Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Thanksgiving in Iowa

Hello once again!  This epilogue blog post is sent from Iowa, after our Thanksgiving holiday, and it is posted especially for our Slovak friends, colleagues, and students.  Because Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, we decided to bring you into our Iowa home to experience this event with our family here in the U.S.A.   
(From Google Translate: ) 
Od Prekladač Google: Dobrý deň, ešte raz! Tento doslov blog post je odoslaný z Iowy, po našom vďakyvzdania dovolenku, a to je vyslaný najmä pre našich slovenských priateľov, kolegov a študentov. Vzhľadom k tomu, Deň vďakyvzdania je jedinečne americký sviatok, rozhodli sme sa, aby vás do nášho Iowa domova zažiť túto udalosť s našou rodinou tu v USA.

[Note:  I apologize in advance for the errors in Google Translate, but hopefully it will be somewhat helpful for our Slovak readers!]
[Poznámka: Vopred sa ospravedlňujem za chyby v Google Translate, ale dúfajme, že to bude trochu užitočné pre naše slovenské čitateľov!]

I'm sure you all know the basic origins of this holiday.  The early Pilgrim settlers endured many hardships and difficulties when they first arrived in America.  The Indians (Native Americans) helped the Pilgrims to learn how to farm more successfully, so after their first growing season with an abundance of crops, the two groups held a feast of celebration together.  Since then, generations of Americans have continued this tradition as a time of feasting with loved ones and giving thanks for all the many blessings from God over the past year.  Thanksgiving is probably the most commonly celebrated holiday in the U.S., and the food traditions of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green been casserole, cranberries, and pumpkin pies are very popular. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, and the Friday after is generally a holiday from school also.
Od Prekladač Google: Som si istý, že všetci viete, základné pôvod tohto sviatku. Čoskoro Pilgrim osadníci vydržala veľa utrpenia a ťažkosti, keď prvýkrát prišiel v Amerike. Indiáni (Domorodí Američania) pomohol pútnici sa naučiť, ako úspešnejšie farme, takže po prvom vegetačným obdobím s množstvom plodín, tieto dve skupiny hody osláv dohromady. Od tej doby, generácia Američanov pokračoval v tejto tradícii ako čas hodovania s blízkymi a ďakujem za všetky veľa požehnania od Boha za posledný rok. Deň vďakyvzdania je pravdepodobne najčastejšie slávil sviatok v USA, a potravinové tradície morky, plnka, zemiakovou kašou a omáčkou, sladké zemiaky, zelené bol kastról, brusnicami a tekvicové koláče sú veľmi populárne. Vďakyvzdania vždy štvrtý štvrtok v novembri a v piatok potom, čo je všeobecne sviatok zo školy tiež.

Our holiday week started on Tuesday, when Lute (our younger son - at the left) and Giulio arrived.  Giulio is a family friend of our cousins in Italy, and he is an exchange student at the University of Oklahoma in architectural engineering this year.  We invited him to experience an American Thanksgiving with us in Iowa.   :-)   The boys cleaned up the dishes after dinner Tuesday.  
Náš rekreačný týždeň začal v utorok, kedy Lute (náš mladší syn - na ľavej strane) a Giulio prišiel. Giulio je rodinný priateľ našich bratrancov v Taliansku, a on je výmenný študent na University of Oklahoma v architektonických stavieb v tomto roku. Pozvali sme ho zažiť americký Deň vďakyvzdania s nami v Iowe. :-) Chalani upratal riad po večeri utorok.

Paul and Alana (our older son and his wife) came for dinner Wednesday, and afterwards we played a favorite game, Yahtzee.  We all celebrated for every "YAHTZEE"!!   :-)
Paul a Alana (náš starší syn a jeho manželka) prišiel na večeru v stredu a potom sme hrali obľúbenú hru, Yahtzee. Všetci sme slávili za každú "Yahtzee" !!

Wednesday night, Giulio made tiramisu with his special authentic Italian recipe, to contribute to the Thanksgiving feast the next day.  It was absolutely the most delicious tiramisu in the world!!  YUM!!   :-)  
V stredu v noci, Giulio vyrobený tiramisu sa jeho zvláštne pravej talianskej receptúry, s cieľom prispieť k sviatku vďakyvzdania ďalší deň. Bolo to úplne najchutnejšie tiramisu na svete !! YUM !!

