August Teams in Preparation

Members of both the baseball camp team and the EFL team are making preparations now for the two trips.

Jim & Becky Rankin will lead the baseball camp in Poprad. Linda Perryman, from the ‘company’ office in Bratislava is expected to join them 1-11 August.

Bob Dyer, Wright Eavenson and Jill Patterson will form the EFL team in Presov 8-18 August. Jim & Becky will join them there.

Please remember these efforts and voice your support through the comments threads on this site.

Travel itinerary needed

We need those of you who are regular visitors to this site to pray for airfare to open up for the EFL team in August. Seats that could have been purchased last week are now only available for $2,500 each. Yikes!

Be A Virtual Pen Pal

If you are between the ages of 13 to 16 and would like to be a virtual pen pal (using email, Facebook or Skype) we need your help.  I have about 25 contacts with young prople in Slovakia who would like to have an American pen pal.  Check it out first with your parents and drop me a line at jimrankin0630@gmail.com and  I will make a contact between you and a Slovak young person.  Teachers, I  have a few for you too.

Applications Still Accepted

Deadline for applications for both the Baseball Camp team Mission Trip to Poprad and the EFL team Mission Trip to Presov is June 15.  Send an email to rdyer211@comcast.net and we’ll send you the application.

Cost for each trip is $2500.

Click this link for the information on the Baseball Camp team: http://going.imb.org/volunteers/Step_1/Results.asp?region=1&type=Sports/Recreation&keyword=Slovakia&country=1&fromdate=1/1/2003&todate=12/31/2099&pTL=V2

Click this link for the information on the EFL team: http://going.imb.org/volunteers/Step_1/Results.asp?region=1&type=ESL&keyword=Slovakia&country=1&fromdate=1/1/2003&todate=12/31/2099&pTL=V2

Home Sweet Home

Currently we are aboard flight between Vienna and Dusseldorf so I thought I might try and begin the blog for this day.  We had a good but short time in Vienna but we were able to do the last minute buying that was needed.  We had a good dinner last night but we were both thinking about coming home and would have boarded a flight at anytime.  Our flight left Vienna at 7:25 AM so we left the hotel at 5:00 AM, remember I said Vienna was expensive, we were surprised at the cost of the taxi but had no other options but to pay what was asked.  At 5AM you really do not have many options as the trains were not yet running from the area of our hotel.  We are now descending into Dusseldorf so I’ll get off the computer and begin again later.

After landing in Dusseldorf I had to take care of some business then the wait to board the plane to the US which we are now on and next stop is Chicago.  AMEN  It will be good to get back home but there are many feelings I have for the nation and people of Slovakia; I hope to have many occasions to share these feelings with you just have your pastor call and we can set up an appointment.  Back to you later.

Arrived in Chicago about 2 PM yesterday and I’ve finally found time to get back to the blog.  I have rested and I am feeling pretty good.  I want to thank all of you for your  prayers during our trip. I hope to speak to many of you personally in the near future.

In Vienna

Just a note.  We arrived in Wien (Vienna) at 1445 (2:45PM for you non-military people)  Our train was delayed 50 minutes in Budapest because one of the cars had to be switched out.  I am using a lobby computer at the hotel so  things are a little slow for me.  The hotel is very nice but everything is expensive here.  Carl has gone with someone to purchase an organ so I have some time to blog.  We are going in today to Vienna to see some sightseeing.  I might go to Sigmund Freud’s to get my head examined.  The Danube river was along side the train passageway alot during our trip yesterday.  A side trip for a couple coming on a mission trip could be taking your spouse on a cruise up the Danube (how romantic would that be). 

I’ll sign off for now. The next blog might not be until we get back.   

Auf wiedersehen

With Skipper and Sue

Stopping for a coffee

Budapest Castle

We rode the train to Budapest leaving at 6:13 AM and arriving here at 9:45.  Skipper met us at the train station and we rode the buses back to their house where we met Sue too.  They are both looking great and it was so good to see them.  They send greetings and love back to their friends in Illinois.  After some lunch we took off for a day of sightseeing around Budapest. 

Steel Bridge

Statue at Castle

We went first to the walled city that surrounded the Budapest Castle.  It was a great day to be outside and we enjoyed seeing all the restored and older buldings near the castle.  The entire area looked directly out of an older movie about castles and kings and queens.  The whole city is filled with buildings that are much older than our nation.  We did quite a bit of walking and bus/subway riding around the area.  After the castle we went to Heroes Square which is an open air plaza with statues of Hungarian heroes dating back to the 900’s AD.

Heroes Square

My dessert

We went to dinner in downtown Budapest.  We each had Hungarian goulash which is more like a soup than the goulash I remember eating in the US.  Then the mains course and finally dessert.  I ordered the most fantastic ice cream special and I enjoyed each bite.

We leave for Vienna tomorrow around 11 AM and will be in Vienna at 2 PM.  We will spend two nights in Vienna then fly home on Thursday morning.  Peace and Blessing to all of you.

