Good news and our last day in Poland

Update from Dr. Entwistle and Dr. Mudrack.  First, here is an announcement from Malone’s Provost:

We have good news to share! Our travel agent, Bethany, has been successful in re-booking the entire team for arrival in the US tomorrow March 13. The only challenge at this point is that the Malone team will arrive in Detroit. We will work out alternate transportation to get them back to Canton. I am not concerned.   

I have been praying Psalm 3:3 all day. Please join me in prayer tonight for the safe return of the team!

Greg

Gregory J. Miller, PhD

Provost

Malone University

Canton, OH USA

We are incredibly thankful for the work of Bethany, our travel agent, who has worked this problem since the early hours of the morning in Iowa when Dr. Mudrack called her at 4 a.m. her time.  We will be looking for a tangible way to express our gratitude!

Our day began with a frantic rush to the airport to try to rebook our flights, a scramble to try to find a way to stow our luggage, missing a train to downtown from the airport, finding taxis to take us to our hostel, and finding no one at the hostel when we got there.  It all worked out; the hostel owner had expected us later, not knowing of our sudden change of plans, so we had a very nice meal of authentic Polish food in the restaurant next door. 

After checking into the hostel, we spent the afternoon and evening wondering the nearly deserted streets of Krakow.  It was dream-like, the entire Old Town probably had a few thousand people at most.  Students were able to enjoy shopping, walking around, and enjoying what we didn’t expect to be our last night in Poland.

Late this evening we found out that our Milligan team had been rebooked – the same flights just a day earlier – and later Bethany told us that she was working to finalize Malone’s revised itinerary.  Our plan is to get up at 2:30 a.m., travel by taxi to the airport, and be state-side by tomorrow evening, though Malone’s trip to Canton may take a bit more time after our intended landing in Detriot.

At our evening debriefing, the students were told of our plans (first the confirmed Milligan departure, and several Malone options which are only now being finalized).  We also spent a long time talking about how so many things have not turned out as we planned, but how we could see God’s hand along the way.  We have made many cherished friends (both in Poland and among team members), and  learned to see history and another culture in ways that expose complexities, darkness, love, and grace.  Our journey is not over, but we are hopeful that this last leg will go smoothly.  Despite all the challenges, I think it is fair to say that this has been life-changing for many individuals that can shape us to love God and others better.

Bóg z tobą / May God be with you,

Dr. E. and Dr. M.