The kids ready to go over to my brother's house for Thanksgiving.  It snowed on Wednesday, about 4" (about 10 centimeters), but it is all melted now.
From left to right:  Giulio, Jon (Beth's boyfriend), Beth, Paul, Alana (Paul's wife), Lute

Deti pripravení prejsť do domu svojho brata na Deň vďakyvzdania. Snežilo v stredu, asi 4 " (10 cm), ale to je všetko roztaví teraz.
Zľava doprava :  Giulio, Jon (Beth priateľ), Beth, Paul, Alana (Paulova manželka), Lute


I added this photo of Giulio's (thanks Giulio - I downloaded it from your FB post!) showing our snow-covered back yard, as seen from our kitchen window.  We were watching squirrels playing in the snow and burying nuts.   
Pridal som túto fotografiu Giulio (vďaka Giulio - to Stiahol som si zo svojho FB príspevok!), V ktorej zasneženého back yard, ako je zrejmé z našej kuchyne okna. Pozerali sme sa veveričky hrať v snehu a pohrabu orechy.

I had gotten up very early on Thursday morning to go over to my brother's house and start baking pies.  Our family tradition is for my brother to prepare the turkey, dressing, and vegetables, with his wife helping on the potatoes and corn, while I bake all the pies.  I always text all the family and ask for their number one favorite pie, and then I make sure to bake everyone's favorites!  My brother and I enjoy our time together in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day.  :-)
Od Prekladač Google:Som sa dostal do veľmi skoro vo štvrtok ráno prejsť do domu svojho brata a začať pečenie koláčov. Naša rodinná tradícia je pre môj brat pripraviť o Turecko, obliekanie a zeleniny, so svojou ženou pomáha na zemiaky a obilie, zatiaľ čo ja som piecť všetky koláče. Vždy som text, celú rodinu a požiadať o ich číslo jedna obľúbené koláče, a potom som sa uistite sa, že piecť favoritov všetkých! Môj brat a ja teraz náš čas spolu v kuchyni na Deň vďakyvzdania.

My brother and his wife bought these fun Thanksgiving hats to add some fun to the day!  From left to right:   Ali in a pilgrim hat (she is my niece, Edward's daughter), me wearing a hat that looks like a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top (because I always bake the pies), Kristin in an Indian headdress with braids (she is my brother's wife), and Edward in a hat that looks like a turkey because he is the master turkey chef (he is my younger brother).  And I am wearing an apron from Slovakia!!  :-) 
Môj brat a jeho manželka kúpila tieto zábavné vďakyvzdania klobúky pridať trochu zábavy do dňa! Zľava doprava: Ali v pútnické klobúku (je to moja neter, Edwardovho dcéra), aby som na sebe klobúk, ktorý vyzerá ako plátok tekvicový koláč so šľahačkou na vrchole (preto, že som vždy piecť koláče), Kristin v indickom čelenka s vrkôčiky (ona je manželka môjho brata), a Edward v klobúku, ktorý vyzerá ako moriak, pretože on je majster kuchár morka (to je môj mladší brat). A ja som na sebe zásteru zo Slovenska !! :-)

This is Lute, using my early Christmas gift from him.  It is a wonderful tool which takes an apple and simultaneously cores it, peels it, and slices it, in just a few seconds!!  Because of this, my apple pie was so much easier and faster to make this year.  And what a coincidence….Lute's favorite pie is apple pie!!  :-)
To je Lute, pomocou môjho predčasné vianočný darček od neho. Je to skvelý nástroj, ktorý má jablko a zároveň jadier to, lúpe ho, a plátky ju počas niekoľkých sekúnd !! Z tohto dôvodu má jablkový koláč bol tak oveľa jednoduchšie a rýchlejšie, aby sa v tomto roku. A to náhoda ... .Lute obľúbený koláč je jablkový koláč !! :-)

