Staying Szczecin for another transfer

Transfers...they seem to be bitter sweet!  Lance is quite happy to be staying in Szczecin (he loves it there) but is going to miss his current companion.  He shares that his companion is, "...the bomb and a way funny guy!"  It does appear that at least one of the other elders in Szczecin, who is also the branch president, is staying as well.  They are good friends and Lance is glad they can continue to work together.  

Lance is going to be a trainer this time around...and he is very excited about that!  He says he hopes he can train the new elder well.  He does feel confident that he is ready for the responsibility.  He feels like he has learned a lot about the power of positivity and hopes he can impart some of that understanding to his new companion!

Yesterday, we in Utah (and other parts of the world) were able to watch a live broadcast of the missionary training titled, "Hastening the Work of Salvation".  Though Lance wasn't able to watch it live, I'm certain they will get the opportunity soon to watch it online.  It was a very inspirational program!  As I have suspected for years now, the internet is going to be a huge tool in getting the Gospel out to the four corners of the world!  Missionaries are going to start using the internet whenever possible to help spread the word.  

If you would like to watch the replay yourself, please visit http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/a-new-vision?cid=HPL1P01W01031&lang=eng

Over the course of last week, I received three amazing emails regarding Lance.  One was a response from an email I sent to Sister Nielson thanking them for their years of faithful and happy service in Poland...and for being wonderful to my son!  In her response, she suggested my husband and I ought to be very proud of Lance and that he is faithful and diligent.  

Later in the week, I received a surprise email from a man who lives in Salt Lake City.  He and his wife were in the Denmark/Germany/Poland region to visit friends from the mission he served in Denmark 40 years ago.  They were having lunch at a sidewalk cafe when they saw Lance and his companion walking by.  He says, "We had a great experience meeting your sons.  They are obviously outstanding missionaries who carry a great spirit with them."  He says that they didn't have time to visit too long as the missionaries had an appointment to teach a lesson in the park.  So they parted ways.  Later, the man and wife again ran into Lance and his companion.  He says, "As luck (or the Spirit) would have it, we ran into them a second time on a different street that happened to lead to their apartment."  He shared that they had a great discussion about the challenges of missionary work in Poland and how to move it forward.  He included this picture:

The last email I received this week regarding Lance was from his soon to be former mission president, President Nielson.  Here is some of what he had to say about Lance:  "I wanted to take a moment to let you know just how wonderful Elder Kotter is doing.  You have every reason to be pleased, happy, and proud of your son.  It is a real joy to have Elder Kotter in the Poland Warsaw mission.  I know that the Lord called him here and that he is striving each and every day to be the missionary the Lord and you want him to become."  How wonderful and comforting it is to know that my son is happy, faithful, and doing a great job!

I shared these emails with Lance and he said those were some awesome compliments!  He is going to miss President and Sister Nielson, but knows that they will get to see each other again.  Especially since they live in Las Vegas, which isn't too far away from us.  He also remembered well the couple from Salt Lake City and thought they were wonderful.  

Lance was excited to have two new investigators attend church yesterday.  They met this "way nice lady" on the street earlier in the week and she said she had met the missionaries before, years earlier.  She stated that she is interested in learning more.  So she and her husband showed up for church.  Lance gave a talk on the Atonement in sacrament meeting.  He feels the Spirit was testifying strongly to everyone in the room of the beauty of the Atonement.  Then in Sunday School, the topic was the Millennium, resurrection, and Spirit world.  It was a great discussion and he could tell they were very excited to learn more.  So the missionaries have plans to meet with them again later this week and they are planning on attending church again next Sunday.  Lance says, "There truly are so many miracles left and right!"

His Chinese friend is leaving soon but Lance is confident she will do very well in China.  He says he loves her and that she is very strong in the faith.  He is very grateful to have had the opportunity to teach her.  I know I have personally enjoyed reading her faithful posts on Facebook!

My husband shared a scripture with Lance:  Ether 8 (see http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/8?lang=eng).  That scripture references the "secret combinations" that have been on the Earth since Cain slew his brother Abel.  Secret combinations are what I refer to in our modern day as conspiracies.  And they're only conspiracy theories until they are shown to be conspiracy facts.  In the meantime, we as Latter-day Saints believe that conspiring people are being inspired thru evil designs to thwart the Lord's plan.  Though we all know that nothing of the adversary can win over righteousness, we are still painfully aware of what is being done to make mankind miserable.  Lance had this to say concerning the scripture:  "I know that we can be protected from evil in any form because we put our faith in something that will never fade away!  Something that is eternal and we saints fight for something that satan does not...and that's our families, our freedom, our God, and our religion.  We will always be strong and protected if we follow God and fight for what is right!"

