Before

I've been thinking that maybe I need to post something pre-Christmas just in case I forget to post something about/for Christmas. Right now everything is looking like Christmas here: shops with holiday displays; booths out on the square; the smell of hot, spiced wine (which doesn't really make me think of Christmas); the cold air. But there's still one thing that's missing: SNOW! I guess this year we'll be having a green/brown Christmas, even in the mountains. This is a really unusual winter so far, being warm and cold and still no snow (OK, so we did have a little bit on my birthday). I met a boy today who said he was going out to buy some new ski pants with his mom, but laughed when he said that he didn't know if he would get to use them this year. I guess we always have the chance of snow coming in January or February, but Christmas just doesn't seem right without a little of the white stuff. O well!

On a side note: I know some of you will probably be expecting me to post some pictures of Christmas here, but alas, I might not have a camera! I've got it advertised for sale right now, and I there's a guy who said he's really interested in buying everything I've got. This means that I might not have a camera to take any pictures with. Horror of horrors!!! But don't be frightened, I'm not giving up photography, just my old workhorse. (I added the above picture to give this post some "holiday warmth", but also to try and make up for the possible lack of Christmas pictures).

I guess this will be it for now, but if I don't get another post up before Monday......... Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! (Or something along those lines)

Come and gone

Yes, I know. Once again I haven't gotten the "hot news" posted until after things have cooled down (or are cold).

I went to the school on Friday, prepared and not so prepared. I was pretty much ready and willing to face the sixth grade class, but I still wasn't sure what I was going to do with the eighth and ninth grade classes. The sixth grade class was first with an hour break after it, and then I headed back up to the remaining two classes. To make two hours of class time shorter than they actually were, I'll just say that, although both of these older classes were a little harder, I still survived. The ninth grade was the hardest, mainly because most of the students just listened and didn't try and speak, although they know the most out of all the students I had previously "conversed" with. My conversation was mainly with just a couple of the students, and all the rest seemed to be content with just listening. I knew that this was probably what I was going to be faced with, but still I was a little surprised. Yesterday I went for the last time this year, and everything went just as well as last Tuesday.

Speaking of yesterday... Most of you probably have guessed that I drive my car to Trencin when I go there. Yesterday was no exception, but I also took my bike. After I got done at the school I went to Jozef A.'s house for lunch and then went with him to the church to help move some shelving. I drove my car to the church and once I parked (in an illegal place!) I found out that my battery was completely dead; I had been running on the alternator. We, Jozef and I, pushed my car to a better parking place and then tried to think of why the battery would be dead. I couldn't figure it out since I had just bought a new battery, plus I had replaced some burnt cables that go out of the alternator. (There is a break in the time frame here because I went riding, but it picks up later in the afternoon) We push-started the car and I drove it back to Jozef's house. I spent the night there with the plan to go with him to a couple of shops in the morning to try and figure out either what the problem was or if I could just buy an alternator (and fix the problem by elimination [which is sometimes what has to be done with an old car]). This morning we went and were told by a mechanic (who said he wouldn't do any work on the car because he had piles of other work) that it wasn't the alternator (he checked it) but that the belt was too slack. This was kind of embarrassing for me because I hadn't thought about checking the belt. I had tightened it a few weeks ago (when the battery first started charging right [hmmm!]) but it was already so loose that the idler pulley could be turned without trouble. So... we went to the other shop and got a belt (which the guy gave us because it was "old") and then went back to the house. After changing into the work clothes that I had in my trunk (for such a time as this), I went out to do the first "real" work on my car. Actually, the whole job was pretty easy and didn't take me more than an hour to do (even in the cold!). OK, so that's not the whole truth. The belt that the guy gave us was the wrong one (it was for the first model year which had a generator) which meant that we had to go back and get the right one (which we had to pay for). In all, the work wasn't all that much work. The outcome is that my battery now charges and I'm not so worried about throwing the timing belt (because I looked at it while I had things apart and decided that it had probably been replaced already). How boring it would be to own a new (new) car!

Yea, OK, so that last paragraph was longer than the first (but it seemed like a better story!), and I still haven't mentioned the bike riding. I'll make that...

Up the hill and down the hill. That's where we rode our bikes. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that I went riding with Lukas T. (who is a boy from one of the families that belongs to the church in Trencin). First we went into the woods that are above Trencin and rode some really crazy-steep drops/rises (I don't really know what to call them). This was pretty exhilarating, but soon we headed down through the city and on to the next place he wanted to show me. Then to the next place... then the next. And then, because it was getting dark and cold(er), we headed back to where my car was parked at the church.

No pictures. I didn't have my camera with me for any of the excitement. (I'm going to have to get another small camera so I won't have to lug around my big one) It's a pretty lame excuse for me, someone who likes taking pictures, to not have any new pictures to go with this post, but O well...

