STORY TIME

-we have had alot and ALOT of rain. This is the part of my dress that is not covered by my coat, it got completely soaked. Why might Sister Grgich and I be out in such conditions you might ask? 

D&C 18: 10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." 

Mother Teresa said, "What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean. But if we didn't do it, the ocean would be one drop less [than it is]."

Even if all our labours amount to a single drop in the ocean, then we have done our part. All it takes is serving or loving one person. Whoever's life we are able to touch- it is precious. We are all children of a very loving Heavenly Father and we have infinite worth in his eyes, each and every one of us. That is why we have missionaries. That is why even in the most hopeless of circumstances where pride may close every door in your face and the people might laugh at who you are representing, it is because one drop makes a difference- that one drop has so much worth and all the wet dresses and pouring rain in the world can't stop the work from going forwards.

​-then sometimes the rain makes a light dusting of snow

​-then because it is almost that time of year, the lights start to come up

                                                                   

​-and when it is not dark out sister Grgich and I get to see the funky graffiti in the tunnels when we are on our way for some university presentations

​-and we had a movie night at the chapel! Poznaj Mormonów! (Meet the Mormons!) We invited memebers, our english classes, the university students we met earlier that day, and well anyone we thought would be interested. We had a total of maybe 18 people there including missionaries, so that would be 12 people. We topped it off with some juice and popcorn, can't go wrong there. 

And well that's all I got for this week. We have our Zone conference/ Christmas conference coming up on Friday in Poznań. 

Well dowidzenia !

POLISH FUNNIES

1. Ile zębów ma dentysta? )How many teeth does a dentist have?)

-Sto ma, to logiczna! (he has 100, this is logical!) 

So a dental place is called a Stomatologiczna which if you break it up, makes a punny Polish joke!

2. Beczka! -Barrel! What to say when laughing. You might want to try slapping you hand you your knees or something for effect.

3. Miód na serca -honey to the heart

4. Every now and again I switch inbetween English and Polish and sometimes I say weird things or make interesting comments when chattering away with Sister Grgich. (Nothing unusual.) What I forget is that when I switch into Polish, more people are likely to understand me. I am usually too preoccupied with the happy thought that I may have cased something properly to consider the effect an unfortunate person at Piotr i Paweł might have when a scattered Canadian girl is chattering away when all of the sudden they hear: 

"Dzięki Szatanowi" 

I think I am going to be a little better about thinking before speaking. I think there is a reason Heavenly Father wanted me to learn Polish, less speaking and less awkward remarks!

-when the sister's in Gdańsk go bowling (watch out! This is also our approach to missionary work.)

​-on our way to Poznań! We had zone-training. "Early morning trains are our favorite!" -said no one ever

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

Matthew 13: 45-46 (Bible)

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Jacob 2: 18 (Book of Mormon) 

"But before ye seek for riches, seek ye first the kingdom of God."

After we do this, we will be richly blessed both in temporal and in spiritual thigns. I know that as we prioritize the Lord in our lives and commit to living righteously, he will bless us according to our needs. We will want for nothing more as our lives will feel filled up, to the rim of the glass. Remember when you were a kid and tried to put in as much milk as you could before spilling? Our Heavenly Father wants to do the same.Let him bless you, invite him into your lives. The merchant man recognized and understood the worth of the gosel in his life and gave all that he had. 

Have a great week, Sister Young

The Commonwealth Companionship part 2

JESZCZE RAZ JESTEM W G! BÓG NA PRAWDA MNIE KOCHA. 

(I am in G one more time! God really loves me.)

Let the Common Wealth companionship continue to preach the gospel. And Prezydent E put Sister Grgich and Sister Young together once more and took a step back, he nodded it head and must have said, "it is good."

Do you know what else has been good? This whole weekend. The amount of happiness oozing out of this Sister missionary is... maybe concerning. Okay so STORY TIME!

First we went to the zoo and I pet a kangaroo. Sister G got to say hello to her mates. (That was our culture night which we turned into culture day.)

​Then I went to Warsaw and was reunited with Sister C as I had to go to the Urząd for some paper work. I now have a residence card. Sister C bless her lovely heart made me pumpkin pie! Okay well she made Sister G and I pumpkin pie. FROM A PUMPKIN! Not from a can you get at Smith's grocery store but a real pretty orange pumpkin. What a domestic goddess. 

