Small things - 2019 Christmas

What's wrong with this picture?

Here it is Christmas Adam (tomorrow's Christmas Eve) and this is our small tree. At the pinnacle of decorating, Jean had nine trees ready for Christmas by now, with ornaments enough for four more. 

We returned to our apartment in Gdańsk from our trying to grasp all that departing Elder and Sister Małachowski know about running the mission office in Warsaw. After a few final days here for Christmas we'll return to Warsaw for good. The four-hour drive back and forth and living in three places at once has pushed aside what have been the normal activities of the season.

(The other wrong thing you noticed with this picture is the bottle of milk on the balcony. As a welcome home after two weeks we found that our fridge was cold only in the dead sense. We're so lucky it happened at this time of year when outside it's a steady 3° C—perfect to chill milk)

***

 Jean loved that some child thought to cheer us all by adding their small decoration to the apartment building elevator.

More elaborate, but no more important decorations are setup at the Wilanów palace which is not far from the Mission Home. President and Sister Chandler hosted half the missionaries on each of two days at their home. The nine hours of speaking and music and food in that homey environment seemed like minutes as they addressed head-on that missionaries rightfully are missing home.

As they, then we, reflected on the Christmases that are most memorable, it was obvious that the acts for others stick most. After 18 or 19 years of Christmas being "What am I going to get?" it can become "What am I going to give?"
Beyond that, what small things can I give "of" not just "from" myself.

***

 At the Oliwa cathedral in Gdańsk we were lucky to enjoy a very good performance of The Messiah. The relatively small space and excellent diminutive orchestra with talented soloists brought us the powerful emotions of that work we love.

***

The Church branch in Warsaw is unique in all of Poland. There are over 100 people attending weekly.
We were there for the Children's sacrament meeting program. Two children at a time approached the podium; the first said their part in Polish, the second said it in English. The children sang each song in Polish, then repeated it in English. Little kids are amazingly adaptive.

For our Gdańsk Christmas sacrament meeting we sang and heard Christmas hymns with individuals' sharing their thoughts on each, ending, as appropriate, with Silent Night.

Edit out the 7 missionaries and it's obvious our little branch is quite different from where we are going to be.  

With the driving back and forth and general busy craziness, 

these weeks have reminded us how much our hearts have grown to

💗 GDAŃSK

Ever learning

We're lucky that the blessing of never-ending learning is such a part of our lives right now. We get that learning accelerated sometimes by experiences, but also from people who have something to share. In the past couple of weeks we've had a flood of the latter. 

This generation of (young) missionaries seems uniquely skilled at using social media tools for reaching more of our Father's children who are seeking to know more of Him. We had two brothers from the Church area office talk to the missionaries about how to transition a Facebook connection to a face-to-face connection. Though we can reach millions, the teaching of the gospel and testimony of the Holy Ghost has to happen one person at a time.

We get to interact regularly with our regional Seminaries and Institutes coordinator Henri Kosak. When we're really lucky, we get to have him visit and teach. He attended a YSA Christmas get-together in Warsaw this week. The first instructions from Jesus when he visited His flock in the Americas were to: arise; come to Him; thrust their hand in His side; feel, that they may know.

How do I do that daily?

(3 Nephi 11:14)

Elder Kopischke of the Seventy and area presidency uplifted the missionaries and members with his insights on experimenting with the word constantly. He reminded missionaries that our faith does not change another person's agency, no matter how diligent, or prayerful, or faithful we are. 

He compared this small group of 40 among 40 million to Oliver Granger in that "his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord."

***

 In the basement garage of our apartment building, as we hurried to church last Sunday, we met Santa Claus and one of his elves. 1300 Santas road their motorcycles through the city encouraging people to donate for poor children for Christmas.

He is one of our most friendly neighbors, though all those we have met in our building are really nice and also willing to speak English with us.

This might appear to be just two festive, awesome missionaries, which they are, but it requires a little more explanation.

As you know, we serve in Gdańsk where we help in the small branch and also with the young adults throughout Poland. We love both of those assignments. Three months ago the couple serving in the mission office had a health scare which threatened to send them home early. We happened to be with the president around this time and told him we'd be happy to fill in at the office if that became necessary. Fortunately the health issue was resolved and the couple is feeling great and able to complete their mission as planned, on January 15th, so crisis averted. Then December began with still no replacement couple assigned. Thus, we are training with the departing office couple to fill that roll now and it may be that we stay in that roll or that we pass our training on to a couple arriving in February. We are happy either way, as in "the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good" (D&C 51:17).

