Warsaw, Poland - Fish in the net! Happiness is a choice!

We bought a new spatula and it made our entire day!

Warsaw II - that's us!

It was free transportation day!

Inside of the station! Isn't it clean!  Doesn't always smell clean!

It was the end of a really long day and Starszy Baldwin sudden made this face and we all cried laughing!
It broke the silence!  Probably not funny to you but it was so great just to laugh!

This is a transfer joke - we do "Barbie gang signs" (think Barbie hands!)
I look super scary!  Sorry!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week we caught a fish!! I will explain what this means later but this week was the week I needed! It fed my soul in so many ways!! 

First ... the most amazing news.... our investigator is getting baptized!! I will explain how this all happened! We were able to meet with him twice this week! I wrote in my last letter about the super bold lesson we had with him the time before so we were honestly nervous for our next lesson but it was totally different! He was a lot more open and he listened to everything we said! We decided to start from the beginning again so we taught him the Restoration! We explained why the Book of Mormon is so important! He joked and said that we always refer back to it.  He said something like "if you are sad....read The Book of Mormon!?"  We testified both personally about why it was important to us! We then explained to him that we need to read and pray to receive answers. And when we get an answer we know whether or not it is God's word and true!! We then extended the baptismal invitation!  (Bold right?!)  He of course was a little shocked, but we knew expected this! We explained to him what baptism was and why he needed to be baptized! He said that he had felt nervous before our meeting that day! We asked him what he meant and he said, "In my heart I feel nervous but good!" We told him that was the Holy Ghost and it was because he was doing what was right! We told him it had to be his decision and he said OK! We let him choose when and he said November 12!!! We are so excited! After this he told us we were his "znaki" or "road signs" that he had wanted! He explained that he felt like we were leading him on the right path! He talked about how he had felt when he came to Warsaw that when the leaves fell he knew a change would happen in is life... IT IS FALL!!! We were dying!! 

Our next meeting we were a little nervous to see if he was still on track! We talked about the first half of the Plan of Salvation and ended with the Atonement! We focused our entire lesson on agency and how we use it! We said that we make mistakes and sometimes we feel guilt but through the Atonement we are made clean! As I wrote in my last email I have been thinking a lot about the Atonement lately and I have really been studying it to understand it better! He didn't quite understand that Christ literally atoned personally for each of our sins! I felt I should share my personal story with him and so I did! I explained to him how I had seen the atonement work in my life! I told him I had felt forgiven when I repented! I was holding back tears the entire time and I looked over at Sister Thornton and so was she! When I finished it was quiet.  He sat there still and sure. I knew he was feeling the Spirit! I We felt it too!  We then explained that when we are baptized our slate is wiped clean! He told us how he had made a lot of rash decisions in his life and he didn't want to do it with baptism but he felt that this is something he was feeling he really wanted! It was such a powerful lesson! I have never been so vulnerable in a lesson before but it was what he needed! He then sent us a text the next day and said he had been thinking a lot about his baptism and he wrote "In my heart I want this 100%!" We were so happy! He came to church again on Sunday and stayed through all 3 hours!  

Now for the fish story! After Sacrament Meeting this member walked up to Sister Thornton and our investigator and asked "How is the fishing going?  Have you caught any fish lately?" Our investigator asked "What do you mean fish?" and the member replied "Investigators!" Our investigator turned to Sister Thornton and said with a huge smile "Oh I'm the fish!" We talked with him after church and asked him how he was feeling and he said "Good!" We asked him if he was still on the path to baptism and if we could answer any questions.  He had no question and confidently said, "Yes I really do!" He then told us the "the fish is in the net" and smiled! He even went up to our mission president and said "I am getting baptized  would you like to come!!" Ahhh!!!! We feel so blessed! I feel incredibly grateful!!  Grateful for the change I see in him!  Grateful for his questions!  Grateful for his willingness!  Grateful for the opportunity to teach but know the Spirit is really the one doing the work!   

