17 July 2014

Happy Birthday Benjamin on the 22nd and Teri on the 23rd. 

It's been raining this week.  We walked over to the hospital to see Elder Roulstone in a rain storm.  Our feet got awfully wet, but other than that it was fun.  Elder Roulstone looked a lot better.  He has to stay in the hospital until the 18th. They need to take him off of the IV's and on to oral medicine before they let him go.  But he was up and round and even cracked a joke.

On Saturday, Wayne and I went to visit the Treblinka Death Camp.  This is the countryside we drove through.  It is so beautiful here.

And here's Wayne driving.  I think he was singing.

 It was still raining and dreary which just added to the somberness of the site.  Here is the entrance to the camp.

Since the Germans destroyed everything before they left, the Polish people have tried to create the past.  Here they have put planks where the railroad cars filled with people came into the camp.

This is the memorial they built to the people that were killed here.

"Never Again"  That is the name of the memorial above.

There were over 800,000 people exterminated at this camp.  Men, women and children.  They would gas them with truck exhausts and then burn their bodies.  

These are some of the stones that were erected to symbolize each and everyone that was killed.  It was an overwhelming site.

Here is one of the burning pits.  It has been filled with rocks also.  It was huge.

The men that were in the camp built a cobble brick road through the camp which became known as the "Black Road".  It was eerie walking down the road.

Wayne and I decided to take our very first "selfie".  Probably an inappropriate time, but we were cold and wet.

On the way home, we took a drive through some beautiful countryside.  Cute little villages and of course, a huge church.  Catholic churches all over the place.

 Here are some of the homes we saw.  The colors of the homes are really fun to see.  They are very will kept also.

This one had its own little Christ Statue.

On the top of some of the telephone poles, storks have built nests.  We saw quite a few of them in this one little town called Prostyn.

Sunday when we sat down to start Sacrament Meeting, the 1st counselor came up to us and asked us if we would bear our testimonies if the assigned speaker didn't show up.  So we had the opportunity to speak on Sunday, of course, using an interpreter for us.  We also learned that one of the girls in our branch that is helping with the YSA conference, father passed away.  He was 58 and waiting for surgery on his heart.

So Monday night for FHE, we talked about faith and how we can help it to grow and stay strong.  We had a very good discussion and there were 14 members of the branch and investigators there.  It was totally awesome.  I love FHE.

Both sets of Sisters joined up also.

I sure am glad I made two pans of casserole.  Everything was gone when we went home.  The casserole, 2 loaves of long bread cut in 1 inch pieces, 2 pineapples, one watermelon, 3 dozen cookies and 2 dozen brownies.  After we ate, we played our game.  We had a watermelon seed spitting contest.  You should have heard everyone when we told them how to do it.  We had a candy bar for the winner.  Here are some of the people spitting their seeds.

Sister Blake

Investigator - Barbara

Sister Hemming

Elzbieta - I love this woman.  She is so funny.

Here's Stan - our eternal investigator.

And of course, here I am.

Andrew won the contest.  He hit the other wall on the opposite end of the room.  Everyone had a lot of fun.

Tuesday, Wayne went with the office Elders to pick out some ties from "Adam's Ties".  He got three ties for 84 zlotys.  (About 30 dollars)

I love Poland.  We have made many, many good friends.  One of the people at FHE asked what they could do to have the president keep us here.  One of the sisters gave me a lanyard and a pen to hang from it because I am always asking where my pen went to, and told me that she loved me.  After everyone had left the room, Elzbieta handed me a little sack and told me that what was inside was for me and Wayne.  At least I think that's what she said.  When we got home, there were two filled donuts in the bag.  I told them in my testimony on Sunday that they have become my second family.  And they truly have.  They are just so awesome.  And because of the small size of the branch, you know and feel you are needed. 

This is what is all about.  To love and accept as the Savior did.  It will be hard to leave this wonderful place.

Bye for now.  We love you all and miss you.