Week 96 - Bialystok

Hey everyone!   This week was a good one.  We had quite a number of meetings, and we also had time for some solid finding.

Monday: It was a pretty normal p-day, we played tennis with the senior couple in the morning and got some kebab's for lunch.  There was a market on the main square of the city, so we checked that out.  Had group FHE in the evening.

Tuesday: Weekly planned and studied in the morning, had a meeting with a part-member family with the senior couple, then met with B. in the evening.  Went alright, not too bad.

Wednesday: Met with M. in the morning, which went alright.  We had district council around noon, which went alright.  Did some studies and contacting after that, had a meeting with a potential, and the Łódź elders came over in the evening for exchanges the next day.

Thursday: Met with K., a potential, in the morning.  It was a brief meeting, but we'll meet again with him tomorrow.  We did a lot of contacting, then later on we had a meeting with J.  Wasn't the best meeting, but we'll try to have a better one this week.  The other elders also had a meeting with L., and they said that that meeting went really well, so we're excited to build on that.

Friday: Had a meeting with a potential in the morning.  Did some studies and some more contacting, then met with a former, B.  The meeting wasn't the greatest, she talked and talked and talked, but she ended up coming to church yesterday.  So we'll see where things go from there.

Saturday: Had a meeting with P. in the morning, and that went way well.  We taught the Plan of Salvation, and we felt good about it, that we were able to teach according to his needs, and it was a good meeting. Met with the part-member family again, which was alright, then met with H.  She recently had knee surgery, and we're helping her to prepare to go to the temple in November.  So we're way excited for that.  

Sunday:  Church was good.  I had a Sunday School lesson about the scriptures, and it went well.  We are a blessed people to have access to the scriptures and to have living prophets and apostles, whose words are scripture.  We visited a couple potentials, but they were both busy, so we did a bit more contacting before coming back to finish studies.

And yea, that was our week.  It was a good one, we're looking forward to building off of it.  Hope you all have a great week, we'll talk to you later!

-Elder Hadfield

Week 95 - Bialystok

Hey all!  This week was really good.  Also way fast, as they usually are.

Monday: Played our weekly tennis match with the senior couple and had group FHE in the evening.  It was a pretty normal p-day.

Tuesday: We had the office elders come up for exchanges, which was way fun.  It was a blast doing some more missionary work with Elder Erickson, that guy is a legend!  We worked hard, did a lot of contacting, and it was a great exchange.  Also had a race with Elder Erickson to see who could finish a giant triple cheeseburger faster, and I'll have you all know that I won handily, though he'll tell you otherwise.  Had meetings with M. and B., which ended up going alright.  We're hoping B. will start to make progress as a result of that meeting.

Wedsnesday: We had a little bit of a road trip with the office elders down to Warsaw to make it there for MLC.  MLC was way good, we talked about mission work and about loving the people we serve and serve with.  We also are having a new area-wide initiative involving the Book of Mormon comign up, and we're excited to start using that for finding and whatnot.

Thursday: We had district council, which was good.  Also met with J., and that meeting was way solid.  We read the Book of Mormon together, and he likes what he sees so far.  He enjoys what the church has to offer so far.  Also met with H. in the evening and finished up.

Friday: We took a day with the senior couple to go up to some of the cities north of Białystok to visit some less-actives that probably haven't been contacted in years.  We also took our culture night and rode some bikes around one of the lakes up there.  It's a very pretty area up north.  That took pretty much all day, and we feel good about what we were able to do.

Saturday: We had a meeting with K. and H. in the morning, and that ended up going pretty well.  We also did some tracting, which went well.  We had a guy tell us to come back in a month or so.  Also met with a new guy named R. in the evening, which went well.  We'll hopefully meet with him again this week.

Sunday: Had church in the morning and then lunch at the senior couple's place as usual.  We did a finding activity on the rynek in the evening, and there were a lot of people out.  We had a number of decent convos.

So yea, that was the week.  Just want to thank you all for your support, you have been super helpful to me as I serve here in Poland.  I've loved my time here and wouldn't trade it for anything else.  I'm grateful I have a little more time here to serve, looking forward to another great week here.  Love you all, have a legendary week!

-Elder Hadfield

Week 94 - Bialystok

Hi there!  This week was a good one.  Another quick week though, it just feels like they still keep getting faster and faster.

Monday: Played our classic tennis match with the Murri's, which was fun.  Can't remember what else we did, but we did have group FHE in the evening.

