Arrived at the Motel in Krakow safely and soundly. Entering thru immigration and customs was as easy as navigating the Midland-Odessa airport, perhaps easier. The one guy working the one immigration booth thru which all passengers had to pass asked if I was here for relief work, gave a casual glance at my documents, and waved me past. Getting the leased van was a blessing that is hard to measure. I was next to last in the line at the rental place, I got my allotted van but the last guy immediately behind me did not. Apparently, he had one reserved also, but he had some kind of snafu with his and he didn't get one. We were the last two guys in the whole place, and the other rental agencies had already closed. I am thankful that I was in line just ahead of him instead of behind. So, the poor guy simply didn't get a vehicle. I offered to give him a ride, but he has someone here in town who went and picked him up. Cars seem to be hard to come by.
The young man who helped me at the car rental desk was amazing. His family has taken in four Ukrainian women, each with one child and one of them with two. They expect these wives/mothers, and children to be with them for months, not days or weeks. We had an impactful chat for about 20 minutes as we finalized the car inspection, the details of which I must reserve for later. He is very aware of the meaning and of the long-term implications of this moment in history for Poland. The young people here, he says, are very aware of the needs and are moving mountains to help. They remember the stories their grandparents are still telling them of the difficulties of WW2 and its aftermath, and they see a direct parallel in today's atrocities that they instinctively and utterly reject. Good for them.