We have a few cooks in the kitchen getting ready for the barbeque. It's the rainy month so it is a steady downpour outside, good thing the porch is covered. The very attractive blond is the Tarasevich's daughter just off her mission on Temple Square, over visiting her parents.
Our hosts, President and Sister Nielson have their work aprons on and are getting the rest of the meal ready other than the barbeque where Elder Moon and Eldder Tarasevich are grilling up chicken and hamburgers.
Sister Tarasevich and her daughter Robin.
In Poland, people are not taught and do not know how to read music. So there is a way for members of the Branches here to learn to play the piano. We have no Polish piano players in the Church here. The method is for them to learn to play a series of chords. The hymn book has in the back, chords that go with each hymn so if they can play the chords, they can accompany the singing. Below are seniors that will take that back to the Branches.
This is a Mercedes Benz bus that will take us on a tour of Warsaw that most people do not get to see.
I am standing with Kasia Gorniak, one of my YSAs. She will translaate for the tour guide. (By the way, I love Kasia!!
Despite the drizzle and windy weather, we have nothing but smiles.
This is one of the many magnificant Cathedrals in Poland. We wondered where they raised the money for all these Catholic Churches in Poland. Come to find out... Eveeryone, whether a Catholic or not pays part of his taxes to the Catholic Church. Hmm!! No wonder!
This blurred picture is important.. As we were waiting for our tour guide, keeping in mind that it was cold, windy and rainy, we noticed a man in crutches, in a thin bathrobe, aamputated leg with a bandage on the stump and no shoes. As we were all talking about this and wondering where he was trying to get to, President Nielson without any hesitation went overr tto the man and wrappeed him up in his good overcoat and led him to a place where he could sit him down. The man was highly medicated and a fresh amputee and had just walked out of the hospital in the next block with nothing on but the hospital gown and his crutches. Kasia call Warsaw's 911 and eventually the ambulance came and got him. He spoke a little english and so President was able to determine what had happened and Kasia was able to summon the ambulance. I'm not sure what would have happened if President Nielson had not gone over. Chances are he would have continued to wander and who knows what would have happened to him. The sad thing is that I'm not sure if any of us would have gone overr thinking he was probably a street person, but President Nielson did what we all should have done. He walks the wwalk!!!I think the nurse who was on duty and responsible might not have a job anymore.
Taking a break on the tour!!
We are over on the other side of the river from Warsaw in a small city of Praga. It is older than Warsaw and wasn't demolished to the extent that Warsaw was. This area has many of the original buildings. It has also become the place of the arts. We are standing with a series of bronze statutes all playing musical instruments. At certain times of the day music is actually played. We never heard it though.
Sister Tarasevich and her daughter Robin.
In Poland, people are not taught and do not know how to read music. So there is a way for members of the Branches here to learn to play the piano. We have no Polish piano players in the Church here. The method is for them to learn to play a series of chords. The hymn book has in the back, chords that go with each hymn so if they can play the chords, they can accompany the singing. Below are seniors that will take that back to the Branches.
This is a Mercedes Benz bus that will take us on a tour of Warsaw that most people do not get to see.
I am standing with Kasia Gorniak, one of my YSAs. She will translaate for the tour guide. (By the way, I love Kasia!!
Despite the drizzle and windy weather, we have nothing but smiles.
This is one of the many magnificant Cathedrals in Poland. We wondered where they raised the money for all these Catholic Churches in Poland. Come to find out... Eveeryone, whether a Catholic or not pays part of his taxes to the Catholic Church. Hmm!! No wonder!
This blurred picture is important.. As we were waiting for our tour guide, keeping in mind that it was cold, windy and rainy, we noticed a man in crutches, in a thin bathrobe, aamputated leg with a bandage on the stump and no shoes. As we were all talking about this and wondering where he was trying to get to, President Nielson without any hesitation went overr tto the man and wrappeed him up in his good overcoat and led him to a place where he could sit him down. The man was highly medicated and a fresh amputee and had just walked out of the hospital in the next block with nothing on but the hospital gown and his crutches. Kasia call Warsaw's 911 and eventually the ambulance came and got him. He spoke a little english and so President was able to determine what had happened and Kasia was able to summon the ambulance. I'm not sure what would have happened if President Nielson had not gone over. Chances are he would have continued to wander and who knows what would have happened to him. The sad thing is that I'm not sure if any of us would have gone overr thinking he was probably a street person, but President Nielson did what we all should have done. He walks the wwalk!!!I think the nurse who was on duty and responsible might not have a job anymore.
Taking a break on the tour!!