Here is some of the gang waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.  In the background on the kitchen countertop, you can see the two roasters which have turkeys cooking inside, as well as my brother, the turkey master in his turkey hat!  
From left to right:  Paul, Alana, Giulio, Beth, Jon, and Andrew (my nephew, Edward's son)
Tu sú niektoré z gangu čaká na večeru Díkuvzdání. V pozadí na kuchynskej doske, môžete vidieť dve pražiarne, ktoré majú morky kuchynským vnútri, rovnako ako môj brat, morka majster vo svojom turecko klobúku!
Zľava doprava: Paul, Alana, Giulio, Beth, Jon, a Andrew (môj synovec, Edwardov syn)

More cousins waiting to eat Thanksgiving dinner!  From left to right:   Andrew, Jeffrey, and Ali (Edward's children), Tim, Eddie (Edward's oldest son), and Lute
Viac bratranci čakajú jesť vďakyvzdania večeru!
Zľava doprava: Andrew, Jeffrey, a Ali (Edward deti), Tim, Eddie (najstarší syn Edwarda), a Lute




Here are the finished pies after baking.  On the left are three pumpkin pies - they are the most popular - including the one small one especially for my brother.  In the middle are two blueberry pies - the second favorite selection.  The other pies are apple, rhubarb, peach, and cherry.  
Tu sú hotové koláče po upečení. Na ľavej strane sú tri tekvice koláče - sú najobľúbenejšie - vrátane jednej malej jeden špeciálne pre môjho brata. Uprostred sú dve čučoriedkové koláče - druhá najobľúbenejší výber. Ostatné koláče sú jablká, rebarbora, broskyne, a čerešne.

Some of the boys having some fun, and still waiting to eat!   (Giulio, Lute, Andrew)
Niektorí chlapci majú nejakú zábavu, a stále čakajú na jesť! (Giulio, Lute, Andrew)

Ali, Paul, and Beth were full of smiles!  Notice the roaster with the turkey inside, on the right.  Also, there were American football games on TV for most of the day.
Ali, Paul, a Beth boli plné úsmevov! Všimnite si pekáč s moriaka vnútri, na pravej strane. Tiež tam boli Americký futbal hry na televíziu pre väčšinu dňa.

Eddie and Alana, also waiting for dinner.  My brother and his wife served us some nice wine while we were waiting.  
Eddie a Alana, aj čakanie na večeru. Môj brat a jeho žena nám slúžil nejaký pekný vína, keď sme čakali.

Lute and Tim talking to my father (Ed), seated in the middle.  
Lute a Tim hovoril s otcom (Ed), so sídlom v stredu.

Edward and Kristin invited this couple to join us for Thanksgiving, since they were alone for the day because their family wasn't celebrating until the weekend.  Thanksgiving is meant to be a holiday of togetherness!!  The more the merrier!!   From left to right:  Tom and Karen (friends of my brother and his wife), Kristin, and my mother (Maurene)
Edward a Kristin pozval tento pár k nám na Deň vďakyvzdania, pretože boli sami na deň, pretože ich rodina nebola oslavuje až do víkendu. Thanksgiving má byť sviatok pospolitosti !! Čím viac, tým lepšie !! Zľava doprava: Tom a Karen (priatelia môjho brata a jeho manželky), Kristin, a moja matka (Maurene)




The four Failor kids  (My brother's children)   Jeffrey, Eddie, Ali, and Andrew
Štyri Failor deti (deti môjho brata)   Jeffrey, Eddie, Ali, a Andrew

Three generations together for the holiday.   Maurene (my mother), Beth, and Michelle
Tri generácie spolu na dovolenku. Maurene (moja matka), Beth, a Michelle

And finally, the turkey was done!!  This is my brother, Ed, slicing the turkey for dinner.  It was so delicious, as always!!   
A konečne, morka sa stalo !! To je môj brat, Ed, krájanie moriaka na večeru. Bolo to tak vynikajúce, ako vždy !!

Three generations, all with the same name.  Left to right:  my brother (Edward Dale Failor, Jr.), his son (Edward Dale Failor III), and my father (Edward Dale Failor, Sr.)
Tri generácie, všetky s rovnakým názvom. Zľava doprava: môj brat (Edward Dale Failor, Jr.), jeho syn (Edward Dale Failor III), a môj otec (Edward Dale Failor, Sr.)

