Day 9 Return to Majdanek

This post might be a little graphic... but I took my kids so I figured it was pretty much ok to post. I did take a few pics with the kids in them and I hated how that sounded... "stand there and smile for the picture!" Almost like I was mocking... So I stopped that and now you have pictures of Majdanek just as I saw them. I have read the history and the holocaust books... but nothing compares to seeing it first hand. The pics won't do it justice... the smell of the barraks was aweful... I could taste it for hours. There was even a shrine room that was too disturbing for our liking... and so we skipped that one.
Majdanek was a death camp.

It is HUGE! Yesterday I posted with a picture of the memorial at the front. It was big! I stood on the road about 1/4 of the way and took a picture looking toward that big memorial and to the end where the dome is. It took us over 3 hours to walk around it.



The outer parimeter is single lined barbed wire fencing. However, the barraks were double barbed fencing to ensure that the prisoners wouldn't escape at night. Lights out @ 9 up for work at 5... Guards on watch 24 hours.

Artifacts taken from the prisoners were mostly books, especially religious books, jewelry, mirrors, brushes and anything they really had. The children's dolls and toys were also taken. One of the dolls had its eyes removed because they were valuable.



Some of those who were murdered at Majdanek.

Paperwork on every adult was documented. None of the kids were ever documented. They mostly exterminated them right away since they couldn't work much.


Road going to the women's barraks. The women and men were seperated by double barbed wire fencing

Mens barraks with signage.
The beds were huge! They were built like 3 story bunkbeds... as long as my back yard in Arizona. They lined the outer walls and one running down the middle of the row. They were designed for 250 people but at some times housed as many as 500... People sleeping on top of, next to and crowded by each other... and even some on the floors.
The children's barraks weren't as big. Again, the kids weren't there long.


The signage at Majdanek was all over. They did a good job giving information and sometimes even telling stories of some of the prisoners.


These huge concrete tubs were filled with disinfectant solution. The prisoners were required to bath here before they showered. Their clothing was then taken from them. Their new clothes were worn for 2-3 weeks, no showers and then they were able to change.

showers came after the tubs but they were all in the same room. The prisoner's heads were shaved here and the hair was sold for making felt. The shower room was about as big as my family room in Mesa.

Just beyond the showers was the gas chamber. A big concrete room with a metal door and a viewing room for the soldiers to watch the prisoners from. The "ss officers" would feed gas in until the job was done.


These autopsy tables were in the crematorium and the gas houses. Before the prisoners were put in the ovens they were serched for valuable items including gold fillings, etc. They were removed and put in a "loot" room and sometimes sold.




The crematorium was mostly how the people's bodies were disposed of in this camp. It allowed for more space in the camp.


This dome is a gigantic Urn full of ash and bone fragment easily viewed by people touring Majdanek. It is placed on the execution spot of 17,000 Jews... all murded the same day.


This casket like urn is in the crematorium


These are like the urns that the Nazi's would send back to families... offering their loved ones ashes for a hefty price. As if they hadn't already taken everything from them... It was horrifying to think of.



I know that is long... it was intense. There were no less than 15 bus loads of Jewish youth and leaders from Israel visiting with us. The camp was so massive that most of the time we were still alone. We toured most buildings all by ourselves. Perhaps that gives some tangible insight on really how big Majdanek is.

I didn't realize how many consentation and death camps there were. Literally... dozens! They were mostly here in Poland, however, many in Germany and Russia. Majdanek is on the main road to Russia. It is very visible from the road and has (and had) housing butting up next to it. It makes me want to research why the heck this went on while in such visible view.

Thoughts during my visit:
1) Would I have died trying to get out? I think I would have... but surely many of these people were trying.
2) How could anyone ever say this didn't happen?
3) What can I tell my children tonight?

I am more thankful for a complete understanding of life after death. I am grateful for a merciful Heavenly Father. I am grateful that I don't have to sort through that mess upon judgement day.

On a more upbeat note... Something I learned frome Poland today:
vanilla here is not real or extract... rather it is flavoring. It made our buttermilk syrup not taste totally yummy.

