Our Monthly Zone Leader Council Meeting...

With transfers being the day before, it brought several changes to our monthly Zone Leader Council. The day started at 5:00 am as we took departing Elders Lewis and Stohel to the airport. Then back to the Mission Office for our monthly Zone Leader Council.

Zone Leader Council---May 2011. We love and appreciate these leaders in our mission. Along with our Assistants Elder Nielson and Elder Garrett (sitting), here are the new companionships and where they are serving:

Warsaw Zone: Elder Kennedy and Elder Curtis.

Bydgoszcz Zone: Elder Buckner and Elder Nielson.

Katowice Zone: Elder Hillyard and Elder Dabrowski.

Elder Garrett training how to make Quality appointments and ways to help people remember dates and times.

The training led into discussions of ways and questions that would help our efforts. Everyone participated and another great Zone Leader council emerged that was helpful, productive and meaningful.

On the other side of the room, Elder Eastman is training on extending commitments. Elders Dabrowski and Hillyard are helping in the presentation. Elder Hillyard was transferred to Katowice as Elder Leimer became the new Branch President in Szczecin.

By one o'clock, everyone is starved... Subway sandwiches are fast and easy for a quick lunch.

Then it's 'back to business' with President Nielson going over our quarterly goals. The mission has achieved the last three months' goals. We are seeing the efforts of our missionaries in baptisms, lessons taught, investigators attending Church and lessons where a member is present. The Zone Leaders are training the District Leaders, and the messages are getting to all companionships. We set goals for the 3rd quarter and reviewed where we stand in May and heading into June.

Yes, these are the leaders of our mission...and every once in awhile, they have to 'let their hair down'! We love and appreciate these Elders and all they do to help the missionary work move forward in this great country! How fun is missionary work!!!!!!

Departing Elders..... :( May 6, 2011

The longer we are out here, the harder it is to say good-bye to our departing Missionaries.

Elder Stohel and Elder Lewis in months past have spent quite a bit of time at the Mission Home because of different callings they held in the Mission. We will miss these two Elders and their great spirits! We love you, Elders Stohel and Lewis! Keep in touch!

We are all wondering if Elder Stohel really wore this very large tie on his mission. He says he did. He is a former Assistant and was a great help to both President and me. Before his mission he was training to be a Medic. He reports to the National Guard on Monday for assignment.

Elder Lewis DID wear this tie (as a joke)....unfortunately it was on a night that the two of us had to take an arriving Missionary to the Emergency room to get stitches after he fell in the Mission Home. Elder Lewis was a little embarrassed about the tie, but his Polish made up for it that night. It was a bonding moment for the two of us, so it was only proper that this tie be left with me.

NOTE: These two Elders WIN the award for leaving the downstairs in the best condition ever! It looked great! Thank you for making my life easier!!! STAY IN TOUCH WITH US.

Our New Missionaries Receive their Assignments...

After getting a good's night rest, our 3 new missionaries were up and ready for instruction from President Nielson.

Here they are going over the Missionary White Handbook which for the next 16/22 months they will keep on hand and review continually. Most of the questions they will have will be answered in this small book. Obey and blessings come!

It was finally time to see where everyone was headed.....

Elder Jensen was called to the Katowice Branch and his new trainer is Elder Sorn.

Sister Jones will be opening up a sister's apartment with Sister Steadman, her trainer, in the city of Bydgoszcz.

Elder Rogers is assigned to labor in the Warsaw I Branch...the 1st branch in Poland. His trainer is Elder Sheridan.

The Assistants came by and loaded luggage and missionaries into the transporter. All were going to the train station where they would be meeting their trainers or being escorted to their cities by other transferring missionaries. We expect great things out of Elders Jensen, Rogers and Sister Jones. Welcome to the Poland Warsaw Mission. We can't wait to serve with you in this great country where great things are happening!

Our New Missionaries Made it to Poland!

