May 15, 2010

Dear Fam :)
I'm in the Neiman's apartment here in Katowice writing to you a quick little letter before I have to jump on a train back to Warszawa at 16:00. It's 15:15 right now.
I'm here because I had the amazing opportunity to come here to and see Carlos and Ela be married in the city government building in Bytom (the bigger city between Tarnowskie Gory and Katowice) and it was absolutely beautiful. I loved every second of it. They look happy as can be, and I love seeing them like that. The whole day I had flash backs to how it was right when Elder Strobehn and I started working with Carlos and then Ela- they love eachother but they always had little problems for one reason or another, and Satan obviously tried to put a stop to this marriage, but it happened, and I am so amazingly grateful to have seen it. They really are like my family here in Poland, and I love em to death. I took tons of pictures, I look forward to showing them to you :)
I took a train in last night, leaving at 21:00, and I got in at around midnight. The train ride here was one of the crazier ones I've ever really experienced. I felt as if I had been thrown into a strange TV show. The second I walk in the cabin, it smells of alchohol and cigarettes (both illegal to be used/consumed on a train), and the first the this man says to me is "Oh perfect! We were just having a discussion about religion in Poland, Please join us," all in English. We quickly started speaking Polish however, and I realized that I had walked into probably the strangest cabin on that entire train. The first man who spoke to me was a businessman who had longer hair and considered himself an intellectual, and the man across from him was a drunken "member of the secret police" who would talk and talk without end. The two men to the right of me were coal miners from Katowice, working in Bialystok on their way back home. THe business man asked me to tell a little about my religion. I said two sentances and than was accosted by the drunk secret policeman who told me that I was here to make money, and that I was the best phsychiatrist and brain washer he had seen yet in his days. I had no idea ha. The two men on the right were like the peanut gallery, decent men just adding in their two cents to our senseless conversation, and that's how it went for 3 hours. I was glad to leave at the end, and I wrote this just to remember someday that things like that happen in Poland, way more often then I write about ha.
On Wednesday after District meeting, Elder Mehner and I took the car up to Bydgoszcz to start our exchanges for the week. We met with Andrzej Pappelbaum who had been having some troubles- he has prostate cancer and is really struggling with life, but it was really good to see him. I pray that he stays active and is grateful for the blessings that he does have. It so easy for us to look at the negative side sometimes, but the positive side is always so much brighter and better. It's better to always remember it. It was good to see him though- we spent a lot of time with him, and he really is grateful to be a member of the church.
Karolina Mazurek was there- her and Tomek are a couple of my favorite members in Poland- they are amazing. Karolina is on the translating team and we caught up and ate Manekin, my beloved Nalesniki resteraunt. Amazing.
The next morning, ELder Balija and I headed up 4 hours to Szczecin, and had an amazing exchange there. (I'm running out of time to write argh) The next morning (yesterday) we woke up, and made the drive back to Warsaw through Bydgoszcz where I picked Elder Mehner back up. HE had gone with one zone leader there in Bydgoszcz, and Elder Balija (the other ZL) had gone with me. So we switched back and drove the remaining 4 hours back to Warsaw. An 8 hour drive ha. I think that's more then I've ever driven in my life.
We met with a few people- our investigators are really doing well, I would tell you more but time is running out- we met wiht Damian who is so close, with Bogdan who is also so close, and with Maria who E,MEhner and Antczak baptized 1.5 years ago. Then I got on a train and came here.
It was a beautiful week- so much happens these days I can't even keep track of it all, but I love being here. Each day is an adventure. I loved seeing Carlos and Ela this week. I'll be back here in a week for Zone Conference and then the Katowice District Conference, so that is exciting. I may not be able to e-mail until next monday, but I'll do my best.
Today Dominik Redzinski and Marta (who is stil investigating but is doing so amazingly well) were there and it was so good to see them to. Its the best to see people after awhile and see how much progress and joy has come into their life. It's an amazing feeling.
Carlos and Ela are preparing themselves now to go to the temple, which is amazingly exciting. I am so stoked for them, and incredibly proud how far they've come. Ok, I've got to go, but I love you family with all my heart. I loved talking to you last week so much. It was the very best. IT was as if we talk everyday. I love you, I love you, I love you. Talk to you next week.

milosc

Starszy Michael.