I'm calling in a favor for friends back home...
Elder Basha was here for dinner tonight (we have an "open door" policy for the missionaries and they hardly ever have dinner invites so we eat with them quite often! If you want to be a well fed missionary you better hope for a call to Poland, Lublin!) and we chatted about him pulling some strings with grandpa Basha to get all our friends in AZ some jogobella yogurt. This stuff is amazing... I will cry when I leave Poland because I can't take it home. You would cry too. It's worth the tears. Bless jogobella yogurt...

Day 8

Today I paid for the lack of sleep last night. Mckay woke me up at 10! CRAZY! haven't done that in forever... I got up, cleaned the house (which isn't very dirty since we only have clothes to mess it up with!) and got ready for the day. Then 2 hours later Bailey got up. Yep... NOON! That is unlike her in every way! This sleep modification process is strange.
We had planned to finish our tour of the Majdanek... but the kids were ready for a break. They actually wanted to sit around and do not much of anything... and play with friends. Problem #1... They don't have friends yet... And so they played with each other and that was good enough for a lazy day around the Polish house.
I did go to the grocery store... It's a daily ritual! I planned to spend a lot of time there... and i did. I was able to see what is really there and pretend to read labels in Polish and decifer what the picture was! I left with a hefty cart full of goods to include a straightener with European plugs and a waffle iron. Breakfast for dinner tomorrow night.
Everyone stares at me. Not with a lustful look... but rather a disgusted look as to say, "why is she buying so much?" Nobody around here shops with food storage or emergency preparedness in mind at all! They even point! All I can say is that it is a good thing that I have a great self esteem... I would be in a world of hurt if I didn't. Seriously!
The missionaries joined us for dinner again tonight. We ate stirfry surprise... pleasantly surprised considering I grabbed stir fry packets with nice pictures on them and then had the missionaries tell me what they said and how to prepare. They came over to teach Mr. Mecham the baptismal prayer in Polish. Nate is baptizing Lukus in Polish on Saturday... in a lake. Pretty Cool!
Today I learned:
1) europeans don't fill their grocery carts... Most of them only need a carry basket for all their goods.
2) Kids need a break from the running a sight seeing... I didn't think that would ever happen.
3) My internet connection here stinks. They promised to come out tomorrow and get us a new modem. Hopefully!

Day 7... One week already

I can hardly believe we left good old Phoenix sky Harbor a whole week ago. It feels like yesterday...
Today was beautiful agian! It was nice and warm... but definately not too hot! We opted to chill around the house this morning. The kids wanted to talk to grandparents and friends. Then we ate lunch on the deck in celebration of summer! It was pretty much a short order house around here today. The bees ruined lunch. As soon as they smelt McKay's strawberry water they decided to join us... I tried to convince the kids that Polish bees don't sting, but they aren't stupid and therefore didn't believe me.
After lunch we took off to go to the Majdanek death camp which is located only 20 minutes from the house... if you know where you are going. But if you don't know where you are going then it may or may not be more like 1 hour away. So I just took pictures on the way. I can't decide if I love that people have their home on top of stores or not... but they do. And I think I kinda think its cool. So I took a picture to give an idea. Stores along the sidewalk downstairs, and apartments upstairs. Most buildings are like this. Its kinda weird when you walk downtown to go shopping and when you look up you see a man in his unders standing on the balcony. Just saying... its not like back home. I think it might take some getting used to.



This is a far view of the Majdanek memorial. It is HUGE! The camp is massive! You are driving along down this beautiful tree lined road and then out of no where there is a huge open field and a massive memorial! It is obvious what it is as you look out over the open field.

You pull in through a narrow barbed wire gate to park... or you may drive through it. The camp is definately that big! Majdanek was a death camp, which was different from the concentration camps, and is one of the most intact camps today. The German's didn't have quite enough time to dispose of it like they would've like to. It really is quite depressing.

The guard towers line the road way. The fences are still up. We got there later than we had hoped and so we didn't get to see very much before it closed. Bummer. We will be finishing our tour tomorrow. I will take more pics then. We literally barely got to the surface before we had to leave. I can't even describe how massive this place is.


Picture of the kids in front of the memorial gives and idea of how big the memorial really is.