The final thing I want to share is a conversation I had with a girl on the street! She walked towards me and she seemed familiar! We started talking! She had so many questions! She was religious already but she wanted to know why every church said it was true and how we can know for sure! I told her about Joseph Smith and how he had this exact question! We talked all about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! I felt so connected with her! We talked and talked! When I told her that I knew God lived and that Christ is my Savior she got teary eyed! She told me she wanted faith like mine! I told her she could if she would read and pray! She was nervous to take a book so she took our number instead! She asked if she could hug me at the end!  We just stood there hugging! We then took a picture on her phone together where she asked me to hold the Book of Mormon up! We parted ways and I almost became emotional! It was one of those conversations I will remember for the rest of my life!!  The Spirit connects us in ways indescribable!  I pray some how and some where there may be another encounter for her with Christ's Gospel!

There are so many incredible moments that happen on a mission! I have experienced both the up and the down!  What I have learned lately is that happiness is a choice! I laughed more this week, smiled more, and sang hymns often! I just felt better! I made a choice to get out of my head and get going!  Christ makes up for all our shortcomings!  All we have to do is try!

When it all comes down to it and I am about to leave this mission I know I will be able to say it was all worth it!!  The people I meet are worth it!  The good always outweighs the bad!

 Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

Warsaw, Poland - It is HIS work! A cool prezydent! Boldness!

Exchanges with Łódż!
Reunited with my MTC comp - Siostra Kamp!
It was sooooooo good to see her!

Siostra Van Woerkom!
She's been in the land since August!  Siostra Kamp is training her!

Siostra Kamp and my comp Siostra Thornton!

Siostra Van Woerkom and Siostra Thornton!

Łódż Siostri!

My cute companion - Siostra Thornton!

Siostra Thornton, myself, Siostra Van Woerkom, Siostra Kamp

Siostra Dekker!  MTC Comp!
She is serving in Warsaw I! 

Since we are serving in Warsaw I and II we get to see each other a lot!
It is so great!!

Early morning shopping Starszy Baldwin in Tesco (Poland's Warsaw!)!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was packed full of exchanges and miracles along the way! 

The week started off with Zone Conference! My favorite! 

Sister Turek began asking us to text in and complete the sentence "In this mission we want to...!" The last Zone Confernce she had asked us to finish the statement "In this mission we...!"  She drew a graph on the board and showed the connection between the two questions! You could see there was a disconnect between the two! She asked the question "What is the disconnect between personal qualities and what we want?" We talked a lot about how when we are fulfilling our missionary purpose, finding, teaching and bringing others closer to Christ suddenly, we have also changed in the process! I have learned that a lot on my mission! If we want to teach people about faith we too must have faith, if we want to teach people about repentance maybe we need to become better repenters! She explained it using a mountain! When we are only focused on how we want to change we only get part way up the mountain but when we are focused on helping others up the mountain suddenly we have come a long ways up the trail too! We need to climb the whole mountain!  So true...right?

President Turek then spoke! He talked about how Sister Turek's sister served in the Temple Square mission! In this mission they aren't able to baptize anyone however they still have a goal of baptisms! In the basement they have a huge board that has a globe with a bunch of gold stars! President Turek explained that for each referral they send that then turns into a baptism they put a gold star! They made a goal for 2016 to have 1.016 baptisms this year! President Turek showed us the picture and as of July they are half way! It was amazing to see their board half way filled with so many gold stars! I was thinking how different the numbers of stars are than in our mission! However President Turek then related this to our mission! He said baptism is their goal and it is also ours! He said something that really hit me! He said, "It is His work not necessarily yours or ours. It is His work and we are assisting in the work!" He explained it from a basketball point of view! When you get an assist it doesn't mean you always score but the entire team is grateful for the assist because the point still was scored! I thought back on my mission and how I have been transferred right after a baptismal date has been set! I have felt peace each time leaving because I realized I had assisted in the point! It was such an answer to my prayers! 

We also talked a lot about asking questions! Our questions we ask as missionaries should always lead back to Christ! I loved being able to discuss this! It allows those we teach to build their own testimony and in the process your testimony is built and strengthened too!  Hiking up the mountain ... remember?!

