Friday, May 17, 2013

A Visit to Szczecin...more Specialized Training!

The fields on the way to Szczecin were beautiful.  Miles and miles of bright yellow flowers.
Since Bydgoszcz to Szczecin is not a "high volume" traffic route, we find ourselves on the "old Polish roads".  This is what the first half of our mission was like.  Two lanes with thousands of trucks.  An additional problem is these smaller roads go through all the little towns where the speed limits are lower.  It just makes for longer and harder traveling.
Since we are traveling out in the country, the farmers use these highways, also.  You can get behind one of these vehicles, and it takes forever to pass.  Because the 'big' trucks can't pass, traffic can really get backed up.  Plus... in these smaller towns are filled with President's "special friends"...
 It just so happened that one of them wanted to 'visit' this morning.  As we were hurrying through a small town, a "special friend" stepped out and waved President over.  President told me this was some sort of "vehicle inspection", and it wasn't anything he did wrong.  As I watched from the car (with camera in hand!) it looked like this "inspector" was writing something out for President.  It seemed to take longer than just a visit.
 In the end it must have been a good thing. President told him about the Book of Mormon and how it would help him raise his family better.  President told him that is was not a coincidence that they met this morning.  The Policeman said, "I know... my radar told me to meet you." President told him it was for other reasons.  This man was quite receptive and you never know...
 
 It was a great event (perhaps costly for President).  Let's see how President uses this contacting moment in Specialized Training this morning.
Well, back on the roads again.  All those big trucks we passed earlier, quess what?  We have to pass them again! This is one of the reasons why we never stop on these trips.  "Keep moving!" is our motto!
Finally, we found one of the new highways again.  We had just come out of the forest area and saw many of these logging trucks.  President was eyeing a couple of these large freshly cut trees and was thinking about contacting his friend Antoni for another "Marcin the Missionary" statue... (no way!)
We arrived in Szczecin and found Elders Kotter and Godwin talking with people just outside our chapel.
As were Elders Mikolyski and Waskiewicz.  Missionaries contact on the way to everything.  Szczecin is such a beautiful town and the people are so wonderful.
Soon the missionaries from Poznan arrived.  Elders Jespersen (Poznan District Leader) and Caskey with Sisters Bown and Lidtka.  All of these missionaries are doing an outstanding job in Poznan.
Our Specialized Training meeting this morning:  Elders Mikolyski, Waskiewicz, Godwin and Kotter.  Elders Godwin, Jespersen and Sisters Bown and Lidtka.
The 'Valley of the Sun' missionaries in Poland.  Elders Waskiewicz (from Queen Creek) Caskey (Phoenix), Godwin (Phoenix) and President (Mesa...way back when!).
Besides having Specialized Training in Szczecin today, we also celebrated another great event that happened earlier in the week...  Elder Kotter's birthday.  Everyone had a Magnum Ice Cream bar in honor of Elder Kotter.
Later that night at the Szczecin chapel.....
Last Saturday Shu was baptized.  Tonight President and I were able to join Elders Kotter and Godwin as they taught her one of the new member lessons.  What a great lesson, and what a great new member of the Church.  She truly is a special daughter of God.  She is from China...studying Piano and music in Poland.  Shu gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith immediately.  There are no coincidences.  The work is hastening in the four corners of the world.

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