I woke up at 5:45 AM to take my home Ellume test for covid...it was negative!!!
I took a train to Warsaw, met Marcin face to face, walked around Warsaw, went to the US Embassy, hung out with Marcin and went to bed.
Oh...saw one of the places where the Warsaw Ghetto from WWII was located.
I am exhausted and Friday will be a long day of travel.
I leave at 6 AM, so I need to be there by 4 at least.
I also was able to donate about $700 that will directly help these guests from Ukraine. All those that donated money, you can trust to know that it is being used for good.
I then was able to watch a Men's basketball game here in Lublin. I was a VIP fan.
Two weeks ago there were thousands of people, today....very few.
The priest was able to get us into a facility where guests are living and they gave us a run down of what they're doing.
Poland has done a wonderful job!
I got to watch a Start Lublin practice.
Wednesday, I have my appointment with the US Embassy on Thursday in Warsaw, so today is my last day in Lublin.
I was able to come to grips that my passport is probably lost, so I will contact the US Embassy Monday for more information and what to do.
I visited with my friends that coach Start Lublin basketball team, went to a women's game.
Marcin has schedule me a meeting with a priest in Lublin who does work with the Ukraine visitors.
That is tomorrow.
Today was a slow day. I walked around Majdanek Nazi Concentration Camp here in Lublin, it was windy. Waiting to see if I can find my passport and contact with anyone to help.
It's one thing to go to a Holocaust Museum in the states and it's entirely different to actually stand and visit where the thing actually happened.
Really overwhelming and the crows...there are crows there and makes it even more ominous.
I went back to my room and watched a lot of the IHSAA state finals on my phone.
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I got on the phone to see what to do about my passport....I lost it, I can't believe it.
Coach Spasev put me in contact with a person in Warsaw who has contacts in the airport.
Marcin is looking around and making calls. I feel much better having someone advocate for me in a foreign country. It's scary to be here and not have that passport. Marcin told me I can get around Poland with my US driver's license.
I went walking around the Old Town of Lublin. Pretty interesting to know that the town is over 700 years old. I did pass by the Ukraine consulate and there were quite a few people waiting outside to try and get visas etc. It is amazing what one persons decision can do to create chaos in so many people's lives.
Coach Spasev put me in contact with a woman who does humanitarian work for Ukraine's.
Yea...so she got back with me and wanted to know if I could find war type materials...I'm not that guy.
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I arrived in Warsaw today. Interesting, before I got on the plane in Detroit to head to Warsaw, I was flagged and questioned by security.
Apparently, there are Americans who are involved in trafficking children and taking pharmaceuticals into Ukraine and making money in the Black Market.
I was asked quite a few questions, I wasn't nervous because I hadn't done anything wrong and didn't plan on doing anything wrong, but after about 5-10 minutes, I got on the plane and headed to Paris then Warsaw.
Landing in Warsaw, it was sort of late and I wanted to get a train to Lublin and be there before it was too late. Before I went out through security, I stopped to use the bathroom and then headed out to get a taxi to catch a train to head south. I usually keep all my documents in a book, so I don't have to keep pulling it out of my pockets. Well in that bathroom in the Warsaw airport is the last time I remember having that book.
I lost my passport.
And I felt like I was going to puke.
I ended up getting my train ticket and making it to my AirBnB that night and the next morning I called my friend, Tane Spasev to let him know and what I could do for help.