Poland2022BrochureEDfinalVol.3

Mel’s International Mission Trips
Beginning in 1968
Baptist World Youth Conference, Berne Switzerland,
England, Amsterdam and Paris
1970--Radius School of Drama--
England and Spain
Countries I went to once: Brazil, Greece, Tanzania,
Uganda, Hong Kong, Calgary, Canada,
Kazakhstan, Romania, Austria & Hungary.
Twice to Sweden and Trinidad.
Three times to Czechoslovakia,
Four to Taiwan & England
Five Years to Russia with 13 visits.
Twenty years to Poland with 31 visits.
Total of 70 trips to International Countries
Destiny In Poland--From Top to Bottom
Ustka--Location of 18 annual 10 day camps
Gdansk/Sopot--Old Towne and Airport for Marwica
Elblang-Baptist Church, Pawel Kugler, Pastor
Warsaw--Seminary, Orphanages and Camps
Otwock--Church ministry and Orphanages
Lodz--First Baptist, Leszek Wakula Pastor and
Daniela Hoppe--Human Trafficking
Wroclaw--First Baptist Camps
Krakow--Beautiful City used to go to Auschwitz
Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Wisla-Church with Conference Center in Mountains
Praha--Prague-Group trips there.
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Looking back at over 53years of International mission
work, it represents 70 trips and being gone over
200 weeks, which is equivalent to being gone four
years of my life.
In 1968, having the opportunity to take a group to
the BWYC and to travel to four countries I realized
how much is gained through those experiences. In
England seeing Westminister Abby and close by the
tower of Big Ben and parliament, so many sights to
see. Then to have go to Coventry which was the first
town blitzed by the Germans and see how they had
built a fantastic cathedral with help from all over the
world. Next to Amsterdam and Ann Frank’s hiding
place and on to tulip and wood shoe country. While at
the BWYC we heard from Billy Graham, Paul Tournier
and Kenneth Chafer and many others during the
week in Berne. On to Paris to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre-statue
of David and the Mona Lisa. The last night
we were on artist hill overlooking all of Paris for a fantastic
last meal. So during all my trips I realized my
main responsibility was to those going with me and to
make sure of their safety but also to make it a meaningful
experience in addition to the mission segment
of our trip.
In 1988, traveling with a Creative Ministry team to
Brazil, I realized I did not have to speak the language
of the country. I would teach their leaders how to lead
the group and once they knew how to lead we no longer
needed a translator as they had made a huge step
in becoming a leader. So where ever we went we often
taught the local leaders and they have continued being
able to lead the activities.
In 1991, I received a phone call from Ralph Hopkins,
Associate Director of the Kentucky Baptist Collegiate
Department, asking if I would take eight people
to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was apart of the USSR
and their camp was lead by communist. My response
was yes, however December 26, 1981 the Soviet Union
was dissolved. So when we arrived at Camp Zhalin,
we asked if we could teach from the Old Testament
thinking they were Muslims and they said yes. They
had no problem with us showing the Jesus film and
teaching from the New Testament. The camp director
even ask if we could teach other religions. During the
eight weeks there, I reflected on the book Halftime,
since I was fifty and wanted to see how to finish the
next half. That is when I realized that taking