Roof-rack: 1.0

I am happy to announce that I finally got my roof-rack finished. The paint that I applied dried smoother than I thought it would, and hopefully it will last under the treatment/abuse it will go through on the roof of my car. I also attached the bike mount and drove "home" (a couple miles away) and back again without any trouble. If the weather is still (unusually) warm next Tuesday, I'll be taking my bike with me to Trencin; this will be the real test.

I'll get some pictures of it sometime, but I'm not going to promise when that sometime will be!

Teacher/Lecturer

Last week I was asked by Jozef A. if I was interested in speaking in some classes in a school. I told him that I was willing to consider it, his reply being that he wanted me to go with him to talk to the principle at a primary school in Trencin (the same school which his sons attend). I went and we talked, the outcome being that I will be going to the school every Tuesday and Friday morning for the English classes held on those days. I would be given some topics to choose from and then I would speak from which ever I chose. In a sense, I was supposed to somehow hold a conversation with the whole class. I knew it wouldn't be very easy, but I was willing to give it a try.

Yesterday I went for the first time. The first class I had was one of the 7th grade classes, and turned out to go quite smoothly. I tried my best to get the students to talk back to me (since talking from both sides is what conversation is about) but without my having to push them to do it. Most of their teachers are already quite "pushy" and do a good job of ruining the fun of learning, so I wanted to try my best to make the class time I had with them a little more enjoyable. After this first class I had an hour break and then I would go on to the next class, which would be sixth graders. This class was a little more fun to teach, maybe having to do with the fact that I was a little warmed up, but also to do with the difference in ages (you could almost read that "egos").

Friday will probably be the hardest set of classes, being the other 7th grade class, plus the 8th and 9th grades. I can see already that my "teaching" style will have to change a little from class to class, but it is nice that I'm allowed to keep the same topic for each of the classes. The whole idea of "teaching" a class is kind of new for me, but then again learning is always part of teaching, right?

I'll be sure to post updates on the outcome of Friday, and in general keep you informed of how this new "job" goes.

Project: Roof-rack 0.3

On Thursday (or Wednesday, I can't remember) I finished up the welding on all the pieces of my roof-rack. I also helped build (I prepared and ground, Daniel welded) some stands/poles to hold up a sheet for our Christmas "shadow play". On Saturday I got some of the bare metal pieces primed.

Just this morning I got the first coat of paint on everything, the roof-rack and the stands/poles. Everything is now a nice shade of gloss black. It's something new for me, but I'm having to paint everything (metal) with a brush instead of the spray can I'm used to using. Needless to say, the finished products will also have a slightly textured look to them thanks to the brush strokes.

Hopefully in a short while I'll have everything bolted together and put on the car. When I test-fitted the runners on the car everything worked out better than I expected; hopefully nothing has changed (although I don't really know how it could). The next pictures will be with the rack on the car. This is like getting an early Christmas present!

Something more...on topic?

I can guess that a lot of you are sometimes wondering what I'm doing over here, especially when you read posts like the last couple that I put up. I know that they lack any report on what's happening here "spiritually"; that it may seem like I'm doing the same kinds of things that I would do if I were back in the States, but I've got a question. How many of us, whether here or anywhere, have something spiritual to "report" on every day? I don't mean to try and pass any blame, and I'm not trying to get myself "off the hook"; I really mean it as a serious question. I know that it would be nice if I could give a report every day on the spiritual progress here. It would be nice to have a story to share or better yet, have the opportunity to see someone's life change. There's just one problem: I'm not a reporter.

Reporting is something that I can do, and I will try and do, but only when the chance comes for me to see something. I'm not going to go digging for a story so I'll have something to put here on my blog every day. I don't see it as my job/duty to go out and take a slice out of someone else's life. This blog is about "a slice of my life", not someone else's.

I'm a witness; someone who gets cross examined and studied, someone who saw/sees something that those who are watching me didn't/haven't seen. It's my duty to tell them what I know and live my life in a way that won't misguide them. If anyone has the opportunity to be the reporter, it's these people. They see me as I am; they look for all my slip-ups and mistakes; they're the ones who could probably give the truest report on the spiritual condition here.

So what's the point of me writing here? Is it just to let you all know what I do on an everyday basis? Yes, and no. Things that stand out to me I'll most likely report on. Things that I might be doing every day I might report on sometimes. When I get the chance to see fruit coming from someone's life, then I think I should let it be known; both for the encouragement of this person and for the encouragement of everyone else. Fruit comes in its season; it's never planted one day with the expectation that it will pop up the next day, much less bear fruit. The speed at which fruit ripens differs from plant to plant, but for some reason the speed at which we sometimes expect it to come isn't taking this into account.


Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and see a small part of what I'm able to do here. Sometimes there seems to be a big gap between seasons, but I'm glad to have the chance to see and experience every season as it comes. In His time...right?

Project: Roof-rack 0.2

I just wanted to put up a quick update. Yesterday evening (in my "off" hours) I started working on the second runner (I'm not sure that they're called this, but that's what I'm going to call them!). At first things seemed to be going a lot faster than on Saturday, but then everything started falling apart. I had found some smaller welding rods and was using them thinking that they would be easier to use (since the metal I'm welding isn't very thick), but they ended up, in the end, working against me. They didn't seem to penetrate the metal as well as the bigger rods, meaning that after I had everything tacked together and started checking measurements, all my welds started coming undone. Yes, things went faster, but I had to keep doing them over again.

I finally figured out that the slightly larger rods worked better, even though they seemed too big for the thickness of metal I was working with. By the end of the night I kind of got the hang of stick welding again, and figured out what I had been doing wrong. MIG welding is different, and since that's the only kind of welding I've done for a long time, I pretty much forgot how much it differs from using a stick welder. Anyway, short story long, I got the second "runner" finished and looking better (to my eyes) than the first one. Now all I've got to do is make the mounting brackets for it, paint everything a nice shade of black, mount it all on the car, and take it for a spin!

Side note: A stick welder works great(!) for doing fill welds, but MIG will always rule when it comes to welding 11mm nuts onto anything (and that's a fact!).

Project: Roof-rack 0.1

This week, well actually Saturday, I started work on a roof-rack for my car. The main purpose of it will be to carry my bike, but that doesn't mean it can't be useful for hauling other stuff! It's taking me a little longer than I thought it would, but that's mainly to do with the fact that I'm using an ancient stick welder. Boy, it sure is easy to get spoiled using a MIG welder!

I fumbled around a lot with while trying to weld the small pieces, but after going through a number of welding rods and a process of weld/cut/grind I finally started getting something that I was halfway pleased with. Trying to measure rain-gutters on a car is always pretty hard and this time was no different. It's a good thing that the back of the car is a few millimeters narrower than the front. I tweaked everything out as much as I could and it just fit. Now I've got to do the one for the front, but I've got a kind of guide to run off of now.

The whole mounting part of the rack was the hardest to get right, but I think it will be worth it. After I went out and tried it out on the car, I noticed that the design works as a kind of anti-theft system. This will be great and will keep me from worrying about someone just walking off with my new rack.

Hopefully I'll get the rack done sometime soon. I've been invited to go riding in Trencin, which I'd like to do, but right now I don't have a way to get my bike there (without riding it). I'll make an update once I get the other part of the rack finished, and then, to top it off, I'll get some pictures of it on the car and in use (of course not while I'm driving!).

I've also been working on a few other things, just trying to get ready for when we start work in the building here. The largest part of this is moving things that will be in the way, and the biggest problem is finding a place to put the things. Here's where learning how to pack the bays in a Greyhound comes into practice!

This week (and it's lack of pictures)

Yea, I know. I haven't written in a while and I guess I don't really have any "good" excuse. Every day has pretty much been "normal" since the end of the conference. I did have the chance to go and see/listen to the Slovak Philharmonic which was neat, especially considering that some of the best musicians in Slovakia play in it. I didn't take any pictures; it wasn't allowed.

On Friday a small group of young people from the church here went to Berea to help out with things there. The girls ended up raking leaves (which covered somewhere around an acre of ground/yard) and the boys got to move rocks (with the help of some wheelbarrows). Here again, no pictures (I was there to work!)

I'm happy to report that my car is finally taken care of, title and license wise that is. I went by myself (because I had really no other choice) to take the title back to the owner so he could sign it over (which has to be done at the police station), and since he couldn't do it that evening I had to drive home without the title (which by law you're supposed to have in the car whenever it's driven). I got back just fine, but I decided I wasn't going back in my car without the papers. Lukas went with me the next evening to pick up the title, but for some reason (something happened in someone's communication somewhere) our effort was in vain since the title was not back yet. The next evening, which was Tuesday, we went yet again(after receiving a call) and successfully got the title. Yesterday Kocko and I drove (in my car) to Bratislava and got all the insurance/license/title stuff done. License bureaus seem to be the same way the world over: long lines; tired, waiting people; and unhappy, tired (grumpy) looking people behind the windows. I'm really glad this is all done because now I feel a lot better about driving the car (since, if I were to be stopped, I would have less to try and explain). And can you guess what? Yup, that's right, no pictures to go along with all this either!