There were so many of us (18 total) that we couldn't all fit in one room or at one table to eat.  Here is the main table, set beautifully by Kristin using my grandmother's plates.
Tam bolo toľko z nás (18 celkom), ktoré sme nemohli všetci vojde do jednej miestnosti alebo pri jednom stole k jedlu. Tu je hlavný tabuľky, nastaviť krásne Kristin pomocou dosiek mojej babičky.

Paul, daughter-in-love Alana, Jon, and Beth enjoyed the dinner very much. 
Pavel, dcéra-in-láska Alana, Jon, a Beth užil večeru moc.

And the youngest four kids ate at the kitchen counter - Jeffrey, Lute, Ali, and Andrew also thought the food was great!  
A najmladší štyri deti jedli v kuchynskej linke - Jeffrey, lutna, Ali, a Andrew tiež myslel, že jedlo bolo skvelé!

After dinner, the desserts were served, including two more pies that I made the night before and kept in the freezer.  (One was chocolate and one was lemon.)   The tiramisu that Giulio made was a big success too, and everyone loved it so much!!  
Po večeri sa zákusky boli doručené, vrátane dvoch ďalších koláčov, že som sa včera večer a vedených v mrazničke. (Jeden z nich bol čokoláda a jeden bol citrón). Tiramisu že Giulio robila bol veľký úspech moc, a každý z nich bolo nadšených toľko !!

The younger generation did all the cleaning up, so they were tired and stuffed afterwards! They did a lot of work after dinner as they cleared the tables, loaded the dishwasher, washed dishes, and put food away.  This is the way everyone usually looks after such a big Thanksgiving dinner!!  :-)  
Mladšia generácia robil všetko pre čistenie, takže boli unavení a napchal neskôr! Urobili veľa práce, po večeri, keď schválila tabuľky, naložené umývačku, umývali riad, a dať jedlo preč. To je spôsob, ako všetci zvyčajne pozerá po tak veľkej vďakyvzdania večera !! :-)

We finally came back to our house for some Olson family fun at the kitchen table.  We played Trivial pursuit in four teams of two, and I'll leave you to guess who the wise, experienced, and mature winners were!!   ;-)
Nakoniec sme sa vrátili do nášho domu pre niektoré Olson rodinnú zábavu pri kuchynskom stole. Hrali sme Trivial Pursuit v štyroch tímoch po dvoch, a nechám vás hádať, kto je múdry, skúsený, a zrelé víťazi boli !! ;-)
Friday we all still had very full stomachs from Thanksgiving, so we had a 'snack' meal instead of a normal bigger meal.  We ate cheese and sausage slices with crackers and apple slices.  And of course there was plenty of leftover pie and tiramisu for dessert.  (Some of us even had some fruit pie for breakfast in the morning!!)  
Piatok sme všetci stále veľmi plné žalúdky od vďakyvzdania, takže sme mali "občerstvenie" jedlo namiesto normálneho väčšie jedlo. Jedli sme syr a klobásy plátky s sušienky a plátky jabĺk. A samozrejme tu bola kopa zvyšky koláče a tiramisu dezert. (Niektorí z nás dokonca mal nejakú ovocný koláč na raňajky v dopoludňajších hodinách !!)

Friday afternoon we played another family game.  (Can you tell that our family LOVES to play games together?  There is always a lot of fun and laughter!!)  This time we played Guesstures, which is a little like speed Charades.  
Piatok popoludní sme hrali ďalšiu rodinnú hru. (Môžeš povedať, že naša rodina miluje hrať hry, spoločne? Tam je vždy veľa zábavy a smiechu !!) Tentoraz sme hrali Guesstures, čo je trochu ako rýchlosť šarády.

My mother's 84th birthday was on November 13, but she decided to wait and celebrate it when more of the family would be here.  So my parents invited everyone out to dinner Friday night at the nicest restaurant in Des Moines.  (Des Moines is the state capital of Iowa, about 15 miles from our home in Ankeny.)
84 narodeniny mojej matky bol 13. novembra, ale ona sa rozhodla počkať a oslavovať, keď väčšia časť rodiny tu bude. Takže moja rodičia pozval všetkých na večeru v piatok večer v najkrajšieho reštaurácii v Des Moines v. (Des Moines je hlavným mestom štátu Iowa, asi 25 kilometrov od nášho domu v Ankeny.)

