Slovakia Mission Trip '98

From October 2-17, 1998 a mission team from Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, VA traveled to central Slovakia to assist in re-construction of a Baptist Retreat Center. The trip was planned and coordinated by several groups, which together made up the Virginia Baptist Partnership. The team consisted of 7 men; Bob Bass (team leader), Jim Bocrie, Jim Travis, Billy Croxton, Doug Hostetler, Glenn Travis and Tim Coppedge. Bob, Jim B., Jim T., Billy and Glenn are all members of Bon Air Baptist Church. Doug is a former member who recently moved to Charlotte, N.C. Tim is a member of Parham Hills Christian Church. All team members provided their own funds for travel and expenses. The team also brought their own tools to the site. The team lodged and ate at the site and for two weeks volunteered their time and talents to aid in the renovation of the building.

Other names:	Slovak Republic, Slovenska republika, Slovensko
Capital:	Bratislava (Population 446,700)
Government:	Parliamentary democracy. Independent since Jan. 1, 1993
Location:	Central Europe, Poland borders it to the north; Ukraine to the east; Hungary to the south; and Austria and the Czech Republic to the west. Formerly part of Czechoslovakia. Landlocked.
Area:	18,927 square miles (49,006 square kilometers)
Environment:	Slovakia boasts rugged mountains in its central and northern regions. The High Tatra alpine range houses Gerlachovsky stit, the highest peak at 8762 feet (2655 meters). The southern region is made up of fertile lowlands. There is, however, air pollution and acid rain. The extent of environmental danger posed by the controversial Gabickovo dam (which diverts water from the Danube river) remains an issue of debate.
Population:	5,432,383 (1995)
Ethnicity:	Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10%, Gypsy 1.5%, Czech 1%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.3%.
Religions:	Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%.
Language:	Slovak
Currency:	Slovak Crown (Sk, SKK)
Climate:	Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters.

At the end of World War I (1914-1918), Austria-Hungary collapsed, and the Czechs and Slovaks united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In 1948, Communists took over Czechoslovakia’s government. In 1989, following protests by large numbers of Czechs and Slovaks, the Communist government resigned and non-Communists came to power. Soon afterward, the Czechs and Slovaks began to disagree about important economic and political issues. In mid-1992, Czech and Slovak leaders decided to split Czechoslovakia into two nations, one for Czechs and one for Slovaks. On Jan. 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were created to replace Czechoslovakia.

Called Rackova Dolina camp, the building is situated in the south foot of the High Tatras mountains at the mouth of the Rackova valley in the Lipton basin, in Pribylina, central Slovakia. The building was inspired by J.A. Komenius and was built in 1942-43 to become a place of retreat and spiritual mediation for Christians. That idea, however, was destroyed by the communist regime, which expropriated the facility shortly afterward and transformed it into a school. The Christians who worked so hard to provide such a place took solace in the fact that it served children in that country as an oasis of beauty and clean air.

The facility was returned to the government after the fall of Communism and the Slovakian Baptists had the opportunity to establish the Christian Foundation of Rackova Dolina. Their goal is to provide a place of fellowship among believers and to provide services to the socially weaker and people in need. They also strive to organize spiritual educational courses, seminars and conferences with a capacity of 65 persons.

When returned to the Baptists, the building was barren and in poor condition. The government specified that to keep the building, it had to be repaired. As funds were limited, the Baptists appealed to donors, sponsors and charitable societies to aid in the renovation. From that time until now, the site has been cleaned up, repairs made and the building furnished. A couple lives on-site full time providing office duties and site maintenance. There is also a kitchen staff, which provides cafeteria services during conferences. The building has served many people already, including a popular summer camp program for children (many from the Chernobyl region), and minister retreats.

The Virginia Baptist partnership is a three-way association between Slovakia, Virginia Baptists and the International Mission Board. All three organizations provide monies and logistics to server a common goal. Partnerships are normally for three years. This one has gone so well and there remained some things both parties wanted to do that they are extending it to four years. 1999 will be the last year with the partnership, which also included the Czech Republic.

The building consists of 4 floors and an attic space. The 1^st floor contains office space, laundry facilities, boiler room, machine shop, kitchen and cafeteria. The 2^nd floor contains a large multi-purpose room, secondary room (used for storage), 2 full bath/shower facilities and 7 small dorm-style rooms. The 3^rd floor is designed like the 2^nd floor. The 4^th floor is the same but contains more, smaller rooms and smaller bath facilities. The attic space is unfinished. The goal of the renovation is to re-construct the 4^th floor to provide larger, but fewer apt.-style rooms (for families) and modernize the bath areas. These rooms will have access to the attic space as loft areas for sleeping.

The goal of the Bon Air Baptist mission team was to perform demolition of the 4^th floor, by taking out walls, to provide larger rooms, gut the bath area space, insulate the attic space and begin drywall installation.

Here’s the crew upon arrival. From left; Glenn Travis, Jim Travis, Tim Coppedge, Jim Bocrie, Bob Bass, Doug Hostetler, Billy Croxton (not pictured, taking the photo).