Tuesday: We weekly planned and did some studies in the morning.  Also did some family history contacting, which was alright.  President Turek has been putting stress on family history, so we're working on that.  Had a meeting with J., which ended up going pretty well.  Also did some tracting in the evening.

Wednesday: Did some more family history contacting, as well as tried talking with some people in the center of town.  Also went with Elder Murri over to a member's house, her name is H.  Her house is pretty old, and we're helping her get a light installed there.  We started exchanges with the Lublin elders, and we did a little more finding in the evening.

Thursday: Exchanges.  Studied in the morning, then went and helped Elder Murri at H.'s place.  Also left a spiritual thought, which was good.  She shared her conversion story, and it was way cool.  She's helping out some less-actives as well and helping us get in contact with them, which is way cool.  Did some more family history contacting, then had a meeting with M. It was okay, but he really wants some physical evidence of the Book of Mormon.  Did some more contacting in the evening.

Friday: Zone conference.  That went well, it was good to see the other missionaries.  It was also good to be in Warsaw again.  We had a segment about teaching the fourth lesson, about the commandments, and I feel like it went pretty welll.  Did some role plays, and it was nice.

Saturday: Had a meeting with a potential, P., in the morning.  It was a brief meeting, but we'll see him again on Saturday.  Did some tracting, and got let in and taught a family about the Restoration.  We're way pumped about that, hoping we get a chance to return and keep teaching them.

Sunday: It was fast Sunday, which was good.  Church was a good experience, it was great listening to others' testimonies.  We did some contacting in the evening, but there weren't really any people outside, so we did some weekly planning and set up on some meetings, then finished our studies in the evening.

And yea, that was our week.  It was a good time.  We have exchanges with the office elders this week, and then we'll be back in Warsaw again, so it should be a good time.  Anyway, hope you are all doing well, I'd love to hear from you all if you have the time.  Have a great week!

-Elder Hadfield

Week 93 - Bialystok

Bialystok Apartment Check

Church in Warsaw - Elders Hadfield, Dossett, Erickson

Tennis with the Murri's

Hello everyone!  This week was a good one.  We spent a bit of time in Warsaw, which was good, it was nice being back and seeing the people there.

Monday: We played some tennis with the Murri's (the senior couple here), which was actually pretty fun.  Had dinner at a pretty good burger place called Elvis Burger.  Group FHE was in the evening, and that was good.

Tuesday: In the morning, we went to a member's house, H., and we mowed her lawn.  She recently had knee surgery, so it was good to help her out.  We met with a part-member family we meet with weekly, sometimes more than once a week.  Also had weekly planning in the evening. 

Wednesday: Today was good.  We had our apartment inspections and district council in the morning, which went well.  We had lunch with the Murri's, did some tracting, then we had a train to Warsaw for exchanges.

Thursday: We were in Warsaw all day on exchanges, and that was really good.  We did some good contacting, and we had a lesson with P., the recent convert that was baptized while I was there.  Taught English in the evening.

Friday: Had our train back from Warsaw, got back around 1pm, then we had meetings with M., M., and B., all people we have been working with.  They went alright, not a huge amount of progression with them, but we're hoping as we continue working with them, we can help them understand the need to keep commitments.

Saturday: We met with the part-member family again, and we also had a meeting with another person we've had a couple meetings with, Z. It was okay, not super focused though.  Did a bit of contacting as well as some tracting, and it went well.

Sunday: Got up at 4 in the morning and got a bus to Warsaw.  We are part of the Warsaw branch, so we go there for church once a month.  It's about a 2.5 hour ride there, not too bad.  It was good to see the missionaries and members there again, church was good.  We did some studies in the evening after we got back.

So yea, that was our week.  We're looking forward to this next week, hoping we can find some new people to teach.  We've also got zone conference on Friday in Warsaw, so that should be a good time.  Hope things are also going well for you all.  Have a good week!

-Elder Hadfield

Week 92 - Bialystok

MTC buddies in Warsaw - Elders Wojcik, Hadfield, Dossett, Erickson

The Zone Leaders - Elder Hadfield and Elder Dossett teaching with a public display in Bialystok
By law, one of the elders has to keep his hand on the display at all times otherwise it is not legal.

Week 91 - Bialystok

Hey y'all!  It was a good week this week.  1st week of the transfer here in Białystok, and we had some solid things happen.

Monday: Got my train to Białystok from Warsaw in the morning.  Had a pretty chill first p-day here.  We have a senior couple here, the Murri's, and they are great.  They are helping out the group here so much.  We had group FHE over at their place in the evening with some of the members and a couple others we are teaching.

