The hits keep coming

It's no mystery that none of us really get what's going on in each other's lives, but that won't stop us from telling you and from saying that new experiences just keep coming at us and it's awesome!

We loved getting to video chat with all our kids on Mothers' Day last Sunday. So glad to see them and be "together" as a family again, at least for a little while. We feel blessed that they are all blessed.

Happenings this week: the mission schedules apartment checks (for young missionaries, not us because I guess they figure if we don't know how to keep an apartment clean and safe by now, there's no hope for us anyway, which is kinda how they are about all the missionary rules, come to think of it) each transfer so one day this week we got to go to the other city in our district, Bydgoszcz, a two-hour drive, and visit the set of Elders and set of Sisters there. We are always impressed with the quality of missionaries we get to work with. Every one of them seems exceptional. They have an amazing capacity to show love for all God's children and do so in ways that are mature beyond their years. We always learn from them.

With the great sisters in Bydgoszcz.
Jean invariably decides to fix her hair
right when the photo is snapped.

The excitement around the mission is that the young missionaries just got smartphones at the last zone conference. Their response has been, in some ways, expected, they're in their element to get that little device again that they've missed. However, one simple question the mission president instructed them to ask changes everything: "Am I using this to help others come unto Christ, or am I using it for my own desires or distraction?" 

We've been watching and it's a beautiful thing to see the difference in how a phone is used. They're sincerely trying to find ways to help other people using the technology and it's kinda strange---so opposite to how most of the world views it. Makes us want to change too.

Sisters in their work

We had a good plan for church meetings this last Sunday, our leader's turn to speak in sacrament meeting which is about right since we haven't heard him yet and the STP get regular chances to take their turn. Then, we still have a couple of sessions of conference to watch so that takes care of the second hour. At 10 minutes before start we learned that our keynote wasn't coming, so Sister Bridge stepped up to the plate. She hit a home run. She gave a super talk about Christ and His atonement and had the help of a willing interpreter. She chose and led all the songs and except for the sacrament, she was the entire meeting. Ain't she great?

I admit I was feeling a little miffed and disappointed in people as we got the meeting going with the less-than-normal turnout and through the sacrament song. I moved from the piano to sit by the Elder who was conducting the meeting and watched as our one young married member and our one Aaronic priesthood holder stood by the uncovered single bread tray. At that moment, unexpectedly the Lord told me He was there. 

(See Matthew 18:20)

These pics really have no point in this message, but we wanted to include them.
This is looking down the stairway we descended to the first level of the salt mine near Krakow.

One of many, many chambers that were excavated from the mine which has been worked for 400 years.
As impressive as the excavation itself are the massive timbers used as supports and stairways.

The largest of the chapels that have been made in the mine.
All the walls, sculptures, altars, floor and steps are carved from the salt.

Not sure who Moniko is, but good to know Ulka loves him.
A bridge we came "across" in our city.

With our awesome Gdansk Elders and Mateusz while casing the location for him and his wife to be baptized (miracle),
in the Baltic (see previous post "Divine Orchestration" for more about being in the Baltic).
I can't explain my pose except that the picture was taken before I could point.
We've always wanted to visit this village north of the city,
it's named Mosty, meaning "Bridges"