ROAD TRIP!!!

Last Saturday (early) we started off on a week long road trip to 5 cities in Poland. Our first stop was in Katowice for the baptism of Halina. This remarkable woman immediately grasped the concepts of the gospel and will be a true asset to the Katowice Branch. President and I were with the Elders in one of her first lessons. Halina said, "I felt something special with the missionaries and when I came to Church it was like coming home and to family. There is a peace here that I have not felt in a long time".
Elder Murphey, Halina and Elder Tribe. This was a special day for everyone in attendance.

After the baptism, members, missionaries and investigators joined together at the church for refreshments. L to R: , Sister Neiman, , Laszek, Sister Smith, Halina, Alexandria (who will be baptized on October 16), Sister Helfrich, Elders Kalinowski and Tribe, Pawel, and Elder Nielson. Once the mingling was over, we set out for Krakow.

The Krakow Branch with several visitors. L to R: Brothers Kitzmiller, Ouimette (both from the Salt Lake area), and Jercikiwicz--here to do work for the Family Search program; Nelson and Amy Burton from Virginia with Lenna in the middle--an investigator from Russia; Branch President Dziubla, Jay Gardner (a welcomed member from the states), Elders Smith (birthday boy) and Rees, Sasza, Teresa, Alexis, and Me. ( An international group!)

Later Sunday evening, President Nielson had a SKYPE meeting with District President Pawlik and all the Branch Presidents of the Katowice District. In a country this size, it is a great way to communicate. This meeting takes place every Sunday night in the Katowice District.

The next morning we were out the door and on to the next city...Wroclaw...which has a beautiful Rynek. It was raining, but that didn't stop the people from getting where they needed to go. These Ryneks (the city centers) are fabulous. These pictures do not do them justice. The town squares are beautiful, colorful and full of life.

Another view of the Wroclaw Rynek.

District Class with the Wroclaw District. Top row: Elder Allred, Sister Kimball, Elder Sheridan. Bottom Row: Elder Hillyard and Elder Garrett...birthday boy. The weekly District Classes are on Wednesdays usually 11:00 - 12:10pm. Elder Garrett taught a wonderful lesson this morning on "Revelation through the Book of Mormon". This week all District Classes have this lesson.

That night we went out to eat with the Wroclaw District and Branch President Cielinski. He served his mission in his home country of Poland when President Barnett was Mission President. President Cielinski and his wife recently had a baby girl and they were not able to join us.

The next morning we headed to Poznan and walked around another beautiful Rynek....in the rain. Our chapel is just off one of the side streets. This is another beautiful city in Poland.

This monument is a tribute to the Solidarity Movement.

One of the many roads we travel. The roads go from this to divided highways back to this. The leaves are changing colors and that means the weather is changing also- probably cooler...

One of the reasons you can't always travel fast. You never know what type of construction or obstructions are ahead. Normally there isn't much warning, just a sign on a tractor.

Poland has the best bridges or at least the most variety. If they aren't colorful, they are design noteworthy.

The Lodz District. Sisters Pritchett, Powles, Sister and Elder Moon and Elders Buckner and Klosowiak. We had District Class with them, a lesson and then a setting apart that evening.

Here, Elder Buckner, the District Leader, instructs everyone on "Revelation through the Book of Mormon". This is in the Relief Society room in the new Chapel in Lodz.

In Lodz we set apart Ryszard Wojtysiak as a missionary who will be serving in the England London South Mission. Here we are at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw the next morning with Magda and Ania Kulinicz.

Now back home to prepare for General Conference broadcasts, Zone Leaders Council, Warsaw District Conferences, interviews and events. All for next week.