After having their flight cancelled in Chicago because of a sick pilot, spending the night in hotel rooms and being given a voucher for all the food they could eat, our missionaries finally made it to Poland......with all their luggage! I'd like to introduce them to you......

Here is Sister Jones from Gilbert, Arizona. She was followed by....

Elder Jensen from Beaverton, Oregon. And last but not least.....

Elder Rogers from St. George, Utah. This is a small but powerful group! We are so excited to have them join us in Poland.

We had a moment to take a group picture...then it was off to the Mission Office...

...where our new Missionaries were given instructions to start the legal process in Poland and shown how to use their MSF cards. Here are Elders Rogers, Jensen and Sister Jones with (L to R): Assistants Garrett and Eastman; Elder and Sister Richards-Office Couple; Elders Taylor and Murphey-Office Elders; and Elder and sister Tarasevich-Office Couple.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a Food Court....and it was time to hit the streets to do missionary work.

What better place to start contacting than the Rynek in Warsaw!

Elder Rogers was relentless as he was finding those that were seeking the truth.

Sister Jones (working with Sister Stay) bearing her testimony in Polish to some young girls.
Elder Jensen with his companion, Elder Eastman, using Bold Short Statements of Truth to catch the attention of this man.
Sister Jones, Elder Rogers, Elder Jensen....great job on your first day of contacting! (Standing in front of the Willanow Palace located near the Mission Home.) Tomorrow will be another big day for these missionaries.....They will find out the city and trainer they will be assigned to! Something tells me that even though they are very excited for tomorrow, they will sleep well tonight. It's been a long 2 days getting to Poland!

TRANSFERS MAY 5, 2011

THURSDAY MAY 5, 2011

ASSISTANTS- GARRETT & EASTMAN
OFFICE - TAYLOR &; MURPHEY
OFFICE COUPLE- E/S RICHARDS

WARSAW ZONE-
ZONE LEADERS- KENNEDY &; CURTIS
WARSAW l DISTRICT LEADER- SHERIDAN & NEW ELDER
-SISTERS STAY & ELLIS
-SISTER BRIGGS- FHC
-E/S TARASEVICH MLS/SA
BIALYSTOK- SMITH &; VREEKEN
WARSAW ll DISTRICT LEADER- LUNDIN &; HOOKER
-SISTERS BAILEY &; LEPPANEN
-E/S HARDING MLS-(BP)
LUBLIN- PLUMB(BP) & BASHA
LODZ DISTRICT LEADER- AUGUSTYN &; HANNEMANN
-ELDERS BALL &; BERRY
-SISTERS MARSHALL &; GARCIA
-E/S HARBER MLS/YSA (BP)

BYDGOSZCZ ZONE
ZONE LEADERS- BUCKNER & NIELSON
BYDGOSZCZ DISTRICT LEADER-KALINOWSKI &; FLETCHER
-SISTERS STEADMAN & JONES
POZNAN DISTRICT LEADER- TORKE(BP) &; FRITZSCH
-SISTERS SMITH &; MCADAMS
SZCZECIN- LEIMER(BP) &; MYLER
GDANSK DISTRICT LEADER- SIEBERT &; GLADUN
-ELDERS KRZYMINSKI &; TANNER
-E/S ZATYLNY MLS/YSA

KATOWICE ZONE
ZONE LEADERS- DABROWSKI & HILLYARD
DISTRICT LEADER- SORN &; NEW ELDER
-SISTERS ALLEN & MANN
-SISTER AUSTIN- YSA
KRAKOW DISTRICT LEADER- DAVIS &; BODE
-ELDERS HINCKLEY & HANCOCK
KIELCE- KLOSOWIAK &; WAITS
WROCLAW DISTRICT LEADER- TRIBE &; MARSING
-ELDERS DAROWSKI & JOHNSON
-E/S MOON YSA/MLS
-SISTER SHEETS- FHC

Katowice District Conference- May 1, 2011

This weekend we found ourselves down in the southern part of Poland attending the Katowice District Conference. We were very fortunate to have an Area Seventy as our visiting Authority.