Lance says he loves the story in Alma 46 (see http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/46?lang=eng).  He says that verses 11-23 are his favorite because it shows the manner by how we should protect ourselves and swear to God that we will follow him and do what's right always.  He also loves Captain Moroni's example in chapter 48 of Alma, verses 11-14.  I would agree that the book of Alma is one of my absolute favorites!  

Lance closes his email by thanking us for our inspiration and guidance.  He says he takes his dad's advice by treating everyday as though it's his last...by living life to the fullest, everyday.  

Here are some pictures from Sister Nielson's blog.  I am so grateful for her work in keeping the blog up to date, even with all of her other responsibilities!

Zone conference in Bydgoszcz 

The Szczecin District

Missionary Handbook study chase

Celebrating recent birthdays

The Nieslon's tradition of cutting a tie (or a scarf for sisters) to add to their collection

Holding up their donations

Today's email!

Lance hasn't received his package containing his voice recorder, so today was a regular email.  I'm hoping I'll get more details from him once he doesn't have to type!

Yesterday was Father's Day and my husband's 50th birthday.  It's times like this that we really notice Lance's absence.  I'm not sure if people really understand what it's like for the missionary and the missionary's family to have limited contact for 18 months to 2 years.  But, by the grace of God, we all seem to do just fine.

Lance's Chinese friend and new convert is doing wonderfully.  He shares that she is a very talented musician and is composing her own music now.  He and his companion are teaching many lessons on the streets.  They met one man who, at first, attempted to argue with them over points in the Bible.  But Lance says that they were able to help this man's understanding through corresponding concepts in the Book of Mormon and through their testimonies.  The man graciously took a Book of Mormon home to read.

In our family, we practice positive affirmations.  This, Lance says, has helped him immensely during his mission.  He states, "...words are more powerful than we know and that negativity in any form, whether it is sarcasm, pessimism, or straight up negative words, it's strong and one of satan's greatest tools!"  He goes on to say that there is a fine line between negativity and "being realistic" and that missionaries can fall into this trap frequently.  I would have to add that it is a trap all people fall into.  And the comparison he makes between being realistic and being negative is an insight I learned some years ago.  It isn't necessary to focus on the negative to be in touch with reality!

Lance shares that this work he is participating in is very important.  He says he loves the Gospel so much.  He believes that God created this world for us to gain eternal joy.  He mentions that he believes temple work is powerful and "beyond definition".  I reminded him that we pray for him and his companion everyday to have a wonderful experience and to help bring the love of God to those who are seeking it.  He thanks us for our constant prayers and support.

He closes by suggesting we read a few great scriptures...Helaman 5, especially verses 40 and 41.

Mondays are the best!

"I agree, Mondays are the best!"

You'll probably only hear that exclamation from a missionary/missionary mom.  But hey, I've personally always liked Mondays, so maybe it's just in my nature.

Almost looks like he's sad!

Lance presses forward in the mission field with faith and conviction.  If you know him, you'll know that he is the type to follow his passion, wherever it may lead.  He says that this mission has blessed him more than words can describe.

He shares that though many of the people they meet only agree to hear the first lesson, which is on the Restoration, they know they're planting the seed.  Perhaps someday they may be ready to learn more.
If you're interested in knowing more about the Restoration, please visit http://mormon.org/.

Lance and his companion set goals for how many people they would like to meet and how many Books of Mormon they would like to hand out.  Sometimes they exceed their goals and other times they don't even come close.  He states that when negative things pop into his head, he instantly destroys the negative thoughts with positive ones.  He says that negative thinking is poisonous.  And I would have to agree!

I updated Lance on everything that is going on at home.  It has been quite busy around here, so there was a lot to share.  He is always interested in everything that we are all up to, even if it's mundane to us.  We usually share a scripture or some sort of faith-promoting quote.  This week he shared with us 2 Nephi 19:6-7.  I have to admit that I haven't spent much time in 2 Nephi, so I was glad to revisit it.