Oh, what about those Elders? Right!

 We are staying in Warsaw at an apartment previously occupied by Elders (whoosh, in Jean's vernacular) and these two met us late to give us the key. They wore those hats to brighten our night. Success.

So many bridges, so little space to share them.

Here and there

After a busy week my companion has gone to bed early. This provides two things: 1) Time to stop putting off writing a line or two to you, and 2) A chance to get the bag of chips she's been hiding from me. If you care about either, I'm guessing it's the first.

It's not for lack of events that I haven't written, it's more because of not knowing where to start. So, to the photos...

We and our rental van left home in Gdańsk when it was dark, added young adults at 4-hour intervals, and arrived at Freiberg when it was dark. We planned on a bus for more than 20. The number who could go changed our plan first to two vans, and ended up as one van and a car. 

All I can think of is joy from the trip and from being at the Freiberg temple. 

Five of our eight young people, having been baptized just months ago, learned by experience what it means to be baptized for a dead person.

 "the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also" D&C 128:18

Our service opportunity allowed us to search everywhere for a leaf that had not already been raked.

"Each temple is a beacon of light and hope. The temple, the House of the Lord, stands as a symbol of our faith in life after death and as a stepping stone to eternal life for us and our families. The temple is a sacred and essential part of God’s plan for our happiness, now and forever." ---Russell M. Nelson

Dresden, near Freiberg and not far from Poland, has been carefully rebuilt in much the same way as our city of Gdańsk.

The old, dark stones contrast the new ones making obvious the painstaking rebuilding effort.

"It matters not how completely ruined our lives may seem. It matters not how scarlet our sins, how deep our bitterness, how lonely, abandoned, or broken our hearts may be. Even those who are without hope, who live in despair, who have betrayed trust, surrendered their integrity, or turned away from God can be rebuilt." ---He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2016

And there were bridges.

"Excuse me, we're going to go up on this interesting bridge, will you take our picture on it?" 

I can't fault them for this picture, they did what we asked.

Inspecting missionary apartments gives us a chance to see new cities, such as Białystok (the one in eastern Poland, not the one in The Producers)

There is no want for churches here, just one with authority to perform ordinances and a plan for us to become like our Father.

“Ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God” D&C 42:6.

This could've been a selfie if it weren't for the nice man who snapped a picture of us after the Jim Gaffigan show in Warsaw. 

I won't include it here, but he did end up taking a selfie too, "because he's a weirdo."

If I included the picture of the friends and missionaries at our house, you're probably nicer than me and wouldn't react with "Oh, a bunch of people I don't know, eating food. Fascinating!"

We had a great feast, though, and good feelings all around. We hope you did too.

Half of the people it reminded of home, and for half it was their first Thanksgiving. 

They now understand why it's the best holiday. 

Bonus, WE get to relive it for days to come.

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul." D&C 59:18-19

Inside and out

Gdańsk branch has been a "mission" branch for some years and recently was included with the other lone mission branch into the Warsaw District. There are two districts in Poland, no stakes. Our first invitation to a district conference was this past weekend. The members in Warsaw opened their homes for travelers. The six members and three investigators who made the trip got a chance to see what a church meeting with more than a dozen people was like. General Conference is just unfathomable; the images and buildings and people are too far-removed. 

Being the only chapel in Poland, it gave a small sense of what our church is like elsewhere, though the purpose of the gym was hard for some to figure. One investigator, on seeing the font said, "I'm going to get baptized before the end of the year." He's been afraid to get baptized in the cold sea. I can't fault him.

The visiting Area Seventy, Elder Cziesla emphasized the need to follow the Spirit as we each minister. Even in small branches where "Peter's telling that story again for the hundredth time" or "There goes Mary again pushing her favorite principle," we need to treat each other with love, even those same six we see every week.

***

Gotta admire street performers, even the terrible ones, because they put themselves out there.

This Chopin virtuoso at the Warsaw tram stop did it in freezing weather AND with woolen gloves. 