President Nielson, Elder Fingerle (Area Authority Seventy) and President Pawlik (District President).

Meetings started on Saturday soon after we had picked Elder Fingerle up at the airport.

A special thank you to Ewie Pawlik, Cindy Call and Kate for doing such a good job entertaining the young children during the Adult Meeting Saturday night.

After several hours of meetings, we joined the Elders to visit, discuss missionary work and have some dinner. Elder Fingerle was most helpful with some translation problems on our pass-along cards and some of the voice translations on our Church DVD's.

The next morning (Sunday)as we walked to the nearby chapel, we were greeted by a great band as the Poles celebrated Labour Day on May 1st.

We stopped for a minute to enjoy the music....then it was off to District Conference.

One of the most important items of business at the conference was the calling of a new District Presidency Counselor. The Katowice District Presidency: Elder Moon, President Pawlik, and President Andrzej Kucia...the newly called 2nd Councelor.

Three of the Branch Presidents of the Katowice District: President Krzykawski (Katowice), President Cielinski (Wroclaw) and President Dziubla (Krakow).

Here is Karol, a recent convert with Elders Klosowiak and Krzyminski who serve in Kielce. Karol gave an outstanding talk in District Conference today.

Elders Marsing and Tribe serving in Wroclaw attended the conference with Mariusz and Jolanta. She is a recent convert and is so great.

Adam, one of our best member missionaries, and his good friend Krzystof and Krzystof's sister, Danuta.

Pawel (who is engaged!), his soon-to-be step daughter Kornelia, Jozef and Marek, 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency in Katowice.

Sister Sheets, Ula and Krystyna.

Adrian (2nd from the left) and some of his friends who are investigating the church...Lukasz, Dominika, and Arek. Adrian is a great missionary member; he always has friends with him.

Halina (Katowice), Me, and Jolanta (Wroclaw). These two great sisters have only been members of the church for a few months. They are delightful!

Carlos and his wife, Ella and son, Nathan.

Adam from Wroclaw and Dorota from Katowice. Friends from YSA. Great Young Single Adults in the Katowice District.

Our Senior Sisters....Sister Sheets-Family History in Wroclaw; Sister Moon-Member/Leadership Support and YSA in Wroclaw; and Sister Austin-YSA in Katowice. A big THANK YOU to these Sisters (especially Sister Moon!) for all the great food that was provided for the conference. It was delicious!

Elder Hooker, Dabrowski, and Sorn with their Investigator, Rafal, who has a baptismal date.

Brother and Sister Zan and their youngest son. Their other 2 darling boys were somewhere having a great time! They are strong members from Wroclaw.

A special visitor...Elder McRae...a former missionary who served in Poland and who was traveling in Europe. Here he is shown with Tomek, a great member from Katowice (and it was his birthday today!). The Elders in Kielce couldn't stop talking about Elder McRae and the great job he did with lessons while visiting there. Thank you for the visit and your teaching.

You might have noticed white corsages on some of the members. Sisters Mann and Allen had them made and they were given to all members who had been baptized in the last year. These new members were recognized during conference so all could meet and get to know them.

Agatha Cielinska (District Young Women's President) and daughter, Emilie....it was getting to be a long day!

Marek with Gabby and Nataniel Pawelczek and Gosia. Katowice Branch.

Wioletta Call (District Relief Society President) and Sister Malinowska. Wroclaw.
The day was coming to a close....many meetings had been held today. But the kids were in great spirits.....

Here we are playing a revised version of "Don't Eat Pete"! L to R: Cindy Call, David Pawlik, AJ Call, Aaron Pawlik, Cynthia Call, and Ewie Pawlik waiting for parents to finish meetings.

  Lots of good counsel, lots of visiting and a great spirit was felt by all! The members in the Southern part of Poland are strong and ready to share the gospel. Our missionaries are ready to teach with the Spirit. Things are happening in Poland! I love this church, and I love it here!