We are over on the other side of the river from Warsaw in a small city of Praga. It is older than Warsaw and wasn't demolished to the extent that Warsaw was. This area has many of the original buildings. It has also become the place of the arts. We are standing with a series of bronze statutes all playing musical instruments. At certain times of the day music is actually played. We never heard it though.This is my favorite companion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Below is a picture of a center court which you find all over Warsaw and Praga. Apartments are built in a square and in the center of each square is a, sometimes a beautiful green area with a statue of Mary. That is because during the 2nd WW, they would round up the Jews and Poles and shoot them in the center square. This is a memorial.
Another one of the beautiful Cathedrals.
In Praga is the Warsaw Zoo, which we will try to go to. It is famous and there is a great book, "The Zookeepers Wife". It is the true story of the family who owned the zoo during the 2nd WW. they were responsible for saving the lives of countless numbers of Jews by hiding them in plain sight in the zoo. It is an amazing book. You begin to realize the horrific struggles these people, Poles and Jews alike went through.
Another one of the beautiful Cathedrals.
In Praga is the Warsaw Zoo, which we will try to go to. It is famous and there is a great book, "The Zookeepers Wife". It is the true story of the family who owned the zoo during the 2nd WW. they were responsible for saving the lives of countless numbers of Jews by hiding them in plain sight in the zoo. It is an amazing book. You begin to realize the horrific struggles these people, Poles and Jews alike went through.
This is the oldest wooden building in Warsaw, 160 years old. Most all buildings are made from stone, brick or concrete.
After we finished touring in Praga, we passed over the Wisla river back into Warsaw and visited "The Citadel an 19th century fortress built by a Russsian Tzar to intimidate Warsaw after the 1830 uprising. It was a notorious political prison for years. The stairs that you see are the stairs that prisoners by the thousands were taken down to either be executed or put on trains for Siberia and put into concentration camps where most were never heard from again.
After we finished touring in Praga, we passed over the Wisla river back into Warsaw and visited "The Citadel an 19th century fortress built by a Russsian Tzar to intimidate Warsaw after the 1830 uprising. It was a notorious political prison for years. The stairs that you see are the stairs that prisoners by the thousands were taken down to either be executed or put on trains for Siberia and put into concentration camps where most were never heard from again.
Below is the Wisla river.
This was the last glance the prisoners would have of the rivver.
The phrase over the entrance gate says "The Gate of Execution", this is the gate that the prisoners were taken through.
Right inside the gate is a memorial to all those who passed through the gate. there is a flame that is constantly lit.
This was the mode of transportation used to bring prisoners to the prison.
This is the entrance to the prison. Ross and I have noticed that the Prison had the same smell as tthe contration camp that we went to outside of Lublin. It's a smell you can't describe but it smells like what it is.
This was a typical prisoner's cell. Sometimes the beds were straw and sometimes there were four to a room. Everything was made of cement. Rations were meager.
Prisoners were put into shackles in a forge at the end of the hall, the shackles were placed on their wrists and ankles. Noone ever escaped.
A Polish artist that actuaally lived to come out of siberia was so mentally scarred from all that he had endured in Siberia that the only thing he did was paint the things he had witnessed there. He was never able to paint anything else but those scenes.
This was the last glance the prisoners would have of the rivver.
The phrase over the entrance gate says "The Gate of Execution", this is the gate that the prisoners were taken through.
Right inside the gate is a memorial to all those who passed through the gate. there is a flame that is constantly lit.
This was the mode of transportation used to bring prisoners to the prison.
This is the entrance to the prison. Ross and I have noticed that the Prison had the same smell as tthe contration camp that we went to outside of Lublin. It's a smell you can't describe but it smells like what it is.
This was a typical prisoner's cell. Sometimes the beds were straw and sometimes there were four to a room. Everything was made of cement. Rations were meager.
Prisoners were put into shackles in a forge at the end of the hall, the shackles were placed on their wrists and ankles. Noone ever escaped.
A Polish artist that actuaally lived to come out of siberia was so mentally scarred from all that he had endured in Siberia that the only thing he did was paint the things he had witnessed there. He was never able to paint anything else but those scenes.
When the Russians were in conttrol, they told the Poles that there were jobs for them in Russia. So they rounded up Polish peeople by the masses and put them on trains but they bypassed Russia and took them on up to Siberia. the teachers, doctors, intellects, scientists etc. were dropped at the lumber or mining camps where there was little food or shelter. they worked them to death and got a new supply every week from Poland.
After viewing all tht we did the mood was a little somber until we were once again outside the prison.
After viewing all tht we did the mood was a little somber until we were once again outside the prison.
We learned a great deal aboutt the early complicated and turbulent history of Warsaw and Poland.
It was time to return to our various destinations. All in all it was a great Senior conference. we all love serving here and are grateful to be here in the wonderful country of Poland.
It was time to return to our various destinations. All in all it was a great Senior conference. we all love serving here and are grateful to be here in the wonderful country of Poland.
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