Zone Conference

The Bydgoszcz District: Elder Dodge, Elder Harris (District Leader), Elders Bokinsky and Gudnason (Zone Leaders).

The BYDGOSZCZ ZONE:  (Top row LtoR): Elders Kotter, Caskey, Tingey, Harris, Dodge, Bokinsky and Gudnason.  (Next row): Elders Sheley, Cieslak, Saltmarsh, Godwin, Zelezniak, White and Tufts.  (3rd row): Sisters Sheley, Bezdjian, Bown, Swenson, Masters, and Tufts.  (Seated:)Sister and Elder Schutze.

Between Zone Conference and a fireside for members and investigators, Elder Schutze met held a leadership meeting.  Elders Cieslak (District Leader Szczecin), Godwin (Senior Companion Szczecin), Harris (District Leaders Bydgoszcz), Zelezniak (District Leader Gdansk).  Standing, Elders Tingey (District Leader Poznan), Mikolyski and Tiner (Assistants) and the Bydgoszcz Zone Leaders- Elders Bokinsky and Gudanson.

Cześć Wam!

Cześć Wam!

Hey sorry was way busy this week no pictures. But I just tried to send a video so hopefully it works. Can't believe I hit my 9 month mark this week. Time is flying. This week was great! On Tuesday we had a meeting with Robert that really cool investigator I will telling you all about last week, well we committed him to baptism on April 20th. It's amazing how much the gospel has changed his life. He is loving everything we teach him. Gosh I am so excited! I love this work. He came to church for the first time because last week we had a district conference thing it's like Stake Conference,  but he came and loved it. I felt nervous because he was new, but the branch welcomed him and I hope he felt the spirit. We also had Zone Conference and of course that was good we had Elder Schutze from Germany an area authority  here in Europe come and he is awesome. So nice, so funny! work is going really good here. Sad to hear about Grandpa Keil :( but i know he is in a better place fishing and having a blast. Nothing really much else going on.

Well we have been reading from out of the Book or Mormon, and this week we read Alma 62:36 and I honestly don't like that verse because my favorite Book of Mormon hero Teancum dies. But on a spiritual note, The Book of Mormon is true. Its such a blessing to be able to read it every day and share it every day. it truly is an incredible  little book that means the world to me. I learn something new from it every day. Rather it be to be nice to people or something that just sounds good and i feel good after reading it. The Holy Ghost is special and is always willing to help. Not much this week sorry its so short but i love you and miss you all. Pray for you everyday too, but I am where I am supposed to be and to be. Honest don't want to come home, I have to much to do here. Talk to you all next week!

Love
Elder Harris

Ripped Pants

View from Elder Harris's Apartment

Elder Harris and Elder Dodge

 His nice ripped pants (story below)

 An old Catholic Church

Hey everyone!

This week was good as always! First off no, St. Partick Day does not exist here, well at least I don't think it does. I never saw green or anything or got pinched. This week was fun. On Thursday we went to the Kageles house for a little FHE. They made some food and we shared a spiritual thought about families. It was so much fun. I found out that her and my mom talk. Elder Bokinsky laughed and said she needs to talk to my mom. They sound similar, so mom find Leah Bokinksy haha. But, no they are a great family who travel around the world because of the Jim's  the Dads work.He does something with the military all I know is he is a genius. Oh yeah, Wednesday we had zone training and Gdańsk District came down to have it with us and Elder Żależniak who is from Australia ,but is Tongan plays rugby and so we instantly got along it was fun. We learned a lot too. So it was good. But Friday was a pain. We have an investigator named Adam whose mom is a member. Adam is 11 and very much an 11 year old. His mom asked for our help on Friday moving couches for a little old lady. So I thought oh sure she is little and nice.  how hard could it be? So we get there and she points out the couches and says "do windy" meaning to the elevator. I ask uh okay why?....they are going to my place. I laugh and go really? she is like yup, like it's a normal thing so we take them downstairs, and I realize oh yeah this is Poland no one has cars...so we carried 3 Couches a good Kilometer and a half in suits. It was not an enjoyable experience. Of course Elder Harris was whining the whole time ya'll no me. Luckily I called Elder Bokinsky to come help before we just ditched the couches and left (which I would never do) he came and helped which was nice then we put them in the house. I go to jump over the couches because I had no choice and then BOOM! RIPP!!!!! my pants got a big hole in the crotch  It sucked, but was pretty hilarious too. It was crappy pair of pants luckily, but I walked home with a nice breeze the whole time, fantastic . Then Saturday she the mom of Adam or her name is Renata if you  want to know, but she had a Branch Walk activity thing. Didn't want to go because I hate hikes, but to be honest it was cold, but we went to try and bond with Adam. It ended up being way cool. Got to see some cool places and a some old Catholic places. It took half the day so it was kind of a waste. But the highlight of the week was Tuesday we were contacting. We talked to some guy and he ended up not being interested and this guy asked hey who are you guys? So we teach him, set up with him for the next day. The lesson the next day was solid. He said he would be baptized when he knows the Book of Mormon is true. We are set up, but we talk and goes hey I want to be ready for the next lesson what chapter should I read? I am so excited for him, I may get my first Baptism! This guy is solid and so nice! such a blessing from our heavenly  father! his name is Robert. 
This week in my P Study though we are reading in Alma it is  about my favorite Book of Mormon Hero Teancum. If you know Teancum you know he is not in the Book of Mormon to much he is in the stories with Moroni who is the man, so he doesn't get much attention. He kills a man in his tent black ops style and they don't catch him and he does things because he knows its right not because he was asked. Such a good example. I look at him like Scottie Pippen and Moroni is Michael Jordan. MJ and Moroni make things happen and are unstoppable, but then Pippen and Teancum do what they need to do and help out the plan. Sounds cheesy, but yeah it's cool to think about. Love you all and hope you all have a good week!

