Global Service Volunteer ELCA Global Mission personnel serve in more than 40 countries in assignments that range from a few months to eight years or more. Positions fall into four categories of service: Long-Term, Global Mission (2 years), Self funded volunteer, and Young Adults in Global Mission. We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world together. Through our missionaries, companion churches and partner agencies, the ELCA works to proclaim the love of God and serve our neighbors. The ELCA s global volunteer program manages the matching of short-term, skilled and self-supported volunteers with opportunities to provide assistance to education, health and other ministry programs of companion churches and institutions. While not employees, volunteers are considered ELCA global personnel, and as such are expected to reflect this church s values and are subject to its personnel policies. Through the Global Teach program, volunteers can offer themselves to teach in one-year academic programs in many areas of the world, but principally in Central Europe and Asia. Caleb was assigned to Slovakia which is bordered by Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Austria located in Central Europe. Rimavska Sobota
Rimavska Sobota, Slovakia RIMAVSKÁ SOBOTA (population 24,800) is situated on the fertile alluvial plain of the Rimava river in the south of central Slovakia. Today it is the economic center of the Slovak-Hungarian boundary with several plants dedicated to food production. HISTORY Villa Stefani was the primeval settlement, which originally existed here in the second half of the 11th century. Markets were held here every Saturday and this was why the name Sobota (Saturday) caught on. This name, written as Rymoa Zumbota was first mentioned in the document from 1270. The town preserved its traditions in crafts and trades over the history. Rimavská Sobota was the center of education in the past, which was greatly influenced by its prevailingly Protestant population. MONUMENTS Dominating the main square, Hlavné námestie, now wonderfully reconstructed, is the Classicist Roman Catholic church of St. John the Baptist built in the years 1774-1790. Events go on in the square day and night. Movies have been shown and bands have played at night. The Fall Market was held here.
Evanjelicka Zakladna Skola (ELCA Lutheran Primary School) And a Hungarian High School share this building Caleb is teaching conversational English to grades 1 through 12. He meets with each class two times per week. He creates the curriculum. He has been asked to provide classes to the High School students that are in keeping with the topics they are studying that week in school such as Crime and Punishment. This is the 2nd year this school has had a Global Mission teacher. I teach every grade, from first graders to high school seniors. There is a bit of whiplash going from teaching colors one period to discussing law and order the next, but it is awesome experience. The little ones may not know much but they love saying hello to me whenever they see me. The older students are less enthusiastic but still do an awesome job making me feel welcome. It helps that I am teaching conversation, so no boring grammar lessons, just talking about different topics and playing games. ~ Caleb Food in Slovakia Slovakians typically eat their largest meal of the day at lunch time. Lunch is provided at the school with a purchased lunch card that one buys at the post office. The meal typically involves meat of some kind and a pasta dish of some kind; often there is a gravy of sorts and it s served as one dish. From time to time it s sweet lunch and includes the pasta with sugar and as in the case below, ground poppy seeds, or stuffed with chocolate (also pictured). Sometimes sauerkraut is added to the top of the pasta, one of the rare times vegetables are included. Fruit is often provided as a side. Halushki Caleb s apartment kitchen has a microwave but no stove, a refrigerator but no freezer. He typically walks to the grocery store several times per week to get bread and cheese and Coke (his caffeine of choice) for his other meals.
My first week in Rimavaska Sobota, the school s headmaster invited me to go hiking with him on our day off. I accepted, remembering family hikes near Priest Lake; a couple of hours walking along a trail and eating huckleberries off the bushes. Well, hiking has a very different meaning here in Slovakia. We left at 4:30 in the morning and after three hours driving, we arrived at the trailhead. A thick fog obscured my view so I did not truly understand the magnitude of the endeavor as we set off up the trail. After a couple of hours of hiking the fog started to clear and a magnificent view began to emerge. Turns out they were hiking the 3rd largest mountain in Slovakia! ~ Caleb
Along the path I saw some amazing flowers and plants. Remembering back to the Plant Diversity and Distribution I took from Dr. Haberle, I was able to identify the families of some of the plants I was seeing. As we made progress up the mountain the vegetation began to change. At the bottom it was a forest, full of trees, bushes, and flowers. The higher we went the smaller the trees became until they disappeared altogether. The bushes became more like shrubs and the flowers became smaller and smaller. Eventually all that was left were grasses and a few flowers hanging onto cracks in the rocks. The trail changed from a nice and easy like at Priest Lake, into piles of rocks that had to be climbed. After 7 hours of hard work we reached the summit of the Mountain. I was super tired, but man, I was the top of a mountain! And not just any mountain, but Kriváň - one of the tallest peaks in Slovakia. I had never thought I would be to the top of a real mountain, but here I was and it was an amazing feeling. The clouds swirled around us and as they moved sudden glimpses of nearby mountains and the valley below us began to break through. ~ Caleb Caleb, the school admin Jarmila, and the Head Master Radomir. After standing at the top for half an hour taking in the view, we began the trek back down. As we headed down the mountain we were treated with more amazing views. When we finally returned to the car it was 7:30 p.m., almost 12 hours after we had set out. As we were resting and preparing for the drive home, I was finally able to see the entirety of where we had travelled, as the mountain was mostly free of clouds. We returned to Rimavska Sobota at around midnight.
Where Caleb lives Caleb goes up these beautiful stairs to his living area. He has his own room and bathroom and a common living room and kitchen. There are two other individuals who also have rooms there. Best news: excellent wi-fi! He looks out his window at the square. Living Room & Dining Room Kitchen Bathroom There is a washing machine but no dryer. Clothes are dried on racks. The temperature there is actually fairly similar to ours in north Idaho. It was a little warm when he first arrived in mid August as there is no air conditioning. Caleb s Bedroom view from two points He says, it s nicer than a dorm room Caleb walks to school (about 10-15 minutes) and to grocery shopping. His Head Master drives him to their hikes or other places he needs to go that are too far to walk.
The School Admin and Head Master have been very welcoming. Here they all are at her house not long after Caleb arrived. View from a hill overlooking Rimavska Sobota. Another hike they took was to the remains of a very old castle. Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers! I would love to hear from you! Probably the best way to communicate is through email. My email address is: ranumcm@plu.edu. There is no mail service at my apartment. If absolutely necessary I can receive mail at the school: Caleb Ranum Zlatice Oravcove Evanjelicka Zakladna Skola Daxnerova 42, 979 01 Rimavska Sobota, Slovakia The lake near town ~ plenty of nice places to walk. Thank you so much for your financial support as well! Because of your generosity my mission here is possible!