Our Farewell Friday

It was a bittersweet day today as it was our last day with our students. Randy and I took our class out for a nice lunch to a restaurant that featured traditional Slovakian food. The restaurant had many traditional Slovakian costumes hung on the walls and around the room. In the center of the room was an enclosed fireplace with the most massive copper hood I have ever seen. The students told us that in the winter the fireplace is used to heat the restaurant. The food was delicious, but the company and conversation was even better.

After returning to school, the closing program took place and the students from both the Washington Church EFL group and the California EFL group did such a great job showing off their new English language skills. Some classes sang, some did cheers, some did skits. Two of the more advanced classes from California performed skits based on Slovakian and/or American Fairy Tales. Charlotte and Ryan's class did an absolutely great version of Little Red Riding Cap (Little Red Riding Hood) with Charlotte being the grandmother and Ryan being the wolf. Ryan did a magnificent job of opening the skit as the narrator and speaking some Slovak. The students cheered! Way to go Ryan.

Our class did a "Remake" of the Slovakian Fairy Tale, The Farmer and the Sugar Beet. The gist of the story is that the farmer tries to pull out a big sugar beet and he can't it, so he calls his wife, and his son, daughter, the family dog, cat and finally a mouse and by all pulling together they manage to get the job done. Pastor Randy was a wonderful "son" to Lucash and Jana acting the parts as the Farmer and his wife, I was the "daughter", Nadia was the "Top Dog", Nadka was our "Hello Kitty", and last but not least Milan was our "Computer Mouse". What fun we had preparing our parts, costumes and props. Many laughs were shared in this process. At the end of the program all 10 of the California teachers sang two songs to the whole student body. We sang "We Are So Flexible", and "So Long, Farewell" which was so much fun. All of the students received their certificates of completion for the course as each class finished their part of the program.

As if that wasn't enough for one day, the staff hosted a farewell party for all of the teachers this evening. There was a great deal of food, music, singing and dancing. Each teacher received their certificate of appreciation and a beautiful gift from the staff. It was the perfect ending to two weeks that I will never forget. I think it is going to take a few weeks to absorb all of the sights, sounds, songs, people, foods, prayers, church services in two languages, and people sharing thoughts and ideas and values even though they didn't speak the same language. It has been a pleasure and privilege to be here, to be an accepted part of this team, and to share this experience with such a dedicated and kind group of people. Thanks for the memories!

Sincerely,

Sharron Jackman

Charlotte & Ryan's class

Jennifer & Breck's class

The band at the Farewell Dinner program tonight

Thursday 7/21

Hello from lovely, rainy Martin, Slovakia!

It has been raining on and off during the past few days and it reminds me that the rain is the reason it is so beautiful here.

We had our second to last day of class today. Some classes discussed holidays and other topics that interested the groups. Other classes discussed sports and hobbies. All classes discussed and practiced skits and activities to present tomorrow for the Closing EFL Program. I'm excited to see what each class does. I'm also eager to share our class' presentation... our class has really enjoyed laughing together and spending time together these past two weeks and we have had many, many laughs while preparing our presentation. Some classes went out to lunch this afternoon together as a farewell activity and others will go out tomorrow. Our class went to Pasaz- a restaurant in the that our students like.

This week has also been a fun week of spending more time getting to know EFL students and seeing previous students. My mom Patty and I had a really great time yesterday with Michaela and Kate in Banska Bystrica. They taught us some Slovak word pronunciations and we had fun practicing them... but we enjoyed spending time with them even more!

Our class at lunch today at Pasaz

Pastor Randy playing table tennis with a former EFL student who is a second place World Champion of Table Tennis. She graciously hosted us at her Pubs and showed us her Sport Center.

