Wrocław, Poland - Basics, Being bold, Final Zone Conference, He lives!

Cathedral Island with my cute yet might companion - Siostra Gheen!
She has been everything I needed this last transfer!

Cathedral Island!

Token companionship selfie! 

The bridge is lined with locks!

The cathedral!

I found this beauty in the Katowice chapel!

Siostra Barney finding a chocolate Easter bunny hidden by the Turek kids...
it is a tradition from Germany they shared with us at zone conference!

The Turek kids!

Elder Baldwin - a buddy from Warsaw!
I took so many pictures - this was my last zone conference.
Many goodbyes! 

Why be serious?  It is Startszy Liechty after all!
He is one of the first elders I met when I arrived in my first city - Szczecin!
He had only been 2 months in the land but had incredible Polish!
We had so much fun in Szczecin!

Elder Fuhriman from my months in Gdańsk!

These two trailblazer!  Starszy Toone and Starszy Wood! (Wood is from the Boise area!)

Siostra Barney saying good bye with tears to her Siostra Anderson!

Siostra Barney, Siostra Gheen and myself! 

Siostra Andersen  & Siostra Van Woerkom!

The Daltons - they headed home after this zone conference!
They are the best!  I love the couple missionaries!

This lady - Siostra Turek - is one of the most amazing women ever!
I love her sooooo much!  I've learned so much from her!

Train ride to conference!
Left: Starszy Jablonski, myself, Siostra Gheen
Right:  Starszy Dooley, Starszy Reed, Starszy White 

I LOVE THIS GIRL!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

This week was simply amazing! Again I saw miracle after miracle! The week was also a mix of emotions for me but I will get into that later! 

I want to begin with my thoughts on General Conference! There were two major things that I learned from it!  First, it is about the basics! This is also what I have learned on my mission! If we want the gospel to be a part of our lives then we have to INVITE AND MAKE it part of our lives! This includes daily prayers, scripture study, temple attendance, and going to church! This is how we center our lives on Christ and how we are constantly growing and learning to become like Him! These aren't hard things but they require effort on our part! There is so much joy that awaits if we will just take time and do the basics! Second, “Trust in the lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understandings and he will direct thy paths for good!” This was repeated over and over again! I needed to hear this! I realize that I need to trust in the Lord's understanding over my own! There are a lot of uncertainties with everything that lies ahead of me but I know that if I can trust I will be lead and guided the entire way! Faith over fear right?  RIGHT!

This week was amazing! I will give an update on the people we worked with! Our non- smoking investigator has continued to not smoke and it has been a little over three weeks now! We had such a good lesson with her this past week! My favorite was on the temple! We looked at pictures and explained happens inside! She loved it and continued to talk about it with us and how special it looks there! She will be getting baptized this weekend, Easter weekend! What a beautiful way to start a new beginning on the same weekend that Christ gave all of us a new beginning! We are so excited for her!

We also met with our young college aged girl twice this week! The first lesson we had with her was about missionary work and service! We talked about why we serve and how we are able to all spread Christs' light! She is already such a service oriented person that she really liked that we focus on service a lot on our church! We then decided to ask her about her questions! She again brought up some concerns and some of the things she had read! We listened to her and the entire time I was praying to know what to say! We talked with her about how we understand that the stuff she read is important and we don't want there to be surprises but she also needs to gain a testimony of things that are true! Sister Gheen encouraged her to read the Book of Mormon and to really come to know that it is true! She told her that was the only way she would really know! She struggles a lot with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and so that was perfect for her to hear! She continued to express her doubts and then I just went for it and decided to be bold! My heart was pounding and I was terrified on how she would take it! I finally told her that there are so many paths before her and she could continue to read and read and study everything, both from the church and against the church but she wasn't ever going to figure it all out until she decided which path to take and what to believe! She got quiet and I honestly felt like I had spoken out of term! I apologized if I had offended her and we ended the lesson with her saying she would try and read the Book of Mormon more! I prayed so hard that I hadn't said the wrong thing! 

