing interactions with the people here in Slovakia. Many of them have been students - students ranging in age from elementary school to adult. This past week, Pam was given a wonderful opportunity to spend time with two of her students - local Police officers here in Martin. The two of them are studying English to help them better communicate with the tourists here in Slovakia. They had a limited number of days to attend classes, so on their last day, they offered to give her an "insider's view" of the city of Martin. What an experience!

When they first picked her up, they gave her a complete tour of the Martin Police Department. While there, she was privy to watching the surveilance cameras located in the center of town. (Big brother was definitely watching...!) She was fascinated by the organization, the weapons, their computers and their use of technology.

Afterward, they drove to a nearby ski resort where they visited a log cabin lodge. It was located in a beautiful setting in the mountains and the lodge had a European flair with colorful flowers all around. While there, they rehearsed asking and answering the typical questions that tourists who visit Martin would ask. The two also enjoyed practicing their English giving directions to various building locations. Pam told us they were delightful to teach and were genuine in their enthusiasm to learn English in order to be better at their occupation. She thoroughly enjoyed her time with them - what better connections to make in Martin than to befriend the "Policia!"

-Dona and Julie (for Pam)

July 31, 2010

What a fabulous day. We are exhausted and exhilarated as we walked, hiked, shopped, learned, and ate to our heart's content. This was by far the best meal, the best panoramic views, as well as one of the best historic experiences at the open air museum Pribylina. We left Martin at about 8:00am, to return 13 hours later.

Our first jaunt was in the High Tatras, which were adorned with lofty clouds that reflected in the still waters of the lake. Our hike included wild berry picking, schools of fish feasting on bread, breath taking views of the mountains, ski resort, jumps, lifts, scoreboard, and summer festivities. We mingled groups, posed for photos, and laughed our way around the lake. We finished this adventure watching Robert take on the ropes course. This course involved planks, ropes, loops, ladders, zip lines, and two rescues by the staff. We cheered and applauded his courage and agility.

Our next stop was Pribylina, an outdoor museum of relocated buildings from villages that were to be flooded after the dam was built. It included a hunting lodge, school, barn, wood shop, church, etc. The architecture was incredible, with wood carved pews, two ornate altars, pieces of original frescoes, vaulted ceilings, and authentic furnishings. We were quite taken with a wire crafts woman who wove and knotted copper wire around eggs and glass bottles - beautiful!

Finally, Dinner! Strbske pieso! The soup was so so wonderful I had more than my share- 2 1/2 bowls with ham and beans. The main course was sour kraut, (my favorite), and pork cooked three different ways. Of course, there were potatoes and dessert- their famous poppy seed cake. After a perfect day of picturesque weather, the rain began to pour. Nothing like finishing a perfect day with entertainment by nature, with lightening, thunder, and raindrops really the size of cats and dogs! It was dry by the time we landed in Martin. Who could ask for anything more? We are enjoying God's grace in nature's beauty, relationships around us, and safe adventures.

Dona

Friday, Field trip day!

After the barbeque last night, we took a walk around the square. The weather was cloudy but mild. The square was fairly quiet, with a few other couples strolling, and several young roller bladers. On returning to the dormitory, as I turned the key in the lock, the heavens opened up and rain POURED down. It rained all night. By morning it had reduced to a light drizzle. Today was a half day. We worked until noon. After breakfast and devotions I joined Bill in the Elementary School for work. Hard work. We unloaded 2 truck loads of material, then began mixing mortar and troweling it onto the walls. Sheets of fiberglass netting went up, pressed into the mortar and smoothed, preparing the surface for stucco on Monday, while others continued teaching English. The students are so enthusiastic and smart! They are a real joy to teach and to just spend time with.