History of the Protestant Movement

A very brief History of the rise of the Protestant Movement

by Breck Thomas

In the mid 14th Century, John Wycliffe, a theologian and priest at Oxford began espousing radical ideas: Wycliffe believed that the Bible should be published in English and shared with all the people to learn the word of God. He began translating it with the help of followers, over the objections of the Church. The first English Bible was finally published in 1384, the year of his death. Wycliffe also believed that all priests should take vows of poverty, divest themselves of all worldly things and dedicate their lives to bringing the Word of God to the common man. This was not popular amongst the clergy, most of whom were the 3rd sons of nobles, the 1st being heirs to the house, and the 2nd most often going into the military arts. He denounced the selling of indulgences, believing that man was saved by Grace alone, not by works, or in this case, bribes.

For these reasons, the church took him to task. Fortunately, John of Gaunt, father of Edward, The Black Prince, and Henry Bolingbroke, future King Henry IV, agreed with Wycliffe and protected him through out many years. John was also the on-again, off- again Regent for young King Richard II, who took the throne when his Grandfather, Edward III died in 1377 when Richard was 10. In 1382, when Richard was 15, his close friend Michael de la Pole arranged Richard’s marriage to Anne of Bohemia, daughter of Charles IV, King of Bohemia (now Czech Republic). This was a political marriage, as I will explain below. Anne was not liked at first; she brought no dowry. Indeed, Richard paid 20,000 florins to seal the deal. Over time, however, she became know as “Good Queen Anne”, as she was known to intercede on the behalf of the downtrodden.

England at this time was in the midst of the Hundred Years War with France, though it was a quiescent period, both sides taking a breather while the young King Richard grew into his inheritance. On the larger scene, Europe was enjoying the Great Schism: Pope Gregory XI had been persuaded by Catherine of Sienna to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome. After he died, Urban VI was elected Pope. Urban proved to be a bad choice, and a majority of the Cardinals left Rome and elected Clement VII Pope. Clement returned to Avignon, where he was strongly supported by the King of France, England’s rival. Naturally, England supported Urban, as did much of Eastern Europe, including Bohemia, Where the sale of indulgences was becoming a big issue, too. Both Popes needed money to support the wars against the other, along with various Crusades, both in Europe and the Holy Land. Indulgences were the preferred method of raising capital.

In 1394, Anne, childless, died of the Black Death. Her entourage returned to Bohemia, including 2 young priests, who brought with them Wycliffe’s writings, which he shared with Jan Hus, a young Bohemian priest. Wycliffe’s papers galvanized Hus, who began preaching vehemently against the sale of indulgences. Hus was protected by his patron lord from the inquiries of Rome, which by and large ignored the upstart. In 1409, in desperation, the Cardinals elected a new Pope, Alexander V. Instead of capitulating, the other 2 Popes declared him Anti-Pope, and continued their feud. The Bohemian King and Jan Hus decided to support Alexander. Pope Alexander became concerned about Hus and began inquiries into his preachings. After several Papal attempts to silence Hus, he was invited to the Council of Constance in 1414. Hus was reluctant, but was promised safe conduct by Sigismund, King of Hungary, and brother to Anne and Vchlav (Wenceslaus, in German), the now King of Bohemia. Ostensibly, the Council was to try to resolve the Great Schism. Hus was there to defend his polemics, but after a few weeks of freedom, he found himself in prison and put to the question. His followers rioted, and Sigismund was initially furious, but eventually was convinced that he need not keep promises to a heretic.

Hus’ only demand was that he be shown his errors in biblical text. No such documentation was produced, and after months of deprivation, torture and starvation, Hus was burned at the stake in 1415. His followers rose up against the church and it’s loyalists, and over the next few years controlled Bohemia and Moravia (modern day western Slovakia), defeating several German armies sent to quell the Hussite movement.

Hus’ dissemination of Wycliffe’s writings would influence Calvin, Zwingli, and ultimately, over 100 years later, Martin Luther, The father of the Reformation. Hus has been called “The morning star” of the Reformation, though much of his work was simply a restatement of Wycliffe’s treatises.