My parents, Maurene (age 84) and Ed (age 87).  We call them Grammy and Papa, though my nieces and nephews call her Mimi instead.
Moji rodičia, Mauren (vek 84) a Ed (vek 87). Hovoríme im Grammy a Papa, keď sú moje netere a synovci jej zavolať Mimi miesto.

With our new "Italian son", Giulio!!  It feels like he is part of our family now that he has celebrated Thanksgiving with us, as well as Grammy's and Tim's birthdays!  It was a lot of fun having him here with us, he was very helpful, and he fit right in with all the craziness!   :-)  We were also able to Skype with our cousins as well as Giulio's parents and brother over in Italy while he was here.   
S našou novou "talianskeho syna", Giulio !! Je to ako, že je súčasťou našej rodiny, teraz, keď oslávil Deň vďakyvzdania s nami, rovnako ako ceny Grammy a Tim to narodeniny! Bolo to veľa zábavy mať ho tu s nami, bol veľmi ochotný, a on sa hodí priamo so všetkými šialenstvo!  :-)  Boli sme tiež schopní Skype s našimi bratrancami, rovnako ako rodičia Giulio a bratom viac ako v Taliansku, keď bol tu.
The Olson Family - November 2014
Olson rodina - november 2014
Giulio took this photo of the whole group before the birthday dinner for Grammy.  The little ones in front are Kristin's children, Annabelle and Hayden.  
Giulio získala túto fotografiu celej skupiny pred narodeninovú večeru pre Grammy. Malí pred sú Kristin deti, Annabelle a Hayden.
Tim's birthday was Saturday, but we gave him his gifts on Friday when our children were all still at our house.  Paul and Alana drove to Minnesota (the state to the north of Iowa) on Saturday morning to celebrate a late Thanksgiving with Alana's family there.  So they had TWO Thanksgiving feasts!!  
Od Prekladač Google:Tim narodeniny bola sobota, ale my sme mu svoje dary v piatok, kedy naše deti boli stále v našom dome. Paul a Alana išiel do Minnesoty (štátna na sever Iowa), v sobotu ráno, aby oslávili neskoré vďakyvzdania s Alana tam rodinu. Takže mali dve vďakyvzdania sviatky !!


Beth, Giulio, Lute, and Jon were still at our house on Saturday when I made Tim's birthday meal.  We ate in our dining room with the good dishes, and I served roast pork and beef, potatoes and gravy, carrots, beets, and blueberry muffins.  We also had some of his favorite Norwegian lefse, which is a family tradition on his side (it is very similar to Slovak lokše.)  There was even some delicious homemade Slovak jam that Tim smuggled back to Iowa in his suitcase.   :-)
Beth, Giulio, Lute, a Jon boli ešte u nás doma v sobotu, kedy som urobil Tim narodenín jedlo. Jedli sme v našej jedálni s dobrými pokrmy, a som slúžil pečené bravčové a hovädzie mäso, zemiaky a omáčkou, mrkva, repa, a čučoriedkové muffiny. Mali sme tiež niektoré z jeho obľúbenej nórskej lefse, ktorý je v rodinnej tradícii, na boku (to je veľmi podobná slovenské lokše). Tam bol dokonca aj niektoré vynikajúce domáce slovenské jám, že Tim prepašoval späť do Iowy v jeho kufri.  :-)

Beth and Jon used Google to find a fancy way to fold the napkins for Tim's birthday dinner, and they set the table beautifully.  
Beth a Jon používa Google nájsť efektný spôsob, ako zložiť obrúsky pre Tim narodeninovú večeru, a oni na stôl krásne.