After lunch, as we headed for the train station, the clouds parted and the sun came out. The train to Zilinia took about 1 hour, with one change of trains. Zilinia is a beautiful little town with not one, but 2 squares, lined with shops and restaurants, where many of us went searching for treasures to bring home: decorated eggs shells, decorative wire platters, ceramic bowls and many other beautiful tidbits, at very reasonable prices. There are 2 large churches, both Catholic, and very beautiful. Randy, Julie, Donna, Priscilla and I went to "The First Slovak Pub" with two of our students, Lucas and Sylvia, who live in Zilinia. We shared a bowl of goulash, and 2 garlic soups in bread bowls and some very nice local beer. On the way back down to the train station, Priscilla and I wandered into the Franciscan Church and found a concert was about to start! We stayed and listened to a small orchestra play Mozart, Mendellson and Bach. Wonderful way to end a fantastic day. We rode the train back and hustled to the Hotel Brilant for dinner.....the best one yet!
Tomorrow we head for the mountains: the High Tatras for some hiking, the lunch in a valley near the Low Tatras....or is it the Fatras? Whatever.
We worked hard all week, and will play hard this weekend, to be refreshed and ready to begin our work teaching and building again. Each day we see the Lord at work, and thank Him for all the Blessings He bestows on us. Our love to all of those at home following our adventure, and a special Hello to Angie from Bill!

Breck Thomas

July 29, 2010

After days and days of rain, we walked out of our classes at the morning break to see sunshine, blue sky, and white fluffy clouds...what a needed change! It inspired Dona and Melissa’s high school group to go for a walk. I was privileged to be able to accompany them as we all walked to the Billa (their grocery store). The lesson being discussed before we left was on adjectives. How perfect - the entire walk we were able to ask the girls to describe - in English - how to get where we were going. “Walk past the green metal fence and the tall yellow building on the left, then past the round, dry fountain...etc, etc! Entering the store was even more fun as we helped them identify the fruits and vegetables, cheeses and more - all using their English rather than their Slovak. They are such bright talented students - with kind hearts and generous spirits. We were able to experience that later in the afternoon as two of the students stayed to cook our group a native Slovakian dish (but that will be shared in another blog...!)

For now - on to our field trip for today...

The beautiful little church on the hill is hundreds of years old. It overlooks a peaceful looking village and some of the greenest hills I have ever seen - more beautiful than a movie or postcard could ever portray. As we walked up the pathway to the church, we couldn’t help but snap our cameras - first to the hills on the left with grazing animals and then to the cemetery on the right. We were in awe of the countryside and it was hard to round up the group (especially us “first timers”) to go inside for the start of the service. When we entered through the huge wooden doorway, we were taken aback by the beauty of the sanctuary. The sun shone through long slits in the thick walls casting a sort of “heavenly” light on the scene. As anyone who enters a Lutheran church service late knows...the only seats left are in the front row, so we proceeded to sit down. Pastor Adrian provided an inspirational message - and the sound of our voices singing familiar hymns brought goosebumps and some tears to many of us! The acoustics in the small church multiplied the strength of our notes and to me, we sounded as melodic as a well-rehearsed choir from St. Olaf or Luther College! It was amazing! Rarely has a mid-week church service been so memorable.

After the service we returned to the Bible School to find Bohdan hard at work at the BBQ grill. Plates of chicken, sausage, and vegetables were already prepared and more was being added! It tasted delicious! It was nice to sit down with all the members of our group and the builder’s group from Minnesota as well. We relaxed, listened to good music, and truly enjoyed each other’s company. No concerns about curriculum copies...or numbers of students...or construction supplies...just a chance to talk and listen to great music. (Was Louis Armstrong really there? He sounded just like him!) Then it was off to bed for some needed rest. The day was beautiful - and we thank the Lord for everything we experienced.

