Miraculous- June 4, 2010

My dear Family-
It is a fantastically beautiful morning here in Warszawa, and I am loving life as I sit here in that same Library where I used to so long ago. This place holds a special place in my heart. It's quiet, it's calm, the large windows to my right let the sunshine right through. I can't think of a more ideal environment in which I can write you all a weekly report from my Polish life. And there is so much to tell this week, it is unbelievable.
FIrstly, I can't believe Spencer is graduating high school. That blows my mind. I graduated high school 3 years ago. 3 years! That is such a long time. There are missionaries who come out here who have graduated in 2009. I am officially as old as Sister missionaries who come in. It's just a strange feeling. I'm so excited for you though, Spencer. That will be such a neat experience.
Sarah, your are going to be in high school. Unbelievable. I truly can't wait to see you and Annie. It kind of blows me away how close everything is to that fateful end. Pretty insane. I look forward to rocking out, reading, and watching movies with you both. I always flash back to those evenings I had with you and Annie, reading Narnia together. I loved that so much. It meant everything to spend that time with you both. And now your going into high school. I wonder if you'll still let me read to you :)
Annie, I look forward to hanging out with you so much. You all sound so fantastic when you sing. I'm determined to teach you and Sarah the guitar when I go home. I think you would be the coolest folk-rock duo in the world.
Crimany. Make a man cry just thinking about you all sometimes.
This last week was one of the most fantastic of my mission. It was full of so many wonderful, irreplicable experiencies and I've been wanting so badly to write in my journal about it, but I simply haven't had the time. I'll try to expound the best I can.
Yesterday was the long awaited mission/video conference with Elder Robert D. Hales and SIster Hales, with Elder Stephen Kerr (Area Seventy). I just ate breakfast with Elder Kerr. He is one of the coolest people ever- so full of the Spirit, with energy just flowing from him. He's Scottish, and he is one of the most powerful speakers I've heard while on my mission.
The week was spent largely in preperation for the event, and I truly couldn't believe how smoothly everything went. The Lord's hand was in this conference, that is without a doubt.
At the beginning of the week, we had our Office Meeting where we figured out the rest of the details for the conference, making sure we have everything that we need for the conferenc to be a success. It was our responsibility to find 2 places from whence we would order amazing food for about 80 people. We had to make sure that the techinical side was all in order and working (the Office Elders mostly took care of that) so that the video conference would go smoothly. We had to figure out housing, transportation, so many little details. But the Lord made it all work out, and it was absolutely fantastic.
Thursday was spent taking care of the final details. The day went smoothly, and at about 10:00 P.M all the missionaries were in their designated sleeping spots, and ready for bed. We made it home, got ready for bed, and then at about 10:55, as I am literally about to fall in my bed, we get a phone call. It's the Office Elders. The Transporter (the car they were driving) was stuck in a grass median. It had started to rain again- not just pour, but literally dump from the sky like nothing I've ever experienced- and some of the streets were flooding. To avoid getting stuck, people would kind of drive through the median. The Office Elders followed suit, but their car is like unto a small bus, and they got stuck. So flash back to me about to get into bed. The Office Elders are stuck, and we have to go finish their job, which is to pick up a couple of people from the Airport who had to fly to England, like I had to so many times.
My face was somewhat contorted at the news, especially in light of me just saying minutes before how darn excited I was to hop in bed ha. So we throw on some gym-like clothes, and walk outside into the buckets of water being dropped from the heavens, and then ran to our car. I was driving, and it was probably the craziest weather I've ever driven in, but it was exhilerating at the same.time. We accomplished our mission- ended up picking up the other mission vehicle form the mission office (because the Office Elders had to just abandon the Transporter and started to walk home. Hilarious.) We made it home and finally made it to sleep sometime around 1.