Parting in Sweet Sorrow

It’s 11PM and I’m finally getting to the blog.  What an emotional day for us !!!  We are anxious to return home soon because we miss all of you; but we will also miss be leaving friends here some we just met this trip and others I have known for two years.  When we spoke before the Kosice church tonight it was an emotional moment remembering where we have come from and looking forward to where this relationship will take us.  Our first trip we arrived rather unexpectedly in April of 2007 and what an experience it has been over the last 24 months. We have had some down times while we planned at home and waited to here from God about the possibilities and what was His plan for us.  However, I have never left here thinking what we were doing was not in accordance with His will.  He has directed us in different directions but has always seen us through. 

The church service was good in Presov this morning.  Besides the speaking opportunity that we had we sang song in Slovak and English.  The wonderful power point presentation was all lined up to begin and somehow things did not work out but He was glorified without it.  Citizenship in God’s Kingdom has no borders and has no language barriers.  We truly celebrated together this morning.  We videotaped parts of the service and tried to download them but they were quite long so I do not know if anyone had a chance to see them.  The church gave Carl and I gifts for remembrance; the gifts included a souvenir valaska (new Slovak word for you to guess), a book of the seven wonders in Presov governing region (we have seen one of them and we were told we needed to return to see the others) and candy.  After church we went to lunch with Milka, Zuzka I, Zuzka II, and Michal.  Like I said before there are many Zuzkas so our two friends refer to themselves as I and II.  It was a bitter sweet time as we got aboard the bus and left our friends; fortunately we were rushed to get the bus so they did not have to look at the tears that were in our eyes.  Carl and I have been deeply moved by the love and concern they share with us to reach others with the gospel message.

Hopefully tonight’s blog can redeem me for such a short blog last night.  Last night I spent about three hours emailing my student friends here and talking online with a few.

We returned to Kosice and arrived at about 3:30 and rode the bus to the church.  We had never had our tickets checked in Kosice while on the bus until this afternoon.  We have been checked in Presov twice; they have people who board the bus at every door where you might exit and they check to see if you have a properly stamped ticket.  Michal told us that if you ticket is not properly stamped you would get a ticket residents use their IDs and visitors must show their passports.  Carl and I have been sometimes fortunate but generally we have a ticket.  Once the ticket machine was not working and we had to ride the bus from and to the train station without a ticket.  Hopefully the authorities will forgive us if they read the blog.

What a great time we had as guests to the Bethel worship service today.  We enjoyed quite an ordeal just getting connect but thank to Don and Shelly and Wright in Bourbonnais and Jarko Ban here in Kosice the link was made.  Thanks for your prayers and what terrific questions were asked.  As Wright prayed I was reminded that we are all seed planters united to serve God.  While you are the holding the rope for us we try to make the most of every opportunity here.  I had Jarko write out the translation for a message I wanted to share with the Kosice church.  I guess I did okay but some of the words I mispronounced but the idea in the message was heard and understood.  We wore the vest that Vae Ingram-Davis had made and we were invited to become citizen of Slovakia.

I think it’s time to sign off for the night I need to be up in about five hours and I need to finish packing to make the trip to Budapest to visit with Sue and Skipper Perryman.  I’m not sure about  being able to call or blog or Facebook or Skype for the next few days but I will try my best to keep you up to date.  Dovidenia and Zhobhom

Restful Saturday

Pretty Mirror at Krazna Horka

Antique Horns at Krazna Horka

 

 

View from Spissky Castle

 

 

 

Thanks for all the comments.  It makes me feel bad because we did absolutely nothing but rest today.  Left the room twice once for a shower and once for supper.  We went to dinner with the pastor, Dalibor Smolnik, and his family; plus good friend Daniel Straron and family.  That’s it folks a really lazy day so here at some pictures.

Last Day of School

  

 

Sibirska Zakladna Skola

An apartment build closeto the school

Today was the final day for teaching conversational English in the school.  Sibirska Zakladna Skola (Siberia Elementary School) is within a rock’s throw away from the DEPO so some of the kids came to the DEPO tonight for the first time. The school looks like a cheerful place to learn.  The principal has tried to help improve the image of the school because it is a colorful and bright place to be.  From the outside of the school you might never realize the wonderful things are going on inside.  I was able to talk to some students about how terrific I thought their school looked.

 

 

 

Former student Evita comes back top see her teacher

In the classes today you could tell that it was Friday because the students were looking forward to the weekend.  The students were attentive and respectful but I could sense that they were glad the school week was over.  They made comments about our lessons and one teacher, Mr. Andrej Balaz, read them to us and he will send the comments along once they have been translated.  I have about 25 email addresses of student who would like to have an electronic pen pal via email, Facebook, or Skype.  I will try to contact some of you young people to link up once I get home.  In one of my classes I recorded the students singing an English song and then a Slovak song.

 

 

 

Students and the American teacher

We had a nice evening at the DEPO tonight and enjoyed our final time with them playing games.  The younger students were active and fun.  The older students seemed to take our leaving much harder.  Some of them have been coming to the DEPO since it opened and we have developed a good relationship with them.  There was one incident when the older kids saw how much we cared thanks to Carl’s concern and action.  The specifics of the incident are not as important as the love that the kids felt from someone who had just met them.  I think it will leave a lasting impression on a few older teens here.

 

 

 

Director, Teachers and Us

Tomorrow Carl and I have scheduled a day of rest plus cleaning and packing.  I need to put the final touches on my talk for Sunday morning.  Please pray that I will speak slowly and clearly as the interpreter and I are used of God to share His message with the mission in Presov.