That was worth a few coins, even from cheap me.

On November 11, 1918 Poland took advantage of the political situation and declared her independence from Germany, Austria, and Russia after 120 years of being divided between those powers. 

Their parades are participatory, everybody walks in the parade instead of watching from the sideline.

We spent the cold and short afternoon of Independence Day with our friends Mateusz and Natalie, (and some kid looking for his gum in the sand).

Gdynia harbor as the sun sets, one of the tri-cities of Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia.

The harbor was opened to compete with Gdańsk harbor and has many buildings in the "Socialist Realism" style. These newer ones, however challenge that in what seems to be the "Optimus Prime" aesthetic.

An important reminder that there is no swimming allowed in this area due to yellow submarines.

Walking through the old Gdańsk Stocznia shipyard where the Solidarity movement was born and then shipbuilding died. 

Peering through a broken window at an old and vacant building lighted by discolored glass.

And others we've visited.

Light---more or less

With all the deciduous trees, the various warm colors draw us in as it gets colder. 

Sorry to all you in Utah, we've barely reached freezing temps, it's been a very pleasant and gradual transition into Fall.

The light on the square where we help serve the homeless each Sunday is fading fast. 

It was dark when we finished today and soon we'll be in the dark from the start (3:00)

Couldn't have taken this picture as young missionaries. 

I enjoy reminding the young missionaries that the white handbook does not apply.

But we love walking this road together.

These awesome friends invited us over to their place to celebrate our birthdays. 

Though a month or two late, it was so kind of them.

She prepared a great traditional meal here for us to share in their living room/dining room/weight room/office/master bedroom. 

Halloween is fun, the dressing up, the pumpkins, the gatherings. 

Jean hosted a great party for our English class at the "chapel" and she and the missionaries gave them a good sampling of how we Americans behave on Oct 31. (I hid out in another room)

Their tradition, like others in Europe, centers around Nov 1---All Saints Day.

We were lucky to go with a young member and her mother to the grave of her grandfather. They lit candles, we each said a private prayer remembering the light we've received from those who have crossed through the veil.

I hope you can see how the lighted graves go on through the trees, seemingly forever.

Another day we celebrated with a small meal together on the beach after the sun set on a wonderful, but very cold baptism in the sea. 

Our small group feeling the warmth of the small light we share amid the darkness.

We sometimes feel small, we sometimes feel overwhelmed. Darkness can seem impenetrable.

Candles, whether in jack-o-lanterns or on graves, get our attention only when it's dark.

"And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the earth rest?

 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live...the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth;

And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; ...to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth."

That's the light we're trying to reflect in our small way.

Illumine

I can always fall back to pictures when I can't come up with a thousand words. Doing that probably makes it easier on you, too. But, I can add a couple of stories from the last few days, maybe.

We had occasion to visit the old town with some visitors one evening. The rainy day mixed with the early darkness revealed a pleasing ambiance on the old streets.

But the real interest is in the people, mostly the people we interact with. The problem with writing about our experiences with people is that they might not want their story shared. Or the story might be completely different from their angle.

...

Our mission president and his wife are adept, as mission leaders must be, at motivating missionaries. I'm fascinated every zone conference that they come up with new ways to share the gospel while eliminating the repetitiveness that can lead to drudgery. As invariably occurs, we finished our conference this week with revitalized confidence and hope.

We left our elders in Warsaw and we made our 4-hour drive home alone. Being late, we stopped at a roadside hotel/restaurant with an "authentic Polish kitchen." The place was empty, but a bell on the desk got a gal to come from the back room. Sister Bridge used her well-practiced phrase to say "Hello ma'am, do you speak Polish?"

This got a quizzical response, so I quickly corrected it to "speak English" She replied in Polish, "No."

I'm proud (note foreshadowing here) that we made her understand that we did not want a room, only food, we got a table and our dinner ordered, ate and paid for it with not one word of English between her and us. (pride)

We went next door to the gas station to fill up and the guy couldn't understand the pump number I told him. (fall)

The sturdiness of the stairs leading to the apartment we visited made me think of a wet paper plate and I mused how I would explain it when I broke through them. They held out, miraculously. Being the last of us to squeeze through the door of his unlit space, I walked right into our frail host as he held out his hand to greet me. Oh! Hi!

