Jan 28, 2008 ~ Sweet Polish Ties

It's monday about noon and I just learned that President Hinckley died from some e-mails. So I'm kinda taken back right now.. hmm. He's the only Prophet I've ever really known so it's going to be different to have President Monson in there. He'll be great though, and I know President Hinckley is enjoying the richest blessings of peace and happiness right now. > > Mmmk so this week, this week, what did I do. Well last P-Day we went and played some basketball. Absolutely essential to make any P-day a success... although my district isn't much of a basketball district unfortunately. Then we hit up a Carrefour and purchased some ties. I finally have some European ties, they kick. I don't know if I've talked about ties in Poland yet. But basically there is nothing that can bring more joy to a shopping missionary, a consumer of any sort to be honest.. they are high quality, high class, and cheap. So naturally because of my ties, more people talked to me this week on the street. You gotta look good to play good. We have Zone Conference this week so all of the Elders (6 of us) bought the same tie. It pwns so I think we will be the talk of Zone Conference. Vroatsuave is definitely the place to be in Poland right now theres no doubt about it. Then we went to what the Elders call the "Russian Bazaar" basically this shady outdoor market where stuff is way cheap. Frankly I questioned where exactly they had "obtained" their inventory, being a greenie i figured it was best to just not ask the other elders. I didn't buy anything but it was way entertaining to see Elder Duty haggle these guys down in prices. And yeah that was basically my P-day we contacted the rest of the day and met with a new convert, Przemek and taught him some new member lessons. > > This week was rather slow as far as our investigators go. Everyone from age 18-25 is busy because of finals and things so we weren't able to meet with any of them. Our 2 investigators with baptisimal dates were being way lame up until a couple of nights ago when we finally got a hold of them. Y'all know that every companionship in the mission gets a cell-phone... well Elder Duty usually carries it around because... let's be realistic.. I'm not exactly a fluent Polish speaker. And there's quite a difference between being able to understand a Pole on the street and understanding a Pole on the phone. Of which i can't understand either of the above listed persons. Elder Duty still makes me suffer through making calls to potentials everynight.... too many stories and mistakes to recount in an email but i do ok as long as they are just listening and don't talk. Anyways I'm babbling.. so for some reason I happened to have the phone on me when one of the two bapt. dates called, krystyna. It rang, i looked at the number and gestured for Duty to take the Phone ... i nonchalantly inform him"It's a Pole," but Duty would have none of that "You got it Daly" ...at this point my nonchalant attitude turns into cold sweats and heavy breathing (exaggeration added for effect) i answer it "tak, slucham" then all of this sudden this wave of Polish hits me and I for a few minutes i'm not sure exactly where I am.. long story and even longer conversation later she set up with us for this week. So.. yeah.. stoked.. stokage.. major stokage. We are way excited, hopefully we can keep her on that road that leads to true conversion and baptism. > > The weather was rather awful this week. It was warm... relatively speaking. It rained a lot, snowed some and the wind is killer. But it's beautiful today, we'll see if it sticks. I talked to some great people this week. I'm convinced that the Lord puts people in my path knowing my feelings of inadequacy and such. I had some great conversations this week .. got a bunch of numbers during whiteboards without any help which is always a great feeling. Hopefully those turn into new investigators. Elder Duty and I ventured where few have gone before this week.. into Domki land to find this Lady that Elder Barlow and I talked to during exchanges. We were able to find her but unfortunately she was no longer interested. Sometimes its easy to get frustrated. I just want to take a Pole and shake em.. do you know how long I've traveled and the sacrifice I've made to bring this message to you.. it must be important! That's just my pride creeping in though and I need to keep that at bay. And it really isnt much of a sacrifice.. especially when compared with what the Apostles went through after the death of Christ. I've been study the New Testament a lot of late because it's easier to get a Pole to listen if you quote from the Bible then if you quote from the Ksiega Mormona. But yeah.. whenever i think missionary work is hard i just think about those men.. they went through the ringer and then some. Great examples of complete disregard for their lives and devotion to Christ and His gospel. > > Well ill answer some questions i receieved real quick then I'm going to go play some football amerikanska. Oh by the way I havent received any packages.. apparently i have a couple packages in Bytom being held captive because they didnt like something that was in them... so I'm not sure if ill get them in one piece.. or at all for that matter. I've lost all faith in the Poczta system here. Only mail I've got has been some letters from Syd and a couple of friends. Thanks for sending them though i hope i get them :-) > > The people do a variety of things for work here.. usually just sales and such are the ones i've run into. Although most the people we talk to are students. There is one major University here in Wroclaw that most of the students are at.. an oddly enough I think I've talk to more people majoring in art than anything else. And unfortuately i don't see much chess in the street cafes although that would be rad. I saw some sweet bonus Polish chess sets for sale that i might have to hit up later. And i get to run almost every morning around this track at this highschool about 5 mins from our place. Duty plays soccer and flies kites while i do it.. i love him for enduring it with me at 6:30 in the morning. > > I love you all have a great week! > > Elder Daly