He says life is so good and he loves everything about his mission.  He knows that this Gospel is eternal and allows us all to progress.  He closed by sharing a quote from his mission president:

"Why waste your time, your talents, your means, your influence in following something that will perish and pass away, when you could devote yourselves to a thing that will stand forever?  For the church and Kingdom, to which you belong, will abide and continue in time, in eternity, while endless ages roll along, and you with it will become mightier and more powerful; while the things of this world will pass away and perish, and will not abide in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord our God."

Pizza night

This week's blog...finally!

One heck of a busy week meant Mom not writing a post from this week's email.

But, I have repented.

I mailed off his package this week, which included his voice recorder.  I'm excited for him to get it!  That means I might get more details...and I get to hear his voice.  Plus he promises to record some of his penny whistle music to share with us.

Lance became an uncle for the third time last week!  It's weird to think that the new baby will be over a year old when Lance gets to meet him.  So many changes in a child's life when they're as young as his nephews are.

Things are going smoothly for Lance in the Poland mission.  He and his companion seem to have a great friendship and they work well together.  He apologized to me for all his years of "being a slob"...it appears his mission has been the best learning environment on the importance of being clean.  I am thrilled at this new understanding!

Their Chinese friend and recent convert will be going back to China soon, but Lance assures us that she will have a supportive group of Saints there to greet her upon her return.  They are teaching her chapter 3 out of the Preach My Gospel manual and he encouraged us to look it up ourselves to know what is being taught.  She is also reading in 2 Nephi, which is the Biblical equivalent of Isaiah.  They are praying for the Spirit to help her make sense out of the writings, which has helped their own understandings.  If you've read either book, I'm sure you can relate.  

Though we don't know this wonderful woman personally, through prayers and God's love, we feel connected.  May God bless her in all her endeavors!

Lance and his companion have others they are meeting, as well.  They met a young woman that appears to be very interested.  So far, their encounters with those of the dominant faith in Poland have been positive.  Though, there are those of another less dominant faith there who seem to want to argue.  Lance says they have decided to just sing hymns to the argumentative people next time to help soften their agitation.  He shared that they get approached by drunk people regularly.  The people will often ask, "Hey, you boys got cigarettes?" and "3 zloties for a beer?"  He says they just smile and keep on walking.

Before closing his email, Lance encouraged us to read our Patriarchal Blessings.  Which I find ironic considering I had recently been inspired to advise someone else to do that very thing.  Lance says that he has been reviewing his blessing and writing down anything that comes to him.  He says it has been a very powerful experience.  So I took his advice.  I'm very glad I did.  So often we find the answers to our own prayers through our service of others.  Charity truly never fails!

He closes his email by stating that his testimony is rooted firmly in the soil of the Gospel.  He is grateful to be a missionary and a member of this church.  He knows God lives and loves us and thanks to the Savior, we can live with God again.  He says everything there is truly amazing and he loves his mission more than he can describe.  He says it's "the most fulfilling work" and brings him so much happiness.  He shares that by keeping a journal, study journal, and spiritual journal, he has learned so much more and will always be able to remember it.  He says that "God will give you more because he sees that you are sacrificing time to write it down."  He knows this Gospel is truly the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we are partakers of this divine gift.

Dzien Dobry

Yesterday was Memorial Day for us here in the States.  Poland celebrates a similar holiday, but it was about a month ago, according to Lance's memory on the subject.  Interesting how many holidays are shared by cultures world wide.

Several of Lance's missionary buddies recently came home for medical releases.  It sounds like they all plan on coming back to Poland as soon as they're healed from their injuries.  He was able to speak on the phone with two of them before they left for home.  One of the elders was Lance's first companion in the MTC and a former class mate.  Lance said, "He is the man!".  Lance says that he and the other elder laughed about how their respective parents raised them on the same type of music..."the best music in the world!!"

Everything is going well for his new Chinese friend.  Lance says she is faithful and an amazing example.  He and his companion met with a man recently who seems to be very interested.  They also knocked on the door of a young Catholic family that were very receptive.  They invited the missionaries in and had a great discussion.  Though Lance doesn't know if they'll want to follow through, he believes the seed was planted.
He says they meet "awesome people" every day.

