First Week in Poland

Okay well here we go, this post is essentially going to be my first week in Poland, I have compiled a list of things I did each day. So here we go...

Tuesday-
After Endless flights and crying babies....we arrived in Warsaw, Poland around 11:00 am on Tuesday Morning. We left SLC about 26 hours ago...including time change. We were welcomed at the airport by the two Assisstant Presidents and then a bit later, President Engbjerb. They packed up all our baggage into the big white mission van and took us to the Mission Home. We dropped all our stuff off in the garage on the basement level. Then it was off to the Rynek (Old Town Square) where we would have our first real interaction with the Polish people. We were paired off with a veteran Missionary serving in Warsaw and off we went, using the little polish we actually know. "Excuse me for a moment, I know you're in a hurry and I don't want to interrupt...but have you heard about the Book of Mormon? ...Our Church?" Over and Over.....got 3 phone numbers in 2 hours....not bad I guess. It was really cold... I talked mostly to girls, they are a lot nicer, and kind and will listen out of pity for the poor american boy that barely speaks any polish lol. We ran into some girls that spoke english too!!! I was so excited I started telling them about the Book of Mormon and they set up an appointment right there!!! Only to later find out they were sister missionaries just messing with us x_x....After that experience we went back to the Mission Home and had Pizza for Dinner and then went to the basement and all crashed on our beds....So tired.....

Wednesday-
We woke up in the morning at 6:30 and got ready and went on a short run with the Mission Pres. out is the freezing cold....We went to a catholic church nearby on our run for a bit...it was weird...they had a huge mammoth bone hanging in the back, no idea why. We had an awesome breakfast with cereal and warm bread, cheese and meat when we got back. Then we traveled to the mission office in Warsaw and had our missionary orientation. Then it was back to the Rynek where we watch a short film on the history of Warsaw...quick summary: Warsaw got rocked in WWII, completely wrecked, then rebuilt. There ya go, I kid you not that was the whole film...Then we had lunch at Subway...ya random...in Poland...whatever...they spoke english too...and had english music playing...I hear more english music here than I do Polish music... After lunch we went to visit the only chapel (its own building) in Poland, it was nice. Then it was back to the mission home for Interviews with president and Dinner. I just had a short interview, it was pretty much just me telling him what my parents do then he read the letter the Bishop and the Stake President wrote for me, that was it. We had an amazing dinner from Sister Engbjerb and then a wonderful testimony meeting. I went first after President and his Wife just to get that one off my chest lol. And then it was off to bed.

Thursday-
So Thursday morning was a bit odd....Morning rolled around and somehow none of us heard any of the alarms that went off...so we all woke up when president was yelling down stairs asking if we were ready....we all scrambled to get up fast and get ready. This run, I would describe as śmierć...or death in english....I just about died... Running is not my thing.... running in a foot of fresh snow is my hell....my ankles hurt sooo bad by the end of it, somehow I lived...no idea....angels I swear. After and eternity of running through that crap we finally made it back to the mission home for another wonderful breakfast :D We got our stuff all packed up and then stuffed into the van and we headed off to the Mission office to meet our trainers and find out our first area. President took his sweet time (On purpose) talking about anything that would come to mind to delay him telling us what we were dying to find out. Finally he ran out of time and had to tell us who our trainer would be and where we would server first. I was paired to be Elder Anderton serving in the city of KIELCE!!!

....yikes...well I guess I am out of time, Will see if I can't write more sometime during the week. I love you guys. More info to come later :D

Starszy Taylor