The next time we met we talked about tithing and fasting! She again accepted both concepts! She likescthe idea that we can fast with a purpose! We have kind of been hesitant in bringing up her baptismal date because of her questions and we didn't want her to shoot it down because of them! We finally just went for it and asked her how she felt about it! She said that she had been thinking about it a lot as it grows closer and closer! We were nervous she was going to tell us we need to take a break and push it back! Instead she said she had been thinking a lot about what I said about different paths and she said she needed to choose one! I was so relieved! She told me it had helped her to really think about it all! She said that she didn't think it was a coincidence that God had lead her here and everything that had happened! She still had questions but she didn't say no about her baptism! We asked if we could fast with her about it this Sunday and she didn't want to force us but we told her we had already decided! :) She then said “chcę” or “I want” (to fast)! We fasted with her Saturday night to Sunday lunch! This is when the miracles happened! 

We had district conference in Katowice this weekend and it was so incredibly special! People from all the branches in the South came! The spirit was so strong and just amazing! She came to the conference with us! Sadly we got our tickets mixed up and she got there before us, but that is exactly what needed to happen! We missed the first meeting but we heard later that she was asked to say the prayer and it touched her a lot! We then had the big meeting and it was incredible! A member of the area of the seventy was here!  He talked all about Christ and the days leading up to His resurrection! It was a beautiful talk!

Afterwards I had a chance to ask her how it all went and what she thought! It was one of the dearest conversations of my mission! She told me that when she first came to church they sang the hymn Count your Blessings! She told me how much she loved it because she was in a hard time in her life! She was reading in that book we gave her on the train ride up and again that song was mentioned! She thought that if we sang that song today it would be amazing! We go into the room to sit down and Sister Gheen had been asked to lead the music so she flipped her hymn book open to the first song and guess what we sang?! COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!! I was counting mine over and over again! I told her that, that was the hand of God and HE IS AWARE OF EVERYTHING ABOUT HER!  She said, "I know!" She then said some dear things about what she had learned since I had come to Wroclaw! She told me that she realized she didn't need to know or understanding everything, she said it was enough that the path was there and even though it wasn't all the way lit, with each step she took it became lighter! I stood there and wanted to cry! She was glowing and so happy! She loved fasting and it was such a special experience to be a part of! She is amazing! 

The conference itself was incredible! I met so many amazing people and it was one of those days where I feel like I got a little glimpse of heaven!!  Full of love!!  Full of basic good people!!

We also met with our young investigator! We talk to her about prayer and scripture study and how we can receive answers from them! She is still praying about baptism but she told us that ever since she started meeting with us she has been happier! She really has changed! She is more confident and smiles more! There is just so much more peace about her! I love our lessons with her because we will read something and she will explain what she thought and check to see if she is understanding it all correctly! She is making incredible progress! The gospel is a gospel of change!

The week ended with my very last zone conference! The first half of it Sister Turek lead and talked about peace! This is something I have been praying for this entire last transfer! I didn't even realize what we were talking about until the end and then I got that feeling where I feel like Heavenly Father laughs and kind bolts me with the humility stick while saying “See I am listening and I know what I am doing!” I received such a calming answer that the peace will come about going home and that I need to just keep doing what I am doing! We discuss about how best to work with members and how effective it is! Seriously the members here are amazing and they have a different strength than I have ever seen!

The cute Turek kids also let us participate in a German tradition! They hid chocolate bunnies all over the chapel and we had to go and search for them! It was so much fun and they were laughing and laughing! Finally it was time for me to give my final testimony in Polish! I won't lie I was emotional and there so many mixed feelings! I know that there is incredible work ahead still left ot be done here by of each of my mission friends and I’m jealous I won’t be part of it. I am so grateful to have served with such incredible missionaries like them! The goodbyes were hard but I am so grateful that they were hard! They are my family here and some of my best friends! They are incredible missionaries and I know God is so proud of them! I will forever be grateful to have been able to serve, work, and learn with every single one of them! As hard as it was a peace came in the trickling thread of knowing that if I trust in God's plan it will all work out. So that is what I am going to do, keep trusting!

There is so much more I could write but I don't have time! This next weekend is Easter and I invite each of you to think of the Savior! I know He atoned for us, died for us, and rose and lives, so that we may live again too! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!!  Christ lives!

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

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Wrocław, Poland - God is Good! The Gospel is pure!

Legnica!  It is a beautiful little city full of strong members!
I'm so grateful that it is part of Wrocław - the members and city add so much!

krok po kroku!

Poland!  You never disappoint!
There is always something to look at!