I've got another package ready to send off this week.  This package contains a voice recorder, some good soap, a small yoga book, and some homemade sunscreen.  The only thing he asked me to include are more healthy food and more pictures.  He says that he and his companion are very good about getting some yoga in everyday.

I passed on some recent messages from his Facebook page.  He was happy to "hear" from these friends and know that they care!

He closes by thanking everyone for their prayers and well wishes on his behalf.  He confirms that he loves God and knows that God loves all of us.

Czesc = honor

Once in a while, I get a translation with the Polish words and phrases Lance uses regularly. Czesc is one he uses frequently to close his emails. Now that I know what it means, I wish I knew how to pronounce it!

As I updated last week, Lance was blessed to baptize and confirm his Chinese friend. Now that she is official, Lance and his companion will begin teaching her the "new member" discussions. I remember 23 years ago when my husband and I were first married, my husband encouraged me to have the missionaries come teach me and answer questions I had concerning the Gospel and the church. I can imagine that the new member discussions are similar to what I experienced with those fine young men. I wish I remembered their names now so I could try to find them and thank them for their patience with me!

Besides my Monday email from Lance, we also had a nice update on Sister Nielson's blog to read....

"We arrived in Szczecin and found these Elders talking with people just outside our chapel."

Knowing my son like I do, I can see by the look on his face that he is very intense at this moment. I mentioned that in my email and he said that yes, at that moment he was being "very bold" with this man. He said it was a good meeting and they gave him a brochure in hopes that he will want to meet again.

Here are some more pictures from Sister Nielson's blog:





This final one is a celebration for Lance's birthday. They're holding ice cream bars.

Lance comments that he thinks his companion is awesome and always has his back. He also comments that his new Chinese friend is righteous and honorable and is so glad to have known her. He states that they are always teaching those they meet on the streets and hope to find those who are ready for the Gospel message and thanks us for our prayers.


They are getting a lot of rain in Szczecin right now, which is similar to Utah's weather. He bought a penny whistle not too long ago and says he knows how to play it now. He has two at home, but didn't really pick them up. He says that he makes up songs and bounces around like he's doing an Irish jig, to which his companion just laughs and shakes his head.


He says that right after doing a white board discussion on Saturday, several girls that had been watching them from the bar came to them and asked lots of questions. Finally they asked where Lance and his companion live and if they would like to go there to party. Lance says he and his companion just walked off laughing and continued teaching the people down the street. He says he thought to himself, "Good try, Satan, but it's not going to work on me!"

He closes by saying that he loves this mission. He prays for and sends his love to all of his family and friends.



He included this picture and asked me to send it on to his brother Russell.  

Happy Mother's Day!

We called Lance yesterday for our bi-annual phone call. We get to talk to each other on Christmas Day and Mother's Day. It was, as he put it, quite a "coinkidink" that his birthday is also on Mother's Day this year. He says this was the best birthday he's ever had.

You could hear the excitement and happiness in his voice! He wanted to know about everything at home, and we wanted to know about everything in Poland. One insight he shared was that people are the same everywhere, only the language is different. I would've thought that cultural differences would be more apparent. But isn't it beautiful that we are all God's children, no matter where we happen to live???


Lance was honored and privileged to baptize his friend from China on Saturday. He also confirmed her to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday. He says that those who are converted outside of China are allowed to continue in their faith, but they are not allowed to proselyte or hand out teaching materials. I'm certain she will be a good example and influence on those around her when she returns to China in July.

With her permission, here are the pictures Lance forwarded to me via email today...

I have been privileged, too, to get to know this lovely woman through Facebook. As Lance put it, "she is incredible and such a powerful example of faith!" I would have to agree. Oh, and props to Lance's companion who is really good at making sure there are lots of pictures taken!

During our phone conversation, I made sure to ask him how to pronounce some names of the people and places. The Polish language has a few letter variances from the English language:

There is no Q, V, or X. The Ł is pronounced "woo". So the town in Poland spelled Łodz is pronounced similar to "woo-dj". The town where he is serving now is spelled Szczecin, and the pronunciation in English would be something like, "sha-che-cheen". I still think Welsh is trickier!

Lance reaffirms that he is in the right place at the right time. He bares testimony that God loves us all equally and has not left us alone to wander aimlessly. He states that he is learning more about himself and his fellow man by being in the mission field.

I am very proud of him and the man he has become!

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