After spending much of the day getting lost and then later in the afternoon at the Majdanek, I didn't want to make dinner and eat at 8:00 p.m. again. That gets old quick! So we went to dinner at Dulce Vita. It is the yummiest Italian food ever! Elders Plumb and Basha joined us. They were in Warsaw all day and so they hadn't eaten yet either. Plumb said he had eaten all the kabobs he wanted so he chose Italian and I was so happy he did. My spinach lasagna was amazing! Those guys are so fun to hang out with. Elder Basha reminds me of one of my fav people, Scott Holt. I get a huge kick out of him. I think he probably thinks I'm nuts because when he is talking I stare at him... it trips me out how much he talks like Scott. His manerisms are the same. It feels like Home sweet home! Plus I love his mother... she is a hoot!

Things I learned today:
1) Polish bees sting too
2) Death camps are very sombering
3) Today, the Polish people hate the Russians more than the Germans
4) Many of the Polish people were murdered along with the Jews. The Pols did not like what was going on and because of it, when they stood up for themselves they were taken out also.

day 6

Today Mr. Mecham was back at work. As soon as I got my cell phone registered so that I had phone numbers to call when I got lost, the kids and I went to lunch. We decided to get lost in Lublin! We found our way down town... luckily the kids reminded me that they are much smarter than I am and navigated us perfectly! Once down town we found parking... but it isn't free on weekdays. I was quickly reminded that I do not speak Polish. The nice man who was taking money for parking didn't speak English. He thought I was dutch... so he found somebody to translate for me in dutch. I don't speak Dutch... but appearantly I look Dutch. Luckily a man on the sidewalk translated in English to tell me that he would be willing to allow me to pay when I got back. So off we went. I immediately got on the phone with mr. Mecham who was hard at work. I reminded him I had no money and inquired where to go... which he started to tell me... we laughed pretty hard at how confused i must have looked! Not even 30 seconds after I hung up the phone, I turned around to see Elders Basha and Plumb walking toward me. I have NEVER enjoyed a familiar face so much in my life! What are the chances that I would run into somebody I know in downtown Lublin, right when I needed somebody most?! I call that tender mercys. It reminded me that we have a kind Heavenly Father who is mindful of EVERYTHING that is going on. The missionaries said they saw me from the McDonald's window and they thought I might need help. They took me to get money, then back to my car to pay for parking. I would have been in a world of hurt, probably terribly ripped off, and could've even had my car towed if they had not been there to translate and help me. Honestly... they were guardian angels today and I will forever be thankful for their goodness.
I asked the kids if they wanted something Polish to try for lunch... Cole said, "we havn't tried Subway!" Bailey reminded him that we eat Subway all the time at home. His reply, "we haven't had Polish Subway!" Funny kid. So Subway it was. And we actually found out that the spicey Italian meat tastes different here than it does in good old America.
After lunch we headed through down town on foot. We wanted to take it all in... and we had paid for 3 hours of parking! Plenty of time. It was warm outside. 81 degrees today. HEAT WAVE! At the end of down town is the Lublin castle. We had to see it!


The castle bridge looking back at downtown Lublin


Front of the Lublin castle



Side of the Lublin Castle taken from the park. It is huge!

Castle park arch entrance. The park was wide open with big huge trees everywhere! It was beautiful! And everything is soooo green.


The park toys were so old school. It was like taking a step back in time! The kids thought it was great because they haven't really seen those kind of park toys before! But I remember them from River Heights elementry school! An old metal merry go round. A teeter totter and a old swings. They did have a more modern climbing toy. But the kids were drawn to the old stuff! I laughed when mcKay quickly figured out that if he hopped off the teeter totter the other end would go down with a boom! And so he joyfully played with Bailey until he was at the bottom and then he bailed... leaving her to fall... and then he laughed and laughed. Gotta love brothers! The kids met some little boys from England and they were so happy to talk to somebody in English! I loved their little British accents. They were so blasted cute!


over looking downtown from the park. It is so pretty!


we got lost on the way home. Bailey and Mckay figured out how to work the navigation on my phone. I am having a hard time figuring out my gps so I used my phone navigation. We got home and in the house right before a black cloud moved in and it poured rain! Lightening would strike with immediate thunder! I thought it would come in my kitchen window! But it didn't last long. And then a big old rainbow appeared right out the front door. Again, a reminder of Heavenly Father's love for us. We were happy to be home.