-Julie

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The hills are vibrant and verdant with lush grass and flowers. The rain keeps coming, but so does our joy and love for our mission here in Slovakia. A team joined us today from Minnesota to continue the renovation and building projects that are already in place. The school is alive with learning and service, a constant reminder of God's plan.
I am fortunate to be working with a wonderful group of high school youth. There are 7 students, Melissa, and myself. We laugh, sing, and draw about our experiences and feelings as we learn about verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. I am impressed with the level of interest, the higher level thinking, and politeness of the students. They are truly a delight to teach and it is inspirational to see their desire to learn a foreign language and hang around with us Americans.
My favorite food so far is the salad served at lunch. It is filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and olives. Everyday it is freshly prepared by a loving group of girls in the kitchen. We are so fortunate to have this service for us.
Each day brings new insights for me into second language learning and teaching. I look forward to their smiles tomorrow.
Dona

Off to a great start

Dear Friends,

This is Tuesday evening and we have had two days with the Slovakian children, teens, and adults, as well as assist in the remodeling of the Christian Elementary School. Robert, Melissa, and Estella have helped with the children's week long summer day program sponsored by the congregation, with 52 happy children. Tomorrow Robert goes with the children on the train to Kremnica, the ancient gold and coin minting site. They love his joy and spirit! Melissa is helping Donna to do a super job with the teen class of 8 enthusiastic and kind kids. Pastor Jerry and "Nipomo" Bill are working on renovating/painting walls in two classrooms. The rest of us are working 9:00am - 3:00pm with our groups of motivated and focused beginner/intermediate/advanced students, all 34 of them.

We are over any jet lag and had a good night's sleep last night - many of us for the first time since leaving home. The staff is very kind to us and they are an inspiration. The weather is just like at home - summer cool and we have been having rain. This evening the Minnesota Builders arrived and these 12 sets of hands will be attacking the mammoth remodeling job in the newly acquired school rooms; more about that later.

We love you all and pray for you as you please for us - health, focus, and team unity of purpose and care - dobry den (good night)!

Pastor Randy

Breck and Priscillas Excellent Adventure

We left LAX on Tuesday, only 1 hour late. We arrived in Vienna in the early afternoon on Wednesday. 20 people, 2 to 3 checked bags each, and only 3 missing. Not bad. 1 we recovered late that night, the other 2 caught up with us in Kracow, Poland on Thursday. Kracow is beautiful, but VERY hot and muggy this time of year. We spent a lot of our time in the huge market square, supposedly the largest in the world. It was large, I admit. It was lined with restaurants around the perimeter, all with outside patio eating from traditional Polish to Mexican. ALL the menus had English subtitles, and most of the Poles there spoke English....almost like they were expecting us....go figure. We visited a couple of huge, beautifully ornate churches and the grounds of the Royal palace compound in the evening. There was never a time when less than 2 churches were in sight! I heartily recommend Kracow as a destination, and give yourself more than 2 days to take in the beautz of this ancient city
Friday we took a trip to Auschwitz. We toured the concentration camp in 100 DegF heat, walking the gravel roads between barracks with the various exhibits. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and thorough. It was very easy to see how one could die just from the horrid conditions and back breaking labor. Hundreds of thousands died that way, and more than a million went straight to the gas chambers. A terrible reminder of the potential drawback of God granting us freewill. I see clearly now why not keeping God in our hearts leads to incredible inhumanity and madness. I can not say more right now, it is too painful.
Saturday we arrived in Martin, Slovakia. Our dormitory is a building the was used by the Communist regime as a pig barn. It has been restored by earlier American pilgrims into a beautiful 2 story building with Dorm type rooms upstairs and classrooms downstairs, where we begin classes tomorrow. We still have no idea how many students we will have, nor what level of English proficiency they will have. Until we sort THAT out, we are not even sure which classroom we will teach in. Very exciting! The staff here is very friendly and helpful and has made us feel welcome. We attended the church service today, and even though it was in Slovak, with some translation it was very comfortable. All the music and hymns were recognizable and the liturgy was familiar in form. It is a wonderful reminder of how close we are as children of God, no matter where we live. Gods Peace to you all until next time.

Breck Thomas

Arrival in Martin!