Wrocław District:
Back row: Starszy Jablonski, Starszy White
Middle row:  Starszy Kryzer, Starszy Dooley
Front row: myself, Siostra Gheen

Exchanges with in Katowice!
L to R:  Siostra Gheen, Siostra Van Woerkom, Siostra Anderson & myself

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

First thing I want to say is that GOD IS GOOD and the GOSPEL IS PURE! 

This week was CUDOWNY (WONDERFUL)!! 

We had two meetings with our investigators on Monday! The first was with the young, college aged girl! We talked about the law of chastity and it went of smoothly! That lesson can at times be taken really awkwardly. I was glad all went ok! She accepted all of it! We then started talking about her concerns again and if she has felt that she had received any answers! We talked a lot about prayer! Best of all she wants to receive answers and is doing her part! She is reading, praying, and studying everything she can! She said sometimes it is hard for her to focus when she prays - I had the thought to ask her to say her prayers aloud! (This always helps me to focus when I’m tired or distracted!)  She had never thought of that before and so she said that she would try it! That thought was not from me – IT WAS STRAIGHT FROM THE SPIRIT!  We also asked her if it scares her a bit to get an answer  - and she said it did! We talked about desire and about trusting God and in His plan! Ahh it was just so good! I will talk more about her later! 

The next meeting we had was with the lady we are helping to stop smoking! As of today she has not smoked in over a week! She is amazing! We had a really good follow up meeting with her that night and she was doing great!  Seeing people change is incredible!  

We also had exchanges this week in Katowice with Sister Van Woerkom and Sister Anderson! It was such a good time! We helped them track down some less actives and I was able to meet some of the members there! One member told us her story! She has such a strong love of the gospel and she recognized the need for truth, so she went looking for it! It was honestly amazing! I am always impressed with each member I meet that they have such incredible strength and love! I felt like we were best friends by the end of that meeting because of how dear she was to Sister Van Woerkom and me! I love those Kato sisters! I have always felt so blessed to be able to serve with such wonderful people! It was also my last exchange, which was incredibly surreal! I am so glad though I ended it there with those sisters! They are doing amazing things in Kato! Changes are headed their way! I feel it!

When we came home we had a meeting with our non-smoking investigator! While we were on exchanges we received updates and she still hadn't smoked! Sister Gheen and I both felt good about setting a baptismal date! We sat and talked with her about how she was feeling and her goals! We then asked her to be baptized for April 29! She agreed! We called President Turek to tell him and he said you should move it closer! After discussing this possibiltity Sister Gheen and I agreed that she could do it! The next day we started teaching her the lessons again! We started with the restoration and went step by step with her! She loved it all over again! She has a really strong testimony of the Book of Mormon! We then asked her if she felt she could move her date and she said yes! We moved it to Easter weekend! That whole Holiday is about new beginnings and this is going to be a huge one for her! We are so excited! She has changed so much! She has light to her and it keeps becoming brighter! She laughs now and smiles! She is more open and she has a new found confidence! She is beginning to feel the difference too! She can do this!

We also had two more meetings with our young, college aged girl! We sat and talked all about her concerns and everything she read! We were really open. Sister Gheen and I understood better where she was coming from! She is truly amazing! She loves the people at church, the teachings and standards! She really wants to know if it is true! It was such a good talk and we felt that we understood her better as well! The next lesson was about the temple! She had read a lot of things about it, what happens there and had some REALLY GOOD questions! We went over why we don't talk about everything that happens there! She understood how sacred and important it is to us!  We reviewed what the scriptures say about the temple and told her personally how we feel there! We cleared up a lot of things she had read! It was a really powerful lesson! The spirit was there so strongly! She really is amazing! She always thanks us for the lesson! She is making progress! I love her so so much!  I want happiness for her so badly!

We also met with the other young girl we are teaching! We talked to her again about the Atonement and what will happen after this life! She had a lot of questions! She couldn't believe that no matter what we did all of us would be resurrected! We explained to her how this is a gift from God! We talked to her about where we will be and how we can receive eternal life! She struggles to feel God's love for her! I feel she wants to believe in it! There is a difference in wanting to believe and trying out faith to believe! Sister Gheen and I both want her to understand that she is a child of God and that she is His daughter! She has so much light to her that she can't see! We had a really good talk about our divine identity and that this life isn't the end! She said she would pray about it and really think about it! She also agreed to pray about baptism and came to church! She is so sweet! I want to help her come to know who she truly is! She is starting to understand it all more and more!  Knowing that we are God’s children gives us direction nothing else can give us!