Note: This is a summary of my devotion lecture given on the morning of 7 July,2011 in Stary Namastie (Old Square) Prague, Czech Republic, prior to the start of our mission trip to Martin Solvakia. It is not a comprehensive history of the period, but it is a thumbnail sketch of one aspect of the times.

Day 8 - Cool

Greetings from Ryan,

We are at the final stretch of our time here in Slovakia and it has yet to disappoint me with all the things we've experienced as a team. Today's class was about our home state California and traveling in general. From what I understood, each of the classes had a good time today talking about it and also answering questions that the students had. Along with the lesson, each of the classes and the team have been preparing for our closing ceremony on the last day of class. Unfortunately I cannot mention the various acts the classes had in mind for the sake of spoiling the surprise.

After class, the the team went with the Vancouver team to the mountains where part of Vancouver's team was hosting the summer camp "Be Cool, Stay Cool" at a ski lodge. Even though they are half-way through their camp, it was a blessing to see that the team there was able to connect with the campers there in almost no time. It seemed as if they all had known each other much longer than a few days with how well they connected but that's what happens when God takes a swing at dividing walls like language and cultural differences.

Like I said, we're on our final stretch but we're not done yet. For those who have been praying for us we thank you very much and ask that you continue to do so until we all make it back home safe and sound.

God Bless, take care and have fun.
Ryan

Our Last Tuesday in Martin

Greetings from Sharron:

I can barely believe it that we are almost half way through our second week. After looking forward to this experience for almost 6 months, preparing for it, planning for it, packing for it, and praying about it, it is almost time to be looking back at it! For a first time teacher coming to the Bible School in Martin, Slovakia I was filled with apprehension-Is God really calling me to such a far away place? Am I qualified? Can I contribute to the success of the mission? Will I fit in with the rest of the team?

After 7 days in the classroom, I must say that I feel very fulfilled. The team members have been loving and supportive, the Bible School Staff has been so appreciative to have us here. One of our Advanced students told us today that the class has been above her expectations, and I feel that I have contributed to our classroom studies each day. What a wonderful experience this has been.

Today our students all talked about Food and Fashion. We discussed the kinds of food they like and don't like, the kinds of foods that are healthy, and the kinds of foods that make up a nutritious diet. We also had some fun with clothing and fashion. We discussed what kinds of clothing they prefer to wear and what is appropriate for which kinds of situations. It was also "Picture Day" today, and we took photos of the whole student group with all of the teaching staff from California. We also took photos of each individual class yesterday. The students have come so far in just 7 days of classes; it is amazing. I can hardly wait to see their skits and programs at the end of the week.

Monday 7/18

Good evening to you from Slovakia,

Today marked the 6th day of EFL classes. We had two new students begin today and we were so glad that they joined us. One of the new students came to my class and that was really nice. It's my hope that we help each person learn more English, giving our best effort and energy in doing so, and that we create good relationships too.

I've written this in almost all my posts, but I can't stop thinking it.. I will say it again here and then will move on to new topics in my next posts :) - we have such kind, friendly, and generous ELF students. I'm not used to meeting handfuls of new people at one time, and I'm naturally more timid in new situations. Last year when I came here I was shocked with experiencing a new place, a lot of new people, new situations, etc. This year I've relaxed more and have enjoyed the people so much. So thank you everyone here in Martin. Other team members also feel the same, in that they have a deep passion and joy in being here. Sharron has mentioned to me several times that she has a peace and happiness inside of her while being on this trip because she is compelled by God to be here. She feels like she is right where she is supposed to be right now. How beautiful. :)

In regards to how classes are progressing, some classes discussed communication styles as well as idioms today and other classes discussed verb tenses, daily routines, house vocabulary, etc. My class loves the game, "Apples to Apples" and has been found to get a bit too noisy while playing it in the afternoons :) The question of the day today was: What forms of communication do you use?/How do you like to communicate? One of the winners of today's prize stated that he uses 10 forms of communication. Wow. Wonderful!

