more from poland

hello again,

i sent that last mesage as a precaution from having a really long message deleted as i try to send...which happened two years ago. it really makes you qutie angry, and very disinterested in writing for about two days.

now that you know what's happened today let me catch you up on all that has transpired since we left. i will do it in list form, which is far from detailed, but is much more fun you me and for you...

• i spent the whole night packing (except for two hours) monday night...but i got moved into my new house (many of you will now know about the guys house we now have and that i live in the basement apartment...)



• a group of 15 chi alpha students met jess and i at a coffeshop at 6am to send us off on our missions trip. they also prayed for us...it was quite powerful, and we went away filled up.



• drove to salt lake city and met the rest of our team...2 other leaders and six student from the chi alpha region. it is a smaller group than in the past...we've had 28 and 26 people the past two years, but i am looking forward to the friendships we'll share as a team.



• the flight was 4 hours from slc to jfk in new york and then almost 8 hours to paris...2 more hours to vienna...and then 8 hours in a van to poland. we started at 9:30 am on wednesday morning and finished at 10pm (polish time) thursday night.



• the first two days we stayed at a retreat villa in southern poland. it was beautiful and the family that managed the place were incredible. they had gentle and hospitible spriits and really made our time there quite pleasent, even though we were all very jet-lagged and exhausted.



• during our time there we helped with repairs to the place (painting fences, and decks and doors and tearing out a water damaged floor), we also practiced our skits and spent some time in devotions and worship, trying to grow together spiritually as a team.



• our hosts during our 9 days in poland are curt and sarah hobbs (former chi alpha missionaries to the university of wyoming.) while we were there a group of 30 chiristians from various churches were also sharing the retreat villa for a bible seminar they attend once a month. we ate all our meals with them; several of them could speak english and so we got to know the heart of the polish people and get introduced to their great sense of humor and their curious personalities.



• last night we drove up to krakow through the beautiful polish countryside. many of the houses have several floors...so that two generations for family can live there...



• we got into krakow settled in and then about 7 of us went out on the town to meet people. it was late in the evening but it was warm and there were people everywhere. after a long walk we happened to meet some college students who knew english...we started talking to them...they then inivted us to their flat (apartment0. we took them up on their offer and spent a wonderful 3 hours hanging out in their apartment listening to music and talking about everything under the sun...including jesus. they were so friendly and hospitible. they then invited us to a bonfire on tuesday evening. many of us are excited for the oppoortunity to build a friendship with them and hopefully help some of them know christ in a real way.



• i will share more about them later...i'm sure...please pray for artur, kasia, and sebastian...



• we have one week here of busy activity and outreach...please pray for god's power and favor with people...

tata....scott