This week so many of my prayers were answered but the one I want to share specifically happened after Zone Conference! President pulled me in for an interview! I have been struggling lately trying to get my footing here in Warsaw. I really needed to talk and find some clarity! We sat down and he said, "Tu jestem" or I am here! I just talked to him about everything I was struggling with - much of it stemmed from some self-doubt! He listened as I talked and cried it out! He was so bold and loving in his response! I have spent a lot of time lately thinking of everything I wasn't! I have become so frustrated with myself and have been degrading myself! He looked at me and said "You are trying to be more perfect than the most perfect person that ever lived! Stop trying to be more perfect than Christ!" He then very lovingly said, "Sister DeMordaunt let the atonement work for you!" and so much more! He said so many things that I needed to hear! I did not feel alone as I talked with him about my concerns!  His face was so kind and accepting yet encouraging.  Something I really loved was I tried to do it all in Polish! We did switch back and forth but it meant a lot more to me because I tried to do it in Polish! I felt so much! I finally realized that I need to step aside from trying to always figure out myself and let it go! I will waste so much time finding my faults instead of being ok with my weaknesses and then asking the Lord how I can turn them into strengths as I simply "live!" This was HUGE for me!  I am so grateful for Prezydent and Siostra Turek!  This was a huge learning curve!  And I know I'll have to work at this but I'm hoping to continue with a new perspective!  

(A funny thing - Prezydent is kinda a jokester and so fun loving!  He served in England on his mission and speaks great English.  However, he didn't know the word "sassy" and I had to explain what it meant!  He just laughed and smiled!  Then he didn't quite know where Boise, Idaho was so he googled it at the end of our interview and compaired it to Warsaw while teasing me.  Isn't he cool?!  They are genuinely interested in their missionaries!)

We were able to have back to back exchanges this week with the Łódż sisters, Sister Kamp and Sister Van Woerkom, as well as the Warsaw 1 sisters, Sister Dekker and Anderson! Call us lucky!  Both Sister Kamp and Sister Dekker are training right now and are doing an incredible job! It has been so much fun to work with all the sisters! Not to mention how I always love seeing my MTC companions! I am reminded over and over again about how God places people in our path when we most need them! I feel this way a lot about my MTC group!!  They have blessed me in so many ways!

We also were able to meet with our investigators! We had probably the most bold lesson I have ever had with one of our investigators! We met him two weeks ago! He has started to read the Book of Mormon! He is a young guy who has lots of energy and loves to joke! We had a sit down lesson where it was kind of going all over the place and finally I said "sluchaj" or "listen!" We asked him if he was happy! We told him to honestly ask himself that question and to think about it for a minute! We told him we didn't want to know his answer just as long as he knew it! He then asked me what I thought! I told him that I thought he was searching for something more in his life.  He asked me "what?" I told him truth! We then testified how our message is a message of change and that he needs to have a desire to change! We told him he would find happiness in this life! He agreed to do what we invited him to do! He also came to church this Sunday! We are so excited to continue to see the progress he will make!!

I am so, so, so grateful for this week! It was another turning point in my mission! This mission hasn't been easy but it has been worth it every step of the way! I have learned to let things go and turn it over to the Lord! Sometimes I think we are afraid to let the burden go and give it to the Lord! The most amazing thing though is He doesn't ask for just a portion but ALL of it!  How great is that?!  I am grateful for all types of experiences I have had on my mission - the good and bad - because they have lead me closer to God, Christ, my real self and others!

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

Warsaw, Poland - Finding! People! MLC! Surprise Gdańsk Exchange!

Missionary Leadership Conference September 2016
Myself, Siostra Turek, Siostra Groesbeck, Siostra Thornton, Siostra Sloan,
Siostra Gheen, Siostra Barney, Starszy Quackenbush, Starszy Ashworth, Starszy Garrison

Siostry!
Siostra Groesbeck, Siostra Barney, Siostra Sloan, Siostra Turek,
myself, Siostra Thornton (my comp!), Siostra Gheen

Camera hack by the elders!!
R to L:  Starszy Quackenbush, Starszy Ashworth, Starszy Mulder, Starszy Garrison

These two!  Can't live with them - can't live without them!

I was finally able to see Siostra Barney!!  I was so good to see her!!

Wrote your names on the Love Heart Bridge in the Wilanow District.

Love Heart Bridge - it lights up at night!

"I say with my little eye..."
(In a park by Wilanow!)

Wilanow Palace - it has survived many wars and was completed in 1697 (I think!)!

Sloandaunt!
I was so happy to see her but mostly just to hear her wise words!

Can you believe how lucky I was...a surprise exchange!!
Siostra Groesbeck, myself, Siostra Sloan, Siostra Thornton
(Groesbeck and Thornton were MTC comps!)

