Monday, January 30, 2017

Warsaw, Poland - We Learn When We Teach & Fish Pride

We took a few photos in memory of this great building!  
I love seeing it and then walking in its doors!
I love what it stands for in this great land!
I love the people that it holds!
Next week the two Warsaw branches will join and make one big branch!
Dream Beem!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week were able to teach, teach, TEACH!! It was such a good week!!

We met with a mom Sister Thornton and I taught! She is so awesome and has known the church for a few years now! We had a lesson with her and Sister Turek! We talked about how sometimes we have already received or answer but we aren't willing to act on it! She loves “the feeling” at church but has a hard time recognizing this feeling the Holy Ghost! She isn't 100% sure and constantly doubts.  She has to want to really know and believe. Until she desires to recognize her answer, she won't understand it all! We laughed the other day because we talk about baptism so much.  We had a really bold lesson with her.  Sister Turek was amazing! She was saying everything we learn from the restoration and what that means for us personally! She is honestly so dear to me.  At the end she agreed to pray about baptism! She also stayed for the full three hours of church on Sunday, which was huge! She is getting there krok po kroku!

We also met with our student that we received from the Warsaw 1 sisters! We talked about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! She has a hard time understanding how we have the Book of Mormon and if Joseph Smith really did translate it! We talked a lot about faith.  She even remembered a scripture the Sisters had shared with her before! She said that it is all starting to make more sense now! She is getting there! Somethings of the Lord are not logical.  That is where are faith comes in and the Spirit then testifies “come follow me!”  We both testified of the Book of Mormon and how much it means to us! She is also praying about baptism! She is so close as well! 

To see these two women become happier is watching God’s work take place.  He helps us become so much more than we ever think possible.  And best of all there is a peace that cannot be duplicated.

We also met with one of the Sisters' old investigators! She is a young student from Ukraine. She is so happy and amazing! She has some concerns about being baptized. She has such deep desire! We talked about faith vs. fear! I felt like I was talking to myself! Haha! We talked a lot about how sometimes we are required to have a lot of faith, even when the future is unknown or we may not see the full picture! However, when we show our faith that is when God is there to bless us the most! She is feeling better about it now! She still has a few more concerns but we are excited to start working with her! She agreed to pray about baptism as well!

We went and visited our sweet member in the hospital again too! She teaches me something different every time! This week wasn't the best week for her! We shared with her a short story from a Liahona (foreign Ensign magazine) about how we measure up in Christ's eyes! She told us she knew that she couldn't be a strong as she was without Christ! She truly relies on his strength! she then shared with us how she had talked to her doctor about the Book of Mormon as well as she talked to the granddaughter of the lady in the bed next to her! She told us that the granddaughter had heard the Elders's speaking English to her and she asked who they were! She taught her about the church! And what blessings missionaries are! (Yes we are ;) !) The granddaughter agreed to have the elders and her husband give her grandma a blessing! She said she could already see that girl getting baptized because of how much faith she had in another church's blessing – little did she know it is the priesthood at work! Sister Beem and I just sat there amazed! This is someone who easily could be angry or upset or even selfish because of the situation they are in but she chose instead to serve others! This was such a testimony to me that you can always be a missionary whether you wear a tag or not! I can't tell you how many prayers that answered! She truly is remarkable! 

I also wanted to share a miracle! Sister Beem and I have been running back and forth between chapels to teach everyone! We have been so busy that we haven't been able to find people as much as we would like! We decided we wanted to find a better balance and so we rearranged our schedule to allow us to do so! We met two amazing girls that both want to meet with us! It felt so amazing and honestly I just could not feel more grateful! We both needed for those two contacts to happen and they were such a blessing to be placed in our path!  I appreciate being busy but sometimes it blurs what our purpose is – not to mention it can be exhausting!  Finding people and teaching them about Christ!

Finally, I want to give an update on our fish! He gave his first talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday on forgiveness! It was such a sincere and real talk! I couldn't have been more proud! He then led the Gospel Principles class! We talked about the creation of the world.  He had amazing comments and provided awesome feedback! He has come so far and moments like that mean everything to me on my mission!  Seeing the life of a person improve and them grow spiritually and temporally is incredible!