I baked Tim his favorite birthday cake, as I do each year; German Sweet Chocolate Cake. He was able to blow out all the candles successfully.   :-)  
Pekla som svoj obľúbený narodeninovú tortu k Tim, rovnako ako ja každý rok; Nemecká Sladký čokoládový tortu. Bol schopný sfúknuť všetky sviečky úspešne.   :-)

Giulio brought all of us some lovely gifts which his parents had mailed from Italy.  As Giulio said, it was just like after a soccer game when the players trade team jerseys!  Giulio looks great in his Iowa Hawkeyes hoodie, and Beth & Jon loved their T-shirts from Ferrara, which is Giulio's hometown in Italy.  (This picture was taken upstairs in the hallway in our house, near the bedrooms and bathroom.)
Giulio priniesol všetky z nás nejaké krásne dary, ktoré jeho rodičia zasielané poštou z Talianska. Ako povedal Giulio, to bolo len ako po futbalovom zápase, kedy sa hráči obchodovať dresy! Giulio vyzerá skvele v jeho Iowa Hawkeyes mikiny, a Beth a Jon miloval ich tričká z Ferrary, ktorá je Giulio rodné mesto v Taliansku. (Tento snímok bol zhotovený na poschodí na chodbe v našom dome, v blízkosti spálne a kúpeľňa.)
On Sunday we went to early church together, then we ate brunch (a combination of breakfast and lunch) afterwards.  After brunch, Beth, Jon, and Giulio left for their long drive back to Wichita KS (where Jon works), then Norman OK (where Giulio attends university), and finally to McAlester OK (where Beth works).  It took Beth a total of about 12 hours to arrive there after dropping off the guys.  Monday night we invited Paul, Alana and Lute over to our house for dinner, so they could share in the leftovers from Tim's birthday meal and cake too.  We played Yahtzee again that night.  
From Google TranslateV nedeľu sme sa vydali do prvotnej cirkvi spolu, potom sme jedli neskoré raňajky (kombinácia raňajky a obed) potom. Po brunch, Beth, Jon, a Giulio odišiel za ich dlhú cestu späť do Wichita KS (kde Jon pracuje), potom Norman OK (kde Giulio navštevuje vysokú školu), a nakoniec na McAlester OK (kde Beth pracuje). Trvalo Beth celkom asi 12 hodín, aby sa dospelo tam po vypadnutí chlapov. V pondelok večer sme pozvali Pavla, Alana a lutna sa k nám domov na večeru, aby sa mohli podieľať na zvyšky od Tima narodeninovú tortu jedlo a taky. Hrali sme Yahtzee opakuje, že v noci.

It was a very joyful, fun, and busy week here in Ankeny, we ate a lot of delicious food, and we are so grateful that we could spend so much time with our children and family!!  It is our hope that you have gotten acquainted a little with our family here in Iowa through this Thanksgiving blog post.  We are indeed thankful for the many blessings that God has given us, including friends and family in America and abroad.    :-)  
Od Prekladač Google:  Bolo to veľmi radostné, zábava, a rušný týždeň tu v Ankeny, sme jedli veľa chutné jedlo, a my sme tak radi, že sme mohli tráviť toľko času so svojimi deťmi a rodinou !! To je naša nádej, že ste sa dostali zoznámil trochu s našej rodiny tu v Iowe cez tento vďakyvzdania blogu. Sme naozaj vďační za veľa požehnania, ktoré nám Boh dal, vrátane priateľmi a rodinou v Amerike a do zahraničia.    :-)


Yes, home is where the heart is ---- and our hearts will always be in Iowa and in Slovakia!
:-)


Áno, domov je tam, kde je srdce ---- a naše srdcia bude vždy v Iowe a na Slovenskom!            :-)





Monday, September 1, 2014

Farewells in Slovakia

Well, tonight's the night.  I need to post for the last time on this "Slovakia Service Stories" blog.  Why have I been putting it off for so long???  The answer is easy.  In my heart, I know it's because it is incredibly difficult to say 'farewell' to our Slovakia service experience.  Because in serving, we grew, we learned, we made wonderful friends, we loved and were loved in return; we received far more than we could ever give.  We were blessed beyond measure.  God's great mercy and love for all of us was made more evident during these past two years.  Those of you who have read all 238 posts can understand it best.  A piece of our hearts will always be in our second home --- Slovakia!  