Tuesday: Met H., a member, in the hospital.  She had knee surgery, and seemed to be having a rough time.  We went back to visit her on Friday, and she seemed to be doing a lot better though.  Met with K., a member, and her boyfriend H., someone we are teaching.  Weekly planned in the evening.  

Wednesday: Had a conference in Warsaw, so I got to go back to Warsaw 2 days after getting transferred out of there.  It was my first time going back to a city I had previously served in, and it was great to be back.  I love Warsaw.  The conference was really good though.  It was also good to see some of the other missionaries there.

Thursday: Took care of some legal work in the morning, then we had district meeting.  It went well.  We met with L., someone else we are teaching, and it went alright.  She'll be out of town for a bit though.  Contacted a little bit in the evening.

Friday: Finished the legal work we started on Thursday.  Did some contacting, which went alright.  We met with J., a guy who lived in the States for 21 years.  He's way cool, not extremely religious yet, but he loves what we've told him so far.  Met with B. in the evening, and wasn't the best meeting I've had.  She's searching for truth, but so far hasn't seen it in the church.  We'll keep working with her and see what happens.

Saturday: Met with M. in the morning, and it went alright.  He's a way solid dude, super intelligent.  Aslo met with K. and H. again, then we went less-active finding with the Murri's.  We didn't meet any of the less-actives, but we did get some info about a few of them, where they moved, etc.  So that turned out pretty good.  

Sunday: Had church in some English school.  The group is still pretty small here in Białystok, so we don't have a chapel yet.  Hoping to get one though by the time I leave here.  We had a few members come, which was alright.  We did some tracting in the evening, and tracted into some JW guy that Elder Dossett had met before, small world.

And that was our week.  Pretty quick, adjusting to life here in Białystok, it's going well so far.  There are definitely people ready here, working on finding and teaching them.  Anyway, hope you are all doing well, hope you have a great week!

-Elder Hadfield

Week 90 - Warsaw

Hello there everyone!  This week was way good.  We did some good finding and had a lot of fun.  

Monday: Today was pretty chill.  I got a haircut.  Don't remember what else we did exactly though.  Good day though.

Tuesday: Elder Dickson's birthday!  That was a fun time.  We did weekly planning in the morning, then for lunch, we went to Hard Rock Cafe with the other missionaries here in Warsaw.  We did some contacting in the afternoon and evening.  We also went and got some kebabs for dinner with a returned sister missionary who came back to Poland with her family.

Wednesday: Independance Day!  Did some studies in the morning then had district meeting at the mission office.  That was way fun.  We learned the Pledge of Allegiance in Polish, but I already forgot it.  We had interviews afterward with President Turek, which went well.  Contacted a bit, then taught English in the evening.  They also had a grill for the youth for the Fourth of July, and they invited the missionaries to that, so we went.  That was a fun time.

Thursday: We did some contacting, which was fun.  We had a meeting with our less-active, D., which was okay.  He said he'd be "1000%" in church, but he didn't show up unfortunately.  Met with P., the recent convert, which went well.  Still working on the recent convert lessons with him.  Then we did some less-active finidng in the evening.

Friday: Studied in the morning, then had an English finding activity after lunch with some of the other missionaries.  Wasn't too bad.  We then in the evening went out to a city just north of Warsaw to meet with a potential, but they canceled right as we got there.  We just did some more less-active finding, which was fun.

Saturday: Pretty fun day.  We also got our transfer calls in the morning.  Elder Dickson will go down to Rzeszów with Elder Blau, I'm excited for them.  I'll miss Elder Dickson a lot, just one of the nicest guys I've met on my mission.  Super humble.  I found out that I'm going to spend this transfer in Białystok with Elder Dossett from my MTC group.  I'll miss Warsaw and the missionaries I was with there, but I'm pumped to be with Elder Dossett.  We taught English at noon, and met with an investigator, R., afterward.  We talked about the Holy Ghost, and it went well.  We had Sports Saturday and played some more flag football, which was a blast.  In the evening, we met with a potential, P., and taught the Restoration.  Went pretty well.

Sunday: Church was good, as usual.  Said goodbye to all the members, but I'll see them again sometime because Białystok is in the same branch as Warsaw, we just have a group out here.  We came back and packed for a bit, then we did our culture night thing with the other missionaries.  We went to a park in Warsaw to a Chopin concert and had a picnic, which was fun.  Good way to finish the transfer.

And that was the past week.  I had a train this morning, and now I'm here in Białystok with Elder Dossett.  I'm really pumped, it should be a fun transfer.  Hope y'all have a good week!

-Elder Hadfield