Modra 06'

I know it's been quite a while since I last posted, but that's mainly because I've been gone all weekend. I was at the missions conference held once a year in a small town about an hours drive away (although for me it took a little longer). My car and I served as taxi this weekend and I am happy to say that my car did it's part just fine. I'm really happy I got new tires before we went (otherwise I wouldn't have gone) because the car now tracks strait and doesn't get the "swervies" anymore. Note: if your car starts acting like it's driving itself and fights with you on the highway (over 50mph), then I would suggest you have a look at the tires and make sure they aren't what's giving you the trouble. My car, when I took it to have the new tires put on, had tubes in the two rear tires. This is most likely because those tires had holes in them and the easy fix was just to put tubes in instead of replacing the whole tire. Although this works for tractors and other offroad machines, when you drive at highway speeds it makes for an interesting ride!

Ok, now back to the letter I started. First off I have to say that this conference seemed to go by really fast for me, and the only reason I can come up for this is because I could understand more of what was said than ever before. Sitting on hard benches/chairs (they're really like the two put together) all day can get boring/painful pretty fast, but this year it didn't seem to me to be so bad.

This year we had four speakers: one from Romania, one from Holland (who has come every year that I've attended), and two from our neighbor in the Czech Republic. The man from Romania had a lot of interesting things to say about the work in his country and I think everyone at the conference learned something from his reports. To me (the outsider) it made me realize the differences between Slovakia and Romania, even though they are only separated by a distance comparable to a drive from Missouri to Tennessee. Missions over here is quite a bit different from the way it is in the States. Here a new country is only a few hours drive away, unlike the states where you can drive for a whole day and never reach the border.

The other three speakers I am a little familiar with, and they spoke mainly about missions in general. They mentioned the work in their countries within the talks they gave, but they're main points all had to do with widening the view of the listeners. A lot of what is said at these conferences has to do with getting the people who are listening to see what they can do in their own country, while also seeing what's being done in others.

I would like to add, as a sort of ending, that this report is based solely on my view of the conference. This view of mine, I have come to see, is different than what the people here see (but not always), and I have to keep that in mind when we are listening to the same thing. Anyway, this is what has kept me busy this weekend.

And now...

...cold and slushy. It's been raining almost non stop since the other day when it quit snowing. I didn't know it had started to rain until I went to investigate what sounded like a very leaky (I was thinking broken) water pipe somewhere in the building. It ended up being water shooting down the gutter's downspout. So much for the snow! (It did make a nice birthday present) Now that everyone is made aware that we are into the winter months, it has begun to just be dreary outside. Wet and cold.

About the only new news (and about time) is that we FINALLY have the permit to work on the church building! Now we (myself and Daniel) are waiting to hear when we are finally going to go to work. I guess it will take a little time to get up to speed since it's been three (!) years since we got put on hold. It will be nice to finally get to see the benefits of what we started working on when I was here that first time. It sure is funny how slowly time can fly!

A little more white stuff

Well, we've got more snow falling as I write. It's not sticking so great, but maybe that's good. I found out yesterday that I really need to replace the tires on my car before I get four flats at once or end up in a ditch or in the wrong lane. The tires that are on the car are old, hard and cracked - not something you really want to be driving on. I did a bunch of research yesterday to see what my options are for a new set of tires. What I found out is that people here really make tires a priority, seasonally that is. I've pretty much got a choice between summer tires and snow tires. All-season tires can be found, but they are pretty expensive and there are very few options. I guess I may end up buying my very first pair of real, true snow tires (minus spikes). Snow tires here really just mean tires with a million sipes (those really small slits) in the treads, plus being made out of a slightly softer rubber. They're made to keep you stuck on the road in the snow, ice and rain - something I'd like to do. Anyway, I don't really know why I'm telling you this since it really makes no difference to you what kind of tires I get (but I'll be sure to let you know).

Since it snowed yesterday and it was cold and I wanted some exercise, I decided to go for a walk this morning. It turned out to last longer than I expected it too, around six hours, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I walked around in the hills that are behind the village that I am living in. I've been there many times before and I wanted to go to one particular place that I really like. I started out heading at a right angle to the hills, but finally turned toward them on a dirt road (I did this because I don't really like walking on the side of the road when people are driving by at sixty). I finally found my way to where I wanted to be, but I took a very round-about sightseeing path to get there. It was neat to see everything in it's winter dress; actually I hadn't ever been in these woods during the fall/winter. Everything for sure looked different, which didn't really help me out in my pathfinding. Speaking of pathfinding, I think I saw more rabbit tracks today than I've ever seen in my life! O, plus wild boar, deer, and the occasional fox/dog tracks. The only animals I saw all day were two deer up on a hill above me, and they took off for one reason or another. Once I got off the roads, my footprints were about the only ones to be seen, although there were one set of interesting footprints. I followed them up one side of the hill and they took me on the exact same path as I was planning on taking, even to the point of being within about two hundred yards of the very tree I had made my goal before setting out. I left those footprints going off another way, but to my surprise, after walking for another few kilometers I picked them up going back down the very path I was taking. I followed them again but finally lost them when I got to the road that I walked on to get back to the house. Interesting... O yea, and it didn't start snowing until about then.