-Angela

The opening activity time today

Betty and Pricilla's class working hard

Charlotte and Ryan's class in discussion

Sunday

This Sunday was a very important and touching time for the Lutheran Congregation here at Martin. Senior Pastor Jan Hrobon has accepted a Letter of Call to begin a congregation in Bratislava (the Capital of Slovakia) and so today was his final Sunday after ten years of service and leadership. His wife, Maria, will also be greatly missed because she is the Adult Choir’s Director and part time church Organist. Their sons, Jan and Mathus, will remain in Martin and continue leading with their guitar and drum music at youth and Sunday worship. His brother, Bohdan, who is the founder of the Bible School and currently Director of the Center for Christian Education, will miss his brother and family greatly, but all know we are to follow the lead of the Lord’s calling.

The church was overflowing with worshippers (400+) at the 10:00 am worship on a sun filled morning. The Adult Choir sang “In Christ Alone” in English, a show of international recognition of the Kingdom of God.

This also was the final Sunday for Gary and Jeannine Jenks, who have been serving for one year at the Bible School as English tutors and helping out wherever needed. They will return to their home in Arroyo Grande, CA. They were given appreciation gifts of a Slovak folk bowl and scenic book, and Jeannine thanked the congregation for the blessings of sharing life together.

It was Pastor Jan, however, who received the prayers and thanks of the congregation before, during, and after the worship. In his sermon Jan shared many joys and asked forgiveness for any sins against any of the members in a modeling of Christian humility and love. In addition to a Holy Baptism led by Associate Pastor Milan Kubik, Jan led Holy Communion DURING worship with three stations up front. I was honored to be asked to serve the wine and so I wore the Slovakian Pastor’s black robe and white tabs around the collar. On all Sundays, except three or four, Holy Communion is celebrated after the worship has concluded, so this added to the specialness of this two hour festival worship. The Americans certainly witnessed an historic moment in this dynamic congregation!

Pastor Randy Ouimette

Saturday Outing!

What a busy day we had on Saturday. We left the Bible School at 6:30 a.m. Our destinations were the Pieniny National Park, a visit to the Stara Lobovna Castle along with the Open Air Museum, and dinner at an outside restaurant in the high mountains.

After a 3 hour ride through some beautiful scenery of lakes, rivers, villages and mountains, we arrived at the castle perched high on the side of the hill. It was a long hike up to the entrance of the castle but well worth the walk! This castle was built in the early 1300’s and was occupied as late as the mid-1940’s. We were also treated to a falconry show inside the castle walls which was very impressive.

We next visited the Open Air Museum where there were many historical buildings on display, set out on hills with the castle in the background. It was a beautiful setting to see how it must have been many years ago.

After lunch we went to the boat dock in the Pieniny National Forest and boarded wooden flat bottom rafts for a two hour raft ride down the river that divides Slovakia and Poland. What beautiful country this is; some gentle rapids, some smooth water, and some wonderful guides to carry us safely down-stream.

Our day ended with a delicious open air dinner along the river. What a wonderful day to spend in the beautiful place where God has called us to share His word with these wonderful people. I feel so blessed to be here with this team, with these students, and with the Bible School Staff
doing this work. Thanks be to God.

With Love, Sharron

Day 5- Friday

Day 5 has seemed to come so quickly already! This is our mid-point in teaching and time in Martin and I am filled with such thankfulness. I was thinking about these things this evening as I was on a walk.

First, it has been fun discovering more about the other team members- Betty is very generous towards others and is caring. She often remembers concerns of other people and does small acts of kindness to them. Sharron is optimistic and has a deep love for others. Breck has been learning some of the Slovak language and has shared a lot of the history of this area with us. Charlotte and Jennifer spent countless hours revising curriculum before the trip. Priscilla joyfully steps up each morning to lead the EFL group in songs during the Opening; Ryan has been flexible with moving between the CA group and the WA group at the Bible school, my mom Patty has been so fun to teach with, and my dad Randy has led wonderful discussions with others. All of us have different gifts and that's a good thing.