Love Starszy Harris

Pic's from Sister Kegele

Elder Harris told me to find this family that is from America. So I did. Her name is Kelley Kegele. (I think)

I found her on facebook. She sent me these pic's of Shawn. She told me that he is a hoot and she just love him. She also told me that she like to take pic's, so guess what that means? More pic's of  Elder Harris. I am happy to see these kind. Loving it!!! That's the way a mission should be.Right? So this on pic is so him. I am grateful for her. She takes good care of our missionaries.

It just keeps snowing.

 More snow

Elder Dodge and Elder Harris

My new purple tie. Just like Elder Myler's

Moja Droga Droga Rodzino, ( My Dear Dear Family )

Okay so here is my address.....

UL. Toruńska 45c/25

85-023 Bydgoszcz

Polska

If you put my address correctly then everything is safe to get here. Ha ha.  How is everyone today? I am doing great.I have a little headache, but that's probably because of all the snow outside...yes it snowed again. I Swear in Poland it doesn't stop. But hey it's all good. This week was so fast, but slow at the same time. We had lots of lessons but nothing new really happened. 

Well Franciszek our baptismal date will be moved to next month because of his wako work schedule, But he will be dunked soon! no but really he is so solid and so nice. Just a tall old man, who loves to read.  This week started out with Elder Dodge buying a new suit and they had Adams ties there( they are missionary favorites I will explain if I ever serve in Warsaw )  they had some of those ties here and I found this purple polka dot one....It was Elder Mylers default tie, the one he got cut when he left his mission. So I had to buy it! So I did, so that was way cool. Then Tuesday came and I called Ewa our miracle tracking story from last week and she says well call me in 3 weeks because I am busy...czyli I am not interested. That killed me. She was the sweetest old lady. She was so ready too, but I guess it's not her time. Then I called Franciszek, we call our baptismal dates daily to make sure they are doing okay. And he was so funny we talked about my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon. Enos and he explained it all back to me, and it's so cool how much the Book of Mormon can really change someones life. It's a small miracle, but in Poland it's a big thing when someone finds out the Book of Mormon is true. It's hard work here, but so rewarding. Members here are humble and so grateful for that little book. And to be honest I am too, best way to start out my morning is by reading it. But this week like I  said nothing new really. I am doing good, me and Elder Dodge are doing great, loving the mission, but man  he does snor.....so there is times in the middle of the night I want to show him the pimp hand, but as a disciple of Christ I  wouldn't do that. Haha. He is funny. Eats like a horse, man I hardly eat anymore so he takes over my portion. Well I have work to do today. Love and miss you all, if your reading this I love you and if your not I love you too. Everyone have a good week because I know I will!

Love

Elder Harris

Lovin the new city

 A beautiful Catholic Church

Elder Harris without his coat. Looks like weather is getting warmer.

No cześć wam

 Wow what a good busy week. So much fun too! And PS it's getting warmer! But it's crazy how much street success we had this week. As a mission it's a goal to talk to the 1st 3 people out the door no matter what and everyday one of the 1st 3 we talk to ended up being a street lesson and a placed book. Bydogoszcz is prime and I am so ready and excited! I have a talk that I listen to every morning that I love well actually a series of talks. 1st is, Let us be Men by Elder Chirstofferson 2nd, Power of the Priesthood by President Monson and 3rd Living worthy of the girl you will some day marry. They are just awesome talks, gets me so pumped.  Also this week I found a delicious snack. So ya'll know what a Aero bar is right? That really good un american candy bar with the bubbles? They are big in Europe and Krisy showed them to me from the London market like a million years ago, but I have one like 3 or 4 times a week here, but I found something better. Also if you know me you know I love whip cream, so i found the areo bar candy stuff in whip cream form. Holy cow so good!!!! but yeah, anyways this week we taught 12 lessons.  Half where member lessons and in Poland if you get one or two then that's a good week, but we got 6. It's was nuts!  Monday, I ate sushi for the first time, I don't like cooked fish so maybe I would like raw fish.....HA stuff was nasty! like not terrible, but wouldn't choose to eat.  I would eat it just if someone paid because it's not my favorite.  Tuesday I met my baptismal dates Franciszek and Adam and they are really really cool Franciszek is about 60 and Adam is about 11 we had 3 meetings with them and they were all good lessons! Then I got to meet one of our eternal's who has family issues. We want talk  to her family about us, but she is so so nice! she is golden. We are not here to force just to invite so I don't know. 

 Wednesday Sister Keagle the american member taught seminary which we attended, We where with Jasmine our eternal and it was a blast she is funny.  Sunday though was stressful,  so district leaders go to branch council and report the missionary work not to bad right? Ha yea, Elder Harris is still learning Polish so I had to translate for Sister Kaegle as well as listen to 4 people talk at once. It killed my head, but hey I did it! It was fun and then the miracle happened Sunday night! we went tracking and met Eva a little old women who let us in. It was great. I will keep ya'll posted on it! but yeah having a blast. My district meeting was successful, no one feel asleep so yeah! Well love you all and miss you all!!!

Love

Elder Harris