The elders were sharing a spiritual message and after half an hour of earnest attention, grasping an occasional word for some kind of context, I found myself searching in vain for two identical bricks in his kitchen wall. Then marveling that it still stood and also supported those stairs.

He's seen this same wall lighten and darken every day since he left the army, these 39 years.

There are people who stand independent, whose countenance somehow brightens the dark spaces. They reflect light for the rest of us to receive. They don't seem to mind being that kind of different.

There's another story there, but maybe later.

365

It's still uncertain why it was that when we entered the MTC the Monday after October conference last year, full of excitement to be returning to our previous mission land of Finland, things out of our control were going to change our course. After the passage of that much time, there are a few things we do know better, however.

We know we don't know everything. We trust there is One who does. We know that if we do our best to do good, there are multitudinous ways for us to do so. We know that our mutual Father loves His children everywhere. We know that what gives the most meaning to our lives is less about the location, the culture, the climate, and more about the individual people we get to interact with.

It's strange that because our recent reconnecting in-person with our children, family, and friends was known to be short, the connection was more strong. Certainly more intentional.

Correspondingly, for several years I was intensely involved in the logistics of the spoken words at general conference. Days before the conference began I had read and re-read all the talks, some several times. And I often had profound personal impressions from that privilege. Being now removed from that daily connection to the words that are intended to inspire, the 35 messages coming all at once felt like a flood. They also became very cherished.

To you it might have become a worn-out, over-trode theme, Jean and I constantly sharing bridges in pictures. They're intended to remind us that bridges don't exist except to connect and to overcome some obstacle.

We feel your love.

An impressive public works project

Unimpressive bridges also serve their purpose

Serene country setting we happened upon

Jiggety-jog

Three weeks ago we joined the other 4 old missionary couples serving in Poland for our semi-annual conference, yes, we'll call it "conference" because we did indeed confer with each other. I think it's the Church's ploy to keep us from revolt. It would be more proper to call it a retreat. We retreated into the mountains of southern Poland to Zakopane and spent the weekend together enjoying the beauty of that resort town and regaling each other with stories of our various little branches in the vineyard. 

It was revitalizing. Somehow it's helpful to learn that others are doing good in the circumstances they're in plus it relieves some of the isolation we feel being separated by hours. Besides the ten of us seasoned folk, we enjoyed hiking and eating and receiving instruction and inspiration from our mission president and wife, along with the three of their six children who are in Poland with them.

Impressive that such old people could climb to the top of this mountain ridge that forms the border of Poland and Slovakia.

Until you see how we got to the top.

Getting 10 strong-willed people of experience going in the same direction, whilst each is overtly trying to show consideration for the others at the same time, made for some lighthearted tug-o-wars over which ice cream stand to try or which restaurant to stuff ourselves at.

See some of the hardships of senior missionary life?

I feel something like guilt for what I share after that. There's no easy segue to the heinous scenes memorialized at Auschwitz-Birkenau. It's not possible to relay the impressions one gets from a visit there. 

The infamous sign (Arbeit Macht Frei) mocking those who were imprisoned there before their certain death decries the irony of the efficient systematization of the camp's gruesome function. The exhibits did not need pictures of the awful sights you've seen in documentaries, rather the artifacts belonging to real individuals tell the story of thousands upon thousands.

I've said before that the Polish people are great at rebuilding, given the many wars they've been the battleground for. They have a saying that a Pole works with his sword in one hand and a brick in the other. One city that is a beautiful example of that civic rebuilding is Kraków. 

 It's central market square is stunning in daylight or moonlight.

 I chuckle at how, despite our denial of it, we inevitably fall into stereotypes. Evidence that I'm not the only husband who would rather sit outside the shops and wait, all day if necessary, rather than ooh and aah over every possible purchase, then oh and ouch over every złoty spent. 

This is what our five wives saw when they had finally visited every single shop in this town.

(We're sitting on a bridge, that's a bonus)

Back to our timeline, as I said, this started three weeks ago. After our senior conference we stopped in Kraków to check a couple of missionary apartments (sisters-neat but quick to say they could do better; elders-gross but proud of how much better it is now). 