I'm also thankful for the opportunity to be here and meet new people. Many of us team members have spent time outside of class with students and Bible school staff and I have really enjoyed it. My parents and I and a few other people were able to take a trip to the University of Zilina today to see where some of our EFL students teach. That was so neat- especially that they took time to arrange it and spend time with us, sharing what they do. They have blessed us greatly. It has also been encouraging to hear about the continued work at the Bible school.

Another item of thanksgiving for me is the beauty here. I see God so strongly through the general revelation of his creation. As I was walking tonight I was thinking about Betty's devotional from this morning with Psalm 103- As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

So there is much to be thankful for. The list could continue, but it will be saved for another day... :)

-Angela

This picture is of Sharron and Zuzanna, a student that Sharron has really enjoyed getting to know this week. Today was her last day of EFL class.

Here is one class led by Randy and Sharron.

This is the National Cemetery in Martin. Some classes walked to it this morning during class and discussed heroes.

Day 4 - Thursday

Greetings from Ryan,

Today marks our third day in class and it keeps on getting better. Our class theme for today was Work/Jobs, we talked about our ideal job or for the younger students what did they want to be when they grow up. It was nice hearing all the answers the students had.





After class we went to Blatnica where we had a fantastic worship in a church that was next to the woods in that area. It was a great time to slow down and reconnect with God without all the hassle of preparing for the next day's class.









After the service, we had a BBQ with the Vancouver and Bible School teams. I'm sure I speak for at least the California team in that the food was delicious and we thank everyone involved with it.






God Bless, take care and have fun
Ryan

Day 3- Wednesday

Greetings from Sharron:

The beautiful park we visited last evening before dinner at the pub.

My first bowl of "authentic" Goulash. Yum, it was Delicious!

Last evening the staff from the Bible school treated us to some great local flavor. We left school at 4:30 pm and went 20 kilometers to the village of Mosovce. First we visited a wonderful bakery where delightful smells were drifting about. We each purchased delicious treats to munch on as we took a pre-dinner walk through a beautiful park with a river running through it. We then had dinner at a pub, dinning on goulash and bread, and toasting with a local drink called Slivovitz. It is a potent clear liquor and definitely not for sissies! Wow!

After leaving the pub, we walked about 3 blocks to the Gulan's house (a couple from the Bible school) for ice cream sundaes, fellowship, and a beautiful view of a natural mountain preserve.

The group enjoying the Gulan's hospitality.

Our third day of classes covered health terms, proverbs, idioms, and quotations. The students in my class have quickly become enthusiastic about the word game Taboo. It helps build their vocabulary and sentence structure. We are getting to know each other more each day and enjoy our time together!

Day 2 of teaching

Dobrý deň!

Today was our second day of teaching English as a Foreign Language and we loved it. We have between 20-25 students this year and 10 teachers. This ratio of 2 students per teacher is great and allows for maximum conversation for each student. Students are mostly in groups of 4 with 2 teachers per group. We were pleased yesterday to see beloved returning students from past years: Dominica, Lucas, Milan, Zuzanna, Marian, and Michaela as well as meeting new students. Our students are in the age ranges of pre-teens to adults. They are kind, energetic, and intelligent. They are willing to try new things and learn as much English as possible.