Things I learned today:
1) water costs 1,50 unless you don't speak Polish and then its 2, 50.
2) my children are better at finding our way around than I am
3) I am going to love hauling my kids around and getting lost
4) I love the missionaries more than I realized... and to show my gratitude offered them an open invite to dinner. Which reminds me that I need to send them the menue for the week.
5) I got ripped off again... and I learned that I want to know Polish more today than yesterday and so Rosetta and I are getting ooober comfy starting tomorrow morning!

my internet connection was fixed today. My video phone is working beautifully if you would like to make a local call from the united states you may now do so. we have had to use Skype for a few days... and I couldn't be more thankful to have my phone back... It reminds me how bad I think Skype blows!

Day 5

This morning we went to church for the first time in Lublin. Wow! Coming from Mesa central stake... it is fair to say that even though I was expecting different, that would be an understatement. The blessing of strong stakes is far beyond what I ever comprehended. The church is in an old building like an office space. At the front door you ding a bell and the door opens to a concrete entry with office doors on either side. It smells like smoke. (Who was it that said, "the best smell at church is that of cigarette smoke?) You walk up a concrete set of stairs to more office doors and enter the little open one with a white piece of laminated paper saying "the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" in Polish. Once inside there was a kitchen off to the left about half the size of my house kitchen in Mesa. The Sacrament mtg room was about as big as Bailey's bedroom in Mesa with a podium, table that had one bread and on water tray, about 15 chairs and a keyboard. Elder Plumb, the senior missionary, is the branch President who presides over and conducts every mtg. There was also a bathroom and one other classroom and the elder's office. The kids were all given a Book of Mormon in Polish and we sang our hymns in Polish... funny. Today was a busy day at church. There were 2 missionaries, our family of 5, a visiting couple with 2 kids, Marline and Sabastian, Lukus (the investigator who will be baptized on saturday in a lake. Nate gets to do the honors since he was there when Lukus accepted the invitation to be baptized) lacey and Troy Potter, and a Ukrainian lady that I didn't know and brother and Sister Guadoon and Mikial. 20 people! And that is double what it normally is. Yeah! We had sacrament mtg and sunday school and everyone was joined together. Yep... even the kids.
Things I learned at church:
1) even if you are a visitor you might be asked to speak. That's right... Elona was visiting from Canada (Native Polish) and she was the speaker in Sacrament mtg.
2) I think it will be hard to give a talk that has to be translated in to Polish by Elder Plumb. LOST train of thought.
3) The Polish members in Lublin are pioneering the church in Poland and they are very strong and faithful people.
4) My children could answer all the questions in Sunday school. this gives you and idea of the basic level we teach on out here. No Michelle Ayalla deep doctorine like I love... back to basics. It is very strange.
5) Appearantly I can now wear tank tops and slacks to church so long as I have on high heel pumps, but I can no longer drink coke because its against the word of wisdome! We were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overdressed in our Sunday duds.

After church we drove to Chelm (pronounced HELM) to see nate's office. He is back to work tomorrow. It is about a 45 min drive to the Ukrain boarder where he works.

He works in a place where the Polish people worked on a cement plant during communism. It was still there but old and run down. we also saw Ancient rail cars that were used at that time! The plant isn't currently in use so it is very run down... but they've built a new one. It is just around the bend from the old one and doesn't look much cleaner... just not as run down!

nate's office is small. Portable... since this job is a temporary site for Dome.


We also did a little drive through Chelm to see some of the many Cathedrals that stand majestically over the tree line. They are beautiful buildings and were hopping today with all the worshiping Catholics. It is nice to see a religiou people. The Pols are very religious and steeped in their traditions. So much so that they are very difficult to share the gospel with.