Well, it's stopped snowing now. I guess that's OK though, because it left us with another couple inches. I'm really looking forward to a lot of snow, but not until I get those new tires! Anyway, I guess I'm going to start heading toward the house. I've got to go put up the dog at the A's so it won't freeze; wouldn't want that to happen. Stay tuned for the next...weather report!

Snow! (and something that thankfully came before it)

That's right, you read it correctly. This morning I woke up staring out the window, noticing that there was white stuff falling past the window. I guess maybe it's nothing to get real excited about (only a couple inches), but I just had to mention it because we've got it. Better put, we had it. I guess after the sun came up things got just warm enough to make the snow start to melt. That means today started out looking all white and sparkly and will end just as cold but wet and slightly muddy. I'm also sure that the roads will be slick or at least they'll be slushy. If I had to ride my bike back to the house I'm sure it would be interesting, but I'm thankful that I don't.

I'm sure you'll be wondering why I don't have to ride my bike back; it's because I've traded it in for something that will work, overall, as better winter weather transportation. That doesn't mean I've given up on the bike, it's just that riding in weather with the windchill quite a bit below freezing isn't all that fun, even though I get twice the exercise trying to keep from getting blown off the three bridges I have to cross on my way (the one over the canal is the worst). Now I get to go home in comfort and warmth. That's right, I bought a car.


Now, before I tell you what kind of car I got I want to be clear on one thing: most of you know that I like Volkswagens more than any other car, and I just want to reassure you that it still hasn't changed. So with that being said, my newest car (I couldn't truthfully put new) is... a 1970 model Fiat 128 A (which interestingly was in competition with the car I drive at home when they were both new). I guess I just like cars from the 70's (because I can work on them!). It's a small, four door car with a hum-dinger of an engine (1100cc and that's kind of what it sounds like). Actually, all the drive time I've had in it so far has been a pleasure, even when I had to have friends give me a push start (because the car came with a murdered battery, i.e. completely dry [!]). Now that I've got a new battery, everything works fine, even the windshield wipers go faster! Hey, old cars have their quirks (I should know) but they also have their perks. I got the car last Saturday in the late afternoon and even though everything seemed to be working as it should I knew to go over it just to make sure. I gave it a check up/over the other day which included jacking the car up and taking the wheels off so I could have a look at the brakes and all the suspension. See, that's the great part about old cars (at least it's great to me). I found out that I'll need to replace the rear break pads sometime in the future (especially if I want to use the E brake), that the funny little swerve the car sometimes does once you go over about fifty is not caused by some part of the suspension falling off, and that most definitely I need to look at getting new tyres (that's British spelling btw). I also now have the knowledge that, after looking everything over, I really will be able to fix probably anything if I can get the parts. All this adds up to knowing that sometimes a little money can go a long way when I know how to use a wrench and am willing to put up with the same comfort that people 36 years ago lived with. I'll be the first to admit that it's not a new car and that it can't really be compared to a new car, but on the other hand I know very few people who enjoy driving their new car so much; then again, maybe it's just me. All I know is that my new transportation has much better wind resistance than my bike (OK, so it keeps the wind out) and that the heater works much better, and on top of that I gave nearly the same amount for both of them. When simple is better...


Ok, that was a page full. I guess I could pretty much call it quits right here since I've done my daily duty (which you observe is not done daily). I guess it's a good thing I didn't add "daily" to the title of my blog.

I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting for news, but it's sometimes hard to remember what's news to who. I knew the car was news so that's why I went ahead and wrote about it, that and the fact that it'd get out anyway. After I put up the new blog for my new "project" I kind of forgot that I needed to still write here sometimes as well. I'm not writing there right now because the trail work is on hold because of the snow today. I guess if winter has really come to stay, meaning harsh weather, then we'll just have to look forward to what we can work on/build when spring comes around (or at least when the ground softens up). I am glad, but was a little surprised, to see four new boys at the trails on Monday. I'm sure they found out about what we were doing through the other boys who had been coming. The "visitors" mainly just looked over everything, asked questions, tried some of the jumps out and then disappeared as soon as they arrived. I'm not really expecting them to come back to help; they really didn't look the type to lend a hand. It still amazes me to think, though, that I've come in contact with six new boys that previously I as much as never knew anything about; now I know what we have in common. I know it will be some time maybe before I start to see any sort of fruit from what has been put into all this so far, but I'm sure that there will be some, of that I have no doubt.