The next week we caught a plane out of Warsaw to SLC. It was a sweet, though short reunion with our family. Tip and Katelyn were married in Salt Lake and all we can say in this limited space is that it was wonderful. The ceremony was beautiful, full of promise, and eternal in content.

After packing all we could into our short time, we boarded our plane last week from SLC to Warsaw and into the middle of our Fall YSA conference there. We spent time with these young people who really try to be strong because they are doing it, pretty much, on their own. The group was small, about ten from all of Poland, but they are truly exceptional.

Last night, Sunday, we arrived home again, home again, back to Gdańsk. I'm reflecting that we call this being home. As in the saying, "Home is where the heart is," this is where our hearts are right now. Of course we love and miss our family and friends and our hearts are also "back home," but we really feel this is where our hearts are for another year.

A small note from the temple experience: One of the shushers in the temple cautioned us that when the couple exits the temple we should not do the customary cheer as that can be heard by others inside the building. 

I thought: Should we not cheer the formation of a new, eternal kingdom, joining our cheers with the cheers of all those who have gone before?

The newest Mr. and Mrs. Bridge

September begins

Gdańsk is a popular vacation spot, with its beaches and history and rebuilt old town. August is the month they have a street market in the old town, this year being the 759th. The event adds a lot of vendor booths on the cobblestone streets, it also adds about twice as many people to the city. We noticed a vast difference in traffic and foot traffic getting to our chapel location during August, it being close to the old town and the main train station. Once the street market ended we noticed a sharp decline in visitors to the city, but with the hot weather there were still loads of people about.

School here starts at the first of September, marking the end of summer and two things have happened overnight: 1) The streets have become nearly void of recreators and 2) The weather has changed from 30°C to 20°. I don't know how the weather knew to coordinate that with the end of summer vacation, but it really was overnight. Now the kids in the neighborhood are outdoors only until the sun sets, and that noticeably earlier, the clothes have instantly changed from short and cottony to full jackets with hats and scarves, and the leaves of some trees have started to gain color. We suspect that by the time we return at the end of the month, the forests we drive through daily will be spectacular.

Return, you wonder? We will travel to Utah for our son Tip's wedding to Katelyn. That's another one of the great perks of senior missionaries vs young ones. (If you are a young missionary who has a son, I commend you). We've received permission to travel home for this event and of course we're excited. Jonathan and Maddie were married in September two years ago, James and Milly were married last September, Tip and Katelyn will be married this September. All of them within a week of each other. It wasn't planned that way, but I've been telling people September is special since I was 5. 

And next September we are scheduled to be home from Poland and not just for a week. Lots to do here before then, though. 

Sorry this post just gives you the facts. Over and out.

Can't leave you bridgeless

Grasping

This week a young woman, very kind, who sincerely enjoys serving other people, who reads the Bible, and who feels a connection to all the creations of this earth did not know how God could literally be her Heavenly Father. The concept that we are actually His children is not something she really believed. For Him to have a body of flesh and bone, even if it is glorified and perfected, was new to her. She probably understood that in some way He loves us, but she did not have a concept that He understands and feels our sorrows and rejoices in our progress. I don't know exactly what her concept of God was, but I sense it is something "unknowable" and ominous, a being who has all power but does not use it to relieve suffering. Not understanding those attributes made it hard to understand that He wants to communicate with us, His children.¹

This week a toddler walked unsteadily on a slippery parquet and at the encounter of the smallest obstacle, a red balloon, she fell and got up, and fell and got up. I smiled at her unflappability and the delightful joy she got from the very object that was compelling her to learn better how to navigate on her tiny, bowed legs. I smiled at the joy He must feel at my trying.

This week a young father, a manly man, who was forsaken by his mortal father when a young boy, realized that we did not leave our Father just so we could return to Him. That's a pleasant enough idea, but there must be a better reason than that to justify our leaving. He figured that if returning is the only purpose, why would we ever leave? The man calculated that there must be much more to justify the unfathomable suffering Father's special Son had to go through to get us back to Him.