Well traveled feet!

Headed out in Old Town's Square.

Add caption

Warsaw's mermaid with her shield and sword!
She rested on Warsaw's riverbank because she loved the city!
She was captured and then let free so she has promised to help the city and it's people!

Isn't he great?!

Tram ride home!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

So much happened this week I am just going to dive right in!

This week was filled with non-stop finding! We also had MLC (Mission Leaders Conference)! I really love meeting with the other missionaries and discussing what we can do to help the missionaries in our zone! We talked a lot about asking inspired questions and what that means! I have sometimes struggled with this on my mission! You want so badly to ask a question that will inspire them to feel or prompt the Spirit! I realized during that meeting that if we are teaching by the Spirit then what we say and ask will be exactly what they need to hear! Also the bigger part of knowing what to say is listening! I struggled a lot with this at the beginning of my mission! I was trying to understand so hard and trying to think of what to say that I forgot to actually listen! There are two types of listening - one where you are listening just to hear and one where your heart is in it and you are actually trying to truly understand the person! When we truly listen we connect with a person and for a moment we see things from their perspective, we then are able to ask divinely inspired questions along the way! So simple in so many way yet so profound too! It was such a good MLC and I always feel so energized after them! 

The rest of the week was filled with finding and....a SURPRISE EXCHANGE!! We had the Sisters from Gdansk, Sister Sloan and Sister Groesbeck, stay with us for three days! It was so good to see them! It was crazy because all of us had served with one another at some point!  Siostra Groesbeck and Siostra Thornton were MTC companions!  We had a lot of laughs, worked hard and told so many stories along the way! Sister Sloan had served in Warsaw her first transfer so it was memory lane for her! 

We met the coolest man that stopped to talk with us! He said his boss was a Mormon and he had learned about honesty from him! He had such a positive outlook on the LDS faith because of his boss! This reminded me to always make sure I am being a good example! You never know what influence you may have on others you come in contact with!  How refreshing to meet someone who knew about us!!

The rest of the week as I said before was filled with finding! We were able to meet with the man we met a few weeks ago! We discussed prayer and the Book of Mormon! He is from Cameroon.  He spoke a lot about how he use to be close to God but now he isn't! He has such a cute family and we are hoping to meet with them too! We read 2 Nephi 32 with him! We discussed how when we read the scriptures and pray we receive answers! He told us he wanted to go home and read more later! He had such an amazing spirit about him! He was so excited to read the Book of Mormon.  He told us he would read it on his way to work every day! We explained baptism to him and he agreed to pray about the decision! He is so incredible and we are so excited to meet with him! 

We also met with this guy who we met on Saturday at a finding activity! He sent us a text stating he wanted to meet the next day! He is really interested in building his faith! We talked a lot about the atonement! He doesn't understand why we feel guilt! We discussed why we have repentance and when we feel that sorrow it means we recognize we did something wrong! We had a really interesting discussion. I testified that I knew the Book of Mormon was 100% the Lord's book and I promised him that he would find out too if he read and prayed! He was taken back and was like you can't know 100% and I assured him I did! He then was taken back that I promised him and he told me a promise can be broken and I told him that this one cant! We read Moroni's promise and we testified if he would read and pray he would get an answer! He agreed to do so! It was a really powerful Spirit.  I have never seen anyone react like that before! He agreed to meet with us again and we are excited to see how his reading went! 

The final thing I want to share is a miracle that happened! Sister Thorton and I had been going through some less actives and we found a family. We called them and they said they would come to church on Sunday! They came!!!! We talked to them afterwards and it turns out they speak Spanish! Their daughter was just baptized last year and the dad had been teaching her in Spanish! I told him I was studying Spanish and they invited us to come this next Sunday! He asked if I could teach in Spanish and I told him I would try! Needless to say I will need to brush up those skills! It was such an incredible miracle and it made me so grateful that I had decided to study Spanish! The Lord works in incredible ways!!  He is aware of who needs who!  We need these people as much as they need us!

We have met so many people lately!  We are trying to get in contact with them! I feel so blessed to be here!  I know the Lord's hand is in our work!  

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

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Warsaw, Poland - Szczecin Saint Reunion! Frieberg Temple Dedication!

