Monday, December 26, 2016

Warsaw, Poland - Amazing Christmas - Christ is the reason!

The day after Christmas is a holiday and I'm using a computer in the National Library
where we can't upload many photos due to time restraints - so I'll upload more next week!

Sugar Cookies for others! #lighttheworld
Siostra Beem, Starszy Haskett, Starszy Einfeldt, Starszy Barlow, Starszy McMaster
This transfer's culture night: Warsaw's holiday lights!
They are beautiful!
Haskett, Barlow, Beem, McMaster, Einfeldt, Bart (new member!)
Haskett, Barlow, myself, McMaster, Einfeldt, Bart!
It is tradition in Poland for Wigilia (Christmas Eve) to serve no red meat but eat fish - usually carp!
It is usually placed in the bath tub a few days earlier until Christmas Eve dinner.
The scales are suppose to bring good luck/fortune.
Usually no food is eaten until the first star shines.
The elders bought a carp and kept it alive in their tub!
The showered with the carp for good luck!
(Only the elders would do this!  They are so fun - we have the best district! Work hard, play hard!)
Matching sweaters for Secret Santa!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was filled with Holiday festivities!

And also.... TRANSFERS!!!

I am so excited to say that I will be staying here in Warsaw with Sister Beem…aka…Dream Beem! The dream team isn't getting broken up yet! Wahoo!!  We will keep striving for our mission dreams!

We met with our young college student again! We discussed more about the word of wisdom as well as feeling God's presence! She wants to see a sign that proves that God is there! We had a very bold lesson with her explaining that there are so many things that show God exists! We discussed how if we want an answer we must be willing to act! She brought up her love for coffee again.  We said if she would just try it for three days we would give up chocolate for three days too!!  SACRIFICE!! At first she was hesitant but then she agreed! So, Sister Beem and I went without chocolate for three WHOLE days!! It was worth it! She also had questions about where we go after this life! A friend of hers passed away and she didn't believe she would see him again! We testified how we would still see our friends and family after this life! (Such a beautiful blessing!) She was so sincere and was listening so intently! It was such an amazing lesson and she coming closer and closer to understanding His complete plan for her! 

One of the most amazing parts of this week was seeing the Elder's investigator get baptized on Christmas Eve! He has been incredible! He was contacted by missionaries this spring but out of the blue decided to randomly come to church this transfer! He is incredible! He is someone that has truly accepted the gospel in his life! He was so at peace and happy! I spoke at his baptism.  He was so dear, he started to cry as I bore my testimony at the end! President Turek baptized him and when he come out of the water he let out this huge sigh and you could just tell but most of all in your heart feel he felt so good! He had the biggest smile on his face and he gave President Turek the biggest hug! He then bore his testimony afterwards and it was so heartfelt! He thanked all the members for accepting him into this church! He talked about how he had been going through a hard period in his life and how happy he was to have found the path that leads him to Christ! He was so emotional and you could tell how much this day meant to him! THIS IS WHY I CAME ON A MISSION! TO LEAD PEOPLE TO CHRIST! These moments make everything worth it! When someone allows the light of Christ into their life it changes them.  It just shows me how incredibly the gospel of Jesus Christ is!

The rest of the week was filled with all things Christmas! We went caroling a bunch and saw the lights at Wilanów Palace for this transfer’s culture night activity!

Christmas eve was amazing! It started with the baptism and then we had a district pot luck! Sister Beem and I cooked pork in a crock pot for the first time - it went surprisingly well! We also did secret Santa in the district! We have a district joke that whenever someone says a sassy comment they get the diva hat put on them!  It kinda keeps us all in check with our attitudes! And for a gift I received a true diva hat!  You’ll see this in the pics from this week! But in my defense everyone has worn it!  It was so much fun to just sit and talk as a district! I love these people!  I needed my district and companions this transfer to Warsaw! I just needed to laugh and smile more They have definitely provided that! We are a happy in Warsaw II! 

Sister Beem has been a huge blessing for me as well! Like all my other companions she was exactly what I needed this transfer! She is incredible and so in tune with the spirit! She makes things fun and happy and I am so grateful we get to be together again!  I am looking forward to another two months with her.  We’re determined to get much done!

We then had Christmas Eve dinner at an American family's home! It was so good and it was so fun to spend Christmas Eve in a decorated home! We were spoiled by being given so much American food that you can’t find here in Poland!

Christmas day started off with the Elders making us breakfast! This was followed by an amazing sacrament meeting! We read the story of Christ's birth from the Bible and then sang Christmas songs with them! We sang so many traditional Polish Christmas carols together! There was such a beautiful feeling and it was all centered on Christ!

Later that day we went and had food at another American Family's home! And then my favorite part... I SKYPED MY FAMILY!!! I miss them so much and it was so good to see them all! They all have suddenly grown older!  I could not be more proud of them! I am being honest when I say that I could not have done this without the support of my family! They have made all the difference! I loved being able to hear their voices again! I am so grateful for them!