Okay then we found Joseph Smith. Kinnnnnnnd of. The Taggartmobile took us less active finding and we were looking for a member J. S. which is practically the same name. Anyways it was creepy and dark out. We used the GPS which doesn't do much when in Poland but it got us in the right area. After some knocking around and chatting with the people we found out his home is further down the road. Back in the car we go and well we start driving down the road. FINALLY after thinking we missed it we saw a sign telling us his address. We pulled up and Sister T stayed in the car, she gets the heebie-gajeebies sometimes, and got out. We're knocking on the doors, knocking on the windows. Someone is inside but not answering and it is dark so we are poking our way around with a flashlight. Then there is another house on the property and we ask the man smoking a cigarette if he knows J. J comes out and so we are able to talk with him and his creepy buddies who think they can go on dates with us. Polish people. Anyways HE was kind and very polite. Niestety (unfortunately) he does not have interest in coming back to Church at the time being. We were able to share a few things with him and he was very touched that we came out all this way to find him. It has been years since he has had contact with the Church. (Well no wonder, he lives in the middle of nowhere!) His 8 year old daughter A came out and we talked with her for a bit too. We hope to return around sometime before/around Christmas and who knows, maybe things will be different. I BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS MAGIC, czyli miracles.

Saturday we found out we will remain together for this next transfer. BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

Then BOOM it was and I think yesterday was my favorite day since being in Poland. It started out with a delicious bowl of cereal and a brisk walk to the church building. The weather was on point. Then in sacrament we had another miracle! A man from Ukraine who had out of the blue called Sister G some time ago came and brought his Polish fiance. He had met with the missionaries in the Ukraine and is here hoping to stay in Poland. TWO POTENTIALS PEOPLE. A POTENTIAL COUPLE. A BEAUTIFUL HAPPY COUPLE! I love Ukrainians and my Ukrainian heritage. Thank you GRANNY! Anyways so they will be coming to English this week and we will see about setting up and learning more about them. 

Next we taught K (YW). Miałyśmy lekcę o cierpliwości. K is sharp for an almost 14 year old girl and having YW lessons is not only fun for us but it really makes a difference. She normally would be with the primary kids (aka her brother and sister + Klaudia) for the other two hours. Sometimes I see a little fist pump in the air when we tell her we have a lesson for her.

THEN IMPROMPTU PRIMARY LESSON dla K od mnie. Wienz the last hour of church some people had left so there was no one in Primary except lonely K because her mum is in RS. I see her sitting at a table playing on a tablet and was reminded of the gazillion of times I was all alone in Church (well alone in the sense that there weren't other kids) and how much it meant to me when someone would through something together for me.

-well there you have it, I had to think fast and accomadate her short attention span and mine. Oh and not to mention the language barrier, but she is always happy to correct my spelling and I mean she is one of the few people who actually understands what i am trying to say! The green letters say, "God created the earth for (the purpose of) us, we are thankful for the planet which we live." Then we drew things we are thankful for and labeled them, such as our families, stars, seasons, temples, the Book of Mormon, lego... you know, the works!

Church was great and I really worked on talking with the members, especially the ladies and finding times we could meet and ways Sister Grgich and I can help. LOVE AND SERVICE make the world go round. That and gravity and other forces but... wiecie o co mi chodzi.

Still the day is not over! Okay so then French Toast at the Taggarts, było smaczny.

THEN O. Sister G and I met O trackting a couple weeks ago but due to us being sick and busy and her being sick and busy, we were only able to meet for the first time last night. What a beautiful daughter of God. She is 23 and studying ecology and one of the many Universities. She had a short contact with some missionaries many months ago on the streets and that was it. She was surprised when we knocked on her door. (They all are.) Anyways we had a lovely lesson in the chapel, we showed her around and got to know each other a little better. She patiently listened to me as I told her about our loving Heavenly Father who reveals his gospel to prophets. Sister G would then politely clarify the things which I said. We proceeded to teach as so and then we were talking about the Book of Mormon. She asked questions like, "Where should I start reading?" And, "When can we meet again?"

WHOA I AM SORRY, who are you? Are you even real?

Happy feelings all around for O. We set to meet with her for alter in the week. Sister G and I may have skipped home...

THEN TODAY IS THE DAY! M IS GOING TO BE BAPTIZED! I have to give a talk on the Holy Ghost po polsku, we'll see how that goes. I guess you'll just have to wait to hear about it all until next week!

POZDRAWIAM!

Biscuits

the T's are the senior missionary couple here in Gdańsk. They are the greatest and I commend them for their hard work and diligence. They don't speak any Polish although President (he is the Branch President) T does his best and tries very hard. He is not bad, probably better than me! 

This week we did some detective work with the T's. We have a bunch of records for members in the Branch, funny because there are not very many members in sacrament meeting! AHA! So we are trying to go out and find some people who maybe need help or got lost. 