We have had a great first few days traveling together as a team. Our jet-lag is almost diminished, and we are now in Martin, Slovakia preparing for our mission of teaching and building tomorrow. Here is a quick recap of what we have done so far:

We met at LAX airport Tuesday afternoon in a smooth, effortless fashion. It couldn't have gone better; within 5 minutes, we all met at the curb in front of the international terminal. Amazing! Jeff from Saint John's drove a van from the northwest with most of the Saint John's , Bethel, Gloria Dei, and Peace, members; Andy drove the Hope, Fresno crew from the north; meanwhile Angela and Julie made it there safely too. We had a close connection in Heathrow due to a delay in our LAX flight, but we made it on and had a safe trip to Vienna. We continued our travels (1 more hour) by driving on a bus to our stop for the night in Bratislava, Slovakia, and after a late dinner, we finally called it a night.

The next morning (Thursday), we loaded onto the van for the 6 hour trip to Krakow, Poland. Once arriving, we had a great tour of the Old Quarter section of the city by our tour guide Andrew who led us by the Barbocan, through the old gate, the city square (Europe's largest), St. Mary's church, and the Royal Wawel castle. Then we broke up into smaller groups for the rest of the evening to wander the square, shop, and enjoy the many, many, many sidewalk cafes. Perogees (sp?) and gelatto were a big hit.

Friday a group of the team toured the horrible "man's inhumanity to man" Auschwitz, one of the main concentration/Jewish extermination camps during WW2, while another group toured the Jewish Quarter of Krakow, touring Shindler's Factory. Both trips were impacting to us as we learned and understood more about that time.

Saturday Katka from the Lutheran Bible School in Slovakia came with a city bus to greet us and transport us to the Bible School in Martin, Slovakia. We were introduced to the facilities, settled in, and began preparing for our 2 week mission of teaching English and building. And today, Sunday, we worshiped (with headsets and translator) in the beautiful church on campus here at the Bible School, shopped at Tesco (similar to a Walmart), and are having preparation meetings. We are sorry for this first blog being so late, but we just now were able to use a secure site. We plan to update the blog daily with members taking turns. Thank you for your prayers and may you be deep in God's peace!

Angela and Pastor Randy

Team Training Meetings

February 20th-March 20th-May 22nd-June 26th

Dobry den! Hello!

During the last few months, we have had a few planning meetings in preparation for the mission trip. We have spent time getting to know one another better, have team devotionals, learn some of the teaching English games and activities we will lead with the students, discuss the English curriculum, plan the children's curriculum, go over the building projects to be completed, review logistical matters, and build team unity and vision. Three of the meetings were held at St. John's in Arroyo Grande, and one was beautifully hosted in Fresno.

Our team of 24 Christian men and women are from six congregations and will perform various duties while in Martin, Slovakia.

17 members: tutor English as a second language (beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels)

3 members: work with the young children of the Slovaks who are in the tutoring program

4 members: assist in remodeling the Christian elementary school and middle school buildings to be ready for use during Fall 2010

Slovakia Information

Here are some websites which might be helpful for gaining further information about Slovakia:

www.bsmt.sk :Centre Christian Education/Lutheran Bible School in Martin

www. slovensko.com

www.slovakia.org

www.travelguide.sk

www.heartofeurope.co.uk

Teaching English Daily Schedule

Before School
Team devotions and prayer
8:00-8:25 Classroom prep time

Teaching Day
8:30-9:00 Opening time (all classes together)
9:00- 10:30 Class period 1
10:30-10:45 break
10:45-12:00 Class period 2
12:00-1:00 lunch
1:00- 2:45 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) Class period 3
1:00-2:00 (Tuesday, Thursday)
2:45-3:00 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) Closing time (all classes together)

After School
3:30-4:00/4:15 Team meetings (Monday, Wednesday)
Prep time for next day

Trip Itinerary

July 20th-August 8th

July 20th: fly to Vienna, Austria

July 21st: drive from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia

July 22nd: drive from Bratislava to Krakow, Poland; walking tour

July 23rd: free day/tour Krakow; Auschwitz tour

July 24th: drive from Krakow to Martin, Slovakia

July 25th: attend church in Martin; prepare for the week

July 26th-August 6th: Mission in Martin- teaching English as a foreign language, childcare, remodeling school buildings

August 7th: drive from Martin to Vienna; tour Vienna

August 8th: Depart Vienna