I am also so grateful for all your support! My mom told mentioned those who wanted her to tell me “Hi!” I just want to say how grateful I am for all of you! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I feel it! Nothing compares to knowing you are loved!  I hope your Christmas was amazing!! 

I just want to end with sharing what Christmas means to me! This Christmas will forever be in my heart! I have never felt so close to my Savior! I chose to read about his birth during personal study this week and it hit me in a different way than it ever has! He is why we celebrate! He is why we can be happy!  He is what makes everything good in life!

This Christmas in Poland will be one I never forget!  My relationship with the Savior made it that way!

I love you all so much!! 

 Kocham Was!!!!


Siostra DeMordaunt


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Monday, December 19, 2016

Warsaw, Poland - Wesołych Świat! Commandments make us free! Be a light forever!

Posers from Warsaw II: Siostra Dream Beem, Starszy Haskett, Starszy Barlow!! 
Goodbye lunch!  (A benefit of being in Warsaw - sometimes we get to see more missionaries!)
Front: myself, Sloan;   Second row:  Everett, Mulder, Quackenbush
Back row: Dekker, Anderson, White Sommerfeldt
I will forever be grateful for this Siostra Stephanie Sloan - she taught me so much!
Strange to see people leaving that I met when I first came here!
Sending Cowley up, up and away!
Siostra Beem, myself, Starszy Cowley, Siostra Anderson, Siostra Dekker
Good luck Starszy Cowley!
"Sloandaunt" united one last time!
My two trainers (Pierson & Sloan) are now home - I'm getting old!
Farewell to my brother Starszy Quackenbush!
Wesołych Świat!
Poland decorates for Christmas right!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

WESOŁYCH ŚWIĄT!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Can you believe that this week is Christmas?! I could not be more excited!!

This week was a good week! I just feel so happy and good right now!

This week we were able to meet with our investigator one more time before she goes to Germany for a month! She has been sick for a while now but she is better now and we met twice! We talked to her about keeping the Sabbath day holy and the word of wisdom! She is understanding everything more and more each time! She is still praying and reading! She was sad she couldn't be baptized but she told us she wanted to move the date and would get ready in Germany! She will be taught by the sisters there! She is such an amazing person and I will forever be grateful I was able to teach her! She was someone that I could see literally change!  A light would come to her and she seemed better every single time! She is ready for the gospel!  I hope our paths will be able to cross again! 

We also met with our other investigator! We talked a lot about commandments and the word of wisdom! She didn't understand why we have all these "rules!" We explained to her that sometimes it can seem like they are restrictive but they are really there to help us and they free us! She seemed more open to the idea of commandments! She loves coffee and we talked with her about why we don't drink it! We even said if the week after Christmas she gives up coffee, we will give up chocolate for a week!! Yes that is right we bargained big!! Ha!  She even thought that was crazy but she told us she would pray about it and we would talk next time! She is making incredible progress and I love her so much!!

Finally, we had a meeting with someone Sister Thornton and I met with last transfer! She is such an incredible lady but she has a hard time committing to baptism! We talked to her about following the example of Jesus Christ and how if we want to follow him we should enter the gate (baptism) in order to be on the path that leads to him! It was a good meeting! Usually she likes to speak in English but it was all Polish! I was trying to explain things in a bunch of different ways and the entire time I could feel the Spirit speaking through me! It was one of those moments where you are like how in the heck am I saying what I am saying right now... and in Polish!!! It was amazing and she agreed to pray to know if this church is true!!  The Spirit is real!

I also wanted to share an amazing contact I had yesterday! I stopped this older man and he told me he had met with missionaries ten years ago.  They had helped him stop drinking and he hadn't had a drink for over 10 years! He has fallen into some other bad habits and he felt so much guilt and shame because of it! He told me he didn't feel worthy enough to return to God! I talked to him all about Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and repentance! He asked me why I had stopped him and I told him I had seen him walking and thought I should! He told me that wasn't a coincidence! It was such an open and honest conversation. He seemed so much lighter when he left! I told him God wants us to be happy during this life and so no matter what He loves us and He is there for us! It was an amazing contact! I walked away feeling the love of God for that man!! 

We did plenty of caroling this week!  It was a fun, happy week!

I went back and read my email from last year during this time! I was getting ready to leave the MTC to come here! Oh, how time flies! I love this time of year and I have never felt so close to the Savior! How incredible is it that years ago Christ, himself was born! I have thought a lot about how much He means to me. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for everything He has done! I know He lives! I know his Atonement is real! I know He loves me!  He loves all of you!!

Although the holiday season is drawing to a close, lighting the way to Christ doesn't have to stop! Continue to be a light to all those you see! Your light has made a difference in my life and His light has made a difference in all of ours!

I ended my email last year this way but I want to say it again! To quote the Grinch, “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” 

I am so grateful to be on a mission at this time and to share the true meaning of Christmas - Christ!!

Wesołych Świąt!

 Kocham Was!!!!


Siostra DeMordaunt