Update on The VRT

This is just a short post to let you all know that I just went ahead and started a new blog to document all the happenings with "The VRT". I'll still be posting here, letting you know the inner workings of what's going on, but from now on if you want to know what's happening with the actual trails you'll have to go to the new blog. Check it out by clicking the link in the sidebar. There really isn't much there, but I'm sure that within the next few days I'll be able to post some updates. Today looks like a great day for working; with the rain having stopped and the sun shining I'm sure it makes everybody want to be outside enjoying the last of the warm weather.

Picturesque

That's one way I could describe the short trip I took this weekend. I got the chance to visit the mountains, the Tatras, and do a little hiking. I stayed at the penzion (small hotel) while I was there. Saturday was the day that we went up on the mountain and the forecast was for a chance of rain.

We could see clouds up on the mountains when we started out at around eight in the morning. It wasn't exactly rainy looking, but it wasn't exactly clear either, that was for sure. All through the hike up there were times that the sun would shine and times when the clouds would take over and make the brisk mountain air seem just a little colder.

The hike took us a little more than three hours to get to the point at which we were to turn around (Sliesky Dom). The trail was gently slopped the whole way and consisted mainly of rocks, roots and a little dirt. It wasn't such a bad trail, it's just that it's hard to look at all the scenery around you without twisting your ankle.

I tried my best to look at everything around me and I'm happy to say that I didn't twist my ankle. I was able to take a number of pictures, but not nearly as many as I wanted to. It was hard because I kept getting behind which made the others have to wait on me after a while.

As we were hiking up and I was taking pictures all of a sudden my camera went dead. I wasn't really surprised since it was pretty cold with the wind blowing, so I just popped the battery that was in it out and stuck in my back-up battery. The second battery lasted for all of about ten pictures before it shut off. I put the batteries in my pocket so they would warm back up, but that didn't work. I'm still not sure what the deal was since I had charged both batteries before leaving for the trip. I ended up just having to shut my camera off and turn it back on after every two pictures or so (for some reason I can continue to take pictures for some time even when the battery is supposedly empty). This got me the rest of the way to the top and all the way back down.

We were in the mountains, that was for sure! The wind was blowing off and on, and the overall temperature when the sun was shining was around 5 degrees C. The valley that we were in was partially shaded and the water that was in the lake there was cold. We sat by the lake and ate lunch, all the while craning our necks to take in the magnificent landscape that was around us.

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I changed the settings on this post so the pictures would be as big as they could be. The picture above I think would look best if it was poster size, but that's just because it was so big in real life. I think I could have sat there all day and looked at all those rocks and brown grass, the dark green of the scrub pine and the crystal blue sky. The fresh mountain air added a lot to the experience, as well as the tightness that I could feel in my leg muscles. I guess there's just something about climbing a mountain that makes all the work worth it, that is if the weather is nice (but then that depends on how you define the word "nice").

I am really glad that I got to experience the Tatras this past week because they say that autumn is the best time of the year weather wise. It really was a good trip, even though we didn't go where we had at first planned to go, but just being there in the mountains was worth it.

I guess that'll just about finish this post up. I hope you can enjoy the pictures even though they are still pretty small. O, and what do you know, but I've even got a picture of myself just to prove that I really was there!

A little explaining

I knew that's what I'd have to do if I didn't spell out what "The VRT" stands for so here it is: The Vah River Trails. I guess that also gives you an idea of where these trails are (hint: by the Vah river). They are being built on the flood-plain between the river and the high water dike. This area is mainly covered by overgrown wooded areas, and it is in one of these that the trails are being built. I found the area while I was riding around one day. It almost looked like someone had laid out jumps years before, but it has turned out that those mounds are really just piles of junk covered with dirt. Anyway, this was the biggest reason for why this place seemed just right for trails. There were an abundance of mounds and small hills already there and most of the work would be just cleaning out all the undergrowth so trails could be made.

Right now we've got four jumps finished and many more that need to be "cleaned up" before we can start on them. The whole area that will be made into trails is probably a few acres in size, which means plenty of space and work! I would post some pictures, but I haven't taken my camera there yet. I might be able to get some video though, because one of the boys was using his phone to document our progress.

Now, you may ask why are we building trails? There are a couple of reasons actually. First off, I knew that there were a number of places around the city that had jumps, all of which are used regularly, but they are mainly only jumps, no trails. Not only that, but most of the jumps have gaps that are really wide and/or the jumps themselves are big. I don't really see jumps like these being friendly to the newcomer (which most of these boys are) and this was one of the reasons I wanted to start something new. Secondly, by building a completely new set of jumps/trails I would be able to spend working time with all the boys. This has been my main reason for doing all of this in the first place and why not work with them as well as ride with them?

