September 16, 2013
So to catch you all up from last week and then this week...
Last week I left Wrocław on Tuesday afternoon. Monday I said goodbye to Lucyna (just found out she has a baptismal date for October 12!) and to Czesława (who's baptismal date for Oct 12 is set in stone! (it was dependent on if she received an answer before) Tuesday morning. I love them :) Tuesday night was spent in Katowice and while contacting I was able to find one person and one entire family who were willing to meet with the missionaries that was awesome. Then Wednesday I traveled with Sister Blake to Warsaw (they had the trainers come into Warsaw this time) and then met up with Sister Lenhart. Oh, apparently I was the first missionary she had ever seen contact on the metro (others have, just not any of her companions or missionaries around her). We were in Warsaw until Friday, living in Sister Lenhart's Warsaw apartment, so meaning we were living with the other two sisters and we slept in the study room and I slept on a mat on the floor for two nights, it was fun. During that time in Warsaw, we went contacting, former hunting and helping the other sisters move into their apartments. Sister Packard and Sister Mikoloski came inon Thursday and we picked them up from the train station and helped lug their luggage to their apartment. While contacting and all of that during those two days I was able to find 4 different people willing to meet with the missionaries in that area. One particular one was an amazing experience as we met him while we were waiting for Sister Packard and Sister Mikoloski to buy their 'city cards'.
There was a teenage boy sitting reading a comic book, right next to where we had put our luggage to wait for them...definitely not a coincidence, and I realized that, so I talked with him and he spoke English, what were the chances? We taught him bits of the restoration and plan of salvation, and gave him a Book of Mormon. I testified my heart out....and I saw it touch him. He said it sounded true and familiar, despite never hearing it before...just like it should. Our spirits KNOW, it will have a familiar ring because we really did live with our Heavenly Father before this live, because He did create a plan for us and that's why we're on earth right now. Our mortal minds may not know nor comprehend everything, but that doesn't stop our spirits from knowing. This guy's eyes shown and he said he was coming to church, will read the Book of Mormon and willingly meet with the missionaries and learn more. I know Heavenly Father put me in that spot at that time, for the purpose of teaching that guy. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity.
Friday we traveled to Bydgoszcz, and I was completely exhausted....so I slept 3 out of the 4 hours of the train ride. Poland is mostly agriculture and forestland. Which I love. :) I feel right at home in Poland. Bydgoszcz is smaller than Wrocław and is not a big city like Wrocław. Its much more peaceful and has a whole lot more trees. If you look at a map of Bydgoszcz, the north and south ends are entirely green with forestland. I think they're 'national forests'. The people here are extremely nice and understanding. They're also really 'real' and down to earth people, they don't have as many 'walls' and seem a whole lot more comfortable out of the streets than in Wrocław, probably thanks to it being a lot smaller of a city.
This week was spent looking for less-actives, formers and lots of area book work. It takes a lot of time compiling and updating an area book from scratch. Some of these records we're working with haven't been touched in years. We're also making a big huge map and putting together a formers book. Something funny.... I never did any area book in Wrocław, such as organizing or calling. Sister Blake did all the calls and everything was organized perfectly already. So I've gone from not knowing very much about area-book (outside of lessons and such, very familiar with keeping up-to-date accurate records about lessons :)) to being VERY familiar with area book. Also, grateful for all the missionaries before me in Wrocław that had already done all the work, and the accurate records that they kept. Please, future missionaries, current missionaries- keep your records accurate, in all aspects! Someone 5 years later may need to be able to read your handwriting or even want to know something about the person so they can teach them the gospel :) (there's some humor hidden in there for the day ;))
We didn't teach very much this week.... 1 member lesson, 2 active member lessons and 1 other lesson. I was really weird and different from the 15+ I was used to.... I realized how much work missionaries before me had done in Wrocław to make that possible...
We had a really cool experience this past week while trying to find the less-actives this past week, in the rain (its rained almost everyday, its been fun :) I love rain, even if I'm contacting out in it for hours :) (not sarcasm ;))) This lady as we passed by an apartment, stops us and calls out to us. She tried helping us find where we were looking for, to no avail, but then told us to come inside and she met us in the doorway of the apartment. She asked if we were Mormons, we said yes and then said, "We're missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (in polish). Then she just asks for some paper, writes down her name and number and hands it to us.She then said, "I visited Salt Lake City and I like how happy the families are and how Mormons live their lives, I want to learn more" (She actually speaks English a little bit and she said that all in English) We're meeting with her sometime this week :) Also had some other miracle finding experiences, and was able to set up lessons for this coming week right there on the street.
Some information on my wonderful companion as some people have requested. First, she's awesome. She is 22, part of the older group of missionaries. She will hit her half-way mark of her mission in a few days. She speaks Polish pretty well. She is very musically talented, especially in playing the French Horn, she has played with some of the finest musicians out there. We're planning on using this amazing talent sometime this week to introduce more people to the gospel. She'll play hymns on the french horn, we'll have a 'free table' set up and I shall contact and answer questions.:)
The branch here is amazing, its one of the bigger branches in Poland, 40+ members. Its primarily men, with only about 7 active relief society and 4-5 young women. We're planning on having those numbers be much higher by the end of this transfer :) (we're planning on at least 4 baptisms, there has to be at least 4 women ready here, since there hasn't been sisters here for the past two years). Oh and I'm the pianist, no one plays the piano and they were over-joyed when they learned I play the piano, as their pianist was one of the Elders who had just been transferred.
One side note I have felt impressed to include: Every single person that reads this-know that you are NOT alone. There are always people ready to help. If you have relief society presidents and other leaders available, talk to them, or other people you trust. You always have people to turn to. There are also three people who will never NEVER ever leave you. That is Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. (The gift of the Holy Ghost is one the most precious gifts, enabling us to always have Spirit with us) Romans 8:38-39, there is NOTHING that come between Heavenly Father and His love for us. He will ALWAYS love us, and is always, always there for us. We need only get on our knees and ask. I love you all and I want all of you to feel Heavenly Father's love for you, its real and it is the most precious thing ever. It is what I hold the most dear to me.
Scriptures from last week:
D&C 123:17
D&C 122:7
Scriptures from this week:
Alma 7:24-26
Romans 8
Alma 38:5 Heavenly Father will always deliver us from our trials and suffering, in His timing. He will send angels, I can personally testify of that.
God bless all of you.
Have a great week and I send my love!
Siostra Ellis