Some of you may know that Tim has returned for an 8-week extended service in Slovakia.  One of the replacement lectors for our school won't be arriving until October, so Tim will teach in the meantime, be there to overlap with and help orientate the new lector, and also serve as the Lead Teacher for the Central Europe program again, visiting all the new American lectors in Poland, Hungary, and three other sites in Slovakia on weekends and mentoring them.  He is the perfect person for the job, but I'm a little jealous of all the fun he's having already!  I am teaching full time right back in my old position in Ankeny.  The gal who replaced me when I retired is taking the full 12-week FMLA maternity leave, so I started on August 12, only eight days after we returned to Iowa, and I'll continue until the beginning of November.  And after that, we'll perhaps finally find out what this 'retirement' thing is all about !!  Maybe.  :-)   I'll continue subbing occasionally to help pay for health insurance, and Tim will be teaching a math class at DMACC (local community college) for the rest of the semester.  

One thought that we really want to leave with all our readers, on any continent, is one important concept that was a recurring theme during our two years of service.  God calls each of us to serve right where we are, no matter if it's thousands of miles away from home, or right in our own hometown or household or workplace or school!!  We have witnessed so many examples of people serving others in a multitude of situations and settings.  God's love shines through all His children who choose to serve Him by giving of themselves to others.  It's that simple.  Go in peace and serve the Lord.  Anywhere you are!!  

And now for some photos from our last days together in Slovakia.  


le
My dear office partner and friend, Ad'ka, invited us over to their home for a meal.  This is her sweet daughter Ninka - we had such fun together!!   (The gorgeous mosaic wall behind us was created by Ad'ka's talented artist husband!) 

With the whole family in the garden behind Ad'ka's house.  

Beautiful gladiolas from Eva!  

We were all in tears after our last English lesson / party at our flat, so I didn't even think of taking a picture of the three of us until after they left.  So, this is Tana and Eva, on the sidewalk below our 5th floor window!  Such wonderful friends!!   

My other office partner, Peter, and his wife Bet'ka also invited us over.  They are still honeymooners --- theirs was the wedding we attended in April.  What an awesome couple!  

We rode our bikes one last time to Bobrovec - such a picturesque village nestled at the beginning of the mountain valley.  

In Bobrovec, we visited the newly reconstructed house of our friend Ján, who runs the bike shop where we first met him.  We enjoyed delicious refreshments and their darling family! 

Stopping to enjoy the views on our way home from Bobrovec.  Wow!  

Vivid red poppies on the edge of a wheat field along the ride home. 

Dinner at Villa Betula with Rivi and Pat'ka, who has taken such good care of us from the very beginning.  It was a beautiful evening to enjoy good company and friendship.  

Erika came to church to bid us farewell one last time on our last Sunday morning in Liptovský Mikuláš.  We'll miss our wonderful students - they are so sweet!!  

We ran into Eva on the town square after church too -- this time we were able to share smiles instead of tears!  

We stopped for tea and cakes at one of our favorite sweets shops after church with Zuzana, our dear colleague and faithful friend.  

One last mountain view from out our kitchen window, across the red roof of the flats between us and the green foothills which we love to walk along.  

Mr. Betko, our landlord, Eva, and Saška all helped us load our luggage onto the train, since it only stops at the station about 2-3 minutes.  Mr. Betko always took such good care of us whenever we needed something repaired in the flat, and he always welcomed us with a smile and a "dobrý deň".  Eva rode her bike down to the station to help and give us one last hug.  And Saška surprised us by having her car outside our flat in time to drive our heavy luggage to the station and make sure she was the last one to see us off.  Thank you, dear friends!!   

I can't even look at this, our last picture in Liptovský Mikuláš, without tears in my eyes.  Visions of beautiful mountains, wonderful people, precious memories, and lifetime friendships will forever be in our hearts and minds.  Thank you, Slovakia!!  
And farewell, for now.  God bless you all!!  


Ephesians 2:19-22Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

19 So then you are no longer strangers or people far away. But you live with God's people and belong to God's family.
20 God's family is like a house and you are part of the building. The apostles and prophets are like the lower walls of the house and you are the building on this foundation. Jesus Christ is the big stone at the corner.
21 He is the one who holds the whole house together, and it becomes a holy house belonging to the Lord.
22 You too are a part of this house. God himself lives in this house by his Spirit.