In Chelm we stopped so I could meet Joanna (the secretary at Dome who helps all the Americans! She speaks beautiful English... Bless her!) I loved Joanna. She was at the park with her 2 year old son. The park was down a one lane pitted dirt road. It had a fish restaraunt with a lake next to it. Quite nice! On the way out we pulled to the side to let somebody go by and landed in a pit and gave the car a little damage. Mr. Mecham remembered the Sabbath and chose nice words to say but there was steam shooting from his ears. Good times.
the drive was fun. we got home late and ate dinner at 10:00. Lame! We had spaghetti... remember the story about the grocery store? Yeah... the sauce we bought wasn't good. It was sweet. And we were starving so we ate it anyway... I need to find spices and tomatoes quick if we want that meal again!
Things I learned on my drive to chelm:
1)The country out here is amazing! Rolling green hills with beautiful homes and churches placed throughout.
2) Many of the famers were harvesting hay with a rake, pitchfork and horse drawn wagon. It felt like a step back in time.
3) Storks aren't as big as I pictured them. And they are just about to make their big winter migration back to Africa until next spring.
4) Communism wasn't long ago. There are traces of it everywhere. Kinda crazy.

I can now say Hello, Goodbye, Thankyou, and ice cream in Polish. I think its time to pull out Rosetta.

Nearly A week in Poland

I promised to blog every day when I got here for two reasons: 1. to keep family and friends posted 2. to never forget this once in a life time adventure. And though I didn't get it up on the blog, I have been taking notes so that I could get it on here asap! I still don't have pics up and going... but I will add them later.
Day 4: Today was the Ultra adventure... Grocery shopping! We had 2 hours before we had to be as Bieta Guadoon's for dinner. Surely that is enough time to get some provisions to fill our very large European 2ft by 4ft fridge and one small cupboard for dry goods! Except if you don't know the language and the food isn't all the same then you quickly realize that 2 hours isn't enough time to find the picture of what you think you want and hope to high heck that you got the right thing! We know we bought the right yogurt and granola because we tried it in the mission home. we know we bought the right produce because Polish bananas look the same as American bananas! haha... and we know bought spaghetti noodles but we arent so sure about the sauce, the nail polish remover (which looks like a small bottle vodka) or the meat. Was it pork or beef? Don't know. I guess we will figure it out! Oh well... in two days we will be back at the store for more food since the fridge will be empty then! The grocery story was different to say the least! we weigh our own food and then the tag is printed out with a bar code. The candy has alcohol in it. We couldn't find most of the stuff we eat. But that is not a complaint! We actually found it quite comical and can't wait to figure all of this out!
We took Elder Plum and Elder Basha to lunch after Nate went with them to find a baptismal spot at the lake for Lukus. He is being baptized next Saturday. Very exciting! We ate at a milk bar called Chata. It was authentic Polish food and it was AWESOME! I ate something like a dumpling and coleslaw... the kids ate chicken, potatoes and coleslaw. We were soooo full! Next time I am getting what Plum had: buckwheat with gravey sauce. Basha ate a potatoe pancake with red sauce... I wasn't in love with that!
We ate bbq dinner at the Guadoon's. Biata is so very nice! I love her! She doesn't speak English, but you could tell she is genuine and could be a very good friend so long as she doesnt want to talk! haha.... She has been a member for 10 years. She has 2 sons. One is 17 and the other is on a mission. Her son in the first Polish member to serve a mission. At the BBQ were other people too: The missionaries, Lukus, Tim and Elona (from Canada) and the Potters. oh... and Biata who is Biata's friend! Sister Nielson told me there were 10 Polish names and I would learn them quickly. Appearantly Biata is one of them! It really was pretty fun.
Today I learned:
1) the grocery store is going to take a while to get used to for now.
2) 57 degrees in August is nice until you consider that it is a heat wave and begin to wonder what December will be like.
3) I can drive to the grocery store and home without getting lost.
4) dziekuje means thank you... don't try to read it cuz it doesn't sound like it looks: gen coo yeh is more like the sound.
5) One can purchase American candy in Poland, but it doesn't taste the same. Chocolate doesn't have wax in it here.
6) I am sooooo confused on the money exchange. I can't wrap my head around the fact that 500 zlote is not 500 dollars.
7) Mckay has the most amazing sense of humor.
8) You must take your own bags shopping or you get charged for every single bag.

