Warsaw Zone Conference............May 2012

The WARSAW Zone. Great Missionaries....Great Spirit! This is our last conference for these Zone Conferences. It has been so fun to see and visit all our missionaries this week. Everyone is happy, healthy (except one small insect bite) and ready for the work. Here are our valiant missionaries of the Warsaw Zone by Districts... The Warsaw II District. Sitting L to R: Sisters Holmgren and Forsey; Elder and Sister Jensen (YSA); and Elder and Sister Peck (Office couple). Standing L to R: Elders Siebert (District Leader), Mikolyski and Hancock (serving in Lublin), Gudnasen and Tanner (Office Elders); Top: Elder Basha and Elder Myler (Assistants). The Warsaw I District: Sitting: Sisters Peterson and Sheahan; Standing (L to R): Elders Fletcher and Curtis (Zone Leaders), Elders Jensen (District Leader) and Manwill, Elders Ball and Walter (serving in Bialystok). The Lodz District: Sitting (L to R): Sisters Masters and Mann; Sister and Elder Tarasevich; Standing (L to R): Elders Tiner, Szymanski, Johnson (District Leader), and Murphey.

Getting ready for Zone Conference takes a lot of effort.... The Zone Leaders, Elders Fletcher and Curtis, arrived early to get the food organized. I was very impressed with all that they did....great 'Buki Break' Elders! Elder Curtis has great culinary talents and Elder Fletcher loves to eat healthy. A great combination for getting all the food ready. Meanwhile, out in the Cultural Hall, Elders Ball, Walter, Tanner, Gudnasen and Pofelski with the help of Sisters Forsey and Holmgren were getting tables and chairs set up for the lunch break. The Elders and Sisters in Lodz and Lublin were still on their way or they would have helped also. And... ...in the chapel, President Nielson was going over some last minute details for the Conference with Elders Basha, Myler, Curtis, Siebert and Fletcher. We had originally planned this conference in the Warsaw II chapel but we moved it back to the Wolska Chapel. Partly because of the great atmosphere of this wonderful meetinghouse and the Chapel has great air conditioning. It has been quite warm lately. It was a great decision to meet here again. After morning meetings, it was time for some lunch and some visiting. Here the Sisters enjoy getting together and getting to know each other. (L to R) Sisters Holmgren, Peterson, Sheahan, Masters, Mann and Forsey. Elders Szymanski, Fletcher, Pofelski, Johnson, Tanner, Curtis, Siebert, Manwill, Gudnasen and Mikolyski. Elders Murphey, Tarasevich, Jensen, Godfrey (who is a great help to the Missionaries), Hancock, Tiner, Basha and Myler. After lunch, it was back to the chapel for more instruction. Sister Tarasevich is explaining the Revised English program that the Missionaries will be teaching soon. She and Sister Jensen did a marvelous job of explaining things all in 15 minutes (THANK YOU to our Senior Sisters for working so hard to 'tweek' this program to make it a more effective 'finding tool'.) It is now more 'user friendly' for the Missionaries with ways to teach the gospel better through teaching English to the Polish people.Celebrating Birthdays in the Warsaw Zone: Elders Ball, Curtis, Murphey, Hancock, Tanner and Szymanski. Sto Lat! Taking an opportunity to pose with my favorite Warsaw Zone Sisters! (L to R): Sisters Peterson, Sheahan, Holmgren, Forsey, Masters and Mann. Our Sisters are powerful in this mission. We love them and appreciate them all! Another big event that happens at Zone Conference is everyone brings in their travel receipts to be reinbursed. Elder Hancock is putting the information on his tickets so Elder Tanner can take it into the office where Elder Peck will reinburse him. Quite the process...but it works! Well....the meetings are over and the Warsaw I Elders are the 'good guys' cleaning up! Everyone has left to connect with trains home or for teaching appointments. Elders Tanner, Curtis, Manwill and Fletcher are making sure Elder Jensen sweeps up the last few crumbs. We did not celebrate Elder Jensens' birthday today as we normally do at all zone conferences. It's been a great week of conferences. With the traveling, exchanges and all that goes on it takes some energry. At the end of the conferences President gets with his assistants for evaluations and if they got the messages across to everyone. Each conference is different and to me they all seem perfect for who is there. We cannot break too long because we have traffic across town and things to do. Our assistants have a great man who has a baptism date soon and they have a lesson with him shortly. These are great missionaries.