Sunday was just amazing! We had the Legnica branch here with us and so we had a huge group! We filled the entire chapel! There were miracles after miracles! The spirit there was just one of love and happiness! It was branch conference so President Turek and his wife came with their kids! The talks were perfect for everyone there! There were talks on the temple and loving others and missionary work! My favorite part was being able to lead the music as we sang the hymn the Spirit of God in Polish! There was such power to it! Everyone was singing it with such great emotion!  We (missionaries) sang with some branch members Lead Kindly Light! It was so beautiful! There were six investigators and potential investigators there!! YES SIX!!!!!! (I wish I could list personal names to people because sometimes writing my letters it seems so generic but for privacy and respect I don’t list them – just know they are so personal to me!) One of them is an older lady we teach English too and she just randomly showed up and stayed for Sunday school! After church we had a huge potluck! I loved sitting with the members and talking with them! They really are incredible! It was just such a happy day! 

At the end of the week Sister Gheen and I were talking at night about how amazing the Gospel is! I couldn't help but get emotional as I started to think about how much it has blessed my life and my mission and how I’ve literally witness it give “life” to people! 

GOD IS GOOD. He loves us. I know this is truth! I have never been more grateful to have the opportunity to serve! Miracles are happening! The gospel is true! 

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

Wrocław, Poland - ODPOWIEDZI SA! or THERE ARE ANSWERS!

(Photo credit for the first three photos: Elder and Siosta Dalton! Thank you for emailing them to me!)

South Zone Conference
Front L to R:  Siostra Anderson, Siostra Van Woerkom, Siostra Gheen, myself,
Siostra Barney, Siostra Rawson, Siostra Dalton, Starszy Dalton
Back LtoR: Starszy Wojczik, Starszy Mandla, Starszy Pickett, Starszy Liechty, Starszy Jablonski,
Starszy Zamora, Starszy Kryser, Starszy Fezter, Starszy Toone, Starszy Haddfield, Starszy Dooley,
Starszy Wood, Starszy White, Starszy Fuhriman, Starszy Baldwin, Starszy Stokes, President Turek

My favorite Siostra Gheen!

Zone Conference selfie

Starszy Baldwin - memory lane for us in Warsaw!

Back:  White, Wojczik, Jablonski, Babel
Middle: Baldwin, Barney, Rawson, Mandla, Mandla
Front: Gheen, myself, Kryser

Boiseans! Starszy Wood and myself!

I don't care for sweater vests so of course Pickett and Liechty wore one over their suit coats!

Gdansk buddy: Starszy Fuhriman

Starszy Liechty - we were both "the new ones" in Szczecin my first months in the land!

Greatest Siostra Barney!  - long live our MTC District! 

Wroclaw Główny - train station!

Wrocław!

Cześć Family and Friends!!!!

To describe this week in two words: odpowiedzi są (there are answers)! This week was insane, but in the best possible way ever! There were literally days where Sister Gheen and I were sprinting (yes in skirts and giant coats) from one thing to the other and Man did I love it!! 

The week started out with us going to this incredible pottery place in Bolesławiec! Polish pottery is amazing! There are so many fun patterns and designs! Polka dots are my absolute favorite design!! I have been served tea and cookies on that china my entire mission! The store was incredible, and I could have stayed in there forever! My favorite thing is that on the bottom of each thing the person that painted it signs their name and of course it is also stamped with “Made in Poland!” It was such a fun Pday!

Tuesday we started helping one of our investigators stop smoking! She wants to get baptized but she needs to quit first! We cleaned her apartment out and started the program with the elders! As we were going to meet the elders, we realized we had forgotten to write down her address so Sister Gheen and I literally started sprinting through the streets of Wrocław! Hahaha we looked insane! We were a little worried about how it would all go but we just went for it! We washed everything and put air fresheners everywhere and searched and searched for any tobacco! During our meeting we gave her a goal to look towards baptism! She really wants to stop smoking! We all expressed how much we love her! The branch has been awesome! We set up a call schedule with the sisters, so she receives three calls a day! They have all been willing to do it! She has come so far! We have had some set backs but really she is changing! When we met with her Saturday we couldn't even believe how different she was! There was a different spirit in her home! She was so talkative and asking questions! She can do this! We have so much faith her and she is starting to have that faith too!