Day 3
today our lost bag was found! In fact, The courier from Warsaw delivered it to our house in Lublin. That is service! And everything was in side just like I left it! We got most of our house put together but still didn't make it to the grocery store. I have major jet lag. It is getting ridiculous! Falling asleep all day is so rude! We ate lunch in downtown Lublin. The architecture is unreal! The cobblestone streets are so fairy tale like. The lamp posts are decorative, black iron with flowers hanging from them. It is so fun! People are out everywhere! The economy her must be booming! We ate kabobs at a little shop downtown. They were delicious and soooo messy! There was a little girl playing her acordian with a money basket sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. It was sweet. We purchased the biggest raspberries I have ever seen from a little girl on the sidewalk. They tasted like candy. I will eat them for breakfast in the morning. It rained like I've never seen it rain. For dinner we ate Pizza from pizza hut. I don't even like Pizza hut but this pizza was delicious! It wasn't even greasy! Go figure that one!
things I learned today:
1) jet lag isn't a funny situation. the kids want to know what is wrong with me!
2) People dress up here to walk outside. They go to the store in dresses and slacks. The women all wear high heal sandals. My jeans don't look very nice. I must invest in some dressy clothing soon.
3) Everyone walks. I can only imagine that is part of the reason that there are no fat people other than myself in this town! YIKES!
4) Kabobs are not meat and veggies on a stick. They are more like pitas full of grilled veggies and meat done to perfection dripping with yummy sauce that I don't know what it is called or how on earth to make.
5) If you tell the kids that the little girl playing the accorian is working for her dinner they seem to love her more and start begging to give her money rather than buy themselves anything else.
6) Bailey will never be happy in Poland.

Day 2
Warsaw is a beautiful place! We left President and Sister Nielson's huge mission home after enjoying a quick breakfast of yogurt, granola, cereal and blueberry muffin cake, a quick picture, and some good advice to get us on our way and we went to Stalin's tower. It was a gift to the Polish people from Russia. (FYI: The Polish people aren't loving the Russians after many years of supression and comunisim. They don't find it even cool that I took 3 years of Russian in school and can say things like "slowly but surely" and count to 5 still) We purchased tickets so we could go to the top and found out that we actually bought tickets to go into an exhibit with lizards... the kind we are used to seeing on our curb in AZ. It wasn't too impressive... but our elevator ride did go to the top any way! And we could see all over Warsaw. We ate lunch at McDonalds. We ordered by pointing out pictures off the menue. McDonald's here isnt a playplace and a cheap lunch where all the white trash people spend their afternoons. It is a restaraunt. Go figure! I have no less than 68 misquito bites from my ankles to my knees and they itch something fierce. Our house in Lublin is beautiful in an nice neighborhood. It is very European with iron and arch ways. Everytime I come home I think of Lindsay and Spencer Jones and their European home in Mesa! The yard is green and the topiary trees on the stairs leading to the front door make me happy. Inside we have no carpet. Just wood and marble floors. The stairs are marble. They make me very nervice. The kitchen is the small. EVerything is miniture: the fridge, the dishwasher, the sink. The furniture is ikea like and the walls are very bare! We have a nice deck looking into the fur trees that thickly line our yard with the neighbors about 20 feet from the deck! Upstairs we have 3 bedrooms with no closets, one bathroom with a lovely tub and one big closet in the hall way. It is different. Main floor is the kitchen, living room, bathroom with big shower and dining room where we put the desk. Downstairs is a bathroom, laundry room/ family room, and bedroom and the garage. So the house is pretty spacious and very nice. We can live here for a while! :) The landlords have a black lab named Negra. Cole calls her Nigra. It's pretty cute. She is a friendly dog and the boys have been entertained for hours by her. For dinner Nate took us to his favorite Italian food, Dulce Vita. It was pretty authentic and most delicious. I was told everyone here speaks English. I have not found that to be the case. In most cases, everyone here understands English and speaks enough to say that they don't speak English.
Today I learned:
1) Pres. and Sister Nielson have mesa ties. Pres grew up on 3rd st. in our beloved Lazona ward. He has many friends from that area. Later he lived behind one of my best friends in Friendly Cove. They know all of my high school buddies families and even vacationed with some of them.
2) Sister Nielson is so hospitable that she reminded me of Suzy Everton... and I began to wonder if that is a requirement for Friendly Cove/ Dynasty Estates residents. She has made the mission home in Warsaw an amazing place and I actually thought I would love to be the wife of a mission president after hanging with her for a day.
3) The mission home in Warsaw is owned by the church. It has a sauna in the downstairs bathroom. LUCIOUS!
4) It is obvious that Americans pay more than the Polish people for everything. And when we turn our backs they laugh... and though we suck at speaking Polish, we still understand what is going on... and sometimes it is lame to know that you are being taken advantage of and still can't do anything about it.
5)rich people eat at McDonalds here. And yes, they dress up to go.
6) Polish misquitos are the same as American misquitos... and they itch just as bad
7) swollen ankles from travel don't go away after 24 hours. I am wondering if they ever will go down if the misquitos keep biting me.
8)We have been given much in America. I am beginning to see the abundance of the Promised land.
9) Strictly from appearance sake, I have seen more people that I look like here than I do walking down the street in AZ. In fact, I would dare say I fit in more here than I do there!
10) The weather, the vegitation, the food is wonderful.