On our way to E z Taggartami samochódem, we were driving along and I offered the T's one of my favorite little biscuits I keep in my bag. They said, "no thanks," and we kept on driving to E.

We were out to visit A, a lady who should she still be around, would have ONE HUNDRED YEARS on Christmas day. Her neighbour informed us that she actually moved away twenty years ago to the US and that she is probably, ona prawdopodobnie nie żyje. (We didn't have a number to call before hand which is why we had to drive all the way there.) Polish people are notorious for moving around and well, finding them is impossible. Like I said, it is detective work!

On our way back to G I start eating my biscuits, they come in a pack of four. THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN SISTER G OFFERS MY BISCUITS (MINE NOT HERS) TO THE TS! WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? I was so upset, especially because the Ts said yes, I begrudgingly gave them each a biscuit with a forced smile on my face and well I kinda threw the last one at Sister G. (I am not too proud of myself here) I was mad and OCD. I really looked forward to eating the other biscuits with my tea when I got home.

Well it didn't take me too long to realize yes I can be very OCD and that I should have been grateful for the opportunity Sister G opened up for me to share and love. This experience cause me to reflect a bit about service and loving others.

How easy it is for each of us to schedule in time to go and volunteer or help someone in need. Great, that's the service for the day and CHECK! We like to serve when we want to serve.

I learned: it is the times when we are reluctant to do something good that we should do them. In my case it was sharing my biscuits with the Ts and my companion. The Saviour did not just love the people as he desired, he did not just help one person and considered his work for the day complete. He did not just atone for out sins and moved on with life. NO! It is the encompassing compassion of the Saviour that endures and touches our lives every moment of every day when we enable it to. He loves us and is ALWAYS there.

3 Nephi 27:27 "therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

Moroni 10: 32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

Christ is our perfect example. As we strive to follow him in all that we do and say, we become better and we will learn- we will learn of his love for us and for others. When we try to love as the Savior loves, we will love more perfectly.

I thought I was justified in begrudging act of handing over my biscuits. It seems so silly to me now I KNOW. However instead of thinking about being a good person as a checklist and filling in a check box each day, it is the continuation of collecting check-marks that matters more. It is going out of our way and serving and loving others when maybe seems inconvenient to us that matters the MOST.

This was my lessons which I learned that made an impact on me and how I can love and serve more fully. I hope maybe it can help others and their pursuit to serve. I understand that my head can be a little thick at times and well, I get to learn some things the silliest of ways but hey hope it helps and makes sense!

LOVE YOU ALL! HAVE A GREAT WEEK. TRANSFER CALLS COME UP THIS SATURDAY! 

​-me and the pigeons (filthy animals)

Oh CANADA!

"Hey I found Canada!" This week I wanted to express my gratitude for how richly my life has been blessed. I thought I would try to keep it to 20, something for each year I have. In Polish we say, "mam dwadziescia lat," (I have twenty years.)

1. the example of my Saviour Jesus Christ and His Atonement

2. goodly parents

3. being sealed with my family for time and all eternity in the temple

4. the Book of Mormon

5. temples

6. the capabilities of the human body

7. LOVE -which sounds cheesy and even I kind of flinch at the cheesiness of it all, but it is true!

8. the different seasons

9. art which inspires and teaches

10. music that uplifts 

11. a beautiful Earth 

12. a living prophet

13. nuts- almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans (you name it, and I am thankful for it) Right now there are nuts being sold on the streets with the fruit stands. The Polish understand my needs.

14. general conference! (If you haven't already seen it, go watch it.)

15. cultures and traditions

16. Keanna Woidak

17. Benjamin Jensen (I thought they deserved there own numbers)

18. opportunities to travel

19. opportunities to learn

20. the kindness which others have shown me and which they show to others. I have been blessed with the greatest of acquaintances and I am so thankful for their examples. Thank you!

AND well I can't just stop there! I love my companion Sister G who helps me so much. I am like a lost little puppy sometimes, she helps me by not helping me but then when I get really lost she is always there. I am so thankful for such a wonderful and considerate- not to mention PATIENT and loving companion. She really has made a big difference in the lives of the people here and in mine. I want you all to meet her and not only hear her Aussie accent but to know for yourselves what a delight this girl is! (She has a blog,siostragrgich.blogspot.com -i haven't visited it myself and well I hope are feelings are mutual!)

And well we maybe had interviews with the Mission President this weekend and let's just say there may be a good chance the common wealth companions will be together a little longer! No promises though. That begin said, for anyone wondering where to send mail, just in case I am not here in the future weeks to come, the mission address is the safest!

