Can it really be Tuesday?

It seems we just got here 3 days ago. and it’s been a week already. Today was a wrap up day and a day to have some fun. After breakfast we walked about 1K (1/2 mile) to a rink where the high school students had organized a floor hockey tournament (organized long before the teachers strike!). They invited the Americans to have an ‘exhibition’ game with the over 18 years of age Slovaks.

We were all a bit hesitant to put ourselves into an uncontrolled situation, where most, if not all of us Americans had never had a hockey stick in our hands ever! But after watching a few games of the students play, we gave it the good ol’ college try. We didn’t score a point, but the Slovaks only got 2 points. It was a great way to get the two cultures to have some fun together.

We then did a little more shopping for souvenirs for our friends and family back home, before 3 of us went to the demolition site to clean up the last of the bathroom demolition. Much to our surprise there was 3/4’s of a wall already rebuilt! We finished our cleanup at noon, and called it A WRAP! The 12th Minnesota Builders Group trip since 2003 is all but concluded. (Another Minnesota Builders Group trip is scheduled for April 15 – May 4. There is still time to signup by contacting KJ Bach!)

With one more group photo in the demolition/construction site, we continued our shopping and then headed to the Farewell Party, where Bohdan Hrobán, Adrian Kacian, and Jozef Sopoliga were waiting for us as they had just returned from their 2 weeks in the USA, promoting the renovation of the High School building. It was great to see them, despite their jetlag!

Our Farewell Party was once again an awesome way to say THANK YOU, D’AKUJEME to each other. It takes a TEAM of Slovaks and Americans to make this mission trips work. The entertainment for our Farewell Party was an 11 yr old accordion/concertina player that was a joy to watch and listen and an amazing player.

We travel to Krakow tomorrow and will spent a day and a half sightseeing and kicking back before our flight back to Minnesota on Friday. Your Prayer Support for our safe travel is still appreciated, but please continue to pray for our Slovak brothers and sisters at the CCE who live and breath the struggle to make this school a reality.

To GOD be the GLORY!

Editorial note:

I wish to personally thank each member of Team “Hardy” for their awesome partnership, friendship, and stewardship with each other, but more importantly to this mission in Martin. Vision Slovakia has now even more advocates! The team members were recognized with the following awards:

Best Scout: Mark Daniel, not only for scouting out the waterfall, but scouting to reconnect with his cousin, David.
Best Sledger and Pail Pusher: Brad and Randi Lundell
Most Improved: Rich and Julie Wendland, they keep coming back
Best New Player: Kristin Kuhens
MVP: Bob Bach, the love of my life (so glad he ‘signed up’ in 2011!)
KJ Bach (finishing trip #10 to Martin!)