5) The fall colors are still here.
We keep thinking that Autumn has ended. BOY HOWDY it has been a long time since we experienced Autumn... because it is still here even though we thought that surely it was on its way out! The colors are still there... mostly browns now... but the leaves haven't all fallen. And we don't have any snow yet! With as cold as it is getting I am certain that we are in for an eye opener when winter actually comes to stay.
4)The roads! Oh Bless them!
Wide open free way systems are unheard of here in Poland... except for the space between Krakow and Wroclaw. We were so excited to see a real freeway! And even more delighted that we could drive fast enough for bugs to actually splat on our windshield rather than just land and take a free ride to the next town. Two of the free way roads are toll roads... for 7zt. Which Mr. Mecham openly admitted he would have paid 70 zt to travel on that road! He was like a kid in a candy store!
3)Papa Nate was the happiest he's been in years when he put the medal to the floor and navigated us on open roads! He is still talking about it and we've been home for nearly a week.
He may or may not have broken the speed limit a little... but perhaps he couldn't help express the feelings of liberation he felt on such an open road!
2) The Dr. Seuss trees... I finally got a picture of them.
While Mr. Mecham was making record times, I was trying to photograph the trees which inevitably inspired Dr. Seuss... Every time I see this tree I wish I was standing still enough to photograph it. They are out in the country mostly... and I think they are trippy!
If the balls were colored red, yellow, pink, blue and green then they would fit right in to the Dr. Seusse's beloved story, "Oh The Places You'll Go"! I am quite confident that Dr. Seuss traveled to Poland... atleast whomever it was that illustrated for him did!
1) Taking the Elders to dinner. We ate at the Sphinx... it was yummy!
We have a little tradition that we take the elders to dinner when we visit each of the parts of Poland. We have grown fond of each of them and love how friendly they are and how beautifully they speak English. With each of them we find some association to home sweet home and often know some of the same people. Elder Ball is from Nate's old stomping grounds in Utah. And though he was a baby when Nate was leaving home, they had much to talk about. Elder Gladun is serving in Poland and his parents are in our branch! He is the only Polish missionary currently serving in the entire world! :) We had packages to deliver from home and found out that we love Elder Gladun as much as we love his awesome mother, father and younger brother. What a great family!
On another note:
last night we bid farewell to Elder Basha who was transferred this morning to Lodz. It is selfishly a very sombering day for us. Elder Basha has been among the most significant of the tender mercies we've had since coming to Poland. Perhaps the greatest. And though we have tried so hard to be excited for his work to continue here, we let him go with heavy hearts. The Mechams will forever be thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who allowed us an association with such a profound individual!
Favorite things about Elder Basha:
*love. love. love. his sense of humor! It will take him far in this life!
*his willingness to leave his comfy home and serve Heavenly Father
*He gets an A+ for effort in the Polish Language! He is GOOD! When you talk about gift of tongues, he has it... and even better, he is willing to share anything/everything he knows with others.
*He has guts! I have sat back in amazment on multiple occasions while watching Elder Bash-ski converse with preachers of other faiths, laughed about his willingness to take time for the endless transients who approach him and courageously and shamelessly state the facts of our belief and then defend its teachings.
*He will eat anything and smile and tell you its good! I know he hates it... but he will eat it and then eat more and then thank you for it. An angel, really.
*The laugh! Oh that laugh! It is not only contageous, but also so very welcomed!
*friendships. Elder Basha must have a trillion friends. I can't imagine a single person not loving him.
*his humility is honorable.
*he is passionate about everything he does.
*He might have the biggest heart of any person I've ever met.
*He puts others before himself. He is 100% selfless.
*Love that his face turns every color of red when he is embarassed.
*when I can see tired in his face, it is never visible in his effort.
*his knowledge and understanding of this great work.
We have adopted a little saying to get us through. It goes like this: "don't cry because he's gone, smile because he happened>"
I have said it before, I hope my boys are as well prepared as Elder Bash-ski when the time comes for them to serve Heavenly Father.
1 comment:
You said that Nate sped. I find that to most likely be untrue, or a christmas miracle. Those that know my dear brother, know that the movie "Driving Miss Daisy" was written for and about his driving skills. For him to even approach the speed limit must have been a thrill for all in the vehicle. I bet he is still talking about it. It's the biggest thrill he's had driving. :)
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