The Builders Group left Martin on Wednesday, Jan. 27 with Tomáš Gulán as our chauffeur of the yellow van as we headed to Krakow for a couple of days of sightseeing. Since the teachers strike is still occurring Tomáš didn’t have teaching responsibilities. The strike will hopefully get the attention of the Parliament so that the teachers compensation can be increased to something more reasonable.  Please pray that the leadership can negotiate a settlement soon (as of Feb 4th the Teachers Strike continues!).

Our time in Krakow still put us on the go, as there is a LOT to see in Krakow, a city that was established in the 7th century. A walking tour gave us a idea of where to shop, eat, and sightsee some more. We had dinner together on Thursday, our last evening in Europe, in a French restaurant that was quite unique. We also celebrated Randi’s birthday; quite the stylish way to celebrate one’s birthday in Europe!

The flight home on Friday was uneventful starting in Krakow at 6:15am, then on the Frankfurt, Chicago and finally, Minneapolis about 19 hours later, where the RLC bus picked us up and delivered us to our homes. Many thanks to Erik Wolhowe for being our bus driver both ways! It was good to go to Martin… and good to come home!

Now it’s time to ‘tell the stories’….stories of hard work, nurturing and forging relationships, and fun times. But the most important reason to take the journey is all about the relationships between churches like RLC and St Andrew’s and the CCE, as well as the moral support we provide the staff, the students, and the church community. Below are personal statements/reflections from the Builders Group team (Team ‘Hardy’) on their time in Martin.

REFLECTIONS:

Rich and Julie Wendland:
This trip the high school students wanted to interact with us more. They asked us to join them at a coffee house. They prepared a traditional Slovak meal for us. They are truly proud of “their” school and wanted to show their appreciation. That pride is evident with the staff, the students, the teachers and the parents. The students look forward to hosting the RLC youth this summer.

Brad and Randi Lundell: Slovakia Surprise for Team Brandi  
The Lundell’s were surprised to find new friends, Christian fellowship and new skill sets in Martin, Slovakia as part of “Team Hardy 2016.” Brad’s new skill set as the sledge-hammer wielding “Sledg-omatic” is now the stuff of legend and Randi found new muscles that she didn’t know she had while throwing buckets of debris out the window (that part was fun). We can’t say enough about KJ’s organizational skills, Bob’s sense of humor, Mark’s Slovak heritage and knowledge, Julie’s photographic eye, Kristin’s teamwork and twinkle, Rich’s “tallness,” and the positive and joyful attitude of the school teaching staff and leadership. We appreciated the chance to meet young, energetic Slovak Lutherans and to share our faith stories with them and to be part of their joyful Christian fellowship. Thank you one and all! It was truly a blessing for us to be a part of Team Hardy 2016.

KJ Bach
With each mission trip the infection of the vision finds a new depth of faith and love within us. This was my 10th trip, and I come away more amazed at the miracles that continue to occur. What appears to be a roadblock turns into a opportunity, time and time again. Team ‘Hardy’ was an amazing team that worked hard TOGETHER with our Slovak friends to get much work done for the CCE. THANKS Team ‘Hardy’ for taking up the challenge.

Bob Bach
This was my third trip on a “Builders Group” mission to the CCE in Martin Slovakia (since I first said “sign me up” in 2011); this time, I had genuine “Welcome Back” feelings! Some of the staff, and also Pastor Milan from the Martin church, recognized me and we picked up on the small talk quickly. Going there in winter helped me appreciate the similarities to our lives in Minnesota even more. The staff (Tomas and company) kept us busy after work with some really fun adventures. Perhaps the most memorable part of the trip, though, was experiencing the enthusiasm on the “Saturday volunteer day” when dozens of students and parents came in to help with the phase zero (aka demolition/site prep) in the physics and chemistry lab areas of the new building. The CCE has been earning a reputation for providing the highest quality of education. But it’s also clear the CCE is much more than just a Christian school, it has become a thriving community! Being a “Builder” is just as much about building relationships as doing the physical work. We must continue sharing the good news of the CCE’s success.

Kristin Kuhens
We accomplished so much in such a short amount of time! I loved every minute of it! All of the students, teachers and staff of the CCE were amazing to talk to and learn from. Their commitment to the CCE and God was humbling to witness. I am so excited to watch them grow and include more neighbors in their mission.

Mark Daniel
You might say that we made a small contribution to a huge project (when you think about the size of the building), but the impact is big in terms of what it means to helping the school keep up with the growing student body and provide next year’s upperclassmen with the science labs they must have. The school is keeping one step ahead, and we helped them do that.

What I remember most is the total dedication of the CCE staff. To a person, they are committed to this vision. It is inspiring. The vision deserves dedication because it will, I think, affect Martin and Slovakia through the values it instills in its students.