The first couple of days that I was working alone, I made the decision to give the whole "new trails" idea up if no one was interested in it. Little did I know that within a few days there would be a whole group of boys using shovels and rakes, pulling down vines and cleaning up brush. I've spent about twelve hours of working time with them and they are already talking about what we'll be able to do next spring. We think we can get a good portion of the work done before it snows and that seems to be our goal right now. Actually, this afternoon we'll be going at it again, that is unless it rains. I'll be sure to keep up on any news about this whole project so stay in touch (and ask questions if you have any).

Project: The VRT

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but I guess that's just because things have slowed down quite a bit after all the hours we had been putting into the Manna room project. Since it's now done and being put to use (nine or ten mothers plus their kids the other day!), I can sit back and be, well, I guess kind of proud of the work that was accomplished. Not that I did everything, or even close to it, but it does give a sort of satisfaction seeing something put to use that I've had part of. So what's the next project? Hmmm.......

There are really a number of things that can, could, or should be done, but the hardest part about all of them is the fact that I can't do them all or that I'm just not able, period. I can work on a few things at a time, and for right now that's what I'm doing. Lately I've just been doing small things that need to be done because there are no big projects that are being started and/or being finished as of right now. So, that means I'm waiting.......


I will admit that there is something that I've kind of started; that is the project I started two Saturdays ago. It pretty much boils down to two things. First of all, as some of you might know, I used to race bikes when I was younger and pretty much all my life I have liked riding bikes. It's a useful thing over here because, as of right now, my bike is my car (it's my form of transportation). Secondly, I've been trying to figure out some way of keeping in contact with some of the boys around here, mainly the ones that I already know through futbal, etc. I knew it would have to be some kind of activity (they're boys after all) that's fun and one in which I wouldn't have to get them to join. At the beginning of the summer I had in mind canoeing/floating (which I still think would be great), but that hasn't quite worked out since finding a canoe over here is a lot harder than I thought it would be (maybe I just haven't met the right people yet). So, what to do...what to do...?

Then, just a couple weeks ago, I heard (by keeping my ears pealed) one of these boys offhandedly state that he's been spending most of his free time riding his bike, or more specifically, trying to jump it. This was it, it was what I had been waiting for! So I started; that is I started digging in the dirt and making little piles of it, just like any other twenty-one year old would do (?). To make a little more than a week and a half "report" go by more quickly, I will just state what has taken place. Eight boys, of whom I only know six, have joined me in working on what I started on two Saturdays ago. But that's not all! Not only do they want to dig in the dirt, but they have decided to spend almost all there free time doing it; that means almost every afternoon so far this week. What more could I have asked for?

Now, not only do I get more exercise, but I also get to spend time working/having fun with eight guys who need Christ, and they're doing it all without being asked! I know that some (if not most) of you will say that jumping bikes is potentially dangerous, and truthfully I admit that it is, but what else in these boy's lives (ranging in age from 12-15) could be just as, if not more, harmful and dangerous? I know from being around them and hearing them talk that the life of the pub-goer/drug user is just now throwing out it's lure and trying to reel them in. I see riding bikes as a great, if not better use of their life and limb right now at their age. It gives them something "healthy" to do and keeps them (as much as can be hoped) away from all those "other" influences.

Actually, after starting off on this whole thing, I've felt really inadequate for the job. It has seemed like I bit off more than I will be able to chew, but I think this is because it is something that I've never done before; I'm just a beginner. What can I hope to do by spending time around these boys who seem to think that foul language is needed to get a point across and that being rude and crude is the way to get respect? It is overwhelming sometimes, but then I think of what the contrast has to be when I'm there. I don't swear when I stub my toe on a rock or let out a string of curses when I fall into a rose bush, and I don't laugh at the nasty jokes that everyone else laughs at. I've noticed that I kind of stick out (besides other reasons) and also that I'm under observation by all those that are there. For right now, I see that as my biggest job. I call myself a Christian, which means I take on the responsibility of being Christ to those that know me, see me, and are around me. I'll be first to admit that it's not easy, but then again, who said it would be? If anything, it makes me see just how weak and helpless I am in this battle, which in turn makes me see just how much I need the strength that only God can give. Please make these boys a part of your prayers. I would also be grateful for your prayers as well.

I know this has been a slightly different post than any of my previous ones, and it has been a little different for me as well. I guess you might say that I am just now beginning to understand the importance of prayer and of having others pray for me. All I can do is give whole hearted thanks to my Father for the brothers and sisters I have that have been, and now are, praying for me and the people here in Slovakia.

Fruit...Already

Yes, it's true. Today was the first day that the room was opened to the public. It saw some preliminary use on Sunday, but today... well, today's the day! There were six mothers and seven kids that came, a great start to what is looking like a great opportunity. How many more will come in the future no one knows. There are a lot of moms and kids out there, and that can be witnessed by taking a five minute walk in just about any direction.

Now the "work" begins, if it can really be called work. I won't be doing much with the whole thing now, I've had my part in all the prep. before.

