So much happened this week.
First, for P-day last week my district went to the zoo, and the Spirit taught me a lot. We each have our individual purposes and abilities. There's good reason why we don't have elephant trunks and seals don't have monkey legs. We each have talents and abilities that we've been blessed with and we just need to discover what those are and thrive on them, then seek to develop more. Also, some may wish to swim as elegantly as the seal, but the seal may wish that it could walk on land like humans do, and oftentimes we may miss the great blessings we actually have.
I never realized fully how truly blessed Sister Blake and I are, here in Wrocław until we were on exchanges with Sister Allen (serving in Kraków). She came in Monday night and was with us till Wednesday afternoon. I learned a lot of from her, she is a great missionary and next transfer will be her last. She opened our eyes to the blessings we have. For example, we're only 20 minutes away from the chapel (which isn't a building on its own, its a section of a level in a building, I love our dear chapel), they're 45 min away from theirs. Also, I kinda thought everyone in Poland was teaching as much as us.... apparently not. So that makes me even more grateful to have the lessons that we do and the chance to run into the amazing people that we do on a daily basis. Also, Wrocław is apparently the second-most beautiful city is Wrocław next to Kraków, I'd agree that it is absolutely gorgeous here. It doesn't matter how hard things may have seemed, counting and realizing all those blessings, I realized that it really wasn't that hard and I should just be grateful ;)
With that gratitude, I decided to work even harder and I felt like I made leaps and bounds of progress with the language this week. I started really teaching more and we're almost to the point of teaching half-and half, which is amazing compared to a week ago.
I have seen so many amazing things happen this week, and also Tracy Allen (a former Poland missionary returned about a 1 1/2 yr ago I think) returned to Poland a couple weeks ago to do a 6 week school program to learn more Polish. She has a been a major blessing. She also taught in the MTC, before coming here. She's been able to teach us so much and been able to help us with lessons, understanding their Polish and being able to clarify what we've said when it didn't make sense. I am so grateful for her being here. I definitely see the Hand of the Lord is sending her here.
Yesterday was amazing, as we had one of our investigators show up to church, that never had before...and we've been teaching her since I got here. We've been encouraging her and been patient with her slow progress and scary moments when she says "I'm only meeting with you two as a friend, I'm not planning on doing anything with your church" (definitely a scary moment and we prayed hard, really hard for after that particular night). But now...she has a baptismal date for August 24. We taught her after church (actually we were on splits so Sister Tracy Allen and taught her) and I had written up a lesson for a different investigator who we expected to come, who didn't end up coming, and I felt prompted to use that one (we weren't planning on teaching this amazing investigator). It was 3 Nephi 9, and it turned into a beautiful lesson that just naturally led into the topic of baptism and we invited her and then we extended the date. I know that every minute of that lesson was guided by the Spirit and I was humbled to be able to be the instrument in facilitating the lesson. All credit and all success goes to Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to be the instrument.
Last night was amazing as well..... we decided that we we're going to get the standard (certain numbers in key indicators that everyone in the mission is meant to strive for), and by 5 pm, we still hadn't received 3 referrals, had 1 new investigator that we needed and we still needed to give out one more Book of Mormon. We decided we weren't going home or eating dinner (cause that would be at home), until we accomplished that. So we said a prayer right there on the sidewalk, turn around, talk to the first girl we see....and she's open willing. She loved what we shared from the Book of Mormon and we shared a mini lesson right there and then. She is excited to meet with us this coming week and she was excited to receive the Book of Mormon. (this is why there are numbers, to push us to find those who are ready, those amazing people that are just waiting for us). We then talked to every single person we passed (literally) and around 8:30 pm finally had our referrals. So we went home contacted 3 referrals (sent in our out-of-Wrocław referrals to the office) and then finally ate dinner. Yesterday was also one of the hottest days since I've been here in Poland. We got the Standard, which we found out was actually raised and we still met it. We are the first missionaries in Poland to achieve the higher standard. Being determined and enduring to the end is worth it!
I know that everything good that Sister Blake and I have accomplished since I've got here is all thanks to Heavenly Father and I'm so grateful to be the instrument. 'Glory be to our Father in Heaven'. Its Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's work, They're in charge :)
Some scriptures that I have found this week:
1 Nephi 3:7, 1 Nephi 9:6 The Lord always, always provides the way. (which I am so grateful for)
John 15, this had a major impact on how I look at missionary work and what my part is.
Philippians 4:13, 23
Love,
Siostra Ellis
Sister Ellis, Tracy Allen (RM), Sister Blake
Plan of Salvation in Polish
At the zoo
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