The next morning, yesterday morning, was a good one. We all dressed up in our best, and headed to the Wolska Chapel where the festivities began. I won't go through the entire day, but all I can say is that everything turned out better then I could have planned it myself, which is incredibly rewarding. Elders Tanner, Hobbs, Beaty and I all had to give our Dying Testimonies, which was bizarre. Whenever people give their dying testimonies, there is a chance for missionaries in the audience to stand and give a compliment. Elder Mehner gave me the nicest compliment in the world, and so did Sister Pritchett, and Elder Loosli. And then Martyna, who I taught in Katowice, who's life had been so turned upside down, stood up and gave me a compliment. The most kind compliment in the entire world. I felt undeserving of the kind words said, but was grateful for these people that I really do love so much. I didn't feel like i belonged up there bearing the testimony at the end of my mission. I don't think it'll hit me til I walk on that plane that there is such thing as an end.
Elder Hales was absolutely amazing. HIs wife was so kind and firey and just a neat woman. He shared so many neat stories and just amazing words of wisdom. It was such a neat experience. I had prepared a choir number with about 11 other missionaries that we sang for him. It was really neat. :)
Before I go on, I have to mention that Fenton - Elder Hughes - came back to visit with his whole family. It was so darn cool. I loved seeing him so much. It was like he had never left. He came for the conference too. Super neat.
So, in the evening, we had our mission family home evening. President had prepared a bunch of beautfiul pictures that he had taken, and we looked at them as music played in the background. I told him that after he did that, I would take care of the rest - he had a couple other slide shows he wanted to shown, and I told him I'd take care of it. Little did he know that Fenton had prepared, along with several other return missionaries, an amazing DVD full of beautiful comments for President and Sister Engbjerg. As President and I switched seats, I put on this DVD. It was amazingly touching, and they felt the love that all their missionaires have for them. They really are the best mission parents a missionary could possibly ask for. I have loved being around them with every ounce of my being. They have so much love in them, and really just care about each missionary so much, and want to see the best in everyone. It's really been such a wonderful experience. We sang the mission song in the end, and I actually didn't mess it up this time. The Lord worked several miracles that day. As I walked out to the car to grab something at the end of it all, I looked up into the setting sun, and just thanked my Father for the day. It had gone better than any of us could have imagined. It was just a day to remember.
That was the majority of the week. We taught some amazing lessons to Bartek, who now has a Baptismal date for the 30 of June- this is that kid we contacted on the Rynek. He's pretty much Golden as they come. Marek is going to be baptized in a couple of weeks, and I really think that Tomek will be to. Please remember him in your prayers and fasting- he is so close, but just needs that little extra boost of faith.
I never even got to tell you all about the craziness of last weekend. I ended up baptizing Michael in Warsaw. After I e-mailed you, we went out to see that the pool that had been reserverd, somehow was not reserved. So we had to rush back to the Lodz chapel and set up the Ghetto pool they have there (it really is ridiculous). We had it all set up and started filling it with water, and came to the realization that ELder Mehner would not make it back in time to Warsaw to baptize Michael- and Michael either wanted Elder Mehner or me to perform the baptism, so I got on a train, and made it there. He was baptized, he gave a powerful testimony. Then Michael asked me if I would confirm him, and so on Sunday, I confirmed him a member of the church, and h e recieved the Holy Ghost. That was the first time I've ever confirmed any one. He has now asked me to give him the Priesthood on Sunday. He is such ana mazing man, and I just feel blessed that I have that kind of opportunity to do this and be part of his Gospel progression.
I've got to wrap this up, but I just want to say that I am a happy man. I love this Gospel with all my heart, and I love being here in Poland. I am grateful for every single day that the Lord has given me to spend here and to spend with these people- missionaries and members. I love serving the Lord here among my people. Each day is an adventure.

One last thought. Elder Kerr shared with us this amazing concept- when Moses and his people were escaping Pharoah and his armies, as they came to the Red Sea they were seeminly in a bind. Had there been a council right there in an effort to discover their realistic plans to escape, surely the man who suggested that they should part the Red Sea would have been laughed to scorn. Our goals, and dreams do not have to be realistic. With the Lord, anything is possible. I love that.

I love you family. Have a fantastic week. Talk to you in 7 days.

Elder Michael

p.s. Elder Balija is here with us now.I'll have to tell you more about him next week. He is an amazing man. Tell you more later. Love. :)