It was a great week and now home to get ready for the Young Woman Conference this weekend.

Bydgoszcz Zone Conference...May 2012

The BYDGOSZCZ ZONE. Another wonderful day for us as we are on Day 2 of our May 2012 Zone Conference tour. We met in Poznan today as the Bydgoszcz Zone. A great group of Elders and Sisters who are working hard to bring the gospel to the people of Poland. And here they are....by Districts! The Poznan District: Sitting (L to R): Sisters Folsom and Smithee; Sister and Elder Reed. Standing (L to R): Elders Van Bakel, Kalinowski, Marsing (District Leader) and Sorn. The Bydgoszcz District: Elders Gladun (District Leader) and Kennedy; Elders Hooker and Berry (Zone Leaders). The Gdansk District: Sisters Bezdjian and McAdams; Elders Klosowiak (District Leader) and Hayes.

Before the meetings started... our great Senior couple, the Reeds, were in the kitchen making sure everything would be ready in time for lunch. Everything was perfect....and our missionaries were well fed! Thank you, Elder and Sister Reed, for all your hard work! There was a lot to do today, and Elder and Sister Reed came through (again). Lunch in the YSA room in the Poznan chapel was a nice break...Elders Marsing, Van Bakel, Hooker, Berry, Kennedy, Gladun, Sisters Smithee and Folsom....and Elder Sorn! Visiting on the other side of the room were Elders Myler, Klosowiak, Kalinowski, Hayes and Basha. Wait! someone's missing! Sisters Bezdjian, McAdams and I had a wonderful (private) lunch talking about the great things that are happening up in Gdansk. They are teaching some incredible people. Birthday time! Elders Kalinowski and Berry celebrated with homemade cookies and a song! One of my favorite pictures....me and our fabulous Sisters! Having only 14 Sisters in the entire mission, they look forward to visiting and exchanging ideas on how to do missionary work better. (L to R): Sisters McAdams, Bezdjian, Reed, Folsom and Smithee. (Short girls on the left, tall girls on the right!) We can't leave Poznan without showing you this. It is quite a bit of work to have this made in Poland. The trophy stores just don't have plaques like this. So we have our daughter back home send over the "parts", and we assemble it here in Poland. We use a Polish engraver because of the Polish letters. This is Wiktor's missionary plaque....our great Elder from Poznan who is serving in the Michigan Detroit Mission. It is proudly displayed for all the members of the Branch, especially his mom, to see! One last picture of us and the Reeds. As I have said before, Senior Couples make a huge difference in a mission. It is such a great help to President when they ask "Where do you want us to serve, and what do you need us to do?" We rely on their church expertise and their ability to love and work hard to help further the work here in Poland. We are grateful for everyone of our 6 couples who serve alongside us. How about you? Put your papers in, make some new friends, come serve the Lord and have the time of your life. The benefits are 'heavenly'.

Katowice Zone Conference...May 2012

The KATOWICE ZONE ...a powerful group of missionaries! There have been a lot of changes because of transfers. Let's meet the new Districts.... The KRAKOW District: Seated L to R: Elders Krzyminski (District Leader/Trainer), Zelezniak, Roberts and Sheridan---all serving in Krakow. Standing L to R: Elder Dopp, Karol (more info to come) and Elder Vreeken---serving in Kielce. The KATOWICE District: Seated L to R: Sisters Jones and Ence; Sister and Elder McGrath. Standing L to R: Elders Rogers (District Leader) and Hillyard; Elders Waits and Lundin (Zone Leaders)

