This week started with some excitement. On Monday I took a train to start an exchange with Elder Coutu in Bydgoszcz. We are riding along when all of a sudden we stop. It turns out there was a train crash nearby. As time slowly passes we stay standing still in Kutno station. While I am sitting there I receive a call from Elder Shwanke, Elder Coutu's companion on his way to Warsaw to be with Elder Retallick. He told me that his train was going to be late because of some train crash. Soon things begin to escalate. As an assistant I am the one to call when missionaries have complications, naturally I soon get wrapped up in phone calls with missionaries all around the country. Since Monday is the usual day for exchanges we have elders and sisters on trains all over. Luckily, only about half of us were affected and our mission is so small as it is easy to keep track of it all but it added drama to the day. As missionaries we have strict schedules, we are in by 21:00 every night (unless we have a meeting, then it is 21:30) so the delay in trains causes problems. I didn't get into Bydgoszcz until 22:50, then Elder Coutu and I (along with the other missionaries there who were keeping him company) all grabbed a taxi home. I thought getting in at 23:00 was crazy until I found out the Elder Shwanke's train was the one that crashed, the passengers were alright but their train hit a car so needed to board a different train. Elder Retallick had to pick him up at the Warsaw central train station at 1:00 in the morning. For most people it was an inconvenience, for missionaries it was unheard of.
Luckily, it was all worth it. I had a terrific exchange with Elder Coutu - he is a terrific missionary. I also got to see Elder Sidwell, one of my closest mission friends, and I met Elder Larsen, another younger missionary with whom I was also impressed. I love seeing the missionaries in Poland, my love and sense of brotherhood always is strengthened.
Most of this week was status quo, I am really really tired so my brain is a little dead. It was a good week though, good meetings and great conversations with people on the streets.
Yesterday in church Elżbieta and Czesława had a surprise for the missionaries. They are a mother a daughter duo in the branch. Elżbieta is in her 70s (I think) and Czesława is in her early 90s. We love them dearly. Elżbieta was particularly excited to see us as she gathered all of the elders and sisters after church as she retrieved her bag. She had Elder Retallick and I lift it to see how heavy it is and then she pulls out a mystery object wrapped in brown paper. She starts telling us about when she went to Kraków while she was young because visiting the caves helped with her asthma. Czesława, the mom, kept telling her to just show us but Elżieta was enjoying the build too much. Finally, she reveals a chunk of crystallized rock and announces that she got it from the famous salt mines. Outside of Kraków there are huge chambers underground of salt (my kind of place I know, I really want to go) and it is a UNESCO site now. Artists came in and carved chapels and sculptures all out of salt, from what I hear it is really impressive. So Elżbieta is holding the salt and then licks it and assures us it is salty, made by nature not man. She then hands it Elder Garrett and encourages us, "spróbujcie językiem!" which translate is "try it with your tongue!" We all look unsure about licking this random rock but I figure it is a fun experience. Elder Garrett looks at me as I am thinking about it and says, "I will if you will" so we continue to all try it (searching for an unlicked spot). She was right, it was salty. I love our members!
We are going into the last week of the transfer. It is interesting working with President Edgren to prepare transfers and MLC (leadership training) - definitely a different perspective. Scary to think that we only have two more transfers now. I am really excited for what's to come, I have a lot of ideas and am itching to get things started. This past transfer with Elder Retallick was better than I could have anticipated. I think I am coming to terms with change slowly but surely.
w pokorze,
Starszy Kimball
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