We start each day at 8:30 am with an Opening group time of singing from songbooks and playing a group game. Today we did the Hokey Pokey as a group and laughed as we shook our legs, hips, hands, heads, etc. In class today, some groups learned idioms such as: 'Kicked the bucket', 'At the end of my rope', and 'His bark is worse than his bite'. They reviewed and discussed their personal values, what their home lives are like, and had interesting discussions regarding the Values homework assignment 'How I would spend one million euros' . Other groups learned how to describe their families and jobs, various grammatical structures, and practiced conversations regarding where they live, activities they enjoy, their age, jobs, living situations, etc. We teachers also learned a lot today! We learned that Slovaks do not use the word stove. Instead, they use the word cooker, which includes both an oven and a stove. Also, there are no donuts or bagels in Slovakia! I personally learned that all female last names end in "ova"; men's do not. At the end of the day, all the students and teachers come together from 2:45-3 pm (dismissal time) for a Closing. During this time we discuss a 'question of the day' with each other. Today's 'question of the day' was: Tell 3 things you learned today. Prizes are given away and a group song, One in Love, is sung.

We are so thankful to be here and interact with our students. We really enjoy them. :)

This photo was taken on 'Day 1' with all our team and the other EFL teaching team from Washington

Milan, a returning student, and his wife and baby :)

Team meeting

First Day of School

Greetings from Ryan,

As the title suggests, today was the first day of class...

The morning started off with registration and assessment of all of the students that came for the two week program. The idea for the assessment was to make sure each student got into the class that best suited their need whether they were Beginners, Intermediate, or Advanced. The process overall took a bit longer than expected but it was worth the wait. As the teams and students waited for the assessments to be completed, we got to know the students better with songs and games.

This being my first time with all this, it seemed like everything ran pretty well. The assessment group from both our team and the team from Vancouver, Washington were able to work together well and d an efficient way to assess the students to get ideas as to which class would be best for them.

Once the Evaluators were done, the students were broken up into their groups and began their lessons for the day. It was a great experience for me mostly because I had no idea what to expect from the students that Charlotte and I were given to teach. I was surprised as to how well our students knew enough English to keep a small conversation going and I can only imagine by the time we're done they will be that much better. The feedback I heard from the other groups were positive, especially Angela and Patty's Beginner group.

It was a good way to start off our adventure with the school and I'm looking forward to what tomorrow has in store!

Take care and have fun,
Ryan

We Have Arrived in Martin!

Picture above: View from the train

Picture above: Our hotel here in Matin

Picture above: The children singing songs during the church service on Sunday

Hello Everyone: After an interesting train ride from Prague in the Czech Republic, we arrived in Martin, Slovakia on Saturday around 5:30 in the afternoon. The scenery coming here on the train was so beautiful, coming through small towns and villages, rural farm land and hay rolled in large bundles in the fields, mountains and along streams. With this being my first trip to Slovakia, I did not know what to expect when we got to Martin, and the best was yet to come!

Sunday we all got ready to attend the annual outdoor service at the Bible School’s church, and we
all walked to church together while the church bells tolled. The weather was quite hot, but there was a nice breeze, so we were not too uncomfortable. I was totally unprepared for the beauty of the service, done in two languages. The American visitors were provided with headsets and an interpreter so that we knew what was being said in Slovakian. The children from the vacation Bible school came up on stage, and sang several songs, one of which they sang a verse in their language and the Americans sang the next verse in English. It was awesome. The whole service was so moving and personal and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be!

After the service ended, the congregation had a huge lunch prepared for everyone to enjoy outside under the trees and several large tents set up behind the church. They even had live music. It was such a good time for everyone to meet everyone else. A great time was had by
all. I am thankful that I am here, experiencing this beautiful place and these wonderful people. ‘

Til next post,
Sharron-The Morro Bay Contingent

PRAHA!

Prague (Praha, in Czech language)

Greetings from Priscilla:

We traveled to Prague safely and without any gliches. How wonderful! We arrived in Prague on Wednesday, July 6th and had beautiful weather while there.

Our lovely hotel was situated in the Old Town area of Prague near the ancient city well and a block away from the Astrological Clock in the town square that was made 500 years ago. The town square was not as big as the town square I saw in Krakow, Poland, but provided views of Gothic, Baroque, and Romanist artictecture.

