Wroclaw...on our way to a CCM meeting in Freiberg.

President and I are on our way to the quarterly CCM (Coordiating Counsel Meeting--Area Seventy, Mission Presidents, District Presidents) meeting that is being held in Freiberg, Germany. One way to get there is through Wroclaw. So we took this opportunity to check in on our newest Senior Couple, Elder and Sister Sheley. They are doing fabulous, and we are grateful for all they are doing to help strengthen one of the great Branches in Poland...the Wroclaw Branch. Yes, the above picture is taken in the beautiful Wroclaw Rynek. Wroclaw is one of the four Polish cities that will be hosting the 2012 Euro Games starting next week....and they have been busy! A huge screen is being installed in the middle of the Rynek which will enable countless more people to watch the soccer games. A few 'select' people will be able to sit as they watch the games....but most will be standing (and cheering)! Walking the Sheley's back to the Wroclaw Chapel, we ran into these good-looking Missionaries...Elder Bode and Elder Hannemann. They had just come from a teaching appointment where they had extended an invitation to be baptized and the person had accepted. They were all smiles! President Nielson was 'all smiles' when he realized that he would be able to get some help with a box of Books of Mormon from these more-than-willing Elders. Those boxes get very heavy when transporting them very far!
As we were ready to leave to make our way to Germany, we noticed that excitement was in the air. The city of Wroclaw is ready for the exciting month ahead!Banners have been installed and flags are waving... A bus stop showing 4 of the stadiums that will be used in the Euro Games being held in Poland and the Ukraine. The 'Amber Stadium' is the one in Gdansk. The 'White Stadium' ....well, you'll see! We decided to check it out.... Signage leading to the stadium is GREAT! Signs are posted every block, and anyone, no matter what language they speak, can understand them. 'Good job' whoever was in charge of this! Again...as we were 'sailing' down the street, we couldn't help but think about the traffic that would descend on this city in just a few short days. Our destination...The Wroclaw Stadium....It is HUGE! Tickets have been impossible to get for months. (Notice the new cool bridge on the right!) We drove all around the stadium...again thinking that this will be impossible soon! The parking lot is extremely small....the city must be counting on everyone to use public transportation to get to this facility. With Wroclaw behind us, we continued on our journey heading to Germany. We had to turn off the main highway, so I am not sure if the big red truck made it under the big red bridge. It looked like it was going to be close! Passing under another interesting bridge. Notice the group of soldiers on the left that are pulling something up to the top of the bridge. Being in a hurry, we couldn't stop to see what it was.

Now, the next three pictures were taken in a small town we were passing through...2 minutes apart from each other. These are 3 things I have never seen in Poland before... A street sweeper. Ok, I've seen a street sweeper before ...but only in Warsaw. But I have never seen a man cleaning up AFTER the street sweeper and I've never seen a Mercedes Benz street sweeper. No wonder this beautiful little town was so neat and pristine! As we turned the corner, we spotted this horse RUNNING down the road ... in a dead sprint! It must have been dinner time! Turning another corner... ...I saw the closest thing I have seen in Poland to an American school bus. We see lots of buses taking children on field trips but they are always the nice 'touring' kind. Again all of this was seen in a matter of 2 minutes...my camera was busy! As we were leaving Poland to cross over to Germany, this Euro Cup sign was spotted. (Yes, President had to turn the car around!) It shows the way to all four cities in Poland the games will be played in. The first ones start Friday the 8th in Warsaw and Wroclaw. Welcome to Poland, soccer fans!