This week two young women witnessed the grim remains of a huge and harsh camp set in a lovely, secluded forest. They were confronted with the reality that abuse and torture and killing can be done with no remorse as a consequence of who the sufferers are, not for what they did.²

This week an intelligent man, about 50, beaten down, admitted that alcohol helped him avoid the problems he faced. He felt free of fear, loneliness, discouragement, regret—for a while. He came to the reality that because life is full of the conditions that prompt these kinds of feelings, he resorted to that temporary freedom more and more often. He confided that he literally had become disconnected from his own will.³

This week a senior missionary couple were shown that there are men and women undergoing trials and tests of faith that might lead you to say, “Their faith will break.” But it doesn’t break, and they do take it. And if you will look carefully, you will soon realize that peace has been spoken to their souls and faith in deliverance increased. Noticing that has made themselves feel again and again and again and again that peace.⁴

You would miss it if there were no bridge picture, so here is one

Stutthof

Something that caught Jean's eye 

¹God is Our Loving Heavenly Father, Preach My Gospel.

²Sztutowo (Stutthof), concentration camp.

³Honesty, Addiction Recovery Program.

⁴A Law of Increasing Returns, Henry Eyring, March 28, 1982.

What's inside

If there are things out of the ordinary, I try to share those rather than our daily routine of being blessed to serve in Poland. I could tell you the schedule of our days and how we fill them, but I know I don't find that amusing or even interesting, so you wouldn't either. I'll remark (again, probably) with happiness that we don't follow the white handbook like we did (should have) 37 years ago. Our church leaders must've figured out that there wouldn't be a senior couple serving their second mission if that were required. They must also realize that if we ain't got the wake-up-stay-busy-go-to-bed figured out by our age, we won't.

All that to justify the pictures I've chosen to share this week.

While driving between cities we had noticed, more than once, a picturesque city on a hill next to a bend in the river and so decided on p-day to find it. It turned out to be much prettier from a distance. The city itself was run down when we got to see it up-close on the inside. 

I guess that's often how some things and people make an impression on us.

This view made me think of Symbiotes (like Venom) taking over this very old, very beautifully restored, very brick castle. It turns out you can rent rooms here which might make you feel regal, if you could sleep knowing how many people have lived and died there.

I hope this picture serves for your weekly bridge. Again, no shortage of bricks here. The arches make nice picture-frame setups. This is a church, which I think is remarkable.

Jean went in to check out the inside and walked in on a funeral. No pics.

The places and structures are indeed interesting, but really it's the people that have the most lasting impact. 

This is what our Sunday evenings look like, usually with a couple more from the branch, but we love being with all the exceptional young missionaries (Elders Stewart, Long, Sisters Memmott, Emett). Sister Memmott kept her birthday secret until after meetings on Sunday, but she got found out. In this picture Jean is saying "Hurry and take the picture Elder, the wax is melting on the cake!"

I adjusted the camera for several more seconds to heighten that emotion.

We traveled to another city, Szczecin (the missionaries call it "Sketch-in"), a 5-hour drive to the west of us, right on the German border. Elder and Sister Williams (Bountiful) serve there with one pair of Elders. Elder and Sister Womack joined us also. The six of us took time to visit a Slavic and Viking village that has been recreated on an original site dating from circa 1000. 

Elder Williams serves as the branch president in Szczecin but his main assignment is as an area auditor. We traveled so I could audit his branch, which was interesting to audit the auditor. Sorry they got cut out of this selfie a bit. In appropriate auditor fashion, he acted as if he didn't hear any of my sharp witticisms about financial processes. 

One of the devices they used in medieval audits was this chair. At that time it wasn't so much about identifying financial malfeasance as it was about identifying witches. 

Sister Williams, a nurse, reminded me about my tetanus booster status as I was sitting down to try the comfort of the thing, so I chose not to. At the village they also had a guillotine and an iron maiden (Excellent!)  

Winding up, I'm sorry I don't have any profundity to finish with. Please be assured that we did feel the Spirit many times in our service and study this week.

I just have one missed opportunity to share. About halfway home from our drive to Szczecin we stopped for dinner in a pretty city, surprisingly large for being out in that part of the country. We found a great restaurant and checked the trusty Google maps also for points of interest. As luck would have it, this attraction had a stellar 4.5 star rating.

Regrettably, it was already closed so we didn't get to see what kind of crap they have in there, which they must value from the tightness of their security. But, you can see the grass around it was exceptionally lush.

The sign is an abbreviation, but it says "Museum of Municipal Water Supply and Sewage"