April Interview Trip ... Easter in POZNAN.

This is a view of Malta Lake...one of my favorite places to go in Poznan. This walking bridge leads people straight to Galleria Malta...Poznan's #1 mall which we pass as we make our way into the city. Saturday as we were driving from Lodz, the Poznan Branch had gathered for... ...an Easter dinner and celebration. This Branch knows how to put on a party! We were sorry we had missed it. But it was a success, and everyone had a good time.

Later today, we were meeting the missionaries to take them to dinner. Since Easter is a 3-day Holiday in Poland and everything shuts down, we were trying to find a place to take the Missionaries. How about the biggest Mall in Poznan (Galleria Malta)? As we got to the parking entrace, we noticed that there were 1,596 (!) parking spots available. Hummmm....it doesn't look good. As we parked our car, we took the elevator to the top floor of the mall which housed the 'Food Court'. This is what we found....Now, remember, this is Saturday afternoon, BEFORE Easter. In America, it would be 'standing room only'! The rest of the Mall. If you look closely, you will see the man at the Information Booth in the lower right hand corner. I hope he has a book, because this could be a very slow day for him! We gathered at the Rynek hoping to have more success....possible a small restaurant might be open. Shown above, our great Missionaries who serve in Poznan: Elders Curtis, Marsing and Reed; Sisters Reed, Smithee and Lepannen. We hit the jackpot! We found a great restaurant which offered great Polish, American, Italian AND Mexican food. We were all pleased with our choices and grateful that something was open! It was great to visit with these wonderful Missionaries and feel of the love they have for the people of Poznan.

EASTER SUNDAY: It was a beautiful but cold Easter Sunday in Poznan. Along with having great inspiring talks about the Resurrection of the Savior and what that means to us, the Branch sustained a new Branch President: Elder Reed. The previous Branch President, Elder Richards, left things so organized that Elder Reed is able to jump right in and be effective! Sunday School: Although our numbers were relatively few at church today, there was a great Spirit in all the meetings. Marta, the Gospel Doctrine teacher, gave a great lesson as always. We were glad to have Renata and Adam visiting the Poznan Branch from Bydgoszcz. While Sunday School and Relief Society and Priesthood was going on, I was in the Primary with Richard and Max. We had a great time singing, talking about Easter and reading books. As church ended, 'the Relief Society' was in the kitchen warming up tortilla soup. (Sister Reed, Kate and Marta.) A big THANK YOU to Kate for the wonderful meal she fed all the Missionaries today. It was so thoughtful of you and much appreciated! Brother and Sister Healy add MUCH to this Branch as they serve diligently in their various callings. They are a great addition to the Branch.Sisters Smithee and Lepannen are working hard 'finding' new Investigators and strengthening members. We love our Sisters. They know how to work hard....and smart!A 'blast from the past': the Poznan YSA room a few months ago....water damage from the big Freeze! And today! It looks better than ever! Elders Marsing (District Leader)and Curtis do a great job leading this Branch in Missionary work. And it's "on the road again. Just can't wait to get on the road again..." (If you know the song, please hum along with me!) It's time to head to the next city on our Interview trip... About 20 kilometers out in the middle of nowhere, we came across these great tennis courts!? Six of them to be exact. No houses in sight, no sign of what it is or who is allowed to play on them....nothing. Out in the middle of farmland. They are just there..nicely locked up behind a barbed-wire fence. But they are really well maintained! Someone uses them! The sky was exceptionally beautiful this Easter day. Lots of rolling clouds, beautiful formations...I wish I could have captured it in pictures. How can anyone view this beautiful earth we live on and not believe that there is a God? Well, there is. God loves us, and we are His children. God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, to live again and to show us the way back to live in His presence. I know this. If you don't, check out mormon.org where you can know for yourself. HAPPY EASTER!Now...it's on to the next beautiful city in our Interview trip tour....WROCLAW! I'll check in with you all soon!