To end I just wanted to share some thoughts I have been having lately! It is ok not to know everything in God's plan! Sometimes we have to have enough faith to trust! I know that this isn't always easy and there have been several times in my life where I have been so frustrated with this! However, I have learned to recognize God in the details! His plan doesn't only exist for big things but day by day as well! The small things can add up to be just as big as the big things! 

He is there and He loves us! 

And I love you too!  Thank you for your prayers and love!  They strengthen me! 

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

Monday, January 23, 2017

Warsaw, Poland - Believe in His Plan! Just Believe! Exchanges in Łodz!

We had such a great exchange in Łodz!
Siostra Beem (back), Siostra Van  Woerkom (aka Siostra Van),
myself & Siostra Dekker
Łodz District:
Back L to Right: An investigator, Starszy Alvarez, Starszy Dossett
Middle: Sisotra Beem, Starszy Hill, Siostra Van Woerkom, Starszy Dickson
Front: Siostra Dekker, myself
SWAG! 
Dream Beem and Starszy Hill - he had to go back home for surgery!  So sad!
Starszy Hill contacted me right after he received his call for info about the mission!
Train pict! 
Dream Beem contemplating the mysteries of the world!
I tried to mimic her pose but couldn't stop laughing!
Mistletoe in the trees! 
The Office Duo from Warsaw II
Starszy Einfeldt, Starszy Ashworth 
We had no idea what this really was but thought it would make a great picture!
Starszy Barlow, Starszy Ashworth, "the thing", Siostra Beem, Starszy Haskett

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was such a great week!! 

We started our week off by going to Łódż with Sister Dekker and Sister Van! This was the first time I have left Warsaw in five months! They seriously are so much fun and this was one of my favorite exchanges my entire mission! It is always so much fun with Sister Dekker! I really loved Łódż! It is a cute, little city and it reminded me so much of the rest of my mission in Gdańsk and Szczecin! We had so much fun contacting, teaching English class and just being with them! They are doing incredible things down there! I always feel so grateful that I am able to serve with such amazing people! We are all so different but we are all here for the same cause, to bring others to Christ!

We also had the biggest miracle this week and for me it was life changing! We started visiting this member from Katowice, who is in the hospital! I have a hard time seeing people in pain so I was honestly a little nervous to go! We wanted to share a message about happiness so we read a conference talk to her! We then asked her what brought her joy! She told us that this was the first day in a long time that she was able to talk, stand, and eat food on her own! We couldn't believe it! She said that the gospel brought her joy! She talked about trusting in God's plan and how the gospel is what she holds on to! Her husband brought her a Book of Mormon and ever since she started reading it she started to improve! She said, "The doctors don't know what to call it but I know what it is - a miracle!" She is amazing! She told us how much she loves missionaries and how when she is out of the hospital she wants to serve a mission with her husband! She had such a light to her and some of the strongest faith I had ever seen! She is someone who took a hard situation and made it work! I just wanted to take her pain from her but the thought kept coming that she was being helped already! I learned what it really means to trust in God's plan! I couldn't help but get emotional afterwards! We are going to start meeting with her regularly. That meeting forever changed my outlook on trusting God's plan!

We also had a Relief Society with both Warsaw branches! It was such a good way to kick off the branches combining in two weeks! There were both Americans and Polish there! We played charades together complete with Miley Cyrus and Christopher Columbus! It just felt so happy and comfortable! It was such a good way to see the branches come together and I really think this merge is going to be good! Sister Beem and I both felt so much peace afterwards! We can't wait to see what is in store!

Finally I just want to share a simple testimony that I know God hears and answers our prayers! There have been a few things I have been praying and fasting for lately! Last night I was lying in bed just pleading with Him for some answers and those answers came! I opened my email this morning and read a letter from a friend – she answered a prayer!  He is there! He is so very aware of us! He loves us! Trust that He cares. Trust that He is there! And trust in His plan!

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt
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