Szczecin, Poland - Fast, Find, First talk and Fine miracles!

New tracking area!  Isn't it beautiful!?!? 

In Szczecin it is a "wet cold" we are a "port city" 
from the Oder River that leads to the Baltic Sea!

"The Twins!"  Nick & Ola!  They are the best!
Future leaders in Poland!  I love them so much!

Paczki stop!

Crazy bus rides!

Heading out for a run!

Running Partners!

Siostra Pierson!  She is so, so, so great!

One of Poland's gems: Park Kasprowicza!

We run in ALL the exercise clothes we own!
Lovely layers! 

Behind me is one of Poland's most famous monuments:
Pomnik Czynu Plaków or The Three Eagles Monument.

Pomnik Czynu Polaków - the monument of Polish endeavor.
Three bronze eagles rising representing three generations:
 (1) the Pre-War Poles, (2) the Poles who rebuilt Poland after WWII
and (3) the modern generation Poles.
Poland has an amazing history!  These are strong people!

Seriously the cutest thing ever - when it snows everyone pulls their kids on legit sleighs!

Sound words of advice from President Edgren!
Let's all be diligent even when it gets tough!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was busy, busy, busy!!! 

As I mentioned last week we had to let go some of our investigators and so this week all we did was find, find, find!!! We started the week by fasting to find new investigators as a district!! 

On Monday we had FHE and this one girl named Ewa (Eva) came! She is seriously so awesome and loved just sitting and talking with everyone! We are hoping to meet with her again this week!! 

We did so much tracting this week! We finally chose an area to tract and I absolutely love it! It is right next to a university building and it is a mixture of apartments and houses! 

One thing the Polish people are is honest, if they aren't interested they will let you know! However, it isn't rude here! Most responses we get are:  "We will not be discussing that topic,"  "Never come back," and "No thank you," all of these are said with a smile on their faces and then a forever long goodbye!  In Poland it is common to say goodbye for a long time such as good night, see you later, until the next seeing, good luck, and thank you!  The Polish people are just the absolute best!!  

One funny thing that happened while we were tracting:  During January the Priest comes and blesses all the houses! We were doing domafones and someone answered and said they actually had the Priest there and hung up! Someone then let us into the building and we ran right into the Priest! He was so nice but it was a little awkward!!

We also did one of my favorite things, a "stanowiska!"  This is where we either set up a poster or a table on a street and just talk to people!  However, this time instead we stood and sang!  It was so amazing to just be standing in the middle of downtown Szczecin and to be singing hymns...in Polish!!  It was honestly the absolute best thing ever!! Even though people wouldn't always stop they smiled as they passed us and I could tell they were feeling the Spirit!!

We also contacted a lot this week! We talked to anybody and everybody! We were feeling a little discouraged because as the week was coming to a close we hadn't found anyone yet! We decided to go back to our tracting area and do houses that hadn't answered on Saturday!  We continued to be rejected until we came to this one house, we knocked on the door and a young girl named Weronika answered!  She was so interested and talked to us forever!  She said her family wasn't home but they would be interested in hearing our message as well!  Then on Sunday she came with her friend Nikola (Nicole) and they stayed the entire time! 

We talked about the Book of Mormon in Sunday School and Nick and Ola (twins I talked about last week - see the picture) were bearing their testimonies and explaing what the Book of Mormon was, ahhhhh it was incredible!!  They are coming to FHE tonight and we are teaching her family this week!!!  

We also met others who we are hoping to set up with as well!  Along with this we are meeting with Piotrek and his family this week! 

Our prayers were answered in the biggest way!!  My testimony of prayer and fasting just skyrocketed and I could not feel more blessed!!!  I know if we really truly pray and fast we will recieve answers!!

I also had the opportunity to give a twenty minute talk in sacrament meeting in POLISH!!!  I talked about turning to Christ and answers will come!!  I was so so nervous but all the members were so sweet and even when I messed up they patiently waited for me to pronounce the word correctly!! 

I also was able to sing with Elder Platter in church!!  We sang Abide with Me tis Eventide!!  I felt the Spirit so strongly and even though I don't understand all of it in Polish I realized that the Spirit speaks the same way no matter the language!!!

It was a week of miracles and I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed!! 

I love Poland and EVERYTHING about it!!  

I love being a missionary and I love, love, love this Gospel!!!

Kocham Was!!

Siostra DeMordaunt