Life can be scary in Big Ghost

Do they color coordinate for the day?

This week was a huge rollercoaster. We dropped our only investigators so we are back at step one. It is also exam time so no one  has time to meet. However, we still have felt blessed. This Sunday an old eternal investigator (someone who investigates the church for years and years) came back to church. He had been living in London for six months and while he was there he joined the Church. As he said, "I just need to change countries to make the step." He has a strong testimony. Last week the Area Seventy asked every member in the Europe area to fast for the opportunity to invite someone to church every week of the month of Jun . This member did that and because of an emergency with his mother, he flew home and through that he was allowed to invite his daughter to church. She came with him. He was so excited telling everyone that God answers his prayers. Unfortunately, she left before we had a chance to talk to her, but he wanted to make sure we taught her, so he gave us her contact information. We got a referral! We went to church with no investigators, but the Lord is helping us out.

This week has been a rainy week here in Bydgoszcz. I spent half of it soaked. On Wednesday we were doing a white board presentation when a huge rainstorm hit. Everyone ran for the trees, but we ended up being damp the rest of the day. Then Thursday we spent the day tracting because on the rain. The streets were flooded. Then our way to the chapel we managed to get lost and wandered around in the rain for a little bit. But we now know Bydgoszcz a little better. Everyday is an adventure.


So a random side note---we walk out our door every morning to a huge billbord of John Paul II waving at us. I feel like he is sending us his luck. They also have a huge spot light on him at night.

Zone Conference

The Polish sister missionaries.

Last fall, we had an area seventy come to zone conference. He told us to do some specific things, and our mission has been trying to do it. So this zone conference when an another member of the First Quorum of Seventy came, he told us how we can get to the next plane of missionary work. Sister Jones and I were the example missionaries. Talk about nerve wracking, but it was a great experience.


I loved zone conference. I had my questions answered. I came home with a recommitment to make every moment count---to forget myself and serve for the Lord. To not study to strengthen me but to be prepared to help our investigators. To not find my comfort zone but find others I can help on the way. I realized how many minutes we waste in the day, not purposely but unknowingly, we let others pass us by. I came home with a firm resolve to become someone that Lord can really use. I also must say that I have continued in quoting Elder Texeira in “you cannot have success without having failure.” And sometimes it is easy to see what we have failed in, but in looking but I think we have succeeded in a couple of things; we are trying our best. Sister Jones and I started applying what we learned on the train and we taught a lesson on way back.

Baptism in Bydgoscz and a fish story

We also had a baptism this Saturday---a super cool 17 year old. He has lived in Poland all his life but his parents are Vietnamese. Can you imagine having both Polish and Vietnamese running through your head? He was suppose to be baptized last Saturday but let doubts come in the way, so he cancelled it. Then the next day he was determined. He bore a strong testimony after the baptism that he had no doubt that he made the right decision. I also gave a talk at the baptism. Talk about being nervous, but I think it went okay.

Slowly Sister Jones and I are building a relationship with the members. After the baptism we had a little party (the elders left us in charge), but it was great to be able to talk to the members. We left agreeing to help one member teach English, and another teach piano lessons.

On a more smelly note---Sister Jones and I thought we had fishy neighbors. Our apartment always seemed to smell like fish. We told the elders of our dilemma, and they answered with loud laughter. Then we knew something was up. So we searched and found the fish the elders had hidden in our apartment. By this time, our house smelled horrible. It took several days of airing it out before we were no longer welcomed home by the smell of fish.  (Elders pictured above would be the perpetrators.)

Leading in Big Ghost: YW President and Senior Companion

Leadership meeting was great. Yes, it was kind of fun to be the only sister there, and I also was the only trainer there. So President Nielson kept having to add to his comments---When you elders---and Sister Steadman . . ." President Nielson talked about how Christ was the best leader. He compared it to other business techniques---exactly what I studied in college. So that was cool.

I also learned something really cool while studying for my YW lesson and my talk. We made a covenant to serve, so we need to always be looking for people to serve. What I didn't realize fully is that the Lord allows us to serve his children. It is our blessing to become his hands.

Goodbye to Lodz ---Hello to Big Ghost (Bydgoszcz)!

Both Elder Fridge and Siostra Steadman are leaving Lodz.

We talked to ShaLae on Mother's Day, and she sounded great. She had to wait alone quite awhile at the Warsaw Train station for the APs to show up with her new companion, and they helped them with their luggage (onto the wrong train). ShaLae then heard someone else in the car say the car didn't go all the way to Bydgoszcz so they had to jump trains as it was moving with all of their luggage. Then when they got to the city, there were 3 stops for Bydgoszcz and they didn't know when to get off. When they did, the elders were late coming to get them. All in all, she is happy to be settled again in a new city with a new missionary straight from the MTC. Since there have been no sisters in the area for years, she is working from scratch with no contacts. As we hung up, she started to cry, but her final words were "I know that the Book of Mormon is true and it changes lives."

Sister Jones and I are quickly becoming sisters the city of Bydgoszcz will remember. For example in the last couple of days we have managed to do the following:

1) move all of our luggage from a different train cart while the train was moving,

2) do street contacting,

3) create a slight explosion with the converter for the hair dryer,

4) contact,

5) set off the church alarm,

6) contact,

7) I was called as the Young Women's President,

8) contact,

9) I played the wrong song during Sacrament while everyone else sang something else,

10) and then we contacted some more.