The WROCLAW District: Seated: Sister and Elder Sheley; Standing L to R: Elders Bode (District Leader) and Hannemann; Sisters Garcia and Young. Karol (with his new personal set of English scriptures) and President Nielson. Elder Wilkosz will be serving in the England London South Mission. He was to report June 27; but because his English is so good, he does not need to attend the English classes at the MTC. So he had the choice of reporting June 7 or July 19. Elder Wilkosz chose June 7! We now need to hurry and get the last minute things in order. He will be coming to Warsaw next week for a day or two. We are so excited for this young man. He is a great Missionary already! Ask everyone in Poland. With the morning meetings ending, it was starting to warm up. While everyone rushed into lunch, Elders Krzyminski and Basha took a moment to cool off! So, how do you feed a group of hungry missionaries? You have great Senior Missionaries who are cooking and getting everything ready! Elder and Sister McGrath (Left) and Elder and Sister Sheley (Right) planned and put on a great 'picnic' lunch including BBQ pork sandwiches, salads and lots of homemade desserts. These missionaries are getting spoiled...but they work hard and deserve some great food! Thank you, Seniors, for all your work!

Now a few minutes to visit and relax... Elders Hillyard, Roberts, Hannemann, Sheridan and Bode. Sisters Jones and Ence, Elders Dopp and Rogers and Sisters Garcia and Young. Elders Myler, Vreeken, Basha, Lundin, Waits, Karol and Krzyminski. I looked all over for Elder Zelezniak and he was visiting with President. He is an outstanding new Elder who is full of energy. We all love him. At the end of lunch, we have a tradition where we celebrate birthdays (this time it was March, April and May birthdays!) by passing out M&M cookies and singing a round of 'Sto Lat'...the traditional Polish birthday song. This group got into it! Taking a minute to have a 'photo op' with our dear Sisters. We love the Sisters who serve in the Poland Warsaw Mission. They are the best! (L to R): Sisters Ence, Jones, Young and Garcia. At the end of the Conference our great Assistants, Elder Myler and Elder Basha, review their notes and talk about ways to make the next Zone Conference (held tomorrow!) better. It looks as if our former 1st Assistant, Elder Krzyminski, is not worried about a thing! We have had the best Assistants ever! They are 'doers of the word' and always set the proper example. We love every one of them!

On our way to Katowice...a great day in Church.

When you are on a mission, you expect to eat foods that are unfamiliar to you. Little did I know that one of those 'foods' would be a .... ...gas station 'hot dog'! I would have never pulled over and bought a hotdog in a gas station in America. But since I was starving and President was anxious to not make any unnecessary stops...I decided to try out a Polish hotdog. It was great!

Here in Poland, the buns are like tubes of toasted bread. The ketchup and mustard don't drip all over you because there is only one opening...at the top. It's ingenious! I hope it catches on in America!Sunday morning in Katowice, we woke up to a beautiful day...clear views, great weather. There is lots of construction going on in the city. Here is a view of how the new train station is coming along. It will be 1st class someday. This is the beginnings of a Coal Mine Museum. It is going to be huge....and unfortunately, we probably won't be here to see it open. Lots of great things going on in Katowice! What a beautiful day to go to Church. And what a surprise to meet some old friends. President and Sister Engjberg (who served as Mission President here from 2007-2010) were in the area visiting with some of their Danish friends. It was great to see them again....even if it was only for a few minutes. We love and appreciate this couple for all the work they did while serving here in Poland to help strengthen the church. The 'crowning event' of the day, however, was when two recent converts received the Aaronic Priesthood. Congratulations Konrad and Andrzej! We appreciate their great works along with Elders McGrath, Waits and Lundin. We are also proud of Adrian for the continual strength he adds to this great branch. Later this evening, the McGraths had us over for a delicious dinner. A big THANK YOU for always taking such good care of us when we visit Katowice. As we were walking and visiting close to their apartment, we decided to hop in the car and take a short road trip! About 20 minutes outside of Katowice lies a small beautiful castle...Bedzin Castle built in the 14th century. In the early 1800's it was falling apart and a piece of stone crushed a passerby. Demolition of the castle was ordered; but before it started, this quaint castle was declared a national monument. It was finally rebuilt and turned into a museum in 1956. It is particularly stunning lit up at night.
Well, I better get some rest....Zone Conferences start tomorrow with Katowice being our first!