Things are happening in Lodz!!!

Saturday, July 9th, a 'Cutlet Festival' was held in Lodz. It included a cookoff and performances of original songs, poems and skits by those attending. The weather cooperated as it was the ONLY dry day of the week! 36 attended with 13 non-member guests. This property is owned by the Church and where the chapel will be built.

The Elders were responsible for the grill and they cooked enough sausages for everyone to have several sandwiches. (L to R)Elder Tarasevich, Jakub, Elders Pofelski, Hannemann and Darowski.

Sister Marshall and Emily...an American medical student (from Oregon and she served a mission in Minnesota) completing her final weeks of OB-GYN rotation.

Sister Stay and Adam, a non-member guest with Malgorzata, Zofia, Magda, Miroslawa, and Draman in the background. A special thank you to ALL who made this a very successful event!

While the grill was going on in Lodz, President and I were trying to get to this great city by car. After finally arriving, we were driving around trying to find a place to park and look who we spotted....

... Elders Pofelski and Hannemann were out on the street contacting! (Shhhh....They had no idea we took this picture.)

Sometime later, we met all the Lodz missionaries for dinner at Manekin....one of our favorite restaurants that specializes in 'polish pancakes'. Most restaurants aren't equipped to seat large crowds, so we split up....

...and the Sisters were able to have their own table. And what did we talk about??? Missionary work, of course!!!

Our Missionaries in Lodz! Elders Berry, Hannemann, Darowski, Pofelski; Sisters Marshall and Stay; and our great Senior couple, Elder and Sister Tarasevich! These Missionaries are excited and ready to work. Great things are happening in Lodz. A special thanks to the Taraseviches who serve as the Branch President and are a huge support to members AND missionaries. This picture was taken about 9:15 pm, we eat late so we don't interupt their work schedules and want the missionaries home for their 30 minutes of nightly planning for the next day. This is on 'P Street' as the missionaries call it. A fun street in Lodz with people everywhere.

Sunday....Church in Lodz.

I rarely get a picture of the Priesthood all gathered in one room. A powerful group! Front Row(L toR): Krzystof, Marek, Hubert, Marion, Tim and Elder Hannemann. Back Row (L toR): Elders Pofelski & Berry, Moosa, Draman, Elders Darowski & Tarasevich.

And the Relief Society! Front Row (L to R): Miroslawa, Asia, Dominika, Agata with Frances, and Anja (Visiting from Warsaw II Branch). 2nd Row (L to R): Sister Tarasevich, Irina, Zofia, Mirka, Sister Marshall. Back Row (L to R): Agata, ,Sister Stay, Magda.

Asia and her boys, Michal and Hubert, will be moving to London soon where she has found a great job. This family will be greatly missed. Asia had been serving as the Relief Society President. They have promised to return and visit!

The Dierra family. Another great family in the Lodz Branch. Moosa is serving in the Branch Presidency.

Draman is in the process of taking piano lessons from Sister Tarasevich. We hope to hear him play one day in church....soon!

We have two new members of the Lodz Branch....who also happen to be the youngest, too!

Basia and Kamil's son, Max....

...and Frances, the son of Agata and Tim Tudor-Hart.
After church, the Tarasevich's took us to visit two members who are in the hospital.

It was great to visit with Jakub again. He is doing great and is very happy.

And...here's an interesting story....we also went to another hospital to visit Michael, Emily's (the med student) brother who had gotten sick. He is also a medical student studying to be a surgeon. We went to his room looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. The nurses had no idea where he was. So we started looking around the hospital and went outside and guess who we ran into...

Come to find out, Michael had 'escaped' from the hospital and walked home (it was close) to clean up and eat some decent food! The hospital had no idea he was gone! He and his friend, Shane, (in the orange shirt), and Emily (his sister) are part of a group of 200 English speaking medical students here in Lodz. I think we need to have another grill :)

The drive home. Yes, construction is EVERYWHERE! But....they are making progress! We took our place in the long line back into Warsaw. From Lodz to Warsaw, this is the best road.

I had to take this picture.....this is for my grandsons. This machine is HUGE and paves a three lane road all at once. Its a concrete plant on wheels! Someday Highway 8 will be completed and wonderful to travel. Until then, its slow and a long line of trucks and cars from Warsaw to Katowice. Speaking of which, we are home Monday (finishing the Dobra Strona and getting it printed) then Tuesday to Katowice for Leadership Training meetings. I love this Church, this calling and these missionaries!!!!!