 Our days are spent contacting people on the street. One day we made a goal to contact 100 people---it wasn't too hard to accomplish. After a long day of contacting, I took Sister Jones tracting, and she found out she liked to contact after all. We are starting from the ground up, but we have a goal to make Bydgoszcz the city all the sisters will want to serve in.

The chapel at Bydgoszcz.
This week has been one of the longest weeks of the mission, but it ended great. We had a slow beginning of the week where we spent entire days contacting with little success. However we as a companionship were able to have our first lesson on a bench in the park. Sister Jones contacted this lady and she was interested and had time to meet right then. And our week continued to improve. I woke up on friday morning and informed Sister Jones we were going to find a family to teach. She just kind of laughed it off.  Then with in the first hour she contacted a couple with a little boy. They were patient and let her say everything she could in Polish. Then I tried to say a little bit more. In the end, they invited us over to share our message. We have already met with them twice. The mom is excited and wants to come to church. The father is a little more skeptical, but they always have a lot of questions. After meeting with them, I am always so grateful that the Lord is on our side and through Him I am able to understand their concerns and be able to teach them. The Lord definitely didn't send us here to fail.



Baywatch and the Destruction of the World: BYU Freshmen Topics

I just spent two days hanging out with my esteemed colleagues reading and re-reading about 300 BYU freshmen research papers attempting to see if we do what we say we do in the class description of Freshmen Composition AKA Writing 150.

Why did I do it? BYU paid me extra (to read!) and fed me three meals plus chocolate. And I got to discuss important topics with people that think like me. And I got to read sentences such as this:

"If Baywatch doesn't invite people to dress immodestly and act like Americans, I don't know what does."

The student was arguing for India to keep their traditional dress and stop following the examples of immodest Americans---examples they apparently learn from the American media. The student also reported that changing their traditional dress also allowed them to "take off" their caste. But the student felt it was still better to maintain tradition, castes and all. At this point, I was wondering if I was being paid enough, but right then the chocolate supply was replenished so I carried on in true pioneer spirit to read the following title:

"Does God have a six-pack?"

I did not make that up. Yes, by far the best-written essay had that eye-popping title. The author or authoress quoted the Word of Wisdom, weight-lifting icons, and the Book of Mormon. The goal was to present an argument that was supported by strong evidence. You can see the problem. Most of the author's argument suggested that noone can disprove his argument; therefore, it is true. Still, we had to give him or her a 5 (exceeds expectations) for style as we LOL, breaking up the monotony of reading a ten-page paper every ten minutes for two days. (And runners think they know how to do a marathon! Ha!)

What did I learn? We do a pretty good job with most of our students. Most received a 3 (meets expectations). But English people spend too much time discussing the importance of a colon and semicolon. Okay, I agree about the colon---it is muy importante---but the semicolon? You can live your whole life and not use it. You can't say that about the colon---the body part or the punctuation mark.

Disclaimer: While I did use a semicolon in this blog post, I'm 99% sure I used it correctly.

See BYU Website for more fun BYU Facts:


Freshman Profile Fall 2010



ACT 24-30 90%


Average high school GPA 3.8


 

Last Pictures from Lodz

At the church owned site---hopefully a meetinghouse will be built here soon.
This week has been a crazy week but a good week. It is crazy how fast this transfer went; I feel like Sister Marshall and Garcia just got off the train. We have had a lot of fun this transfer and found a lot of things to laugh about. Sister Garcia and Marshall are staying together in Lodz (my home) and Sister Garcia doesn't know what she will do with only one companion.

This Sunday, I was taught a powerful lesson by Violeta. (She may be my favorite but don't tell anyone.) I watched her comfort a lady whose son just died, help another sister who needed someone to talk to, and laugh with someone else. She was just there for everyone to turn to. Afterward, I asked her how she does it all. She told me that when she was investigating the church, she read Mosiah 18:8-10 and learned how we are bear one other’s burdens. That is what she wanted to do so and when she kept reading, she knew she had to be baptized. So she tries to do just that. She understands that everyone has a hard time and different problems. And our role is to do our best to help others, but at church sometimes it is the hardest place. Sometimes at church you have a mix of people, different ages, different perspectives of life. Everyone is different and sometimes it is harder to love those who are different. But at the same time that is an amazing blessing that we can grow to love others. And really we are commanded to love everyone. I don't know if I am explaining this very well, but I want to be more like her in her ability to find the best in everyone and strive to help in everyway possible.



On Saturday, I said goodbye to Slawek. He is joining his cousins in Germany. He couldn't stop thanking us. He already feels the power of the Holy Ghost in his life giving him strength and courage. We kept telling him that we didn't do anything; he took the steps to prepare for baptism. It really is a miracle that we were able to teach him everything, and he understood us. It is just proof that we are not the teachers: the Holy Ghost can use our broken sentences to teach truth and penetrate hearts.

 

I miss you all and I love you all! I cannot believe that Mother’s Day is this week. I just found out so I am really excited!!! I also just got my new number (perks of opening a city- new phone and new apartment!) I also only have 40 minutes, and I have to stick to it (I need all the blessings I can get right now!) I am so excited to talk to you!

P-day, we suppose.

This week I also got letters! Thanks Auntie Tiff and Ritva! I love hearing what is going on at home. I will try to write everyone but my letter time is usually on the trams going from place to place, although I must say I am getting good at tram surfing and writing at the same time.