Quick trip to Bratislava

Earlier in the week, Zuzana had gone with Tim to the train station to help purchase our tickets to Bratislava on the weekend.  We knew we needed reserved seats for a crowded Friday afternoon on the inter-city train, and we have learned we prefer the open cars rather than the small 6-person compartments, so Zuzka helped make our requests.  We hurried after school to change clothes, finish packing, and catch the train.  It was a relaxing ride, other than the fact that Tim was next to a passenger with a dog in a carrier on her lap!  LOL!  

Rebecca and Shannon, two of our new teachers in Bratislava, met us for dinner, and we had a wonderful evening talking with them and getting to know them better.  

 Saturday morning we met for tea with Pastor Nelson, who is the head of our program, and we spent a couple of hours getting acquainted with him and talking about his vision for our mission as lead teachers here in central Europe.  

Then we went over to Kyle and Ånna's flat for a delicious lunch with all the American lectors in Bratislava, as well as the pastor at the Lutheran International church and her family, and Pastor Nelson too.  We had some awesome soup with fall veggies, an array of cheeses and breads, grapes, and hot apple cider.  Mmmmm!!!  (Disclaimer - this is NOT Kyle and Ånna's baby, but rather Pastor Miriam and Jeremy's!!)   

It was really a fun time of fellowship, good food, and lots of fun, just hanging out with all the Americans at Kyle & Ånna's flat!  

With Shannon and Pastor Nelson.  After lunch he talked to us for a while about the overall mission in central Europe and encouraged us all in what we are doing.  We also spoke to the group a little, especially about the upcoming Thanksgiving meal which we are in charge of, long-distance!!  

We spent about 4 hours there, getting a chance for some conversations in smaller groupings after some people had gone.  It was great getting to know this neat bunch of new teachers better, and to re-connect with people we knew from last year who are still in Bratislava.  Before we knew it, we had to leave to walk back to the train station for our return trip.  Once we got on the train, we met up with Saška and Zuzka Bobková, so we got to talk to them for the last couple hours of the ride.  

Sunday morning, we met in the church for choir rehearsal at 8:15.  This is the choir including both my small group and the additional singers from the former large choir.  They really sounded great with so many strong singers!  

I had one of my students take photos since Tim and I were both up front.  For our second song, we had just the small group sing, since the new members didn't know this song as well.  The pastor's son plays violin with us, and you can't see him on the left, but Martin was playing the guitar for this song too.   In the church announcements for each week, it used to say "Small Choir" on Mondays, and "Large Choir" at a different day/time.  This week, the only thing listed was "Choir" at our regular Monday time.  So I guess we've officially merged!!  :-) 

After church, some of our small choir members asked us if we wanted to go on a hike with them.  Since they've asked several other times when we've already had plans, we agreed.  They picked us up at 1:15, and it turns out there were 3 carloads of people on the hike, so we had quite a group!  

The first part of the hike was through the tall pines, and it was fairly steep but not too rugged, the whole way up the valley.  

Our group included 3 young boys, a 2-year old in a carrier, four couples, and a Baptist pastor who lived in Houston a long time, so he knows perfect English.  

We were heading up into the Žiarska valley - in the distance, about centered in the picture, you can see the chata (cottage/restaurant) that was our destination.  (This is the same trek we made last spring by ourselves by bike, when we had to walk up the last 4 km because it was too steep to ride.)  This time though, we took the back trails instead of the road, since we were on foot.  It was even prettier going by this route! 

We made it!!  Everyone had brought snacks to share as we rested a bit up at the top.  

Two choir members on the right - Martin, the guitar player, and his wife Martina, a soprano.  They are such fun!  

This photo is for Lute!  One of the guys in our group didn't speak English, but he was wearing this jacket, so I took a picture of the back.  It's so cool that the Cross Country championships were right in Liptovsky Mikuláš in 2010.  Wish we could have seen it!  

Ready to head back down the valley!  

We didn't get back home until 7:30 that night, and we were a little tired, but the hike wasn't really strenuous, it was just a long day!  We always look forward to our evening Facetime and Skype opportunities on the weekends, and we never fail to appreciate the fact that technology keeps our family and loved ones close.  We don't feel so far away from home when we can feel like we're sitting right in the living room with people in Iowa (or Oklahoma now!) for a long conversation every week!  The blessings of technology are wonderful!!  

This week at school has been even crazier.  We have had a lot of teacher absences in the English department lately, which means subbing.  It's always fun to get extra time speaking English with our students though!!  :-)  I also have an extra 8 classes of teaching at the Basic School this week, so that really adds up.  In addition, I'm teaching one after school class to the teachers there, and now the after-school conversation class for 5th-8th graders has also started.  I'm trying to put together a packet of materials for our teachers in Poland and Košice, who haven't been provided with any textbooks or other materials, so they don't have to re-invent the wheel for every lesson!!  

Tonight we are attending a concert of some sort at the Jewish synagogue, with Saška Bobková and her kids.  We're looking forward to it!