July 9, 2013
Witam tydzień drugi w Polsce (Welcome to week two in Poland)
Dzień dobry!
Yesterday was Zone training, so p-day was changed to today (Tuesday).
This week went really well. I'd say surprisingly well for it being my first week.
I want to give an example of the work that is going on here, and I will do that through numbers, but first I want to stress that numbers represent wonderful people that are being brought closer to our Savior. numbers are not statistics to see who's better, or anything like that, but to represent how many people are being helped and brought closer to Christ.
This week Sister Blake and I placed 11 Book of Mormons, taught 20 lessons, contacted (talked to them and received their information for further contact) 23 people, and have two people with baptismal dates (both July 27) and that are progressing. My mission president during zone training said it well, "Poland is a baptizing mission'. There was not a single one of these moments where it was not the Lord who put those people in our path or guided us in what to say. This is our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ's work, and we are just instruments. I am so grateful to be part of this work, especially at this time while He is hastening His work. I know that Heavenly Father knows and cares about each of His children. I also know that Heavenly Father protects His missionary and that He lifts, guides and strengthens us as we go about His work. I am so grateful.
I have had so many experiences this past week, I wish I could share them all. I'll try to share the most impacting ones.
First one was on my birthday, a couple things happened then. So first, as we were contacting on our back from a lesson, we ran into 3 people in a row who had already have the Book of Mormon and one them had read it all the way through and we ran into him again yesterday and he said he was coming to church on Sunday. (and I was just talking to him and I understood him completely which was a wonderful blessing :)) Then later as we were heading to an investigator's house to verify a referral they gave, and as Sister Blake was on the phone talking to one of the investigators, I felt prompted to talk to a man who had been staring at the Book of Mormon I was holding as we walked by. I turned around, walked back to him and in broken Polish, told him about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration. He read the pass-along card on the Restoration, looks up at me and says 'to jest prawdziwa' (this is true). Then I have him read parts of the introduction in the Book of Mormon and he says, 'this is probably true' (in Polish). I then get his number and commit him to read the Book of Mormon, but he refused to meet again because he said he lived way too far away and that he was only there because he just finished work. I was grateful that he promised to read the Book of Mormon at least.
Second amazing experience, this one happened just this past Sunday. We were in the park and Sister Blake was calling our investigators and some potential investigators setting up lessons and verifying times for this coming week. While she did that, I went around trying to contact people by myself.
As I came across one lady on a bench, she realized I couldn't understand anything that she said, but she wanted me to keep talking about the gospel. So I kept teaching what I could and I ended up saying "God loves you and wants to help, I want to help, that's why I'm here" and she asks me for a paper and pen. She writes down her address, at that point I get Sister Blake and she teaches her a part of the Plan of Salvation (mostly on the Atonement) and about the Restoration. She breaks down crying, asking what she should do and we promised this gospel could help her. We also asked that when she found this to gospel to be true, if she would be baptized and she agreed. We ended up writing our testimonies in the back of her Book of Mormon. She hugged us and verified that we were going to meet Wednesday multiple times. She is very eager for our meeting tomorrow (Wednesday). I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of all His children and I know that that was no coincidence meeting her at that time.
I love this work, I love being in Wrocław and serving these wonderful people. I love being a missionary and being able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.
Heavenly Father knows our needs and will always help us. May all of you feel our Heavenly Father's love for you this week.
with love to all,
Siostra Ellis
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