Day 1
We arrived in Warsaw. The flight was better than I thought... Once we got through the airport with our bags the rest was gravey! Going through security in the international terminal was a treat. It was the first time I have ever been patted down/felt up in an airport. Only one bag was lost. Unfortunately it was the boys clothing. Fortunatley they don't care. The airport said they would locate it and send it on to Lublin. Nate and Lacey Potter picked us up and it was fun to see them! I debated on hugging Nate or kicking him in the crotch! We settled on hugs. We went to the Mission home where we were warmly welcomed by President Stan and Sister Judi Nielson. Sis Nielson gave us a tour of the mission home mansion and I found myself thinking I could live there forever. I was blitzed from zero sleep in over 24 hours and thought that anything that resembled a home with pictures of family and beds in it with running water and toilets/showers and kitches sounded about perfect! I laid down on the most comfy bed of my life and fell asleep until the welcoming crew showed up! The boys took off running under Nate's watchful care and Bailey joined me for slumber. Sister Nielson invited over a few other American families for a bbq: The Wood family and The Staples. They both live in Warsaw. They had kids the same ages as ours and they became instant friends. So sad they live 3 hours from our house. Dinner was fabulous. The misquitos enjoyed me.
Things I learned today:
1) European Architecture is awesome!
2) Sister Nielson is one of my all time fav people.
3) I like meeting up with Americans in Poland. We have language in common.
4) when you've been on an airplane for as long as we had, it doesn't even matter that your luggage is lost.
5) reporting lost luggage in a foreign language is done best by drawing pictures with colored crayons.
6) I think I'm going to love this adventure.

Saying goodbye is hard for me

Saying goodbye has always been one of my least favorite things! I always cry. ALWAYS! I cry at funerals... they are a goodbye. I cry when I move. I have never figured out why it is so difficult for me, it just seems to be. Oh well.
3 months ago, Mr. Mecham took a job with the ever amazing Dome Technologies. It really is his dream job! Dome's home office is in Idaho Falls. They tried to hire him years ago but I was not interested in a permanent relocation to Idaho and so we didn't go. 3 months ago Mr. Mecham was also offered 3 other jobs, all of which were equal paying. However, Dome offered him an opportunity to work abroad! It was an opportunity that, not only did we want, but also we knew we should take.
Over the years since Mr. Mecham and I were married we have lived in 3 different states and now 2 different countries. We have always associated with the kindest people and enjoyed every minute of our stay no matter where we were. But everyone knows that as soon as you move the relationship changes. And for me, that is sometimes hard when you are completely happy with how the relaionships currently are!
Somehow this does all go together! Last Monday night some Ms. Dillard and Co. threw a very lovely party to say goodbye to me... and i cried the whole time. So I didn't get to tell everyone that I was excited to move. I didn't get to tell everyone that I would miss them! I didn't get to tell everyone the story behind us moving! Because I was crying! And besides, I ruined every picture! haha...
We wanted to move. We love the adventure. The problem is that we wanted everyone to come with us! There will always and forever be a lovely place in our hearts for the friendships and relationships we have with dear friends and family all over the world. And we so look forward to reunions which we know will come!
For now,
do widzenia