Love you all and have a HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING! Thank you everyone for the wonderful letters, I promise I will write back soon. Enjoy the pumpkins, cinnamon, warm tea, cider- it is one of my favorite times of the year.

Siostra Młoda

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Our Miracle Referral!

K G, our miracle referral! I don't know what I have shared recently, between talking with my comp, my family, my journal, i tak dalej, I often forget what has been said już and what I want to say. I promise to put more effort into these little updates!

We have been teaching K fror quite a while now. Last week we met with her on Tuesday. Then we returned to go and help her clean her apartment. I thought of my Mum and how she never asks to help, she just starts doign something. So we practically invited ourselves over and cleaned for a couple of hours and then shared a lesson.

The next day her Dad, K texted us and asked us if we could go and check on K because she was feeling unwell and he was at work. So being the flexible missionaries we are, we rearranged some plans so that we could make it to Gydnia thanks to Elder and Sister T, the senior missionary couple. Poor K's body hurt, her condition causes for some unpleasant days.

We helped her. We loved her. We made her lunch, and took her beast of a dog Krowa (cow) for a walk. Then Elder T (President too I guess because he is the Branch President) gave K a blessing. Afterwards there was much peace, we left hoping we had been able to help.

Then came Sunday. K had accepted the invitation to come to Church this Sunday! Because she is kind of confined to a wheel chair, Sister Grgich and I wanted to make her first time visitng as pleasant as possible. We met her in G where we took a train back to for church. After sacrament she looked at me and told me it was all lovely! We talked about the wonderful family atmosphere and the warmth from the members. She was the greatest and such a blessing to have in Relief Society. She participated and everything. The members and her interacted- było finiej. I have so much respect for this young woman.

Then afterwards we all went over to the Taggart's for dinner!

​
Sister G and I love K. She says "hi" to you all as well. Her countenance is one of gratitude and humility- I can not imagine finer qualities. She gracefully removes herself from her wheel chair and to the ground as others asssit her onto the train. First they move her wheel chair and then they pick her up and help her back into her wheel chair. She does it all calmy and with dignity. (I get a little mad at the lack of thought gone into providing all the trains and trams with ramps for wheel chair access...) This beauitful woman and her beautiful Spirit touches me. Her desire to learn more as she has been searchign so long for truth helps me value the truths that I do know, which I treasure up. 

The funny moments from this week almost all came when we were with K. The best was when Sister G checked her phone after dinner at the T's her Dad, K had texted us (yeah we are close like that) and he asked, "czy moje dziecko żyje......? :)<3" (Is my child alive?)

Anyways I'll try to send some pictures from Westerplatte, but you'll have to look up the historical significance on your own, nie ma czasu this week to explain!

This week was crazy busy.

This week was crazy. Crazy busy and crazy fun. I think there were some days where Sister G and I only speed-walked to and from appointments, maybe even a light jog.

First exciting news... everyone ready? Drum roll please! M. K. has a baptism date. A beautiful beautiful sweet date of baptism. Her husband has been a member for five years and she has been coming
to Church and participating. I wish I could say it was a result of Sister G's awesome companionship and Spirit but no. The Spirit is the teacher here and there have been many other missionaries and members who have helped her progress to this decision. She is so sweet and sassy, the branch needs her.

I learned from M that Heavenly Father has his own plan for each of us and that he prepares each of us individually for what will come next in the future.

Thursday we had mission conference, so we woke up at 4 20 IN THE MORNING to catch a train to Warsaw. Oh baby were we ever exhausted. We made up a song though about Pączki which we hope to record later. Whenever we go by tram or train, the pączki are there.

President K shared some fabulous words with us. We talked about missionary work from the start of our day, what we do, how we do it, and why. We talked about finding, contacting, and teaching. We also talked about the Spirit and feeding the people milk as opposed to meat because sometimes too much information all at once is not what they need. Who would have thought? Jokes już wiem.

Then we traveled home to our warm beds and enjoyed a blissful sleep. 

while at her mission conference, siostra young ran into one of my(sydney) fellow sister missionary's sister! small world :)

Friday we were able to work with K in YW again. I remember when I was in YW. How exciting is was to work on the goals and set my own. We are going to try to teach her YW on Sundays (she is the only one and has been going to primary for the two hours because there is also no Sunday school for her.) She was so excited. Smiles and fists were pumped into the air. Unfortunately she has been sick and couldn't make it on Sunday, but next week!

Then Saturday was the mother-load of appointments and running around. Our first meeting went a little over and so did the rest. Bit by bit we became more and more behind in our appointments. Our first was with the lovely Jadwiga who doesn't speak much English besides, "please sit down Madam." Ja made us nalaśniki! She had me do the mixing.