Wednesday we had the opportunity to do some presentations about America at a high school! Sister Gheen and I both talked about our states and then some differences between Poland and America! One of the funnest things was the root beer floats! They could not believe that we drink such a weird soda and that we add ice cream to soda! The kids were awesome too! 

That night we met with one of our investigators! We had planned for her to bring questions but she didn’t so instead we talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy! We talked about what the sacrament means and why we go to church! We asked her why she thought we keep the Sabbath day holy! She gave such a beautiful explanation that we need time to restart and to give time to the Lord! She said she had heard that in our church one time and had already decided to start trying it out! She said at times she would think of all the things she had to do but then she would realize that she could wait and do it the next day! She is seriously amazing! I asked her how she felt about everything and she said she felt better about it all! She still has questions but she knows that odpowiedzi są (there are answers!)! She gave the most beautiful prayer and sincerely asked to be shown the way and to know the truth! I felt the spirit so strongly and I almost got emotional after her prayer! We could tell that she felt it too! She is amazing! She is truly a Christ like person! She even went on a walk with our other investigator to help her to stop thinking about smoking! 

On Thursday we had zone training and as always I loved it! We talked about the resources and tools we have to use in our missionary work! We have so many tools, including technology, that we can use in our work to make it move faster! We also talked about working with members! My testimony of this has been strengthened so much here! The members are amazing and they always want to be at lessons! They help us so much and they try to talk with those they know and don't know about the gospel! We as missionaries have such a small part in the work here, there are so many more people involved! Something I loved that was said about the members is that, "These people here were prepared by God!" I know that is true! These people here literally give everything they have for the Church! They know what it means to stand up for your beliefs! They are simply amazing! 

At zone conference I had my last interview with president before my exit interview, and let me tell you that was surreal! I was emotional as we spoke Polish back and forth.  As always President knows what to say! I shared my concerns and feelings and he said things I needed to hear! It was just a good interview!

On Friday we visited with President Turek's mom! She is such an amazing woman! She has such a deep love for the gospel and has a really strong testimony of the restoration! She made us little sandwiches! We then met with another one of our investigators! We cover two areas in Wrocław: Wrocław and Legnica! We traveled to Legnica and met with her there! Her mom recently got baptized and she started to investigate! We talked about the Book of Mormon and she said that sometimes it is hard for her to understand! I asked her if she wanted to understand. She was honest with us and said she doesn't always have a real interest in this stuff! It got quiet for a moment and then I asked her if she still had questions! She replied that she did! I asked her where she could find answers and she laughed and said probably this book. I laughed and I said she could also ask in prayer! We talked about how that is exactly what Joseph Smith did! He asked in faith! We asked her to write down all her questions and that next time we would go through them! She agreed to do so and to pray about them! I told her that odpowiedzi są (there are answers!) and she would get the answers she needed! It was a really powerful meeting and the spirit was so strong! 

On Saturday we met with a new investigator! she is a young sixteen year old girl that Elder Jabłoński found! She is really sweet and she came to church last week! We talked with her about the plan of salvation! We didn't make it through all of it but we ended on the Atonement! She has never really been believing but she really wants to found out if God is there! We told her about how God loves us and that is why he has a plan for us! She said it was hard to change her faith really quick because she has been taught something different in school her whole life! She said it was hard to believe that God loves her when so many things have happened in her life! We talked about how the Atonement can take away the hurt of it all! We both bore our testimony of it! I told her no matter what we do or we are, we are worthy of God's love! It was an amazing lesson! She said she needed to think about it all and we challenged her to pray about it too! She even came to church the next day! She said she really likes it there! She is awesome and truly searching! We told her odpowiedzi są (there are answers!) and she is going to ask!

Sundays are always good here! There is just such a good spirit in the branch and there is just so much love! They are all here to help one another and they make us missionaries feel so welcomed and loved! 

THIS WEEK WAS JUST A GOOD SOLID WEEK! We are so blessed! It was really interesting because there were so many times this week where I was able to share so many experiences I had! I thought about how much progress I have made and it just really hit me that progress WAS MADE!! I realized how far I have come! I have still a long way to go but steps are being made! My prayers have become something different lately! I just feel so much peace at the end of them now! We told our investigators this whole week that odpowiedzi są (THERE ARE ANSWERS!, but I also realized there answers for me too! And we just have to keep figuring them out krok po kroku!

Kocham Was!!!!

Siostra DeMordaunt

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