We were glad we were inside when this started.
And this is a picture out of our apartment window. We have a very beautiful courtyard in the middle of the 4 buildings. I'm sure during the summer, we will be listening to children playing when we are home.
The next day, a couple of families went out and built a snowman.
On Saturday we went shopping in the morning and then finally got over to the Renik to see what it was like. It was freezing. I decided right then and there that I needed a different winter coat. But the Renik is nothing like the one in Wroclaw. Here is a picture of the Christmas decorations that they were putting up. All of the lights were lit in Warsaw on the 7th.
Christmas tree in the square.
This is the main part of the Renik.
Also on Saturday, we had a baptism in our chapel. All of the missionaries that serve in Warsaw were there. Here is a picture of all of them and Michal, the one being baptized.
So I will try to name them all: in front is Elder Waskiewicz , Sisters Pearson and Tobler, Michal and Elder Blom, Sisters Packard, Mikalauski, Wendell, Petersen, and Elder Baranowski and then starting in the back from the left is: Elder Jespersen, Elder Wilson, Elder Neuner, Elder Boyce, Elder Stumpf, Elder Brown, Elder Rittmanic, Elder Tiner, Elder Stockford, Elder Whiting, Elder Kotter. Aren't they beautiful and handsome!
Here is Elder Jespersen and Elder Blom with Michal. Michal bore a beautiful testimony after he was baptized. The spirit was very strong that afternoon. Michal was one of three baptisms on Saturday. There was one in Bydgocscz and one in Wroclaw.
After the baptism, we went to the mall and bought me a coat. I guess that's my Christmas present, because it was a lot of zlotas! But it has a hood and that's what you need here. So I am happy.
We learned Sunday that we are going to have another baptism this coming Saturday also. She will be number 37 this year. So on the average, Poland had about 3 baptisms per month.
We didn't get to listen to the Christmas Broadcast until Monday. But we really enjoyed listening to the music and the speakers. We listened at the office. It kind of brought a neat spirit to our otherwise hurried day.
Anyway, President Edgren came in for a little while and met with the APs. They had to talk about Christmas and phone calls, etc. We are going to hold Zone Conferences the week of Christmas. So on the 23rd, Katowice District will hold theirs, Warsaw District will hold theirs on the 24th and Bydgocscz will hold theirs on the 26th. Once again, the Senior Missionaries will be cooking for the missionaries for the conferences. We decided to give them a ham dinner with all the fixings. I get to make all of the desserts. We will be feeding about 42 missionaries on Tuesday (Christmas Eve). The missionaries get to sleep in on Christmas day until 8:00 am and they are not to do any proselyting that day. And they are to be in their apartments by 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve. Poland's celebration is on Christmas Eve, that's when Santa comes and hands out all of the presents, then Christmas day is celebrating with family and Thursday is for friends. No stores will be open for Christmas Eve through Friday morning.
In our English class on Wednesday we had 9 people there. So we asked them to tell us about their Christmas traditions. Most of them just told about what they do for the three days. They don't eat any meat on Christmas Eve and we really didn't understand why, but they all go to Midnight Mass also. But it was a good class and I think everyone enjoys getting together.
So I know I told you a long time ago how we have to wash all of the fruit and vegetables and even the eggs. I took a picture of the eggs I used this morning so that you could see why we wash everything.
Yes, that's a feather and there's blood on the other eggs. It's fun, believe me.
We really do love it here. So that's it for this week. We love you all and miss you.
HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!
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