On the second morning Breck gave a lecture on the history of the Protestant Reformation that had a lot of history connected to Prague. We also had a tour of parts of the city by a woman who has lived in Prague her whole life. When she was 15 years old, the Russians invaded Prague and she shared a few personal experiences with us about what it was like to live under the communist regime. She gave us the history of Prague and showed us the city sights. On our own some of us went to the castle with the lovely majestic, Saint Vitus cathedral at night. It really came to life for me when looking at it with the special night lighting. From the castle, sitting up on a hill, I saw views of the entire city including many bridges over the Vltava river. It was an Awesome view! Other team members spent time in the Jewish Quarter near our Hotel. I think that ALL of us delighted in the gelatto in Prague, some even more than others!!

Looking forward to the train ride Saturday to Martin!

love, Priska

The Astronomical Clock and the Old Town Square:

Breck gave a History lesson:

A view of the Vltava river and the Castle:

View of the city, river, and bridges including the Charles' Bridge:

The Charles' Bridge:

The Jewish Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter:

The team's favorite dessert- gelatto!:

We're off!

Today is the day!

As I type this, team members are checking their bags for last minute items and are preparing to load up and drive to the airport. We'll be meeting there, coming from central, central coast, and southern CA.

As I was reading this morning, I came to Hebrews 12:28: Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

I'm so thankful for this!

Alright friends! I look forward to writing again- this time on the flip-side.. in central/eastern Europe,

Angela

Greetings from the CA Slovakia Mission Team 2011

Hello friends!

The California Slovakia Team is packing, planning, and preparing for the trip from the central coast of California to Martin, Slovakia!!

The team will arrive in Martin on July 10th and will stay until July 22nd. This year, the team consists of 10 Christ-loving people from four church congregations (click on the names of the churches to link to the individual church websites):

Bethel Lutheran Church, Santa Maria: Betty, Ryan

Calvary Lutheran Church, Morro Bay: Sharron

Hope Lutheran Church, Fresno: Charlotte, Jennifer

Saint John's Lutheran Church: Priscilla & Breck, Randy & Patty, Angela

Seven team members are returning and are greatly looking froward to seeing old friends again in Martin. Three new team members are gearing up for their first experience in Slovakia and are excited to meet new people, teach English, and tell of Christ with others.

The purpose of the Mission Team is to partner with The Bible School in Martin (click on it for link to the Bible School) to teach Conversational EFL (English as a Foreign Language) to men and women during a 2-week course, build relationships, and share Christ.

Breck and Priscilla are team leaders this year and have gathered the team together for preparation team meetings several times during the past year to prepare EFL curriculum, trip logistics, and information regarding Slovakia.

The team will leave the U.S. July 5th, enjoy some sight-seeing in Prague and then head to Martin, Slovakia. The Mission Team will overlap one week with the Jenk's (click on their name to link to their blog, or click on their link on the right of this post), a couple from Saint John's Lutheran Church who have taught in Martin, Slovakia during the past year, before the Jenk's come back to Arroyo Grande. The team is so looking forward to spending time with the Jenk's and hearing and learning more about their time in Slovakia!

With the preparation underway, the team sends greetings to all the friends in Slovakia and can't wait to see and say hello to them all!

To friends everywhere, please note that members of the CA Slovakia Team will update this blog each day during the July 10th-July 22nd timeframe of teaching EFL in Martin, Slovakia. Please return and read the latest updates from the trip. Also, scroll down and enjoy reading about the 2010 CA Slovakia Team trip. Please also pray for the team with travel, teaching, and building relationships with people. Thank you for partnering -you are a large part of this!

Photos:

The team planning and discussing during a preparatory meeting!

Enjoying lunch with previous CA Slovakia Mission Team members and dear Andrea, summer intern from the Bible School in Martin working with Saint John's Lutheran Church and Bethel Lutheran Church.

Previous team members enjoying tasty desserts!

Enjoying time with Andrea and loving every second of getting to know her more and working with her.