From now on I guess my part will just be that of an observer, something I think I'll be able to do quite well. I'm not saying I won't do more, I'm just saying this because that's my view of it. I'll try my best to give updates on what's happening, but they probably won't be like they have been for the past couple of weeks (that having to do with what I just stated above).

Note: I posted this separate from the one right before this because.....I just wanted to.

Finishing touches

That's what we've been giving the Manna room this past week. Painting the window frames/sills was the last big thing that needed to be done and it actually went really well after we got the paint.

This was a lot more detailed work than the door frames were, but we survived. Windows, at least from my perspective, are easier to paint because if you go over the edge and get it on the glass it's no big deal. When that happens on the wall, it's another story (we know, it happened).

Yes, if you look closely you'll be able to see that that's me in the above picture. Magic! Actually I have a chair and the timer option on my camera to thank for their indispensable help in my time of need (?). Are you getting tired of all these picture of the same room? Well, all our preparation is pretty much over so I guess you won't be seeing to many more. Here's a picture of the finished wall (as much as I could fit in the frame). Size wise it's a wall about 3x2 meters in proportion.

I guess I'll go ahead and post a couple pictures of our cleaning up, the last bit of work before being ready to open.

And more cleaning...

I don't know about you, but all these pictures are starting to look the same (I've been around the room too much), and no, I'm not saying the room itself is bad (or anything of the sort). Actually the room really is great and is quite transformed from it's old self - a good thing to be sure. These will be the last pictures I'll post on all the prep work; from now on the pictures will be of the fruit of our labor - the people who come. (And yes, the pictures will be taken in the same room)

This isn't tomorrow

It's today, and today is Friday. We've been busy and I haven't gotten to that report yet, but guess what? I think I'm going to try and get it done while I'm taking a little break from painting window frames. So, here goes...

Friday night (from this past weekend, that is) the conference started. We sang songs and then listened to a speaker. Then we sang some more and listened to another speaker. Sorry to make this sound quite drab, but that's pretty much the way it was (except for actually being drab). The first speaker I didn't know, but it was interesting listening to him all the same. The second speaker I did know and actually he just arrived back from working in Ireland. That night the main theme was "God and I".

Saturday's theme was "the World and I". It proved to be a very full day. Breakfast was at eight and the first session of the morning started at nine (this session was actually the only one for the morning). After the lunch that was provided we had the afternoon free until supper. We had a gym rented out from two till five and everyone who wanted to play Volleyball and futbal went there (sorry, no pictures because I forgot my camera [yikes!]). Having the afternoon off gave everybody a chance to spend time with friends as well as to get to know new people. This is actually one of the main reasons for these quarterly conferences; for youth to spend time with each other. It works out as a great way for people to stay in contact, and it also gives them a chance to learn together.

That evening after supper the evening session started. Most everything done the whole weekend was done in a (what we'd call) laid back fashion. I don't really know how to explain what it's like to be in a conference like this one, all I know is that my experiences so far with these types of meetings are that there is no real set way of how to do them. When it was the speakers turn he got up and spoke. And, as happened, if his son (who might be three) came up to him and tried to hang on his leg or speak to him while he was talking, nobody seemed to think it out of the ordinary. I guess that's one example of the kind of thing that makes these meetings unique (at least to me).

My duty, as we might call it, during the conference was mainly just to take some pictures and play the guitar. Before Friday, though, I had taken it under my belt to try and orginize all the sound equipment we had and then try to figure out how I could put it all together and come up with what we were going to need. It was an interesting endeavor, one which was partially worth my while (I found out what most definitely wouldn't work), but when it came to "show time" all my work seemed to fall apart (one time literally). We had about half a million cables (we're in the wireless age, aren't we?) and those, combined with all the other hog-pog of equipment, meant there were sure to be problems. Was I surprised then when things started going the way of hum and feedback? Well, truth be told, yes! I was really hoping that my effort would have amounted to something, which, like I said before, they did partially. We ended up with enough cables for the first time (even though some stopped working the first night [I had previously tested all of them!]), five microphones (wow!), monitors (yeeeha!), and a very (very) interesting soundboard/amplifier setup. For the most part everything worked so I'll just end my little paragraph with that positive note about the technical side of things.

Sunday morning went well. We held a normal church service as part of the morning session. The second service (this was the actual session) was on the theme of "the Church and I". The speaker pretty much just gave his testimony; I think it fit the theme quite well. And that was it. The conference was over.

That afternoon we passed out flyers about the Manna/family center and used as many of the young people to help us as would volunteer. We were able to pass out a bunch and since then we have had opportunities to do the same.

Now that it's the evening I'm finishing the post that I started this afternoon, I will have to postpone today's update until tomorrow. Hope you can wait.