The chapel in Warsaw - the only building owned by the church!  It is beautiful!

I was soooooooo glad to see this guy!
We taught him in Szczecin and after I was transferred he was baptized!
I had not seen him since!  I am so grateful for and proud of him!

I love this Szczecin sister!
She was so kind to me and helped me so much with my Polish!

"Normal" selfie with Nick!
(He's one of the Szczecin twins that I adore!)

I love this young man and his family!
He is an incredible missionary!

"Not so normal" selfie with Nick!

"Don't touch!"
(Such missionary humor - he is like a brother to me!)

Saints from Szczecin!  Oh how I love them!

 Frieberg Temple Dedication:  Myself, Siostra Dekker, Siostra Anderson, Siostra Thornton
Starszy McPherson, Starszy Quackenbush, StarszyWhite,
Starszy Baldwin (my district), Starszy Schwanke (my district), Starszy Cowley

First session of the Frieberg Temple Dedication!
(photo credit Brother Keith Day)

Second session of the Freiberg Temple Dedication!

Third session of the Frieberg Temple Dedication!
Siostra & Pryzdent Turek in the middle!
(photo credit: Brother Keith Day)

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was filled with tender mercies and ended with a bang in the craziest hailstorm ever! There were literally gold sized balls of hail falling! It makes for one heck of a mission story though haha!

We met so many people this week! We were able to do a lot of finding and we were so blessed to talk with the most amazing people! I don't have much time to write however I want to share a couple of experiences I had!

First I want to share about our investigator! We had another meeting with him and we read Mosiah 18! This is all about baptismal covenants! We talked about what it means to comfort those who need comfort and help those who are in need! He said that he really like that this was the foundation of everything - just loving and serving others! We then talked about baptism and what that is specifically! I have previously mentioned that he had a baptismal date but he still has a few more things to learn! We talked about why we need to be baptized! He said he really wants "to feel" how we do and he really is willing to put in the effort! He has made so much progress already! It was such an incredible feeling! He has such a deep desire and I can tell he wants it! We set a new date for him and we are going to help him get there! When he prayed at the end it was different than other times! He looked up at the end and you could tell he felt it! I am so excited to see him continue onward! He will get there krok po kroku (step-by-step!)!

We also had the rededication of the Freiburg Temple! I felt bless because only the missionaries in Warsaw were allowed to go.  We went to the first session and I was surprised to see the members from Szczecin there as well as an investigator from Szczecin  who was baptized! I had no idea they would be there and then I walked in the chapel and I hear "Siostro" (in Polish there is a case for calling people so the "a" changes to "o" on siostra)!  I turned around and they were all there! I was so happy and even more happy to see my investigator! I couldn't help but get emotional and think of how far he had come! 

The temple dedication was beautiful and you could tell how much it meant to the members here! An investigator that I helped teach in Szczecin was there and I was able to talk with him!   He has completely changed! He was so happy and full of light! He laughed and joked with me! The gospel has helped him so much in finding himself and happiness! He was so excited to tell me he passed the sacrament now! I was in shock and filled with joy! He had such a glow to him! It showed me that the Gospel really does change people! It really does help them to have a better life! It was such a tender mercy to see them all and talk to them!!  It brought back so many memories of my first months in the land!  How I wanted to embrace the people, work and land and how much I was embraced too!  How blessed I've been!

The final experience I want to share is about the finding activity we had last night! We went to a park and decided to add music since our district has singers and guitar players! I went back and forth from walking around with Sister Thorton and talking to people and singing! At the end Elder Baldwin, Elder McMaster and I decided to sing an acapella version of Abide With Me Tis Eventide! There was such a different spirit as we sang! We all sang from our hearts! It was dark and we were sharing hymns books with one light between us.  Suddenly this guy walks up and holds his phone as a flashlight helping us see! He sat and listened!  A few people stopped as well! We finished and no one clapped it was just silent! I had chills all over and the man thanked us for singing! It was amazing!! There is such a power in music and especially hymns!! I am so grateful for them and for being able to have music in my life! The Spirit testifies in so many different ways!

I can now say I love Warsaw!  It is becoming another one of my homes! 

I am so grateful to be here at the time I am and to have been able to see the Gospel change someone's life!  There is nothing better than that!

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt